Mohamed Kordofani’s Goodbye Julia and Kaouther Ben Hania’s Four Daughters lead the nominations for the 8th Critics Awards for Arab Films, which will be held during the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.
Both features picked up seven nominations apiece for the awards, focused on Arab films that were produced and premiered outside of the Arab world in 2023. Overseen and run by the Cairo-based Arab Cinema Centre (Acc), it was voted on by 209 critics from 72 countries and the winners will be announced during Cannes on May 18.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
This year’s nominees range from Sudan,...
Both features picked up seven nominations apiece for the awards, focused on Arab films that were produced and premiered outside of the Arab world in 2023. Overseen and run by the Cairo-based Arab Cinema Centre (Acc), it was voted on by 209 critics from 72 countries and the winners will be announced during Cannes on May 18.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
This year’s nominees range from Sudan,...
- 4/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
‘Four Daughters’ & ‘Goodbye Julia’ Lead Nominations For 8th Edition Of Critics Awards For Arab Films
Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania’s Oscar-nominated documentary Four Daughters and Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani’s Lupita Nyong’o-EPed drama Goodbye Julia lead the nominations in the eighth edition of the Critics Awards for Arab Films.
Hybrid work Four Daughters, exploring the story of a real-life Tunisian mother who lost two of her daughters to Isis after they were radicalized by a local preacher, world premiered in Competition in Cannes last year.
The film won Cannes’ Golden Eye for Best Documentary and also went on to be nominated for Best Documentary at the 2024 Academy Awards.
Kordofani’s Khartoum-set drama Goodbye Julia was also at Cannes in 2023, making history as the first Sudanese film to play in the festival across its 76 editions, with a debut in Un Certain Regard. It represented Sudan at in the 2023-24 Oscar race but was not nominated.
Set against the backdrop of the 2011 South Sudan Independence referendum,...
Hybrid work Four Daughters, exploring the story of a real-life Tunisian mother who lost two of her daughters to Isis after they were radicalized by a local preacher, world premiered in Competition in Cannes last year.
The film won Cannes’ Golden Eye for Best Documentary and also went on to be nominated for Best Documentary at the 2024 Academy Awards.
Kordofani’s Khartoum-set drama Goodbye Julia was also at Cannes in 2023, making history as the first Sudanese film to play in the festival across its 76 editions, with a debut in Un Certain Regard. It represented Sudan at in the 2023-24 Oscar race but was not nominated.
Set against the backdrop of the 2011 South Sudan Independence referendum,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Qatar’s Doha Film Institute (Dfi) kicks off the 10th edition of its Qumra project and talent incubator event meeting this Friday.
Running from March 1 to 6 in downtown Doha and the lofty surroundings of the city’s I. M. Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art, the event will welcome the filmmakers and producers of 40 projects across all formats for six days of masterclasses, workshops and one-on-one mentoring sessions.
Participants include UK director Ana Naomi de Sousa with Naseem, Fight With Grace about boxing star Naseem Hamed; Moroccan filmmaker Alaa Eddine Aljem with Eldorado, The Taste of the South, his second feature after Cannes Critics’ Week title The Unknown Saint; Tunisian director Mehdi Barsaoui with Aïcha, which follows 2019 drama A Son for which Sami Bouajila won Best Actor in the Venice’s Horizons sidebar, and Palestinian director Saleh Saadi with TV series Dyouf, about a young man who returns to his...
Running from March 1 to 6 in downtown Doha and the lofty surroundings of the city’s I. M. Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art, the event will welcome the filmmakers and producers of 40 projects across all formats for six days of masterclasses, workshops and one-on-one mentoring sessions.
Participants include UK director Ana Naomi de Sousa with Naseem, Fight With Grace about boxing star Naseem Hamed; Moroccan filmmaker Alaa Eddine Aljem with Eldorado, The Taste of the South, his second feature after Cannes Critics’ Week title The Unknown Saint; Tunisian director Mehdi Barsaoui with Aïcha, which follows 2019 drama A Son for which Sami Bouajila won Best Actor in the Venice’s Horizons sidebar, and Palestinian director Saleh Saadi with TV series Dyouf, about a young man who returns to his...
- 2/28/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
In the opening moments of 20 Days in Mariupol, Mstyslav Chernov’s chilling account of the siege of the Ukrainian port city, a Russian tank marked with the ominous ‘Z’ swivels its turret toward a hospital. On an upper floor of the building, Chernov and his small team record as the cannon slowly rotates towards them, preparing to fire.
“The tank did shoot the hospital right above the floor we were at,” he says. “It hit between the fifth and sixth floors and a patient was killed with that shell.”
It was one of many times he put his life at risk to show the Russian army’s destruction of the city and its systematic targeting of civilians. He remembers feeling his life was about to end.
“Exactly in that moment in the film, this moment of uncertainty, the moment when tanks are shooting at the residential areas, when the hospital...
“The tank did shoot the hospital right above the floor we were at,” he says. “It hit between the fifth and sixth floors and a patient was killed with that shell.”
It was one of many times he put his life at risk to show the Russian army’s destruction of the city and its systematic targeting of civilians. He remembers feeling his life was about to end.
“Exactly in that moment in the film, this moment of uncertainty, the moment when tanks are shooting at the residential areas, when the hospital...
- 2/21/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Cph:Forum, the financing and co-production event on the industry programme of Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, has selected new projects from the producers of Flee and Cow for its 2024 edition; and has refreshed its industry awards with six prizes.
Danish producer Signe Byrge Sorensen will participate with Freedom (working title), directed by Camilla Nielsson, who previously made Sundance 2021 title President about a challenger in Zimbabwe’s corrupt presidential elections.
Scroll down for the full list of Forum projects
Sorensen is CEO of Danish documentary production house Final Cut For Real, which has made films including The Killing Of A Journalist,...
Danish producer Signe Byrge Sorensen will participate with Freedom (working title), directed by Camilla Nielsson, who previously made Sundance 2021 title President about a challenger in Zimbabwe’s corrupt presidential elections.
Scroll down for the full list of Forum projects
Sorensen is CEO of Danish documentary production house Final Cut For Real, which has made films including The Killing Of A Journalist,...
- 2/8/2024
- ScreenDaily
Cph:forum, the financing and co-production section of the Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival (also known as Cph:dox), will showcase 32 projects, including new works from producers such as Sidsel Lønvig Siersted, Signe Byrge Sørensen (“Flee”), Diane Becker (“Navalny”) and Mandy Chang, the creative director of Fremantle label Undeniable and former head of BBC documentary strand Storyville, as well as directors Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh (“Writing With Fire”), and Mads Brügger (“Cold Case Hammarskjöld”).
Other projects include those by directors Sky Hopinka (“Kicking the Clouds”), Talal Derki (“Of Fathers and Sons”), and Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche (“Advocat”), and producers Lindsey Dryden (“Trans in America”), Mila Aung-Thwin (“Midwives”) and Kat Mansoor (“Cow”).
Cph:forum will bring together more than 65 filmmakers and producers from 26 countries between March 18-21.
The selected projects will compete for a number of long-standing as well as newly-introduced awards at Cph:Industry, the professional section of the festival.
Other projects include those by directors Sky Hopinka (“Kicking the Clouds”), Talal Derki (“Of Fathers and Sons”), and Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche (“Advocat”), and producers Lindsey Dryden (“Trans in America”), Mila Aung-Thwin (“Midwives”) and Kat Mansoor (“Cow”).
Cph:forum will bring together more than 65 filmmakers and producers from 26 countries between March 18-21.
The selected projects will compete for a number of long-standing as well as newly-introduced awards at Cph:Industry, the professional section of the festival.
- 2/8/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
As we have mentioned many times before, the documentary format has been improving significantly through the latest years, particularly due to the increased exposure of the category due to both festivals and streaming services. With the main motto here being that ‘reality goes beyond any kind of imagination', the stories presented have been shocking and at the same time, quite entertaining, particularly since a number of Asian countries have started loosening the control over information available and the overall censorship. Even in countries that have not done the same, the result is actually similar, due to the diaspora filmmakers, who, outside the confines of authorities, managed to say all those things they were supposed not to. Lastly, the rise of the mockumentary, which seems to be included in various programs more as documentary rather than fiction, adds even more depth to the category.
