It’s not only because of its similar time frame that Boris Lojkine’s hurtling, headlong social-issues drama “The Story of Souleymane” recalls “Two Days, One Night” by the Dardenne brothers. Lojkine’s film, which was awarded the jury prize and a well-deserved best actor award in the Un Certain Regard competition in Cannes, is similarly invested in its electrifying lead — non-professional Abou Sangare, making an unforgettably persuasive and poignant debut — and similarly effective in maintaining a level of urgency and high-stakes personal peril that few genre thrillers can muster. If the hero’s dire situation is a ticking clock, Lojkine’s intelligent and empathetic film places us right alongside him, with each cog of circumstance and each gear of good fortune grinding against him at every turn.
Souleymane (Sangare) is a recent arrival in Paris from Guinea, who sleeps in homeless shelters at night and works as a delivery...
Souleymane (Sangare) is a recent arrival in Paris from Guinea, who sleeps in homeless shelters at night and works as a delivery...
- 5/25/2024
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Azerbaijan's cinema history dates back to the late 19th century, but the national cinema has been dominated by male filmmakers ever since. Such lack of diversity tends to push the national cinema to the margins of the global festival circuit, making it obscure for the wider audiences. Maybe the young Los Angeles-based actress-turned-filmmaker Tahmina Rafaella could provide the solution to the problem with her directorial debut “Banu” which premiered at 2022 edition of Venice as a part of Biennale College Cinema programme.
Banu is streaming at Film Movement Plus
It would be the easiest to describe it as a riff on the Dardenne brothers' “Two Days, One Night” (2014), but on the topic of divorce and set against the backdrop of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War which took place in the autumn of 2020. The titular protagonist, played by the filmmaker herself, is a school teacher with a problem. Her rich and influential husband...
Banu is streaming at Film Movement Plus
It would be the easiest to describe it as a riff on the Dardenne brothers' “Two Days, One Night” (2014), but on the topic of divorce and set against the backdrop of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War which took place in the autumn of 2020. The titular protagonist, played by the filmmaker herself, is a school teacher with a problem. Her rich and influential husband...
- 5/9/2024
- by Marko Stojiljković
- AsianMoviePulse
Mubi’s May 2024 (streaming) lineup embraces their latest (theatrical) coup with a Radu Jude program. In addition to Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World arriving May 3, the Romanian director is highlighted with a six-film program launching on May 10. Lee Chang-dong and Bertrand Bonello are each given two-title highlights. While most of us can’t be at Cannes (I guess that’s a pun), the festival’s greatest tradition, booing, is celebrated with Jodie Foster’s The Beaver, Nicolas Winding Refn’s Only God Forgives, and Olivier Dahan’s Grace of Monaco. Among new releases, Al Warren’s Dogleg and the Ross brothers’ Gasoline Rainbow are notable selections.
As Lee Chang-dong recently told us in an extended interview, “Experiences in my life are what shaped me as a filmmaker, as obvious as that sounds. My artistic taste was shaped by the mountains and fields of my childhood village,...
As Lee Chang-dong recently told us in an extended interview, “Experiences in my life are what shaped me as a filmmaker, as obvious as that sounds. My artistic taste was shaped by the mountains and fields of my childhood village,...
- 4/22/2024
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Arthouse streamer Mubi has unveiled a deal to take a majority stake in Benelux indie distributor Cineart.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the agreement will see the management team at Cineart remain intact, while co-CEOs and longtime execs Marc Smit and Stephan De Potter will retain “significant” stakes in the company.
“I’ve known and worked with Marc and Stephan for over 15 years, and admire what they’ve done with Cinéart. They are two of the most sophisticated and visionary operators in the business. We are delighted to be partnering with them and the whole team at Cineart, and can’t wait to bring more great films to audiences in Benelux together,” Efe Cakarel, founder and CEO of Mubi, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Cineart was part of a multi-territory deal for Sofia Coppola’s feature Priscilla ahead of a world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the agreement will see the management team at Cineart remain intact, while co-CEOs and longtime execs Marc Smit and Stephan De Potter will retain “significant” stakes in the company.
“I’ve known and worked with Marc and Stephan for over 15 years, and admire what they’ve done with Cinéart. They are two of the most sophisticated and visionary operators in the business. We are delighted to be partnering with them and the whole team at Cineart, and can’t wait to bring more great films to audiences in Benelux together,” Efe Cakarel, founder and CEO of Mubi, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Cineart was part of a multi-territory deal for Sofia Coppola’s feature Priscilla ahead of a world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
- 2/6/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Arthouse streamer and distributor Mubi has acquired a majority stake in leading Benelux indie distributor Cinéart, further bolstering its global firepower as it continues to expand outside of its core streaming business.
Financial details of the deal were not revealed, but the acquisition will see Cinéart’s management team continue to lead the company as an independent European distributor, with no changes in operations. Cinéart will maintain its current team structure and slate of films, and will carry on working closely with its long time partners. Co-CEOs of Cinéart, Marc Smit and Stephan De Potter, will remain significant shareholders of the company.
