BERLIN, Germany — The bitter winds of winter are back at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, and I don’t just mean the snow flurries and frozen writing fingers here in the Potzdammer Platz. (Global warming has made a brief appearance, but only as a film seminar topic, so bring along Arctic gloves.) Many of the official films themselves have gotten a chilly reception from the critics here, some justifiably, and some decidedly not. On the justifiable side is Stephen Frear’s disappointing period piece, Cheri, about an aging prostitute finding love in the very late afternoon of fin-de-siecle Paris. You…
Author: Akiko Ashley
On September 5th, all three major networks will collaborate on an unprecedented historical commercial free fundraising event for the fight against cancer with the broadcast of “Stand Up To Cancer”. The networks are donating an hour of commercial free time in hopes of rallying the public around the goal of ending cancer. “Stand Up To Cancer” is a new initiative founded to raise money to accelerate the funding of cancer research to find life saving treatments for cancer patients. Stand Up to Cancer will feature actors, sport figures, recording artists, and entertainment industry professionals who will perform and present filmed…
What a refreshing comic experience…you must see Kung Fu Panda. It has been a long time since I have been to an animated feature that was so much fun. The IMAX film experience was gorgeous. If you see the film this is the way to see it. Jack Black is brilliant as Po the overweight not ready for prime time kung fu master. The story is what makes this movie sing. Dustin Hoffman as the voice of Master Shifu was a much unexpected performance. I loved him. Considering he is playing against type, I was very impressed. Angelina Jolie, Lucy…
As a writer for Cinema Without Borders, I wanted to write about these current negotiations between unions and producers & studios. I found a SAG actor who wrote his own letter and decided what he said was something rarely published but needs to be said. This is a letter from SAG union member Tony Stengel. After you read the article please feel free to comment…thanks so much…Akiko AshleyBefore you get the idea that I am just writing to bash SAG, because I am going to a little bit. You need to know that I am a BIG supporter of the…
Tofu, The Vegan Zombie “Zombie Dearest” is absolutely the cutest little family comedy. “Zombie Dearest” is the collaboration between two super talented people Creator William Vaughan and Lee Stringer; both are instructors at the Dave School. William Vaughan co-created the characters, co-wrote and produced. Lee Stinger co-wrote and directed. William and Lee put together a team of talented artists from the Dave School to bring Tofu’s world to life. The entire production design had a nice warm feeling for a zombie film. (Smile.) “Zombie Dearest” features a brilliant cast with voices from Billy West, Ellen Muth, April Warren, Bridget Crowley…
After several years of planning, Madrid will finally serve up its newest entrée in the city’s tapas bar of international cultural events with the first edition of Filma Madrid, otherwise known as the Madrid International Film Festival, from March 28 through April 5. You may be one of those cineastes who feels the world hardly needs another film festival; there’s already more than 500 worldwide, catering to every manner of major and not-so-major features, shorts and videos. (Filma Madrid itself falls right between two of the granddaddies, Berlin and Cannes.) But this promising upstart appears to have the all private…
On Sunday February 12th, 2008, I was invited by Avid to attend the ACE Eddie Awards at the Beverly Hilton in the Beverly Hilton Ballroom. If you have never been to the Beverly Hilton, the ballroom is a glamorous location for an awards ceremony. It was beautifully laid out Black Tie affair. The Golden Globes have been held here. The ACE Eddie awards honor those wonderfully creative Editors whose work in the past year have been of the utmost excellence. You could not find a more talented group of honored nominees. Norman Jewison was honored with a Golden Eddie for…
Visiting the European Film Market is a bit like going out for pot luck in the neighborhood: you never who or precisely what you’ll encounter, you just pray the food is edible and the diners are bearable. Like any market, this one has its fair share of unappetizing and half-baked movies among the over 400 offerings here. But there’s always good stuff too, for those bothering to play hooky from the festival and head down the street to the Market’s grandiose three-story home, past the gold line in the sidewalk that marks the site of the old Berlin Wall.Like the…
Hope Springs Eternal is a short animated film by Ron Noble. I had the opportunity to see this eclectic and wonderful film over the rainy days of winter in California. What is remarkable about this film is seeing the dynamic personality Ron gives his character Mort through simple expressions. Hope Springs Eternal is not a children’s film. Why should animation be limited to just family films? This film is about someone who has suffered deep loss and gives up hope. In the process of he finds himself suicidal. When he tries to end everything it actually does not work out…
BERLIN (Feb. 8) – Despite a bitter chill in Berlin, crowds here at the opening night of 58th Berlinale warmed up quickly when all four of the Rolling Stones arrived on the red carpet for the world premiere of Martin Scorcese-directed concert feature “Shine A Light..” Keith Richards bounded out of the limo first, followed by Ron Woods and drummer Charlie Watts. Finally, a huge roar from the crowd met Jagger when he jumped out sporting a long wool scarf and started hobnobbing with a long lineup of TV microphones stuck in his face. And there was Scorcese, darting around…