Without further ado, here are the best...
Without further ado, here are the best...
- 1/6/2024
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
The rise of quality in the entries of this list becomes evident every year, with movies from countries such as Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jordan finding a number of way outs through festivals and streamers, winning awards all over. Of course, Iran still heads the region, as its biggest movie industry, but the biggest surprise this year came from Sri Lanka, which produced three films of true quality.
Without further ado, here are the best West-Central Asian (rest of Asia one could say) films of 2023, in random order. Some films may have premiered in 2022, but since they mostly circulated in 2023, we decided to include them.
20. Under the Sky of Damascus by Heba Khaled, Talal Derki, Ali Wajeeh (Syria)
“Under the Sky of Damascus” is a great documentary, a testament to the quality and the impact of the medium, and a movie that truly deserved the International Competition Golden...
Without further ado, here are the best West-Central Asian (rest of Asia one could say) films of 2023, in random order. Some films may have premiered in 2022, but since they mostly circulated in 2023, we decided to include them.
20. Under the Sky of Damascus by Heba Khaled, Talal Derki, Ali Wajeeh (Syria)
“Under the Sky of Damascus” is a great documentary, a testament to the quality and the impact of the medium, and a movie that truly deserved the International Competition Golden...
- 1/4/2024
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
When the last American transport plane left the tarmac at Kabul’s international airport in August 2021, ending a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and marking an unceremonious conclusion to what had been known as the “forever war,” the U.S. left more than unfulfilled promises and unanswered questions in its wake: Also left behind was more than $7 billion in military equipment, now in the hands of an Islamist government that rose to power not at the ballot box, but at the barrel of a gun.
What would become of all that sophisticated weaponry is a question that hung over the heads of the war-weary Afghan people, who after two decades of American occupation and brutal Taliban insurgency saw their dwindling hopes of democracy fade to black. It is a question, too, that hangs over “Hollywoodgate,” an arresting, verité portrait of the Taliban’s transition from a fundamentalist militia to a military...
What would become of all that sophisticated weaponry is a question that hung over the heads of the war-weary Afghan people, who after two decades of American occupation and brutal Taliban insurgency saw their dwindling hopes of democracy fade to black. It is a question, too, that hangs over “Hollywoodgate,” an arresting, verité portrait of the Taliban’s transition from a fundamentalist militia to a military...
- 8/31/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Talal Derki was born in Damascus, Syria in 1977, studied film directing in Athens and has lived in Berlin since 2013. His short films and documentaries have won numerous awards at festivals, with Return to Homs and Of Fathers and Sons both winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Of Fathers and Sons was also nominated for an Oscar and won Lolas at the 2019 German Film Awards for Best Documentary and Best Editing.
On the occasion of his latest film, “Under the Sky of Damascus”, screening in Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, where it won the Golden Alexander, we speak with him about the story and the motivation behind the movie, patriarchy and the place of women in Syria, the incident with the line producer, the current situation in the country, and other topics.
The first question that must have come to everyone's mind, is how this whole thing came to be?...
On the occasion of his latest film, “Under the Sky of Damascus”, screening in Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, where it won the Golden Alexander, we speak with him about the story and the motivation behind the movie, patriarchy and the place of women in Syria, the incident with the line producer, the current situation in the country, and other topics.
The first question that must have come to everyone's mind, is how this whole thing came to be?...
- 4/5/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Davis Guggenheim’s “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” will open the eighth edition of Chicago’s Doc10 documentary film festival on May 4.
About Fox’s life, career and work as a public advocate for Parkinson’s research, “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” debuted at Sundance in January. Guggenheim, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “An Inconvenient Truth” will be at Doc10 to participate in a post-screening conversation.
Doc10, a four-day fest running May 4-7, features a selection of 10 of this year’s most acclaimed documentaries and a package of prestigious doc shorts. Dedicated to supporting social-impact documentary films, the fest is hosted by Chicago Media Project, a company that raises funds for and produces docus including “Crip Camp” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
In addition to “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” Doc10 will screen: Penny Lane’s “Confessions of a Good Samaritan,” Nicole Newnham’s “The Disappearance of the Shere Hite,...
About Fox’s life, career and work as a public advocate for Parkinson’s research, “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” debuted at Sundance in January. Guggenheim, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “An Inconvenient Truth” will be at Doc10 to participate in a post-screening conversation.
Doc10, a four-day fest running May 4-7, features a selection of 10 of this year’s most acclaimed documentaries and a package of prestigious doc shorts. Dedicated to supporting social-impact documentary films, the fest is hosted by Chicago Media Project, a company that raises funds for and produces docus including “Crip Camp” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
In addition to “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” Doc10 will screen: Penny Lane’s “Confessions of a Good Samaritan,” Nicole Newnham’s “The Disappearance of the Shere Hite,...
- 3/27/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Cph:dox, the international nonfiction film festival in Copenhagen, isn’t shy about stating its ambitions.
“The long-term goal is to be the most important documentary festival in the world,” says artistic director Niklas Engström.
The 20th edition of the festival, which wrapped on Sunday, saw considerable progress toward that objective, Engström tells Deadline.
“It really feels like this is the year where the festival is taking off as an industry event,” the artistic director observes. “It’s been going in that direction for years. It’s been building and building, but it’s like some kind of next level that we reached this year.”
Evidence of that came with the number of documentary world premieres at the festival – more than 100 of them.
“We have a competition 100 percent consisting of world premieres. And I think that’s the next level, coming from where we were the European launching pad for Sundance titles — and still are,...
“The long-term goal is to be the most important documentary festival in the world,” says artistic director Niklas Engström.
The 20th edition of the festival, which wrapped on Sunday, saw considerable progress toward that objective, Engström tells Deadline.
“It really feels like this is the year where the festival is taking off as an industry event,” the artistic director observes. “It’s been going in that direction for years. It’s been building and building, but it’s like some kind of next level that we reached this year.”
Evidence of that came with the number of documentary world premieres at the festival – more than 100 of them.
“We have a competition 100 percent consisting of world premieres. And I think that’s the next level, coming from where we were the European launching pad for Sundance titles — and still are,...
- 3/27/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
In the end, I will end up becoming annoying, but I have to say once more that documentaries prove that “Truth is stranger than fiction” repeatedly in the most pointed way. “Under the Sky of Damascus” a movie focusing on a group of young Syrian women who decide to produce a play using anonymous statements of women that have suffered in the hands of men, while also making the particular documentary about their efforts, is definitely one of those films, as the result is as meta as it is shocking.
While the consequences of war in Syria are known throughout the world, the misogyny and overall violence against women, both domestically and in the workplaces, is not something that is exactly discussed. Five young women, Farah, Eliana, Inana, Souhir, and Grace come together to highlight the issue through a stage play, despite the fact that they realize the problems this...
While the consequences of war in Syria are known throughout the world, the misogyny and overall violence against women, both domestically and in the workplaces, is not something that is exactly discussed. Five young women, Farah, Eliana, Inana, Souhir, and Grace come together to highlight the issue through a stage play, despite the fact that they realize the problems this...
- 3/16/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Doc previously had world premiere at Berlinale.
Under The Sky Of Damascus by Talal Derki, Heba Khaled and Ali Wajeeh won the Golden Alexander prize in the international competition of the 25th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, which closed on March 12.
The Denmark-Germany-us-Syrian co-production centres on a group of young Syrian women producing a play that lays bare the culture of misogyny and sexual abuse that has blighted their lives. The documentary had its world premiere in the Panorama section of this year Berlinale.
The Golden Alexander comes with a €12,000 and secures the place in the pre-selection shortlist for the Best Documentary Academy Award.
Under The Sky Of Damascus by Talal Derki, Heba Khaled and Ali Wajeeh won the Golden Alexander prize in the international competition of the 25th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, which closed on March 12.
The Denmark-Germany-us-Syrian co-production centres on a group of young Syrian women producing a play that lays bare the culture of misogyny and sexual abuse that has blighted their lives. The documentary had its world premiere in the Panorama section of this year Berlinale.