Founded in 1975 by the late Eliane Dubois, Cinéart has offices in Amsterdam and Brussels and has released numerous prestige independent films, including “Slumdog Millionaire,” “The Artist,” “Amour,” “I Daniel Blake,” “Deux Jours Une Nuit,” “Son of Saul,” “The Worst Person in the World,” “The Whale” and current awards contender “The Zone of Interest.
Financial details of the deal were not revealed, but the acquisition will see Cinéart’s management team continue to lead the company as an independent European distributor, with no changes in operations. Cinéart will maintain its current team structure and slate of films, and will carry on working closely with its long time partners. Co-CEOs of Cinéart, Marc Smit and Stephan De Potter, will remain significant shareholders of the company.
Founded in 1975 by the late Eliane Dubois, Cinéart has offices in Amsterdam and Brussels and has released numerous prestige independent films, including “Slumdog Millionaire,” “The Artist,” “Amour,” “I Daniel Blake,” “Deux Jours Une Nuit,” “Son of Saul,” “The Worst Person in the World,” “The Whale” and current awards contender “The Zone of Interest.
- 2/6/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Of the 272 films that have earned lone acting Oscar nominations – meaning they were each recognized in one performance category and nowhere else – a whopping 101 (or 37.1%) accomplished the feat thanks to lead actresses. Whereas just 60 examples have occurred in the Best Actor category, the corresponding female one reached that benchmark in 1991 and is on track to double it less than two decades from now. Its triple digit total has now been intact for one full year, having directly resulted from the simultaneous nominations of Ana de Armas (“Blonde”) and Andrea Riseborough (“To Leslie”).
Although an Oscar bid was generally expected to follow de Armas’s 2023 BAFTA, Golden Globe, and SAG Award nominations, Riseborough very memorably came out of nowhere, having defied precedent by benefiting from an enthusiastic grassroots campaign. While most of the earlier lone Best Actress contenders belong in de Armas’s camp, many align with Riseborough in having pulled off major surprises.
Although an Oscar bid was generally expected to follow de Armas’s 2023 BAFTA, Golden Globe, and SAG Award nominations, Riseborough very memorably came out of nowhere, having defied precedent by benefiting from an enthusiastic grassroots campaign. While most of the earlier lone Best Actress contenders belong in de Armas’s camp, many align with Riseborough in having pulled off major surprises.
- 1/22/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
“May December,” the newest acclaimed drama film from Todd Haynes, is now available to stream on Netflix, and one of the film’s stars, Julianne Moore, is already an early favorite to receive a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her spellbinding performance. Let’s look back at her five Academy Award races and talk about why Moore finally won her first gold trophy in 2015 for “Still Alice” (2014).
Her first Oscar nomination came in 1998 in the Best Supporting Actress category for “Boogie Nights” (1997). Moore’s only Academy Award nom of the 1990s put her up against Joan Cusack for “In & Out,” Minnie Driver for “Good Will Hunting,” Gloria Stuart for “Titanic” and Kim Basinger for “L.A. Confidential.” Moore didn’t have a chance that first time around because Basinger dominated the category all season, her beloved film often showing up in the Best Picture and Best Director categories,...
Her first Oscar nomination came in 1998 in the Best Supporting Actress category for “Boogie Nights” (1997). Moore’s only Academy Award nom of the 1990s put her up against Joan Cusack for “In & Out,” Minnie Driver for “Good Will Hunting,” Gloria Stuart for “Titanic” and Kim Basinger for “L.A. Confidential.” Moore didn’t have a chance that first time around because Basinger dominated the category all season, her beloved film often showing up in the Best Picture and Best Director categories,...
- 12/12/2023
- by Brian Rowe
- Gold Derby
Annette Bening is one of our finest actresses who has never won an Oscar. That could change with her new Netflix sports drama “Nyad,” which is due out on Oct. 20. The film stars Bening as Diana Nyad and charts her attempts to swim from Cuba to Florida while in her sixties. Jodie Foster co-stars as Nyad’s best friend and coach, Bonnie Stoll, and the rapport between Bening and Foster is the movie’s highlight.
Bening’s Nyad is a flawed character but one full of tenacity, commitment, drive, and belief. It makes for an easy character to root for, despite her flaws. The actress is earning some of the best reviews of her career.
Richard Lawson (Vanity Fair) opined: “Nyad is played by Annette Bening, who trained for a year to ready herself for the physical demands of the role. It’s quite a testament to actorly commitment: This...
Bening’s Nyad is a flawed character but one full of tenacity, commitment, drive, and belief. It makes for an easy character to root for, despite her flaws. The actress is earning some of the best reviews of her career.
Richard Lawson (Vanity Fair) opined: “Nyad is played by Annette Bening, who trained for a year to ready herself for the physical demands of the role. It’s quite a testament to actorly commitment: This...
- 10/12/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Arianna Bocco, IFC Films President, is out at the distributor, Deadline has confirmed.
The shocking news to the NYC indie world comes within days after the 17-year IFC vet was feted at the New York Women in Film & Television (Nywift)’s flagship fundraising event, the annual Muse Awards gala.
