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In Cannes, it's all about the photos babe.

 

Festival Fireworks

Cannes Cafe from Above

"Tropic Thunder" on the Riviera

Cinema de la Plage in Cannes

Sign of the Times in Cannes 2008

Cole's V-Log 5.10.08

THE 19TH ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH FILM FESTIVAL

Co-presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center

June 13-26 at the Walter Reade Theater

Program of 32 Films from 20 Countries—including 31 New York Premieres

NEW YORK, May 14, 2008 -- Each year countless talented filmmakers work against long odds, short finances and threatening politics to bring to the screen powerful stories of human struggle, sacrifice and triumph. The Human Rights Watch International Film Festival returns to the Walter Reade Theater this June to bring some of the most compelling of these stories to New Yorkaudiences. Co-presented by Human Rights Watch and the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the 19th annual festival will run from June 13 to 26, featuring 19 feature-length films and 13 shorts from 20 countries, including 31 New Yorkpremieres. The festival is especially proud that this year’s program features an unprecedented 20 films by women.

The festival launches on Friday, June 13 with A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman, with the film's namesake and renowned author of “Death and the Maiden” present to introduce this extraordinary documentary. In 1973, the coup in Chile sent Dorfman into exile and killed many of his friends. Director Peter Raymont follows him on an emotional journey back to Chile as he recalls that tumultuous period and its consequences. Mr. Dorfman receives a special spotlight later in the festival when two films that he wrote with his son Rodrigo, Prisoners in Time (1995) and Dead Line (1998), will be featured. A Promise to the Dead will be followed opening night by To See If I’m Smiling in which six young Israeli women talk with bracing candor about their experiences during their mandatory military service in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Director and former Israel Defense Forces soldier Tamar Yarom will present the film.

Women are also on the frontlines in festival centerpiece The Sari Soldiers, by New York-based filmmaker Julie Bridgham, this year’s recipient of the festival’s Nestor Almendros Award for courage and commitment in filmmaking. The film follows six Nepali women on opposing sides of Nepal's armed conflict as they bravely fight to transform their country's future.

On Thursday, June 26, two closing night films offer sobering tales of the profound personal cost many pay in the fight for justice. Letter to Anna tells the story of the life and tragic death of crusading Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was murdered in 2006 by a gunman who some believe was an operative of the government of which she was openly critical. In USA vs. Al-Arian, our own government is implicated in this intimate portrait of Palestinian-American activist Dr. Sami Al-Arian and his family during his federal trial on terrorism-related charges.

One of the most shameful legacies of America’s past is invoked in Traces of the Trade, in which director Katrina Browne and nine relatives trace their roots as the largest slave-trading family in American history. In this bicentennial year of the U.S.abolition of the slave trade, the film offers powerful new perspectives on the black/white divide.

Four more superb documentaries by American women will be showcased at this year’s festival. Acclaimed cinematographer Ellen Kuras’s gorgeously shot The Betrayal (Nerakhoon), co-directed by Thavisouk Phrasavath, movingly chronicles 23 years in the life of a Laotian family who escaped the ravages of the Vietnam War to resettle in New York.

From Senain Kheshgi and Geeta V. Patel comes the world premiere of Project Kashmir, in which the directors, two American friends from opposite sides of the divide, investigate the war in Kashmir and find their friendship tested over deeply rooted religious biases they never had to face in the U.S. Edet Belberg’s The Recruiter takes a compelling look at army recruitment in this country through the story of Louisiana Sergeant Clay Usie, one of the most successful recruiters in the history of the Army. In the Sundance award-winning The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo, filmmaker Lisa F. Jackson documents the tragic plight of women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo who are raped in the name of war.

Africa is also the focus of The Dictator Hunter which follows tireless Human Rights Watch lawyer Reed Brody and Chadian political refugee Souleymane Guengueng as they pursue former president Hissène Habré of Chad, under whose regime tens of thousands of citizens were tortured and killed. "If you kill one person, you go to jail. If you kill 40 people, they put you in an insane asylum,” says Brody, who will attend the festival screenings. "But if you kill 40,000 people, you get a comfortable exile with a bank account in another country, and that’s what we want to change here."

Films from Latin America and the Middle East have become perennial features of the program and this year is no exception. Like A Promise to the Dead, the Chilean film Calle Santa Fe returns to the brutal Pinochet regime and post-revolutionary exile through filmmaker Carmen Castillo’s deeply personal journey back to her homeland, which she fled in 1974 after her husband, a leftist leader, was killed.

