Tunisian Youssef Chebbi’s “Plague,” Moroccan Adnane Baraka’s “We Don’t Forget” and Meryam Joobeur’s “Motherhood” feature among buzz titles at this year’s Marrakech Festival Atlas Workshops, which will have Martin Scorsese as their official patron.
Consolidated as a key platform for Moroccan, Arab and African projects and pix in production made by a new generation of filmmakers and created by Marrakech Festival artistic director Remi Bonhomme, the Atlas Workshops unspool Nov. 27-30. They take place alongside the 20th edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival, which runs from Nov. 24-Dec. 2.
In a definite potential highlight of the Atlas Workshops, Meryjam Joubeur, whose “Brotherhood” was Oscar nominated for best live action short, will present 10 minutes of “Motherhood,” one of the awaited feature debuts of 2023. It is sure to spark major festival interest.
“Plague” marks Chebbi’s second feature after acclaimed Cannes Directors’ Fortnight genre blender “Ashkal: The Tunisian Investigation,...
Consolidated as a key platform for Moroccan, Arab and African projects and pix in production made by a new generation of filmmakers and created by Marrakech Festival artistic director Remi Bonhomme, the Atlas Workshops unspool Nov. 27-30. They take place alongside the 20th edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival, which runs from Nov. 24-Dec. 2.
In a definite potential highlight of the Atlas Workshops, Meryjam Joubeur, whose “Brotherhood” was Oscar nominated for best live action short, will present 10 minutes of “Motherhood,” one of the awaited feature debuts of 2023. It is sure to spark major festival interest.
“Plague” marks Chebbi’s second feature after acclaimed Cannes Directors’ Fortnight genre blender “Ashkal: The Tunisian Investigation,...
- 11/3/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Jewish streaming platform ChaiFlicks is launching an all-new slate of TV programs and films set to begin rolling out in August. Programming includes “Wartime Girls,” the Israeli series “The New Black (Shababnakim)” and drama series “Normal” from Lior Dayan and Dori Media.
The new program additions follow “The Lesson,” which debuted earlier this summer. Starting in August, documentary series “The Hebrews” (August 2) and drama film “Those Who Remained” (August 8) will debut on ChaiFlicks, followed by “The Elected” on September 7.
“Normal,” the semi-autographical story from Dayan (the son of Israeli actor/writer Assi Dayan and grandson of Israeli military leader Moshe Dayan), will join ChaiFlicks on October 4, and “Wartime Girls” Season 4 will hit the streamer in December.
On December 20, ChaiFlicks will premiere the fourth season of “Wartime Girls,” which centers on three young Polish women as they fight Nazi occupation during World War II.
ChaiFlicks is also hosting the inaugural Free Summer Film Festival,...
The new program additions follow “The Lesson,” which debuted earlier this summer. Starting in August, documentary series “The Hebrews” (August 2) and drama film “Those Who Remained” (August 8) will debut on ChaiFlicks, followed by “The Elected” on September 7.
“Normal,” the semi-autographical story from Dayan (the son of Israeli actor/writer Assi Dayan and grandson of Israeli military leader Moshe Dayan), will join ChaiFlicks on October 4, and “Wartime Girls” Season 4 will hit the streamer in December.
On December 20, ChaiFlicks will premiere the fourth season of “Wartime Girls,” which centers on three young Polish women as they fight Nazi occupation during World War II.
ChaiFlicks is also hosting the inaugural Free Summer Film Festival,...
- 8/2/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Orit Fouks Rotem’s Cinema Sabaya will be Israel’s entry to the best international film category in this year’s Oscar race, following its best picture win at the country’s Ophir national cinema awards over the weekend.
Under Israel’s Oscar entry selection process, the work that wins the best film Ophir is automatically put forward as the country’s submission.
Cinema Sabaya also won best Director, Supporting Actress, Costumes and Casting
The fiction feature follows eight women from different sides of the Middle East conflict who participate in a video workshop using footage they have shot of their lives.
The group dynamic forces them to challenge their views and beliefs as they get to know each other and themselves better.
Cinema Sabaya is Rotem’s first feature after a trio of award-winning shorts comprising Veil, Voice Over and Staring Match.
The film grew from Rotem’s real-life...
Under Israel’s Oscar entry selection process, the work that wins the best film Ophir is automatically put forward as the country’s submission.
Cinema Sabaya also won best Director, Supporting Actress, Costumes and Casting
The fiction feature follows eight women from different sides of the Middle East conflict who participate in a video workshop using footage they have shot of their lives.
The group dynamic forces them to challenge their views and beliefs as they get to know each other and themselves better.
Cinema Sabaya is Rotem’s first feature after a trio of award-winning shorts comprising Veil, Voice Over and Staring Match.
The film grew from Rotem’s real-life...
- 9/21/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Beta Cinema has revealed that Menemsha Films has taken all rights to Ofir Raul Graizer’s critically acclaimed drama “America” for North America amidst strong interest for the territory.
The sensual, visually impressive melodrama about a tragic incident turning upside down the life of a Tel Aviv-based couple and their childhood friend was rewarded with an enthusiastic standing ovation at its world premiere at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, where it played in the Crystal Globe Competition, and radiant reviews in the trade and consumer press.
In “America,” Chicago-based swimming coach Eli returns to his homeland, Israel, after 10 years of absence. A visit to his childhood friend Yotam and his newly engaged fiancée Iris will set a series of events in motion that will affect everyone’s lives.
The film is directed by Graizer, whose feature film debut “The Cakemaker” was a worldwide festival and sales hit, collecting numerous awards,...
The sensual, visually impressive melodrama about a tragic incident turning upside down the life of a Tel Aviv-based couple and their childhood friend was rewarded with an enthusiastic standing ovation at its world premiere at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, where it played in the Crystal Globe Competition, and radiant reviews in the trade and consumer press.
In “America,” Chicago-based swimming coach Eli returns to his homeland, Israel, after 10 years of absence. A visit to his childhood friend Yotam and his newly engaged fiancée Iris will set a series of events in motion that will affect everyone’s lives.
The film is directed by Graizer, whose feature film debut “The Cakemaker” was a worldwide festival and sales hit, collecting numerous awards,...
- 9/9/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Strand Releasing has acquired all North American rights to Agnieszka Holland’s critically acclaimed “Charlatan” from Berlin-based company Films Boutique.
“Charlatan” competed at the Berlin Film Festival this year in the Special Gala section, and was most recently selected at Telluride. “Charlatan” represents Czech Republic in the Oscar race for the best international feature film.
“Charlatan” is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treating the sick using medicinal plants. Holland has described “Charlatan” as a story about Mikolášek’s “moral fall and of his constant fight with the darkness inside him.”
“It is the story of the mystery of a man, of the mystery of his special gift, of the prize he was ready to pay for it; the story of the paradox of strength and weakness, of love and hate,” said Holland.
“We’re thrilled to be representing this film...
“Charlatan” competed at the Berlin Film Festival this year in the Special Gala section, and was most recently selected at Telluride. “Charlatan” represents Czech Republic in the Oscar race for the best international feature film.
“Charlatan” is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treating the sick using medicinal plants. Holland has described “Charlatan” as a story about Mikolášek’s “moral fall and of his constant fight with the darkness inside him.”
“It is the story of the mystery of a man, of the mystery of his special gift, of the prize he was ready to pay for it; the story of the paradox of strength and weakness, of love and hate,” said Holland.
“We’re thrilled to be representing this film...
- 12/10/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Strand Releasing has acquired U.S. distribution rights to Majid Majidi’s “Sun Children,” which competed at Venice and represents Iran in the international feature film race at the 2021 Academy Awards.
Represented in international markets by Hengameh Panahi’s Celluloid Dreams, “Sun Children” has been critically acclaimed in the festival circuit, and its young leading actor Ruhollah Zamani won Venice’s Marcello Mastroianni Award for best young actor. The movie went on to win the best feature film award at the Doha Ajyal Film Festival. The film was produced by Amir Banan and Majid Majidi.
“Sun Children” tells the story of 12-year-old Ali and his three friends who work hard together to survive and support their families, doing small jobs in a garage and committing petty crimes to make fast cash. In a turn of events that seems miraculous, Ali is entrusted to find hidden treasure underground, but in order...
Represented in international markets by Hengameh Panahi’s Celluloid Dreams, “Sun Children” has been critically acclaimed in the festival circuit, and its young leading actor Ruhollah Zamani won Venice’s Marcello Mastroianni Award for best young actor. The movie went on to win the best feature film award at the Doha Ajyal Film Festival. The film was produced by Amir Banan and Majid Majidi.
