Update The Joburg Film Festival defiantly went ahead with a screening of Ousmane Sembène’s “Black Girl” on Thursday, refusing to bow to political pressure after South Africa’s Film and Publications Board (Fpb) denied it permission to hold a public screening of the Senegalese director’s groundbreaking debut.
In a decision that shocked festival organizers and many of the African filmmakers in attendance, a Fpb reviewer recommended the film be submitted for “full classification” — a process that would determine its suitability for public viewing — “due to prejudicial element that contains acts of hate speech which is degrading of a human being.”
Within hours of this story’s publication on Friday morning in Johannesburg, Variety received word that the Fpb had reversed course and granted the festival permission to screen the film. The board has not yet responded to repeated requests for additional comment.
The decision came one day too...
In a decision that shocked festival organizers and many of the African filmmakers in attendance, a Fpb reviewer recommended the film be submitted for “full classification” — a process that would determine its suitability for public viewing — “due to prejudicial element that contains acts of hate speech which is degrading of a human being.”
Within hours of this story’s publication on Friday morning in Johannesburg, Variety received word that the Fpb had reversed course and granted the festival permission to screen the film. The board has not yet responded to repeated requests for additional comment.
The decision came one day too...
- 2/3/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Wavelength has a simple mantra — “tell great fucking stories” — but its intentions go much deeper than that. Founded in 2015 by Jenifer Westphal, the scrappy six-year-old company has been making waves with its mostly women executives developing a diverse slate of films that combine social relevance with compelling characters, while prioritizing first-time women directors and filmmakers of color.
At a time when Hollywood continues to struggle to find diverse talent behind the camera, companies like Wavelength provide essential case studies for how to lean into inclusivity from the earliest stages of the development process. Since its founding in 2015, Wavelength has produced over 30 feature films, curating a roster of award-winning, buzz-worthy titles including Sundance fare like Ekwa Msangi’s “Farewell Amor,” Jordana Spiro’s “Night Comes On,” and Tayarisha Poe’s “Selah and the Spades,” as well as high profile documentaries including Morgan Neville’s “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” which...
At a time when Hollywood continues to struggle to find diverse talent behind the camera, companies like Wavelength provide essential case studies for how to lean into inclusivity from the earliest stages of the development process. Since its founding in 2015, Wavelength has produced over 30 feature films, curating a roster of award-winning, buzz-worthy titles including Sundance fare like Ekwa Msangi’s “Farewell Amor,” Jordana Spiro’s “Night Comes On,” and Tayarisha Poe’s “Selah and the Spades,” as well as high profile documentaries including Morgan Neville’s “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” which...
- 6/24/2021
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
This respectful documentary stays faithful to Ousmane Sembène’s iconoclastic legend, leaving questions and contradictions by the wayside
You only need to watch 1966’s domestic-maid exposé Black Girl or 2004’s Fgm polemic Moolaadé to see that Ousmane Sembène’s iconoclastic power went undimmed throughout a 40-year directing career. This rather respectful documentary, co-directed and narrated by the director’s amanuensis, Samba Gadjigo – a part, like those earlier two films, of a new national touring programme of the man’s work – majors in the Senegalese’s trailblazing; most notably the fact that he was responsible for the first film shot by a black African. (Black Africans were banned from film-making in French colonies.) It certainly makes an easy enough case for him as directorial griot, fearlessly telling truth to power. But legacy trumps intensive scrutiny. Contradictions – such as how a former Marseille dockworker whose sworn aim was to represent his people...
You only need to watch 1966’s domestic-maid exposé Black Girl or 2004’s Fgm polemic Moolaadé to see that Ousmane Sembène’s iconoclastic power went undimmed throughout a 40-year directing career. This rather respectful documentary, co-directed and narrated by the director’s amanuensis, Samba Gadjigo – a part, like those earlier two films, of a new national touring programme of the man’s work – majors in the Senegalese’s trailblazing; most notably the fact that he was responsible for the first film shot by a black African. (Black Africans were banned from film-making in French colonies.) It certainly makes an easy enough case for him as directorial griot, fearlessly telling truth to power. But legacy trumps intensive scrutiny. Contradictions – such as how a former Marseille dockworker whose sworn aim was to represent his people...
