Monthly Archives: December 2016

Academy Awards, Oscar

336 FEATURE FILMS IN CONTENTION FOR 2016 BEST PICTURE OSCAR®

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Three hundred thirty-six feature films are eligible for the 2016 Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday, December 21, 2016.

To be eligible for 89th Academy Awards consideration, feature films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by midnight, December 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days.

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Under Academy rules, a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.

Feature films that receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release are not eligible for Academy Awards in any category. The “Reminder List of Productions Eligible for the 89th Academy Awards” is available at http://www.oscars.org/oscars/rules-eligibility.

Nominations for the 89th Oscars® will be announced on Tuesday, January 24, 2017.

The 89th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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(Source: http://www.oscars.org)

#Berlinale, #BIFF

FORUM EXPANDED – THE STARS DOWN TO EARTH

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

The selection process for the 12th Forum Expanded is currently being finalised. This year’s theme is “The Stars Down to Earth”.

The search for ways to enable art to deal with an increasingly intangible reality forms an essential similarity between the selected works. Bringing one’s gaze back down to earth now seems more necessary than ever before. Yet how can one use film to take hold of something real when that very concept is ever harder to grasp?

The films and installations in the programme approach this question by attempting to both look and listen as closely as possible. In the video installation Twelve, for example, Jeamin Cha examines the pragmatic process underpinning the annual secret wage negotiations held between Korean employer and employee associations. Berlin artist Sandra Schäfer’s video installation Constructed Futures: Haret Hreik investigates city planning and redevelopment in Beirut and the political and religious ideologies they contain.

In her film Studies on the Ecology of Drama, Eija-Liisa Ahtila explores ways of finding film images that move beyond cinematographic anthropocentrism by shifting her gaze away from people and onto their environment.

The Karrabing Film Collective from Australia, whose work Wutharr, Saltwater Dreams is being presented in the group exhibition, shows three different variants of one and the same story, demonstrating how different approaches to a problem don’t just bring forth contradictory solutions but also mutually complimentary ones.

For his part, Joe Namy does away with pictorial representation almost entirely. His installation Purple, Bodies in Translation – Part II of “A Yellow Memory from the Yellow Age” merely shows a purple-colour surface, while the soundtrack explores the question of which details are lost in translation and what additional elements and contradictions are created by the differences between subtitles and image.

 

Marja-Leena Hukkanen © Crystal Eye – Kristallisilmä Oy
Studies on the Ecology of Drama by Eija-Liisa Ahtila

The central event location is once again the Akademie der Künste at Hanseatenweg. A group exhibition of work by 14 artists takes place here together with screenings of numerous films. The artists already invited include Haig Aivazian, James Benning, Duncan Campbell, Anja Dornieden and Juan David González Monroy, Noam Enbar, Mohamed A. Gawad and Lina Attalah, Eva Heldmann, Laura Horelli, Oliver Hussain, Ken Jacobs, Mahmoud Lotfy, Bernd Lützeler, Peter Miller, Rawane Nassif, Tomonari Nishikawa, Marouan Omara and Islam Kamal, Lukasz Ronduda, Ginan Seidl, Philip Scheffner, Merle Kröger and Izadora Nistor, Fern Silva, and Mohanad Yaqubi.

Forum Expanded will also be presenting different film archives and archive projects as part of a symposium to be held at the Kuppelhalle at the silent green Kulturquartier in Wedding, including ones from Nigeria, Indonesia, and the Palestinian Territories. SAVVY Contemporary are presenting an installation by Israeli filmmaker and artist Amos Gitai in their own exhibition space at the same location.

The Marshall McLuhan Salon at the Embassy of Canada at Leipziger Platz and the Arsenal Cinema at the Filmhaus at Potsdamer Platz form the other festival locations once again.

The full list of participating artists will be announced in the next press release in mid-January.

The works for this edition of Forum Expanded were selected by Stefanie Schulte Strathaus (head curator), Anselm Franke (Haus der Kulturen der Welt), Nanna Heidenreich (ifs internationale filmschule köln), Khaled Abdulwahed (filmmaker and artist) and Ulrich Ziemons (Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art), with Bettina Steinbrügge (Hamburger Kunstverein) acting as a consultant.

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(Source: Berlinale Press Office)

Venice International Film Festival

BERLINALE POSTER 2017 – BELOVED BEARS RETURN

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

To attract attention to the Festival these inquisitive animals are again making their rounds throughout town!

