Much is open-ended about this realist yet dreamlike exploration of midlife crisis and regret set in Vietnam
The question of what the title means, or what the movie means, remain open; even so, this is a quietly amazing feature debut from 34-year-old Thien An Pham, born in Vietnam and based in Houston, Texas. It’s a jewel of slow cinema set initially in Saigon and then the mountainous, lush central highlands far from the city; it is a zero-gravity epic quest, floating towards its strange narrative destiny and then maybe floating up over that to something else. It’s compassionate, intimate, spiritual and mysterious in ways that reminded me of Tsai Ming-liang or Edward Yang.
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell is presented in a calm, unforced realist style with many long, unbroken middle-distance shots, with closeups a rarity. There is a flashback and a dream-sequence presented in exactly the same way,...
The question of what the title means, or what the movie means, remain open; even so, this is a quietly amazing feature debut from 34-year-old Thien An Pham, born in Vietnam and based in Houston, Texas. It’s a jewel of slow cinema set initially in Saigon and then the mountainous, lush central highlands far from the city; it is a zero-gravity epic quest, floating towards its strange narrative destiny and then maybe floating up over that to something else. It’s compassionate, intimate, spiritual and mysterious in ways that reminded me of Tsai Ming-liang or Edward Yang.
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell is presented in a calm, unforced realist style with many long, unbroken middle-distance shots, with closeups a rarity. There is a flashback and a dream-sequence presented in exactly the same way,...
- 3/5/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
by Vedant Srinivas
Epic in both length and scope, “Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell”, Vietnamese writer-director Thien An Pham's debut feature, and the winner of this year's Camera d'Or prize at Cannes, offers a striking meditation on faith, love, and the beguiling nature of earthly existence.
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell is screening at Qcinema
The very first scene in “Yellow Cocoon”' sets up the encounter between spiritual and corporeal existence: sandwiched between a believer and an atheist, Thien voices his agnostic thoughts about the existence of a higher power (“I want to believe but I can't”). As if on cue, a sudden gust of wind blows across, and their discussion is interrupted by the sound of a motorcycle collision. Later, it will turn out that the person who died in the freak accident was none other than Thien's sister-in-law Hanh, while his five-old nephew, Dhao, remained miraculously unharmed.
Epic in both length and scope, “Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell”, Vietnamese writer-director Thien An Pham's debut feature, and the winner of this year's Camera d'Or prize at Cannes, offers a striking meditation on faith, love, and the beguiling nature of earthly existence.
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell is screening at Qcinema
The very first scene in “Yellow Cocoon”' sets up the encounter between spiritual and corporeal existence: sandwiched between a believer and an atheist, Thien voices his agnostic thoughts about the existence of a higher power (“I want to believe but I can't”). As if on cue, a sudden gust of wind blows across, and their discussion is interrupted by the sound of a motorcycle collision. Later, it will turn out that the person who died in the freak accident was none other than Thien's sister-in-law Hanh, while his five-old nephew, Dhao, remained miraculously unharmed.
- 12/23/2023
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
No One can fully Empathize with the Soul…It is beyond Human Comprehension
Old Woman in the Film
Some films take you on a journey whether you like it or not and then there are films that slowly invite you to join in as the main character embarks on a journey. The latter is more powerful as we are choosing to do so. Thien An Pham‘s directorial feature debut Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell falls into this space. An Pham takes us on a spiritual journey by exploring rural Vietnam with themes relating to life, death, love, desire, loss, and regrets as he beautifully captures the tone, atmosphere, and environment with his observational directing style. The story is simple and at times takes a back seat but the stunning visuals and the experiences that change the main character can be very reflective to the audience.
The film kicks off...
Old Woman in the Film
Some films take you on a journey whether you like it or not and then there are films that slowly invite you to join in as the main character embarks on a journey. The latter is more powerful as we are choosing to do so. Thien An Pham‘s directorial feature debut Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell falls into this space. An Pham takes us on a spiritual journey by exploring rural Vietnam with themes relating to life, death, love, desire, loss, and regrets as he beautifully captures the tone, atmosphere, and environment with his observational directing style. The story is simple and at times takes a back seat but the stunning visuals and the experiences that change the main character can be very reflective to the audience.
