“War, Love, God & Madness”, a new documentary feature film by Iraqi filmmaker Mohamed Al-Daradji, will be shown for the first time to U.S audiences this month when it competes as part of the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival in lower Manhattan. In 2004 Al-Daradji returned home to Baghdad and set forth making a feature film. After an astonishingly difficult shoot, his film, “Ahlaam” (“Dreams”), was completed and released in 2005. “Ahlaam” went on to screen at international film festivals around the globe, taking home 18 awards, including the Sprit Award at the 2006 Brooklyn International Film Festival. “Ahlaam” also represented…
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Films from Romania, Greece, Turkey, Serbia, and a number of other countries that make up the region of Southeast Europe will be on display in Los Angeles when the Southeast European Film Festival begins in early May. Many of the countries of Southeast Europe have in recent years seen a burgeoning movement of powerful films that have been recognized internationally for their outstanding quality. Romania in particular has seen an upsurge in daring filmmakers gaining fame on the world stage, including Cristian Mungiu (“4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days”) and Cristi Puiu, who have both been recognized for their work…
The Asian Pacific Film Festival, run by the Asian American media arts center, Visual Communications, has today announced the full slate of films for its 2008 program.In its 24th year, the Asian Pacific Film Festival was formerly known as the VC FilmFest, and has been acknowledged as Southern California’s largest and most renowned Asian American film festival. This year’s program includes over 160 films from Asian filmmakers from America and abroad. When it begins on May 1st at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles, the Asian Pacific Film Festival will open its program with Jessica Yu’s comedy, “Ping…
Filmmaker Rahkshan Bani-Etemad, Iran’s most recognizable and prolific female director, will be presented with an honorary diploma in London next week for her contribution to world cinema and her promotion of Iranian culture and society to the world. Bani-Etemad will receive the diploma from the School of Oriental and African Studies, and will conduct a six-day master class on filmmaking for 12 aspiring directors. Since 1986 Bani Etemad has directed 11 feature films, and is perhaps best known for her 2001 feature, “Zir-e poost-e shahr” (“Under the Skin of the City”). An official selection at a number of international film…
Internationally recognized as one of the preeminent short film festivals in the World, the 2008 Palm Springs ShortFest has an open call to filmmakers to submit their work for official entry into the upcoming program. In its 14th year, the Palm Springs ShortFest is the largest short film festival in America, featuring over 350 films from 40 countries around the globe. Additionally, the Short Film Market, run in tandem with the festival, offers over 2200 films for purchase. The week long festival will include six categories, and will award twenty filmmakers with cash prizes totaling over $100,000. Along with the…
The winner of the Cannes Film Festival Critic’s Week Grand Prize in 2007, writer and director Lucia Puenzo’s internationally acclaimed “XXY” will open in New York City theaters on May 2nd. The film will be released in theaters nationally shortly thereafter. “XXY” is also an official selection of the “New Directors, New Films” series at the Film Society of Lincoln Center (http://www.filmlinc.com/ndnf/ndnf.html), and will be screened as part of the program on April 4th and again on April 6th. Based on a short story by Argentine writer Sergio Bizzio, “XXY” is a bold film about Alex (Ines Efron), an adolescent…
When world-class athletes Charlie Engle and Marshall Ulrich attempt to run across America this summer, a documentary film crew will be following along to capture their historical 3200-mile journey. Produced by NEHST Studios (www.nehst.com), “Running America” (http://www.runningamerica08.com/), will begin shooting this summer when the runners begin their journey from San Francisco to New York City on June 15th. Engel and Ulrich will attempt to break the world record by running across America in 48 days, which will require an average of about 70 miles of running per day. A world-class long distance runner, Charlie Engle was filmed in 2007 for…
A planned screening of the award winning Chinese documentary, “Yasukuni”, was canceled in four Tokyo theaters yesterday. The film was scheduled to open in Japanese theaters on April 12th, but after Monday’s cancellations, the premiere date is in flux.The film has stirred strong emotions over its depiction of the Yasukuni shrine, a controversial place of worship for fallen Japanese soldiers, a number of who have been convicted of war crimes against Chinese and others during the Second World War. Chinese filmmaker Li Ying’s documentary raises questions over the shrine by depicting various opinions about it, some that may have incited…
Bosnian filmmaker Srdjan Vuletic’s 2007 comedy, It’s Hard to Be Nice, will be available for Dutch audiences on April 10th when it is released in theaters throughout the Netherlands. Bosnia-Herzegovina’s official submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at this years Academy Awards, “It’s Hard to Be Nice” is a comedy about a Sarajevo taxi driver who faces difficulties when he tries to be an upstanding and honest person. Legendary comedian Sasa Petrovic won the Best Actor prize at the 2007 Sarajevo Film Festival for his role as Fudo, the taxi driver. Srdjan Vuletic, who co-wrote the film with Miroslav…
Bahrain Gulf Daily News: BAHRAIN’S Pakistani community is up in arms over the refusal by cinemas to screen the Urdu-language blockbuster Khuda Ke Liye (For God Sake).The 2007 movie was released across Europe last October and the GCC this month, but has been snubbed by Bahrain’s cinemas, says Pak Music.Net Bahrain branch administrator Mohammed Salman.Mr Salman, whose job is to promote Pakistani music and films across the region, said he had tried repeatedly to get the film screened here, but in vain.The film depicts the conflict amongst Muslims in the US following the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001.Bahrain Cinema Company…