*All poster motifs of the 67th Berlinale

Berlinale-
Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick

“Berlin is big and this year we’ll again follow the bear tracks to some typical spots in the capital,” remarks a delighted Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick.

Once more the motifs have been designed by Velvet, a Swiss advertising agency.

The six posters in the series will be visible around town as of mid-January 2017. They will also be on sale at the Berlinale Online Shop starting January 16.

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(Source: Press Release provided by Berlinale Press Office)

#Berlinale, Berlin Film Festival

BERLIN ANNOUNCES GENERATION 2017: PERIL AND PROMISE – WALKING FINE LINES AND LIFE ON THE ROAD

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Selection Process for Feature Film Programme at Halfway Mark

In the two competitions Kplus and 14plus, 15 feature films have already been selected for the 40th edition of Generation. Exhibiting an impressive range of cinematic approaches, these productions tell the stories of young people on inner and outer journeys and capture a sense of longing for new and altered horizons. The complete programme for Generation will be made public in mid-January.

Opening Film 14plus

Michael Winterbottom is slated to open the programme of Generation 14plus in the newly renovated Haus der Kulturen der Welt with a special screening of his vibrant music documentary On the Road. Shot in the characteristic hybrid style that has become the English director’s trademark, his newest outing follows the members of the band Wolf Alice on tour as they travel back and forth across their native Great Britain, where they have caused quite a stir in recent years. The film intimately portrays life on the road, in all its ecstasy and exhaustion. The connection between the musicians and their fans is palpable and there is a fine interplay between watching and listening amongst concert and film audiences

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David Darcy © Good Dog Enterprises
Red Dog: True Blue by Kriv Stenders

Generation 14plus

Almost Heaven
United Kingdom
By Carol Salter
World premiere
Far from home, 17-year-old Ying Ling practices for her examination to become a mortician at one of China’s largest funeral homes. In addition to frequent qualms and farewell ceremonies, the everyday routine of this unusual occupation also serves up both humorous and life affirming moments. Carol Salter’s debut outing is an empathetic documentary portrait touching on fears, friendship and coming of age amidst ghosts and the dearly departed.

Butterfly Kisses
United Kingdom
By Rafael Kapelinski
World premiere
Jake and his friends pass their time hanging out in the courtyards of their high-rise development or in pool halls, talking about girls, watching pornos and getting drunk. Jake is burdened by a dark secret that distances him more and more from the others and drives him into dangerous isolation. Rafael Kapelinski stages his debut film in contrasting black and white, moving in respectful proximity to his characters, brought to life vividly here by an ensemble cast of new discoveries and young talents (including Thomas Turgoose – This Is England, Generation 2007).

Ceux qui font les révolutions à moitié n’ont fait que se creuser un tombeau (Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves)
Canada
By Mathieu Denis, Simon Lavoie
European premiere
With epic scope and stunning polymorphism, the film follows a group of young people in Québec who resolve to form a revolutionary cell together in the aftermath of student protests. This unflinching work from Mathieu Denis (Corbo, Generation 2015) and Simon Lavoie employs its protagonists to play through what it might mean to instigate a revolution and devote one’s life to a cause in today’s world.

Emo the Musical
Australia
By Neil Triffett
International premiere
The forbidden high school love between Ethan, the shy Emo kid with suicidal tendencies, and chipper Christian activist Trinity previously delighted Generation audiences as a short film in 2014. Director Neil Triffett is back with his heartbreakingly funny musical grotesque, now in feature-film length, and chock full of even more colourful characters to light up the big screen.

Mulher do pai (A Woman and the Father)
Brazil / Uruguay
By Cristiane Oliveira
International premiere
After the death of her grandmother, 16-year-old Nalu is left to care for her father alone. Any hope of leaving her dismal village now seems to have receded far off into the distance. Cristiane Oliveira’s coming-of-age drama, a work of slowly paced cinema characterised by respectful intimacy and subtle physicality, paints the complex portrait of a relationship between an adolescent daughter and her blind father.