The film kicks off...
- 12/19/2023
- by Prem
- Talking Films
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For regular updates, sign up for our weekly email newsletter and follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSNotebook readers, rejoice—the Mubi Shop has launched anew in the US and UK, and you can finally broadcast your love for the world’s sharpest international film criticism via this stylish, crisply screen-printed Notebook tote bag, featuring a clapperboard calligram design. Also in the store is a Cannes Film Festival–themed print by Dutch artist and cartoonist Joost Swarte, which was commissioned for our limited-edition print broadsheet issue of Notebook, distributed in Cannes.Sundance announced its lineup last week, including new films from Jane Schoenbrun, Steven Soderbergh, Debra Granik, Yance Ford, Brett Story, and more. This will be the first Sundance under the directorship of Eugene Hernandez, formerly of Film at Lincoln Center.Keep that winter coat handy—the Berlinale has announced that Lupita Nyong’o will lead the jury.
- 12/13/2023
- MUBI
"The existence of faith is ambiguous." Kino Lorber has revealed the official US trailer for an indie film from Vietnam titled Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, which won the Camera d'Or award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival for Best First Film. Marking the feature directorial debut of Vietnamese filmmaker Thien An Pham, this premiered in the Directors' Fortnight sidebar at Cannes & played at many prestigious festivals throughout the year. It already opened in Vietnam in August. A man returns to his hometown, where he's haunted by past memories and desires. The film is three hours long and heralded by critics as a new voice in the "slow cinema" genre. "This enthralling debut from Vietnamese filmmaker Thien An Pham is a reverie on faith, loss, and nature expressed with uncommon invention and depth." As Thien battles with the existential question of what is worth living for, the film interrogates the persistence and complexity of faith,...
- 12/7/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Garry Keane and Stephen Gerard Kelly’s documentary In The Shadow Of Beirut, which is Ireland’s Oscar category this year, is headed to the Red Sea International Film Festival, running November 30 to December 9 in the Red Sea port of Jeddah.
The work, which is executive produced by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton as well as Siobhan Sinnerton under their HiddenLight Productions banner, is an immersive work capturing life in the slum neighborhoods of Sabra and Shatila neighborhoods outside Beirut, three decades after they hit world headlines following the infamous massacre of 1982.
The documentary is among six titles selected for the New Vision line-up alongside Jurgen Buedts and Sahim Omar Kalifa biodoc The Iraq’s Invisible Beauty about Iraqi photographer Latif Al Ani, which world premieres at the Red Sea, and Thien An Pham’s first feature Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell which won Camera d’Or at Cannes this year.
The work, which is executive produced by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton as well as Siobhan Sinnerton under their HiddenLight Productions banner, is an immersive work capturing life in the slum neighborhoods of Sabra and Shatila neighborhoods outside Beirut, three decades after they hit world headlines following the infamous massacre of 1982.
The documentary is among six titles selected for the New Vision line-up alongside Jurgen Buedts and Sahim Omar Kalifa biodoc The Iraq’s Invisible Beauty about Iraqi photographer Latif Al Ani, which world premieres at the Red Sea, and Thien An Pham’s first feature Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell which won Camera d’Or at Cannes this year.
- 11/22/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Co-production Protocol
Dynamic Singaporean producer Jeremy Chua is to receive the Fiapf Award for Outstanding Contribution to Asia Pacific Cinema, at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) on Nov. 3 on Australia’s Gold Coast. In the nine years since founding his company Potocol, Chua has focused on international co-production of Asian films and telling Asia stories.
Two of his most recent films, Indonesian director Makbul Mubarak’s “Autobiography” and Vietnamese feature debutant Thien An Pham’s “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell,” are their country’s respective Oscar contenders. In 2021 Chua produced Bangladesh’s first film in Cannes “Rehana,” while at the most recent Busan International Film Festival he premiered Singapore-Japan co-venture “Last Shadow at First Light” and Thailand’s “Doi Boy.” At Busan’s Asian Project Market, his Philippines-set “Filipinana” was the outstanding development work, walking away with three prizes.
