AFI has announced an inaugural, annual retrospective to spotlight one filmmaker of global significance, as part of AFI FEST 2017 presented by Audi, running November 9–16, 2017, in Hollywood, CA.
This year, AFI FEST will present the work of Robert Altman, with screenings and discussions of 12 films — historically the most programmed in the festival for one filmmaker. For the retrospective, legendary director/producer/writer Altman (1925–2006) will be honored with screenings and discussions of his classic films, including: M*A*S*H (1970), MCCABE & MRS. MILLER (1971), THE LONG GOODBYE (1972), CALIFORNIA SPLIT (1973), NASHVILLE (1975), 3 WOMEN (1977), VINCENT & THEO (1990), THE PLAYER (1992), SHORT CUTS (1993), KANSAS CITY (1996), GOSFORD PARK (2001) and A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION (2006).
pictured above: NASHVILLE, #59 onAFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies
ACADEMY REVEALS 2017 STUDENT ACADEMY AWARD® WINNERS
ALL WINNING FILMS NOW ELIGIBLE FOR OSCARS®
LOS ANGELES, CA – The Academy has voted 17 students as winners of the 44th Student Academy Awards® competition. This year, the Student Academy Awards competition received a total of 1,587 entries from 267 domestic and 89 international colleges and universities – which were voted by a record number of Academy members. The 2017 winners join the ranks of such past Student Academy Award winners as Patricia Cardoso, Pete Docter, Cary Fukunaga, John Lasseter, Spike Lee, Trey Parker and Robert Zemeckis.
The winners are (listed alphabetically by film title):
Alternative (Domestic Film Schools)
“Opera of Cruelty,” Max R. A. Fedore, New York University
Animation (Domestic Film Schools)
“Cradle,” Devon Manney, University of Southern California
“E-delivery,” Young Gul Cho, School of Visual Arts
“In a Heartbeat,” Beth David and Esteban Bravo, Ringling College of Art and Design
Documentary (Domestic Film Schools)
“Hale,” Brad Bailey, University of California, Berkeley
“On Pointe,” Priscilla Thompson and Joy Jihyun Jeong, Columbia University
“One Way Home,” Qingzi Fan, New York University
Narrative (Domestic Film Schools)
“Mammoth,” Ariel Heller, University of Southern California
“My Newphew Emmett,” Kevin Wilson, Jr., New York University
“Who’s Who in Mycology,” Marie Dvorakova, New York University
Narrative (International Film Schools)
“Facing Mecca,” Jan-Eric Mack, Zurich University of the Arts (Switzerland)
“Watu Wote/All of Us,” Katja Benrath, Hamburg Media School (Germany)
“When Grey is a Colour,” Marit Weerheijm, Netherlands Film Academy (Netherlands)
Animation (International Film Schools)
“Life Smartphone,” Chenglin Xie, China Central Academy of Fine Arts (China)
Documentary (International Film Schools)
“Galamsey,” Johannes Preuss, Filmakademie Baden-Wurttemberg (Germany)
First-time honors go to China Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.
All Student Academy Award-winning films are eligible to compete for 2017 Oscars® in the Animated Short Film or Live Action Short Film category and 2018 Oscars in the Documentary Short Subject category. Past winners have gone on to receive 57 Oscar nominations and have won or shared 11 awards. This year one 2016 Student Academy Award winner received an Oscar nomination in the Documentary Short Subject category: Daphne Matziaraki, a Gold Medal winner in the Documentary category for “4.1 Miles.”
Students will arrive in Los Angeles for a week of industry activities that will culminate in the awards ceremony on Thursday, October 12, at 7:30 p.m., at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The medal placements – gold, silver and bronze – in the seven award categories will be announced at the ceremony.
New this year, the competition was expanded to allow two options for students at international film schools to submit their films. In addition to CILECT-member schools submitting one student film per international film school category, international students may now enter films that qualify through film festivals recognized by the Student Academy Awards Executive Committee.
The 44th Student Academy Awards ceremony on October 12 is free and open to the public, but advance tickets are required. Tickets may be obtained online at oscars.org starting today. Any remaining tickets will be made available at the door on the evening of the event. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.
The Student Academy Awards were established in 1972 to provide a platform for emerging global talent by creating opportunities within the industry to showcase their work.
ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 8,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is under construction in Los Angeles.
New Amsterdam Human Rights Award at IDFA for best human rights documentary
The inaugural Amsterdam Human Rights Award will be presented for the best human rights documentary at the upcoming 30th edition of IDFA. An international jury will choose a film from the IDFA program with strong cinematography that best presents the theme of human rights. The Amsterdam Human Rights Award is accompanied by a cash prize of € 25,000. The award has been created by the City of Amsterdam.
Artistic and urgent
The creative documentary lies at the heart of IDFA; quality in artistic and cinematographic terms is key. The documentaries selected often deal with socially relevant and urgent themes, whereby human rights – and the violation of these – are central. The films stimulate reflection and interpretation on the part of their audiences.
From its program this year (more than 300 films), IDFA will select at least six and no more than ten documentaries to be submitted to an international, three-strong jury made up of film and human rights experts. The jury will then nominate three films for their cinematographic qualities. The winner of the Amsterdam Human Rights Award will be announced during the festival.
Human rights themed day
On Monday, 20 November – International Children’s Rights Day – IDFA will be focussing especially on human rights. The three nominated films will be screened, with an introduction by one of the members of the jury and post-screening discussions with the director or main characters from the film in Tuschinski 1. During the morning, a special interactive film program for pupils from Amsterdam schools will take place, with screenings of brand new documentaries from the ‘Mensjesrechten’ (‘Just Kids’) series (EO/IKONdocs).
The 30th edition of IDFA will take place November 15 – 26. Click herefor accreditation.
For more information or interview requests, contact Irene Frijters: irene@idfa.nl
The Telluride Film Festival is small. It runs only three and a half days over Labor Day weekend, tucked into that box canyon. Yet many people consider it the best film festival in the world.
The Telluride Film Festival takes place over Labor Day weekend. Telluride Film Festival
The festival makes smart selections of new films. It shows remarkable restorations of older films and for the most part the audience at Telluride is there to appreciate good work, whether old or new, and without the distractions of celebrity events, awards or most of the other nonsense that plagues many festivals.
Even so, to leave Telluride thinking about seven legitimate masterpieces is beyond wonderful. If I put the superlatives aside, film after film came along to provoke talk about film, about the world and human life, amazement at some of the best work there and delightful argument about films that were not universally loved.
For me – and no one can see even half of the films in the schedule – the best were: Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water; Paul Schrader’s First Reformed; The Insult by Lebanese filmmaker Ziad Doueiri; Faces Places by the 89-year-old French master Agnes Varda and the 33-year-old photographer JR; the banned Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s A Man of Integrity; Wonderstruck by Todd Haynes; and Human Flow, a documentary about refugees by the wonderful Chinese activist artist Ai Weiwei. As the films rolled out during the festival, it was hard to believe that so many could be so good, but there’s only time to talk about a couple of them this week.
Credit Pouyan Behagh / Courtesy of Telluride Film Festival
In Mohammed Rasoulof’s A Man of Integrity, Reza raises fish on his farm. He doesn’t know it yet, but someone with local power wants his land. Suddenly his irrigation water is cut off and then his pond is poisoned. A lot of Iranian film works on this incremental growth of trouble. Bit by bit, the situation grows worse. Complications pile up one at a time. Eventually Reza’s wife, a school teacher, gets involved, and the question is how long can this family hold out against the constant and ever-increasing pressure of corruption, before they either give up and abandon their farm, or they join the matrix of corruption that seems to cover the entire country.
A Man of Integrity pictures a society dominated by illegitimate authority and thorough religious hypocrisy. Reza’s struggle grows exhausting and there is constant temptation to give into it, to go along and to get by.
It’s also a mystery how Mohammad Rasoulof managed to shoot the film. His movies cannot be seen in Iran. At times, it seems he is at least allowed to shoot these films that can never be seen in his own country. At other times you wonder how great is the danger he faces simply by having a camera in his country.
Credit Human Flow / Ai Weiwei
The miracle of Human Flow – and I mean miracle – is that while Ai Weiwei films thousands and thousands of refugees all over the world – those coming to Europe from the Middle East and Africa, as well as Rohingya fleeing Burma, Latin Americans entering America and others – these human beings never feel like a shapeless mass. The film makes you understand that the word refugee distracts us from the actuality of what is happening.