- 10/6/2016
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit the interwebs. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Christmas, Again (Charles Poekel)
Christmas time is a lonely time for many; a “time of giving” that reminds more than a few of us what we’ve lost. This is the feeling Christmas, Again wades in, as produced, written and directed by Charles Poekel. We follow Noel (Kentucker Audley), who’s selling Christmas trees on a Manhattan curb for the fifth winter in a row. He...
Christmas, Again (Charles Poekel)
Christmas time is a lonely time for many; a “time of giving” that reminds more than a few of us what we’ve lost. This is the feeling Christmas, Again wades in, as produced, written and directed by Charles Poekel. We follow Noel (Kentucker Audley), who’s selling Christmas trees on a Manhattan curb for the fifth winter in a row. He...
- 4/8/2016
- by TFS Staff
- The Film Stage
Above: Us one sheet for Knight Of Cups (Terrence Malick, USA, 2015); designer: P+A.Leaps and bounds ahead of the competition, the beautiful new poster for Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups was by far the most popular poster (tallied in likes and reblogs) that I have posted on my daily poster Tumblr since last October. Unveiled nearly a whole year after the first poster for the film premiered at last year’s Berlin Film Festival (that which made my top ten posters of 2015), the new poster retains the arcane and antique feel of that design—not to mention the palm trees—while making it only moderately more commercial with its image of star Christian Bale (albeit upside down and barely recognizable) haloed by a giant harvest moon.Sadly, much of the past month or two has been spent commemorating those we lost: Jacques Rivette, Haskell Weller, Ettore Scola, artist...
- 2/12/2016
- by Adrian Curry
- MUBI
In today's roundup: A conversation about films by—and recommended by—Pedro Costa; the work of Gena Rowlands, film by film; Nelson George on Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman's documentary about Ousmane Sembene; an appreciation of Satyajit Ray; Aki Kaurismäki Day at DC's; interviews with Abbas Kiarostami and Sean Baker; a new book on Dario Argento's Suspiria; a call to save Anne Carlisle and Slava Tsukerman's Liquid Sky; fashion by Kenneth Anger; Illeana Douglas on Robert De Niro; and Francesca Coppola's Jonny Come Lately, featuring Deragh Campbell, Kentucker Audley and Evan Louison, has premiered online at Filmmaker (18'43"). » - David Hudson...
- 11/23/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
In today's roundup: A conversation about films by—and recommended by—Pedro Costa; the work of Gena Rowlands, film by film; Nelson George on Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman's documentary about Ousmane Sembene; an appreciation of Satyajit Ray; Aki Kaurismäki Day at DC's; interviews with Abbas Kiarostami and Sean Baker; a new book on Dario Argento's Suspiria; a call to save Anne Carlisle and Slava Tsukerman's Liquid Sky; fashion by Kenneth Anger; Illeana Douglas on Robert De Niro; and Francesca Coppola's Jonny Come Lately, featuring Deragh Campbell, Kentucker Audley and Evan Louison, has premiered online at Filmmaker (18'43"). » - David Hudson...
- 11/23/2015
- Keyframe
For the uninitiated, Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman’s Sembene! offers a valuable entry into the canon of African cinema and its founding father: the late, great Senegalese pioneer Ousmane Sembene. Forgoing the liveliness of Alex Gibney’s Finding Fela!, Sembene! finds its own rhythm: part-retrospective, part-academic study in the spirit of the director’s work.
The film opens with a critical quote from its subject: “If Africans don’t tell their own stories, than Africa will soon disappear.” Focusing on the public intellectual that Sembene was, the film eventually loses a kind of flavor it could have had, relying not upon the urban images of Dakar (as seen in his film Faat Kine and Borom Sarret), but the images he was known for in his portrait of more rural spaces in his films Guelwaar and his final picture Moolaade.
The picture is co-directed by a person from the western...
The film opens with a critical quote from its subject: “If Africans don’t tell their own stories, than Africa will soon disappear.” Focusing on the public intellectual that Sembene was, the film eventually loses a kind of flavor it could have had, relying not upon the urban images of Dakar (as seen in his film Faat Kine and Borom Sarret), but the images he was known for in his portrait of more rural spaces in his films Guelwaar and his final picture Moolaade.
The picture is co-directed by a person from the western...
- 11/10/2015
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
In today's roundup: A special section in the Los Angeles Review of Books marking the 20th anniversary of the death of Gilles Deleuze; a look at how benshi, performers who provided live narration in theaters for films during Japan’s long silent era, reshaped narratives; Kurt Walker's Hit 2 Pass and Gina Telaroli's Here's to the Future!; Catherine Hardwicke on women in the film industry; a Seijun Suzuki retrospective in New York; interviews with Walter Murch, Kent Jones and Charles Burnett; Quentin Tarantino on the police; the "serious" Films of Woody Allen; Jason Silverman and Samba Gadjigo's Sembene!—and more. » - David Hudson...