At Apsa, Chua will take part in a producers’ round...
Dynamic Singaporean producer Jeremy Chua is to receive the Fiapf Award for Outstanding Contribution to Asia Pacific Cinema, at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) on Nov. 3 on Australia’s Gold Coast. In the nine years since founding his company Potocol, Chua has focused on international co-production of Asian films and telling Asia stories.
Two of his most recent films, Indonesian director Makbul Mubarak’s “Autobiography” and Vietnamese feature debutant Thien An Pham’s “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell,” are their country’s respective Oscar contenders. In 2021 Chua produced Bangladesh’s first film in Cannes “Rehana,” while at the most recent Busan International Film Festival he premiered Singapore-Japan co-venture “Last Shadow at First Light” and Thailand’s “Doi Boy.” At Busan’s Asian Project Market, his Philippines-set “Filipinana” was the outstanding development work, walking away with three prizes.
At Apsa, Chua will take part in a producers’ round...
- 10/17/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Everyone is invited to the 67th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express!
The BFI London Film Festival, founded in 1957, now at its 67th edition, is a renowned annual event that celebrates international and British cinema. It offers a diverse array of films, premieres, and engaging discussions, attracting filmmakers, industry professionals, and movie enthusiasts. This festival is a vital platform for promoting cinematic excellence and storytelling. Once again, this year's selection of Asian titles is rich and articulated.
Find all the Asian films and the Festival's trailer, here:
Cobweb
In this electric meta-comedy, The Good, the Bad, the Weird director Kim Jee-Woon captures the turbulence of South Korea's film industry in the 1970s.
Evil Does Not Exist
Drive My Car director Ryusuke Hamaguchi's new drama sees a community fighting to preserve its principles and the integrity of their natural world.
Self-Portrait: 47 Km 2020
The eleventh instalment in Zhang Mengqi...
The BFI London Film Festival, founded in 1957, now at its 67th edition, is a renowned annual event that celebrates international and British cinema. It offers a diverse array of films, premieres, and engaging discussions, attracting filmmakers, industry professionals, and movie enthusiasts. This festival is a vital platform for promoting cinematic excellence and storytelling. Once again, this year's selection of Asian titles is rich and articulated.
Find all the Asian films and the Festival's trailer, here:
Cobweb
In this electric meta-comedy, The Good, the Bad, the Weird director Kim Jee-Woon captures the turbulence of South Korea's film industry in the 1970s.
Evil Does Not Exist
Drive My Car director Ryusuke Hamaguchi's new drama sees a community fighting to preserve its principles and the integrity of their natural world.
Self-Portrait: 47 Km 2020
The eleventh instalment in Zhang Mengqi...
- 9/16/2023
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Justine Triet’s French courtroom thriller Anatomy of a Fall has won the 2023 Palme d’Or for best film of the 76th Cannes International Film Festival.
Triet is just the third woman director to win Cannes’ top honor, but the second in three years, following Julia Ducournau, who took the Palme for Titane in 2021. Jane Campion was the first-ever female Palme d’Or winner in 1993 with The Piano.
German actress Sandra Hüller stars in the film as a German novelist who is put on trial for murder after her husband dies in suspicious circumstances.
In his review, The Hollywood Reporter‘s Jon Frosch called Anatomy of a Fall “a gripping and gratifyingly rich drama” and called lead actress Hüller “sensational.”
Jane Fonda presenting this year’s top honor, noted that when she first attended the Cannes festival, back in the 1970s, “There were no women directors competing at that time,...
Triet is just the third woman director to win Cannes’ top honor, but the second in three years, following Julia Ducournau, who took the Palme for Titane in 2021. Jane Campion was the first-ever female Palme d’Or winner in 1993 with The Piano.
German actress Sandra Hüller stars in the film as a German novelist who is put on trial for murder after her husband dies in suspicious circumstances.
In his review, The Hollywood Reporter‘s Jon Frosch called Anatomy of a Fall “a gripping and gratifyingly rich drama” and called lead actress Hüller “sensational.”
Jane Fonda presenting this year’s top honor, noted that when she first attended the Cannes festival, back in the 1970s, “There were no women directors competing at that time,...
