“Jo For Jonathan” by Maxine Giroux Takes the Top Prize at 2011 Gotham Screen Fest

“Jo For Jonathan” by Maxine Giroux Takes the Top Prize at 2011 Gotham Screen Fest

Best Feature: Jo For Jonathan, directed by Maxime Giroux

The 5th Annual Gotham Screen International Film Festival (GSIFF) is over after ten days of screenings and events in downtown New York. Highlights of the festival included the world premiere of US drama “40 West,” Singaporean production “Sandcastle” and popular Indian movie “Shuttlecock Boys.”

Festival director Michael Gunther said of the event, “We’re very proud of this year’s program, which featured no less than six world premieres, with films as diverse as US thriller ‘Occupant,’ Chinese documentary ‘He Film’ and indie road movie ‘Days Together.’ The move to the legendary Quad Cinema brought increased attendance and allowed us to dramatically broaden the program. We definitely feel at home in the new surroundings of Greenwich Village and hope to continue our growth, both creatively and audience-wise, in the next year.”{jathumbnail off}

We Need To Talk About Kevin Wins Best Film at BFI London Film Festival

We Need To Talk About Kevin Wins Best Film at BFI London Film Festival

Tilda Swinton’s latest film, We Need To Talk About Kevin, took the top prize at The 55th BFI London Film Festival. The film adapted from Lionel Shriver’s popular 2003 novel is about an American woman, Eva (Tilda Swinton), suffering from the fallout of a terrible crime committed by her teenage son, Kevin (Ezra Miller). BEST FILM: WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, directed by Lynne RamsayOn behalf of the jury John Madden (Chair) said: “This […]

Nine Finalists for $15,000 for SFFS/Hearst Screenwriting Grant

Nine Finalists for $15,000 for SFFS/Hearst Screenwriting Grant

The San Francisco Film Society announced today the nine finalists for the third SFFS/Hearst Screenwriting Grant and the grant prize of $15,000.  The finalists were selected from 57 applicants, and the winner will be announced in early December. FINALISTSChris Brown, San FranciscolandA young Iraqi war veteran is forced to turn to prostitution in order to survive in San Francisco. For information visit fannyannieanddanny.com. Jason Cortland, LumberjunkiesIn a small logging town in Northern Oregon, two brothers […]

Complete List of 45 Films Eligible for 2011 European Film Academy Awards

Complete List of 45 Films Eligible for 2011 European Film Academy Awards

THE ARTIST by Michel Hazanavicius

European Film Academy announced the 45 films in this year’s EFA Selection, the list of films recommended for a nomination for the European Film Awards 2011. With 32 countries represented, from A(ustria) to U(nited Kingdom), the list also covers a wide range of genres and themes from comedies about love, friendship, immigration and kidnapping to dramas about childhood, dysfunctional families and national traumas, from portraits of flawed leaders, surrealist animation and historical epics to an almost silent film in black & white.

The EFA Selection 2011 {jathumbnail off}

Audience Award Winners of 2011 Buffalo International Film Festival

Audience Award Winners of 2011 Buffalo International Film Festival

Cape No. 7

The Buffalo International Film Festival announced the winners of the 2011 Audience Awards selected by a direct vote from the audiences screening the films between October 7-23, 2011.

5th Annual Buffalo International Film Festival
Audience Awards

Best of Festival

1st Place:  Tie:  Cape No. 7, Taiwan, 2010

Tie: The Whisperer in Darkness, United States, 2011

Honorable Mention: Cultures of Resistance, United States, 2010
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AFI FEST announces the film retrospective curated by Guest Artistic Director Pedro Almodóvar

AFI FEST announces the film retrospective curated by Guest Artistic Director Pedro Almodóvar

AFI FEST has released the film retrospective curated by Guest Artistic Director Pedro Almodóvar for the 2011 festival. In addition to the screening of his film LAW OF DESIRE as An Evening With Pedro Almodóvar Gala presentation on Monday, November 7, Almodóvar’s program of classic horror films and thrillers are EYES WITHOUT A FACE (DIR Georges Franju, 1960), LE CERCLE ROUGE (DIR Jean-Pierre Melville, 1970), NIGHTMARE ALLEY (DIR Edmund Goulding, 1947) and THE KILLERS (DIR […]