- 11/9/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
In today's roundup: A special section in the Los Angeles Review of Books marking the 20th anniversary of the death of Gilles Deleuze; a look at how benshi, performers who provided live narration in theaters for films during Japan’s long silent era, reshaped narratives; Kurt Walker's Hit 2 Pass and Gina Telaroli's Here's to the Future!; Catherine Hardwicke on women in the film industry; a Seijun Suzuki retrospective in New York; interviews with Walter Murch, Kent Jones and Charles Burnett; Quentin Tarantino on the police; the "serious" Films of Woody Allen; Jason Silverman and Samba Gadjigo's Sembene!—and more. » - David Hudson...
- 11/9/2015
- Keyframe
In part one of my interview with the directors of the new documentary “Sembene!”, a chronicle of the life of Ousmane Sembene, the justly titled ‘Father of African Cinema,’ we focused on the narrative direction of the film through co-director and Sembene colleague and expert Samba Gadjigo, the auteur’s intense dedication to getting his films made, no matter what, and his legacy among African filmmakers. Here in part two, we speak further with Jason Silverman and Gadjigo about their crafting of the film and what Sembene’s work means for the international community. “Sembene!” makes its theatrical release today in NYC until November 12th before traveling the...
- 11/6/2015
- by Curtis Caesar John
- ShadowAndAct
What comes to mind when one mentions African cinema? For many, actually most if we’re being perfectly honest here, African film is not only a blind spot, but a daunting collection of films that span an entire continent and decades of political, economic, social and cultural revolution. Where would one even venture to start? The early days of African cinema? The current collection of socially-minded dramas that blend the dream-like anarchism of the French New Wave and the quiet introspection of the Italian Neo-realism movement?
Ask any scholar and one name will continue to pop up. Ousmane Sembene has become widely discussed as not only the father of African film, but as possibly its greatest and most influential auteur. Spanning four decades, Sembene’s career helped establish the voice of African cinema, particularly that of Senegal, a nation once controlled by France, and in need of finding its own cinematic language.
Ask any scholar and one name will continue to pop up. Ousmane Sembene has become widely discussed as not only the father of African film, but as possibly its greatest and most influential auteur. Spanning four decades, Sembene’s career helped establish the voice of African cinema, particularly that of Senegal, a nation once controlled by France, and in need of finding its own cinematic language.
- 11/6/2015
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
This post was originally published on February 10, 2015. With Sembene! opening in limited release this weekend, we're re-promoting it. This year’s Sundance Film Festival was filled with movies about the love of movies: The drama smash Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and the documentary The Wolfpack both featured characters whose lives centered around a fascination with classic films, and who strove to re-create those films in their own way. But no film demonstrated the power of cinema more resonantly than Sembene!, directed by Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman, which screened as part of the world-documentary competition. The Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembene (1923–2007), often called the father of African cinema, had a seismic career. He effectively created an African film industry out of nothing: In 1963, with a used 16mm camera and leftover film stock sent by friends from Europe, he made a short called Borom Sarret (The Wagon Driver), considered...
- 11/5/2015
- by Bilge Ebiri
- Vulture
Anyone who wants to argue that cinema is given too much importance in this culture – any culture, for that matter —should listen to Samba Gadjigo, co-director of documentary “Sembene!” “When I was `14,” says Gadjigo, “I dreamed of being French, like the characters in the books I read in high school.” By the time he was 17, the young Senegalese had seen the films of his compatriot, Ousmane Sembene. “I no longer wanted to be French. I wanted to be African.” Sembene, the “father of African cinema,” rescued Africa for Africans, in a way: He put the life of the continent and its people on screen, magnifying and mythologizing them, the way so many other peoples had been magnified and mythologized. He provided a mirror. He provided a model: African artists, too, could bring their stories to the world, avail themselves of the medium, and stop being interpreted via the fiction of outsiders -- who,...
- 10/30/2015
- by John Anderson
- Thompson on Hollywood
If the upcoming De Palma and Hitchcock/Truffaut have whetted your appetite for great-filmmaker documentaries, consider adding a third, lesser-known subject to your roster. That man is Ousmane Sembene, who, despite being long hailed as “the father of African film,” hasn’t been granted any great exposure in non-African territories — an error that we might start to correct with Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman‘s Sembene! (That’s their exclamation point, for the record.)