From Brazil comes Maria Ramos's Behave, which follows the process of minors who have fallen into the hands of Rio de Janeiro’s troubled juvenile court system and detention centers. Middle Eastern offerings include the feature drama Under the Bombs, a poignant tale of a Lebanese woman's search for her young son in the aftermath of the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon in 2006, and This Way Up, where a group of elderly Palestinians learn to live with the everyday changes, restrictions and surprises created when the West Bank Wall is erected just yards from their door. Playing in the same program as This Way Up, Open Heart highlights the plight of the Palestinian healthcare system struggling under occupation, while the short Deadly Playground (preceding the Israeli film To See If I’m Smiling) looks at a young boy’s fascination with cluster bombs dropped by Israeli forces in south Lebanonin 2006.

Other highlights of this year’s program include Roger Weisberg’s Critical Condition, which reveals the impact of being sick and uninsured in this country; American Outrage, a portrait of two elderly Shoshone sisters who’ve been fighting against the U.S. government’s attempts to take over their land in Nevada (showing with the Kenyan land-rights short Rightful Place); and China’s Stolen Children, an investigation into how China’s one-child policy has led to a boom in stolen children, with an estimated 70,000 children kidnapped there every year and traded on the black market. The spotlight is also on China in the annual HRW photography exhibit in the Film Society’s Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery, adjacent to the Walter Reade Theater, in which photographer Kadir van Lohuizen shows the world a side of Beijingthat Olympic organizers would prefer to conceal.

In partnership with the Adobe Foundation, the festival is pleased to announce the inaugural edition of Youth Producing Change, a special program of nine short films directed and produced by youth from across the globe. Armed with digital cameras and their own boundless creativity, these young people bravely expose human rights issues faced by themselves and their communities. Many of the teenage filmmakers will be making the trip to New York to present their work.

Each year, Human Rights Watch endorses select First Run Feature films that fit within the Human Rights Watch mission. This year they have added a new dimension to the partnership by screening five of the HRW Selects Film Series as part of the festival proper – Monday, June 16 to Friday, June 20, daily at 4:00 p.m.

Please check www.filmlinc.com or www.hrw.org/iff for descriptions of the films.

Single screening tickets for the 2008 Human Rights Watch International Film Festival are $11 for adults, $7 for Film Society members and students with a valid photo ID, and $8 for seniors. They are available at both the Walter Reade Theater box office and online at www.filmlinc.com. HRWIFF08 Series Pass ($40 public/$30 Film Society member) admits one person to five titles in the festival. Available only at the Walter Reade Theater box office (cash only). Additional information is available online at www.filmlinc.com and www.hrw.org/iff, or by calling (212) 875-5600.

Please note: Due to construction work taking place around Lincoln Center, access to the Walter Reade Theater is at 165 West 65th Street

close to Amsterdam Avenue. Once there, take the escalator, elevator or stairs to the upper level.

Cole's 5.2.08 V-Log

Cole's 4.25.08 V-Log

Cole's 4.18.08 V-Log

Cole's 3.28.08 V-Log

DOCUMENTA MADRID 08

The 5th International Documentary Film Festival of Madrid will be held from May 2 through 11.

The festival has broken a record in the number of films participating, with a total of 999 films, coming from more countries than in previous years.

The festival's 5th year renders tribute to Michelangelo Antonioni and his revolutionary revision of cinematographic narration—his least known identity, as a documentary-maker.

The Arts Department of the city of Madrid is organizing the 5th annual International Festival of Documentary Film DOCUMENTA MADRID 08, which will be held from May 2 through 11. The increasing success with the public, with more than 12,700 spectators in its fourth year; the increase in films received for competition to the Competitive Sections - 999 films this year, a hundred more than in 2007 - and the variety in the origin of these films - from 79 different countries - have made Documenta Madrid one of the most international festivals in our country.

In accordance with this positive assessment, the festival will increase the amount of prize-winnings: 73,000 Euros - 3,000 more than last year-. In addition, this year's competition will include a new award: the Filmotech.com Award, to be awarded 3,000 Euros and a diploma.

Among the new features of this 5th edition, there will also be two new venues added to the already 14 locations. The Casa Árabe opens its doors to the festival in order to broaden the spectrum of films being presented in a competition that has gotten stronger as a window to the world. In addition, the Academy of Arts and Film Sciences will also provide a screening room for Spanish documentaries in the DOCUMENTA section.

DOCUMENTA MADRID 08 will render tribute to Michelangelo Antonioni by revealing the secrets of his documentary work: it will dig deep into the hidden work by well-established filmmakers; we will reveal the adventurous spirit of two explorers from early 20th century who made an impact on the big Hollywood studios with their prodigious incursion in the world of African tribes and it will show how one of today's most prestigious documentary-makers, Nicolas Philibert, shrewdly lets reality pass on by in front of his camera.

DOCUMENTA MADRID 08's calling is to show a selection of international films as a true reflection of the social, cultural, economic, artistic and environmental realities in today's world. In addition, DOCUMENTA MADRID has become an annual meeting point for professionals, audiovisual creators, and audiences eager for new offerings in the genre.