“Sun Children” tells the story of 12-year-old Ali and his three friends who work hard together to survive and support their families, doing small jobs in a garage and committing petty crimes to make fast cash. In a turn of events that seems miraculous, Ali is entrusted to find hidden treasure underground, but in order...
- 12/4/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The 34th Israel Film Festival Los Angeles has confirmed its line-up for this year’s edition, which will be held entirely online for the first time.
Running December 13 – 27, the fest will screen 23 features, including two U.S. premieres, Israel’s Oscar submission this year, Asia, as well as a number of past Ophir award winners. The event will also host Q&As after each film with talent.
Asia opens the festival having recently won Best Film at this year’s Ophir Awards, Israel’s top film awards, which automatically makes it the Oscar contender for 2021. The film also won Ophirs for Best Actress, Supporting Actress and Cinematography.
The festival will present its 2020 Iff Lifetime Achievement Award to Meir Feningstein, the event’s founder and executive director. It will also screen concert documentary Poogy / Kaveret 2013 Reunion Concert, centered on the band for which Feningstein is the drummer.
“As the world faces enormous disruption and loss,...
Running December 13 – 27, the fest will screen 23 features, including two U.S. premieres, Israel’s Oscar submission this year, Asia, as well as a number of past Ophir award winners. The event will also host Q&As after each film with talent.
Asia opens the festival having recently won Best Film at this year’s Ophir Awards, Israel’s top film awards, which automatically makes it the Oscar contender for 2021. The film also won Ophirs for Best Actress, Supporting Actress and Cinematography.
The festival will present its 2020 Iff Lifetime Achievement Award to Meir Feningstein, the event’s founder and executive director. It will also screen concert documentary Poogy / Kaveret 2013 Reunion Concert, centered on the band for which Feningstein is the drummer.
“As the world faces enormous disruption and loss,...
- 11/30/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
2019 Foreign Language Film Oscar Submissions Algeria – Until The End Of Time – Yasmine Chouikh Argentina– The Angel (El Angel) – Luis Ortega Austria – The Waldheim Waltz – Ruth Beckermann Belarus – Crystal Swan – Darya Zhuk Belgium – Girl – Lukas Dhont Bolivia – Muralla – Rodrigo Patiño Bosnia – Never Leave Me – Aida Begic Brazil – The Great Mystical Circus – Carlos Diegues Bulgaria – Omnipresent – Ilian Djevelekov Cambodia – Graves Without A Name – Rithy Pan Canada – Watch Dog – Sophie Dupuis Chile – And Suddenly The Dawn – Silvio Caiozzi Colombia– Birds of Passage, Cristina Gallego & Ciro Guerra Croatia – The Eighth Commissioner – Ivan Salaj Czech Republic – Winter Flies – Olmo Omerzu Denmark – The Guilty – Gustav Möller Dominican Republic – Cocote – Nelson Carlo de los Santos Ecuador – A Son Of Man – Jamaicanoproblem and Pablo Agüero Egypt – Yomeddine – Abu Bakr Shawky Estonia – Take It Or Leave It – Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo Finland – Euthanizer – Teemu Nikin France – Memoir Of War – Emmanuel Finkiel Georgia – Namme – Zaza Khalvashi Germany – Never Look Away – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck...
- 8/21/2020
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Feature is lead produced by Israeli The Cakemaker producer Itai Tamir.
Paris-based Alpha Violet has acquired sales rights to Israeli director Roy Krispel’s debut feature Abu Omar, starring Palestinian actor Kais Nashif as a man attempting to smuggle the body of his dead son back into Palestine from Israel.
Nashif won best actor in Venice’s Horizons competition in 2018 for his performance in Sameh Zoabi’s Tel Aviv On Fire and is soon to be seen in Ben Sharrock’s Cannes 2020 selection Limbo. He originally broke out internationally in Hany Abu Assad’s 2005 Oscar-nominated drama Paradise Now.
In Abu Omar,...
Paris-based Alpha Violet has acquired sales rights to Israeli director Roy Krispel’s debut feature Abu Omar, starring Palestinian actor Kais Nashif as a man attempting to smuggle the body of his dead son back into Palestine from Israel.
Nashif won best actor in Venice’s Horizons competition in 2018 for his performance in Sameh Zoabi’s Tel Aviv On Fire and is soon to be seen in Ben Sharrock’s Cannes 2020 selection Limbo. He originally broke out internationally in Hany Abu Assad’s 2005 Oscar-nominated drama Paradise Now.
In Abu Omar,...
- 6/18/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦69¦
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: TaleFlick, a platform that identifies adaptable books, has launched a production company to put some of its own content on the screen. It has selected four titles that are now in development.
The company, founded by producer Uri Singer (Tesla) and Netflix alum George Berry, scans thousands of books to identify stories that translate into filmed adaptations. Publisher HarperCollins is among those who have committed their catalog to the site, with Sony Pictures, Warner Media and HBO among its customers.
More from DeadlineFortitude Options Female-Driven 'Madame Presidentess' & 'Starfish On Thursday' From TaleFlick'Marjorie Prime' Producer Uri Singer And Former Netflix/Apple Executive George Berry Launch Searchable Library Of Content For Film, TV'Marjorie Prime' Producer Uri Singer Inks Deal To Remake Israeli Pic 'The Cakemaker'
Studios and producers can still access the content library, but Taleflick has unveiled the first selection titles to be developed under the banner TaleFlick Productions.
The company, founded by producer Uri Singer (Tesla) and Netflix alum George Berry, scans thousands of books to identify stories that translate into filmed adaptations. Publisher HarperCollins is among those who have committed their catalog to the site, with Sony Pictures, Warner Media and HBO among its customers.
More from DeadlineFortitude Options Female-Driven 'Madame Presidentess' & 'Starfish On Thursday' From TaleFlick'Marjorie Prime' Producer Uri Singer And Former Netflix/Apple Executive George Berry Launch Searchable Library Of Content For Film, TV'Marjorie Prime' Producer Uri Singer Inks Deal To Remake Israeli Pic 'The Cakemaker'
Studios and producers can still access the content library, but Taleflick has unveiled the first selection titles to be developed under the banner TaleFlick Productions.
- 4/15/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is known by many as a Cannes catch up fest and for its star-filled tributes, but there is a fantastic competition that takes place with films such as “Zoology” and last year’s winner, “I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History As Barbarians” recently making their debuts. It also ends up as the defacto premiere for a number of nation’s International Film Oscar submissions.
Continue reading New Films Starring Henry Golding & John Turturro Set For Karlovy Vary 2019 at The Playlist.
Continue reading New Films Starring Henry Golding & John Turturro Set For Karlovy Vary 2019 at The Playlist.
- 5/28/2019
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
The 2019 Oscar shortlists, which dramatically narrowed down the number of Academy Awards contenders in nine different categories, were unveiled this week with the big winner being Marvel’s “Black Panther.” This comic-book movie popped up in all four narrative races in which it was eligible — Best Makeup & Hairstyling, Best Score, Best Song (“All the Stars”) and Best Visual Effects — which means it’s one step closer to receiving Oscar nominations in these races. But for every inclusion, that meant other contenders were unfortunately left out in the cold and thus now have no shot in these specific Oscar categories.
Our savvy readers have been poring over every aspect of the Oscar shortlists, from Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns” being included for its score, visual effects and two songs (“The Place Where Lost Things Go” and “Trip A Little Light Fantastic”), to DC Comics’ “Aquaman” being shut out across the board.
Our savvy readers have been poring over every aspect of the Oscar shortlists, from Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns” being included for its score, visual effects and two songs (“The Place Where Lost Things Go” and “Trip A Little Light Fantastic”), to DC Comics’ “Aquaman” being shut out across the board.
- 12/18/2018
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
For the 2019 Oscars, 87 countries submitted eligible entries, down from 92 last year. The shortlist of nine came from the foreign-language committee: six from the general committee drawn from participating voters from all Academy branches, and three from the executive committee appointed by this year’s new foreign-language czars, screenwriter Larry Karaszewski and Participant’s Diane Weyermann.
On the shortlist are Cannes Best Director Pawel Pawlikowski’s follow-up to Oscar-winner “Ida,” the bittersweet period romance “Cold War” (Amazon Studios), starring incandescent breakout Joanna Kulig and two poverty-row melodramas, Hirozaku Kore-eda’s “Shoplifters” — which won Cannes’ Palme d’Or and a Magnolia deal — and Lebanese Nadine Labaki’s heart-tugging crowdpleaser “Capernaum” (Sony Pictures Classics), which scored the Jury Prize in Cannes.