The Golden Alexander comes with a €12,000 and secures the place in the pre-selection shortlist for the Best Documentary Academy Award.
- 3/13/2023
- by Alexis Grivas
- ScreenDaily
The Thessaloniki Intl. Documentary Festival wrapped its 25th edition with a muted closing night on Sunday, with festival organizers scrapping an official award ceremony as Greece continues to mourn the loss of 57 lives in a deadly rail accident on Feb. 28.
The awards for this year’s festival — including the Golden Alexander, which went to Heba Khaled, Talal Derki and Ali Wajeeh’s “Under the Sky of Damascus” — were handed out behind closed doors earlier in the day.
Artistic director Orestis Andreadakis told Variety prior to the festival’s conclusion, “As a sign of respect, the festival canceled from the very start all ceremonies and festive events. In the same spirit, it was decided to call off the closing ceremony.”
Many of the awarded filmmakers were nevertheless on hand at Thessaloniki’s Olympion cinema on Sunday night, for the world premiere of “My Pet and Me,” by Dutch documentary filmmaker Johan Kramer.
The awards for this year’s festival — including the Golden Alexander, which went to Heba Khaled, Talal Derki and Ali Wajeeh’s “Under the Sky of Damascus” — were handed out behind closed doors earlier in the day.
Artistic director Orestis Andreadakis told Variety prior to the festival’s conclusion, “As a sign of respect, the festival canceled from the very start all ceremonies and festive events. In the same spirit, it was decided to call off the closing ceremony.”
Many of the awarded filmmakers were nevertheless on hand at Thessaloniki’s Olympion cinema on Sunday night, for the world premiere of “My Pet and Me,” by Dutch documentary filmmaker Johan Kramer.
- 3/13/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Purchasing and shooting on celluloid film, especially in this age of closing processing labs, is expensive for large and smaller productions alike: the documentary movement got its first legs in the ‘60s as its practitioners worked with the more economical 16mm film gauge, and a second burst of momentum in the early ‘00s with the advent of digital video. And their byword is quantity: the camera needs to roll and roll, so nary anything vital in the “actuality” shooting process is missed.
Under the Sky of Damascus is yet another testimony to what the camera can pick up, and the bevy of uncontrollable variables put into motion by any documentary project, especially if the filmmakers seem to be on the lookout for quite something else. This Berlinale-premiering work, by Syrian co-directors Talal Derki, Heba Khaled (the main deviser and narrator of the project), and film critic Ali Wajeeh, has a fractal dimension,...
Under the Sky of Damascus is yet another testimony to what the camera can pick up, and the bevy of uncontrollable variables put into motion by any documentary project, especially if the filmmakers seem to be on the lookout for quite something else. This Berlinale-premiering work, by Syrian co-directors Talal Derki, Heba Khaled (the main deviser and narrator of the project), and film critic Ali Wajeeh, has a fractal dimension,...
- 3/2/2023
- by David Katz
- The Film Stage
The Thessaloniki Documentary Festival kicks off its 25th edition Thursday at a time when the nonfiction genre has arguably reached unprecedented heights.
This year’s festival, which takes place March 2 – 12 in the seaside Mediterranean city, unfolds just days after veteran French docmaker Nicolas Philibert won the Golden Bear in Berlin for his documentary about a Paris mental health care facility, “On the Adamant.” The award capped a fortnight in which Sean Penn’s gonzo doc about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “Superpower,” also generated plenty of buzz (albeit lukewarm reviews).
Meanwhile, Cameroon’s Cyrielle Raingou took home Rotterdam’s Tiger Award just a few weeks earlier for “Le Spectre de Boko Haram,” a riveting view of terrorism seen through children’s eyes. And one summer ago, Laura Poitras triumphed on the Lido with “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” her docu-portrait of the photographer and activist Nan Goldin, which won the...
This year’s festival, which takes place March 2 – 12 in the seaside Mediterranean city, unfolds just days after veteran French docmaker Nicolas Philibert won the Golden Bear in Berlin for his documentary about a Paris mental health care facility, “On the Adamant.” The award capped a fortnight in which Sean Penn’s gonzo doc about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “Superpower,” also generated plenty of buzz (albeit lukewarm reviews).
Meanwhile, Cameroon’s Cyrielle Raingou took home Rotterdam’s Tiger Award just a few weeks earlier for “Le Spectre de Boko Haram,” a riveting view of terrorism seen through children’s eyes. And one summer ago, Laura Poitras triumphed on the Lido with “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” her docu-portrait of the photographer and activist Nan Goldin, which won the...
- 2/28/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
A sense of foreboding haunts Under the Sky of Damascus, a sobering documentary directed by Syrian filmmakers Talal Derki, Heba Khaled and Ali Wajeeh.
The film opens with a vindicating interview: The Syrian actress Sabah Al-Salem takes a long drag of her cigarette before recounting how her refusal to sleep with a high-ranking military officer landed her in prison. She looks down at the dining room table as she answers the gentle prodding of her interviewers. “You must have heard of the problems I encountered,” she says in response to their inquiries.
The interviewers — Farah and Souhir — respond with nods. Yes, they have heard of the abuse Al-Salem faced. They know that she was abandoned by friends in the film industry and all but disappeared from public life. They also understand, on a personal level, how their deeply misogynistic country offers no recourse or salvation for women. When Al-Salem says...
The film opens with a vindicating interview: The Syrian actress Sabah Al-Salem takes a long drag of her cigarette before recounting how her refusal to sleep with a high-ranking military officer landed her in prison. She looks down at the dining room table as she answers the gentle prodding of her interviewers. “You must have heard of the problems I encountered,” she says in response to their inquiries.
The interviewers — Farah and Souhir — respond with nods. Yes, they have heard of the abuse Al-Salem faced. They know that she was abandoned by friends in the film industry and all but disappeared from public life. They also understand, on a personal level, how their deeply misogynistic country offers no recourse or salvation for women. When Al-Salem says...
- 2/24/2023
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Millions of women in the Muslim world live under the dominion of men, subject to their rules, confined by their power. The documentary Under the Sky of Damascus, making its world premiere tonight at the Berlin Film Festival, examines the alarming gender politics in one ancient locality — the capital of Syria.
“Women are more enslaved than ever in these times,” actress Sabah Al Salem declares in the film directed by Heba Khaled, Oscar nominee Talal Derki and Ali Wajeeh. “The biggest exploitations we face are of a sexual nature.”
The film documents an attempt by a female-led theater company to create a bold play about the power imbalance in Syrian society, based on interviews conducted with women from a variety of backgrounds. Many of those testimonies are seen in the documentary, offering stark insight into the reality faced by Syrian women.
“When my dad gets mad, he tends to be aggressive,...
“Women are more enslaved than ever in these times,” actress Sabah Al Salem declares in the film directed by Heba Khaled, Oscar nominee Talal Derki and Ali Wajeeh. “The biggest exploitations we face are of a sexual nature.”
The film documents an attempt by a female-led theater company to create a bold play about the power imbalance in Syrian society, based on interviews conducted with women from a variety of backgrounds. Many of those testimonies are seen in the documentary, offering stark insight into the reality faced by Syrian women.
“When my dad gets mad, he tends to be aggressive,...
- 2/20/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Though the world watched — often in silence — as a decade-long civil war tore Syria apart, exiled filmmakers Talal Derki (“Of Fathers and Sons”) and Heba Khaled say an equally brutal but less visible war is still raging.
In “Under the Sky of Damascus,” which premieres Feb. 20 in the Panorama strand of the Berlin Film Festival, the duo shifts the lens to the silenced majority of Syrian women who routinely face sexual harassment, violence and abuse in their patriarchal society.
The film follows a tight-knit group of young Syrian women who embark upon on a radical project to produce a play that lays bare the culture of misogyny and sexual abuse that has blighted the lives of females in their country for generations.
Fanning out across the war-weary Syrian capital, they record testimonies from actresses to factory workers to stay-at-home mothers, revealing how women from across Syrian society share the same harrowing tales of abuse,...
