BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Last night, at the 10th Annual International Beverly Hills Film Festival (BHFF) closing Gala Awards ceremony, “3 Saisons,” a feature-length drama from writer/director/producer Jim Donovan, received the Golden Palm Award and the Audience Award for Best Feature Film. The Brazilian documentary “Sequestro” (“Kidnapping”)—which received a five-minute standing ovation during the World Premiere on Opening Night—was awarded Best Director for Jorge W. Atalla and the Special Jury Prize for Best Documentary, went to the film’s executive producers, Frederico Lapenda and Christian Gudegast. Lapenda announced that he is next producing the live action version of the film with…
Author: CWB News Department
Jorge W. Atalla’s hard-hitting, critically acclaimed documentary, “Kidnapping” (“Sequestro”), chronicling economic kidnappings in Sao Paulo, Brazil and the specialized police team formed to combat the epidemic, has been selected as the opening film of the 10th Beverly Hills Film Festival (April 14 – 18th, 2010 at the Clarity Theater in Beverly Hills), marking the film’s North American premier.What had first begun in the 1980’s as a political crime committed by Leftist guerilla idealists increasingly escalated into random hostage situations perpetrated by common criminals for profit in the 1990’s. As a government response to the increased terror of the population and…
Los Angeles–The Franco-American Cultural Fund (FACF) today announced the program for the 14th Annual City of Lights, City of Angels (COL•COA) film festival that will run April 19-25 in Los Angeles. In addition to 20 shorts, the festival will present 32 feature films including nine U.S. and North American premieres, as well as four International Premieres. COL•COA will open with the North American premiere of Heartbreaker (L’Arnacoeur), an acclaimed romantic comedy starring Romain Duris and Vanessa Paradis, directed by Pascal Chaumeil and written by Laurent Zeitoun, Jeremy Doner and Yoann Gromb. The Concert, a box office comedy hit in France,…
The Alliance Française de Chicago has announced The Exemplary French Directors series continuation for this spring, with Randy WilliamsThis series explore exemplary films by women directors, Films des FemmesBiography and personal style of the auteur will be discussed as well as the possible impact of gender on movie making. Randy Williams is past President of the Alliance Française de Chicago, a long-time Board Member, and a film aficionado. The French government has designated him Chevalier in both the Order of Arts and Letters and the National Order of Merit. Discussions will be insightful and fun.Nenette et BoniExemplary French Directorswith…
A week of French language cinema will be held in Los Angeles between March 15 to 19, 2010. During this week five films from four French speaking countries, France, Switzerland, Canada and Belgium, will be screened. For reservations visit trk@lyceela.orgMonday 15 – FranceDans la Vie (Two Ladies)Esther, an old Jewish woman, who needs a full-time care-taker. But because of her bad mood, all of her nurses leave her. Her son Elie no longer knows how to deal with her. Selima, a visiting nurse, suggests that her mother Halima, a practicing muslim, takes care of his mother. Contrary to expectations, the…
“A Prophet” has come home victorious at the 35th Annual Cesar Awards. Being nominated in thirteen categories, the film managed to land nine kudos, two of which were presented to its star Tahar Rahim. The 18-year-old won best actor and breakthrough performance for his role as a 19-year-old small-time hood who becomes a Mafia kingpin behind bars. His co-star Niels Arestrup, in the meantime, was named best supporting actor. Additionally, the film has aided its helmer Jacques Audiard to receive best director award. This drama movie got the other gongs from original screenplay, cinematography, sound, editing as well as set…
To mark the 20th anniversary of the Cinemagic International Film & Television Festival for Young People, the award-winning Northern Ireland based charity is visiting Los Angeles to deliver a satellite festival. Cinemagic will be working in partnership with REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater) International Children’s Film Festival from Monday 1st to Thursday 4th March 2010, to entertain young people through film and offer them the opportunity to attend Irish film screenings and participate in masterclasses and workshops with leading industry professionals. Other organisations and industry professionals that are supporting Cinemagic’s Los Angeles events range from The Jim Henson Company…
John C. Martin II, VP of Product Marketing, leads Reallusion’s award-winning CrazyTalk and iClone Studio. A founding member of Reallusion USA, John represents Reallusion’s brands and the continued development of evermore accessible filmmaking technology. John’s role as spokesperson for Reallusion connects audiences with demonstrations of Reallusion’s real-time filmmaking software that’s fueling the frenzy of user-generated video content on the web.John specializes in emerging media and social networks including Machinima and virtual worlds. He recognizes the vast potential to use virtual worlds and real-time game and animation engines to unite technology with the new era of digitalstorytelling and social interaction. Speaking…
New York, NY – Women Make Movies (WMM) announces its acquisition of award-winning filmmaker Min-Sook Lee’s MY TOXIC BABY at the Toronto International Film Festival. In this timely, compelling, and intimate documentary, new mother Lee searches for safe, sane, and affordable ways to raise her baby daughter Song Ji in an environment that has become increasingly full of toxic threats. Described by the Toronto International Film Festival as “urgent, emotional, and highly personal,” MY TOXIC BABY is a startling look at the numerous toxins found in a baby’s food, bedding, clothing, toys, and home. Lee shares her anxieties as she…
The Film Society of Lincoln Center’s 12th edition of The Latinbeat Film Festival showcases the best in Latin American cinema with one of its most diverse slates ever. Twenty-one films, nineteen in their New York premieres, represent seven Latin American countries. “The variety of genres, styles, voices, and subjects in films from the region is as diverse as Latin America itself,” says Programming Associate Marcela Goglio, curator of the Latinbeat Festival. “We are seeing a strengthening of emerging film industries in countries like Mexico, Argentina and Brazil and a continued resurgence of fresh new voices.”Opening Night FilmsThis year’s Latinbeat opens…