Word out of Sundance was positive, with most agreeing that even the familiar should come away with something valuable, while novices (i.e. most viewers) will be both entertained and encouraged to seek out his material. How it ultimately affects Sembene’s perception among cinephiles will remain to be seen, but for bringing him out in the first place — and even letting us peek at hard-to-find work — Sembene! is immediately an item of note.
Watch the...
Word out of Sundance was positive, with most agreeing that even the familiar should come away with something valuable, while novices (i.e. most viewers) will be both entertained and encouraged to seek out his material. How it ultimately affects Sembene’s perception among cinephiles will remain to be seen, but for bringing him out in the first place — and even letting us peek at hard-to-find work — Sembene! is immediately an item of note.
Watch the...
- 10/27/2015
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
"Sembene!" is a feature documentary on continental Africa's most celebrated filmmaker, the late Ousmane Sembene, from co-directors Samba Gadjigo (author of Sembene’s official biography, "Ousmane Sembene: The Making of a Militant Artist") and Jason Silverman. A 2015 Sundance, Cannes 2015, London Sydney film festival selection (and others), the film was picked up for Us distribution by Kino Lorber earlier this year, with a fall theatrical release set, in conjunction with key national festival engagements. Digital and home media releases are scheduled for 2016. Here's how the filmmakers summarize the film: "Sembene! tells the unbelievable true story of the...
- 10/26/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
The American Film Institute announced today the films that will screen in the World Cinema, Breakthrough, Midnight, Shorts and Cinema’s Legacy programs at AFI Fest 2015 presented by Audi.
AFI Fest will take place November 5 – 12, 2015, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and events will be held at the historic Tcl Chinese Theatre, the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres, Dolby Theatre, the Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at the Egyptian, the El Capitan Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt.
World Cinema showcases the most acclaimed international films of the year; Breakthrough highlights true discoveries of the programming process; Midnight selections will grip audiences with terror; and Cinema’s Legacy highlights classic movies and films about cinema. World Cinema and Breakthrough selections are among the films eligible for Audience Awards. Shorts selections are eligible for the Grand Jury Prize, which qualifies the winner for Academy Award®consideration. This year’s Shorts jury features filmmaker Janicza Bravo,...
AFI Fest will take place November 5 – 12, 2015, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and events will be held at the historic Tcl Chinese Theatre, the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres, Dolby Theatre, the Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at the Egyptian, the El Capitan Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt.
World Cinema showcases the most acclaimed international films of the year; Breakthrough highlights true discoveries of the programming process; Midnight selections will grip audiences with terror; and Cinema’s Legacy highlights classic movies and films about cinema. World Cinema and Breakthrough selections are among the films eligible for Audience Awards. Shorts selections are eligible for the Grand Jury Prize, which qualifies the winner for Academy Award®consideration. This year’s Shorts jury features filmmaker Janicza Bravo,...
- 10/22/2015
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
We begin today's roundup with links to interviews with Wim Wenders, Sebastián Silva, and Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman, talking about their documentary about Ousmane Sembene. We also feature a new essay on Jean-Luc Godard, an assessment of the Back to the Future trilogy, and an excerpt from Terry Gilliam's new memoir. Plus Edgar G. Ulmer and Stephen Quay and Timothy Quay in Chicago, Martin Scorsese in Paris and Želimir Žilnik in Lisbon. And news of projects in the works by Agnieszka Holland, Terrence Malick, Lee Daniels and more. » - David Hudson...
- 10/21/2015
- Keyframe
We begin today's roundup with links to interviews with Wim Wenders, Sebastián Silva, and Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman, talking about their documentary about Ousmane Sembene. We also feature a new essay on Jean-Luc Godard, an assessment of the Back to the Future trilogy, and an excerpt from Terry Gilliam's new memoir. Plus Edgar G. Ulmer and Stephen Quay and Timothy Quay in Chicago, Martin Scorsese in Paris and Želimir Žilnik in Lisbon. And news of projects in the works by Agnieszka Holland, Terrence Malick, Lee Daniels and more. » - David Hudson...