My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea
USA
By Dash Shaw
European premiere
He’s not exactly popular, he’s got friend problems, he wants to make it big with the school paper and he goes by the name of his inventor, Dash. In the school basement, he discovers a secret that rocks the very foundations of his world. Graphic novelist Shaw hopes that his film will reach 15-year-old nerds who are just as crazy about drawings and paintings as he himself was at their age. This work of animation virtually spilling over with ingenuity (and featuring the voice-over talents of Jason Schwartzman, Maya Rudolph, Lena Dunham and Susan Sarandon) is sure to delight young viewers outside of this particular demographic as well.

Krolewicz Olch (The Erlprince)
Poland
By Kuba Czekaj
European premiere
The action in The Erlprince builds and surges as dramatically as the ballad by Goethe from which it borrows its title. The boundaries between reality, desire and appearance are blurred in this futuristically tinged film about an extraordinarily gifted young man and his ambitious and wondrous mother. Expressed in a form as unconventional as the characters it portrays, the film oscillates between the poles of both science and nature and love and violence.

Weirdos
Canada
By Bruce McDonald
European premiere
Just after the end of the Vietnam War and in the midst of the American bicentennial celebrations of 1976, runaway Kit and his girlfriend Alice hitchhike their way along the east coast of Canada. Bruce McDonald (The Tracey Fragments, Panorama 2007) has managed to create a coming-of-age film that shines equally as a road movie, one driven by a fantastic soundtrack composed of deep cuts from the era in question. A rebellious trip in black and white, in which all sense of certainty gets left by the wayside.

Generation Kplus

As duas Irenes (Two Irenes)
Brazil
By Fabio Meira
World premiere
In the shimmering heat of Brazil, 13-year-old Irene discovers a dark secret her father’s been hiding: he has another family and even another daughter with the same name. Irene embarks on a risky game that could blow up in her face at any moment. The languid summer atmosphere of Fabio Meira’s feature film debut can’t hide the fact that something is simmering right under the surface.

Die Häschenschule – Jagd nach dem Goldenen Ei (Rabbit School – Guardians of the Golden Egg)
Germany
By Ute von Münchow-Pohl
World premiere
Scrappy city rabbit Max finds shelter in a hidden Easter bunny school after a misadventure with a model plane leaves him stranded far beyond the city limits. Here he encounters the keepers of the legendary Golden Egg, itself the coveted prize of scheming foxes. After an initial bout with boredom, the secret techniques of the Easter bunnies finally arouse Max’s curiosity. This lovingly drawn German animation film, based on the 1924 classic, is a pure delight buoyed by imagination and brisk pacing and graced with the voices of Senta Berger, Friedrich von Thun, Jule Böwe and Noah Levi.

Primero enero (January)
Argentina
By Darío Mascambroni
European premiere
Primero enero is the directorial debut of Argentinian filmmaker Darío Mascambroni. 11-year-old Valentino’s life goes off the rails when his parents get divorced, challenging him to see the world from a different angle. In a tender and moving father-son story, the director takes his protagonists and his viewers out to the countryside, into a world of heightened sensitivity.

Red Dog: True Blue
Australia
By Kriv Stenders
European premiere
Australian director Stenders delighted Generation audiences in 2011 with a legendary story about a very special dog. Now, at the centre of this sequel – which is also a prequel- the red canine is joined by 11-year-old Mick, who treasures his bond with his four-legged friend above all else. Destiny has brought the duo together on a farm in the Australian outback, where the two partake in mystical adventures and Mick encounters his first true love. With great humour and sensitivity, the film is a tale of growing up in a time of transformation.

Richard the Stork
Germany / Belgium / Luxemburg / Norway
By Toby Genkel, Reza Memari
World premiere
Even though everybody else thinks he’s a sparrow – Richard himself holds tight to the conviction that he is in fact a stork. In this fast-paced adventure, Toby Genkel and Reza Memari tell the story of a bird who sets off self-confidently on a winter trip to Africa in a literal rite of passage that simultaneously serves as an empathetic tale about otherness and self-discovery. This German-international co-production provides spellbinding entertainment with its fantastic and fanciful fable showcasing top-shelf animation.

Tesoros
Mexico
By María Novaro
World premiere
Siblings Dylan and Andrea set off with their new friends on a marvellous journey of discovery in search of long lost pirate loot. In refreshingly sunny images, María Novaro gets up close to her characters to tell a story of children confidently indulging their lust for life and curiosity. In a commune on Mexico’s Pacific coast, they are given space to go their own ways and together find something much more valuable than buried treasure.

