Thursday, November 24, 2011

Independent Feature Film

Monday, November 14, 2011

AFI Film Festival Winners 2011

The 2011 AFI Film Festival winners are as follows:

AUDIENCE AWARDS

Breakthrough Section (award accompanied by a $5,000 cash prize)

WITH EVERY HEARTBEAT by Alexandra-Therese Keining
New Auteurs Section
BULLHEAD by Michaël R. Roskam
World Cinema Section
A tie: JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI by David Gelb and KINYARWANDA by Alrick Brown
Young Americans Section
WUSS by Clay Liford

LIVE ACTION AND ANIMATED SHORT FILM SECTION JURY AWARDS
As in previous years, a jury determines the AFI FEST 2011 Live Action and Animated Short Film
Section Awards. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences recognizes each winner as a
qualifier for the annual Academy Awards®. The Short Film Jury – comprised of filmmakers Barry
Jenkins and Gerardo Naranjo (AFI Conservatory Class of 2001) and festival programmer Kim Yutani –
announced the awards with their statements.

Live Action Short Film Section
Grand Jury Prize: FROZEN STORIES from Grzegorz Jaroszuk “for its world of meta-reality suffused
with enough context to rend a beautifully nuanced story for the most heightened elements.”
Honorable Mention: BABYLAND by Marc Fratello “for its assured direction, stunning lead performance
and the ability to balance humor and pathos all the way up to its shocking conclusion.”

Animated Short Film Section
Grand Jury Prize: THE EAGLEMAN STAG by Michael Please “for its ambitious and elegant storytelling,
both narrative and aesthetically, in which the bigness of life and the concept of time are deftly
unpacked in a moving nine minutes.”

Honorable Mention: THE VOYAGERS by Penny Lane “for its skillful juxtaposition of archival footage
and personal narrative to tell a moving story of exploration, romance and space travel.”

NEW AUTEURS SECTION CRITIC’S PRIZE

This year AFI FEST debuts its New Auteurs Critic’s Prize selected by an esteemed panel of international
critics: Justin Chang (Variety), Mike Goodridge (Screen International), Mark Olsen (The Los Angeles
Times) and Jean Oppenheimer (American Cinematographer).
Grand Jury Prize: THE LONELIEST PLANET by Julia Loktev “for its bold exploration of societal structures
and gender roles, set against a landscape that conveys both profound beauty and profound
alienation.”

Special Jury Prize: ATTENBERG by Athina Rachel Tsangari “for its wit, distinct voice and playful sense
of storytelling.”
Acting Award Prize: BULLHEAD’s Matthias Schoenaerts “for his nuanced and intensely physical
embodiment of bruised masculinity.”

Friday, October 21, 2011

Winners Chicago International Film Festival 2011

2011 Chicago International Film Festival Winners

International Feature Film Competition

Representing a wide variety of styles and genres, these works compete for the Festival’s highest honor, the Gold Hugo, a symbol of discovery, as well as awards for best actors, director and writer.

Gold Hugo to LE HAVRE (Finland/France) for the mastery of film director Aki Kaurismäki and his stylized yet very humane depiction of illegal immigration.

Silver Hugo for CAIRO 678 (Egypt) for addressing relevant social issues. It takes a strong stand on sexual harassment for women at home and work. It is a brave film for presenting women as an oppressor rather than a victim.

Silver Hugo for Best Actress to Olivia Colman in TYRANNOSAUR (UK) for an outstanding performance hitting every note showing her vulnerability, her power and her humor.

Silver Hugo for Best Actor to Maged El Kedwany in CAIRO 678 (Egypt) for his ability to bring balance to the story and light to a heavy tone. His presence draws you into every frame he is in.

Silver Hugo for Best Screenplay to Joshua Marston and Andamion Murataj for THE FORGIVENESS OF BLOOD (US/Albania) for a lovingly crafted story that takes us on an intimate journey through the fate of families that are ruled by the laws of honor and vengeance. The writers lay out for the audience the complexity of human relations and make us reconsider our own standards and convictions.
The International Feature Film Competition Jury includes Jury president Nimród Antal (US/Hungary), Leonardo García Tsao (Mexico), Claudia Landsberger (The Netherlands), Carlitos Ruiz Ruiz (Puerto Rico) and Bhawana Somaaya (India).

New Directors Competition

This selection of first and second feature films receiving their US premiere in Chicago celebrates the spirit of discovery and innovation upon which the Festival was founded.

The Gold Hugo goes to THE GOOD SON (Finland) for its real psychological insight. Economical without being overly abstract, the film depicts each character as selfish, but dependent on someone else, exposing their unstable familial relationships. Director Zaida Bergroth impresses with her ability to create characters and their environment, intersecting in believable yet shocking ways.

The Silver Hugo is awarded to VOLCANO (Iceland/Denmark), a film that triggers a deep emotional response that has nothing to do with sentimentality. It juxtaposes domestic space with the dramatic Icelandic landscape to riveting effect. Not just another film about redemption, Rúnar Rúnarsson's debut depicts the moral ambiguity of the choices facing a complex, older man.
The New Directors Competition Jury includes Eileen Favorite, Tom Quinn, and Michael Raine.

Founder’s Award

The Founder’s Award is given to that one film across all categories that captures the spirit of the Chicago International Film Festival for its unique and innovative approach to the art of the moving image. This year’s recipient of the Founder’s Award is THE ARTIST (France), director Michel Hazanavicius’ delightfully romantic comedy about silent cinema and the movies in general.
Special Awards

The 47th Chicago International Film Festival recognized French film director and producer CLAUDE LELOUCH’s 50 years in the film industry with a Silver Hugo award. The award was presented to him on October 8 at a screening of his 43rd film What Love May Bring.

Actor ANTHONY MACKIE will be presented with the Artistic Achievement Award, Saturday October 15 at the Festival’s annual Black Perspectives Tribute. The 47th Chicago International Film Festival's Black Perspectives Committee will celebrate this gifted actor with film highlights from his most memorable performances and a discussion about his career. The event will be held at Chase Auditorium (10 S. Dearborn St.) beginning at 7:30 pm, with the after-party to follow at Cibo Matto at theWit Hotel (201 N. State St.).