- 5/27/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A year after collecting his second Palme d‘Or for “The Triangle of Sadness,” Ruben Östlund bestowed the same honor to Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall,” a thought-provoking legal drama which purports to investigate the guilt or innocence of a popular novelist (Sandra Hüller), accused of murdering her husband. But the film is every bit as much an inquest into their marriage, bringing private details from the couple’s personal life into the courtroom for the press, public and audiences to dissect, as if under a microscope.
Triet is only the third woman to win the Palme d’Or. The prize was presented by Jane Fonda, who remarked on how far Cannes has come — setting a record for female representation, with seven woman helmers in competition this year — since the American star first attended. In accepting the award, Triet made a point of acknowledging the protests against French pension reform,...
Triet is only the third woman to win the Palme d’Or. The prize was presented by Jane Fonda, who remarked on how far Cannes has come — setting a record for female representation, with seven woman helmers in competition this year — since the American star first attended. In accepting the award, Triet made a point of acknowledging the protests against French pension reform,...
- 5/27/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
All of life, including death, is in the lengthy, unbroken shot that opens Thien An Pham’s bewitching debut feature “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell.” We begin on the sidelines of a local soccer match in Saigon’s city center, observing the play from a cool distance before following a shuffling mascot, dressed in a wolf suit, to the adjoining bar. There, crowds watch a 2018 World Cup fixture while a group of young men, turned from the TV, drink and discuss matters of faith, existence and ennui. Thien (Le Phong Vu) is quiet and morose, only half-invested in a conversation already beset with distractions: the sales pitch of a bubbly beer rep, the burst of a sudden summer thunderstorm, a metallic screech and grim thump as the camera again drifts serenely over to reveal the aftermath of a fatal motorcycle crash. In the ensuing rhubarb of bystander concern, Thien stays put.
- 5/25/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Kino Lorber releases the film in theaters on Friday, January 19.
An intimate three-hour epic of deliberate pacing, Vietnamese writer-director Thien An Pham’s debut feature, “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell,” is a spellbinding tale of the soul’s unfathomable desire for the other-worldly, that does itself border on transcendental in its filmmaking and gradual blurring of apparent truth and suggested fantasy.
The film premiered in the Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight section, where the filmmaker was previously recipient of the Illy Prize in 2019 for the short “Stay Awake, Be Ready,” in which a roadside accident at a street corner interrupted a conversation between three friends having a meal. That short seems loosely remade for the new feature’s opening scene, which expands the idea to explore a man’s attempted overcoming of a deeply unsatisfied life, taking him from...
An intimate three-hour epic of deliberate pacing, Vietnamese writer-director Thien An Pham’s debut feature, “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell,” is a spellbinding tale of the soul’s unfathomable desire for the other-worldly, that does itself border on transcendental in its filmmaking and gradual blurring of apparent truth and suggested fantasy.
The film premiered in the Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight section, where the filmmaker was previously recipient of the Illy Prize in 2019 for the short “Stay Awake, Be Ready,” in which a roadside accident at a street corner interrupted a conversation between three friends having a meal. That short seems loosely remade for the new feature’s opening scene, which expands the idea to explore a man’s attempted overcoming of a deeply unsatisfied life, taking him from...
- 5/24/2023
- by Josh Slater-Williams
- Indiewire
Dubai-based sales agency Cercamon has picked up international rights to “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell” by first-time feature director Pham Thien An. The film will have its global premiere next month in the Directors Fortnight section of the Cannes film festival.
Pham Thien An previously made short films “The Mute” in 2018 and the one-take “Stay Awake, Be Ready” in 2019. Both enjoyed a busy festival career, with “Stay Awake” earning the Illy Prize in Cannes followed by additional awards at the Palm Springs, Busan, Kyiv and Flickerfest events.
“Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell” follows the emotional journey of Thien, who is entrusted with the responsibility of delivering his sister-in-law’s body to their hometown after a tragic motorcycle accident in Saigon. Amidst this heartbreaking task, Thien also takes care of his nephew, Dao, a five-year-old survivor of the accident. As they traverse the mystical landscapes of rural Vietnam, Thien embarks on...