The program for DOCUMENTA MADRID is divided into 3 main blocks: Competitive Sections, Informative Sections, and Parallel Activities. This year, 999 films have been received to take part in the Competitive Sections.

There are five Official Competitive Sections:
Original Documentary Section: in this international section are films demonstrating an original and innovative viewpoint both in formal terms as well as in its subject matter. It is divided into the categories: Full-length films and Short films.

Competition of Reporting: documentary films from all over the world made for film or television, whose content is treated from an informative point of view.

National Competition: a section created for the purpose of making a special place for Spanish-made productions, also divided up into the categories Short Films and Full-length films.

Avid Xpressate/HP Marathon: meant for the filmmakers of any of the selected films in any of the three competitive sections who would like to participate by using Avid equipment and support to create and edit a short film on a topic to be selected the day the marathon begins. The resulting films will then be screened at one of the different competition venues.

Filmotech.com: DOCUMENTA 08 will come to life online, beyond just its official web page, through a groundbreaking initiative. The filmmakers of works in the Competitive Sections who wish to do so may upload their films onto the internet so that they can be downloaded with all legal guarantees from anywhere on the planet. Those directors who opt for this method will compete for the Filmotech.com Award.

Intimate Elegies: Open-Hearted Cinema Dissected by its Masters

As part of the Informative Sections, this film series is of notable importance as it goes through film history, from its beginnings to the present day from the point of view of its creators. The affinities established among filmmakers from different eras or different cultures is one of the curiosities revealed by films such as Roads to Kiarostami (2006), a different journey by Abbas Kiarostami in the development of his work-; JLG/JLG: Autoportrait de décembre (1995), by Jean-Luc Godard - a profound reflection on the seventh art-; Il giorno della prima di 'Close Up' (1996) - in which Nanni Moretti watches over the preparations for the premiere of the film Close Up by Kiarostami-; and Filming 'Othello' (1978) - in which Orson Welles uses footage shot during the preparation of the film to make a curious film essay.

Other major filmmakers who stand out in this series include Ingmar Bergman (Karins ansikte, 1984); Wim Wenders (Tokyo-Ga, 1985); Peter Tscherkassky (Outer Space, 1999); José Luis Guerin (Innisfree, 1989); Federico Fellini (Block-notes di un regista, 1969) and Chris Marker (Une journée d'Andrei Arsenevitch, 2000).

Tribute to Michelangelo Antonioni: The Desolate Filmmaker.

DOCUMENTA 08 renders tribute to Michelangelo Antonioni (1912-2007), member of an unrepeatable generation of Italian filmmakers including Vittorio de Sica, Luchino Visconti, Roberto Rossellini and Federico Fellini, who exploited film's possibilities to show reality in a unique way. The Ferrara-born director stood out for his brave redefinition of the narrative concept of film by breaking with established norms to tell a story on film. DOCUMENTA MADRID 08 will render tribute to Antonioni by showing the curiosities of his documentary work.

Antonioni was capable of telling, evoking and suggesting just through a silent succession of meticulously-framed and austere images. His photographic eye and his ability to extract beauty and meaning with the framing have few equals in film history. The Italian director tried to "photograph the surface of things and discover what is hidden within them" by creating phantasmagoric surroundings in which the characters wandered as fleeting figures of absence. In his minimalist style, he portrayed solitude and isolation, the enigma of a desolate world, everything that Antonioni himself defined as "incomunicabilitá", which is present in documentaries such as Gente del Po (1943-1947); Sette canne, un vestido (1949); Kumbha Mela (1989); Noto-Mandorli Vulcano-Stromboli Carnevale (1992) and Lo Sguardo di Michelangelo (2004), one of his last works, which won the International Critic's award in the Short Film Section of the

Another one of the series in the Parallel Section of this year's Documenta Madrid is Martin and Osa Johnson: or the adventure of documentary-filmmaking.

When "Cannibals of the South Seas" was released on July 21, 1918 in New York, the marriage of Martin (1884-1937) and Osa Johnson (1894-1953) was turned into a star marriage. It was the first film made by the two adventurer filmmakers, naturalists and photographers, who spent more than twenty years traveling around the Salomon Islands, Borneo, and the African continent in the style of the old discoverers of unexplored paradises.

They were the precursors of ethnological documentary-making; they made the first sound film made completely in Africa; they used the airplane for the first time to film wildlife and the snow-capped peaks of Kilimanjaro and they were pioneers in getting into to the savage and hostile tribes of the Southern Seas and Borneo. Their goal was to distance themselves from the style of Hollywood by showing the true life of the indigenous communities and the virgin scenery, though they were also the first ones to use their own work for merchandising and sponsoring their adventures.