Ai Weiwei shows masses of people, but then close up portraits of individuals. Refugees are children, women and men, individual human beings with their personal histories and existence. Even in the most ghastly camps wracked by the depression of dislocation and other miseries, kids manage to find something to play with, something to keep themselves human. It’s a devastating documentary, but it’s at the same time alive with the realization that every human being matters; abstractions and group nouns fall short.
And then there is Wonderstruck, which left viewers sobbing at the sight of such beauty.
Established to celebrate excellence in the art of storytelling and advancements in filmmaking, the second annual VIZIO + Dolby Vision™ Filmmaker Challenge inspires rising cinematographers to showcase their filmmaking prowess.
The contest invited second-year Fellows from the AFI Conservatory — the American Film Institute’s renowned film training program — to submit their films. From the pool of entries, a panel of judges selected the top five that best showcased striking visuals, a compelling narrative and creativity.
Watch clips of the AFI Conservatory thesis films from all five finalists, vote on your favorite and enter to win a 65″ VIZIO television with Dolby Vision™ High Dynamic Range — here!
The long-awaited return of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s (SBIFF) Showcase Film Series is upon us. Here’s what leading outlets have to say about the opening film at the newly retrofitted Lynda and Bruce’s (named for recently named SBIFF Board President and founder of festival sponsor Lynda.com, Lynda Weinman and her husband, Bruce Heavin, co-founder of Lynda.com) Riviera Theater, LE TROU:
“THROBS WITH EXCITEMENT AND SUSPENSE!”
The New York Times
“TAUT, BONE-BARE, AGONIZINGLY SUSPENSEFUL AND FLAWLESSLY ACTED!”
TIME
The Lynda and Bruce’s Riviera Theater features new seating and state-of-the-art Dolby sound and projection. A newly designed concession stand will be offering designer-made candies, fresh popcorn and a variety of sundries. And if that isn’t already enough, here comes LE TROU, a 1960 classic film, where four men in La Santé Prison, staring down the barrel at hard time, decide to execute a prison break and are forced to bring on a fifth member, Claude Gaspard (Marc Michel), when he is assigned to their cell. The particulars of the escape, based on actual events, are rendered in painstaking detail as the five men dream of freedom.
*To note, today is the “soft opening” of Lynda and Bruce’s Riviera Theater. Nevertheless, what a “soft opening” film!
Directed by Jacques Becker
Written by Jacques Becker, José Giovanni, Jean Aurel
Starring Marc Michel, Raymond Meunier, Jean Keraudy, Michel Constantin, Philippe Leroy
Country of Origin: France/Italy
Language: French with English subtitles
Running Time: 132 minutes
Official sponsor of the Venice International Film Festival for over a decade, Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrated its commitment with a Gala Dinner held on the 5th of September in the Arsenal of Venice.
Deputy CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre Geoffroy Lefebvre and Rebecca Hall wearing a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One High Jewelry Diane Kruger wearing a Jaeger-LeCoultre Joaillerie 101 Reine watch Catherine Deneuve chose a Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Ivy Secret watch
Jaeger-LeCoultre Deputy CEO Geoffroy Lefebvre welcomed friends of the Maison and an array of prestigious guests: Catherine Deneuve, Diane Kruger, jury member of the Film Festival Rebecca Hall, Italian actresses Cristiana Capotondi and Eva Riccobono, international talents Ann Hsu, Shi Ke, Geng Le and director Vivian Qu.
During the evening, Jaeger-LeCoultre honoured Catherine Deneuve for her unparalleled contribution to the art of filmmaking. A long-time friend of the Brand actress Diane Kruger presented her the award on behalf of the Maison.
Ann Hsu wearing a Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Moon in white gold Andrea Pezzi and Cristiana Capotondi wearing a Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Night & Day watch Matteo Ceccarini wearing a Reverso Classic and Eva Riccobono wearing a Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Ivy in white goldJaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Sonatina “Séduction” (left) and “Amour” (right) celebrated at the Gala Dinner
The three new Rendez-Vous Sonatina “Séduction”, “Romance” and “Amour” on display were emblematic of this Gala Night that celebrated cinema and the power of emotions that it triggers.