Pham Thien An previously made short films “The Mute” in 2018 and the one-take “Stay Awake, Be Ready” in 2019. Both enjoyed a busy festival career, with “Stay Awake” earning the Illy Prize in Cannes followed by additional awards at the Palm Springs, Busan, Kyiv and Flickerfest events.
“Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell” follows the emotional journey of Thien, who is entrusted with the responsibility of delivering his sister-in-law’s body to their hometown after a tragic motorcycle accident in Saigon. Amidst this heartbreaking task, Thien also takes care of his nephew, Dao, a five-year-old survivor of the accident. As they traverse the mystical landscapes of rural Vietnam, Thien embarks on...
- 4/18/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
After Cannes Film Festival announced its main lineup last week, the Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week sidebars have unveiled their slates. Now in its 55th edition, Directors’ Fortnight features Hong Sangsoo’s second feature of the year, In Our Day, while Sean Price Williams’ The Sweet East, Michel Gondry’s The Book of Solutions, Bertrand Mandico’s She Is Conann, and more.
“The Directors’ Fortnight was born when a community of directors came together with the desire to create an independent space that would encourage the emergence of free filmmaking regardless of geographical provenance or any other limiting criteria,” said Julien Rejl, Artistic Director of the Directors’ Fortnight. “At the heart of the creation of the Directors’ Fortnight was the singular quality of a work of art and the impossibility of pigeonholing it. We have chosen to present 30 films to you which, through their own unique language, embody a spirit...
“The Directors’ Fortnight was born when a community of directors came together with the desire to create an independent space that would encourage the emergence of free filmmaking regardless of geographical provenance or any other limiting criteria,” said Julien Rejl, Artistic Director of the Directors’ Fortnight. “At the heart of the creation of the Directors’ Fortnight was the singular quality of a work of art and the impossibility of pigeonholing it. We have chosen to present 30 films to you which, through their own unique language, embody a spirit...
- 4/18/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The 2020 Palm Springs International ShortFest announced its juried award winners from the 332 shorts films that were part of the Official Selection.
Awards and cash prizes worth $25,000, including five Academy Award qualifying awards, will be presented to the winners. The winner of these awards may be eligible to submit their short to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration.
The festivals is designated by AMPAS, BAFTA, Bifa and Goya Awards as an award-qualifying festival and accredited by the International Short Film Conference. More information is at www.psfilmfest.org.
The award-winners:
Greater Palm Springs Cvb Best of the Festival Award – Winner received $5,000 cash prize courtesy of the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Jury: Megan Halpern (Black List), Marie-Louise Khonndji (Le Cinéma Club), Jacqueline Lyanga (Global Cinematheque)
Matriochkas (Belgium/France), Directed by Bérangère Mc Neese
Anna is 16, and lives with her young mother, Rebecca. It is the...
Awards and cash prizes worth $25,000, including five Academy Award qualifying awards, will be presented to the winners. The winner of these awards may be eligible to submit their short to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration.
The festivals is designated by AMPAS, BAFTA, Bifa and Goya Awards as an award-qualifying festival and accredited by the International Short Film Conference. More information is at www.psfilmfest.org.
The award-winners:
Greater Palm Springs Cvb Best of the Festival Award – Winner received $5,000 cash prize courtesy of the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Jury: Megan Halpern (Black List), Marie-Louise Khonndji (Le Cinéma Club), Jacqueline Lyanga (Global Cinematheque)
Matriochkas (Belgium/France), Directed by Bérangère Mc Neese
Anna is 16, and lives with her young mother, Rebecca. It is the...
- 6/21/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2020 Palm Springs International ShortFest has announced its festival juried award winners from the 332 shorts films featured throughout this year’s virtual edition, running June 16-22. Awards and cash prizes worth $25,000 were handed out, and a number of the winners are now eligible for the 2021 Academy Awards short film categories. See the full list of winners below.
At a time when all festivals have been forced to go virtual, there’s no telling how much buzz these events can generate, but the Oscar eligibility provides a nice boost for rising filmmakers coming out of ShortFest. It’s a long road ahead for festival films since the Oscars have now been pushed back to April 25 next year, with other awards ceremonies, including the Film Independent Spirit Awards (now April 24), falling in line. Expect a packed fall season as the backlog of titles from postponed dates, canceled festivals, and shuttered productions get unleashed.
