10th Whistler Film Festival Announces Lineup Including 56 Premieres

10th Whistler Film Festival Announces Lineup Including 56 Premieres

The Whistler Film Festival (December 1–5, 2010) announced its 10th anniversary lineup featuring an unprecedented 9 World Premieres, 5 North American Premieres, 5 Canadian Premieres, 21 Western Canadian Premieres, 2 English Canadian Premieres, and 14 BC Premieres, and work from wide-ranging movie mavericks such as Jean-Luc Godard, Bruce McDonald and Monte Hellman to name a few. Selected from over 900 submissions the 10th annual Festival will present 68 films consisting of 34 features and 34 […]

WFF Announces Films in Borsos Competition and Inaugural New Voices International Feature Competition

WFF Announces Films in Borsos Competition and Inaugural New Voices International Feature Competition

The Whistler Film Festival announced the films competing for $25,000 in cash prizes as part of the Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature Film and the inaugural New Voices International Feature Film Competition. Named after the legendary Canadian filmmaker Phillip Borsos, the $15,000 Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature Film recognizes creativity and passion in independent filmmakers and is presented by the Director’s Guild of Canada – British Columbia. Films for the seventh annual Borsos […]

World Premiere of Hard Core Logo 2 rocks out the 10th Anniversary Whistler Film Festival

World Premiere of Hard Core Logo 2 rocks out the 10th Anniversary Whistler Film Festival

Canadian indie film legend Bruce McDonald (dir: Hard Core Logo, Pontypool, Highway 61) rocks the Whistler Film Festival (WFF) this year with the World Premiere of his newest punk rockumentary Hard Core Logo 2. Fifteen years after filming his rock and roll doc Hard Core Logo, Bruce the filmmaker (played by Bruce McDonald himself) receives a call asking if he wants to interview Care Failure, the sexy lead singer of Canadian punk band Die Mannequin, […]

10th Annual Whistler Film Festival kicks off with the British Columbia Premiere of Daydream Nation

10th Annual Whistler Film Festival kicks off with the British Columbia Premiere of Daydream Nation

The Whistler Film Festival announce that the British Columbia, Canada Premiere of (co-writer of Childstar) and starring Kat Dennings, Reece Thompson, Andie MacDowell, Josh Lucas and Rachel Blanchard will kick-off the 10th anniversary Festival on December 1, 2010. Produced by Christine Haebler (Hard Core Logo), Trish Dolman (Year of the Carnivore), Jennifer Weiss, and Simone Urdl, Daydream Nation tells the story of a city girl (Dennings, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist) who moves to a […]

Leeds International Film Festival Special: Tsai Ming-Liang Study Day to be Held

The Taipei Representative Office in the UK, University of Leeds and Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF) are cooperating to organise a special event in Leeds focusing on the Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-Liang. The event will be held on 15 and 16 November 2010. This event begins on 15 November with a screening of his film The Wayward Cloud. A workshop will be hosted by Tsai himself at the University of Leeds in the morning of […]

Veteran African director Souleymane Cissé to receive DIFF 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award

For the first time, DIFF is taking its flagship laurel to the heart of Africa with the recognition for Cissé, the Malian director and Cannes jury prize winner who has created compelling personal tales that reflect the spirit and diversity of the continent. Abdulhamid Juma, Chairman of Dubai International Film Festival, said: “Over the years, Africa has produced powerful films that portray the social, political and economic realities of the continent. Souleymane Cissé has been […]

DIFF 2010 opens doors to film students across region

DIFF-accredited students will be able to attend and participate in workshops, panel discussions, master classes, networking sessions and screenings in addition to receiving special access to the Festival’s specialist teams. All told, they will have the rare opportunity to go behind the scenes of the region’s leading film festival. Eligible students can register at the DIFF website, www.dubaifilmfest.com. All applications must be supported by a letter from their college or university or relevant faculty member. […]

Dubai International Film Festival 2010 ‘In Focus’ shines spotlight on best of Mexican cinema

The Festival’s annual ‘In Focus’ segment introduces regional audiences to the film, talent and narratives of nations with a history of excellence in cinema. With Mexico being responsible for some of Latin America’s best and most popular contemporary films, DIFF 2010’s In Focus: Mexico segment is expected to resonate not only with the region’s burgeoning Spanish-speaking population but with everyone who loves cinema. Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Artistic Director of the Dubai International Film Festival […]

Dubai International Film Festival announces all-star drama ‘The King’s Speech’ as opening film for 7th edition

Brand new all-star drama ‘The King’s Speech’ will open the seventh Dubai International Film Festival on December 12, 2010, continuing the Festival’s tradition of bringing the most anticipated and critically acclaimed global films to local and regional audiences. The film, based on the true story of King George VI and his struggle to lead Britain in the run up to World War II, features an award-winning cast led by Colin Firth (Bridget Jones Diary, A […]

Dubai International Film Festival 2010 to honour Arab icon Sabah with Lifetime Achievement Awa

One of the Arab world’s most prolific and popular actresses and singers, Sabah has starred in more than 98 movies, including several timeless comedies and musicals and lighthearted fare; released 50 albums and amassed more than 3,500 songs in her repertoire; and acted in 20 stage plays. Renowned for her endearing performances, soaring voice and sparkling personality, Sabah – or ‘Al Shahroura’ (The Singing Bird) as she is known to her fans – continues to […]

Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) 2010 unveils first Muhr Emirati film starring Jean Reno

The Philosopher, a short film directed by Fujairah-born national Abdulla AlKaabi and starring A-list international screen and stage veteran Jean Reno of La Femme Nikita, Leon: The Professional and Mission: Impossible fame, will screen in Dubai as part of DIFF’s seventh edition taking place from December 12 to 19, 2010. Shot in Paris earlier this year with more than 80 cast and crew at a cost of €200,000, AlKaabi’s debut film features the cream of […]

RIP: Actress Jill Clayburgh

RIP: Actress Jill Clayburgh

Two-time Academy Award nominated actress Jill Clayburgh, has died of leukemia, aged 66. Clayburgh’s husband, the playwright David Rabe, told the New York Times she died at her home in Lakeville, Connecticut. She was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress for the film and also for the 1979 film “Starting Over,” with Burt Reynolds and Candice Bergen.