The result of all this were thousands of photographs, travel books, and most of all, documentaries to be shown at the festival such as Wonders of the Congo (1931), Congorilla (1932), Wings Over Africa (1934) and Baboona (1935). The Martin and Osa Johnson SAFARI Museum, created in what was their house in Chanute (Kansas), keeps the story and legacy alive of these last pioneers, whose film contributed in a decisive way to the forging of that period's imagination (in full swing due to the colonial empires) for the last unexplored places on the planet uncovered by intrepid adventurers.

Nicolas Philibert: Intuitive Observer of Reality

The documentaries by the French filmmaker Nicolas Philibert show the intuition of a camera operator who follows the most real of all shooting schedules, that of the passing of events themselves. There is no prior screenplay nor is there exhaustive documentation; the key is simply in the curiosity that he feels for the story he is filming. This retrospective, made in collaboration with the French Institute of Madrid and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, offers a trip through these snippets of life from the hand of one of today's most prestigious directors.

Philibert, whose biggest success has been Être et avoir (2002), the film which established him by winning awards at numerous festivals (SEMINCI, European Films Awards, Cesar Awards of France and nominated at the BAFTA Awards) and acclaimed by the public all over the world, made his debut in film in 1978 with La voix de son maître (co-directed with Gérard Mordillat), and after a less productive period beyond some commissioned documentary on mountaineering and other sports, he submerged himself in more personal projects.

This showing of films by the French director, who will soon release his latest film (Regreso a Normandía), will include films such as La ville Louvre (1990) -an incursion into the backrooms of the great Parisian museum and the concept of art; Le pays des sourds (1992) -the experience of a "country" where sign language and silence make up perceive other realities--La moindre des choses (1996) - where the characters are patients in a psychiatric clinic.

NEW JIM JARMUSCH FILM IN PRODUCTION

NEW YORK, February 21, 2008 – Independent filmmaker Jim Jarmusch’s new film, the tentatively titled The Limits of Control, has confirmed the addition of ten actors to its cast. Mr. Jarmusch started shooting the picture, to which Focus Features has worldwide rights, in Madrid, Spain earlier this month.

Joining previously announced lead actor Isaach De Bankolé, in his fourth collaboration with Mr. Jarmusch, are Hiam Abbass, whose films include Munich and Paradise Now; Gael García Bernal, of Focus’ Academy Award-winning The Motorcycle Diaries; Paz De La Huerta, whose independent feature work includes the upcoming The Guitar, with Mr. De Bankolé; Alex Descas, who starred opposite Mr. De Bankolé in the "No Problem" segment of Mr. Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes; two-time Academy Award nominee John Hurt; Youki Kudoh, who starred in Mr. Jarmusch’s Mystery Train; Bill Murray, who starred in Mr. Jarmusch’s most recent film, Broken Flowers, which was also handled worldwide by Focus; Jean-François Stévenin, whose films include Brotherhood of the Wolf and The Man on the Train; Tilda Swinton, also a Broken Flowers cast member, and currently an Academy Award nominee for her performance in Michael Clayton; and Luis Tosar, whose films include Miami Vice, in which Mr. De Bankolé also appeared. Focus is co-financing the film with Entertainment Farm.

In addition to Broken Flowers, Mr. Jarmusch’s films include Permanent Vacation, Stranger Than Paradise, Down by Law, Mystery Train, Night on Earth, Dead Man, Year of the Horse, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Coffee and Cigarettes, and the short film "INT. TRAILER. NIGHT."

The new film is the story of a mysterious loner (to be played by Mr. De Bankolé), a stranger, whose activities remain meticulously outside the law. He is in the process of completing a job, yet he trusts no one, and his objectives are not initially divulged. The film is set in the striking and varied landscapes of contemporary Spain (both urban and otherwise).

Mr. Schamus said, "These acclaimed actors span an international spectrum of talent, and are sterling additions to this exciting new project. We have had the pleasure of collaborating with several of them previously, and eagerly anticipate their work with Jim."

Stacey Smith, who has worked with Mr. Jarmusch for over a decade and Gretchen McGowan (who co-produced the filmmaker’s Coffee and Cigarettes) are producing the new film. Award-winning cinematographer Christopher Doyle (In the Mood for Love) is the film’s director of photography; Eugenio Caballero, an Academy Award winner last year for his art direction of Pan’s Labryinth, is the film’s production designer. The filmmaker’s longtime collaborator Jay Rabinowitz will edit the feature. Jon Kilik (Babel) is executive-producing the film, continuing his association with Mr. Jarmusch.