- 10/21/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
"Sembene!" is a feature documentary on continental Africa's most celebrated filmmaker, the late Ousmane Sembene, from co-directors Samba Gadjigo (author of Sembene’s official biography, "Ousmane Sembene: The Making of a Militant Artist") and Jason Silverman. A 2015 Sundance, Cannes 2015, London Sydney film festival selection (and others), the film was picked up for Us distribution by Kino Lorber, with a fall theatrical release set, in conjunction with key national festival engagements. Digital and home media releases are scheduled for 2016. Here's how the filmmakers summarize the film: "Sembene! tells the unbelievable true story of the self-taught...
- 10/5/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
The 44th edition of the Festival du Nouveau Cinema has just announced their entire lineup and it’s pretty insane! The festival which takes place in Montreal from October 7 to 18 is screening nearly 400 films and events in only 11 days. This includes 151 feature films and 203 short films from 68 countries – 49 world premieres, 38 North American premieres and 60 Canadian premieres. Give credit to the team of programmers: Claude Chamberlan, Dimitri Eipides Julien Fonfrède, Philippe Gajan, Karolewicz Daniel, Marie-Hélène Brousseau, Katayoun Dibamehr and Gabrielle Tougas-Frechette.
Below is the lineup. There’s a lot to process so take your sweet time!
Opening and closing
The whole New Testament directed by Jaco Van Dormael (Toto the Hero, Mr Nobody, The Eighth Day), will kick off this 44th edition.
After its world premiere at the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes last May, the new opus unconventional Belgian director, starring Benoît Poelvoorde (Three Hearts, Ransom of Glory), Yolande Moreau (Mammuth,...
Below is the lineup. There’s a lot to process so take your sweet time!
Opening and closing
The whole New Testament directed by Jaco Van Dormael (Toto the Hero, Mr Nobody, The Eighth Day), will kick off this 44th edition.
After its world premiere at the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes last May, the new opus unconventional Belgian director, starring Benoît Poelvoorde (Three Hearts, Ransom of Glory), Yolande Moreau (Mammuth,...
- 9/29/2015
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Top brass at the 42nd edition of the Colorado event have announced the roster of 27 films, with surprises to come over the September 4-7 run date.
The line-up is as follows:
Carol (Us), Todd Haynes
Amazing Grace (Us, 1972/2015), Sydney Pollack
Anomalisa (Us), Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson
Beast Of No Nation (Us), Cary Fukunaga
He Named Me Malala (Us), Davis Guggenheim
Steve Jobs (Us), Danny Boyle
Ixcanul (Guatemala), Jayro Bustamante
Bitter Lake (Us), Adam Curtis
Room (UK), Lenny Abrahamson
Black Mass (Us), Scott Cooper
Suffragette (UK), Sarah Gavron
Spotlight (Us), Tom McCarthy
Rams (Iceland), Grímur Hákonarson
Mom And Me (Ireland), Ken Wardrop
Viva (Ireland), Paddy Breathnach
Taj Majal (France-India), Nicolas Saada
Siti (Indonesia), Eddie Cahyono
Heart Of The Dog (Us), Laurie Anderson
45 Years (UK), Andrew Haigh
Son Of Saul (Hungary), Lázló Nemes,
Only The Dead See The End Of The War (Us-Australia), Michael Ware, Bill Guttentag
Taxi (Iran), Jafar Panahi
Hitchcock/Truffaut (Us), Kent Jones
Time To Choose...
The line-up is as follows:
Carol (Us), Todd Haynes
Amazing Grace (Us, 1972/2015), Sydney Pollack
Anomalisa (Us), Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson
Beast Of No Nation (Us), Cary Fukunaga
He Named Me Malala (Us), Davis Guggenheim
Steve Jobs (Us), Danny Boyle
Ixcanul (Guatemala), Jayro Bustamante
Bitter Lake (Us), Adam Curtis
Room (UK), Lenny Abrahamson
Black Mass (Us), Scott Cooper
Suffragette (UK), Sarah Gavron
Spotlight (Us), Tom McCarthy
Rams (Iceland), Grímur Hákonarson
Mom And Me (Ireland), Ken Wardrop
Viva (Ireland), Paddy Breathnach
Taj Majal (France-India), Nicolas Saada
Siti (Indonesia), Eddie Cahyono
Heart Of The Dog (Us), Laurie Anderson
45 Years (UK), Andrew Haigh
Son Of Saul (Hungary), Lázló Nemes,
Only The Dead See The End Of The War (Us-Australia), Michael Ware, Bill Guttentag
Taxi (Iran), Jafar Panahi
Hitchcock/Truffaut (Us), Kent Jones
Time To Choose...