At a time when all festivals have been forced to go virtual, there’s no telling how much buzz these events can generate, but the Oscar eligibility provides a nice boost for rising filmmakers coming out of ShortFest. It’s a long road ahead for festival films since the Oscars have now been pushed back to April 25 next year, with other awards ceremonies, including the Film Independent Spirit Awards (now April 24), falling in line. Expect a packed fall season as the backlog of titles from postponed dates, canceled festivals, and shuttered productions get unleashed.
- 6/21/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
The 2020 Palm Springs International ShortFest has announced its festival juried award winners from the 332 shorts films featured throughout this year’s virtual edition, running June 16-22. Awards and cash prizes worth $25,000 were handed out, and a number of the winners are now eligible for the 2021 Academy Awards short film categories. See the full list of winners below.
At a time when all festivals have been forced to go virtual, there’s no telling how much buzz these events can generate, but the Oscar eligibility provides a nice boost for rising filmmakers coming out of ShortFest. It’s a long road ahead for festival films since the Oscars have now been pushed back to April 25 next year, with other awards ceremonies, including the Film Independent Spirit Awards (now April 24), falling in line. Expect a packed fall season as the backlog of titles from postponed dates, canceled festivals, and shuttered productions get unleashed.
At a time when all festivals have been forced to go virtual, there’s no telling how much buzz these events can generate, but the Oscar eligibility provides a nice boost for rising filmmakers coming out of ShortFest. It’s a long road ahead for festival films since the Oscars have now been pushed back to April 25 next year, with other awards ceremonies, including the Film Independent Spirit Awards (now April 24), falling in line. Expect a packed fall season as the backlog of titles from postponed dates, canceled festivals, and shuttered productions get unleashed.
- 6/21/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Belgian-French drama “Matriochkas,” the documentary “The Heart Still Hums” and the animated film “The Fabric of You” have won the top prizes at the Palm Springs International ShortFest.
The festival unveiled the juried award winners Sunday from the 332 short films that were part of the official selection. Some of the winners are now qualified to enter the shorts categories for the Oscars.
The Best of the Festival Award, including a $5,000 prize from the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, went to “Matriochkas,” directed by Bérangère McNeese. The film centers on a 16-year-old who lives with her young mother and begins to discover her own sexuality. As she learns she is pregnant, her mother sees herself in her daughter, at the same age, facing the same choices.
“Writer/Director Bérangère McNeese brings a complex and bold point of view to the page and screen, drawing unexpected turns from the script and nuanced performances from her cast,...
The festival unveiled the juried award winners Sunday from the 332 short films that were part of the official selection. Some of the winners are now qualified to enter the shorts categories for the Oscars.
The Best of the Festival Award, including a $5,000 prize from the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, went to “Matriochkas,” directed by Bérangère McNeese. The film centers on a 16-year-old who lives with her young mother and begins to discover her own sexuality. As she learns she is pregnant, her mother sees herself in her daughter, at the same age, facing the same choices.
“Writer/Director Bérangère McNeese brings a complex and bold point of view to the page and screen, drawing unexpected turns from the script and nuanced performances from her cast,...
- 6/21/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
“Matriochkas,” a French and Belgian short-film directed by Bérangère Mc Neese, has been named the best film of the 2020 Palm Springs International Shortfest, which announced its winners on Sunday. The film, about the sexual awakening of a 16-year-old girl over the course of a summer, is one of five films that can qualify for the Academy Awards in the short-film categories because of jury awards in Palm Springs.
The other Oscar-qualifying winners are Josephine Lohoar Self’s “The Fabric of You,” which was named best animated short; Savanah Leaf and Taylor Russell’s “The Heart Still Hums,” best documentary short; Inbar Horesh’s “Birth Right,” best live-action short over 15 minutes; and Laurynas Bareisa’s “Dummy,” best live-action short 15 minutes and under.
A total of 332 short films were part of the official selection at the festival, which did not physically take place this year because of the coronavirus. A number of...