Last Minute Oscar Predictions

This year’s Oscar awards looks to be one of the most predictable in recent memory. Look for "No Country for Old Men" to take Best Picture, with the Coen brothers taking home matching statues for Best Director. The Best Actor award will go to Daniel Day Lewis, and Marion Cotillard should waltz to France with a golden figure for her miraculous performance in "La Vie En Rose."

Supporting Actor will go to Javier Bardem for "No Country," and Cate Blanchett will win Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Bob Dylan. "Juno" gets an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and "No Country" wins Best Adapted Script. "Ratatouille" undeservingly wins Best Animated Feature.

"There Will Be Blood" should win cinematography, and "Atonement" will win for Art Direction. Finally, look for "Falling Slowly" from the film "Once" to take a statue for Best Song.

Glumbert.com's Actresses Across the Ages

This is about the coolest short move I’ve ever seen. Check it out at:

http://glumbert.com/wii/view.php?name=womenfilm

Thomas Jane Due to Make Directorial Debut in 3-D

Variety reported today that Thomas Jane ("Stephen King’s The Mist") will make his directorial debut with "The Dark Country," a 3-D thriller about a honeymooning couple that run into big trouble. Ron Perlman ("Hellboy") stars with Lauren German ("Hostel: Part II").

Thomas Jane has long been an underrated actor whose performance in "Stephen King’s The Mist" is the best of his acting career. It will be interesting to see how his sense of professionalism pays of from the other side of the camera.

CS Launches Weekly Film Review Video Blog

With the great help of director Deepak Chetty, production assistant Paul Nash, and composer/guitarist George Adelson, I have launched a weekly video blog to give viewers a more active experience.

Luis Bunuel Retrospective at the Berlin International Film Festival

The Berlin International Film Festival announced that they will honor the late, great Luis Bunuel with a retrospective showcase that will include more than 30 films that Bunuel contributed to in some guise as director, assisstant director, screenwriter or as producer.

The Berlin Film Festival runs from February 7 to 17th.

"Runnin' Down a Dream" DVD Contest Giveaway

Reply with a list of Tom Petty's 15 Billboard Chart hits for a chance to win a copy of the DVD courtesy of ColeSmithey.com. The winner will be chosen at random from all of the correct submissions.

Send your list to ColeSmithey@gmail.com, and good luck.

15th ANNUAL HAMPTONS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

ANNOUNCES GOLDEN STARFISH & AUDIENCE AWARDS

The 15^th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival presented its Golden Starfish Awards at a ceremony held at the UA Cinema in East Hampton, NY on Saturday, October 21, 2007.

The 2007 HAMPTONS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL celebrates its 15^th anniversary – a decade and a half of premieres, screenings, programs & events, tucked away amongst the changing leaves and quiet beaches of fall in the East End. The Hamptons is where talent, industry and audiences come together exchanging ideas, experiences and cinema in what has now become one of leading international film festivals of the world.  This year’s Hamptons fest runs October 17^th through 21^st, 2007, in East Hampton, New York with additional venues in Southampton, Sag Harbor and Montauk.

The heart of the Hamptons International Film Festival has always been its Golden Starfish Award and the films in the competitions for Best Narrative Feature (over $185,000 in goods and in-kind services), Best Documentary Award ($5,000 in cash) and Short Film Award ($5,000 in cash). The Hamptons International Film Festival also awards the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Feature Film Prize in Science and Technology ($25,000 in cash); the Kodak Award for Cinematography ($6,000 of goods and in-kind services); the Brizzolara Family Award for Films of Conflict and Resolution ($5,000 in cash); the Zicherman Family Foundation Award for Screenwriting ($5,000 in cash); Best Undergraduate and Graduate Student Films (eight $1,000 cash awards); and new this year, the Lifetime Movie Network Award for Best Female Student Filmmaker ($5,000 in cash), the woozyfly.com Best Music Award and, to be announced at an event in NY next week, the ¡Sorpresa! Youth Film Competition (a one-week scholarship to the New York Film Academy).

On hand to host the awards ceremony were two special guests, Jodi Applegate and Ron Corning of Fox 5 New York’s “Good Day New York!”   

In addition to our two hosts the presenters of the ceremony included Board Chairman Stuart Match Suna, Festival Manager Gianna Chachere and Programmers Josh Koury and David Nugent.

The Golden Starfish Category.

The Golden Starfish Best Feature, carrying an awards package of over $185,000 of in-kind production services, was presented to:

VALERIE (Germany, East Coast Premiere) Directed by Birgit Möller.

”A very accomplished first film about a woman's struggle to survive at the margins of society while maintaining her dignity.”

The Kodak Award For Best Cinematography, worth $6,000 in kind services and product, to:

KINGS (UK, US Premiere) Directed by Tom Collins and photographed by PJ Dillon.

“For the beauty and texture, intermixing the past and present.”