Shi Tou (Stonehead)
People’s Republic of China
By Xiang Zhao
World premiere
10-year-old Shi Tou, the son of a migrant labourer, grows up alone with his grandmother. It’s so hard to tell right from wrong! Sharing a reward with a classmate or waiting until his father returns, obeying his teacher of protecting his friend – which one should he choose? With documental authenticity, Xiang Zhao paints a portrait of life in rural China and a society in which an entire generation has too often been left to grow up in the absence of their parents.

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(Source: Berlinale Press Office)

Palm Springs International Film Festival

Canadian cinema a hot ticket at the 2017 Palm Springs International Film Festival

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

  • Canadian women directors behind four of seven selected films: Nelly by Anne Émond, Pays by Chloé Robichaud, Gun Runners by Anjali Nayar and KONELĪNE: our land beautiful by Nettie Wild

  • Canada talent in attendance to include: directors Xavier Dolan, Anne Émond, Chloé Robichaud and Nettie Wild

MONTREAL, Dec. 22, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ – Canadian cinema will have its moment in the sun. Seven homegrown films have been selected by the Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF), which is taking place from January 5 to 16, 2017. They are:

  • Gun Runners, Anjali Nayar;
  • Juste la fin du monde (It’s Only the End of the World), Xavier Dolan (Canada/France coproduction) (named to official shortlist of nine contenders for Best Foreign Language Film at the upcoming Academy Awards);
  • KONELĪNE: our land beautiful, Nettie Wild;
  • Maliglutit (Searchers), Zacharias Kunuk;
  • Nelly, Anne Émond;
  • Pays (Boundaries), Chloé Robichaud (Ms. Robichaud will also be featured in the New Voices/New Talent competition); and
  • X Quinientos, directed by Juan Andrés Arango (Canada/Colombia/Mexico coproduction).

“With a diverse mix of Canadian features—including works from emerging talent and an Indigenous pioneer, documentaries, coproductions and Canada’s Best Foreign Language Film Oscar shortlisted film—we’re off to a promising year on the international scene,” said Carolle Brabant, Telefilm Canada’s Executive Director. “I’m especially pleased to see that female talent is well represented in this year’s Palm Springs contingent; out of the seven selected films, four are directed and scripted by women and five have women as producers.”

Juste la fin du Monde in Awards Buzz program
Juste la fin du monde will be part of the Awards Buzz program at PSIFF, a selection of 43 films that the Festival’s programmers consider to be among the strongest of the 85 foreign-language contenders at the upcoming Academy Awards. The films will compete for the FIPRESCI Award in the Awards Buzz section. Palm Springs is one of the few film festivals where fans can watch most of the foreign language Oscar contenders.

Michael Lerman, Artistic Director, Palm Springs International Film Festival added: “We’re extremely lucky to have another great year in Canadian film to highlight, from the return of master filmmakers like Zacharias Kunuk to the rise of emerging talent like Chloé Robichaud. And having Xavier Dolan on the Oscar shortlist is just more proof that the film industry in Canada is one of the strongest in the world.”

Five years of partnership
As part of a partnership that is now in its fifth year, Telefilm and the Palm Springs International Film Festival work together to support the Canadian presence at the Festival. Palm Springs is one of the marquee events of the film festival season and generates significant buzz owing to the fact that its line-up includes several contenders for the Golden Globes and Oscars, two events that take place not long after the Festival.

Canadian talent at PSIFF
Canadian talent will be on hand to represent their films:

  • Gun Runners, director Anjali Nayar
  • Juste la fin du monde (It’s Only the End of the World), director Xavier Dolan and producer Nancy Grant
  • KONELĪNE: our land beautiful, director Nettie Wild and producer Betsy Carson
  • Nelly, director Anne Émond
  • Pays (Boundaries), director Chloé Robichaud
  • X Quinientos, director Juan Andrés Arango and producer Yanick Létourneau

Canada, A World of Talent special events on January 8, 2017

  • A cultivation event in support of the Talent Fund, a private donation fund to primarily develop and promote the careers of emerging talent. Canadian philanthropists Carol and Paul Hill will again host the event, featuring a performance by The Tenors, which will bring together business people with homegrown creative talent. Carol Hill is a member of the Fund’s Advisory Committee. This event is being held for a fifth consecutive year.
  • Following the Talent Fund event, more than 100 guests will attend a special presentation of Xavier Dolan’s Juste la fin du monde, as part of the day’s screenings of Canadian films.
  • A networking event bringing together Canadian talent at PSIFF with representatives from the U.S. and international film industries.