The other Oscar-qualifying winners are Josephine Lohoar Self’s “The Fabric of You,” which was named best animated short; Savanah Leaf and Taylor Russell’s “The Heart Still Hums,” best documentary short; Inbar Horesh’s “Birth Right,” best live-action short over 15 minutes; and Laurynas Bareisa’s “Dummy,” best live-action short 15 minutes and under.
A total of 332 short films were part of the official selection at the festival, which did not physically take place this year because of the coronavirus. A number of...
- 6/21/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
This year’s edition will welcome eight projects for its Open Door Hub component and nine emerging producers for its Lab event.
Award-winning Indonesian filmmaker Mouly Surya and Thai director Anucha Boonyawatana will be among the participants presenting new feature film projects at this year’s edition of the Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors programme.
The 18-year-old initiative, aimed at discovering and supporting cinema from the global south and east, is in the second year of a three-year cycle devoted to the cinema of Southeast Asia and professionals operating in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines...
Award-winning Indonesian filmmaker Mouly Surya and Thai director Anucha Boonyawatana will be among the participants presenting new feature film projects at this year’s edition of the Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors programme.
The 18-year-old initiative, aimed at discovering and supporting cinema from the global south and east, is in the second year of a three-year cycle devoted to the cinema of Southeast Asia and professionals operating in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines...
- 6/10/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦69¦
- ScreenDaily
The Locarno Festival’s Open Doors platform dedicated to nurturing cinema in areas where filmmaking is especially tough is continuing its focus on South-East Asia this year with a selection of projects being unveiled from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Mongolia, including several market previews.
The Swiss festival’s pioneering industry initiative – which will also see selected producers from these countries participating in an online training and networking program – is a good fit with the “Locarno 2020 – For the Future of Films” format focussed on works-in-progress taken on in its virtual iteration after Locarno’s physical edition was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Production teams of projects selected for the Open Doors co-production hub will meet on dedicated online platforms with prospective partners for presentations and pitches during the first week of Locarno 2020 that will run August 6-11.
Open Doors chief Sophie Bourdon in a...
The Swiss festival’s pioneering industry initiative – which will also see selected producers from these countries participating in an online training and networking program – is a good fit with the “Locarno 2020 – For the Future of Films” format focussed on works-in-progress taken on in its virtual iteration after Locarno’s physical edition was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Production teams of projects selected for the Open Doors co-production hub will meet on dedicated online platforms with prospective partners for presentations and pitches during the first week of Locarno 2020 that will run August 6-11.
Open Doors chief Sophie Bourdon in a...
- 6/10/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Michael Shanks.
Michael Leonard and Jamie Helmer’s The Diver was awarded Best Australian Short Film at the closing of Flickerfest in Sydney yesterday evening, while Michael Shanks’ Rebooted took home the Best Australian Short Animation prize.
Other winners included Alana Hicks, who took home Best Direction in an Australian Short Film for Chicken and Lydia Rui, who was named Outstanding Female Director for This Perfect Day.
The Diver, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival last year, follows Callan, played by Nicholas Denton, whose rage, chaos and confusion that can only be tamed by the soothing solitude of the world underwater. It was produced with Justin Pechberty and Damien Megherbi.
Jane Cho’s The Egg, produced by Ilana Lazar, also earned a special mention in the Best Australian Short category.
Shanks’ Aacta-nominated Rebooted, produced by Nicholas Colla and Chris Hocking, follows an ageing movie star – a stop motion...
Michael Leonard and Jamie Helmer’s The Diver was awarded Best Australian Short Film at the closing of Flickerfest in Sydney yesterday evening, while Michael Shanks’ Rebooted took home the Best Australian Short Animation prize.
Other winners included Alana Hicks, who took home Best Direction in an Australian Short Film for Chicken and Lydia Rui, who was named Outstanding Female Director for This Perfect Day.
The Diver, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival last year, follows Callan, played by Nicholas Denton, whose rage, chaos and confusion that can only be tamed by the soothing solitude of the world underwater. It was produced with Justin Pechberty and Damien Megherbi.
Jane Cho’s The Egg, produced by Ilana Lazar, also earned a special mention in the Best Australian Short category.
