Asia’s largest genre film fest, the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan) in South Korea has announced this year’s It Project Spotlight on China and is tentatively launching a new programme titled Nordic Genre Invasion.
The project market, part of BiFan’s Network of Asian Fantastic Films (Naff), is set to run July 19-22.
Annually, Naff chooses an Asian country from which to spotlight a few genre film projects.
This year’s China focus will feature five projects including Timing director Chan Nga Lei’s supernatural drama The Double Life Of Myself and sci-fi comedy Let’s Shake It, Et!.
The latter is to be directed by Zhao Xiaoxi and produced by Margaret Pu, former Shanghai film fest programmer and assistant business director.
Naff managing director Jongsuk Thomas Nam told ScreenDaily: “We decided to focus on China because in recent times there have been record numbers of genre films coming out at the Chinese box office...
The project market, part of BiFan’s Network of Asian Fantastic Films (Naff), is set to run July 19-22.
Annually, Naff chooses an Asian country from which to spotlight a few genre film projects.
This year’s China focus will feature five projects including Timing director Chan Nga Lei’s supernatural drama The Double Life Of Myself and sci-fi comedy Let’s Shake It, Et!.
The latter is to be directed by Zhao Xiaoxi and produced by Margaret Pu, former Shanghai film fest programmer and assistant business director.
Naff managing director Jongsuk Thomas Nam told ScreenDaily: “We decided to focus on China because in recent times there have been record numbers of genre films coming out at the Chinese box office...
- 6/15/2015
- by hjnoh2007@gmail.com (Jean Noh)
- ScreenDaily
Teenage outcast drama wins four Jussi awards including best film.
J-p Valkeapää’s They Have Escaped (He ovat paenneet) snapped up four prizes at the annual Jussi gala in Helsinki last night (Feb 1). The ceremony is hosted by the Filmiaura Association of Finnish Film Professionals and celebrates Finnish cinema.
Valkeapää’s depiction of two teenage outcasts who leave a custody centre for a cross-country ramble won Best Feature, Best Director, Best Editing and Best Sound Design. The film debuted last year at the Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival.
Antti Heikki’s Headfirst received two Jussis (from five nominations) as did Virpi Suutari’s documentary Garden Lovers (Eedenistä pohjoiseen).
Dome Karukoski’s The Grump (Mielensäpahoittaja) – last year’s local blockbuster, recording 458,637 admissions – garnered Antti Litja the Best Actor award and an Honorary Concrete Jussi.
Finnish Jussi Winners 2015
Best Film: They Have Escaped (He ovat paenneet). Prod: Aleksi Bardy
Best Director: J-p Valkeapää, for [link=tt...
J-p Valkeapää’s They Have Escaped (He ovat paenneet) snapped up four prizes at the annual Jussi gala in Helsinki last night (Feb 1). The ceremony is hosted by the Filmiaura Association of Finnish Film Professionals and celebrates Finnish cinema.
Valkeapää’s depiction of two teenage outcasts who leave a custody centre for a cross-country ramble won Best Feature, Best Director, Best Editing and Best Sound Design. The film debuted last year at the Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival.
Antti Heikki’s Headfirst received two Jussis (from five nominations) as did Virpi Suutari’s documentary Garden Lovers (Eedenistä pohjoiseen).
Dome Karukoski’s The Grump (Mielensäpahoittaja) – last year’s local blockbuster, recording 458,637 admissions – garnered Antti Litja the Best Actor award and an Honorary Concrete Jussi.
Finnish Jussi Winners 2015
Best Film: They Have Escaped (He ovat paenneet). Prod: Aleksi Bardy
Best Director: J-p Valkeapää, for [link=tt...
- 2/2/2015
- by jornrossing@aol.com (Jorn Rossing Jensen)
- ScreenDaily
Third edition will include pitching of 17 projects and screening of 19 completed features.Scroll down for full lists
The Finnish Film Affair is to host its third edition during the Helsinki International Film Festival (Sept 23-25).
The showcase for new Finnish films will include 17 projects being pitched and the screening of 19 completed films. A Project Development Clinic has been added for first and second-time directors.
The 17 new projects will be pitched to 60 guests including sales agents, festival programmers, distributors and TV buyers, including Fortissimo Films, Wild Bunch, Memento Films International, Films Transit, Sundance Film Festival, Koch Media and Zdf/Arte.
The pitches include The Fencer by Klaus Härö, whose previous film Letters to Father Jacob sold worldwide; and Stupid Young Heart from Oscar-nominated Selma Vilhunen (Do I Have To Take Care Of Everything?).
Other titles include Tsamo by Markku Lehmuskallio, documentary Mother’s Wish by Joonas Berghäll (Steam Of Life), and Cross Your Heart by Petri Kotwica, whose...
The Finnish Film Affair is to host its third edition during the Helsinki International Film Festival (Sept 23-25).