The Zicherman Family Foundation Award For Best Screenwriter, carrying a $5000 cash prize was awarded to:

Writer/Director Chris Eigeman for TURN THE RIVER (US, World Premiere).

“For it's unflinching realism, pitch perfect dialogue and 3 dimensional characters in a world that is so often given to stereotypes. “

The Golden Starfish Narrative Jury also handed out a Special Jury Best Actress Prize to:

Famke Janssen 

”For a brave and touching portrayal of a woman fighting for her child and her life in TURN THE RIVER.”

Golden Starfish Narrative Competition jurors include: IFC Entertainment's VP of Acquisitions and Production Arianna Bocco, Filmmaker Alison Maclean, & producer and Cinetic Media founder, John Sloss.

Golden Starfish Documentary Feature Film Award, carrying a cash prize of $5,000 was awarded to:

I AM AN ANIMAL: THIS STORY OF INGRID NEWKIRK AND PETA (US, World Premiere) Directed by Matthew Galkin. 

The Golden Starfish Short Film Award with a prize of $5,000 cash was presented to:

AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE (Scotland, 2005) directed by Marisa Zanotti.

Golden Starfish Documentary and Short Film Competition jurors include: director of acquisitions for Docurama, Liz Ogilvie; SXSW’s Matt Dentler and filmmaker Jamie Johnson (Born Rich).

The Woozyfly.com Award for Best Music in a Film was presented by Woozyfly.com’s President & CEO, Jonathan Bomser.to:

Mark Mancina for his work on AUGUST RUSH.

The Brizzolara Family Award for Films of Conflict and Resolution, was a tie and carries a $2,500 cash prize each, to:

BEHIND FORGOTTEN EYES (US, East Coast Premiere) Directed by Anthony Gilmore.

SOLDIERS OF CONSCIENCE (US, NY Premiere) Directed by Catherine Ryan and Gary Weimberg.

Conflict & Resolution Competition jurors include: human rights advocate and program coordinator for Europe and the former Soviet Union at WITNESS, Violeta Krasnic; Producer/Director Mickey Lemle and Assistant curator of film at MoMA, Sally Berger.

For the 8^th consecutive year, the $25,000 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Film Prize in Science and Technology for a feature-length film that explores science and technology themes in fresh, innovative ways and depicts scientists and engineers in a realistic and compelling fashion, was presented to Julian Schnabel’s THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY (France). The Award was presented by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Doron Weber.

The Golden Starfish Career Achievement in Acting Award to Vanessa Redgrave.  The award was presented to Ms. Burstyn by Hamptons Board Chairman Stuart Match Suna at the “Conversation With…” event where Miss Redgrave was the guest with moderator Alec Baldwin.  She was in town with her latest film the Hallmark Channel release of THE SHELL SEEKERS.  (In addition to Miss Redgrave’s Conversation With…, another “Conversation” occurred during the festival with special guest Sidney Lumet moderated by Adam Green).

The Lifetime Movie Network Best Female Student Filmmaker Award (previously announced) with a $5,000 First Prize and $2,500 Second Prize and screening on the Lifetime Movie Network was presented to:

Liliana Greenfield-Sanders for her film ANNA.

And in second place, Jessica Marie Sutherland for her film SEVEN TURN.

Jury Members for the LMN Award were actress Jennifer Lopez, producers Lauren Shuler Donner and Gale Anne Hurd, director Mimi Leder and publicist Catherine Olim.

Undergraduate and Graduate Student Film/Video Awards:

“For 15 years now, the Hamptons International Film Festival has awarded over 130 plus, undergraduate and graduate filmmakers a cash award and a viewing slot within the festival.  It has been my privilege and honor to be in charge of this program over the years, offering these talented student filmmakers the opportunity to participate in this wonderful festival and to meet other industry professionals – not to mention to be in the Hamptons at such a beautiful time of year.”

-  Jeremiah Newton Student Awards Director

ABAJEE (Pakistan/US) Dir. Maureen Bharoocha. 

ALAN AND SAMIR (UK) Dir. Yann Demange. 

BLUE DRESS (US) Dir. Katie Stern.

DEAR LEMON LIMA (US) Dir. Suzi Yoonessi.   

QUINCY & ALTHEA (US) Dir. Doug Lenox. 

The Golden Starfish Award for Best Young Videomaker went to: Vladislav Radak for his short film BLUE LORRY.

The 2007 Hamptons Film Festival’s Audience Award were presented at the Closing Night event at Bamboo on Sunday, October 21, 2007.