Palm Springs Speaks French!, January 6, 2017
The Festival, in conjunction with the consulates general of Belgium, France and Switzerland, the Quebec Government Office in Los Angeles, Telefilm Canada and TV5 Monde, will once again hold an event to celebrate French-language cinema at Palm Springs.

Click here for more information on the Canadian selection at the 2017 Palm Springs International Film Festival.

About Telefilm Canada—Inspired by talent. Viewed everywhere.
Celebrating 50 years in 2017, Telefilm is dedicated to the cultural, commercial and industrial success of Canada’s audiovisual industry. Through funding and promotion programs, Telefilm supports dynamic companies and creative talent at home and around the world. Telefilm also makes recommendations regarding the certification of audiovisual treaty coproductions to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund. Launched in 2013, the Talent Fund accepts private donations to principally support emerging talent. Visit telefilm.ca and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/telefilm_canada and on Facebook at facebook.com/telefilmcanada.

SOURCE: Telefilm Canada

Venice International Film Festival

How Amazon Is Operating Like a 1970s Studio

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

By Brian Formo

It hasn’t officially happened yet, but with Manchester by the Sea primed to have many Oscar nominations (it’s looking like a lock for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, and likely for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress), prepare to see this sentence reported over and over: Amazon Studios beat Netflix in the race for a streaming service to receive Oscar nominations for Best Picture. But that statement actually bears little resemblance of the reality of the space that Amazon occupies as a film production and distribution company. Unlike Netflix, the film and television divisions of Amazon operate differently. While their TV originals are created to gain more subscribers, the film production is there for a streaming service. For films, Amazon Studios is a prestige-hunting studio and they’re playing by the Hollywood’s theatrical rules, not asking the industry to bend to their will like Netflix is.

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If you’re a fan of auteurs and cringe at the state of the current studio system, you should be grateful for what Amazon is doing. They are filling theaters with films from some of our great indie directors who could not get studio support. By the time 2016 closes, Amazon will have released films from Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea), Whit Stillman (Love & Friendship), Park Chan-wook (The Handmaiden), Jim Jarmusch (Paterson and Gimme Danger) and Nicolas Winding Refn (The Neon Demon). All of those films were acquired at film festivals, but after only existing for two calendar years (Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq was the company’s first dip into theatrical entertainment, released last December), Amazon is already stepping up to develop and distribute new films by Todd Haynes (Carol), James Gray (The Immigrant) and Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow) and they’ve even entered the animation arena for a film based on the Emily the Strange series of books.

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Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden (Photo via Amazon Studios/Magnolia Pictures)

The key to Amazon’s 2016 success is primarily banking on established directors, but the key to their awards success is that they’ve fully embraced the theatrical experience. Unlike Netflix, which screens their original films in a few theaters the same day that they release the film online for any subscriber to watch, Amazon is playing the long game with their releases. Amazon has teamed with indie distributors like Bleeker Street and Roadside Attractions to co-distribute many of their 2016 titles and with Manchester by the Sea, Love & Friendship and Woody Allen’s Café Society, they’ve even landed a few in the top 10 for box office receipts in a given week. We need to stop calling the film division of Amazon Studios a “streaming service” because it takes months for their films to land on Amazon Prime, the same way that most theatrical films take months to land on any streaming rental service. Sure, it’s free to subscribers at a certain point, but it’s after a title has carefully ran its course in theaters.

While Netflix has drawn the ire of theater owners by offering their films online at the same time they’re putting titles in select theaters to be eligible for Oscars, Amazon hasn’t rocked the boat. It’s clear that they’re not trying to reinvent the distribution system, but instead they desire the prestige that comes from releasing acclaimed works.

Instead of trying to lead a revolution of providing home entertainment, Amazon is operating instead like a 1970s studio. Often considered the greatest era of Hollywood (and dubbed the “Second Golden Age”), the 70s saw distributors like Paramount operate under a corporate conglomerate (Gulf + Western for Paramount) to earn cool points for that corporation by being associated with great works of art. As the heads of production at Paramount during that time, Robert Evans and Richard Sylbert ushered in The Godfather, Rosemary’s Baby, Chinatown, Nashville and Days of Heaven and also brokered a deal to co-distribute films with Universal and MGM. Many of the films that were distributed by Paramount at the time did average at the box office, but they were nominated and won many awards, which put Gulf + Western’s business types in close proximity with famous actors and directors while being celebrated for making cerebral works.