Docufest Competition

This selection of international documentaries competing for the Gold Hugo go beyond the headlines in telling those true stories that surprise, entertain and challenge us.

Gold Hugo goes to CINEMA KOMUNISTO (Serbia), an exquisite matching of form and content. This film uses cinema as both a metaphor and a mechanism for the telling of unique national, cultural, and personal histories. Archival and contemporary footage are deftly interwoven to yield a result that is at once intimate and universal. Director: Mila Turajlic.

Silver Hugo goes to the visually and aurally innovative DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL (US). The subject, Diana Vreeland, embodies the exuberance of the 20th century (often called the American Century) even though she was not born in the US and was a confirmed Europhile all her life. The filmmakers have used a range of techniques in the service of a central aim: to connect audiences with the essence of this unique woman who reflected her times. Director: Lisa Immordino Vreeland.

A Gold Plaque goes to SALAAM DUNK (US/Iraq). This documentary delivers an extraordinary level of access to the emotions of these courageous young Iraqi women who formed a basketball team at the American University of Iraq. There are so many ways the director could have sacrificed the sense of direct connection to steer our attention towards social and political analysis but this does not happen: we live with the players and their coach and with the complexities of ethnicity in post-Saddam Iraq. Director: David Fine.

A Silver Plaque goes to ALL ME: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF WINFRED REMBERT (US), a patient portrayal of an individual's life that peels away social history layer by layer. It connects audiences with aspects of US racial history they may know in general terms but will rarely have had the opportunity to access through the life of a man who is also an extraordinary visual artist compelled to tell his story in his work. Director: Vivian Ducat.

The jury gives a Certificate of Merit to ENDING NOTE: DEATH OF A JAPANESE SALESMAN (Japan). The filmmaker demonstrates considerable courage and determination in this refreshing and candid film that naturalizes dying and death. She has a very special ability to preserve affection and intimacy even as she reveals the final months of her father's life to the world. Director: Mami Sunada.
The Docufest Competition Jury includes Jill DiBiase, Bruce Sheridan and Jonathan Towers.

After Dark Competition

This competitive program of scary movies from around the world takes audiences on a journey to the darkest corners of the human soul.

The Gold Hugo goes to SNOWTOWN (Australia), a cinematically told, verité style portrait of a serial killer which is surprising in its execution and never relies on stock characters. Director: Justin Kurzel.

The Silver Hugo goes to A LONELY PLACE TO DIE (UK), which employs stunning cinematography and majestic mountain landscapes to tell a story which thrilled the jury with its capacity for the unexpected. Director: Julian Gibley.
The After Dark Competition Jury includes Shayna Connelly, Julian Grant and John Russell Taylor.

Short Film Competition

The Gold Hugo for Best Short Film goes to THE EAGLEMAN STAG (UK), for its virtuoso and wide-ranging technical feats with a form and style that seem wholly its own, all in the service of characterizing a brilliant, acerbic scientist from cradle to grave, and beyond. The film’s monochromatic palette, intriguing textures, wry narration, and imaginative aesthetic illuminate the life and mind of a potentially cold figure, yielding a precise vision of what dazzles and bores him during the finite time he will spend on this strange, wonderful planet. Director: Michael Please.

The Silver Hugo for Best Animated Short is awarded to BIRDBOY (Spain). This film's dynamic realization of two souls searching for some better place in a flawed and fractured world is a compelling journey wrought with contradictions and surprises -- and ultimately hope. Directors: Pedro Rovero and Alberto Vazquez.

The Silver Hugo for Best Documentary Short is awarded to CARETAKER FOR THE LORD (Scotland), for its beautifully observed, intensely moving, but rigorously unsentimental record of a small-town church faced with closing its doors, prompting complex questions about how we use our communal institutions, why we need them, and how to decide when it’s time to let them go. Director: Jane McAllister.

The Silver Hugo for Best Narrative Short is awarded to THE UNLIVING (Sweden), for combining the rich atmospheres and sterling production values of a feature with the eccentric rhythms of truly independent cinema, all braided into a deeply unnerving thriller that is manna for horror fans but a resonant, indelible experience for all audiences. Director: Hugo Lilja.

A Gold Plaque goes to THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF ROCKY (Belgium), a brilliant darkly comedic tale of one young man's grappling with fate, love, and the meaning of life. Director Kevin Meul.

A Silver Plaque goes to MEATHEAD (New Zealand) for the most inspired location to film a coming-of-age story. With a terrifying sound mix and amazing cinematography, the filmmakers turn a real life meat factory into a full-on haunted house for a young man facing the trials (and entrails) of adulthood. Director: Sam Holst.

The Gold Plaque for Best Student Short (Animated) is awarded to BELLY (UK), which marries a poignant, pivotal experience shared among three characters to a series of innovative character designs and unusual physical environments, reminding us that adolescence is a sad, weird, eye-opening journey, and that every person and every relationship is made of multiple, sometimes conflicting sides. Director: Julia Pott.

The Gold Plaque for Best Student Short (Documentary) is awarded to GOODBYE, MANDIMA (Switzerland), for its heartrending dissection of a seminal moment in time captured in a single photograph. The rupture between past and future is so beautifully articulated, and so deeply felt, that the final shot manages to leave you breathless. Director: Robert-Jan Lacombe.

The jury awards a Special Mention to GRANDMOTHERS (UK). This short truly defies categorization - all at once an animated, short, student, documentary film combining a very personal (almost narrative approach) and an innovative visual specificity - painting a picture far beyond its 9 1/2 minutes of loss and recovery in the multi-generational search for Argentina's "disappeared." Director: Afarin Eghbal.
The Short Film Jury includes Domenica Cameron-Scorsese, Nick Davis, and Todd Lillethun.

INTERCOM Competition

One of the longest-running international competitions of its kind, INTERCOM honors a wide range of corporate-sponsored, educational and branded films.

The Gold Hugo goes to SUVA - THE MOMENT OF TRUTH by Seed Audio-Visual Communication, commissioned by insurance company SUVA to promote work safety.

The Silver Hugo goes to OSTEOBLASTS AND OSTEOCLASTS by Random42 Medical Animation, the world's premier medical animation company.
The INTERCOM Competition Jury includes Ron Falzone, Cortney Groves and Kim Kubiak.