The showcase for new Finnish films will include 17 projects being pitched and the screening of 19 completed films. A Project Development Clinic has been added for first and second-time directors.
The 17 new projects will be pitched to 60 guests including sales agents, festival programmers, distributors and TV buyers, including Fortissimo Films, Wild Bunch, Memento Films International, Films Transit, Sundance Film Festival, Koch Media and Zdf/Arte.
The pitches include The Fencer by Klaus Härö, whose previous film Letters to Father Jacob sold worldwide; and Stupid Young Heart from Oscar-nominated Selma Vilhunen (Do I Have To Take Care Of Everything?).
Other titles include Tsamo by Markku Lehmuskallio, documentary Mother’s Wish by Joonas Berghäll (Steam Of Life), and Cross Your Heart by Petri Kotwica, whose...
- 8/26/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
New section is aimed at engaging young audiences and programmed by a teenage team.
The Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff) has announced a new Teen Spirit section and Youth Hub in a bid to engage young audiences and encourage new filmmaking talent.
The films in the Teen Spirit strand, aimed at 15-to 26-year-olds, have been selected by a 16-strong team aged 15-19. During Eiff, the Young Programmers will be hosting Q&As, promoting the films and reporting from within the festival.
The section will comprise six features and six shorts, with tickets priced at £5 to encourage younger cinemagoers.
The line-up includes:
Galore (Rhys Graham)
Ballet Boys (Kenneth Elvebakk)
#Chicagogirl - The Social Network Takes On A Dictator (Joe Piscatella)
Finsterworld (Frauke Finsterwalder)
Korso (Akseli Tuomivaara)
Violet (Bas Devos)
The short films are: Emo (The Musical); Half Sour; Letter From An Old Boy; Schoolyard; Tryouts; and Moritz And The Woodwose.
In addition, Eiff will host...
The Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff) has announced a new Teen Spirit section and Youth Hub in a bid to engage young audiences and encourage new filmmaking talent.
The films in the Teen Spirit strand, aimed at 15-to 26-year-olds, have been selected by a 16-strong team aged 15-19. During Eiff, the Young Programmers will be hosting Q&As, promoting the films and reporting from within the festival.
The section will comprise six features and six shorts, with tickets priced at £5 to encourage younger cinemagoers.
The line-up includes:
Galore (Rhys Graham)
Ballet Boys (Kenneth Elvebakk)
#Chicagogirl - The Social Network Takes On A Dictator (Joe Piscatella)
Finsterworld (Frauke Finsterwalder)
Korso (Akseli Tuomivaara)
Violet (Bas Devos)
The short films are: Emo (The Musical); Half Sour; Letter From An Old Boy; Schoolyard; Tryouts; and Moritz And The Woodwose.
In addition, Eiff will host...
- 5/7/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The insanity of daily modern life is presented with an exponentially comedic tone in the Finnish Academy Award-nominated Live Action Short Do I Have to Take Care of Everything? A mother wakes up in a panic certain that she and her family are late for a wedding ceremony. What ensues is a series of hilarious, but progressively terrible events that force her to try and solve all of them in the best way possible given such constrains. Director Selma Vilhunen talked to us about the real life inspiration for the short, her countrymen incredible support, and the unbelievable experience of being nominated for an Oscar.
Aguilar: How did the idea for the short come about?
Selma Vilhunen: The screenwriter, Kirsikka Saari, she had this idea or the theme in her mind for quite sometime, about people in a hurry, an a person having to do a lot of things in work and in family. But for sometime she didn’t know what the exact approach would be. She had this theme in her head and then one day she had a fight with her husband about house chores and whatnot, and she was kind of doing the same thing as the protagonist in the film. She was jumping around the house, and trying to do all kinds of things but not really being successful at any of them. Then she left the house, banged the door and went for a walk to cool her angry head. She sat down on a bench and then she started to laugh at herself. She saw herself from another person’s point of view, that’s when she knew what the approach for this theme would be. She realized that it is a comedy, and that she should laugh at this person.
Aguilar: Previously you have worked on various documentary shorts, which usually tend to be of a more serious nature, what attracted you to this short narrative comedy?
Selma Vilhunen: I could also relate to it [Laughs] I also have personal experience on this kind of situation in life. Kirsikka and I are co-owners of the same production company and we both have kids, so the question “Do I have to take care of everything?” is something I can really relate to. I also just really like the rhythm that is written in the story as well as the words, it was basically a funny story already on paper.
Aguilar: What do you think is the driving force or the reasoning behind mothers wanting to take care of everything, and do it right?
Selma Vilhunen: That’s a good question. It seems like often women are expected to be the ones who are responsible for the world going around, but on the other hand they kind of just take that role and don’t give any responsibility to the people around them. We wanted to take a small look at that, and maybe raise the question whether it is wise to try to take care of everything.
Aguilar: After the funeral sequence something chances in the family, do you think this has to do with the fact that in today’s world we tend to live so fast and we forget about the small things?