In “Under the Sky of Damascus,” which premieres Feb. 20 in the Panorama strand of the Berlin Film Festival, the duo shifts the lens to the silenced majority of Syrian women who routinely face sexual harassment, violence and abuse in their patriarchal society.
The film follows a tight-knit group of young Syrian women who embark upon on a radical project to produce a play that lays bare the culture of misogyny and sexual abuse that has blighted the lives of females in their country for generations.
Fanning out across the war-weary Syrian capital, they record testimonies from actresses to factory workers to stay-at-home mothers, revealing how women from across Syrian society share the same harrowing tales of abuse,...
- 2/20/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
The powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake that recently struck the Turkish-Syrian border, becoming the deadliest disaster in the region’s modern history, is not reverberating much at the Berlin Film Festival.
At least not according to the co-chiefs of Turkey’s Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival.
“The festival’s opening ceremony started with Ukraine, ended with Ukraine and touched on Iran. But I don’t think they ever mentioned Turkey,” said Ahmet Boyacıoğlu, president of the fest that has historically always been the country’s prime local cinema catalyst.
The Berlinale points out that its invitation to the opening ceremony had a written appeal to make donations for the Turkish earthquake relief effort to the humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders.
“While I’m here, if a meeting doesn’t start with mention of the earthquake, I feel particularly depressed. And unfortunately that is happening,” noted Antalya’s artistic director, Başak Emre. “And...
At least not according to the co-chiefs of Turkey’s Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival.
“The festival’s opening ceremony started with Ukraine, ended with Ukraine and touched on Iran. But I don’t think they ever mentioned Turkey,” said Ahmet Boyacıoğlu, president of the fest that has historically always been the country’s prime local cinema catalyst.
The Berlinale points out that its invitation to the opening ceremony had a written appeal to make donations for the Turkish earthquake relief effort to the humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders.
“While I’m here, if a meeting doesn’t start with mention of the earthquake, I feel particularly depressed. And unfortunately that is happening,” noted Antalya’s artistic director, Başak Emre. “And...
- 2/20/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli and Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
The Doha Film Institute has recruited an impressive mix of film directors and talents comprising Christopher Hampton, David Parfitt, Jacqueline West, Lynne Ramsay, and Michael Winterbottom who will hold master classes and act as mentors during its upcoming Qumra Arab industry incubator.
The event, which is back in person after a two-year hiatus, will run physically March 10-15 in the Qatari capital of Doha, followed by an online program March 19-21. Qumra, which means “camera” in Arabic, blends together a creative workshop, co-production market, and festival elements. The event, now at its ninth edition, was established by the Doha Film Institute (Dfi) to help foster first and second works, mostly by Arab directors and to create curated networking opportunities between the Arab and international film communities.
“The latest edition of Qumra will continue its presence as a unique and important platform for important voices and compelling stories in Arab and world cinema,...
The event, which is back in person after a two-year hiatus, will run physically March 10-15 in the Qatari capital of Doha, followed by an online program March 19-21. Qumra, which means “camera” in Arabic, blends together a creative workshop, co-production market, and festival elements. The event, now at its ninth edition, was established by the Doha Film Institute (Dfi) to help foster first and second works, mostly by Arab directors and to create curated networking opportunities between the Arab and international film communities.
“The latest edition of Qumra will continue its presence as a unique and important platform for important voices and compelling stories in Arab and world cinema,...
- 2/19/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
U2 documentary ‘Kiss The Future’ added to Berlinale Special; further Generation titles revealed.
The Berlinale has completed the Panorama section for its 2023 edition with a raft of world premieres including UK thriller Femme, starring George MacKay and Candyman star Nathan Stewart-Jarrett.
The festival, which is set to run from February 16-26, has also revealed fresh titles selected for its Generation competition and the addition of U2 documentary Kiss The Future as a Berlinale Special screening.
The Panorama strand will comprise 35 films from 30 countries, including 28 world premieres and 11 debuts. Having previously announced several titles, the festival revealed that animated feature The...
The Berlinale has completed the Panorama section for its 2023 edition with a raft of world premieres including UK thriller Femme, starring George MacKay and Candyman star Nathan Stewart-Jarrett.
The festival, which is set to run from February 16-26, has also revealed fresh titles selected for its Generation competition and the addition of U2 documentary Kiss The Future as a Berlinale Special screening.
The Panorama strand will comprise 35 films from 30 countries, including 28 world premieres and 11 debuts. Having previously announced several titles, the festival revealed that animated feature The...
- 1/18/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Sepideh Farsi’s “La Sirène” (“The Siren”) is opening the Berlin Film Festival’s Panorama strand.
The program, which comprises 35 films from 30 countries, including 28 world premieres and 11 debuts, includes new films by Patric Chiha, İlker Çatak, Frauke Finsterwalder, Maite Alberdi, Milad Alami and Apolline Traoré. They feature a galaxy of well-known protagonists and actors such as Joan Baez, Jafar Panahi, Payman Maadi, George MacKay, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Fan Bingbing, Sandra Hüller and Susanne Wolff.
Panorama Selections
“After”
by Anthony Lapia | with Louise Chevillotte, Majd Mastoura, Natalia Wiszniewska
France
World premiere | Debut film
“All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White”
by Babatunde Apalowo | with Tope Tedela, Riyo David, Martha Ehinome Orhiere, Uchechika Elumelu, Floyd Anekwe
Nigeria
World premiere | Debut film
“And, Towards Happy Alleys”
by Sreemoyee Singh | with Jafar Panahi, Nasrin Soutodeh, Jinous Nazokkar, Farhad Kheradmand, Aida Mohammadkhani
India
World premiere | Debut film | Documentary
“La Bête dans la...
The program, which comprises 35 films from 30 countries, including 28 world premieres and 11 debuts, includes new films by Patric Chiha, İlker Çatak, Frauke Finsterwalder, Maite Alberdi, Milad Alami and Apolline Traoré. They feature a galaxy of well-known protagonists and actors such as Joan Baez, Jafar Panahi, Payman Maadi, George MacKay, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Fan Bingbing, Sandra Hüller and Susanne Wolff.
Panorama Selections
“After”
by Anthony Lapia | with Louise Chevillotte, Majd Mastoura, Natalia Wiszniewska
France
World premiere | Debut film
“All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White”
by Babatunde Apalowo | with Tope Tedela, Riyo David, Martha Ehinome Orhiere, Uchechika Elumelu, Floyd Anekwe
Nigeria
World premiere | Debut film
“And, Towards Happy Alleys”
by Sreemoyee Singh | with Jafar Panahi, Nasrin Soutodeh, Jinous Nazokkar, Farhad Kheradmand, Aida Mohammadkhani
India
World premiere | Debut film | Documentary
“La Bête dans la...
- 1/18/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar-nominated Syrian filmmaker Talal Derki (“Of Fathers and Sons”) is developing an epic fantasy series set in ancient Mesopotamia that marks the acclaimed documentarian’s first foray into episodic content.
“Shemesh Kingdom” takes place in the cradle of civilization five thousand years ago, where a prophecy foretells a great catastrophe that will wipe mankind from the face of the Earth. Only one nation will survive, led by a chosen man – the Master of the Crossing – who will usher them into the eternal Kingdom of Shemesh.
Derki, who is planning four seasons of the English-language series, described “Shemesh Kingdom” as “new blood” for audiences, adding: “It’s a different point of view about this type of fantasy [series].”
The series begins at a time of peace between the three kingdoms that rule over the ancient world: the kingdom of the East, Gergana; of the West, Lukiana; and of Middle Earth, Azaria. These...
“Shemesh Kingdom” takes place in the cradle of civilization five thousand years ago, where a prophecy foretells a great catastrophe that will wipe mankind from the face of the Earth. Only one nation will survive, led by a chosen man – the Master of the Crossing – who will usher them into the eternal Kingdom of Shemesh.
Derki, who is planning four seasons of the English-language series, described “Shemesh Kingdom” as “new blood” for audiences, adding: “It’s a different point of view about this type of fantasy [series].”