Chicago Award

The Chicago Award, presented to a Chicago or Illinois artist for the best feature, short film or documentary, goes to L TRAIN, directed by Anna Musso. It is purposeful, mysterious and formal in a way that heightened its expressiveness.
The Chicago Award jury includes Tim Kinsella, Natasha Korecki, and Brigid Reagan.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

2011 Gotham Awards Nominees

The Gotham Awards’ ceremony will be held on Monday, November 28th at Cipriani Wall Street. In addition to the competitive awards, Charlize Theron, Gary Oldman, David Cronenberg and Tom Rothman will each be presented with a career tribute. The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) is the nation’s oldest and largest not-for-profit advocacy organization for independent filmmakers.


BEST FEATURE


Beginners
Mike Mills, director; Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech, Miranda de Pencier, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, producers (Focus Features)
The Descendants
Alexander Payne, director; Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Meek’s Cutoff
Kelly Reichardt, director; Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani, Elizabeth Cuthrell, David Urrutia, producers (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Take Shelter
Jeff Nichols, director; Tyler Davidson, Sophia Lin, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)
The Tree of Life
Terrence Malick, director; Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Grant Hill, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)


BEST DOCUMENTARY


Better This World
Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de la Vega, directors; Katie Galloway, Kelly Duane de la Vega, Mike Nicholson, producers (Loteria Films, Picturebox, Motto Pictures and Passion Pictures; ITVS in association with American Documentary | POV)
Bill Cunningham New York
Richard Press, director; Philip Gefter, producer (Zeitgeist Films)
Hell and Back Again
Danfung Dennis, director; Mike Lerner, Martin Herring, producers (Docurama Films)
The Interrupters
Steve James, director; Alex Kotlowitz, Steve James, producers (The Cinema Guild)
The Woodmans
C. Scott Willis, director; Neil Barrett, Jeff Werner, C. Scott Willis, producers (Lorber Films; Kino Lorber, Inc.)


BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE


Beginners
Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Kai Lennox, Mary Page Keller, Keegan Boos (Focus Features)

The Descendants

George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Nick Krause, Amara Miller, Mary Birdsong, Rob Huebel (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Margin Call
Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci, Aasif Mandvi (Roadside Attractions)

Martha Marcy May Marlene
Elizabeth Olsen, Christopher Abbott, Brady Corbet, Hugh Dancy, Maria Dizzia, Julia Garner, John Hawkes, Louisa Krause, Sarah Paulson (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Take Shelter
Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Tova Stewart, Shea Whigham, Katy Mixon, Kathy Baker, Ray McKinnon, Lisagay Hamilton, Robert Longstreet (Sony Pictures Classics)


BREAKTHROUGH DIRECTOR


Mike Cahill for Another Earth (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Sean Durkin for Martha Marcy May Marlene (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Vera Farmiga for Higher Ground (Sony Pictures Classics)
Evan Glodell for Bellflower (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Dee Rees for Pariah (Focus Features)


BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR


Felicity Jones in Like Crazy (Paramount Vantage)
Elizabeth Olsen in Martha Marcy May Marlene (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Harmony Santana in Gun Hill Road (Motion Film Group)
Shailene Woodley in The Descendants (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Jacob Wysocki in Terri (ATO Pictures)


BEST FILM NOT PLAYING AT A THEATER NEAR YOU


Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same
Madeleine Olnek, director; Laura Terruso, Madeleine Olnek, producers

Green
Sophia Takal, director; Lawrence Michael Levine, producer

The Redemption of General Butt Naked
Eric Strauss, Daniele Anastasion, directors and producers

Scenes of a Crime
Blue Hadaegh & Grover Babcock, directors and producers

Without
Mark Jackson, director; Mark Jackson, Jessica Dimmock, Michael Requa, Jaime Keeling, producers

New this year, IFP will present a Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ grant, a $25,000 cash award for an alumnus of IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs. This grant aims to further the careers of emerging women directors by supporting the completion, distribution and audience engagement strategies of their first feature film.

The nominees are:
Jenny Deller, director, FUTURE WEATHER
Lucy Mulloy, director, UNA NOCHE
Rola Nashef, director, DETROIT UNLEADED

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

2011 Chicago International Film Festival Nominees

The 47th Chicago International Film Festival runs October 6 - 20 in Chicago, Illinois.


The competition lineup at the 47th Chicago International Film Festival with descriptions and credits provided by the event: The festival presenting more than 180independent films from 50 countries, including over 45 films by first-time directors.


New Directors Competition


This selection of first and second feature films, all U.S. premieres.


A Little Closer USA (Director: Matt Petock) — This lyrical portrait of life in small town Virginia finds a single mother struggling to keep it together, working as a housekeeper and looking for love. Meanwhile, her two adolescent sons explore their own sexuality in the sweltering, stagnant days of summer. This debut family drama presents an intimate study of the emotional landscape of rural America. North American Premiere.


Corrode India (Director: Karan Gour) — Chhaya, a woman of limited means, leads a good, decent life alongside her husband Arvind—until she becomes obsessed with a sculpture of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth. Chhaya will stop at nothing to bring home this statue, and soon her past weaknesses and disappointments (including a miscarriage) bubble to the surface, consuming and corroding her soul. Corrode is the latest example of an exciting new wave of independent Indian cinema. World Premiere.


Hotel Swooni Belgium (Director: Kaat Beels) — What is happiness? How do we grasp it? Six characters fumble desperately as their lives intersect over the course of one day and night in Brussels’ luxurious Hotel Swooni. A couple must face the truth about their marriage, while a mother and daughter seek to repair their fractured relationship and a young African boy urgently searches for his missing father. Emotions run high in this surprising kaleidoscope of hopes and doubts, passion and betrayal, at the hotel in which no one checks out quite the same as they checked in. U.S. Premiere.


Land of Oblivion France (Director: Michale Boganim) To the citizens of Prypiat, April 26, 1986 began just like any other day. Anya (Olga Kurylenko, Quantum of Solace) and Piotr celebrate their marriage while young Valery spends time with his physicist father, oblivious to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster that is irrevocably changing their lives. What follows is a lyrical, pathos-filled portrait of the next ten years of those powerless to separate themselves from the town and its defining tragedy. U.S. Premiere.