Bocco will be replaced in the interim by IFC Head of Acquisitions Scott Shooman. The Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group and CBS Films vet joined last year. The search for a new long-term replacement is underway. Talk about a revolving door at IFC.
We’re still sorting through what went down here. In the meantime, Bocco posted the following statement on social media, “I have big news to share! After much thought, I have stepped down from my post as President of IFC Films to pursue other opportunities. I’m so proud of the IFC Films team I’ve worked...
The shocking news to the NYC indie world comes within days after the 17-year IFC vet was feted at the New York Women in Film & Television (Nywift)’s flagship fundraising event, the annual Muse Awards gala.
Bocco will be replaced in the interim by IFC Head of Acquisitions Scott Shooman. The Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group and CBS Films vet joined last year. The search for a new long-term replacement is underway. Talk about a revolving door at IFC.
We’re still sorting through what went down here. In the meantime, Bocco posted the following statement on social media, “I have big news to share! After much thought, I have stepped down from my post as President of IFC Films to pursue other opportunities. I’m so proud of the IFC Films team I’ve worked...
- 3/31/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
A veteran producer and sales agent once told me that, for a billion dollars, anyone could buy their way into the Oscar race for Best Picture. In recent months, that prediction proved altogether generous.
While not a Best Picture contender, Andrea Riseborough’s performance in “To Leslie” demonstrated the potential of DIY campaigning to chart a surprising path into a major Oscar category. Controversial or not, and despite all the potential campaign violations it raised, Riseborough’s Best Actress nomination got the attention of other established actors who work on low-budget movies with limited resources. As one veteran awards consultant told me this week, “People are now going to say, ‘Where’s my Andrea Riseborough campaign?’”
The answer to that question requires some meticulous number-crunching as well as ample chutzpah. The Oscar race is often a Trojan horse for cinema that would go otherwise unrecognized by the U.S. industry,...
While not a Best Picture contender, Andrea Riseborough’s performance in “To Leslie” demonstrated the potential of DIY campaigning to chart a surprising path into a major Oscar category. Controversial or not, and despite all the potential campaign violations it raised, Riseborough’s Best Actress nomination got the attention of other established actors who work on low-budget movies with limited resources. As one veteran awards consultant told me this week, “People are now going to say, ‘Where’s my Andrea Riseborough campaign?’”
The answer to that question requires some meticulous number-crunching as well as ample chutzpah. The Oscar race is often a Trojan horse for cinema that would go otherwise unrecognized by the U.S. industry,...
- 3/11/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Actress Marion Cotillard ("Asterix and Obelix: the Middle Empire") wearing Chanel, poses for the January 2023 issue of "Madame Figaro" magazine, photographed by Matthew Brookes:
"...Cottilard had her first English-language role in the TV series 'Highlander' (1993), and made her film debut in 'The Story of a Boy Who Wanted to Be Kissed' (1994). Her breakthrough came in the successful French film 'Taxi' (1998). She appeared in Tim Burton's Big Fish (2003), and won her first 'César Award' for 'Best Supporting Actress' for her performance in 'A Very Long Engagement' (2004).
"Her first major English-language role was "A Good Year" (2006). For her portrayal of French singer 'Édith Piaf' in 'La Vie en Rose' (2007), Cotillard won her second 'César Award', a 'BAFTA Award', a 'Golden Globe Award', a 'Lumières Award' and the 'Academy Award for Best Actress'. Her performances in 'Nine' (2009), 'Rust and Bone...
"...Cottilard had her first English-language role in the TV series 'Highlander' (1993), and made her film debut in 'The Story of a Boy Who Wanted to Be Kissed' (1994). Her breakthrough came in the successful French film 'Taxi' (1998). She appeared in Tim Burton's Big Fish (2003), and won her first 'César Award' for 'Best Supporting Actress' for her performance in 'A Very Long Engagement' (2004).
"Her first major English-language role was "A Good Year" (2006). For her portrayal of French singer 'Édith Piaf' in 'La Vie en Rose' (2007), Cotillard won her second 'César Award', a 'BAFTA Award', a 'Golden Globe Award', a 'Lumières Award' and the 'Academy Award for Best Actress'. Her performances in 'Nine' (2009), 'Rust and Bone...
- 1/24/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
For their ninth feature film in competition, Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne once again turn to non-actors to give their text fresh new faces for a drama of dire consequences. Tori et Lokita comes three years since their last trip to the Croisette with Best Director winning Young Ahmed, the Dardennes will likely leave the Croisette with some awards recognition – from Critics’ groups to a possible third Palme. Winners for Rosetta (1999) and L’Enfant (2005), they came close to winning for 2011’s Kid With A Bike. They won Best Screenplay in 2008 for Lorna’s Silence. Let us not forget that they also premiered 2011’s Two Days, One Night and 2016’s The Unknown Girl.…...
- 5/25/2022
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
A version of this preview of this year’s Cannes Film Festival lineup appeared in the Cannes edition of TheWrap magazine.
As the film industry — from the mightiest moguls to the scrappiest indie-theater owners — struggles to bring movies and moviegoing back to pre-covid standards, look to this year’s Cannes Film Festival to trumpet the cause, starting with a splashy premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick” that’s clearly meant to send out an international message: “Remember summer movies? You love those. And they’re back!”
