Venice Film Festival’s Final Cut, dedicated to films in post-production from African and Arab countries, wrapped its anniversary 10th edition on Sept. 5. As fest director Alberto Barbera welcomed the audience to “the final stage of the Final Cut,” La Biennale di Venezia Prize – and cash award of € 5,000 – went to “Inshallah a Boy,” directed by Amjad Al Rasheed.
Jurors Claire Diao, Rasha Salti and Gaetano Maiorino praised it for “brilliant direction and performances, tackling a really dramatic social issue and for honoring the resilience of women in a conservative context.”
The film, a co-production between Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, is overseen by Rula Nasser for The Imaginarium Films.
“We are just proud we made something that speaks to people,” she told Variety after the ceremony.
“We are still a conservative society, but this protagonist, this woman, she’s strong. She decides she needs to stand up and say:...
Jurors Claire Diao, Rasha Salti and Gaetano Maiorino praised it for “brilliant direction and performances, tackling a really dramatic social issue and for honoring the resilience of women in a conservative context.”
The film, a co-production between Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, is overseen by Rula Nasser for The Imaginarium Films.
“We are just proud we made something that speaks to people,” she told Variety after the ceremony.
“We are still a conservative society, but this protagonist, this woman, she’s strong. She decides she needs to stand up and say:...
- 9/6/2022
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Karim Kassem’s ‘Octopus’ won best film in the Envision Competition.
Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa’s Mr Landsbergis has won the €15,000 best film award of the International Competition at International Documentary Film Fesival Amsterdam (IDFA) tonight (Thursday November 25).
The four-hour documentary is about inspirational Lithuanian political leader Vytautas Landsbergis, who led the country to freedom at the end of the Soviet era.The prize comes just six months after Loznitza’s other film of 2021, Babi Yar. Context, won the the Golden Eye Award.
“It is not easy to bring history to life. It is even more difficult to make it thrilling,...
Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa’s Mr Landsbergis has won the €15,000 best film award of the International Competition at International Documentary Film Fesival Amsterdam (IDFA) tonight (Thursday November 25).
The four-hour documentary is about inspirational Lithuanian political leader Vytautas Landsbergis, who led the country to freedom at the end of the Soviet era.The prize comes just six months after Loznitza’s other film of 2021, Babi Yar. Context, won the the Golden Eye Award.
“It is not easy to bring history to life. It is even more difficult to make it thrilling,...
- 11/26/2021
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Karim Kassem’s ‘Octopus’ won best film in the Envision Competition.
Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitza’s Mr Landsbergis has won the €15,000 best film award of the International Competition at International Documentary Film Fesival Amsterdam (IDFA) tonight (Thursday November 25).
The four-hour documentary is about inspirational Lithuanian political leader Vytautas Landsbergis, who led the country to freedom at the end of the Soviet era.The prize comes just six months after Loznitza’s other film of 2021, Babi Yar. Context, won the the Golden Eye Award.
“It is not easy to bring history to life. It is even more difficult to make it thrilling,...
Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitza’s Mr Landsbergis has won the €15,000 best film award of the International Competition at International Documentary Film Fesival Amsterdam (IDFA) tonight (Thursday November 25).
The four-hour documentary is about inspirational Lithuanian political leader Vytautas Landsbergis, who led the country to freedom at the end of the Soviet era.The prize comes just six months after Loznitza’s other film of 2021, Babi Yar. Context, won the the Golden Eye Award.
“It is not easy to bring history to life. It is even more difficult to make it thrilling,...
- 11/25/2021
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Sergei Loznitsa’s extensive documentary “Mr. Landsbergis,” clocking in at 246 minutes and depicting Lithuania’s “singing revolution” when the country finally broke away from the Soviet Union, has won the Best Film award in the International Competition section, as well as €15,000, at documentary film festival IDFA in Amsterdam.
It marks the second 2021 release for the prolific filmmaker, who has already shown “Babi Yar. Context” at Cannes Film Festival in July. The latter film was also noticed at IDFA and granted the Beeld en Geluid IDFA ReFrame Award for Best Creative Use of Archive’s special mention.