The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature was presented to Chris Kraus’ FOUR MINUTES

The Audience Award for Best Documentary was presented to Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue’s BODY OF WAR

The Audience Award for Best Short Film was presented to Michael Dreher’s FAIR TRADE

Among the attendees at the 2007 Hamptons Festival were Lauren Bacall ~ Bob Balaban ~ Alec Baldwin ~ John Cusack ~ Phil Donahue ~ Alison Eastwood ~ Chris Eigeman ~ Alex Gibney ~ Marcia Gay Harden ~ Hannah Herzsprung ~ Famke Jansen ~ Harvey Keitel ~ Lisa Kudrow ~ Blake Lively ~ Sidney Lumet ~ Sirio Maccione ~ Gretchen Mol ~ Frankie Muniz ~ Jeff Nichols ~ Amanda Peet ~ Scott Prendergast ~ Vanessa Redgrave ~ Keri Russell ~ Egbert-Jan Weeber ~ Jess Weixler ~ Gahan Wilson.

Presenting Sponsors: American Airlines and Altour International.

Host Sponsors: Fox 5 New York.

Patron Sponsors: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, New Line Cinema, Prudential Douglas Elliman, Regal Entertainment Group; Silvercup Studios, Newsday, 91 East Productions, The Hallmark Channel, OK! Magazine, Heineken, Time Warner Cable Media Sales, VOX Magazine, Woozyfly.com, WVVH Hamptons Television.

The Hamptons International Film Festival was founded to celebrate independent film and to introduce a unique and varied spectrum of international films and filmmakers to our audiences.  The festival is committed to exhibiting films that express fresh voices and differing global perspectives, with the hope that these programs will enlighten audiences, provide invaluable exposure for filmmakers and present inspired entertainment for all.

Film Critic Embarrassment: Peter Travers

There are lots people posing as film critics. You know the ones who confuse a film’s screenwriter with the source material’s novelist. But Rolling Stone magazine’s "3-star" Travers (Peter) is one that deserves the old heave ho. How Travers has any validity after giving nearly every movie he sees 3 stars week after week is beyond me. Go get ‘em Travers…dare to give "Reservation Road" and "Rendition" two stars." Hang it up man. And, by the way: Five stars, no halves is the real man's rating system.

INAUGURAL MIDDLE EAST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

ABU DHABI BLACK PEARL AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Abu Dhabi, UAE – The Middle East International Film Festival – Abu Dhabi (MEIFF) announced the winners of the Black Pearl Awards at the Closing Night Ceremony held at the Emirates Palace. The Black Pearl trophy (designed by Mohammed Gomaa, with the Grand Jury Prize was hand designed Azza Qubeisi is a handmade sculpture representing the beautiful and rare black pearl originally discovered in the pristine waters of the Abu Dhabi coastline, and a symbol that is an integral part of Abu Dhabi history and culture. The Black Pearl Awards also come with a production grant that will help launch the filmmaker’s future projects.

The winners were chosen by a jury of the upper echelon of the filmmaking community, and includes for features; Ian Birnie, Director of Film Department of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Elliot Kotek, Editor-in-Chief of Moving Pictures Magazine; Christian Frei, renowned documentary filmmaker; Ann Bernier, veteran film producer; Mohamed Al-Ahmad, head of the National Film Organization in Syria; Naguib Ayad, an executive producer in Tunisia and Claudia Landsberger, media industry executive and film festival consultant.

For shorts, the jurors are Marianne Khoury, film director and producer; Andrew Crane, short film programmer for American Cinematheque; Ueli Steiger, director of photography; E. Elias Merhige, recognized director; and Jamal Salem, an Emirati writer.

“We started big and we are here to stay,” said Mohamed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei, MEIFF Vice-Chairman. “We are very pleased with our slate and the audience response far exceeded our expectations. The positive feedback supports the idea that this region welcomes international cinema.  The Festival looks forward to providing this avenue of exposure for filmmakers in this region,” said Festival Director Jon Fitzgerald.

Executive Director of the Festival, Nashwa Al-Ruwaini, said the evening marks the culmination of a successful Festival. “We are committed to nurture and support the indigenous voices of Emirati filmmakers, as they are the soul and driving force of our work. Through these Awards, the Screenwriters Lab and the Film Financing Circle, we hope to provide a platform of knowledge and funding opportunities for emerging filmmakers.”

The evening opened with a special dance performance choreographed by Otis Sallid, and a screening of the Closing Night film, IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH by director Paul Haggis. Haggis, together with cast from the film, Frances Fisher and Jake McLaughlin, the cast from CARAMEL, and various Bollywood and Middle Eastern stars graced the red carpet before the ceremony.

 

In addition to the Black Pearl awards, the following recipients were honored in the Hayah Film Competition. RAMADAN by Fatima Al Shamsi in the Student Category, CELEBRATE LIFE by Kamil Roxas in the Amateur Category and FOR NO ONE by Ziad Oakes in the Professional Category.