Machete Language Mexico (Director: Kyzza Terrazas) — It’s one thing to talk, or even sing, about revolution. It’s another to take one up. Raised in middle class families, Ray and Ramona are not blind to the corruption and injustice that engulf the less fortunate in their country. Ramona finds an outlet in her music, but Ray struggles to find a cause—until he settles on a course of action that might be downright revolutionary…and lethal. Shot hand-held, Machete possesses a nervous, unsettling energy that mirrors its characters own near-frenzied search for purpose. North American Premiere.


Oslo, August 31 Norway (Director: Jaochim Trier) – Nearing the end of drug rehab, the talented and handsome thirty-something Anders is given leave to interview for a job in Oslo. He spends the day and night visiting old haunts, reconnecting with friends, and searching for a hint of meaning and hope in the new life ahead of him. Strikingly shot and with a touch of comedy, this homage to the French New Wave presents a compelling study of loneliness and the possibility of redemption. U.S. Premiere.


Return Ticket China/Taiwan (Director: Yung-shing Teng) — After working for two years at a failed clothing enterprise, migrant worker Cao Li returns to Shanghai to try her hand again. Reconnecting with hometown friends Guo and Jiuzi, she gets drawn into a scheme, illegally chartering a bus to take fellow Fuyang natives home for the New Year holiday. Cao Li, unsure herself of whether or not she herself will return home, has her own misgivings about their scam, in this intimate, rarely seen portrait of a migrant culture. North American Premiere.


The Clown Brazil (Director: Selton Mello) — What do those who make people laugh for a living think is funny? Benjamin, a clown traveling with the Circus Esperanza, tackles this question and more when he decides to leave the circus and pursue his dreams. With only a copy of his birth certificate in hand, Benjamin looks for answers and for his identity away from the bright lights of the big top. North American Premiere.


The Good Son Finland (Director: Zaida Bergroth) — Seventeen-year-old Ilmari has spent most of his young life looking after his mother, Leila, a renowned actress who loves to be the center of attention, and his younger brother. After a recent scandal, Leila takes all three of them to a distant island for a quiet weekend but soon grows bored and invites all of her friends over for a party. There, she falls for scriptwriter Aimo, and soon Ilmari’s resentment explodes in this tragic portrait of a dysfunctional family. U.S. Premiere.


The Return of Joe Rich USA (Director: Sam Auster) — He lost his job, his wife and his home, but not his sense of honor. When Joe returns to Chicago he looks up his aging but still dangerous Uncle Dom in the hopes of getting “connected” and living the life of a made man. When Uncle Dom resists, Joe makes him an offer he can’t refuse. World Premiere.


The Slut Israel (Director: Hagar Ben-Asher) — Winner of the Best Director prize at the Jerusalem Film Festival, Hagar Ben-Asher’s alternative, almost anti-cautionary tale presents Tamar, a beautiful, young single mother with a seemingly insatiable sexual appetite. While running a chicken farm with her two daughters, she finds servicing the village’s lackluster men gets her through the inconveniences of everyday life. That is until a hunky veterinarian comes to town. U.S. Premiere.


Southwest Brazil (Director: Eduardo Nunes) — In a small fishing village in Brazil, Clarice experiences her entire life, beginning at birth, in the space of a day. The villagers remain oblivious to Clarice’s unique situation, living life just like us, one day at a time. In an attempt to understand her reality, Clarice tries to change her destiny as well as the destiny of those around her in this haunting and thought-provoking film. North American Premiere.


Volcano Iceland/Denmark (Director: Rúnar Rúnarsson) — An unconventional coming-of-age tale wrapped in a tender love story, this debut feature presents a portrait of compassionate devotion and an unflinching look at aging. When Hannes retires at age 67, it seems that life—well, meaningful life—has come to an end. Estranged from family and friends, Hannes’ most intimate relationship is with his boat, until a series of drastic events causes him to take stock of his life. U.S. Premiere.


Wetlands Canada (Director: Guy Édoin) — Saddled with a guilt no teenager should have to bear, 17-year-old brooding Simon feels starkly out of place on his parents’ struggling dairy farm. Life on the farm is demanding, but no matter how hard Simon tries, he cannot live up to his father’s expectations. Resentments simmer, so when a tragic accident hits close to home, the question of blame haunts the family and possibilities for forgiveness seem ever remote in this captivating family drama. U.S. Premiere.


Women and Children France/UK (Director: Daniel Mitelpunkt) — Joe just doesn’t get it. He has been enjoying the slacker life—until he finds out that his girlfriend is pregnant. He is finally ready to settle down, but can a leopard ever change his spots? Enlisting the help of his best friend, Joe sets out to make amends for past misdemeanors in this Woody Allen-esque comedy. World Premiere.


International Feature Competition


Representing a wide variety of styles and genres, these films compete for the festival’s top honor, the Gold Hugo—as well as awards for best actors, director, and writer.


Best Intentions Romania (Director: Adrian Sitaru) — One morning, Alex receives a devastating phone call: his mother has just been hospitalized after suffering a stroke. Desperate to control the situation but overwhelmed by conflicting advice from friends, family and medical staff, he attempts to take matters into his own hands. Unfortunately things do not go as planned and he is caught in a downward spiral of accusatory anger and frustration. This daring addition to the Romanian New Wave, based on the director’s real life experience, brims with emotional impact and authenticity. U.S. Premiere.


Cairo 678 Egypt (Director: Mohamed Diab) —Three Egyptian women from different social backgrounds join forces to fight against their country’s tolerance toward sexual harassment. Nelly files the first sexual harassment lawsuit in the history of the country, Seba, a victim of a gang rape, teaches self-defense, and Fayza takes these self-defense lessons a step too far. An expertly crafted combination of character study, social critique, and vigilante action, Cairo 678 is one of those rare films that resonates with audiences of both genders and across cultural divides. Chicago Premiere.


