Author: World Cinema Reports' Editors

As more countries select their official foreign language Oscar entries, many of which screened during the fall film festivals, several well-regarded titles are moving their way into top contention. The final submission deadline is October 2. As many as 90 films could wind up vying for the initial shortlist of 9, and final five nominations. It’s no surprise that Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise…

This year marks the 36th for the Vancouver International Film Festival, and in 2017 it features 365 films from more than 70 countries. That’s a lot of screen time. From Hollywood heavyweights to indie darlings to foreign fare that can shake up your world view VIFF is a veritable cinematic candy store. With so much programming though a first glance at the schedule can be a bit overwhelming. For rookie attendees homework is highly recommended. Get your hands on a festival program (various locations in Vancouver and online) and treat it as your bible.  Have a plan and be open…

LONDON—As a filmmaker and videographer, I have the privilege of telling stories through the eye of a camera lens, but you never know what to expect from project to project. On “The Last Highland Tiger,” Director Katie Wardle and I came across the story of the Scottish Wildcat, which, through persecution and mismanagement, is on the brink of extinction. This film was aimed at informing and educating the public about this rare and beautiful animal. To capture footage of the Wildcat in its natural environment, we made 14-15 hour-a-day treks into Scotland’s rugged mountains and dense woodlands. With up to…

From lead roles in Hollywood to the stages of Paris, Greta Scacchi’s acting career has taken her around the world. But the 57-year-old is particularly fond of the cinema of Italy, where she was born. I think that, as in many countries in the world, Italy is in a period of change,” Scacchi told RN Drive. “There’s been a struggle with economic pressures and with the pressures of informal immigration. “Because of the shifting identity of Italy, and the difficulties that people are suffering there, the cinema is beginning to produce a kind of new neo-realism that’s as gritty and real…

The Chicago International Film Festival announced the lineup Monday for next month’s 53rd annual fest, running October 12–26. Among the high-profile fall films on the slate is Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut Lady Bird, starring Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf; the latter is being touted as a potential Oscar nominee. Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy The Shape of Water, featuring Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer and Michael Shannon, will be the closing night presentation, with Shannon in attendance. The Chadwick Boseman–starring biopic Marshall was previously announced as the opening-night film, with Boseman, co-star Josh Gad and director Reginald Hudlin expected to attend. Other…

Brazil has selected “Bingo – The King of the Mornings,” one of its most awaited debuts of 2017, as its entry for next year’s foreign-language Academy Award. Produced by Brazilian production powerhouse Gullane, “Bingo – the King of the Mornings’” candidature also marks a victory for Warner Bros. whose Brazilian office co-produced the title, which will be distributed in Latin america by Warner Latin America. The submission, voted on by a commission of over 200 film specialists, was announced by the Brazilian Film Academy. It appears to have avoided the polemics of last year’s choice when the publicly declared animosity…

Egyptian movie “A day for Women” has won the Grand Competition at the African Film Festival in Khouribga, Morocco. Director Kamel Wagih Abouzekri and actress/producer Elham Shaheen received the Ousmane Sembene award at the end of the 20th edition of the film festival in Morocco. The award comes days after filmmakers Shaheen, Nelly Karim and Nahed Al-Sibai won Best Actors’ Awards from the Kazan International Film Festival in the Russian Federation of Tatarstan. The film traces the stories of women from various social backgrounds who gather on Sundays to swim at a new pool that opened in their neighborhood.  Fourteen movies competed in…

Director Danish Renzu, who comes from Kashmir, in a collaborative project with a fellow Kashmiri pandit, Sunayana Kachroo, tells the story of Neela, a half widow, whose husband disappears after being picked up by armed forces in the dark of night from their home in Srinagar in 1999. Returning to Kashmir after a decade and taking inspiration from the life of activist Parveena Ahangar, Renzu creates the character of Neela. Before embarking on his passion of filmmaking, Renzu studied electrical engineering from the University of California and then worked for a short period of time at the telecom industry. Driven…

The Iranian drama ‘Breath’ (Nafas), directed by female filmmaker Narges Abyar, has been selected as the country’s official submission to the 90th Academy Awards in the best foreign language film category. A committee of nine cinema professionals (including four directors, an actor, a composer, a producer, a film critic, and a cinema official) was assigned by Iran’s Farabi Cinema Foundation to choose the county’s submission to the Oscar race. “The movie ‘Breath’ was selected by a majority vote,” committee spokesman Amir Esfandiari said on Tuesday, adding that the Committee hopes Abyar’s film would further introduce Iran’s capacities to a wider…

Albania has selected Gentian Koci’s feature debut Daybreak as its candidate for best foreign-language film Oscar consideration. The movie tells the story of a young mother who moves with her 1-year-old son to work as an in-home caretaker for a bedridden elderly woman after being kicked out of her home for failing to pay the rent. Leta (Ornela Kapetani) must keep the sick older woman alive at any cost. Daybreak had its world premiere last month at the Sarajevo Film Festival, where Kapetani was named best actress for her role. An Albania-Greece co-production, the film was developed at Sarajevo’s Cinelink…