Shanks’ Aacta-nominated Rebooted, produced by Nicholas Colla and Chris Hocking, follows an ageing movie star – a stop motion...
- 1/20/2020
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
In a unanimous decision by the Cannes 2019 jury headed up by Alejandro González Iñárritu, Bong Joon-ho was awarded the Palme d’Or for his new thriller Parasite, marking the first South Korean director ever to do so. “With the terrific Parasite, Bong has crafted an angry, genre-inflected social allegory that in many ways functions as a Korean analog to Jordan Peele’s Us. A far superior craftsman than Peele, Bong is perhaps the contemporary master of entertaining, intelligent and resolutely political cinema. In our age of assembly line blockbusters, he’s a veritable treasure,” Giovanni Marchini Camia said in our review of the film, which will be released in the U.S. by Neon.
In additional, Mati Diop’s Atlantics picked up the Grand Prize, while Les Misérables and Bacurau tied for the Jury Prize. The Dardennes grabbed Best Director(s) for Young Ahmed, while Antonio Banderas and Emily Beecham...
In additional, Mati Diop’s Atlantics picked up the Grand Prize, while Les Misérables and Bacurau tied for the Jury Prize. The Dardennes grabbed Best Director(s) for Young Ahmed, while Antonio Banderas and Emily Beecham...
- 5/26/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Fox 2000’s The Hate U Give has been selected as the closing night film at the 22nd annual Urbanworld Film Festival, which runs from September 19-23 in New York. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion led by Ava DuVernay with director George Tillman Jr. and stars Amandla Stenberg and Algee Smith in attendance.
In addition, Steve McQueen’s Viola Davis-starring heist thriller, Widows has been added to the fest’s screening lineup, as well as the Bet original film Running Out of Time, and Smallfoot, the Warner Bros animated film that features the voices of Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya, Common, LeBron James, Danny DeVito, Gina Rodriguez, and Yara Shahidi.
The festival will also be celebrating the 30th anniversal of the John Landis-directed cult classic Coming to America with a special spotlight screening of the film Friday, September 21 and a Q&A moderated...
In addition, Steve McQueen’s Viola Davis-starring heist thriller, Widows has been added to the fest’s screening lineup, as well as the Bet original film Running Out of Time, and Smallfoot, the Warner Bros animated film that features the voices of Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya, Common, LeBron James, Danny DeVito, Gina Rodriguez, and Yara Shahidi.
The festival will also be celebrating the 30th anniversal of the John Landis-directed cult classic Coming to America with a special spotlight screening of the film Friday, September 21 and a Q&A moderated...
- 9/12/2018
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Universal Pictures’ “Night School,” starring Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish, will open the 22nd annual Urbanworld Film Festival.
“Night School” is one of more than 60 films and TV shows being screened at the fest — an annual showcase of diverse culture — including the debut of the Fox show “Rel.” “Get Out’s” Lil Rel Howery stars in the series and will take part in a Q&A following the screening at New York City’s AMC Empire 25.
HBO will also screen two spotlight selections: first-time filmmaker Rudy Valdez’s “The Sentence,” a documentary about mandatory minimum sentencing, and Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown’s “United Skates,” a doc about some of America’s last standing roller rinks.
Passes for the festival, which runs from Sept. 19 to Sept. 23, are available at the Urbanworld website, and tickets for official selections and spotlights will be available in September.
Here’s the full list of...
“Night School” is one of more than 60 films and TV shows being screened at the fest — an annual showcase of diverse culture — including the debut of the Fox show “Rel.” “Get Out’s” Lil Rel Howery stars in the series and will take part in a Q&A following the screening at New York City’s AMC Empire 25.
HBO will also screen two spotlight selections: first-time filmmaker Rudy Valdez’s “The Sentence,” a documentary about mandatory minimum sentencing, and Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown’s “United Skates,” a doc about some of America’s last standing roller rinks.
Passes for the festival, which runs from Sept. 19 to Sept. 23, are available at the Urbanworld website, and tickets for official selections and spotlights will be available in September.
Here’s the full list of...
- 8/28/2018
- by Nate Nickolai
- Variety Film + TV
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