Chronicle of My Mother Japan (Director: Masato Harada) — Best-selling novelist Kosaku Igami has made a career out of using his family as fodder for his novels, much to their dismay. When his mother, the spirited family matriarch, is diagnosed with dementia, Igami must come to terms with the toll his own behavior has taken on his increasingly distant family and resolve his own long-simmering resentments. Evocative of classic Ozu, this gorgeously wrought epic family portrait explores the tenderness and trappings of familial bonds. U.S. Premiere.


Don’t Go Breaking My Heart Hong Kong / (Director: Johnny To) — Legendary Hong Kong filmmaker Johnny To (TRIAD ELECTION) returns to the world of comedy with this achingly sweet tale. Charming Zixin finds herself in a love triangle with two men that are as handsome as they are different. To tells a purely whimsical tale where neither time nor space can hold back love’s grand gestures while revealing an amusing touch that might not be familiar to the fans of his action-packed films. Chicago Premiere.


Forgiveness of Blood USA / ALBANIA (Director: Joshua Marston) — Nik is your run-of-the-mill digitally savvy fun-loving teenager. But his dreams for the future come to a screeching halt when a long-simmering feud between his father and a man who inherited land that once belonged to Nik’s family comes to a violent end. Now, thanks to an ancient Albanian law, Nik and his brother find themselves under house arrest while their father is on the lam, causing already high tensions to reach a boiling point in this tense drama. Chicago Premiere.


The Giants Belgium (Director: Bouli Lanners) — Abandoned at their late grandfather’s house for the summer, teenage brothers Zak and Seth are left to their own devices. With the endless possibilities of summer fun and (mis)adventure to be had in the idyllic Belgian countryside, the world, they feel, is their oyster. But when money runs short and with no help in sight, the boys scheme to support themselves by renting their home to a local drug dealer. A Mark Twain adventure-like tale takes a dark turn in The Giants, artfully capturing the underside of carefree youth. North American Premiere.


Goodbye Iran (Director: Mohammad Rasoulof) — In this gripping film shot semi-clandestinely, a young disbarred female lawyer with an exiled husband and an unwanted pregnancy tries to secure a visa to leave the country. Tension builds slowly and meticulously as the heroine faces off against an oppressive regime, the walls slowly closing in around her. This terrifying portrait of modern-day Iran was a winner at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. U.S. Premiere.


Joint Body USA (Director: Brian Jun) — Noir infused characters, with plenty to be paranoid about, are thrown together in a desperate situation when recent parolee Nick Burke (Lost’s Mark Pellegrino) comes to the aid of Michelle (Friday Night Lights’ Alicia Witt), an exotic dancer living in a mysterious self-imposed exile in downstate Illinois. When they’re forced to team up and on the lam, the two wonder whether they can even trust each other. Chicago Premiere.


Le Havre Finland / France (Director: Aki Kaurismäki) — Humanity and dead-pan wit triumph in Aki Kauriskmäki’s magical tale of an aging Bohemian shoeshine and a young African refugee. When fate lands Idrissa at Marcel Marx’s doorstep in the French port city of Le Havre, Marcel knows what has to be done. Enlisting the help of the whole neighborhood of eccentrics and in defiance of all authority, he embarks on a risky plan to reconnect the boy with his mother. Chicago Premiere.


Miss Bala Mexico (Director: Gerardo Naranjo) — Equal doses of unrelenting action, beauty queen fantasy and social disquiet rule this detached tale of drug trafficking in Baja California, inspired by a true story. On her way to compete in her first beauty pageant, Laura is swept up in a gangland slaying and suddenly finds herself forced to work as a mule in order to save her own life. Chicago Premiere.


The Mole Poland (Director: Rafael Lewandowski) — Pawel and his father Zygmunt make a living importing second hand clothing from France to Poland. When Zygmunt is suddenly and publicly accused of being a past Communist informant, he flees the country leaving the stubbornly apolitical Pawel to pick up the pieces and face the pervading legacy of Poland’s troubled past. With strong performances and sympathetic characters, The Mole candidly explores how the weight of history affects a son’s love for his family and his motherland. U.S. Premiere.


Nobody Else But You France (Director: Gérald Hustache-Mathieu) — The ambiguous suicide of a local beauty, weathergirl, cheese model, and Marilyn Monroe look-a-like finds an eager sleuth in David Rousseau, best-selling crime novelist. When Rousseau visits a remote Alps village for the reading of his friend’s will he unwittingly, but irresistibly, gets caught in the tangled web of murder and small town politics in this offbeat mystery. North American Premiere.


Wild Bill UK (Dir. Dexter Fletcher)—Not everyone is pleased when wild Bill Hayward rolls into town after serving eight years in jail on drug charges. His two sons, Dean and Jimmy, have been living alone ever since their mother abandoned them, and his old cohorts want Bill back in the “saddle” again. Bill and his sons begin to bond, but trouble strikes when Jimmy gets mixed up with his father’s old crew, causing Bill to realize that the town ain’t big enough for the both of them in this contemporary Western influenced gangster vehicle set in London’s East End. North American Premiere.


The Woman in the Fifth France / UK / Poland (Director: Pawel Pawlikowski) — Reality and imagination become indistinguishable in this loose adaptation of Douglas Kennedy’s novel. Tom (Ethan Hawke in an extraordinary performance) arrives in Paris to reconnect with his daughter, even though his ex-wife has placed a restraining order against him. To make ends meet, Tom accepts a job as a watchman for a seedy operation. Life takes a strange turn when he meets mysterious Margit (Kristin Scott-Thomas), and down the rabbit hole he goes in this strange Kafka-esque tale. Chicago Premiere.


Tyrannosaur UK (Director: Paddy Considine) — Actor/Director Paddy Considine (In America) delivers a gritty tale of self-destruction and redemption in his feature-length directorial debut. Expanded from his award-winning short film, Dog Altogether, Tyrannosaur follows the unlikely friendship between rage-filled Joseph (Peter Mullan) and Christian Goodwill store worker, Hannah (Olivia Colman). Mullan’s electrifying performance finds a perfect counterpoint in Colman’s measured portrayal. Chicago Premiere.


DOCUFEST Competition


All Me: The Life and Times of Winfred Rembert USA (Director: Vivian Ducat) — If there was ever a case for designating a person as a National Treasure, Winfred Rembert is that person. Though he lived through segregation and the civil rights era in the deep South, Rembert didn’t begin his life as an artist until the 1990s. Working on cured leather canvasses that are later painted, Rembert depicts a personalized form of US history that you can’t get in books or anywhere else for that matter. Chicago Premiere.