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Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon (Photo via Amazon Studios)

Of course, post-Jaws and Star Wars the corporations and conglomerates no longer sought just prestige but also blockbuster returns. Priorities shifted and eventually you can see where film got to this current sequel and universe-obsessed point for the big studios. Most of the Hollywood studios have heads of production that come from the corporate world, not from the film world.

Amazon’s approach fits the 60s and 70s Paramount model not just because they’ve aligned with co-distributors and are releasing prestigious films that make for an esteemed and commendable awards slate party, but also because Amazon Studios’ Roy Price (Head of Amazon Studios) and Jason Ropell (Worldwide Head of Motion Pictures) have brought in two well-versed movie producers and distributors, Ted Hope and Bob Berney, as the head of production (Hope) and distribution/marketing (Berney).

Hope was one of the most prolific indie film producers of the 90s and early 2000s. His Good Machine production and sales company ushered in some of the biggest new auteurs at their earliest incubator stages, from Hal Hartley’s Trust, to Haynes’ Safe, Ang Lee’s The Ice Storm, Todd Solondz’s Happiness, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s 21 Grams and Todd Fields’ In the Bedroom. And Berney ran indie distributor Picturehouse when the (now shuttered) company released such distinguished titles as Pan’s Labyrinth, A Prairie Home Companion, La Vie en Rose and 2014’s The Guest.

What’s exciting about the film division of Amazon Studios isn’t just that Hope and Berney are focusing on established auteurs and giving them an arena to make their films with seemingly no intrusion; it’s that the studio isn’t under the umbrella of a different corporation. Everything is internal and the areas where Amazon entertainment is looking to grow—including purchasing rights to stream major sporting events, increasing their TV production with prestigious gets like a two-season miniseries entirely helmed by David O. Russell—have built in methods to increase their subscription service. Add in free shipping on Amazon’s multi-billion dollar digital store and the film division appears to have the task of netting more subscribers to Amazon Prime off their job description.

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Kenneth Longergan’s Manchester by the Sea (Photo via Amazon Studios/Roadside Attractions)

At a recent party for their Oscar slate, Deadline reported that there were far more directors and actors in attendance than media and agents. The party wasn’t just about Manchester by the Sea. It was an opportunity to let directors and actors know that their bottom line is different than Hollywood’s. Like Amazon’s purchase of IMDb, there’s a service they’re providing for obsessed film fans.

What remains to be seen is whether Amazon Studios will strike up deals with up-and-coming directors who might have exciting projects without their own name recognition. Or if Amazon Studios will let indie darlings like A24 and IFC unearth those talents first. But, with Hollywood being a difficult place for many of our great directors like Todd Haynes and James Gray to even get a film made without pre-existing fandoms, Amazon is an answer to film fan’s prayers. And in case you hadn’t noticed, even their animated intro logo for their film releases (which zooms through a city to the marquee of a movie theater) highlights that they’d like you to venture out to the cinema, rather than stay in and stream.

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James Gray’s The Lost City of Z (Photo via Amazon Studios)

chi-raq

Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq (Image via Amazon Studios)

Image via Lionsgate

Woody Allen’s Cafe Society (Image via Amazon Studios/Lionsgate)

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Whit Stillman’s Love & Friendship (Photo via Amazon Studios/Roadside Attractions)

(Source: http://collider.com)

#SBIFF, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Showcase Series

#SBIFF The Showcase – Neruda

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

The eventful and unorthodox life of the Nobel Prize–winning poet, politician, committed communist, unapologetic hedonist, and Chilean cultural icon Pablo Neruda provides plentiful territory for cinematic exploration. The poet’s early-1950s exile in Procida previously inspired Michael Radford’s Il Postino, a fictionalized story about Neruda’s relationship with a local postman that left few cinemagoers dry-eyed. Now, Pablo Larraín, Chile’s most inventive and provocative contemporary filmmaker, takes a wholly unique approach to his famous countryman’s life and work with Neruda, which is set during the poet’s sojourn underground in the late 1940s.

neruda

“A captivating original literary chase thriller.”
Justin Chang – LA Times

“Stunningly inventive… A work of cleverness, beauty and power.”
Jay Weissberg – Variety