Kazakhstan’s “Ayka” won an acting award for Samal Yesyamova, and returning to possible contention is Colombia’s drug-cartel adventure “Birds of Passage” (The Orchard), from co-directors (and ex-spouses) Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra,...
On the shortlist are Cannes Best Director Pawel Pawlikowski’s follow-up to Oscar-winner “Ida,” the bittersweet period romance “Cold War” (Amazon Studios), starring incandescent breakout Joanna Kulig and two poverty-row melodramas, Hirozaku Kore-eda’s “Shoplifters” — which won Cannes’ Palme d’Or and a Magnolia deal — and Lebanese Nadine Labaki’s heart-tugging crowdpleaser “Capernaum” (Sony Pictures Classics), which scored the Jury Prize in Cannes.
Kazakhstan’s “Ayka” won an acting award for Samal Yesyamova, and returning to possible contention is Colombia’s drug-cartel adventure “Birds of Passage” (The Orchard), from co-directors (and ex-spouses) Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra,...
- 12/17/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
For the 2019 Oscars, 87 countries submitted eligible entries, down from 92 last year. The shortlist of nine came from the foreign-language committee: six from the general committee drawn from participating voters from all Academy branches, and three from the executive committee appointed by this year’s new foreign-language czars, screenwriter Larry Karaszewski and Participant’s Diane Weyermann.
On the shortlist are Cannes Best Director Pawel Pawlikowski’s follow-up to Oscar-winner “Ida,” the bittersweet period romance “Cold War” (Amazon Studios), starring incandescent breakout Joanna Kulig and two poverty-row melodramas, Hirozaku Kore-eda’s “Shoplifters” — which won Cannes’ Palme d’Or and a Magnolia deal — and Lebanese Nadine Labaki’s heart-tugging crowdpleaser “Capernaum” (Sony Pictures Classics), which scored the Jury Prize in Cannes.
Kazakhstan’s “Ayka” won an acting award for Samal Yesyamova, and returning to possible contention is Colombia’s drug-cartel adventure “Birds of Passage” (The Orchard), from co-directors (and ex-spouses) Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra,...
On the shortlist are Cannes Best Director Pawel Pawlikowski’s follow-up to Oscar-winner “Ida,” the bittersweet period romance “Cold War” (Amazon Studios), starring incandescent breakout Joanna Kulig and two poverty-row melodramas, Hirozaku Kore-eda’s “Shoplifters” — which won Cannes’ Palme d’Or and a Magnolia deal — and Lebanese Nadine Labaki’s heart-tugging crowdpleaser “Capernaum” (Sony Pictures Classics), which scored the Jury Prize in Cannes.
Kazakhstan’s “Ayka” won an acting award for Samal Yesyamova, and returning to possible contention is Colombia’s drug-cartel adventure “Birds of Passage” (The Orchard), from co-directors (and ex-spouses) Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra,...
- 12/17/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The problem with “The Marriage,” a well-meaning but structurally lopsided first feature from Yugoslavian director Blerta Zeqiri, is that the marriage plot from the title is so much less interesting than the love plot at its core.
This is a film that takes place in a cold, snowy climate, and the main male character, Bekim (Alban Ukaj), and his fiancée, Anita (Adriana Matoshi), are bundled up in the first scene as they wait outside a center for missing persons. (Anita’s parents have been missing for over 15 years.) When Bekim and Anita enter the center, we see people placing long-stemmed flowers down on numbered segments that carry the found bones of their loved ones.
The Kosovo War of the late 1990s hangs over this narrative, because any story set in Yugoslavia has to deal with it in some way. But the character of Anita in “The Marriage” does not seem...
This is a film that takes place in a cold, snowy climate, and the main male character, Bekim (Alban Ukaj), and his fiancée, Anita (Adriana Matoshi), are bundled up in the first scene as they wait outside a center for missing persons. (Anita’s parents have been missing for over 15 years.) When Bekim and Anita enter the center, we see people placing long-stemmed flowers down on numbered segments that carry the found bones of their loved ones.
The Kosovo War of the late 1990s hangs over this narrative, because any story set in Yugoslavia has to deal with it in some way. But the character of Anita in “The Marriage” does not seem...
- 12/8/2018
- by Dan Callahan
- The Wrap
This story on “The Cakemaker” first appeared in the Foreign Language issue of TheWrap’s Oscar magazine.
Ofir Raul Graizer was a film student when he first encountered the story that would turn into “The Cakemaker,” a winner of Israel’s Ophir Awards about an Israeli bakery owner and the German man who comes into her world hiding a secret about her late husband.
The film is Israel’s entry in this year’s Oscar race for Best Foreign Language Film, and this interview is one in a series of conversations TheWrap had with directors of the foreign contenders.
Also Read: Oscars Foreign Language Race 2018: Complete List of Submissions
This story came from a personal experience, didn’t it?
Ofir Raul Graizer: Yeah. It’s not mine, but I knew a guy a long time ago — 10, 12 years ago — and he had a double life. He had a wife and...
Ofir Raul Graizer was a film student when he first encountered the story that would turn into “The Cakemaker,” a winner of Israel’s Ophir Awards about an Israeli bakery owner and the German man who comes into her world hiding a secret about her late husband.
The film is Israel’s entry in this year’s Oscar race for Best Foreign Language Film, and this interview is one in a series of conversations TheWrap had with directors of the foreign contenders.
Also Read: Oscars Foreign Language Race 2018: Complete List of Submissions
This story came from a personal experience, didn’t it?
Ofir Raul Graizer: Yeah. It’s not mine, but I knew a guy a long time ago — 10, 12 years ago — and he had a double life. He had a wife and...
- 11/19/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
An abridged version of this interview was originally published in Nathaniel's column at Towleroad
Ofir Raul GrazierThe Oscars are coming and with them, renewed attention for some of the year’s most memorable films. One of this past summer’s sleeper hits was The Cakemaker, an Lgbt drama that’s just been released on DVD / Blu-Ray. The tiny but prolific distributor Strand Releasing, who have released many gay favorites, have been in business for almost 30 years now and, if you don’t adjust for inflation, The Cakemaker quietly turned into their biggest box office hit ever this summer. The drama about a grieving gay German man who seeks out the widow of his lover (who was unaware of her husband’s affair) earned nearly a million at arthouse box offices across the U.S!
After winning Best Picture at the Ophir Awards in Israel, it became the country's submission for...
Ofir Raul GrazierThe Oscars are coming and with them, renewed attention for some of the year’s most memorable films. One of this past summer’s sleeper hits was The Cakemaker, an Lgbt drama that’s just been released on DVD / Blu-Ray. The tiny but prolific distributor Strand Releasing, who have released many gay favorites, have been in business for almost 30 years now and, if you don’t adjust for inflation, The Cakemaker quietly turned into their biggest box office hit ever this summer. The drama about a grieving gay German man who seeks out the widow of his lover (who was unaware of her husband’s affair) earned nearly a million at arthouse box offices across the U.S!
After winning Best Picture at the Ophir Awards in Israel, it became the country's submission for...
- 11/18/2018
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
“With a gentle approach, [The Cakemaker] portrays a journey towards acceptance and the pursuit of love. The unique bond formed between the characters strengthens a healing process that brings them a new life. It allows the viewer to connect to the most important of human values, something that overcomes all prejudices: love.” – The 2017 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival’s Ecumenical Jury
One of the biggest indie breakouts of 2018 was Ofir Raul Graizer’s The Cakemaker. The film kicked off its festival run at the 2017 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and won the Award of Ecumenical Jury. When the film debuted stateside last summer, it played for 19 weeks and became one of Strand Releasing’s best performing titles of the last decade, making $875,000. Despite receiving little attention from American press, it was certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 98% rating, which clearly helped with word of mouth.
Prior to the film’s release,...
One of the biggest indie breakouts of 2018 was Ofir Raul Graizer’s The Cakemaker. The film kicked off its festival run at the 2017 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and won the Award of Ecumenical Jury. When the film debuted stateside last summer, it played for 19 weeks and became one of Strand Releasing’s best performing titles of the last decade, making $875,000. Despite receiving little attention from American press, it was certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 98% rating, which clearly helped with word of mouth.
Prior to the film’s release,...
- 11/13/2018
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Ofir Raul Graizer ‘s poignant feature debut, ‘The Cakemaker’, is Israel’s official Oscar® entry for Best Foreign Language Film. I rank it among the top contenders ‘Never Look Away’, ‘Burning’, ‘Cold War’, ‘Roma’, ‘The Heiresses’, and ‘Birds of Passage’.