JAEGER-LECOULTRE AND CINEMA
Since 1833, Jaeger-LeCoultre has remained dedicated to the legacy of watchmaking traditions while maintaining its expertise for invention in creating authentic, fine watchmaking legends.
Committed to a constant quest for excellence and supported by a unique inventive spirit, Jaeger-LeCoultre has a long-standing engagement in supporting the appreciation and preservation of film.
For more than a decade, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been closely associated with the best artistic film festivals around the world, including Venice, Shanghai, and San Sebastian, and in turn pays tribute to the creative talent of filmmakers by annually awarding the Glory to the Filmmaker Award.
Through its close affinity with the world of film, Jaeger-LeCoultre has found shared values and a common mission: each second bears the imprint of a moment of eternity.
Soo Joo Park arrives for the Jaeger-LeCoultre Gala Dinner during the 74th Venice International Film Festival at Arsenale on September 5, 2017 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Jaeger-LeCoultre)
The feminine Rendez-Vous watch is with you in all the precious moments and adapts to every new role. Jaeger-LeCoultre invites every woman to express the actor within her, by capturing an iconic moment or scene from the movies.
Ana Brenda Contreras arrives for the Jaeger-LeCoultre Gala Dinner during the 74th Venice International Film Festival at Arsenale on September 5, 2017 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Jaeger-LeCoultre
Live a uniquely emotional moment and share it with everyone.
Wednesday, September 6th, 2017, the Venice Movie Stars Lounge hosted the national and international press activities of the actors Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, the only Spanish actors to win an Academy Award with both obtaining Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively.
They came to present the director’s, Fernando León de Aranoa, new film, “Loving Pablo” that narrates about the relationship between the Colombian drug dealer, Pablo Escobar, and his lover, the TV journalist, Virginia Vallejo. The couple, not only in real life but even on set, after carrying out the TV interviews during the morning, had lunch inside the Villa, and then moved on more interviews answering the questions of the journalists.
Stay tuned for more on the glamor, the fashion and the filmmaking of the 74th Venice International Film Festival!
Official Sponsors of the Venice Movie Stars project are Lamborghini, Palazzina G, Area Stile, Diamond Ice Noble Vodka, Sant’Anna, Safilo, Giaquinto, Corradi, along with the technical partners Forno d’Asolo, Bevande Futuriste, Consorzio Tutela Piave DOP, Hausbrandt, Prosecco Vigna Belvedere, Barbero Davide, Smania, Sixtema, Ethimo, Ideal Lux, Movidos, Banca Fideuram, Round Studio, H&A associati srl
(Source: Press release provided by Immagicgroup, marketing leader in providing spaces for press activities at the Festivals of Cannes and Berlin, and during the 74 Venice International Film Festival)
SCAD TRUSTEES THEATER AND LUCAS THEATER FOR THE ARTS, SAVANNAH, GA
The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) proudly presents the 20th Annual Savannah Film Festival from October 28th to November 4th. The eight-day festival is filled with cinematic creativity from both award-winning professionals and emerging filmmakers. Each year more than 40,000 people attend one of the few festivals started by an art and design university and take part in a variety of film competitions, special screenings, workshops, panels and lectures. The annual Docs to Watch Directors Roundtable will return this year hosted by Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter. New this year, the festival will introduce a Legends of Cinema Series in celebration of their 20th anniversary and host a series of panels titled “Wonder Women” focusing on women working in the industry including directors and more.
In addition to the competition films, the festival also screens award-winning studio releases ahead of their theatrical run. Before the evening gala screenings, the festival honors leaders in the film industry including directors, producers, actors, screenwriters, entertainment journalists and editors. Previous festival honorees and guests include: Mahershala Ali, Damien Chazelle, David Harbour, Woody Harrelson, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Stan Lee, Sir Ian McKellen, Jeremy Renner, Debbie Reynolds, Saoirse Ronan, Isabella Rossellini, Emmy Rossum, Alexander Skarsgård, Molly Shannon, Oliver Stone, Miles Teller, Olivia Wilde, and many others!
Passes start at $75 to $750 per person and are on sale now. Individual tickets go on sale October 2017. Screenings take place at the Trustees Theater at 216 E. Broughton St., the Lucas Theatre for the Arts at 32 Abercorn St. and the SCAD Museum of Art theater at 601 Turner Blvd.