- 9/3/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Top brass at the 42nd edition of the Colorado event have announced the roster of 27 films, with surprises to come over the September 4-7 run date.
The line-up is as follows:
Carol (Us), Todd Haynes
Amazing Grace (Us, 1972/2015), Sydney Pollack
Anomalisa (Us), Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson
Beast Of No Nation (Us), Cary Fukunaga
He Named Me Malala (Us), Davis Guggenheim
Steve Jobs (Us), Danny Boyle
Ixcanul (Guatemala), Jayro Bustamante
Bitter Lake (Us), Adam Curtis
Room (England, pictured), Lenny Abrahamson
Black Mass (Us), Scott Cooper
Suffragette (UK), Sarah Gavron
Spotlight (Us), Tom McCarthy
Rams (Iceland), Grímur Hákonarson
Mom And Me (Ireland), Ken Wardrop
Viva (Ireland), Paddy Breathnach
Taj Majal (France-India), Nicolas Saada
Siti (Indonesia), Eddie Cahyono
Heart Of The Dog (Us), Laurie Anderson
45 Years (England), Andrew Haigh
Son Of Saul (Hungary), Lázló Nemes,
Only The Dead See The End Of The War (Us-Australia), Michael Ware, Bill Guttentag
Taxi (Iran), Jafar Panahi
Hitchcock/Truffaut (Us), Kent Jones
Time To...
The line-up is as follows:
Carol (Us), Todd Haynes
Amazing Grace (Us, 1972/2015), Sydney Pollack
Anomalisa (Us), Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson
Beast Of No Nation (Us), Cary Fukunaga
He Named Me Malala (Us), Davis Guggenheim
Steve Jobs (Us), Danny Boyle
Ixcanul (Guatemala), Jayro Bustamante
Bitter Lake (Us), Adam Curtis
Room (England, pictured), Lenny Abrahamson
Black Mass (Us), Scott Cooper
Suffragette (UK), Sarah Gavron
Spotlight (Us), Tom McCarthy
Rams (Iceland), Grímur Hákonarson
Mom And Me (Ireland), Ken Wardrop
Viva (Ireland), Paddy Breathnach
Taj Majal (France-India), Nicolas Saada
Siti (Indonesia), Eddie Cahyono
Heart Of The Dog (Us), Laurie Anderson
45 Years (England), Andrew Haigh
Son Of Saul (Hungary), Lázló Nemes,
Only The Dead See The End Of The War (Us-Australia), Michael Ware, Bill Guttentag
Taxi (Iran), Jafar Panahi
Hitchcock/Truffaut (Us), Kent Jones
Time To...
- 9/3/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The 59Th BFI London Film Festival Announces Full 2015 Programme
You can peruse the programme at your leisure here.
The programme for the 59th BFI London Film Festival in partnership launched today, with Festival Director Clare Stewart presenting this year’s rich and diverse selection of films and events. BFI London Film Festival is Britain’s leading film event and one of the world’s oldest film festivals. It introduces the finest new British and international films to an expanding London and UK-wide audience. The Festival provides an essential platform for films seeking global success; and promotes the careers of British and international filmmakers through its industry and awards programmes. With this year’s industry programme stronger than ever, offering international filmmakers and leaders a programme of insightful events covering every area of the film industry Lff positions London as the world’s leading creative city.
The Festival will screen a...
You can peruse the programme at your leisure here.
The programme for the 59th BFI London Film Festival in partnership launched today, with Festival Director Clare Stewart presenting this year’s rich and diverse selection of films and events. BFI London Film Festival is Britain’s leading film event and one of the world’s oldest film festivals. It introduces the finest new British and international films to an expanding London and UK-wide audience. The Festival provides an essential platform for films seeking global success; and promotes the careers of British and international filmmakers through its industry and awards programmes. With this year’s industry programme stronger than ever, offering international filmmakers and leaders a programme of insightful events covering every area of the film industry Lff positions London as the world’s leading creative city.
The Festival will screen a...
- 9/1/2015
- by John
- SoundOnSight
And I was just having a conversation with a friend yesterday, about this film, and how perfect an addition to the Kino Lorber library it would be, given the company's past pick-ups, some covered on this blog. Kino Lorder has announced its acquisition of all U.S. rights to "Sembene!," a very necessary documentary on the life and legacy of a man known as the father of African cinema, Ousmane Sembene. The acquisition occurs in advance of the film’s international premiere in the Official Selection of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. It made its world premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and hails from co-directors Samba Gadjigo (author of Sembene biography,...