“On every level of craft, the winning film represents a monumental achievement that fully explores the role one man, one nation, and one historical moment can play in the still-unfolding story of the global struggle for freedom and self-determination,” argued jurors Arne Birkenstock, Claire Diao, Elena Fortes, Jessica Kiang and Ryan Krivoshey, admitting that...
It marks the second 2021 release for the prolific filmmaker, who has already shown “Babi Yar. Context” at Cannes Film Festival in July. The latter film was also noticed at IDFA and granted the Beeld en Geluid IDFA ReFrame Award for Best Creative Use of Archive’s special mention.
“On every level of craft, the winning film represents a monumental achievement that fully explores the role one man, one nation, and one historical moment can play in the still-unfolding story of the global struggle for freedom and self-determination,” argued jurors Arne Birkenstock, Claire Diao, Elena Fortes, Jessica Kiang and Ryan Krivoshey, admitting that...
- 11/25/2021
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Programmers from leading international film festivals gathered for an online roundtable on the opening day of the International Film Festival Rotterdam’s IFFR Pro Days industry section to discuss the challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic. While expressing their hope to soon be able to present films on the big screen, they nevertheless touted at least some advantages to online presentations.
The IFFR’s 50th edition is itself taking place in two parts, the current online section and a more festive event planned for June that is to include outdoor presentations and cinema screenings.
Moderated by Rotterdam programmer Michelle Carey, the roundtable included Mar del Plata’s Cecilia Barrionuevo, Singapore’s Kuo Ming Jung, Claire Diao of Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes, Toronto’s Liane Cunje and Sergio Fant of the Berlinale.
Berlin’s February slot made it one of the few festivals to actually take place entirely physically last year before the coronavirus hit Europe.
The IFFR’s 50th edition is itself taking place in two parts, the current online section and a more festive event planned for June that is to include outdoor presentations and cinema screenings.
Moderated by Rotterdam programmer Michelle Carey, the roundtable included Mar del Plata’s Cecilia Barrionuevo, Singapore’s Kuo Ming Jung, Claire Diao of Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes, Toronto’s Liane Cunje and Sergio Fant of the Berlinale.
Berlin’s February slot made it one of the few festivals to actually take place entirely physically last year before the coronavirus hit Europe.
- 2/2/2021
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
When the Six-Day War broke out in his native Congo two decades ago, documentary filmmaker Dieudo Hamadi—whose film “Downstream to Kinshasa” is the first Congolese film to be an official selection in the history of the Cannes Film Festival—was living in the Musicians’ Quarter in downtown Kisangani, “relatively untouched by the belligerent shells that clashed mainly in the outskirts of the city,” he tells Variety.
But the devastating toll of that conflict between Ugandan and Rwandan forces—one of the many battles that constituted the wider Second Congo War—is something Hamadi felt compelled to return to as a filmmaker. “This terrible war has almost been forgotten today, and we run the risk of seeing these atrocities happen again at any time,” he says. “A work of memory became absolutely necessary.”
“Downstream to Kinshasa” (En route pour le milliard) centers on a group of war victims who have...
But the devastating toll of that conflict between Ugandan and Rwandan forces—one of the many battles that constituted the wider Second Congo War—is something Hamadi felt compelled to return to as a filmmaker. “This terrible war has almost been forgotten today, and we run the risk of seeing these atrocities happen again at any time,” he says. “A work of memory became absolutely necessary.”
“Downstream to Kinshasa” (En route pour le milliard) centers on a group of war victims who have...
- 6/26/2020
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
As part of its annual showcase of documentary filmmaking, the Cannes Film Festival has unveiled a full program during this year’s virtual Marché du Film that will offer documentary professionals a dedicated platform to network and a tailored slate of industry events.