Carol Channing: Larger Than Life USA (Director: Dori Berinstein) — Inspiring, heartwarming, hilarious and full of life, this portrait of the Tony® and Golden Globe® award winning actress, singer and comedienne weaves Broadway history with an unbelievable love story to capture the unique persona behind the iconic performances in Hello Dolly and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Stay for the end credits: the film’s outtakes just cannot be missed. Chicago Premiere.


Cinema Komunisto Serbia (Director: Mira Turjalic) — If the illusion of reality is the currency of cinema, then cinephile and former Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito bought and paid for his countries thrilling and heroic (but mostly made up) history. This award-winning documentary chronicles the 40-year history of Avala studio, built by Tito to crank out well-made propaganda films in order to shape and control his country’s image in a post-war world. This veritable compendium of archival footage and clips from over 60 classic Yugoslav films includes remembrances from Tito’s personal projectionist. Chicago Premiere.


Day is Done Switzerland (Director: Thomas Imbach) — Fifteen years of 35mm footage shot almost entirely from one vantage point overlooking the back of the Zurich train station is paired with fifteen years of answering machine messages to form an unlikely portrait of the artist. Though unseen and unheard, Thomas Imbach allows a full persona to develop from the voices and tone of each caller and the objects his camera chooses, follows and lingers over. North American Premiere.


Diana Vreeland: The Eye has to Travel USA (Director: Lisa Immordino Vreeland) — A true American visionary, Diana Vreeland became the first fashion editor at Harper’s Bazaar in 1936 and from there proceeded to invent the concept of fashion as we now know it. A talented writer with a larger than life personality, she had an innate ability to discover designers, photographers and new ideas, often to the point of controversy. Director Lisa Immordino Vreeland’s delightfully playful tribute uses archival footage, family photos and an animated conversation with George Plympton. Chicago Premiere.


Lisa Immordino Vreeland’s “Diana Vreeland: The Eye has to Travel”
Ending Note: Death of a Japanese Salesman Japan (Director: Mami Sunada) — When a recently retired Japanese businessman is diagnosed with incurable cancer, he reacts to the news with the same pragmatic approach that made him a successful salesman. In her directorial debut, Mami Sunada combines non-fiction film form with the growing trend of “end of life journals” among the elderly in Japan. By channeling her thoughts and feelings through her father’s “ending note,” Sunada abstracts the weight of a life and the pain of loss into a surprisingly hopeful and life-affirming message. North American Premiere.


Inshallah, Football India (Director: Ashvin Kumar) —The fast-paced game of the world’s most popular sport is contrasted against the slow turning gears of democracy in this controversial documentary. With help from a committed South American coach and his charming wife, 18-year-old Kashmiri soccer player Basharat is good enough to go play in Brazil but can’t obtain a visa due to his father’s militant past. More than a coming-of-age story about a teen who dreams of living as a free citizen, it is also a coming-of-age story for democracy in India. North American Premiere.


L.A. Raeven: Beyond the Image The Netherlands (Director: Lisa Boerstra) — Lisbeth and Angelique Raeven are twin sisters who comprise the somewhat notorious video and performance duo L.A. Raeven. Their complex and strained relationship unfolds in front of Lisa Boerstra’s intimate camera while they work and live through the creation of two new performance pieces. Inter-cutting scenes from earlier work and home videos from their childhood, viewers are privy to the daily routines and conversations at the home and studio they share. North American Premiere.


Love Always, Carolyn Sweden (Directors: Malin Korkeasalo and Maria Ramström) — Muse, mother, wife, and lover, Carolyn Cassady was the great woman behind two of the Beat Generations greatest men: Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac. As the model for Kerouac’s Dean Moriarty in On The Road, Neal was a living legend who often left Carolyn and the kids behind for grand adventures in the beatnik universe. This endearing portrait from first-time directors Maria Ramström and Malin Korkeasalo celebrates the wit, beauty, grace, and normalcy of an overlooked figure from one of American literature’s most popular moments. Chicago Premiere.


On the Bridge France/USA (Director: Olivier Morel) — PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, can be a whole new kind of war for our young men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The opposite of fighting alongside your brothers and sisters in arms, this battle is often fought alone, against demons the soldier hides from others. The power of the documentary form is strongly felt as On the Bridge not only gives voice to the personal trauma our warriors endure, but also as a means to help them honor their service and move forward as Americans. Chicago Premiere.


Salaam Dunk USA/Iraq (Director: David Fine) — When violent images of Iraq are all the Western world is accustomed to, it’s easy to forget that life continues in the war-torn nation. At the American University of Iraq-Sulaimani, life does just that, as is extraordinarily personified by the university’s women’s basketball team. In a sports movie for the ages, Salaam Dunk follows the team’s season, chronicling their triumphs and tragedies both on and off the court. North American Premiere.


Valley of the Forgotten Brazil (Director: Maria Raduan) — In a secluded area of Brazil’s Mato Grosso region, an impossible land dispute rages between Indians evicted from their homeland, squatters, land-grabbers, the Landless Workers Movement, and the ranchers who own property. With no resolution in sight and violence threatening to erupt at any moment, the film looks closely at each group’s perspective, offering a meditation on the concept of private property across social and cultural boundaries. U.S. Premiere.


After Dark Competition


Cold Sweat Argentina (Director: Adrián García Bolagno) — Online dating? What’s the worst that could happen? Well, apparently, you could find yourself trapped in an old house at the mercy of a pair of aging right-wing revolutionaries turned sadists with a penchant for torturing young women with decaying dynamite and buckets of nitroglycerin. Prolific low-budget horror maestro Bogliano serves up a stylish slice of extreme genre cinema, which also alludes to the troubled state of generational politics in his homeland. Chicago Premiere.


Haunters South Korea (Director: Min-suk Kim) — A young thief’s ability to control minds is frustrated when he meets one just beyond his reach in this fast-paced Korean action thriller. On a routine robbery of a pawnshop, things go terribly awry and an epic cat and mouse game quickly ensues, taking the viewer on a supercharged tour of Seoul at night. Chicago Premiere.