Beyond that Paramount blockbuster, Cannes 2022 seems to be delivering more of what the annual event is known for, in the best ways (providing an international platform for some of the world’s greatest films and filmmakers) and in the worst.
Even with its recurring shortcomings, the Cannes lineup provides an impressive menu of titles that cineastes everywhere have been eagerly awaiting, from David Cronenberg’s...
As the film industry — from the mightiest moguls to the scrappiest indie-theater owners — struggles to bring movies and moviegoing back to pre-covid standards, look to this year’s Cannes Film Festival to trumpet the cause, starting with a splashy premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick” that’s clearly meant to send out an international message: “Remember summer movies? You love those. And they’re back!”
Beyond that Paramount blockbuster, Cannes 2022 seems to be delivering more of what the annual event is known for, in the best ways (providing an international platform for some of the world’s greatest films and filmmakers) and in the worst.
Even with its recurring shortcomings, the Cannes lineup provides an impressive menu of titles that cineastes everywhere have been eagerly awaiting, from David Cronenberg’s...
- 5/16/2022
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
After being cancelled in 2020 and then delayed in 2021, the Cannes Film Festival is finally back on track for May 2022 on the French Riviera. The 75th installment of the international cinema showcase will take place from May 17 to May 28, and there will be 18 films competing for the coveted Palme d’Or, the festival’s top prize. Last year that honor went to the French thriller “Titane,” directed by Julia Ducournau. As of this writing several details are still to be announced including who will be on this year’s jury and who will be serving as jury president after Spike Lee presided over last year’s program.
A filmmaker’s previous track record at Cannes can sometimes give us an idea of who’s in a good position to claim the Palme. For instance, seven of this year’s entries in the official competition come from directors who have previously won...
A filmmaker’s previous track record at Cannes can sometimes give us an idea of who’s in a good position to claim the Palme. For instance, seven of this year’s entries in the official competition come from directors who have previously won...
- 4/25/2022
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
The 2022 Oscar nominees for Best Actress are Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”), Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”), Penélope Cruz (“Parallel Mothers”), Nicole Kidman (“Being the Ricardos”), and Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”). Our current odds indicate that Chastain (17/5) will take the prize, followed in order of probability by Colman (39/10), Kidman (4/1), Stewart (9/2), and Cruz (9/2).
Stewart is the only first-time nominee among the five, as each of her competitors has been involved in at least two past acting contests. Kidman’s resume is the longest, consisting of three previous lead bids for “Moulin Rouge!” (2002), “The Hours” (2003), and “Rabbit Hole” (2011) and a supporting one for “Lion” (2017). She triumphed on her second outing and is now looking to become the 15th woman to win a bookend Best Actress trophy.
Colman also has a shot at achieving a second lead victory, having prevailed here three years ago for “The Favourite.” Her second career nomination came...
Stewart is the only first-time nominee among the five, as each of her competitors has been involved in at least two past acting contests. Kidman’s resume is the longest, consisting of three previous lead bids for “Moulin Rouge!” (2002), “The Hours” (2003), and “Rabbit Hole” (2011) and a supporting one for “Lion” (2017). She triumphed on her second outing and is now looking to become the 15th woman to win a bookend Best Actress trophy.
Colman also has a shot at achieving a second lead victory, having prevailed here three years ago for “The Favourite.” Her second career nomination came...
- 3/26/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Fifteen years have passed since Penélope Cruz broke new ground as the first Spanish woman to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Although her performance in Pedro Almodóvar’s Spanish-language film “Volver” was passed over in favor of Helen Mirren’s in “The Queen,” she bounced back two years later by triumphing in the supporting category for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” Now, based on her work in Almodóvar’s “Parallel Mothers” (their seventh collaboration), she may have another shot at lead glory. If she does land in the lineup, she will join an exclusive club as the fifth leading lady to be recognized for two non-English language performances.
The first woman to accomplish this feat was Sophia Loren, who was nominated for “Marriage Italian Style” (1965) after winning for “Two Women” (1962). Both are Italian-language films directed by Vittorio De Sica. After losing on her second outing to Julie Andrews (“Mary Poppins...
The first woman to accomplish this feat was Sophia Loren, who was nominated for “Marriage Italian Style” (1965) after winning for “Two Women” (1962). Both are Italian-language films directed by Vittorio De Sica. After losing on her second outing to Julie Andrews (“Mary Poppins...
- 2/6/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
The year is 1963. The location is Angoulême, France. The woman is Anne (Anamaria Vartolomei), a bright student faced with the weight of the world when she discovers she has an unwanted pregnancy. Facing the country’s strict anti-abortion laws, Anne’s predicament puts not only herself in danger, but also any doctor who’d be willing to help her achieve the procedure for which she’s desperate. So begins Happening, Audrey Diwan’s Golden Lion-winning adaptation of Annie Ernaux’s semi-autobiographical 2000 novel of the same name (L’événement).