From June 22-26, Cannes Docs will recreate the popular Doc Corner strand of previous festivals with an online documentary showcase that includes virtual exhibitors, curated selections of docs-in-progress, workshops, panel discussions, co-production speed meetings, one-on-one consultations and online social get-togethers.
“Now that we are only a few days away from launching the Marché du Film Online, we realize how much creativity, hard work and commitment it takes to transport a film market to the digital sphere,” said Cannes market head Jérôme Paillard. “We are proud to team up with leading partners in the documentary field on this special edition to offer industry professionals around the world a...
From June 22-26, Cannes Docs will recreate the popular Doc Corner strand of previous festivals with an online documentary showcase that includes virtual exhibitors, curated selections of docs-in-progress, workshops, panel discussions, co-production speed meetings, one-on-one consultations and online social get-togethers.
“Now that we are only a few days away from launching the Marché du Film Online, we realize how much creativity, hard work and commitment it takes to transport a film market to the digital sphere,” said Cannes market head Jérôme Paillard. “We are proud to team up with leading partners in the documentary field on this special edition to offer industry professionals around the world a...
- 6/19/2020
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Ten exhibitors to be featured as part of platform.
Cannes Docs, the documentary film platform running as part of the virtual Marché du Film, has unveiled its programme for the 2020 online edition.
Running from June 22-26, the platform will feature 10 virtual exhibitors from the international documentary community: Antidote, Antipode, Article Films, Cat&Docs, Cinephil, Dogwoof, Metfilm Sales, Rise and Shine World Sales, Ruth Films, and Sweet Spot Docs.
It has expanded its festival partners, adding Dmz Docs from South Korea and É Tudo Verdade from Brazil, to the European cohort of Cph:Dox, Dok Leipzig, Idfa, Ji.hlava Idff, and Visions du Réel.
Cannes Docs, the documentary film platform running as part of the virtual Marché du Film, has unveiled its programme for the 2020 online edition.
Running from June 22-26, the platform will feature 10 virtual exhibitors from the international documentary community: Antidote, Antipode, Article Films, Cat&Docs, Cinephil, Dogwoof, Metfilm Sales, Rise and Shine World Sales, Ruth Films, and Sweet Spot Docs.
It has expanded its festival partners, adding Dmz Docs from South Korea and É Tudo Verdade from Brazil, to the European cohort of Cph:Dox, Dok Leipzig, Idfa, Ji.hlava Idff, and Visions du Réel.
- 6/11/2020
- by 1101321¦Ben Dalton¦26¦
- ScreenDaily
Amid the health crisis, Cannes’s virtual Marché du Film has rejigged Cannes Docs as a digital-only event giving feature documentary film professionals access to tailored program of events on a dedicated platform.
Congolese filmmaker Dieudo Hamadi will be the special guest of the 5th edition of Doc Day. Hamadi, whose latest feature documentary “Downstream to Kinshasa” is part of the Cannes 2020 Official Selection, will participate in a discussion with Directors’ Fortnight programmer and film critic Claire Diao.
Running June 22-26 as part of the Marché du Film Online, Cannes Docs will bring together 10 virtual exhibitors — Antidote, Antipode, Article Films, Cat&Docs, Cinephil, Dogwoof, Metfilm Sales, Rise and Shine World Sales, Ruth Films and Sweet Spot Docs.
On top of the exhibitors, the lineup will also include curated showcases of docs-in-progress, workshops, Doc Talks, co-production speed meetings, one-on-one consultations and online get-togethers.
Docu film professionals will be able to connect and organize meetings with buyers,...
Congolese filmmaker Dieudo Hamadi will be the special guest of the 5th edition of Doc Day. Hamadi, whose latest feature documentary “Downstream to Kinshasa” is part of the Cannes 2020 Official Selection, will participate in a discussion with Directors’ Fortnight programmer and film critic Claire Diao.
Running June 22-26 as part of the Marché du Film Online, Cannes Docs will bring together 10 virtual exhibitors — Antidote, Antipode, Article Films, Cat&Docs, Cinephil, Dogwoof, Metfilm Sales, Rise and Shine World Sales, Ruth Films and Sweet Spot Docs.