The series begins at a time of peace between the three kingdoms that rule over the ancient world: the kingdom of the East, Gergana; of the West, Lukiana; and of Middle Earth, Azaria. These...
- 4/6/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Fremantle’s global head of documentaries Mandy Chang insisted on Thursday that “the golden age of documentary is a cliché” and urged filmmakers to avoid “a two-tier system of haves and have nots,” where independent documentaries are crowded out by splashier commercial projects bankrolled by streaming platforms.
“Mainstream docs are popular, but not all documentaries are popular or given prominence,” Chang said to an audience in Copenhagen. “And success for me is a golden age not just for the mainstream, but for a plethora of smaller, less expensive, but still important and powerful films made by…a much more diverse group of filmmakers.”
The Fremantle executive was speaking during the four-day conference program at the Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival (Cph:dox), which runs March 23-April 3.
During her address, Chang warned against the influence of global streaming giants such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV Plus, whose deep pockets...
“Mainstream docs are popular, but not all documentaries are popular or given prominence,” Chang said to an audience in Copenhagen. “And success for me is a golden age not just for the mainstream, but for a plethora of smaller, less expensive, but still important and powerful films made by…a much more diverse group of filmmakers.”
The Fremantle executive was speaking during the four-day conference program at the Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival (Cph:dox), which runs March 23-April 3.
During her address, Chang warned against the influence of global streaming giants such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV Plus, whose deep pockets...
- 4/1/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar-nominated Syrian filmmaker Talal Derki (“Of Fathers and Sons”) is in Copenhagen this week pitching a top-secret documentary, “Hollywood Gate,” whose details are being kept under wraps during Cph:forum, the international financing and co-production event held during the Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival (Cph:dox).
The new feature, which the director confirmed is not being filmed in his native Syria, is currently in production, with Derki expecting to secure most of his footage by the end of the year. “We don’t want to put [the director’s] life in danger,” said Derki, who spoke exclusively to Variety about “Hollywood Gate” and other upcoming projects.
Describing the high-risk feature as a “very promising film,” the director said it’s the product of “very rare access” to “dangerous people” in key positions in an undisclosed country. “Hollywood Gate” will be directed by a first-time director working under the pseudonym Ibrahim Mohammad to protect his safety.
The new feature, which the director confirmed is not being filmed in his native Syria, is currently in production, with Derki expecting to secure most of his footage by the end of the year. “We don’t want to put [the director’s] life in danger,” said Derki, who spoke exclusively to Variety about “Hollywood Gate” and other upcoming projects.
Describing the high-risk feature as a “very promising film,” the director said it’s the product of “very rare access” to “dangerous people” in key positions in an undisclosed country. “Hollywood Gate” will be directed by a first-time director working under the pseudonym Ibrahim Mohammad to protect his safety.
- 4/1/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Award-winning filmmakers are helpin filmmakers develop their projects at the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra event.
International filmmakers Talal Derki, Tala Hadid and Annemarie Jacir are among the lead mentors at this year’s edition of the Doha Film Institute’s talent and project incubator Qumra, running online March 18 to 25.
They reveal their own career breakthrough moments and the lessons learned that they now pass onto a new generation of filmmakers.
Syrian documentarian Talal Derki
What got you into film?
I belong to the generation that grew up with film as an art and way of giving a story meaning...
International filmmakers Talal Derki, Tala Hadid and Annemarie Jacir are among the lead mentors at this year’s edition of the Doha Film Institute’s talent and project incubator Qumra, running online March 18 to 25.
They reveal their own career breakthrough moments and the lessons learned that they now pass onto a new generation of filmmakers.
Syrian documentarian Talal Derki
What got you into film?
I belong to the generation that grew up with film as an art and way of giving a story meaning...
- 3/21/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
There are 30 projects in first physical event since 2019.
New works from One Child Nation director Jialing Zhang and Chuck Norris vs. Communism filmmaker Ilinca Calugareanu are among the 30 projects participating in Cph:forum, the financing and co-production market of Cph:dox film festival.
The Forum will run from March 28-31, and will be the first in-person edition since 2019.
Scroll down for the full list of titles
Massachusetts-based Chinese filmmaker Zhang is participating with German-Dutch co-production The Total Trust (working title), produced by Knut Jager through Germany’s Filmtank. The documentary will examine the growth of surveillance culture in China, from cameras to AI profiling.
New works from One Child Nation director Jialing Zhang and Chuck Norris vs. Communism filmmaker Ilinca Calugareanu are among the 30 projects participating in Cph:forum, the financing and co-production market of Cph:dox film festival.
The Forum will run from March 28-31, and will be the first in-person edition since 2019.
Scroll down for the full list of titles
Massachusetts-based Chinese filmmaker Zhang is participating with German-Dutch co-production The Total Trust (working title), produced by Knut Jager through Germany’s Filmtank. The documentary will examine the growth of surveillance culture in China, from cameras to AI profiling.
- 2/10/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The El Gouna Film Festival’s project development platform showcased 20 projects in development and post-production.
Algerian filmmaker Sofia Djama’s unwanted pregnancy drama A Quarter To Thursday In Algiers and Palestinian-us filmmaker Hind Shoufani’s feature documentary work They Planted Strange Trees have scooped the top prizes at the CineGouna Platform.
Running October 16-21, within the framework of the El Gouna Film Festival, the platform’s CineGouna Springboard component showcased 20 projects in development and post-production.
The jury comprised Lebanese producer and film critic Mohamed Soueid, Nina Lath Gupta, the former managing director of India’s National Film and Television Development...
Algerian filmmaker Sofia Djama’s unwanted pregnancy drama A Quarter To Thursday In Algiers and Palestinian-us filmmaker Hind Shoufani’s feature documentary work They Planted Strange Trees have scooped the top prizes at the CineGouna Platform.
Running October 16-21, within the framework of the El Gouna Film Festival, the platform’s CineGouna Springboard component showcased 20 projects in development and post-production.
The jury comprised Lebanese producer and film critic Mohamed Soueid, Nina Lath Gupta, the former managing director of India’s National Film and Television Development...
- 10/25/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Yomna Khattab’s “Fifty Meters” (Egypt) was the big winner at the CineGouna Platform, the El Gouna Film Festival’s industry arm created to support and empower Egyptian and Arab filmmakers and help them find artistic and financial support.
This year, the CineGouna Platform disbursed awards worth $300,000 across 13 projects in development and seven films in post-production. The platform operates the SpringBoard and Bridge programs. The SpringBoard jury included Lebanese producer and film critic Mohamed Soueid, Nina Lath Gupta, former CEO of India’s National Film Development Corporation and Moroccan director and screenwriter Ismaël Ferroukhi.
“Fifty meters” won a $10,000 full film promotion package from The Cell Post Production, a $10,000 cash grant from Trend VFX, $10,000 from Synergy Films, $15,000 cash grant for script development from Mariam Naoum and Sard Writing Room, $5,000 worth of post-production services from Bee Media Productions, $10,000 from Cult, $1,000 for locations services from Clackett and a $7,000 master’s degree U.S.
This year, the CineGouna Platform disbursed awards worth $300,000 across 13 projects in development and seven films in post-production. The platform operates the SpringBoard and Bridge programs. The SpringBoard jury included Lebanese producer and film critic Mohamed Soueid, Nina Lath Gupta, former CEO of India’s National Film Development Corporation and Moroccan director and screenwriter Ismaël Ferroukhi.
“Fifty meters” won a $10,000 full film promotion package from The Cell Post Production, a $10,000 cash grant from Trend VFX, $10,000 from Synergy Films, $15,000 cash grant for script development from Mariam Naoum and Sard Writing Room, $5,000 worth of post-production services from Bee Media Productions, $10,000 from Cult, $1,000 for locations services from Clackett and a $7,000 master’s degree U.S.
- 10/22/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The fifth edition of project incubator event will showcase 20 projects in development and post-production.
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival (October 14-22) has unveiled the selection of 20 projects in development and post-production from Arab filmmakers to be showcased at the fifth annual CineGouna Platform.
The platform will run from October 16-21.
