Italian Documentary Caesar Must Die Wins Golden Bear at 2012 Berlin International Film Festival

Italian Documentary Caesar Must Die Wins Golden Bear at 2012 Berlin International Film Festival

Paolo and Vittorio Taviani

The Italian film, Caesar Must Die, (Cesare deve morire) by directors Paolo & Vittorio Taviani was awarded the top prize, the Golden Bear at the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival.

Filmmakers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani spent six months following rehearsals for the stage production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar; their film demonstrates how the universality of Shakespeare’s language helps the actors to understand their roles and immerse themselves in the bard’s interplay of friendship and betrayal, power, dishonesty and violence. This documentary does not dwell on the crimes these men have committed in their ‘real’ lives; rather, it draws parallels between this classical drama and the world of today, describes the commitment displayed by all those involved and shows how their personal hopes and fears also flow into the performance.

All the awards – official and independent juries – of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival  {jathumbnail off}

Awards to Return for 2012 Edinburgh International Film Festival

Awards to Return for 2012 Edinburgh International Film Festival

Chris Fujiwara, Artistic Director, Edinburgh International Film Festival, announced today that this year’s edition of the Festival will see the return of major awards. Three awards including Best International Feature Film by an Emerging Director, Best Performance in a British Feature Film and The Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature will all be available for 2012. In previous years The Michael Powell Award honored the best British feature film selected from the British Gala […]

My Week With Marilyn Expanding to 600 theaters

My Week With Marilyn Expanding to 600 theaters

In the wake of two Academy Award® Nominations for Michelle Williams, Best Actress, and Kenneth Branagh, Best Supporting Actor, the Weinstein Company announced today that they are expanding MY WEEK WITH MARILYN into 600 theaters nationwide. MY WEEK WITH MARILYN is currently in select theaters and will be expanding on February 24th.   In the early summer of 1956, 23 year-old Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), just down from Oxford and determined to make his way in […]

Dates Announced for 2012 British Independent Film Awards

Dates Announced for 2012 British Independent Film Awards

The Moët British Independent Film Awards announced today that this year’s awards will be held on Sunday December 9th 2012. At the Moët BIFA’s Tyrannosaur also won the coveted Best British Independent Film, with Lynne Ramsay taking home Best Director for We Need to Talk About Kevin, Olivia Colman Best Actress for Tyrannosaur and Michael Fassbender Best Actor for Shame. Vanessa Redgrave won Best Supporting Actress for Coriolanus and Michael Smiley Best Supporting Actor for […]

2012 Derby City Film Festival opens today

2012 Derby City Film Festival opens today

The 4th Annual Derby City Film Festival opens today Friday, February 17th and will screen 56 films through Sunday the 19th. The lineup includes 24 International films representing 16 countries as well as 8 World Premieres, 5 US Premieres, and 28 KY Premieres. Eight films were produced in the Bluegrass State and another 5 have ties to Kentucky. Legendary actor Lance Henriksen will be the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award Saturday evening before the […]

New Panel and Film Titles Announced for 2012 SXSW

New Panel and Film Titles Announced for 2012 SXSW

New Panel and Film Titles Announced have been added to the 2012 South by Southwest festival, joining the74 world premieres, 17 North American premieres and 11 US premieres in the full lineup.

NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT

Blue Like Jazz

Director: Steve Taylor | Screenwriters: Donald Miller, Steve Taylor, Ben Pearson
A Texas college student flees the hypocrisy of his religious upbringing for life in the Pacific Northwest at ‘the most godless campus in America.’ Based on the New York Times bestseller by Donald Miller.
Cast: Marshall Allman, Claire Holt, Tania Raymonde, Justin Welborn, Eric Lange
(World Premiere)

Nature Calls

Director & Screenwriter Todd Rohal
Polar-opposite brothers Randy (Oswalt) and Kirk (Knoxville) never saw eye-to-eye, but their rivalry is taken to a new level when Randy hijacks Kirk’s son’s sleepover, taking the boys on a Scout Trip to remember.
Cast: Patton Oswalt, Johnny Knoxville, Rob Riggle, Maura Tierney, Patrice O’Neal, Darrell Hammond
(World Premiere)

EMERGING VISIONS

King Kelly

Director: Andrew Neel | Screenwriters: Mike Roberts
Made entirely from camera-phone footage, King Kelly is a sensational journey into hedonistic American youth culture and the YouTube generation.
Cast: Louisa Krause, Libby Woodbridge, Roderick Hill, Will Brill, Patrick Murney
(World Premiere)

Low & Clear

Directors: Kahlil Hudson, Tyler Hughen
Two formerly close friends reunite for a fly-fishing trip and struggle to understand how much they’ve each changed – and how these changes now threaten the friendship.
(World Premiere)

24 BEATS PER SECOND

Lost and Sound (UK)
Director: Lindsey Dryden
Music may be an essential part of being human – but what if you lost the ability to hear it? A dancer, a pianist and a music critic attempt to re-discover music after deafness, with astonishing results.
(World Premiere)

Searching for Sugar Man (Sweden, UK)

Director: Malik Bendjelloul
The true story of the greatest ‘70s US rock icon who never was, how he was rediscovered and finally became the legend he deserved to be. A story of hope, inspiration and the power of music.

Shut Up and Play the Hits

Directors: Will Lovelace, Dylan Southern
The final days of LCD Soundsystem.