The winners in each category will receive an awards package including a cash prize of USD $5,000, an iPod, and a one-year scholarship to attend the New York Film Academy’s new Abu Dhabicampus, scheduled to open in February 2008.

Nadine Labaki of CARAMEL walked away with the Variety Middle East Filmmaker of the Year award, while the UAE Filmmakers of the Year went to Fadel Al Muheiry and Hani Al Shibani. The both of them were also presented with a cash prize of AED 100,000 each.

Rounding the night were the Audience Choice Award announcements. Audience Choice for Best Short went to TANGHI ARGENTINI, Audience Choice for Fiction went to PERSEPOLIS and Audience Choice for Documentary was awarded to HERE AND NOW. The evening wrapped up with a beautiful party on the terrace of the Emirates Palace.

MEIFF is a cultural event dedicated to bringing a diverse slate of international films and programs to the community and introducing filmmakers from around the world to the resources of the region. Presented by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, MEIFF is committed to nurturing relationships and providing opportunities to those looking to invest in the future of film.

Abu Dhabi is a city unprecedented in its ability to develop and grow in response to the global marketplace. In this regard, the Festival will launch the inaugural Film Financing Circle (FFC), which will become a significant annual conference on the subject of international co-productions. MEIFF debuts October 14-19, 2007 and the FFC launches October 15-17, 2007. MEIFF’s Presenting Sponsor is Sorouh. Additional Sponsors include Abu Dhabi Media Company, Emirates Motor Company & Etihad Airways.

Producer Peter Bouckaert, and Director Nic Balthazar of BEN X. Winner of the Black Pearl. The award carries with it a cash prize of AED 300,000

Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature Film Michael James Rowland of LUCKY MILES.

Winner of Black Pearl Jury Prize for Best New Director (Feature Film). The award carries with it a cash prize of AED 300,000.

Ensemble Cast: Nadine Labaki, Yasmine Al Masri, Joanna Moukarzel. Gisele Aouad and Sihame Haddad of CARAMEL. Winner of the Black Pearl for Best Actress. The award carries with it a cash prize of AED 300,000.

Carl Markovics of THE COUNTERFEITERS. Winner of the Black Pearl for Best Actor. The award carries with it a cash prize of AED 300,000.

Paul Taylor of WE ARE TOGETHER. Winner of Black Pearl Jury Prize for Best Documentary Film. The award carries with it a cash prize of AED 300,000.

Producer Gundny Hummelvoll, and Director Hisham Zaman of BAWKE. Winner of the Black Pearl for Best Short Film. The award carries with it a cash prize of AED 100,000.

Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont of MANON ON THE PAVEMENT. Winner of the Black Pearl for Best New Director (Short Film). The award carries with it a cash prize of AED 100,000.

Josh Raskin of I MET THE WALRUS. Winner of the Black Pearl for Best Animated Short Film. The award carries with it a cash prize of AED 100,000.

Other awards announced at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony include the Hayah Film Competition, Variety Middle East Filmmaker of the Year Award, UAE Filmmakers of the Year, and Audience Choice Awards for Best Short Film, Best Fiction and Best Documentary.

For more information, please visit www.meiff.com

Peter Bogdanovich’s "Runnin' Down A Dream" at the New York Film Festival

I had the tremendous pleasure of screening Peter Bogdanovich’s fascinating four-hour Tom Petty documentary "Runnin' Down A Dream" at the New York Film Festival today. Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen are the most significant post-Bob Dylan American singer/songwriters we have, and when I asked Peter Bogdanovich at the press conference why he thought Petty was taken for granted, he said that Tom Petty was too popular. He said that Tom has had more hits than Springsteen and so there is a tendency for people to not take somebody so popular seriously. Bogdanovich went on to say that Tom is a very serious musician and a major American artist.

I’ll drink to that Mr. Bogdanovich.

The film will be shown on the Sundance Channel beginning with an uncut screening of the entire 4 hour film on October 29 at 7pm.

Best Buy will exclusively sell the movie on DVD as part of a 4-disc box set beginning October 16.

Here's a great clip from the movie to give you a taste.

So, whether you’re a dyed-in-the-wool Tom Petty fan like me or just curious about the man behind the songs; check out this truly magnificent documentary on October 15 in a city near you.

· Los Angeles, CA

· New York City, NY

· San Francisco, CA

· Berkeley, CA

· Santa Rosa, CA

· San Diego, CA

· Austin, TX

· Boston, MA

· Chicago, IL

· Detroit, MI

· Evansville, IN

· Lansing, MI

· Grand Rapids, MI

· Kalamazoo, MI

· San Luis Obispo, CA

· Livermore, CA

· Fairfax, CA

· Martinez, CA

· Petaluma, CA

· Dallas, TX

· Denver, CO