I was so moved by the film and so identified with it that I jumped at the chance to interview Ofir and actor Tim Kalkhof. Our interview became a conversation that lasted several hours as we first sipped wine and then ordered pizza at the wonderful Caffé Roma in Beverly Hills.
The Cakemaker is an extraordinary movie for many reasons. First and foremost, its emotional resonance is so in tune to many people. Film writer-director Ofir Raul Graizer and the costar of his film Tim Kalkhof, can recount many stories of people coming up to them tearfully or hugging them spontaneously after having seen the film at some point since...
I was so moved by the film and so identified with it that I jumped at the chance to interview Ofir and actor Tim Kalkhof. Our interview became a conversation that lasted several hours as we first sipped wine and then ordered pizza at the wonderful Caffé Roma in Beverly Hills.
The Cakemaker is an extraordinary movie for many reasons. First and foremost, its emotional resonance is so in tune to many people. Film writer-director Ofir Raul Graizer and the costar of his film Tim Kalkhof, can recount many stories of people coming up to them tearfully or hugging them spontaneously after having seen the film at some point since...
- 11/13/2018
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Among the Middle East’s 10 submissions, three of which are helmed by women, are several titles that are likely to be competitive in the foreign-language category. These include the Cannes jury prize-winner “Capernaum,” from Lebanon’s helmer-actress Nadine Labaki, and “The Cakemaker” from Israel’s Ofir Raul Grazier. While the lineup includes some films that premiered at major festivals such as Berlin, Venice and Cannes, nearly all of the regional entries, with the exception of the Yemeni title “10 Days Before the Wedding,” have screened in multiple smaller festivals and nabbed several awards.
Labaki’s third feature, “Capernaum,” is the story of an impoverished Beirut boy who launches a lawsuit against his parents for bringing him into the world. It has a lot going for it: It’s a heart-tugging social-issues drama with adorable non-pro child actors, and it plays like, er, a “Slumdog Beirut.” Moreover, the film, due out Stateside in December,...
Labaki’s third feature, “Capernaum,” is the story of an impoverished Beirut boy who launches a lawsuit against his parents for bringing him into the world. It has a lot going for it: It’s a heart-tugging social-issues drama with adorable non-pro child actors, and it plays like, er, a “Slumdog Beirut.” Moreover, the film, due out Stateside in December,...
- 11/8/2018
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
‘Jirga’
Benjamin Gilmour’s Afghanistan-set drama Jirga will carry Australia’s hopes of being nominated for this year’s Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.
The international recognition as Australia’s official submission follows the film’s international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and winning the $100,000 best film prize, Australia’s richest, at CinfestOZ.
Produced and distributed by John Maynard, the film stars Sam Smith as a former Australian soldier who returns to Afghanistan seeking forgiveness and puts his life in the hands of the village justice system – the Jirga.
There are 87 countries vying for the prize, including first-time entrants Malawi and Niger and high-profile contenders such as Mexico’s Roma and Poland’s Cold War, both of which are hoping to break out of the foreign race and earn nominations for best picture, best director and more.
Gilmour said: “We are thrilled about the honour of representing Australia.
Benjamin Gilmour’s Afghanistan-set drama Jirga will carry Australia’s hopes of being nominated for this year’s Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.
The international recognition as Australia’s official submission follows the film’s international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and winning the $100,000 best film prize, Australia’s richest, at CinfestOZ.
Produced and distributed by John Maynard, the film stars Sam Smith as a former Australian soldier who returns to Afghanistan seeking forgiveness and puts his life in the hands of the village justice system – the Jirga.
There are 87 countries vying for the prize, including first-time entrants Malawi and Niger and high-profile contenders such as Mexico’s Roma and Poland’s Cold War, both of which are hoping to break out of the foreign race and earn nominations for best picture, best director and more.
Gilmour said: “We are thrilled about the honour of representing Australia.
- 10/8/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
First-time submissions come from Malawi and Niger as Austrlia and New Zealand join the list.
Eighty-seven countries have submitted films for this year’s foreign language film Oscar, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has revealed, a drop from the record 92 that submitted last year.
Countries submitting films in the category for the first time include Malawi, which has entered Shemu Joyah’s The Road to Sunrise, and Niger, whose submission is Rahmatou Keïta’s The Wedding Ring.
Submissions that had not previously been confirmed include Australian entry Jirga, from director Benjamin Gilmour, and New Zealand contender Yellow Is Forbidden,...
Eighty-seven countries have submitted films for this year’s foreign language film Oscar, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has revealed, a drop from the record 92 that submitted last year.
Countries submitting films in the category for the first time include Malawi, which has entered Shemu Joyah’s The Road to Sunrise, and Niger, whose submission is Rahmatou Keïta’s The Wedding Ring.
Submissions that had not previously been confirmed include Australian entry Jirga, from director Benjamin Gilmour, and New Zealand contender Yellow Is Forbidden,...
- 10/8/2018
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
First-time submissions come from Malawi and Niger as Austrlia and New Zealand join the list.
Eighty-seven countries have submitted films for this year’s foreign language film Oscar, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has revealed, a drop from the record 92 that submitted last year.
Countries submitting films in the category for the first time include Malawi, which has entered Shemu Joyah’s The Road to Sunrise, and Niger, whose submission is Rahmatou Keïta’s The Wedding Ring.
Submissions that had not previously been confirmed include Australian entry Jirga, from director Benjamin Gilmour, and New Zealand contender Yellow Is Forbidden,...
Eighty-seven countries have submitted films for this year’s foreign language film Oscar, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has revealed, a drop from the record 92 that submitted last year.
Countries submitting films in the category for the first time include Malawi, which has entered Shemu Joyah’s The Road to Sunrise, and Niger, whose submission is Rahmatou Keïta’s The Wedding Ring.
Submissions that had not previously been confirmed include Australian entry Jirga, from director Benjamin Gilmour, and New Zealand contender Yellow Is Forbidden,...
- 10/8/2018
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
Eighty-seven countries have submitted films for consideration in the foreign language category for the 91st Academy Awards.
Oscar nominations will be announced on Jan. 22 and the ceremony will be held on Feb. 24 at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre. Malawi and Niger are first-time entrants. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the announcement on Monday.
High-profile titles include Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma,” the Mexican entry; Denmark’s “The Guilty”; Germany’s “Never Look Away,” from previous Oscar winner Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck; Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Shoplifters,” the Japanese entry that won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival; Nadine Labaki’s “Capernaum,” the Cannes jury prize winner from Lebanon; and Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Cold War,” the Cannes best director prize winner from Poland.
The 2018 submissions are:
Afghanistan, “Rona Azim’s Mother,” Jamshid Mahmoudi, director;
Algeria, “Until the End of Time,” Yasmine Chouikh, director;
Argentina, “El Ángel,...
Oscar nominations will be announced on Jan. 22 and the ceremony will be held on Feb. 24 at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre. Malawi and Niger are first-time entrants. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the announcement on Monday.
High-profile titles include Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma,” the Mexican entry; Denmark’s “The Guilty”; Germany’s “Never Look Away,” from previous Oscar winner Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck; Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Shoplifters,” the Japanese entry that won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival; Nadine Labaki’s “Capernaum,” the Cannes jury prize winner from Lebanon; and Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Cold War,” the Cannes best director prize winner from Poland.
The 2018 submissions are:
Afghanistan, “Rona Azim’s Mother,” Jamshid Mahmoudi, director;
Algeria, “Until the End of Time,” Yasmine Chouikh, director;
Argentina, “El Ángel,...
- 10/8/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
A whopping 87 countries submitted entries in the Foreign-Language Film race at the 2019 Oscars. That is down by five from last year’s record 92 submissions but up by two from 2017, which had broken the benchmark of 83 set in 2015. The nations represented ranged from A (Afghanistan) to Y (Yemen). Among the contenders is the Mexican entry “Roma” by Oscar winner Alfonso Cuaron (“Gravity”). This Venice Film Festival winner is a strong contender in both this and the Best Picture race at the Oscars.
Predicting the eventual five Oscar nominees for Best Foreign-Language Film is made difficult by the two-step process.
First, the several hundred academy members of the Foreign-Language Film screening committee are required to watch a number of the submissions (upwards of a dozen) over a two-month period that ends in mid December. They will rate them from 6 to 10 and their top six vote-getters make it to the next round, as...
Predicting the eventual five Oscar nominees for Best Foreign-Language Film is made difficult by the two-step process.
