Category Archives: Film Festivals
TCM To Honor Jane Fonda At 2013 Film Festival
The first year I attended they honored Peter O’Toole (oh god I will never forget 2011 O’Toole-fest) and last year they honored Kim Novak. This year Ms. Jane Fonda will be getting her hands in the cement. Her choice of film to present is On Golden Pond, the film in which she was able to work with her father, legend Henry Fonda, who finally won an Academy Award after five decades in the industry. I’ll post the full press release below. I hope Jane is as sassy as I imagine!
The 17th Annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival
In case you missed it on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter (I’m not sure how many of you just subscribe to these updates and don’t follow me elsewhere; and if that’s the case, why don’t you?!), I have been covering the 17th Annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival for YAM Magazine all weekend. Here are all my posts:
The TCM Classic Film Festival 2012
The festival was two weeks ago and it was amazing. I did a lot of coverage/interviews this year over at YAM Magazine, and now that it has all posted I wanted to make sure you guys over here got to read it all.
- a roundup of the event
- my personal roundup, including some crazy shenanigans and photos of me with celebrities.
- red carpet interviews with Michael Murphy, Barbara Rush, Leonard Maltin, William Wellman Jr. and Bob Mackie
- excerpts from roundtable discussions with Ben Mankiewicz and Robert Osborne
- an exclusive interview with Thelma Schoonmaker about Martin Scorsese and her late husband Michael Powell
- an exclusive interview with Rick Baker about monster films
- an exclusive interview (while having tea!) with Tippi Hedren
“Faust” Wins Golden Lion, Fassbender Best Actor At Venice
Russian director Aleksander Sokurov’s “Faust,” a new take on The German legend about the quest for knowledge at all cost, won the Golden Lion prize at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.
Dense and difficult to watch, “Faust” was nevertheless one of the critics’ top choices among the 23 in-competition films at Venice this year. It snapped up the top prize by the jury headed by Darren Aronofsky, whose “Black Swan” opened Venice last year.
The best actor award went to Michael Fassbender for his portrayal as a sex addict in Steve McQueen’s “Shame,” while the best actress award went to Deanie Yip, who plays an aging domestic servant opposite her master in Hong Kong director Ann Hui’s “A Simple Life.”
The Silver Lion prize for best director went to this year’s surprise entry at the Lido, Beijing-based Shangjun Cai for “People Mountain People Sea.” And the special jury prize went to the Italian-French production “Terraferma,” about the influx of migrants to a tiny Italian island, by Emanuele Crialese.
All contenders at the world’s oldest film festival were world premieres.
“Faust” tells the tale of a professor, played by Johannes Zeiler, who craves knowledge and sells his soul for the love of Margarete, played by Isolda Dychauk. The Mephistopheles character is played by Anton Adasinskiy.
The film marks the final chapter in Sokurov’s four-film look at the relationship between man and power that began with “Moloch” in 1999 about Hitler, “Taurus” a year later about Lenin and the 2005 film “The Sun” about Japanese Emperor Hirohito.
[source]
Cannes Announces Winners, The Tree of Life Takes Top Prize
Palme d’Or: The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
Grand Prix (tie): The Kid with the Bike, Luc and Jean Dardenne and Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Jury Prize: Polisse, Maiween
Best Director: Nicholas Winding Refn, Drive
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Best Actress: Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia
Best Screenplay: Joseph Cedar, Footnote
Best Short Film: Cross Country, Maryna Vroda
Camera d’Or: Las acacias, Pablo Giorgelli
[source]
TCM Classic Film Festival: Citizen Kane
As many of you know, I recently covered the TCM Classic Film Festival for YAM Magazine. You can see the first of those articles here; there will be three more posted throughout the week. I’ll keep my general comments short and just say that it was fabulous and look for my article on YAM tomorrow for more details. I saw lots of really wonderful films on the big screen and I write about those experiences in the article that will be published tomorrow. That being said, I wanted to share one revelation I had while watching Citizen Kane. It is of the spoilery nature, so I thought it best to post it here, under the safety of jump-cut.
Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” To Play In Competition At Cannes?
There was some speculation as to whether the film would play in competition or out because it’s possibly going to premiere in London before the French festival. However, according to a press release from the festival this morning, Malick’s latest will indeed vie for the top prize. It’s got some tough competition, including the latest from Pedro Almodóvar and Lars von Trier. Woody Allen’s 43rd feature film Midnight in Paris is set to open the festival, out of competition.
Tribeca Film Festival Announces Film Selections for Spotlight and Cinemania Sections and Special Screenings
The 10th edition of the Festival will take place from April 20 to May 1 in lower Manhattan. “This year’s Spotlight is a mixture of carefully selected festival favorites from around the globe, highly anticipated releases, a number of new works by high profile filmmakers and films with subjects of special note,” said Genna Terranova, Senior Programmer. “And in Cinemania we really kick it up a notch with boundary-pushing genre films packed with action, sexy thrills, and an extra helping of blood and guts for good measure.”
“Love and Other Drugs” To Open, “Black Swan” To Close AFI Fest 2010
Edward Zwick’s film is set to open the festival on November 4th. This could give the Jake Gyllenhaal/Anne Hathaway film Love and Other Drugs just the right kind of push to get launched into the 2010 Awards Season. I’m really excited for film. It’s set to open wide on November 24th, just in time for Thanksgiving.
Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller starring Natalie Portman is set to close the festival on November 11th. Portman is already the front-runner for Best Actress this year based on the buzz the film has already generated on the festival circuit. Black Swan is set for a limited release on December 1st.
Let’s not forget, as well, that AFI Fest has hired David Lynch as their first ever guest artistic director. I feel like I would LOVE to go to this festival. Hopefully one of you can go for me and revel in its awesomeness!
“The King’s Speech” Wins Audience Award at TIFF
Looks like it could mean back-to-back Best Actor nominations for Colin Firth at the Oscars, or at least that’s the buzz out of the Toronto International Film Festival.
Here’s the official synopsis:
The King’s Speech tells the story of the man who became King George VI (Colin Firth), the father of Queen Elizabeth II. After his brother abdicates, George (“Bertie”) reluctantly assumes the throne. Plagued by a dreaded stutter and considered unfit to be king, Bertie engages the help of an unorthodox speech therapist named Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). Through a set of unexpected techniques (including diaphragmatic breathing), and as a result of an unlikely friendship, Bertie is able to find his voice and boldly lead the country into war.
The film is set for a limited release on November 26th.