While comparing Happening to Eliza Hittman’s masterful 2020 abortion drama Never Rarely Sometimes Always skirts reductive, there’s something to be said for the similar way in which Diwan observes her main character. While her aesthetic may boast some grander flourishes than Hittman’s neorealism, there is nevertheless a vérité style to Diwan’s approach that places us right up against Anne for...
While comparing Happening to Eliza Hittman’s masterful 2020 abortion drama Never Rarely Sometimes Always skirts reductive, there’s something to be said for the similar way in which Diwan observes her main character. While her aesthetic may boast some grander flourishes than Hittman’s neorealism, there is nevertheless a vérité style to Diwan’s approach that places us right up against Anne for...
- 1/24/2022
- by Mitchell Beaupre
- The Film Stage
On Friday, December 3, Lady Gaga was announced as the New York Film Critics Circle Awards winner for Best Actress for her performance in “House of Gucci.” She plays Patrizia Reggiani, the real-life woman who was convicted of murdering her ex-husband Maurizio Gucci. NYFCC is one of the most prominent critics groups in the country, so does this boost Gaga’s chances for an Oscar nomination?
The Gotham critics’ choice winner hasn’t been nominated at the Oscars for the last three years in a row. NYFCC picks Regina Hall, Lupita Nyong’o, and Sidney Flanigan were snubbed by the actors branch of the academy.
Prior to this losing streak, eight of the nine NYFCC Best Actress winners went on to receive Oscar nominations: Meryl Streep, Annette Bening, Streep again, Cate Blanchett, Marion Cotillard, Saoirse Ronan, Isabelle Huppert, and Ronan again. Of those, Streep (for “Iron Lady”) and Blanchett ended up winning the Oscar.
The Gotham critics’ choice winner hasn’t been nominated at the Oscars for the last three years in a row. NYFCC picks Regina Hall, Lupita Nyong’o, and Sidney Flanigan were snubbed by the actors branch of the academy.
Prior to this losing streak, eight of the nine NYFCC Best Actress winners went on to receive Oscar nominations: Meryl Streep, Annette Bening, Streep again, Cate Blanchett, Marion Cotillard, Saoirse Ronan, Isabelle Huppert, and Ronan again. Of those, Streep (for “Iron Lady”) and Blanchett ended up winning the Oscar.
- 12/3/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
It looks like Penelope Cruz could get her fourth Oscar nomination with the help of the filmmaker who got her her very first. As of this writing the Expert journalists we’ve surveyed from major media outlets rank her third in the race for Best Actress for “Parallel Mothers,” the latest film from Pedro Almodovar, who directed her to a Best Actress bid for “Volver” 15 years ago. That now puts her ahead of Lady Gaga (“House of Gucci”) and Jennifer Hudson (“Respect”) and right behind front-runner Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”) and strong challenger Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”).
In “Volver” (2006), Cruz played Raimunda, whose late mother returns from the dead with unfinished business. After that awards breakthrough she won Best Supporting Actress for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (2008) and was nominated again for Best Supporting Actress for the movie musical “Nine” (2009), so she racked up all three of her nominations in...
In “Volver” (2006), Cruz played Raimunda, whose late mother returns from the dead with unfinished business. After that awards breakthrough she won Best Supporting Actress for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (2008) and was nominated again for Best Supporting Actress for the movie musical “Nine” (2009), so she racked up all three of her nominations in...
- 10/20/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Since the first Oscar for Best Actress was presented to Janet Gaynor at the 1929 ceremony, 77 different women have heard their names called on the big night, 14 of whom have won more than once. In 1982, Katharine Hepburn became the first, and to date only, individual to win four acting Oscars, all in the leading category. She held the record for most competitive acting nominations (12) from 1982 until Meryl Streep tied her in 2000, and then surpassed her in 2003. Streep currently holds the record for acting nominations with 21, 17 as a lead and four in supporting. However, it’s one of her contemporaries who is right behind Hepburn for most wins for Best Actress.
SEEOscar Best Actress Gallery: Every Winner in Academy Award History
At the 2021 ceremony, Frances McDormand won her third Best Actress trophy, having won every time she has been up in this category (she lost all three bids in supporting). A total...
SEEOscar Best Actress Gallery: Every Winner in Academy Award History
At the 2021 ceremony, Frances McDormand won her third Best Actress trophy, having won every time she has been up in this category (she lost all three bids in supporting). A total...
- 9/28/2021
- by Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
International sales agent Be For Films has given Variety exclusive access to the international trailer for Andreas Fontana’s first feature “Azor,” selected for this year’s Encounters section at the Berlin International Film Festival. Set among the world of international banking in the 1980’s, Fontana describes his debut as being “like a film about conquistadors.”
The film uses French, Spanish and English dialogue to tell the trans-Atlantic story of Yvan De Wiel, a private banker from Geneva. Yvan visits Argentina during the Junta dictatorship to replace his partner, who mysteriously disappeared one night leaving few clues behind. As he maneuvers among Argentina’s elite, offering rich shots of ballrooms, posh hotels, massive gardens and swanky lounges, the banker plays a dangerous political game of modern capitalist colonization.
In the trailer, we get a taste of the conquistador attitude Fontana refers to as Yvan uses the arrival of Hernan Cortes...