First, the several hundred academy members of the Foreign-Language Film screening committee are required to watch a number of the submissions (upwards of a dozen) over a two-month period that ends in mid December. They will rate them from 6 to 10 and their top six vote-getters make it to the next round, as...
- 10/8/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the official list of submissions for the 2019 Oscar for best foreign language film. There are 87 countries vying for the prize this awards season, including first-time entrants Malawi and Niger. Included among the titles are high-profile contenders such as Mexico’s “Roma” and Poland’s “Cold War,” both of which are vying to break out of the foreign race and earn nominations for best picture, best director, and more.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. The 91st Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019. Click here to view predictions for the foreign language Oscar race from IndieWire’s awards editor Anne Thompson.
2018 Foreign Oscar Submissions
Afghanistan, “Rona Azim’s Mother,” Jamshid Mahmoudi, director
Algeria, “Until the End of Time,” Yasmine Chouikh, director
Argentina, “El Ángel,” Luis Ortega, director
Armenia, “Spitak,” Alexander Kott, director
Australia, “Jirga,...
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. The 91st Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019. Click here to view predictions for the foreign language Oscar race from IndieWire’s awards editor Anne Thompson.
2018 Foreign Oscar Submissions
Afghanistan, “Rona Azim’s Mother,” Jamshid Mahmoudi, director
Algeria, “Until the End of Time,” Yasmine Chouikh, director
Argentina, “El Ángel,” Luis Ortega, director
Armenia, “Spitak,” Alexander Kott, director
Australia, “Jirga,...
- 10/8/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced today that 87 countries have qualified for this year’s Foreign Language Film competition. With some of the
strongest entries in recent years this is shaping up as one of the richest fields of contenders in memory. Of course one of the Netflix titles, Mexico’s Roma from director Alfonso Cuaron has been widely acclaimed at numerous festivals and already won top prize at Venice which makes it the front runner here. It is also expected to be in contention for a Best Picture nomination as well as other categories and that could enhance its chances. However could an upset be in the offing? I would say there are a number of equally fine movies in the mix here including Japan’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner, Shoplifters; Denmark’s riveting The Guilty; Germany’s epic Never Look Away from previous Oscar winner...
strongest entries in recent years this is shaping up as one of the richest fields of contenders in memory. Of course one of the Netflix titles, Mexico’s Roma from director Alfonso Cuaron has been widely acclaimed at numerous festivals and already won top prize at Venice which makes it the front runner here. It is also expected to be in contention for a Best Picture nomination as well as other categories and that could enhance its chances. However could an upset be in the offing? I would say there are a number of equally fine movies in the mix here including Japan’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner, Shoplifters; Denmark’s riveting The Guilty; Germany’s epic Never Look Away from previous Oscar winner...
- 10/8/2018
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Argentina has selected Luis Ortega’s well-received Cannes Film Festival crime drama The Angel (El Angel) as its contender for the Foreign Language Oscar. The film, produced by Pedro Almodóvar, broke box office records in its home country; The Orchard acquired U.S. rights after its Un Certain Regard bow and has set a November 9 theatrical release in New York and Los Angeles for the film before rolling it out nationally.
The pic from Ortega, who directed and co-wrote with Sergio Olguin and Rodolfo Palacios, is a portrait based on Argentina’s real-life serial killer dubbed “The Angel of Death.” The pic picks up the story when Carlitos (Lorenzo Ferro), a 17-year-old with movie star swagger, blond curls and a baby face in 1970s Buenos Aires, meets Ramon (Chino Darín) who embark on a journey of discovery, love and murder. When he is finally caught, the press dubs Carlitos “The...
The pic from Ortega, who directed and co-wrote with Sergio Olguin and Rodolfo Palacios, is a portrait based on Argentina’s real-life serial killer dubbed “The Angel of Death.” The pic picks up the story when Carlitos (Lorenzo Ferro), a 17-year-old with movie star swagger, blond curls and a baby face in 1970s Buenos Aires, meets Ramon (Chino Darín) who embark on a journey of discovery, love and murder. When he is finally caught, the press dubs Carlitos “The...
- 9/26/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Italy has selected Matteo Garrone’s “Dogman” to represent the country in the race for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2018 Oscars – and with that announcement, which was made on Tuesday, most of the major pieces are in place for one of the most competitive races ever in the category.
“Dogman” premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The story of a small-town dog groomer and part-time drug dealer who has violent encounters with a local thug, the film is the latest from a director best known for the acclaimed 2008 gang saga “Gomorrah,” which caused a minor furor when it did not make the Oscar foreign-language shortlist.
Italy has won 11 competitive Oscars in the category plus three honorary ones, more than any other country. It selected the film from a list of 21 contenders, including Alice Rohrwacher’s “Happy as Lazzaro,” which won the screenplay prize in Cannes.
Also Read:...
“Dogman” premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The story of a small-town dog groomer and part-time drug dealer who has violent encounters with a local thug, the film is the latest from a director best known for the acclaimed 2008 gang saga “Gomorrah,” which caused a minor furor when it did not make the Oscar foreign-language shortlist.
Italy has won 11 competitive Oscars in the category plus three honorary ones, more than any other country. It selected the film from a list of 21 contenders, including Alice Rohrwacher’s “Happy as Lazzaro,” which won the screenplay prize in Cannes.
Also Read:...
- 9/25/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Italy has chosen Matteo Garrone’s well-received Cannes drama Dogman as its Foreign Language Oscar hopeful.
Marcello Fonte stars as Marcello, a gentle dog groomer who finds himself involved in a dangerous relationship with Simone (Edoardo Pesce), a former violent boxer who terrorizes the entire neighbourhood. In an effort to reaffirm his dignity, Marcello must submit to an unexpected act of vengeance. Fonte won the Best Actor prize at Cannes.
Garrone’s Archimede produced alongside Rai Cinema’s Paolo Del Brocco, Le Pacte’s Jean Labadie, and Recorded Picture Company’s Jeremy Thomas. Magnolia has U.S. rights. Garrone’s previous credits include Gomorrah, Reality and Tale Of Tales, all of which played at Cannes.
Italy has been the most successful country in the Academy’s Foreign Language category, scoring 14 wins and 31 nominations. The country’s last nomination and win in the category came in 2013 with Paolo Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty.
Marcello Fonte stars as Marcello, a gentle dog groomer who finds himself involved in a dangerous relationship with Simone (Edoardo Pesce), a former violent boxer who terrorizes the entire neighbourhood. In an effort to reaffirm his dignity, Marcello must submit to an unexpected act of vengeance. Fonte won the Best Actor prize at Cannes.
Garrone’s Archimede produced alongside Rai Cinema’s Paolo Del Brocco, Le Pacte’s Jean Labadie, and Recorded Picture Company’s Jeremy Thomas. Magnolia has U.S. rights. Garrone’s previous credits include Gomorrah, Reality and Tale Of Tales, all of which played at Cannes.
Italy has been the most successful country in the Academy’s Foreign Language category, scoring 14 wins and 31 nominations. The country’s last nomination and win in the category came in 2013 with Paolo Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty.
- 9/25/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Poland has chosen Pawel Pawlikowski’s Cannes-winning black and white drama Cold War as its Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Film.
The well-reviewed story of a fated Polish love affair set across Europe during the late 1950s and early 1960s, is among the favorites for the prize. It is Pawlikowski’s first film since 2014 pic Ida, which won the Foreign Language Oscar. Amazon will release stateside on Dec. 21.
“Cold War — artistically fulfilled, universal story of impossible love, inscribed in the turbulent history of 20th century Poland,” the Polish Oscar Committee stated in a press release. “Pawel Pawlikowski’s film captivates with its performance, excellent acting and unique use of Polish folk music motifs. The previous successes of the film on the international arena will certainly help in further promotional activities.”
Also entering the fray this week are Dante Lam’s blockbuster Operation Red Sea for Hong Kong, Rima Das’s Village Rockstars for India,...
The well-reviewed story of a fated Polish love affair set across Europe during the late 1950s and early 1960s, is among the favorites for the prize. It is Pawlikowski’s first film since 2014 pic Ida, which won the Foreign Language Oscar. Amazon will release stateside on Dec. 21.
“Cold War — artistically fulfilled, universal story of impossible love, inscribed in the turbulent history of 20th century Poland,” the Polish Oscar Committee stated in a press release. “Pawel Pawlikowski’s film captivates with its performance, excellent acting and unique use of Polish folk music motifs. The previous successes of the film on the international arena will certainly help in further promotional activities.”