The 13 projects in development include Algerian filmmaker Sofia Djama’s second feature A Quarter To Thursday In Algiers, about a woman whose plans to deal with an unwanted pregnancy are derailed by other life events.
Djama’s debut film The Blessed made its world premiere in Venice’s Horizons...
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival (October 14-22) has unveiled the selection of 20 projects in development and post-production from Arab filmmakers to be showcased at the fifth annual CineGouna Platform.
The platform will run from October 16-21.
The 13 projects in development include Algerian filmmaker Sofia Djama’s second feature A Quarter To Thursday In Algiers, about a woman whose plans to deal with an unwanted pregnancy are derailed by other life events.
Djama’s debut film The Blessed made its world premiere in Venice’s Horizons...
- 9/17/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
New projects also selected from Oscar nominees and a Venice-winning duo.
Cph:dox has unveiled the 34 projects set to be presented at Cph:forum, its financing and co-production event from March 24-26.
Scroll down for full list of titles and descriptions
The selection includes new projects from Oscar-nominated Laura Nix (Walk Run Cha-Cha) and Talal Derki (Of Fathers And Sons), Berlinale winner Adina Pintilie (Touch Me Not), Sundance winners Jialing Zhang (Born In China) and Ra’anan Alexandrowicz (The Law in These Parts) and Venice winning team Elwira Niewiera and Piotr Rosolowski (The Prince and the Dybbuk).
Titles include Her, a documentary about...
Cph:dox has unveiled the 34 projects set to be presented at Cph:forum, its financing and co-production event from March 24-26.
Scroll down for full list of titles and descriptions
The selection includes new projects from Oscar-nominated Laura Nix (Walk Run Cha-Cha) and Talal Derki (Of Fathers And Sons), Berlinale winner Adina Pintilie (Touch Me Not), Sundance winners Jialing Zhang (Born In China) and Ra’anan Alexandrowicz (The Law in These Parts) and Venice winning team Elwira Niewiera and Piotr Rosolowski (The Prince and the Dybbuk).
Titles include Her, a documentary about...
- 2/13/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
The distributor carefully targeted a demographic of women over the age of 40, in particular parents, educators, teachers and care professionals.
German director Nora Fingscheidt’s System Crasher, a drama about a troubled nine-year-old girl who is caught in an overstretched social welfare system, was a highlight at the Berlinale in February.
It impressed the Juliette Binoche-led Competition jury, which handed Fingscheidt’s debut feature the Silver Bear Alfred Bauer prize for a film that “opens new perspectives”. Even more portentously for its commercial prospects, System Crasher won the readers’ jury award of the Berliner Morgenpost newspaper.
The film has...
German director Nora Fingscheidt’s System Crasher, a drama about a troubled nine-year-old girl who is caught in an overstretched social welfare system, was a highlight at the Berlinale in February.
It impressed the Juliette Binoche-led Competition jury, which handed Fingscheidt’s debut feature the Silver Bear Alfred Bauer prize for a film that “opens new perspectives”. Even more portentously for its commercial prospects, System Crasher won the readers’ jury award of the Berliner Morgenpost newspaper.
The film has...
- 11/5/2019
- by 158¦Martin Blaney¦40¦
- ScreenDaily
‘You Will Die at Twenty’, ‘Talking About Trees’ and ‘Exam’ Win Golden Stars, and ‘Cinema for Humanity’ Award Goes to Ladj Ly’s Les MisérablesEl Gouna Film Festival concluded its third edition with a closing ceremony where the award-winning films were announced, with total award value at Us$224,000.
The winners were as follows.
Watch the Awards on Euronews here.
Feature Narrative Competition
El Gouna Golden Star for Narrative Film: You Will Die at Twenty by Amjad Abu Alala. See my review.
El Gouna Silver Star for Narrative Film: Corpus Christi by Jan Komasa
El Gouna Bronze Star for Narrative Film: Adam by Maryam Touzani. See my review.
El Gouna Star for the Best Arab Narrative Film: Papicha by Mounia Meddour
El Gouna Star for the Best Actor: Bartosz Bielenia, Corpus Christi
El Gouna Star for the Best Actress: Hend Sabry, Noura’s Dream
The gritty, Tunisian film tells the story...
The winners were as follows.
Watch the Awards on Euronews here.
Feature Narrative Competition
El Gouna Golden Star for Narrative Film: You Will Die at Twenty by Amjad Abu Alala. See my review.
El Gouna Silver Star for Narrative Film: Corpus Christi by Jan Komasa
El Gouna Bronze Star for Narrative Film: Adam by Maryam Touzani. See my review.
El Gouna Star for the Best Arab Narrative Film: Papicha by Mounia Meddour
El Gouna Star for the Best Actor: Bartosz Bielenia, Corpus Christi
El Gouna Star for the Best Actress: Hend Sabry, Noura’s Dream
The gritty, Tunisian film tells the story...
- 10/5/2019
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Exclusive: U.S. art house distributor Kino Lorber is launching film and TV VOD streaming platform Kino Now, we can reveal. The service, which includes options to rent and buy, currently hosts 600 titles from the company’s catalog and includes early access to new releases. The number of titles is set to double by the end of the year.
Kino Lorber, which will unveil the platform at a stateside event this evening, tells us the service will be annually refreshed with more than 50 new theatrical releases from Kino Lorber’s first-run and repertory divisions and more than 500 yearly additional titles as “festival direct” exclusives and indie art house digital premieres.
Movies will be generally available around 30-90 days after their theatrical release but some will also get day-and-date releases. Most titles will be $9.99 or less. New releases and certain films that are considered premium will be $14.99 or $19.99 if they are day-and-date releases.
Kino Lorber, which will unveil the platform at a stateside event this evening, tells us the service will be annually refreshed with more than 50 new theatrical releases from Kino Lorber’s first-run and repertory divisions and more than 500 yearly additional titles as “festival direct” exclusives and indie art house digital premieres.
Movies will be generally available around 30-90 days after their theatrical release but some will also get day-and-date releases. Most titles will be $9.99 or less. New releases and certain films that are considered premium will be $14.99 or $19.99 if they are day-and-date releases.
- 9/30/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Lady Gaga, Claire Foy and Sterling K. Brown are among the 842 people who have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy announced on Monday.
The announcement came two days after the Academy’s Board of Governors spent a Saturday meeting going over the lists of prospective members drawn up by each of the Academy’s 17 branches. This marks the fourth consecutive year in which several hundred film professionals have been invited to join the Academy. This will easily push the number of active Academy members over 9,000 and the number of Oscars voters over 8,000 for next year’s Academy Awards.
As usual in recent years, the huge list of new-member invitations was heavily weighted toward women, who made up 50 percent of the invitees (up from 49 percent last year), and non-white film professionals, who made up 29 percent. The list was also heavily weighted toward international members,...
The announcement came two days after the Academy’s Board of Governors spent a Saturday meeting going over the lists of prospective members drawn up by each of the Academy’s 17 branches. This marks the fourth consecutive year in which several hundred film professionals have been invited to join the Academy. This will easily push the number of active Academy members over 9,000 and the number of Oscars voters over 8,000 for next year’s Academy Awards.
As usual in recent years, the huge list of new-member invitations was heavily weighted toward women, who made up 50 percent of the invitees (up from 49 percent last year), and non-white film professionals, who made up 29 percent. The list was also heavily weighted toward international members,...
- 7/1/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
January’s Sundance Film Festival is the most effective launchpad for any documentary Oscar hopeful. With a field overloaded by competitive non-fiction, it’s essential to get a head start, a distributor, an early release date and build a profile before narrative features grab the media attention in an overcrowded fall.
Some high-profile non-fiction features, like Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi’s box-office star and eventual Oscar-winner “Free Solo,” break out of fall festivals like Telluride, Toronto, and New York. However, titles like those are the outliers.
Sundance 2018 yielded four out of the five 2019 Oscar nominees: $14 million-grossing Ruth Bader Ginsburg doc “Rbg,” Sundance breakthrough filmmaker prize-winner Bing Liu’s “Minding the Gap,” which follows three young skateboarders in the Rust Belt, photographer RaMell Ross’ languorous poetic portrait of a time and place, “Hale County: This Morning, This Evening,” and Talal Derki’s Sundance World Documentary Grand Jury Prize-winner “Of Fathers and Sons.