The film uses French, Spanish and English dialogue to tell the trans-Atlantic story of Yvan De Wiel, a private banker from Geneva. Yvan visits Argentina during the Junta dictatorship to replace his partner, who mysteriously disappeared one night leaving few clues behind. As he maneuvers among Argentina’s elite, offering rich shots of ballrooms, posh hotels, massive gardens and swanky lounges, the banker plays a dangerous political game of modern capitalist colonization.
In the trailer, we get a taste of the conquistador attitude Fontana refers to as Yvan uses the arrival of Hernan Cortes...
- 2/26/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
This year 14 performers reaped bids at all three key precursor prizes — the SAG, Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice awards. Such recognition certainly warrants getting up early on Oscar nominations mornings. But as Jennifer Lopez learned in 2020 reaping nominations for that awards triple crown for her featured role in “Hustlers” didn’t make her a sure thing in the Academy Awards derby.
She became the most recent of the 24 performers to stumble at the last hurdle and suffer Oscars snubs since the Critics’ Choice Awards introduced nominations in 2001. In 2019 Emily Blunt (“Mary Poppins Returns”) and Timothee Chalamet (“Beautiful Boy”) got added to the roster of those saddled with this dubious achievement.
Chalamet should take comfort from the case of Leonardo DiCaprio, who finally won an Oscar in 2016 for “The Revenant” after four losses. There were two instances when he didn’t even reap an Oscar nomination despite having done well in the run-up awards.
She became the most recent of the 24 performers to stumble at the last hurdle and suffer Oscars snubs since the Critics’ Choice Awards introduced nominations in 2001. In 2019 Emily Blunt (“Mary Poppins Returns”) and Timothee Chalamet (“Beautiful Boy”) got added to the roster of those saddled with this dubious achievement.
Chalamet should take comfort from the case of Leonardo DiCaprio, who finally won an Oscar in 2016 for “The Revenant” after four losses. There were two instances when he didn’t even reap an Oscar nomination despite having done well in the run-up awards.
- 2/8/2021
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Over the decades, filmmakers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, aka The Dardenne Brothers, have produced some of the most interesting films to come out of Europe. They’ve collected trophies from all over the world at various festivals, including two Palme d’Or awards from Cannes, and are always surprising film fans with each and every project. And it appears that the Dardennes are back at it, with a new film, titled “Tori et Lokita.”
Read More: ‘Two Days, One Night’ Beautifully Captures The Plight Of The Underpaid “Essential” Worker
According to Cineuropa, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have received financing for their forthcoming feature, “Tori et Lokita,” with a summer production start time on the schedule.
Continue reading ‘Tori et Lokita’: The Dardenne Brothers’ New Film Is Expected To Begin Production This Summer at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘Two Days, One Night’ Beautifully Captures The Plight Of The Underpaid “Essential” Worker
According to Cineuropa, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have received financing for their forthcoming feature, “Tori et Lokita,” with a summer production start time on the schedule.
Continue reading ‘Tori et Lokita’: The Dardenne Brothers’ New Film Is Expected To Begin Production This Summer at The Playlist.
- 2/3/2021
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
AMC Networks on Wednesday said that longtime film executive Arianna Bocco has been named president of its IFC Films division. Bocco was previously EVP of Acquisitions and Production. She replaces departing IFC Films Co-President Lisa Schwartz. Schwartz had served as Co-President with Jonathan Sehring who retired at the end of 2018.
Bocco has spent more than a decade overseeing acquisitions and productions for IFC Films as well as genre label IFC Midnight.
In her new role, Bocco will continue to oversee acquisitions, production, marketing and publicity, while adding oversight of theatrical film distribution and the fast-growing IFC Films Unlimited subscription streaming service. Bocco will report to Miguel Penella, AMC Networks’ president of SVOD, who oversees the company’s new premium subscription bundled offering AMC+, which includes IFC Films Unlimited; its portfolio of subscription video on demand services Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, and Umc; as well as Rlje Films. Penella reports to Ed Carroll,...
Bocco has spent more than a decade overseeing acquisitions and productions for IFC Films as well as genre label IFC Midnight.
In her new role, Bocco will continue to oversee acquisitions, production, marketing and publicity, while adding oversight of theatrical film distribution and the fast-growing IFC Films Unlimited subscription streaming service. Bocco will report to Miguel Penella, AMC Networks’ president of SVOD, who oversees the company’s new premium subscription bundled offering AMC+, which includes IFC Films Unlimited; its portfolio of subscription video on demand services Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, and Umc; as well as Rlje Films. Penella reports to Ed Carroll,...
- 12/2/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
When Jean-Luc and Pierre Dardenne won the Palme d’Or for “Rosetta” in 1999 — upending such hotly fancied contenders as Pedro Almodovar’s “All About My Mother” — it wasn’t exactly an out-of-nowhere arrival. The Belgian brothers were already in their mid-forties, having begun their career in documentary filmmaking 20 years before, and had already enjoyed a fiction breakthrough with 1996’s award-winning “La Promesse.”