Juan of the Dead Cuba (Director: Alejandro Brugues) — Juan is a lovable loser content to loaf around the streets of Havana wisecracking, womanizing, and wiling away the days with a motley crew of fellow drifters. But when what seems at first to be dissident rumblings in the city turns into a full-on flesh-eating zombie onslaught, Juan and his gang go into business as “Juan of the Dead” – a crack team of slayers specializing in the undead. This wild romp through the streets of the Cuban capital is a perfectly pitched blend of horror and laughs. Chicago Premiere.


Rabies Israel (Director: Aharon Keshales) — Take the classic horror movie formula: hot girls lost in the woods, marauding homicidal maniacs, and gallons of blood and gore. Add some dark humor, sharp, witty dialogue, and unexpected twists and voilá, you get Rabies, Israel’s critically acclaimed first foray into the slasher genre. Sophisticated enough to appeal to a broad audience but with sufficient splatter to satisfy the hardcore genre fan, Rabies is an exhilarating and highly enjoyable viewing experience. Chicago Premiere.


Smuggler Japan (Director: Katsuhito Ishii) — From the man who created the celebrated “O-Ren Ishii” animated sequence in Kill Bill, Vol. 1 comes this stylish and outrageous but brutal film that makes Tarantino’s work look like family fare. In serious debt to local yakuza gangsters, Kinuta is coerced into taking a job as a smuggler of dead bodies for the Japanese underworld to settle the accounts, only to find himself caught in the middle of a bloody gang war. Based on the popular eponymous manga, Smuggler has all the makings of a cult cinema classic: slo-mo action sequences, runway-ready gangsters, nimble nunchuk wielding, and enough blood to make the Chicago River run red. Chicago Premiere.


Snowtown Australia (Director: Justin Kurzel) — Based on true events, this skillfully crafted psychological thriller centers on 16-year-old Jamie, who lives in a squalid, crime-ridden slum on the outskirts of Adelaide. When John Bunting, a charismatic older man, enters his life, he offers friendship and escape from his deadbeat existence. But as Bunting’s behavior becomes increasingly sinister, Jamie finds himself caught up in horrors he could never have imagined as he realizes his new father figure is actually a cold-blooded serial killer. Chicago Premiere.


The Holding UK (Director: Susan Jacobson) — After Cassie murders her abusive husband, a manipulative neighbor tries to run her off her land. Help seems to come in the form of gruff Scotsman Aden, but Cassie soon regrets letting Aden into her life when his true nature begins to manifest itself. Stylish direction and taut performances keep adrenaline running high in this accomplished, atmospheric gothic thriller. U.S. Premiere.


The Whisperer in Darkness (Director: Sean Branney) — Based on a story by H.P. Lovecraft, The Whisperer in Darkness is an eerily deft recreation of classic 1930’s studio horror fare. Professor Albert Wilmart, a smug skeptic, is forced to question his views by a series of increasingly bizarre encounters with the supernatural. Genuinely terrifying and highly entertaining, Whisperer is a fitting homage for Lovecraft aficionados and, for newcomers, a perfect introduction to one of the great horror masterminds of the 20th century. Chicago Premiere.


The Yellow Sea South Korea (Director: Na Hong-Jin) — When taxi driver Gu-nam finds himself in financial straits, he accepts a proposal from local mob boss to travel to Seoul to kill a professor. Once Gu-Nam arrives in the capital city, he discovers he isn’t the only person targeting the professor and in a quick turn of events, finds himself on the run. Gu-nam must use every survival instinct he has in order to stay one step ahead of his pursuers in this thrilling man-on-the-run crime drama. Chicago Premiere.


Short Film Competition


Seven Short Film programs will screen back-to-back throughout Friday, October 14 and Saturday, October 15. Visit www.chicagofilmfestival.com to view the full list of titles.


Shorts 1: City & State — A combination of narrative, documentary and animated short films shining the light on talented local filmmakers. 80 min.
Shorts 2: Pen & Paper — A stunning panorama of new animated shorts from around the world. 87 min.
Shorts 3: Midnight Mayhem — Zombies, ghosts, murderers and more go on the rampage in this miniature showcase of terror. 100 min.
Shorts 4: In N’Out — A series of provocative shorts exploring sex and relationships in unique and hilarious ways. 63 min.
Shorts 5: When Worlds Collide — Unsettling, surprising and off-kilter encounters abound in these eight compelling and carefully crafted films. 83 min.
Shorts 6: A Question of Timing — A selection of international shorts which encompass the sublime, the ridiculous, and everything in between. 75 min.
Shorts 7: Truth Be Told — Original documentary shorts that have won international acclaim for their fresh approaches and sensitive storytelling. 67 min.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Toronto International Film Festival Winners 2011 | Winners of the Toronto International Film Festival 2011 | TIFF


2011 Toronro International Film Festival Winners are listed below:


CADILLAC PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD

Overall:

Nadine Labaki's "Where Do We Go Now?"


First runner-up: Asghar Farhadi's "A Separation"

Second runner-up: Ken Scott's "Starbuck"



DOCUMENTARY:

Jon Shenk's "The Island President"

First runner-up: Bess Kargman's "First Position"

Second runner-up: Cameron Crowe's "Pearl Jam Twenty"



Midnight Madness:

Gareth Evans for "The Raid"

First runner-up: Adam Wingard's "You're Next"

Second runner-up: Bobcat Goldthwait's "God Bless America"



THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF FILM CRITICS AWARDS (FIPRESCI PRIZES)

Axel Petersen for "Avalon" in the Discovery Programme, which spotlights feature films by new and emerging directors


Gianni Amelio for "The First Man" in the Special Presentations category


THE CITY OF TORONTO AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM
Philippe Falardeau for "Monsieur Lazhar"

THE SKYY VODKA AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FIRST FEATURE FILM
Nathan Morlando for "Edwin Boyd"


AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM
Ian Harnarine for "Doubles With Slight Pepper"
(Editing by Sheri Linden)

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Venice Film Festival Winners 2011 | 2011 Venice Film Festival Winners



Venice Film Festival 2011 winners. Below are the award winners of the 2011 Venice Film Festival.