Selma Vilhunen: Maybe it is like that. Maybe the viewers can make the final interpretations themselves. Perhaps other people have different interpretations of what’s behind it all. But definitely I like the fact that is a funeral that makes them finally calm down and take a pause, but also of course, in the plot, after that they really don’t have anything to go to [Laughs] They tried their best and now there’s no where to go to. Maybe it is also the fact that life is short and you should seize the moment, the funeral kind of reminds them of that.
Aguilar: This film is only the second film ever from Finland to be nominated for an Academy Award, and the first short film. Is there any pressure on you from your compatriots?
Selma Vilhunen: I wouldn’t say that there is pressure to win the Oscar. We, and I would say also Finnish people, are very happy about this. This is a really wonderful opportunity, to be nominated, so we are enjoying this nomination already. Winning the Oscar would only be like a bonus on top of something that is already really wonderful. We have really felt the excitement of all Finnish people. It is really nice but it also a little bit surprising how much the entire nation is living this experience with us. Sometimes it can feel like this is a pressure, but we don’t want to think of it that way, we just want to enjoy it.
Aguilar: What are your future plans?Any projects in development?
Selma Vilhunen: In Tuffi Films, which is our production company, we have several projects going on at the same time. Kirsikka and I are working on a feature film, she is writing it and I’m going to direct it. We hope to have it in production next year. We also have a very busy spring. On February 28 th we have the premier of a film called Korso, which was written by Kirsikka and another writer Jenni Toivoniemi, and it is produced by Tuffi films and another production company. Then I will have my feature documentary, Laulu, in theaters in April, so it is a busy Spring.
Aguilar: How did the idea for the short come about?
Selma Vilhunen: The screenwriter, Kirsikka Saari, she had this idea or the theme in her mind for quite sometime, about people in a hurry, an a person having to do a lot of things in work and in family. But for sometime she didn’t know what the exact approach would be. She had this theme in her head and then one day she had a fight with her husband about house chores and whatnot, and she was kind of doing the same thing as the protagonist in the film. She was jumping around the house, and trying to do all kinds of things but not really being successful at any of them. Then she left the house, banged the door and went for a walk to cool her angry head. She sat down on a bench and then she started to laugh at herself. She saw herself from another person’s point of view, that’s when she knew what the approach for this theme would be. She realized that it is a comedy, and that she should laugh at this person.
Aguilar: Previously you have worked on various documentary shorts, which usually tend to be of a more serious nature, what attracted you to this short narrative comedy?
Selma Vilhunen: I could also relate to it [Laughs] I also have personal experience on this kind of situation in life. Kirsikka and I are co-owners of the same production company and we both have kids, so the question “Do I have to take care of everything?” is something I can really relate to. I also just really like the rhythm that is written in the story as well as the words, it was basically a funny story already on paper.
Aguilar: What do you think is the driving force or the reasoning behind mothers wanting to take care of everything, and do it right?
Selma Vilhunen: That’s a good question. It seems like often women are expected to be the ones who are responsible for the world going around, but on the other hand they kind of just take that role and don’t give any responsibility to the people around them. We wanted to take a small look at that, and maybe raise the question whether it is wise to try to take care of everything.
Aguilar: After the funeral sequence something chances in the family, do you think this has to do with the fact that in today’s world we tend to live so fast and we forget about the small things?
Selma Vilhunen: Maybe it is like that. Maybe the viewers can make the final interpretations themselves. Perhaps other people have different interpretations of what’s behind it all. But definitely I like the fact that is a funeral that makes them finally calm down and take a pause, but also of course, in the plot, after that they really don’t have anything to go to [Laughs] They tried their best and now there’s no where to go to. Maybe it is also the fact that life is short and you should seize the moment, the funeral kind of reminds them of that.
Aguilar: This film is only the second film ever from Finland to be nominated for an Academy Award, and the first short film. Is there any pressure on you from your compatriots?
Selma Vilhunen: I wouldn’t say that there is pressure to win the Oscar. We, and I would say also Finnish people, are very happy about this. This is a really wonderful opportunity, to be nominated, so we are enjoying this nomination already. Winning the Oscar would only be like a bonus on top of something that is already really wonderful. We have really felt the excitement of all Finnish people. It is really nice but it also a little bit surprising how much the entire nation is living this experience with us. Sometimes it can feel like this is a pressure, but we don’t want to think of it that way, we just want to enjoy it.
Aguilar: What are your future plans?Any projects in development?
Selma Vilhunen: In Tuffi Films, which is our production company, we have several projects going on at the same time. Kirsikka and I are working on a feature film, she is writing it and I’m going to direct it. We hope to have it in production next year. We also have a very busy spring. On February 28 th we have the premier of a film called Korso, which was written by Kirsikka and another writer Jenni Toivoniemi, and it is produced by Tuffi films and another production company. Then I will have my feature documentary, Laulu, in theaters in April, so it is a busy Spring.
- 2/19/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
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