- 5/15/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Read More: Meet the 2015 Sundance Filmmakers #84: Samba Gadjigo Takes on the Fascinating Life of African Filmmaker Ousmane Sembene Kino Lorber has acquired North American distribution rights to "Sembene!," a documentary on the life and legacy of film director, producer and writer Ousmane Sembene. The film first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and the deal comes ahead of its international premiere in the Official Selection of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival Directed by Sembene-biographer Samba Gadjigo ("Ousmane Sembene: The Making of a Militant Artist") and award-winning producer Jason Silverman ("Olympia"), the film tells the true story of the self-taught novelist and filmmaker who fought, against enormous odds, a 50-year battle to give Africans the power to tell their own stories. Told through never-before-seen archival footage, the documentary tracks Sembene's journey from manual laborer to the "Father of...
- 5/15/2015
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Widely considered the father of African cinema, director/writer/producer Ousmane Sembene is tributed in the documentary "Sembene!" by directors Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman. Co-director Gadjigo authored the filmmaker's official biography "The Making of a Militant Artist." The acquisition arrives ahead of the film's international premiere in Cannes Classics, also screening his classic "Black Girl." "Sembene!" tells the unbelievable true story of the self-taught novelist and filmmaker who fought, against enormous odds, a 50-year battle to give Africans the power to tell their own stories. Told through newly unearthed archival and verite footage taken by the man who knew him best, Gadjigo, the film follows Sembene's transformation from manual laborer to fearless spokesman and artist. Kino Lorber plans to release the film this Fall after festival play, and will make "Sembene!" available on VOD and home video in 2016. ...
- 5/15/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Exclusive: The distributor has pounced on Us rights to the documentary ahead of tonight’s screening in Cannes Classics.
Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman directed the documentary about the life of Senegal’s Ousmane Sembene, widely considered to be the father of African cinema.
Kino Lorber plans an autumn theatrical release and festival engagements, followed by digital roll-out in 2016.
Gadjigo wrote Sembene’s official biography, Ousmane Sembene: The Making Of A Militant Artist, while Silverman is a producer and the Cinematheque director at the Center For Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The film uses previously unseen archival footage and verité footage of Gadjigo to tell the story of the self-taught novellist who rose from manual labourer to spokesperson for the marginalised.
Kino Lorber CEO Richard Lorber brokered the deal with The Film Sales Company president Andrew Herwitz and Dan Cogan of Impact Partners.
The Film Sales Company handles world sales and is in talks...
Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman directed the documentary about the life of Senegal’s Ousmane Sembene, widely considered to be the father of African cinema.
Kino Lorber plans an autumn theatrical release and festival engagements, followed by digital roll-out in 2016.
Gadjigo wrote Sembene’s official biography, Ousmane Sembene: The Making Of A Militant Artist, while Silverman is a producer and the Cinematheque director at the Center For Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The film uses previously unseen archival footage and verité footage of Gadjigo to tell the story of the self-taught novellist who rose from manual labourer to spokesperson for the marginalised.
Kino Lorber CEO Richard Lorber brokered the deal with The Film Sales Company president Andrew Herwitz and Dan Cogan of Impact Partners.
The Film Sales Company handles world sales and is in talks...
- 5/15/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Neil Armfield.s Holding the Man, Simon Stone.s The Daughter, Jeremy Sims. Last Cab to Darwin and Jen Peedom.s feature doc Sherpa will have their world premieres at the Sydney Film Festival.
The festival program unveiled today includes 33 world premieres (including 22 shorts) and 135 Australian premieres (with 18 shorts) among 251 titles from 68 countries.
Among the other premieres will be Daina Reid.s The Secret River, Ruby Entertainment's. ABC-tv miniseries starring Oliver Jackson Cohen and Sarah Snook, and three Oz docs, Marc Eberle.s The Cambodian Space Project — Not Easy Rock .n. Roll, Steve Thomas. Freedom Stories and Lisa Nicol.s Wide Open Sky.
Festival director Nashen Moodley boasted. this year.s event will be far larger than 2014's when 183 films from 47 countries were screened, including 15 world premieres. The expansion is possible in part due to the addition of two new screening venues in Newtown and Liverpool.
