Classics
A new 4K restoration of Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession, starring Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill will make its U.S. Premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin and its West Coast Premiere at Beyond Fest in Los Angeles. The film will open theatrically and digitally exclusively at Metrograph on October 1 before expanding to theaters nationwide on October 15.
Librarian of Congress announced the annual selection of 25 of America’s most influential motion pictures to be inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. These films range from the innovative silent film “Suspense,” which was co-directed by a woman in 1913, and Sidney Poitier’s Oscar-winning performance in 1963’s “Lilies of the Field” to the PBS documentary “Freedom Riders” from 2010 and one of the biggest public vote getters, Christopher Nolan’s 2008 Batman film “The Dark Knight.”
Film at Lincoln Center unveiled the eclectic assortment of new restorations in the lineup of Revivals for the 58th New York Film Festival (September 17 – October 11).
The 12th Annual Robert Classic French Film Festival, produced by Cinema St. Louis (CSL), celebrates St. Louis’ Gallic heritage and France’s extraordinary cinematic legacy from July 17-23. Because of the Covid-19 health crisis, the fest will be presented virtually this year.
The San Sebastian Festival and the Filmoteca España organize, in collaboration with the Filmoteca Vasca and the San Telmo Museum, a retrospective on the golden age of South Korean cinema, to be accompanied by a monographic book published by the Festival and the Filmoteca Española on the more than twenty titles dating from the 50s and 60s making up the season.
The 2020 incarnation of the world’s most popular Film Noir festival, Noir City, is returning to the legendary SIFF Cinema Egyptian February 14 through 20 for a weeklong excursion into darkness hosted by Eddie Muller, internationally renowned “Czar of Noir” and host of the popular Turner Classic Movies series “Noir Alley.”
Films ranging from Prince’s 1984 autobiographical hit “Purple Rain” and Spike Lee’s 1986 breakout movie “She’s Gotta Have It” to this year’s biggest public vote getter, Kevin Smith’s 1994 “Clerks” are among the 2019 selection of 25 of America’s most influential motion pictures added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.
The Berlinale Classics series of the 70th Berlin International Film Festival will celebrate its opening on February 21, 2020 at the Friedrichstadt-Palast with a screening of the 1924 silent film classic Waxworks directed by Paul Leni. Accompanied by new music from the Ensemble Musikfabrik from North Rhine-Westphalia, with Swiss-Australian conductor Elena Schwarz at the podium, this digital restoration under the aegis of the Deutsche Kinemathek and Cineteca di Bologna will be shown onscreen for the first time at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival.
The Retrospective of the 70th Berlin International Film Festival will be dedicated to the American film director, producer, and screenwriter King Vidor (1894-1982) who holds a central place in the history of US cinema. Considered a key director towards the end of the silent era and in the Golden Age of Hollywood, Vidor left a lasting mark, combining his interest in social engagement with the desire to explore in depth the potential of cinematic language.
Three modern classics, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985), by Paul Schrader; Dao ma zei / The Horse Thief (1986), by Tian Zhuangzhuang, and Sátántangó (1994), by Béla Tarr, are the films featuring in this year’s Klasikoak section of the 2019 San Sebastian International Film Festival. Following last year’s screening of Ladri di biciclette / Bicycle Thieves (1948), the section increases from one to three films programmed for screening in their restored versions in the Tabakalera cinema.
Film at Lincoln Center announced the Retrospective and Revivals sections lineup for the 57th New York Film Festival (September 27–October 13).
The 24th Busan International Film Festival has selected Jung Il-Sung for the Korean Cinema Retrospective. Jung, a renowned cinematographer, has worked on the history of Korean films and left a significant mark on unique filmmaking as a master of cinematography.