On top of the exhibitors, the lineup will also include curated showcases of docs-in-progress, workshops, Doc Talks, co-production speed meetings, one-on-one consultations and online get-togethers.
Docu film professionals will be able to connect and organize meetings with buyers,...
- 6/10/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Looking back at the lineups of key festivals such as Cannes and Venice this year, 2019 stands out as a banner year for movies from the African continent and the Arab world.
During a panel hosted at the Netflix-sponsored industry event Atlas Workshops during the Marrakech Film Festival, Rémi Bonhomme, who works at Cannes’ Critics’ Week and heads up the conference, pointed out the vital role of festivals in showcasing films from the Mena region.
“There were even films from the region playing in the official selection at Cannes, most of which were debut films, apart from Elia Suleiman’s “It Must Be Heaven.” He cited Mati Diop’s “Atlantics,” which competed at Cannes and won the Grand Prize, and “Papicha” and “Adam,” which played in Un Certain Regard. These three films are representing Senegal, Algeria and Morocco, respectively, in the international feature film section of the Oscars.
In Venice,...
During a panel hosted at the Netflix-sponsored industry event Atlas Workshops during the Marrakech Film Festival, Rémi Bonhomme, who works at Cannes’ Critics’ Week and heads up the conference, pointed out the vital role of festivals in showcasing films from the Mena region.
“There were even films from the region playing in the official selection at Cannes, most of which were debut films, apart from Elia Suleiman’s “It Must Be Heaven.” He cited Mati Diop’s “Atlantics,” which competed at Cannes and won the Grand Prize, and “Papicha” and “Adam,” which played in Un Certain Regard. These three films are representing Senegal, Algeria and Morocco, respectively, in the international feature film section of the Oscars.
In Venice,...
- 12/8/2019
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Films from Africa and the Middle East have enjoyed significant festival presence this year – such as Mati Diop’s French-Senegalese pic “Atlantics,” which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. “In 2019 we saw a new generation of filmmakers emerging on the scene,” says Rémi Bonhomme program manager of Critics’ Week in Cannes and the coordinator of the Atlas Workshops, which run Dec. 3-6 at the Marrakech Film Festival.
At Cannes, in addition to Diop’s prize, Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman won a Jury Special Mention award for his satire “It Must Be Heaven,” and seven African and Arab films screened in the different competitive sections. At Locarno, Senegalese writer-director Mamadou Dia’s won best first feature for “Nafi’s Father” and Algerian helmer Hassen Ferhani won best emerging director award for his documentary “143 Rue du Désert,” which won a postproduction prize at the 2018 Atlas Workshops. At Venice,...
At Cannes, in addition to Diop’s prize, Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman won a Jury Special Mention award for his satire “It Must Be Heaven,” and seven African and Arab films screened in the different competitive sections. At Locarno, Senegalese writer-director Mamadou Dia’s won best first feature for “Nafi’s Father” and Algerian helmer Hassen Ferhani won best emerging director award for his documentary “143 Rue du Désert,” which won a postproduction prize at the 2018 Atlas Workshops. At Venice,...
- 11/25/2019
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
Paolo Moretti to head up Quinzaine from next year.
The programming team for the 2019 edition of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight (May 15-25) has been revealed.
The new Quinzaine delegate general, Italian film programmer Paolo Moretti, replaced previous head Edouard Waintrop after this year’s edition.
The selection committee comprises:
Festival programmer, film writer and producer Paolo Bertolin, who has worked for Venice Film Festival, Rotterdam, Doha Film Institute, Locarno Festival and Cannes’ Critics’ Week, among others.
Anne Delseth, a member of the Directors’ Fortnight selection committee since 2012. She joined the committee for Locarno Festival this year and is also a consultant...
The programming team for the 2019 edition of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight (May 15-25) has been revealed.
The new Quinzaine delegate general, Italian film programmer Paolo Moretti, replaced previous head Edouard Waintrop after this year’s edition.