As previously announced, Brendan Cowell...
The festival program unveiled today includes 33 world premieres (including 22 shorts) and 135 Australian premieres (with 18 shorts) among 251 titles from 68 countries.
Among the other premieres will be Daina Reid.s The Secret River, Ruby Entertainment's. ABC-tv miniseries starring Oliver Jackson Cohen and Sarah Snook, and three Oz docs, Marc Eberle.s The Cambodian Space Project — Not Easy Rock .n. Roll, Steve Thomas. Freedom Stories and Lisa Nicol.s Wide Open Sky.
Festival director Nashen Moodley boasted. this year.s event will be far larger than 2014's when 183 films from 47 countries were screened, including 15 world premieres. The expansion is possible in part due to the addition of two new screening venues in Newtown and Liverpool.
As previously announced, Brendan Cowell...
- 5/6/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
A newly-restored print of Ousmane Sembène's 1966 classic "La Noire de…" ("Black Girl") has been announced as an official selection by Cannes for the Festival’s popular Cannes Classics section (dedicated to heritage films), at this year's (2015) event, May 13-24. Restored by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project, in collaboration with the Sembène Estate, Institut National de l’Audiovisuel, Ina, Eclair Laboratories and the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée, Cnc, the restored print will screen, preceded by the new documentary on the filmmaker, "Sembene!" by Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman, which made...
- 4/29/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Section to also include celebrations of Ingrid Bergman and Orson Welles as well as screenings of The Terminator and Jurassic Park 3D.
Costa-Gavras has been named guest of honour at this year’s Cannes Classics section of the Cannes Film Festival (May 13-24).
The Greek-French film director and producer won the Palme d’or with Missing in 1982, was member of the jury in 1976 that crowned Taxi Driver and picked up the award for best director with Section spéciale in 1975.
The filmmaker will be present for a screening of Z, which won the jury prize in 1969, and has had the original negative scanned in 4k and restored frame by frame in 2K, supervised by Costa-Gavras.
Orson Welles
Marking 100 years since the birth of Orson Welles, Cannes will screen restorations of films from the legendary Us actor, director, writer and producer, who died in 1985.
The titles include his staggering debut Citizen Kane (1941), which has received a 4k restoration completed...
Costa-Gavras has been named guest of honour at this year’s Cannes Classics section of the Cannes Film Festival (May 13-24).
The Greek-French film director and producer won the Palme d’or with Missing in 1982, was member of the jury in 1976 that crowned Taxi Driver and picked up the award for best director with Section spéciale in 1975.
The filmmaker will be present for a screening of Z, which won the jury prize in 1969, and has had the original negative scanned in 4k and restored frame by frame in 2K, supervised by Costa-Gavras.
Orson Welles
Marking 100 years since the birth of Orson Welles, Cannes will screen restorations of films from the legendary Us actor, director, writer and producer, who died in 1985.
The titles include his staggering debut Citizen Kane (1941), which has received a 4k restoration completed...
- 4/29/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Bolstered by the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that Sembene himself faced, Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman collaborated on a film created in his honor. Their documentary tells the story everything from Sembene's greatest triumphs to his biggest ethical deficits, through 17 years' worth of footage of the man himself, his films, his family members, his closest friends and collaborators. What's your film about, in 140 characters or less?The freedom fighter who used stories as his weapon: meet Ousmane Sembene, the father of African cinema. Now, what's it Really about?In 1952, Ousmane Sembene, a dockworker and fifth-grade dropout from Senegal, began dreaming an impossible dream: to become the storyteller for a new Africa. Sembene! tells the unbelievable true story of the “father of African cinema,” the self-taught novelist and filmmaker who fought, against enormous odds, a monumental, 50-year-long battle to give African stories to Africans. Sembene! is told through the...
- 1/31/2015
- by Rosie Narasaki
- Indiewire
Making its world premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival next month, is "Sembene!," the feature documentary on Africa's most celebrated filmmaker, the late Ousmane Sembene, from co-directors Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman. Here's how the filmmakers summarize the film: In 1952, Ousmane Sembene, a Senegalese dockworker and fifth-grade dropout, began dreaming an impossible dream: to become the storyteller for a new Africa. This true story celebrates how the “father of African cinema,” against enormous odds, fought a monumental, 50-year-long battle to give Africans a voice. Long-time readers of this blog should be familiar with Sembene, given how often the filmmaker's name...
- 1/20/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
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