Some high-profile non-fiction features, like Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi’s box-office star and eventual Oscar-winner “Free Solo,” break out of fall festivals like Telluride, Toronto, and New York. However, titles like those are the outliers.
Sundance 2018 yielded four out of the five 2019 Oscar nominees: $14 million-grossing Ruth Bader Ginsburg doc “Rbg,” Sundance breakthrough filmmaker prize-winner Bing Liu’s “Minding the Gap,” which follows three young skateboarders in the Rust Belt, photographer RaMell Ross’ languorous poetic portrait of a time and place, “Hale County: This Morning, This Evening,” and Talal Derki’s Sundance World Documentary Grand Jury Prize-winner “Of Fathers and Sons.
- 6/15/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
January’s Sundance Film Festival is the most effective launchpad for any documentary Oscar hopeful. With a field overloaded by competitive non-fiction, it’s essential to get a head start, a distributor, an early release date and build a profile before narrative features grab the media attention in an overcrowded fall.
Some high-profile non-fiction features, like Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi’s box-office star and eventual Oscar-winner “Free Solo,” break out of fall festivals like Telluride, Toronto, and New York. However, titles like those are the outliers.
Sundance 2018 yielded four out of the five 2019 Oscar nominees: $14 million-grossing Ruth Bader Ginsburg doc “Rbg,” Sundance breakthrough filmmaker prize-winner Bing Liu’s “Minding the Gap,” which follows three young skateboarders in the Rust Belt, photographer RaMell Ross’ languorous poetic portrait of a time and place, “Hale County: This Morning, This Evening,” and Talal Derki’s Sundance World Documentary Grand Jury Prize-winner “Of Fathers and Sons.
Some high-profile non-fiction features, like Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi’s box-office star and eventual Oscar-winner “Free Solo,” break out of fall festivals like Telluride, Toronto, and New York. However, titles like those are the outliers.
Sundance 2018 yielded four out of the five 2019 Oscar nominees: $14 million-grossing Ruth Bader Ginsburg doc “Rbg,” Sundance breakthrough filmmaker prize-winner Bing Liu’s “Minding the Gap,” which follows three young skateboarders in the Rust Belt, photographer RaMell Ross’ languorous poetic portrait of a time and place, “Hale County: This Morning, This Evening,” and Talal Derki’s Sundance World Documentary Grand Jury Prize-winner “Of Fathers and Sons.
- 6/15/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Yomeddine was named Best Film at the Arab Cinema Awards Photo: Desert Highway Pictures The Arab Cinema Centre announced the winners of its third Annual Critics Awards at a fringe event in Cannes last week.
Egyptian director Abu Bakr Shawky won the award for Best Film for his directorial debut Yomeddine, which tells the story of a quirky road trip by a cured leper and a young orphan who stows away on his donkey cart. The Best director award went to Nadine Labaki's much-garlanded Lebanese film Capernaum, about a child who rebels against the life imposed on him.
The Best Documentary award went to Talal Derki, who embedded himself in a radical Islamic family to make Of Fathers And Sons.
Moroccan film Sofia was a double winner, taking home the Best Screenplay award for Meryem Benm'Barek and Maha Alemi named Best Actress for her role in the film that...
Egyptian director Abu Bakr Shawky won the award for Best Film for his directorial debut Yomeddine, which tells the story of a quirky road trip by a cured leper and a young orphan who stows away on his donkey cart. The Best director award went to Nadine Labaki's much-garlanded Lebanese film Capernaum, about a child who rebels against the life imposed on him.
The Best Documentary award went to Talal Derki, who embedded himself in a radical Islamic family to make Of Fathers And Sons.
Moroccan film Sofia was a double winner, taking home the Best Screenplay award for Meryem Benm'Barek and Maha Alemi named Best Actress for her role in the film that...
- 5/27/2019
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Both titles premiered at Cannes 2018.
Egyptian director A. B. Shawky’s road movie Yomeddine, about a leper who travels across Egypt in a bid to reconnect with his long-lost family, has scooped best film at the Arab cinema Critics Awards.
The film won the François Chalais Award and went onto tour a slew of festivals, winning the top prize in Tunisia’s Carthage Film Festival, following its premiere in Competition in Cannes last year.
Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki won best director for her 2018 Cannes jury prize winner Capernaum, about the plight of a young refugee boy living in the slums of Beirut.
Egyptian director A. B. Shawky’s road movie Yomeddine, about a leper who travels across Egypt in a bid to reconnect with his long-lost family, has scooped best film at the Arab cinema Critics Awards.
The film won the François Chalais Award and went onto tour a slew of festivals, winning the top prize in Tunisia’s Carthage Film Festival, following its premiere in Competition in Cannes last year.
Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki won best director for her 2018 Cannes jury prize winner Capernaum, about the plight of a young refugee boy living in the slums of Beirut.
- 5/18/2019
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
In a lot of ways, the Cannes Film Festival premiere of “For Sama” should have felt like nothing new. After all, the film had premiered in March at the South by Southwest Film Festival and also screened earlier in May at the Hot Docs festival in Canada, making it the rare Cannes film to not premiere on the Croisette.
Beyond that, “For Sama” is a documentary about the bloody conflict in Syria, which has already been the subject of a string of notable nonfiction films, among them Feras Fayyad’s “Last Men in Aleppo,” Evgeny Afineevsky’s “Cries From Syria,” Matthew Heineman’s “City of Ghosts,” Talal Derki’s “The Return to Homs” and Sebastian Junger’s “Hell on Earth” in the feature realm, as well as the Oscar-nominated short docs “The White Helmets” (which won) and “Watani: My Homeland.”
What else, you could ask, is left to say about Syria,...
Beyond that, “For Sama” is a documentary about the bloody conflict in Syria, which has already been the subject of a string of notable nonfiction films, among them Feras Fayyad’s “Last Men in Aleppo,” Evgeny Afineevsky’s “Cries From Syria,” Matthew Heineman’s “City of Ghosts,” Talal Derki’s “The Return to Homs” and Sebastian Junger’s “Hell on Earth” in the feature realm, as well as the Oscar-nominated short docs “The White Helmets” (which won) and “Watani: My Homeland.”
What else, you could ask, is left to say about Syria,...
- 5/15/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Andreas Dresen’s biopic wins six prizes from 10 nominations.
Andreas Dresen’s biopic Gundermann was the big winner at this year’s German Film Awards, taking home six Lolas at the weekend’s gala in Berlin after receiving a record 10 nominations.
The production by Pandora Film Produktion and Kineo Filmproduktion received the evening’s top award, the Lola in Gold for best feature film, as well as the Lolas for best director (Dresen), screenplay (Laila Stieler), lead actor (Alexander Scheer), production design (Susanne Hopf) and costume design (Sabine Greunig).
Accepting his Lola for best director - his third win in...
Andreas Dresen’s biopic Gundermann was the big winner at this year’s German Film Awards, taking home six Lolas at the weekend’s gala in Berlin after receiving a record 10 nominations.
The production by Pandora Film Produktion and Kineo Filmproduktion received the evening’s top award, the Lola in Gold for best feature film, as well as the Lolas for best director (Dresen), screenplay (Laila Stieler), lead actor (Alexander Scheer), production design (Susanne Hopf) and costume design (Sabine Greunig).
Accepting his Lola for best director - his third win in...
- 5/8/2019
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
Nadine Labaki and A.B. Shawky’s films gained three nods each.
Two 2018 Cannes Palme d’Or contenders top the third edition of the Annual Critics Awards organised by the Arab Cinema Centre (Acc).
Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki’s Capernaum and Egyptian director A. B. Shawky’s Yomeddine have both clinched three nominations.
Following with two nominations each are Palestinian filmmaker Muayad Alayan’s drama The Reports On Sarah And Saleem, about the ill-fated affair between an Israeli woman and a Palestinian man, and Moroccan director Meryem Benm’Barek’s Sofia, revolving around a woman in Casablanca who illegally gives birth out of wedlock.
