Movie On 2022

The 18th edition of Giornate degli Autori will unspool during the Venice Film Festival, from September 1st to the 11th, with a pre-opening event on August 31st, thanks to a collaboration with BookCiak, Azione!, SNGCI and Isola Edipo. This independent sidebar created by the Italian filmmakers' associations (ANAC and 100autori), under Giornate president Andrea Purgatori, will feature a competition lineup of 10 feature films and 6 special events selected by Artistic Director Gaia Furrer and screened in the Sala Perla at the Casinò of Venice, in an accord with the Venice Film Festival. It also offers a showcase of independent films made in Italy in the section Venetian Nights. Giornate is also returning to the center of Venice for a day-long event at the Teatro Goldoni, organized jointly with Isola Edipo and featuring the world premieres of three journeys into the Self (Fellini e l'ombra, by Catherine McGilvray), the Fairy Tale (I nostri fantasmi, by Alessandro Capitani), and Beari...

Another festival that pretends there is no pandemic and even claims will have less COVID19 rules and regulations than Cannes. Let's hope that all this joyful climate will not end in something we cinema fans will absolutedly hate as much as when a young director or actor dies. Sigh. Alberto Barbera said: " We aren't so confident anymore, even though we are bolstered by great faith in science and humankind's ability to react to even the worst adversities. Hence, our decision to hold the next Film Festival of the Biennale di Venezia in the presence of the public and with even greater conviction than during the preceding annus horribilis, formulating the 78th edition that comes just one year before we celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Festival's birth, when it was launched in August 1932 ." Perhaps most hopeful than what happened in the past is what's going to happen next year when the festival will reach an incredible milestone. But well, I do like to ...

Without a doubt, this was one of the best award ceremonies I have seen ever as made me laugh loud with a river of tears coming out of my eyes, (LOL). So funny!!! Yes, Spike Lee announced the Palm d'or winner right away before any other major awards!!! Some how made me recall the infamous Oscar moment when Waren Beatty announced the wrong Best Picture; but, Cannes is France and gee, felt so funny instead of embarrasing. Even the mistress of ceremonies lost control afterwards making the show even more fun to watch. Wish awards ceremonies were more like this one that those boring shows reading one award after another. This year the festival was strange and many speculated since the very beginning that surely the awards were going to be "strange"; some even went to say that this year chaos will reign. Seems they were somehow right. Top winner is very controversial film already screening in Paris to controversial critics' reviews. But I'm glad that finally a ...

Will not deny that having the festival during a summer month is kind of strange as on top, there are many cinema-related events going on at the same time due to the pandemia; so, it's not easy to concentrate on only one thing no matter how big or important that thing could be.  Nevertheless time flies and amazingly yesterday took place the first awards ceremony of the 2021 Cannes festival. Cannes parallel section Critics' Week gave away they prizes according to a jury lead by none other than Cristian Mungiu with top award going to first-ever reprensation of Egypt in La Semaine, Feathers by Omar El-Zohairy. The Winners Feature Films Grand Prize :  Feathers , Omar El Zohairy, France, Egypt, Netherlands and Greece Louis Roeder Foundation Rising Star Award : Sandra Melissa Torres in Amparo , Simón Mesa Soto, Colombia, Sweden, Germany and Qatar SACD Award: Elie Grappe and Raphaëlle Desplechin writers of Olga , Elle Grappe, Switzerland, Ukraine and France Gan Foundation Award for ...

Yesterday Paolo Moretti, artistic director, and his selection committee unveiled the selection of Directors' Fortnight's 2021 edition with 24 feature films, 1 special screening, 9 short films and 1 feature by 2021 Carrosse d'Or filmmaker. Before doing the list a few words about current edition poster. The image by photographer and filmmaker Daniel Mercadante, is part of his series "The Enchanted Forest" and was created through a process that combines long exposure photography, light projection and juxtaposition. The artist "paints" the trees with coloured light of handheld flashlights and using long exposure techniques, explores the temporal dimension that photography shares with cinema. The wide spectrum of colours reflects the richness and diversity of contemporary cinema which is, once again, the heart of the Director's selection. Very well-known documentarian Frederick Wiseman will be given the 2021 Carrosse d'Or handed out by the French D...

May 30, 2021 Update : some films have been eliminated from the selection and today post is updated to final selection. Most interesting news come from the TEDDY Foundation as will present the Special Teddy Award for outstanding achievement and long-term service to Jenni Olson, a figure from the creative industries whose work has made an exceptional contribution to a wide-scale public perception and reception of queer perspectives in art, culture and media. For more than a decade I have been following the work of Jenni Olson and believe if someone deserves recognition for his unparallel body of work is her as an outstanding film curator, archivist, filmmaker, writer and LGBT film historian. Congrats. The Teddy Jury 2021 was also announced with three filmmakers and festival organizers. Sylvie Cachinis, film director, Switzerland Samuel Girma, curator of film and art, Sweden Esma Akyelis, transfeminist activist, festival organizer, Turkey ---///--- 2/22/21 As orginazers say " Even a...

This edition top award winner goes to Futur Drei by Faraz Shariat, Jury Award to Rizi by Tsai Ming-Lang, documentary award to Si c’était de l’amour by Patric China and Best Short Film to Playback. Ensayo de una Despedida by Agustina Comedi.  Futur Drei also won the Readers' Award and Welcome to Chechnya by David France the Activist Award. Jury statement for Best Feature Film Teddy. This year’s award for best feature is a politically disruptive portrait of a new generation. An extraordinary achievement for a director so early in his career, this film draws on contemporary issues and aesthetic trends to forecast not only the future of German cinema but of Germany itself. For best feature film, the jury has decided to award the certain to be iconic  Futur Drei (No Hard Feelings) directed by Faraz Shariat and the Jünglinge Collective. Jury Statement for Jury Award Teddy For its radical aesthetics, representative of a remarkable artistic journey and cinematic maturity; for construc...

Yes, this year's festival was different, as a summary let me share enthusiasm does not compensate for lack of substance and even do there were some really great films, most were not.  After checking what was going on for a couple of days, gave up and stopped trying to get exciting about a film festival that used to be one of the three greatest in the world. Sigh. In any case, there were exceptions but none as remarkable as the press conference for the documentary Hillary which strongly suggest you watch if you haven't seen it yet.  It's amazing how an educated person can clearly state thoughts and go to the point, especially when you compare him/her to actors, directors and filmmakers (lol).  Seriously, Hillary Clinton clearly and straight forwardly said very interesting things and doc became must be seen for me, immediately. On the positive note, social media absolutely improved and definitively became current; congrats to the new digital media team as presence was a l...