But it felt like an invigorating new wave all the same. Toward the end of a decade marked by auteurist flash and swagger, the empathetic, unvarnished realism of their working-class survival tale gave world cinema a clean-scrubbed human face: intent on making audiences concentrate more on the lives being presented than the directors’ style of presentation.
In a career-making performance, the 18-year-old Emelie Dequenne played a teen struggling to support herself and her alcoholic mother with fleeting, fragile jobs: Though incidentally a damning study of Belgian labour law and social welfare,...
But it felt like an invigorating new wave all the same. Toward the end of a decade marked by auteurist flash and swagger, the empathetic, unvarnished realism of their working-class survival tale gave world cinema a clean-scrubbed human face: intent on making audiences concentrate more on the lives being presented than the directors’ style of presentation.
In a career-making performance, the 18-year-old Emelie Dequenne played a teen struggling to support herself and her alcoholic mother with fleeting, fragile jobs: Though incidentally a damning study of Belgian labour law and social welfare,...
- 10/12/2020
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Brotherly Belgian filmmaking duo Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne will receive this year’s Lumière Award at the upcoming Lumière Festival, which celebrates classic films and cinematic masters each autumn in Lyon, France.
Last year’s award went to Francis Ford Coppola, who joined previous recipients including Jane Fonda, Wong Kar-Wai, Martin Scorsese, Pedro Almodóvar, Clint Eastwood and Quentin Tarantino.
This year’s award will be presented during the Lumière Festival, launched by filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier and Cannes Festival chief Thierry Fremaux, heads of Lyon’s Institut Lumière.
One of the biggest classic film celebrations in the world, with an audience of 250,000 last year, the Lumière Festival will run Oct. 10-18.
“For us, two directing brothers, this award embodies a special emotion,” the brothers said in a statement released by the festival. “It connects us to the original brotherhood of cinema, with the two brothers who filmed for the first time...
Last year’s award went to Francis Ford Coppola, who joined previous recipients including Jane Fonda, Wong Kar-Wai, Martin Scorsese, Pedro Almodóvar, Clint Eastwood and Quentin Tarantino.
This year’s award will be presented during the Lumière Festival, launched by filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier and Cannes Festival chief Thierry Fremaux, heads of Lyon’s Institut Lumière.
One of the biggest classic film celebrations in the world, with an audience of 250,000 last year, the Lumière Festival will run Oct. 10-18.
“For us, two directing brothers, this award embodies a special emotion,” the brothers said in a statement released by the festival. “It connects us to the original brotherhood of cinema, with the two brothers who filmed for the first time...
- 7/16/2020
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
by Cláudio Alves
It's become somewhat uncommon for Oscar champions in the acting categories to be a "one and done" type of deal. A good amount of the winners from the past 25 years have either received nominations after their victory or already had them before their golden coronation. All this to say that, after Marion Cotillard won the Best Actress Academy Award for her work in La Vie en Rose, it felt like it was just a matter of time before she'd be in another Oscar lineup. That follow-up nod would come until 2014 for Two Days, One Night but, before that, there were a couple of failed Oscar bids to account for.
Previously in this series, we talked about her 2012 Best Actress snub for Rust & Bone. Now, let's look further back, to the Best Supporting Actress race of 2009...
It's become somewhat uncommon for Oscar champions in the acting categories to be a "one and done" type of deal. A good amount of the winners from the past 25 years have either received nominations after their victory or already had them before their golden coronation. All this to say that, after Marion Cotillard won the Best Actress Academy Award for her work in La Vie en Rose, it felt like it was just a matter of time before she'd be in another Oscar lineup. That follow-up nod would come until 2014 for Two Days, One Night but, before that, there were a couple of failed Oscar bids to account for.
Previously in this series, we talked about her 2012 Best Actress snub for Rust & Bone. Now, let's look further back, to the Best Supporting Actress race of 2009...
- 5/20/2020
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
Over the past month, we’ve watched the world slowly come to realize what the word “essential” truly means for the global economy. In many instances, our essential employees are also the ones that are paid the least, often with minimal job security. And as frontline employees around the country fight for better working conditions and increased safety precautions, these employees become causalities of the corporate policies that are meant to protect companies from those same voices.
Continue reading ‘Two Days, One Night’ Beautifully Captures The Plight Of The Underpaid “Essential” Worker at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Two Days, One Night’ Beautifully Captures The Plight Of The Underpaid “Essential” Worker at The Playlist.
- 4/15/2020
- by Matthew Monagle
- The Playlist
For all the ways Belgium’s Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne are rightly hailed as masterful contemporary realists with an abiding compassion for society’s fringe strugglers — the poor, the undocumented, the criminal, the victimized — they’ve just as easily earned their place as some of the greatest suspense directors of all time.
Their street-level stories, frequent Cannes winners since 1999’s “Rosetta,” typically hinge on a central desperation tied to simple survival, but when played out with their trademark visual restlessness and character-driven purposefulness, they’re often as nail-biting as any genre exercise or melodrama.
Which makes “Young Ahmed,” the pair’s latest dispatch from the viewpoint of a troubled soul — in this case, a 13-year-old Belgian boy in the dangerous throes of religious fanaticism — both a typically unnerving entry in their canon, and a strangely distancing one, given the impenetrability of its lead’s self-destructiveness.