Also entering the fray this week are Dante Lam’s blockbuster Operation Red Sea for Hong Kong, Rima Das’s Village Rockstars for India,...
- 9/24/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
France has selected Emmanuel Finkiel’s Memoir of War as its official selection for the Oscars’ Foreign Language film race. The pic, which Finkiel adapted from Marguerite Duras’ semi-autobiographical 1944 novel set in Nazi-occupied Paris, stars Mélanie Thierry in a story of love, loss, and perseverance against the backdrop of war.
Music Box Films holds U.S. rights to Memoir of War and released it in theaters last month.
The film came out on top on a shortlist that included Gaspar Noé’s Cannes buzz title Climax, the late Claude Lanzmann’s Les Quatre Sœurs, Mademoiselle De Joncquières by Emmanuel Mouret, and Xavier Legrand’s Jusqu’à La Garde. The choice was finalized today by France’s National Film Center (Cnc), which said the film, known in France as La Douleur (The Pain), has seen 350,00 submissions in French theaters.
The plot centers on Duras (Thierry) who is is an active...
Music Box Films holds U.S. rights to Memoir of War and released it in theaters last month.
The film came out on top on a shortlist that included Gaspar Noé’s Cannes buzz title Climax, the late Claude Lanzmann’s Les Quatre Sœurs, Mademoiselle De Joncquières by Emmanuel Mouret, and Xavier Legrand’s Jusqu’à La Garde. The choice was finalized today by France’s National Film Center (Cnc), which said the film, known in France as La Douleur (The Pain), has seen 350,00 submissions in French theaters.
The plot centers on Duras (Thierry) who is is an active...
- 9/21/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated with additional release date info: Gustav Möller’s The Guilty, which won this year’s Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Audience Award, has been selected by Denmark as the country’s official entry into the Oscar Foreign Language Film race.
The thriller, Möller’s directorial debut, was acquired by Magnolia Pictures in Park City and is hitting U.S. theaters October 19 in 25 markets. It next screens at Fantastic Fest which launches today.
The film centers on a police officer (Jakob Cedergren), who, when demoted to desk work, expects a sleepy beat as an emergency dispatcher. That changes when he answers a panicked phone call from a kidnapped woman who then disconnects abruptly. Confined to the police station, he is forced to use others as his eyes and ears as the severity of the crime slowly becomes more clear, with all the action set in his single location.
Denmark has...
The thriller, Möller’s directorial debut, was acquired by Magnolia Pictures in Park City and is hitting U.S. theaters October 19 in 25 markets. It next screens at Fantastic Fest which launches today.
The film centers on a police officer (Jakob Cedergren), who, when demoted to desk work, expects a sleepy beat as an emergency dispatcher. That changes when he answers a panicked phone call from a kidnapped woman who then disconnects abruptly. Confined to the police station, he is forced to use others as his eyes and ears as the severity of the crime slowly becomes more clear, with all the action set in his single location.
Denmark has...
- 9/20/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Nadine Labaki’s critical hit Capernaum, which was snapped up by Sony Classics in May, has been selected as Lebanon’s Foreign Language Oscar submission.
The Cannes Jury Prize winner, directed by Nadine Labaki, focuses on a 12-year-old boy in a fictitious Middle Eastern village who sues his parents for bringing him into a world of such suffering. The film features mostly non-professional actors. This year, The Insult by Ziad Doueiri won Lebanon’s first ever Academy Award nomination.
Also entering the Foreign Language race this week have been Brazil, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Thailand and Indonesia. Below is the full list of submissions to date.
2019 Foreign Language Film Oscar Submissions Algeria – Until The End Of Time – Yasmine Chouikh Austria – The Waldheim Waltz – Ruth Beckermann Belarus – Crystal Swan – Darya Zhuk Belgium – Girl – Lukas Dhont Bolivia – Muralla – Rodrigo Patiño Bosnia – Never Leave Me – Aida Begic Brazil – The Great Mystical Circus – Carlos Diegues...
The Cannes Jury Prize winner, directed by Nadine Labaki, focuses on a 12-year-old boy in a fictitious Middle Eastern village who sues his parents for bringing him into a world of such suffering. The film features mostly non-professional actors. This year, The Insult by Ziad Doueiri won Lebanon’s first ever Academy Award nomination.
Also entering the Foreign Language race this week have been Brazil, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Thailand and Indonesia. Below is the full list of submissions to date.
2019 Foreign Language Film Oscar Submissions Algeria – Until The End Of Time – Yasmine Chouikh Austria – The Waldheim Waltz – Ruth Beckermann Belarus – Crystal Swan – Darya Zhuk Belgium – Girl – Lukas Dhont Bolivia – Muralla – Rodrigo Patiño Bosnia – Never Leave Me – Aida Begic Brazil – The Great Mystical Circus – Carlos Diegues...
- 9/19/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The Oscar race for Best Foreign Language Film now has a clear frontrunner, because Mexico has submitted Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” in the category.
Winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and one of the most acclaimed films of the fall festival circuit, “Roma” is a beautiful black-and-white film based on moments from Cuaron’s childhood, growing up in a suburb of Mexico City. The Netflix release is also a strong Best Picture contender, the only one of the 40-plus foreign-language entries to be in the running for both awards.
At this point, for it not to land a foreign-language nomination would be astonishing, though Netflix failed to make the cut last year in the category even though it had by far the highest-profile submission, Angelina Jolie’s “First They Killed My Father.”
Also Read: 'Roma' Film Review: Alfonso Cuarón's Intimate Epic Proves Less...
Winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and one of the most acclaimed films of the fall festival circuit, “Roma” is a beautiful black-and-white film based on moments from Cuaron’s childhood, growing up in a suburb of Mexico City. The Netflix release is also a strong Best Picture contender, the only one of the 40-plus foreign-language entries to be in the running for both awards.
At this point, for it not to land a foreign-language nomination would be astonishing, though Netflix failed to make the cut last year in the category even though it had by far the highest-profile submission, Angelina Jolie’s “First They Killed My Father.”
Also Read: 'Roma' Film Review: Alfonso Cuarón's Intimate Epic Proves Less...
- 9/14/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
No surprise here, but Mexico just selected Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma from Netflix as its official submission for the Foreign Language Film Oscar.
After its launch in the fall festival space, Roma has been on fire, collecting the Golden Lion at Venice. Cuarón’s memoir to his homeland reportedly also played in a cinema down in Mexico City during August to qualify. Netflix is working to give Roma a theatrical release in Dolby Atmos, the format the director prefers. Deadline heard that qualifying theatrical run will start December 14 in select cities.
Much like how Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon received love throughout all Oscar categories outside of foreign language, it would come as no surprise to see the same here for Roma.
Cuarón produced, wrote, directed and shot the black-and-white pic about his memories growing up in Mexico City. In 2014, he became the first Mexico-born filmmaker...
After its launch in the fall festival space, Roma has been on fire, collecting the Golden Lion at Venice. Cuarón’s memoir to his homeland reportedly also played in a cinema down in Mexico City during August to qualify. Netflix is working to give Roma a theatrical release in Dolby Atmos, the format the director prefers. Deadline heard that qualifying theatrical run will start December 14 in select cities.
Much like how Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon received love throughout all Oscar categories outside of foreign language, it would come as no surprise to see the same here for Roma.
Cuarón produced, wrote, directed and shot the black-and-white pic about his memories growing up in Mexico City. In 2014, he became the first Mexico-born filmmaker...
- 9/14/2018
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Russia, Hungary and Paraguay have selected their Foreign Language Oscar hopefuls.
Hungary has chosen Venice Film Festival Competition drama Sunset from director Laszlo Nemes who won the Foreign Language Oscar in 2016 for Son Of Saul. Sony Classics handles Sunset, which is set in Budapest on the brink of World War I.
Juli Jakab (Son Of Saul) stars as a young woman orphaned at an early age, who arrives in the city looking for work at a successful hat store that used to belong to her parents. Repelled by the new owner, she becomes embroiled in a mystery surrounding her long-lost brother.
Meanwhile, Russia has selected Sobibor as its choice in the category. Konstantin Khabensky’s World War II film is based on the true story of an uprising in the Sobibor Nazi extermination camp in 1943, led by Soviet officer Alexander Pechersky. The pic was released in Russia in May, taking...
Hungary has chosen Venice Film Festival Competition drama Sunset from director Laszlo Nemes who won the Foreign Language Oscar in 2016 for Son Of Saul. Sony Classics handles Sunset, which is set in Budapest on the brink of World War I.