“Neruda is a warmhearted film about a hot-blooded man that is nonetheless troubled by a subtle, perceptible chill.”
A.O. Scott – NY Times

Get tickets here

Screening:
Friday, December 23 @ 11:00am
Saturday, December 24 @ 11:00am
Sunday, December 25 @ 2:00pm
Monday, December 26 @ 7:30pm
Tuesday, December 27 @ 5:00pm
Wednesday, December 28 @ 7:30pm
Thursday, December 29 @ 11:00am
Friday, December 30 @ 11:00am
Saturday, December 31 @ 11:00am
Sunday, January 1 @ 2:00pm
Monday, January 2 @ 7:30pm
Tuesday, January 3 @ 5:00pm
Wednesday, January 4 @ 7:30pm
at the Riviera Theatre – 2044 Alameda Padre Serra

NERUDA
Directed by Pablo Larraín
Written by Guillermo Calderón
Starring Gael García Bernal, Luis Gnecco, Alfredo Castro, Michael Silva,  Mercedes Morán,  Pablo Derqui
Runtime: 107 Minutes
Rated R (for sexuality/nudity and some language)
Subtitled
 

Check out the trailer below:

(Source: sbiff.org)

#AFI, IMDB

‘It’s a Wonderful Life’: 16 Surprising Facts on the Film’s 70th Anniversary

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

This is one of my all-time favorite holiday films!

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TheWrap takes a look at some fun trivia about “It’s a Wonderful Life” directed by Frank Capra, courtesy of Alonso Duralde, IMDb and Old Hollywood biographer Robert Matzen in his new book, “Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe.

From Beatrice Verhoeven and Alonso Duralde, provided by The Wrap

According to Alonso Duralde’s book, “Have Yourself a Very Movie Christmas,” Uncle Billy actor Thomas Mitchell was actually considered to play Mr. Potter, but Lionel Barrymore got the role because of his popularity after radio versions of “A Christmas Carol.”

Jimmy the Raven appeared in Capra’s “You Can’t Take It With You” (1938) and other post-“Wonderful Life” Capra movies.

The film was such a financial disappointment that it busted Capra’s production company, Liberty Films.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” was the first and last time Capra produced, financed, directed and co-wrote a film.

The original screenplay began with a scene in Benjamin Franklin’s workshop in heaven.

Yes, Bert and Ernie from “Sesame Street” have the same names as the cop and the cab driver in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” But it’s just a coincidence, “Muppet” insiders have claimed.

It’s a Wonderful Life” was Jimmy Stewart’s first picture after 20 months on the front lines of WWII. He was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder while filming.

According to IMDb, “It’s a Wonderful Life” was ranked as the #1 Most Inspiration Movie of All Time by the American Film Institute in 2006.

It is also the only film in history to originate from a greeting card.

James Stewart has said that while filming the scene in which George prays in the bar, he began to sob and later, Capra re-framed the now much closer shot to capture his expression. That’s why the shot appears grainy compared to the rest of the film.

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Nick the Bartender (left) in a scene from It’s a Wonderful Life. (Photo via Bostonhassle.com)

Actor and producer Sheldon Leonard said that he only agreed to play Nick the bartender so he could buy baseball tickets with his paycheck.

Robert J. Anderson said H.B. Warner really was drunk in the scene in which Mr. Gower slaps George. The real slaps caused real blood to ooze out of Anderson’s ear. After the cameras stopped rolling, he comforted Anderson.

(Source: Excerpt from http://m.chron.com)

 

Palm Springs International Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival

PSIFF Announces 3-Year Platinum Sponsorship with Bennion Deville Homes

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Palm Springs, CA (December 21, 2016) – Bennion Deville Homes has signed a $100,000 three-year platinum sponsorship with the Palm Springs Bennion Deville
International Film Festival.  The Festival will be held January 2-16, 2017.

“We are excited and grateful to have Bennion Deville return as a platinum sponsor,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner.  “For many years, Bennion Deville has played a significant role in the success of both the Film Awards Gala and Festival.  This is a great partnership for our festival and we look forward to working with them for many years to come.”