68th Annual Venice Film Festival Winners


VENEZIA 68

Golden Lion for Best Film

Faust by Aleksander Sokurov (Russia)


Silver Lion for Best Director

Shangjun CAI for the film Ren Shan Ren Hai (People Mountain People Sea) (China - Hong Kong)


Special Jury Prize

Terraferma by Emanuele Crialese (Italy)


Coppa Volpi for Best Actor

Michael Fassbender in the film Shame by Steve McQueen (United Kingdom)


Coppa Volpi for Best Actress

Deanie Yip in the film Tao jie (A Simple Life) by Ann Hui (China - Hong Kong)


Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress

Shôta Sometani and Fumi Nikaidô in the film Himizu by Sion Sono (Japan)


Osella for the Best Cinematography

Robbie Ryan for the film Wuthering Heights by Andrea Arnold (United Kingdom)


Osella for Best Screenplay

Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou for the film Alpis (Alps) by Yorgos Lanthimos (Grecia)


Lion of the Future - “Luigi De Laurentiis”Venice Award for a Debut Film

Là-bas by Guido Lombardi (Italy) - International Critics' Week

and a prize of 100,000 USD, donated by Filmauro di Aurelio e Luigi De Laurentiis, to be divided equally between the director and the producer



ORIZZONTI

Orizzonti Award (full-length films):

Kotoko by Shinya Tsukamoto (Japan)


Special Orizzonti Jury Prize (full-length films):

Whores’ Glory di Michael Glawogger (Austria, Germania)


Orizzonti Award:

Accidentes Gloriosos (medium-length films) by Mauro Andrizzi and Marcus Lindeen (Sweden, Denmark, Germany)


Orizzonti Award (short films):

In attesa dell'avvento by Felice D'Agostino and Arturo Lavorato (Italia)


Special Mentions:

O Le Tulafale (The Orator) by Tusi Tamasese (New Zealand, Samoa)

All The Lines Flow Out by Charles LIM Yi Yong (Singapore)


CONTROCAMPO ITALIANO

Controcampo Award (for narrative feature-length films)

Scialla! by Francesco Bruni


Controcampo Award (for short films)

A Chjàna by Jonas Carpignano


Controcampo Doc Award (for documentaries)

Pugni chiusi by Fiorella Infascelli


Special Mentions:

to the documentary Black Block by Carlo Augusto Bachschmidt

to Francesco Di Giacomo for the cinematography of Pugni chiusi




Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement

Marco Bellocchio


Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award 2011

Al Pacino


Persol 3D Award for the Most Creative Stereoscopic Film of the Year

Zapruder Filmmakers Group (David Zamagni, Nadia Ranocchi, and Monaldo Moretti)


L'Oréal Paris Award for Cinema

Nicole Grimaudo


Friday, August 12, 2011

Venice Film Festival 2011 Nominees | 68th Venice Film Festival Nominees 2011

2011 Venice Film Festival Nominees

The Venice film festival runs from August 31, - September 10, 2011. Below is a list of films that will be featured. This film festival is considered to be the oldest running film festival on record.


2011 Venice Film Festival

TOMAS ALFREDSON - TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY - UK, Germany
Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt

ANDREA ARNOLD - WUTHERING HEIGHTS - UK
Kaya Scodelario, Nichola Burley, Steve Evets, Oliver Milburn

AMI CANAAN MANN - TEXAS KILLING FIELDS - USA
Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jeffrey Dean Morgan

GEORGE CLOONEY - THE IDES OF MARCH [OPENING FILM] - USA
Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood

CRISTINA COMENCINI - QUANDO LA NOTTE - Italy
Claudia Pandolfi, Filippo Timi, Michela Cescon, Thomas Trabacchi

EMANUELE CRIALESE - TERRAFERMA - Italy, France
Filippo Pucillo, Donatella Finocchiaro, Giuseppe Fiorello, Claudio Santamaria

DAVID CRONENBERG - A DANGEROUS METHOD - Germany, Canada
Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, Vincent Cassel

ABEL FERRARA - 4:44 LAST DAY ON EARTH - USA
Willem Dafoe, Shanyn Leigh, Paz de la Huerta, Natasha Lyonne

WILLIAM FRIEDKIN - KILLER JOE - USA
Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple, Gina Gershon

PHILIPPE GARREL - UN ÉTÉ BRULANT - France, Italy, Switzerland
Monica Bellucci, Louis Garrel, Céline Sallette, Jérôme Robart

ANN HUI - TAOJIE (A SIMPLE LIFE) - China-Hong Kong, China
Andy Lau, Deanie Yip, Anthony Wong, Tsui Hark

ERAN KOLIRIN - HAHITHALFUT (THE EXCHANGE) - Israel, Germany
Rotem Keinan, Sharon Tal, Dov Navon, Shirili Deshe

YORGOS LANTHIMOS - ALPEIS (ALPS) - Greece
Ariane Labed, Aggeliki Papoulia, Aris Servetalis, Johnny Vekris

STEVE MCQUEEN - SHAME - United Kingdom
Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge, Nicole Beharie

GIAN ALFONSO PACINOTTI [GIPI] - L'ULTIMO TERRESTRE - Italy
Gabriele Spinelli, Anna Bellato, Roberto Herlitzka, Teco Celio

ROMAN POLANSKI - CARNAGE France, Germany, Spain, Poland
Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly

MARJANE SATRAPI, VINCENT PARONNAUD - POULET AUX PRUNES - France, Belgium, Germany
Mathieu Amalric, Maria De Medeiros, Golshifteh Farahani, Isabella Rossellini, Chiara Mastroianni

ALEKSANDER SOKUROV - FAUST - Russia
Johannes Zeiler, Anton Adasinskiy, Isolda Dychauk, Hanna Schygulla

TODD SOLONDZ - DARK HORSE - USA
Mia Farrow, Christopher Walken, Justin Bartha, Selma Blair

SION SONO - HIMIZU - Japan
Shôta Sometani, Fumi Nikaidô, Tetsu Watanabe, Mitsuru Fukikoshi

TE-SHENG WEI - SEEDIQ BALE - China, Taiwan
Da-Ching, Umin Boya, Landy Wen, Lo Mei-ling