SXGLOBAL

GLOBAL HOME (Germany)

Director: Malik Bendjelloul
Director Eva Stotz visited interesting people all over the world whom she found through online-host-networks and emerged for a limited time in their every-day-life.
(World Premiere)

The Will (Denmark)

Director: Christian Sønderby Jepsen
Henrik dreams of a new beginning. But when Henrik’s grandfather dies, leaving behind a fortune of millions, old skeletons come to light.
(North American Premiere)

FESTIVAL FAVORITES

Chasing Ice

Director: Jeff Orlowski
Photographer James Balog was once a skeptic about climate change, but he discovers undeniable evidence. Balog reveals hauntingly beautiful, time-lapse videos of vanishing glaciers, while delivering hope to our carbon-powered planet.

Compliance

Director & Screenwriter: Craig Zobel
When a prank caller convinces a fast food restaurant manager to interrogate an innocent young employee, no one is left unscathed. Based on true events.
Cast: Ann Dowd, Dreama Walker, Pat Healy, Bill Camp, Phil Ettinger, Ashlie Atkinson, James McCaffrey

Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)

Director & Screenwriter: Philippe Falardeau
The story of an Algerian immigrant substitute teacher who brings emotional stability to a Montreal middle school class shaken by the tragic death of their well-liked teacher.
Cast: Mohamed Fellag, Sophie Nélisse, Emilien Néron, Danielle Proulx, Brigitte Poupart

Safety Not Guaranteed

Director: Colin Trevorrow | Screenwriter: Derek Connolly
A trio of magazine employees investigate a classified ad seeking a partner for time travel.
Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni

Sleepwalk With Me

Director: Mike Birbiglia | Screenwriters: Mike Birbiglia, Ira Glass, Joe Birbiglia, Seth Barrish
An aspiring comedian reluctant to confront his fears of love, honesty, and growing up; a budding standup comedian has both a hilarious and intense struggle with sleepwalking.
Cast: Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, James Rebhorn, Carol Kane, Cristin Milioti  {jathumbnail off}

Lima native Gregory Pitts’ Karma to open 2012 Northwest Ohio Independent Film Festival

Lima native Gregory Pitts’ Karma to open 2012 Northwest Ohio Independent Film Festival

The 2012 Northwest Ohio Independent Film Festival will officially open with Karma, an avant-garde film written and produced by Lima native Gregory Pitts. “I am blown away by how striking this film is,” says Executive Director Len Archibald. “It is the perfect film to re-introduce Gregory Pitts to the Lima public, as well as make a bold statement about the diversity of films we intend to screen at the Festival.” Karma is a film that […]

2012 Dallas International Film Festival Announces First Fifteen Titles

2012 Dallas International Film Festival Announces First Fifteen Titles

The 2012 Dallas International Film Festival announced the first fifteen films chosen to screen at the festival scheduled to run April 12 – 22, 2012. The lineup includes two world premieres and nine Texas premieres. Legendary animator, director, author and illustrator Glen Keane, best known for his work on Disney classics such as ALADDIN, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, TARZAN, THE LITTLE MERMAID and TANGLED, was named this year’s honoree for the Texas Avery Animation Award […]

4th Amazigh Film Festival in Los Angeles April 21 to 22

4th Amazigh Film Festival in Los Angeles April 21 to 22

The fourth Amazigh Film Festival returns to Los Angeles, Saturday April 21 and Sunday April 22, 2012, with documentaries, films, art, music and food of indigenous North Africa, the Berber and Tuareg cultures of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, the Canary Islands, Egypt and the Sahara desert. In keeping with the Moroccan theme selected for this year, the event will open with a montage of photos of Chechaouen, Northern Morocco city of the Rif Mountains, created […]

New Poster and Trailer for BELOW ZERO Closing Night Film of 2012 Derby City Film Festival

New Poster and Trailer for BELOW ZERO Closing Night Film of 2012 Derby City Film Festival

New Poster and trailer have been released for BELOW ZERO, the closing film of the 2012 Derby City Film Festival. The film will be also screening at the following festivals in the coming months: Derby City Film Festival (Louisville, Kentucky), 6pm Feb 19th Garden State Film Festival (New Jersey), March 24 Indie Horror Film Festival (Chicago), March 24 International Horror & Sci Fi / Phoenix Film Fest (Phoenix), TBA Dead By Dawn (Edinburgh, Scotland), TBA […]

Tribeca Film to release Keanu Reeves film Side by Side

Tribeca Film to release Keanu Reeves film Side by Side

Tribeca Film will release Side by Side, a film described as a provocative and illuminating journey through the technical and aesthetic implications of the transition from traditional film to digital technology. Produced and presented by Keanu Reeves and directed by Chris Kenneally, Reeves takes you on a tour of the past and the future of filmmaking in Side by Side. A summer release is planned for the film, which is having its world premiere at […]

The Artist wins seven BAFTAs at Orange British Academy Film Awards

The Artist wins seven BAFTAs at Orange British Academy Film Awards

The Artist was named Best Film at Orange British Academy Film Awards. The film also won six other awards: Director, Original Screenplay, Original Music, Cinematography, Costume Design as well as a performance award for Jean Dujardin who won the Leading Actor BAFTA. Other acting awards included Meryl Streep for Leading Actress for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady  and Christopher Plummer for Supporting Actor for his performance in Beginners. Outstanding British Film […]