Juli Jakab (Son Of Saul) stars as a young woman orphaned at an early age, who arrives in the city looking for work at a successful hat store that used to belong to her parents. Repelled by the new owner, she becomes embroiled in a mystery surrounding her long-lost brother.
Meanwhile, Russia has selected Sobibor as its choice in the category. Konstantin Khabensky’s World War II film is based on the true story of an uprising in the Sobibor Nazi extermination camp in 1943, led by Soviet officer Alexander Pechersky. The pic was released in Russia in May, taking...
- 9/11/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Lee Chang-dong’s drama Burning has been selected by South Korea as its submission for the Foreign Language Oscar race this year. Burning made its debut at Cannes in May where it won the Fipresci. It’s also headed for Toronto, Fantastic Fest and the New York Film Festival.
The film, loosely based on Haruki Murakami’s short story Barn Burning, features Korean-American actor Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead) in his first starring role in a local pic. It’s an examination of an alienated young man, Jongsu (Yoo Ah-In), a frustrated introvert whose already difficult life is complicated by the appearance of two people into his orbit: first, Haemi (newcomer Jeon Jong-seo), a spirited woman who offers romantic possibility, and then, Ben (Yeun), a wealthy and sophisticated young man she returns from a trip with. When Jongsu learns of Ben’s mysterious hobby and Haemi suddenly disappears, his confusion and obsessions begin to mount,...
The film, loosely based on Haruki Murakami’s short story Barn Burning, features Korean-American actor Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead) in his first starring role in a local pic. It’s an examination of an alienated young man, Jongsu (Yoo Ah-In), a frustrated introvert whose already difficult life is complicated by the appearance of two people into his orbit: first, Haemi (newcomer Jeon Jong-seo), a spirited woman who offers romantic possibility, and then, Ben (Yeun), a wealthy and sophisticated young man she returns from a trip with. When Jongsu learns of Ben’s mysterious hobby and Haemi suddenly disappears, his confusion and obsessions begin to mount,...
- 9/7/2018
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Best film winner is traditionally entered as Israel’s foreign-language Oscar submission.
Ofir Raul Graizer’s bittersweet romantic drama The Cakemaker triumphed at Israel’s prestigious Ophir Awards on Thursday evening (Sept 6), clinching six prizes including best film.
The winner of the best film Ophir traditionally goes on to represent Israel as the country’s foreign-language Oscar submission.
A tale secrets and loss, the drama revolved around Berlin pastry chef Thomas who heads to Jerusalem in the footsteps of his late married Israeli lover, where he bonds with the man’s wife Anat.
It was produced by Itai Tamir at...
Ofir Raul Graizer’s bittersweet romantic drama The Cakemaker triumphed at Israel’s prestigious Ophir Awards on Thursday evening (Sept 6), clinching six prizes including best film.
The winner of the best film Ophir traditionally goes on to represent Israel as the country’s foreign-language Oscar submission.
A tale secrets and loss, the drama revolved around Berlin pastry chef Thomas who heads to Jerusalem in the footsteps of his late married Israeli lover, where he bonds with the man’s wife Anat.
It was produced by Itai Tamir at...
- 9/7/2018
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
German-Israeli film “The Cakemaker” won best picture at Israel’s Ophir Awards on Thursday evening, an accolade that automatically makes it the country’s submission to the foreign-language film category at the Oscars.
The film was written and directed by Ofir Raul Graizer, an Israeli who lives in Berlin. Released last year, “The Cakemaker” focuses on a young German baker named Thomas who falls in love with Oren, a married Israeli man visiting Berlin. After Oren dies in a car crash, Thomas travels to Jerusalem to find closure – and answers – concealing his identity and insinuating himself into the life of Oren’s widow, Anat, by working as a cake-maker in her cafe.
The film first premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival last year, where it won the Ecumenical Jury prize.
On Thursday, “The Cakemaker” picked up five other Ophir Awards, Israel’s version of the Oscars, including best screenplay,...
The film was written and directed by Ofir Raul Graizer, an Israeli who lives in Berlin. Released last year, “The Cakemaker” focuses on a young German baker named Thomas who falls in love with Oren, a married Israeli man visiting Berlin. After Oren dies in a car crash, Thomas travels to Jerusalem to find closure – and answers – concealing his identity and insinuating himself into the life of Oren’s widow, Anat, by working as a cake-maker in her cafe.
The film first premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival last year, where it won the Ecumenical Jury prize.
On Thursday, “The Cakemaker” picked up five other Ophir Awards, Israel’s version of the Oscars, including best screenplay,...
- 9/6/2018
- by Amy Spiro
- Variety Film + TV
Israel has selected Ophir Raul Grazier’s The Cakemaker as its official submission for the best foreign-language film category at the Oscars.
The Israel-Germany co-production, which entangles and strangely unites a gay man and a straight woman over the loss of a shared loved one, won seven Ophir Awards from the Israeli Academy of Film and Television, including best lead actress Sarah Adler (Foxtrot, Aya); best screenplay; best director for Grazier, in what was his feature debut; and the all-important best film. The annual ceremony took place Thursday evening in the city of Ashdod.
The Cakemaker stars German actor Tim Kalkhof ...
The Israel-Germany co-production, which entangles and strangely unites a gay man and a straight woman over the loss of a shared loved one, won seven Ophir Awards from the Israeli Academy of Film and Television, including best lead actress Sarah Adler (Foxtrot, Aya); best screenplay; best director for Grazier, in what was his feature debut; and the all-important best film. The annual ceremony took place Thursday evening in the city of Ashdod.
The Cakemaker stars German actor Tim Kalkhof ...
Israel has selected Ophir Raul Grazier’s The Cakemaker as its official submission for the best foreign-language film category at the Oscars.
The Israel-Germany co-production, which entangles and strangely unites a gay man and a straight woman over the loss of a shared loved one, won seven Ophir Awards from the Israeli Academy of Film and Television, including best lead actress Sarah Adler (Foxtrot, Aya); best screenplay; best director for Grazier, in what was his feature debut; and the all-important best film. The annual ceremony took place Thursday evening in the city of Ashdod.
The Cakemaker stars German actor Tim Kalkhof ...
The Israel-Germany co-production, which entangles and strangely unites a gay man and a straight woman over the loss of a shared loved one, won seven Ophir Awards from the Israeli Academy of Film and Television, including best lead actress Sarah Adler (Foxtrot, Aya); best screenplay; best director for Grazier, in what was his feature debut; and the all-important best film. The annual ceremony took place Thursday evening in the city of Ashdod.
The Cakemaker stars German actor Tim Kalkhof ...
Tim Kalkhof as Thomas in director Ophir Raul Graizer’s The Cakemaker. Photo courtesy of Strand Releasing.
Israeli writer/director Ophir Raul Graizer crafts a brilliant, moving drama that touches on identity, secrets, loneliness, sexuality and grief, in the Israeli-German drama The Cakemaker. The drama is in English, German and Hebrew, with English subtitles.
Israeli businessman Oren (Roy Miller) is a man living a double life., traveling monthly between Israel and Germany for his work as a city planner for an Israeli-German company. He has a wife Anat (Sarah Adler) and young son in Jerusalem and a gay lover Thomas (Tim Kalkhof), a gifted young baker, in Berlin. The quiet German baker knows from the start that Oren is married, and accepts their secret status, but Oren’s wife Anat (Sarah Adler) does not know, and according to Oren, never will. For a year, Oren visits Thomas every month or so,...
Israeli writer/director Ophir Raul Graizer crafts a brilliant, moving drama that touches on identity, secrets, loneliness, sexuality and grief, in the Israeli-German drama The Cakemaker. The drama is in English, German and Hebrew, with English subtitles.
Israeli businessman Oren (Roy Miller) is a man living a double life., traveling monthly between Israel and Germany for his work as a city planner for an Israeli-German company. He has a wife Anat (Sarah Adler) and young son in Jerusalem and a gay lover Thomas (Tim Kalkhof), a gifted young baker, in Berlin. The quiet German baker knows from the start that Oren is married, and accepts their secret status, but Oren’s wife Anat (Sarah Adler) does not know, and according to Oren, never will. For a year, Oren visits Thomas every month or so,...
- 8/17/2018
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Strand Releasing has acquired all U.S. rights to Eric Khoo’s drama “Ramen Shop” from MK2 Films, Variety has learned exclusively.
The film, which premiered at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, will have its North American premiere in New York at Japan Society on July 19 as the opening film of Japan Cuts: Festival of New Japanese Films.