First Look at the Doc NYC Film Festival

First Look at the Doc NYC Film Festival

 

The Island President

The Doc NYC Film Festival is kicking off at the IFC Center on 6th Avenue on November 2nd through November 10th 2011. Vimooz’s Francesca McCaffery is covering the Festival, and here are some of the first highlights of what is proving to be a truly inspiring, not-to-be-missed line-up:

 

The Island President: If you only go see a few films at the Doc NYC Film Festival this year, Jon Shenk’s “The Island President” should be at the very top of your list. Focusing on the pint-sized President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives Islands (the country comprised of a thousand scattered islands, South of India) and his amazing quest to crush the threat of global warming- which is literally threatening the life of the Island’s inhabitants. (The Maldives are literally sinking at a stomach-lurching rate, due to the additional CO2 in the air, which is raising ocean water levels.) Learning about his twenty years as a political activist and political prisoner before he was elected- this movie is a tribute to a brilliant, illuminating spirit, and absolutely MUST be seen. (Radiohead does the soundtrack, another great reason to see it!)  {jathumbnail off}

AFI FEST 2011 Announces World Cinema, Breakthrough, Midnight and Shorts programs

AFI FEST 2011 Announces World Cinema, Breakthrough, Midnight and Shorts programs

AFI FEST announced the remaining programs and films that will screen in the festival’s World Cinema, Breakthrough, Midnight and Shorts programs at the 25th edition this November. 

The festival describes each programs as “World Cinema showcases the most anticipated and prize-winning international films of the year, Breakthrough highlights works discovered only through the submissions process and Midnight’s eclectic selection presents films with provocative and unexpected ideas.” {jathumbnail off}

Gotham Independent Film Awards Announce 2011 Nominees

Gotham Independent Film Awards Announce 2011 Nominees

Best Feature Nominee – Meek’s Cutoff

The IFP’s Gotham Independent Film Awards™ nominations were announced today; twenty four films will compete in six competitive categories for Best Feature, Best Documentary, Breakthrough Director, Breakthrough Actor, Best Ensemble Performance, and Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You.

The nominees for the 21st Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards are: {jathumbnail off}

Rooftop Films Announce their Filmmakers’ Fund Grantees

Rooftop Films Announce their Filmmakers’ Fund Grantees

  Rooftop Films is not only known for its Summer festival, they also support the filmmakers whose work they screen to help make new movies through the Rooftop Filmmakers’ Fund. Rooftop Films announced the recent recipients of their Filmmakers’ Fund Grantees: Lucy Walker’s short documentary The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (Filmmakers’ Fund Grantee ’11) has been named among eight shortlisted contenders for the 84th Academy Awards’ best Documentary Short Subject category, of which three […]

Entertainment Industry Expresses Concern for Imprisoned Iranian Filmmakers

Entertainment Industry Expresses Concern for Imprisoned Iranian Filmmakers

Imprisoned Iranian Filmmaker Jafar Panahi

Numerous entertainment industry organizations have issued statements in support of the six imprisoned Iranian filmmakers. According to the press release, “In September 2011, the Iranian government arrested six independent filmmakers for allegedly working with the BBC, on charges including espionage and treason. Along with the ongoing house arrest of director Jafar Panahi and the prior arrest of actress Marzieh Vafamehr, who was later sentenced to one year in prison and 90 lashes, the arrests sparked outrage from filmmaking communities within Iran and around the world. Prior to the release of two of the filmmakers, all six were denied access to their lawyers and families, who were forced to remain silent. ” {jathumbnail off}

Bingham Ray named new Exec Director of San Francisco Film Society

Bingham Ray named new Exec Director of San Francisco Film Society

  Bingham Ray has been appointed the new executive director of the San Francisco Film Society effective November 7, 2011.  Ray comes to the San Francisco Film Society from New York City, where he recently served as the first run programming consultant to the Film Society of Lincoln Center, executive consultant to the digital distribution company SnagFilms and adjunct professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. “This opportunity defines the phrase ‘too […]