“We are proud to continue our relationship with the Palm Springs International Film Festival,” said Bob Deville, Co-Founder/Broker of Bennion Deville Homes.  “The Palm Springs International Film Festival is vital to the local community because of the spotlight it shines on our region each year, something we have recognized since we started our business here in 2001. Fifteen years of sponsorship, as well as fifteen years as a board member, shows just how much we care about the Palm Springs International Film Society and their critical role in putting on this marquee event annually. I am honored to play an integral part within the film society and the event itself, and look forward to future support as our festival continues to grow and enhance the global image of Palm Springs.”

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About The Palm Springs International Film Festival The Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) is one of the largest film festivals in North America, welcoming 135,000 attendees last year for its lineup of new and celebrated international features and documentaries. The Festival is also known for its annual Film Awards Gala, a glamorous, black-tie event, presented by Chopard and sponsored by Mercedes Benz and Entertainment Tonight, and attended by 2,500.  The Film Awards Gala honors the year’s best achievements in cinema in front of and behind the camera.  The celebrated list of talents who have been honored in recent years includes Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Matthew McConaughey, Julianne Moore, Brad Pitt, Eddie Redmayne, Julia Roberts, David O. Russell, Meryl Streep, and Reese Witherspoon.  PSIFF is organized by The Palm Springs International Film Society, a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization with a mission to cultivate and promote the art and science of film through education and cross-cultural awareness.   For more information, call 760-778-8979 or 800-898-7256 or visit www.psfilmfest.org.

About Bennion Deville Homes Founded by Bob Bennion and Bob Deville in 2001, Bennion Deville Homes is one of the largest independent real estate brokerages in Southern California, serving the region from 26 offices throughout the Coachella Valley and San Diego and Orange counties. The powerhouse company serves the Coachella Valley from offices in Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Bermuda Dunes, and Indio. Bennion Deville Homes entered the coastal Southern California communities of San Diego and Orange counties in 2010, with offices serving Orange County in Laguna Niguel, and offices in Carlsbad, Carmel Valley, Encinitas, Hillcrest/Mission Hills, and Little Italy in San Diego County. Bennion Deville Homes also serves Southern California from offices in Glendora, Lake Arrowhead, and Redlands.

The LUXE Collection program, exclusive to Bennion Deville Homes, lists and showcases some of the finest properties available on the market, maximizing exposure of high-end luxury homes to qualified buyers across a variety of mediums and channels.

For the location of the office nearest you, please visit BDHomes.com. For the latest trends in Southern California real estate and community news, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @BDHSoCal.

(Source: PSFilmFest.org)

#SBIFF, Santa Barbara International Film Festival

#SBIFF American Riviera Award 2017

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Jeff Bridges will be honored with SBIFF’s 2017 American Riviera Award on Thursday, February 9, 2017 at the historic Arlington Theatre. Bridges will be fêted with a Tribute, moderated by Scott Feinberg, celebrating his illustrious career, culminating with his captivating performance in David Mackenzie’s Hell or High Water, a CBS Films release. The film opened in August to critical acclaim.

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American Riviera Award
honoring Jeff Bridges
Moderated by Scott Feinberg
Thursday, February 9, 2017 @ 8:00pm
Arlington Theatre

Click here for tickets

For his role in Hell or High Water, Bridges has received Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor, as well as the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor. Bridges’ renowned career includes celebrated roles in films such as The Big Lebowski, Fearless, The Contender, The Mirror Has Two Faces, The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Door in the Floor, True Grit, Starman, The Morning After, Jagged Edge, The Last Picture Show, Against All Odds, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, The Fisher King, Seabiscuit, and Crazy Heart (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor).

11162014-Roger-Durling_t479“Jeff Bridges shows us in Hell or High Water that an already great artist can continue his growth.  I may go as far as saying that this is his best performance,” stated SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling. “It’s truly special to be able to celebrate Jeff – for he’s not only a dear friend of SBIFF – but he is a timeless legend in our industry.”

The American Riviera Award was established to recognize actors who have made a significant contribution to American Cinema. Bridges will join a prestigious group of past recipients, including last year’s honorees Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, and Mark Ruffalo (2016), Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke (2015), Robert Redford (2014), Quentin Tarantino (2013) and Martin Scorsese (2012), Annette Bening (2011), Sandra Bullock (2010), Mickey Rourke (2009), Tommy Lee Jones (2008), Forrest Whitaker (2007), Philip Seymour Hoffman (2006), Kevin Bacon (2005) and Diane Lane (2004).

(Source: sbiff.org)