“We are thrilled to premiere ‘Ramen Shop’ as the opening film of this year’s Japan Cuts,” said Aiko Masubuchi, senior film programmer at Japan Society. “Khoo’s touching transnational drama shows how food, like cinema, offers a bridge across cultures and histories. We are honored that he and star Takumi Saitoh will join to share the film with our audiences.”
The movie centers on a young chef who leaves his hometown in Japan to embark on a culinary journey to Singapore to find out the truth about his parents...
The film, which premiered at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, will have its North American premiere in New York at Japan Society on July 19 as the opening film of Japan Cuts: Festival of New Japanese Films.
“We are thrilled to premiere ‘Ramen Shop’ as the opening film of this year’s Japan Cuts,” said Aiko Masubuchi, senior film programmer at Japan Society. “Khoo’s touching transnational drama shows how food, like cinema, offers a bridge across cultures and histories. We are honored that he and star Takumi Saitoh will join to share the film with our audiences.”
The movie centers on a young chef who leaves his hometown in Japan to embark on a culinary journey to Singapore to find out the truth about his parents...
- 6/26/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
The Cakemaker Strand Releasing Reviewed by: Harvey Karten Director: Ofir Raul Graizer Screenwriter: Ofir Raul Graizer Cast: Tim Kalkhof, Sarah Adler, Roy Miller, Zohar Strauss, Sandra Sade Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, Opens: June 29 in NY and La “The Cakemaker” is a lovely, bittersweet drama that takes place both in a charming café in […]
The post The Cakemaker Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post The Cakemaker Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 6/25/2018
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Strand Releasing has acquired U.S. rights to Christophe Honore’s “Sorry Angel” which world premiered in competition at Cannes Film Festival.
Sold by MK2, “Sorry Angel” takes place in Paris, in 1993, and follows Jacques, a renown writer and single father in his 30’s who is desperately trying to maintain a sense of normalcy against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis and unexpectedly falls in love with an enthusiastic aspiring writer in his early 20s.
The film is headlined by a strong French cast, including Pierre Deladonchamps (“Stranger by the Lake”), Vincent Lacoste (“Lolo”) and Denis Podalydes (“Mr & Mme Adelman”).
Speaking to Variety at Cannes, Honoré said he wanted, through the film, to “explore (his) memories of being in my 20s in the ’90s.” “AIDS was part of our lives (…) and the fear of death was looming over love and sex relationships,” said Honoré.
“We’re delighted that this very...
Sold by MK2, “Sorry Angel” takes place in Paris, in 1993, and follows Jacques, a renown writer and single father in his 30’s who is desperately trying to maintain a sense of normalcy against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis and unexpectedly falls in love with an enthusiastic aspiring writer in his early 20s.
The film is headlined by a strong French cast, including Pierre Deladonchamps (“Stranger by the Lake”), Vincent Lacoste (“Lolo”) and Denis Podalydes (“Mr & Mme Adelman”).
Speaking to Variety at Cannes, Honoré said he wanted, through the film, to “explore (his) memories of being in my 20s in the ’90s.” “AIDS was part of our lives (…) and the fear of death was looming over love and sex relationships,” said Honoré.
“We’re delighted that this very...
- 6/14/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
After wrapping up Cannes Film Festival, the summer season continues with one premiere from that festival, and much more. Including a few studio tentpoles that pique our interest, as well as other festival favorites finally hitting theaters, there’s something for everyone this month.
Matinees to See: Adrift (6/1), Hotel Artemis (6/8), Hearts Beat Loud (6/8), The Workers Cup (6/8), Gabriel and the Mountain (6/15), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (6/22), The Catcher Was a Spy (6/22), Love, Cecil (6/29), The Cakemaker (6/29), and Woman Walks Ahead (6/29)
15. Sicario: Day of the Soldado (June 29)
Synopsis: The drug war on the Us-Mexico border has escalated as the cartels have begun trafficking terrorists across the Us border. To fight the war, federal agent Matt Graver re-teams with the mercurial Alejandro.
Trailer
Why You Should See It: Without the creative contributions from Denis Villeneuve and Roger Deakins, one can’t quite shake the feeling that this Sicario follow-up might be better fitting as a straight-to-Netflix release.
Matinees to See: Adrift (6/1), Hotel Artemis (6/8), Hearts Beat Loud (6/8), The Workers Cup (6/8), Gabriel and the Mountain (6/15), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (6/22), The Catcher Was a Spy (6/22), Love, Cecil (6/29), The Cakemaker (6/29), and Woman Walks Ahead (6/29)
15. Sicario: Day of the Soldado (June 29)
Synopsis: The drug war on the Us-Mexico border has escalated as the cartels have begun trafficking terrorists across the Us border. To fight the war, federal agent Matt Graver re-teams with the mercurial Alejandro.
Trailer
Why You Should See It: Without the creative contributions from Denis Villeneuve and Roger Deakins, one can’t quite shake the feeling that this Sicario follow-up might be better fitting as a straight-to-Netflix release.
- 5/30/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
"A story of hidden love, challenged faith, and unwittingly shared grief." Strand Releasing has unveiled an official Us trailer for a German drama titled The Cakemaker, which played at a number of film festivals throughout 2017. Made by Israeli filmmaker Ofir Raul Graizer, the film is about a talented young German baker who travels to Israel after his secret lover, an Israeli married man, is killed in a car crash. There he searches for his lover's wife and son, but ends up lost in an entirely different world with all kinds of feelings to deal with. Tim Kalkhof stars as Thomas, along with Sarah Adler, Zohar Shtrauss, Sandra Sade, and Roy Miller. The film won various awards at the Jerusalem Film Festival, Karlovy Vary Film Festival, and Miami Jewish Film Festival. This looks like a good under-the-radar foreign film to discover - see below. Here's the official Us trailer (+ poster) for Ofir Raul Graizer's The Cakemaker,...
- 5/25/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Strand Releasing has acquired all North American rights to Laura Bispuri’s sophomore outing “Daughter of Mine,” which screened at the Tribeca Film Festival.
“Daughter of Mine” world premiered in competition at the Berlin Film Festival where it earned a warm critical reception. Strand Releasing bought the film from The Match Factory.
Written by Francesca Manieri and Bispuri, “Daughter of Mine” is set in Sardinia and follows a young adopted girl who is happy with her adoptive family, and is torn when her birth mother arrives one day. The girl must choose between two women, one who has lovingly raised her and the other, a dissolute, free-spirited woman. The film stars critically-acclaimed Italian actresses Alba Rohrwacher and Valeria Golino in the lead roles.
“We’re thrilled to distribute this delicate and beautiful film. Laura really showcases the talents of two amazing actresses in this finely tuned piece,” said Strand Releasing’s Jon Gerrans,...
“Daughter of Mine” world premiered in competition at the Berlin Film Festival where it earned a warm critical reception. Strand Releasing bought the film from The Match Factory.
Written by Francesca Manieri and Bispuri, “Daughter of Mine” is set in Sardinia and follows a young adopted girl who is happy with her adoptive family, and is torn when her birth mother arrives one day. The girl must choose between two women, one who has lovingly raised her and the other, a dissolute, free-spirited woman. The film stars critically-acclaimed Italian actresses Alba Rohrwacher and Valeria Golino in the lead roles.
“We’re thrilled to distribute this delicate and beautiful film. Laura really showcases the talents of two amazing actresses in this finely tuned piece,” said Strand Releasing’s Jon Gerrans,...
- 4/27/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Producer Uri Singer has acquired remake rights to The Cakemaker, Israeli director Ofir Raul Graizer’s debut drama that played the festival circuit last year. Singer via his Passage Pictures will team with Graizer on a U.S. adaptation.
The Iraeli-German film, which had its world premiere last year at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, centers on a secret affair between a Berlin pastry chef and a visiting Israeli businessman that is cut short when the latter is killed in a car crash. The chef seeks out the man’s widow and son and ends up working in her cafe — she doesn’t know they are grieving for the same reason. The pic is in English, German and Hebrew.
“This film is completely aligned with the projects Passage Pictures develops,” Singer said. “It is a delicate and moving human story about love and loss that can leave audiences all...
The Iraeli-German film, which had its world premiere last year at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, centers on a secret affair between a Berlin pastry chef and a visiting Israeli businessman that is cut short when the latter is killed in a car crash. The chef seeks out the man’s widow and son and ends up working in her cafe — she doesn’t know they are grieving for the same reason. The pic is in English, German and Hebrew.
“This film is completely aligned with the projects Passage Pictures develops,” Singer said. “It is a delicate and moving human story about love and loss that can leave audiences all...
- 4/6/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
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