The selection committee comprises:
Festival programmer, film writer and producer Paolo Bertolin, who has worked for Venice Film Festival, Rotterdam, Doha Film Institute, Locarno Festival and Cannes’ Critics’ Week, among others.
Anne Delseth, a member of the Directors’ Fortnight selection committee since 2012. She joined the committee for Locarno Festival this year and is also a consultant...
- 7/17/2018
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
As Paolo Moretti prepares to take over as the new head of the Directors’ Fortnight, the Cannes festival sidebar on Tuesday unveiled a new selection committee.
The team comprises a handful of film festival veterans, including Paolo Bertolin, Anne Delseth, Claire Diao, Valentina Novati and Morgan Pokee.
The new committee is made up of three women and two men, which, counting Moretti, gives the selection committee an equal gender split. That reaches the sidebar’s promised goal of 50/50x2020, or a 50:50 gender split by 2020, which Moretti signed in May alongside Cannes Film Festival head Thierry Fremaux and Critics’...
The team comprises a handful of film festival veterans, including Paolo Bertolin, Anne Delseth, Claire Diao, Valentina Novati and Morgan Pokee.
The new committee is made up of three women and two men, which, counting Moretti, gives the selection committee an equal gender split. That reaches the sidebar’s promised goal of 50/50x2020, or a 50:50 gender split by 2020, which Moretti signed in May alongside Cannes Film Festival head Thierry Fremaux and Critics’...
- 7/17/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
As Paolo Moretti prepares to take over as the new head of the Directors’ Fortnight, the Cannes festival sidebar on Tuesday unveiled a new selection committee.
The team comprises a handful of film festival veterans, including Paolo Bertolin, Anne Delseth, Claire Diao, Valentina Novati and Morgan Pokee.
The new committee is made up of three women and two men, which, counting Moretti, gives the selection committee an equal gender split. That reaches the sidebar’s promised goal of 50/50x2020, or a 50:50 gender split by 2020, which Moretti signed in May alongside Cannes Film Festival head Thierry Fremaux and Critics’...
The team comprises a handful of film festival veterans, including Paolo Bertolin, Anne Delseth, Claire Diao, Valentina Novati and Morgan Pokee.
The new committee is made up of three women and two men, which, counting Moretti, gives the selection committee an equal gender split. That reaches the sidebar’s promised goal of 50/50x2020, or a 50:50 gender split by 2020, which Moretti signed in May alongside Cannes Film Festival head Thierry Fremaux and Critics’...
- 7/17/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Other ideas include government-subsidised tickets for youngsters and an ‘online film festival’.
Source: Iffr / Melanie Lemahieu
Four working groups at Rotterdam’s Reality Check conference came up with a list of actions that can improve content and audience diversity and engagement.
The closed working groups, each with up to 9 experts, presented their ideas in a public session that closed Reality Check, Iffr’s new distribution conference.
One especially popular suggested action point was creating a code of conduct for film festivals to have more diverse and inclusive juries, panel speakers and selection committees.
It was noted that festivals can do this immediately, on their own terms, without waiting for a global guideline to be established. Film experts were also encouraged to have their own personal code of conduct as well.
The other suggestions were:
A card for young people to watch arthouse films in cinemas, at specific times of day, for a nearly-free...
Source: Iffr / Melanie Lemahieu
Four working groups at Rotterdam’s Reality Check conference came up with a list of actions that can improve content and audience diversity and engagement.
The closed working groups, each with up to 9 experts, presented their ideas in a public session that closed Reality Check, Iffr’s new distribution conference.
One especially popular suggested action point was creating a code of conduct for film festivals to have more diverse and inclusive juries, panel speakers and selection committees.
It was noted that festivals can do this immediately, on their own terms, without waiting for a global guideline to be established. Film experts were also encouraged to have their own personal code of conduct as well.
The other suggestions were:
A card for young people to watch arthouse films in cinemas, at specific times of day, for a nearly-free...
- 1/30/2018
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.