Two 2018 Cannes Palme d’Or contenders top the third edition of the Annual Critics Awards organised by the Arab Cinema Centre (Acc).
Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki’s Capernaum and Egyptian director A. B. Shawky’s Yomeddine have both clinched three nominations.
Following with two nominations each are Palestinian filmmaker Muayad Alayan’s drama The Reports On Sarah And Saleem, about the ill-fated affair between an Israeli woman and a Palestinian man, and Moroccan director Meryem Benm’Barek’s Sofia, revolving around a woman in Casablanca who illegally gives birth out of wedlock.
- 4/25/2019
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Arguably the boldest of this year’s Oscar-nominated documentaries, Talal Derki’s shocking documentary is finally available online
This year’s documentary Oscar race, like pretty much everything else about the Oscars this year, showed a medium in transition between comfortable and more radical forms, and an industry split on where to side. The crowd-pleasers won out. Free Solo, a dazzling National Geographic spectacle, took the prize, with staid bio-doc Rbg presumed to be close behind, while more experimental critical darlings Hale County This Morning, This Evening and the remarkable, forthcoming Minding the Gap were just happy to be nominated. It’s a start; perhaps in a few years the balance will shift.
This year’s documentary Oscar race, like pretty much everything else about the Oscars this year, showed a medium in transition between comfortable and more radical forms, and an industry split on where to side. The crowd-pleasers won out. Free Solo, a dazzling National Geographic spectacle, took the prize, with staid bio-doc Rbg presumed to be close behind, while more experimental critical darlings Hale County This Morning, This Evening and the remarkable, forthcoming Minding the Gap were just happy to be nominated. It’s a start; perhaps in a few years the balance will shift.
- 3/25/2019
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
The recipients were the producers of films nominated for best film, best doc and best children’s film.
More than €2m ($3.2m) in nomination premiums has been awarded to the producers of the films nominated for best film, best documentary and best children’s film at the 2019 German Film Awards, aka the Lolas, in Berlin today (March 20).
The best film nominees are Andreas Dresen’s Gunderman, Markus Goller’s 25 km/h, Caroline Link’s The Boy Needs Fresh Air, Aron Lehmann’s The Most Beautiful Girl In The World, Wolfgang Fischer’s Styx and Christian Petzold’s Transit. Each of...
More than €2m ($3.2m) in nomination premiums has been awarded to the producers of the films nominated for best film, best documentary and best children’s film at the 2019 German Film Awards, aka the Lolas, in Berlin today (March 20).
The best film nominees are Andreas Dresen’s Gunderman, Markus Goller’s 25 km/h, Caroline Link’s The Boy Needs Fresh Air, Aron Lehmann’s The Most Beautiful Girl In The World, Wolfgang Fischer’s Styx and Christian Petzold’s Transit. Each of...
- 3/20/2019
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
News announced at the annual Sofia Meetings and Sofia International Film Festival.
Bulgaria is poised to launch a financial incentive to attract high-budget international film and TV production to the south-eastern European country. The news was announced at last week’s Sofia Meetings (March 13-17) the biggest annual event of the Bulgarian film industry which runs as part of the Sofia International Film Festival (Mach 7-17).
“Bulgaria is practically the only country in Europe which doesn’t yet have an incentive but at the end of 2018 the government declared they are willing to do this and very fast,” said Jana Karaivanova,...
Bulgaria is poised to launch a financial incentive to attract high-budget international film and TV production to the south-eastern European country. The news was announced at last week’s Sofia Meetings (March 13-17) the biggest annual event of the Bulgarian film industry which runs as part of the Sofia International Film Festival (Mach 7-17).
“Bulgaria is practically the only country in Europe which doesn’t yet have an incentive but at the end of 2018 the government declared they are willing to do this and very fast,” said Jana Karaivanova,...
- 3/18/2019
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
The Oscars sometimes measures the worth of real artistic achievement, but attending the ceremony always provides a close-up glimpse into how the Academy Awards can mess with even the smartest artists’ heads. While this year was no different, it also offered evidence of a deeper frustration with the system.
Standing in the lobby of the Dolby Theater, I watched tux-laden stars trudge across the crowded room. A few giddy figures celebrated the Best Picture win for “Green Book,” but every other face in this slo-mo exit march emanated with disappointment for the missed opportunity to award “Roma” — a most unorthodox Best Picture nominee, and one that came within spitting distance of making history as the first non-English winner of the category.
I spotted a high-profile Spanish-language actor in the crowd. “It’s sad,” he said. “The support was there, but at the end of the day, the thinking must be...
Standing in the lobby of the Dolby Theater, I watched tux-laden stars trudge across the crowded room. A few giddy figures celebrated the Best Picture win for “Green Book,” but every other face in this slo-mo exit march emanated with disappointment for the missed opportunity to award “Roma” — a most unorthodox Best Picture nominee, and one that came within spitting distance of making history as the first non-English winner of the category.
I spotted a high-profile Spanish-language actor in the crowd. “It’s sad,” he said. “The support was there, but at the end of the day, the thinking must be...
- 2/25/2019
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Backstage during the live ABC telecast of the 91st Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 24, 2019.
The 91st Oscars were awarded at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 24. Green Book took home the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Below is the list of winners.
Performance by an actor in a leading role nominees:
Christian Bale in Vice
Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born
Willem Dafoe in At Eternity’S Gate
Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody – Winner!!
Viggo Mortensen in Green Book
Performance by an actor in a supporting role nominees:
Mahershala Ali in Green Book – Winner!!
Adam Driver in BLACKkKLANSMAN
Sam Elliott in A Star Is Born
Richard E. Grant in Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell in Vice
Performance by an actress in a leading role nominees:
Yalitza Aparicio in Roma
Glenn Close in The Wife
Olivia Colman in The Favourite – Winner!
The 91st Oscars were awarded at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 24. Green Book took home the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Below is the list of winners.
Performance by an actor in a leading role nominees:
Christian Bale in Vice
Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born
Willem Dafoe in At Eternity’S Gate
Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody – Winner!!
Viggo Mortensen in Green Book
Performance by an actor in a supporting role nominees:
Mahershala Ali in Green Book – Winner!!
Adam Driver in BLACKkKLANSMAN
Sam Elliott in A Star Is Born
Richard E. Grant in Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell in Vice
Performance by an actress in a leading role nominees:
Yalitza Aparicio in Roma
Glenn Close in The Wife
Olivia Colman in The Favourite – Winner!
- 2/25/2019
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The 91st annual Academy Awards (Oscars) was a night of incredibly well-deserved wins, first time wins, and shocking wins. See the full list of nominees and winners below.
Performance by an actress in a supporting role Regina King in “If Beale Street Could Talk” (Winner) Amy Adams in “Vice” Marina de Tavira in “Roma” Emma Stone in “The Favourite” Rachel Weisz in “The Favourite” Best documentary feature “Free Solo” Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill (Winner) “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes and Su Kim “Minding the Gap” Bing Liu and Diane Quon “Of Fathers and Sons” Talal Derki, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme and Tobias N. Siebert “Rbg” Betsy West and Julie Cohen Achievement in makeup and hairstyling “Vice” Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia DeHaney (Winner) “Border” Goran Lundstrom and Pamela Goldammer “Mary Queen of Scots” Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher and...
Performance by an actress in a supporting role Regina King in “If Beale Street Could Talk” (Winner) Amy Adams in “Vice” Marina de Tavira in “Roma” Emma Stone in “The Favourite” Rachel Weisz in “The Favourite” Best documentary feature “Free Solo” Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill (Winner) “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes and Su Kim “Minding the Gap” Bing Liu and Diane Quon “Of Fathers and Sons” Talal Derki, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme and Tobias N. Siebert “Rbg” Betsy West and Julie Cohen Achievement in makeup and hairstyling “Vice” Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia DeHaney (Winner) “Border” Goran Lundstrom and Pamela Goldammer “Mary Queen of Scots” Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher and...
- 2/25/2019
- by Andrew Wendowski
- Age of the Nerd
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