Also Read: In 'Young Ahmed,...
Their street-level stories, frequent Cannes winners since 1999’s “Rosetta,” typically hinge on a central desperation tied to simple survival, but when played out with their trademark visual restlessness and character-driven purposefulness, they’re often as nail-biting as any genre exercise or melodrama.
Which makes “Young Ahmed,” the pair’s latest dispatch from the viewpoint of a troubled soul — in this case, a 13-year-old Belgian boy in the dangerous throes of religious fanaticism — both a typically unnerving entry in their canon, and a strangely distancing one, given the impenetrability of its lead’s self-destructiveness.
Also Read: In 'Young Ahmed,...
- 3/5/2020
- by Robert Abele
- The Wrap
Jean-Pierre Dardenne on Young Ahmed (Le Jeune Ahmed): “We're always very concerned with avoiding imagery …” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
With Young Ahmed (Le Jeune Ahmed), starring Idir Ben Addi as Ahmed, featuring Myriem Akheddiou, Victoria Bluck, Claire Bodson, Othmane Moumen, Olivier Bonnaud, and Cyra Lassman, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne enter a new realm of their oeuvre.
And yet their latest film, for which they won the top director prize at Cannes, is very much in line with what they do best. They illuminate seemingly impossible situations that are deeply grounded in social realities. Body language, quotidian objects, and a hesitant glance speak volumes.
Luc Dardenne on Idir Ben Addi as Ahmed: “We define the character not by his psychology, but by his accessories.” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
In the second half of my conversation at Ian Schrager's Hudson Hotel with the master filmmakers, I started out...
With Young Ahmed (Le Jeune Ahmed), starring Idir Ben Addi as Ahmed, featuring Myriem Akheddiou, Victoria Bluck, Claire Bodson, Othmane Moumen, Olivier Bonnaud, and Cyra Lassman, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne enter a new realm of their oeuvre.
And yet their latest film, for which they won the top director prize at Cannes, is very much in line with what they do best. They illuminate seemingly impossible situations that are deeply grounded in social realities. Body language, quotidian objects, and a hesitant glance speak volumes.
Luc Dardenne on Idir Ben Addi as Ahmed: “We define the character not by his psychology, but by his accessories.” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
In the second half of my conversation at Ian Schrager's Hudson Hotel with the master filmmakers, I started out...
- 2/20/2020
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
In a 90-minute onstage interview at the Marrakech Film Festival, Marion Cotillard – a best actress Oscar winner with “La Vie en Rose” – spoke about how she chooses her roles, suggesting that it is the characters who actually pick her.
“I believe that the characters choose us, when they need us to tell their story. I then try to understand why,” she said.
Cotillard has recently finished filming Leos Carax’s musical comedy “Annette,” which is produced by Charles Gillibert’s CG Cinema, (“Personal Shopper”) and released by Amazon Studios in the U.S.
The project brings together rock band Sparks, which is composing original songs, with music producer Marius de Vries (“La La Land”).
It is Cotillard’s most directly singer-orientated role since her performance as Edith Piaf in “La Vie en Rose.”
She first met Carax to talk about the project three years ago, but was unavailable for the...
“I believe that the characters choose us, when they need us to tell their story. I then try to understand why,” she said.
Cotillard has recently finished filming Leos Carax’s musical comedy “Annette,” which is produced by Charles Gillibert’s CG Cinema, (“Personal Shopper”) and released by Amazon Studios in the U.S.
The project brings together rock band Sparks, which is composing original songs, with music producer Marius de Vries (“La La Land”).
It is Cotillard’s most directly singer-orientated role since her performance as Edith Piaf in “La Vie en Rose.”
She first met Carax to talk about the project three years ago, but was unavailable for the...
- 12/1/2019
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Cannes Film Festival Best Director winners for Young Ahmed (Le Jeune Ahmed) Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne joined me for a conversation at Ian Schrager's Hudson Hotel the day after the North American Premiere of Young Ahmed (Le Jeune Ahmed) at the New York Film Festival. The film stars Idir Ben Addi as Ahmed with Myriem Akheddiou, Victoria Bluck, Claire Bodson, Othmane Moumen, Olivier Bonnaud, and Cyra Lassman.
Marion Cotillard's walk turned her into a reluctant Western hero in Two Days, One Night. Here, Young Ahmed (Idir Ben Addi), an adolescent boy, living in a small Belgian town, suddenly grows distant from his surroundings. His body is changing and out of control and so are his thoughts. The words of the local Imam (Othmane Moumen) and the video of a cousin who died a martyr's death inspire his radical thoughts.
Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne joined me for a conversation at Ian Schrager's Hudson Hotel the day after the North American Premiere of Young Ahmed (Le Jeune Ahmed) at the New York Film Festival. The film stars Idir Ben Addi as Ahmed with Myriem Akheddiou, Victoria Bluck, Claire Bodson, Othmane Moumen, Olivier Bonnaud, and Cyra Lassman.
Marion Cotillard's walk turned her into a reluctant Western hero in Two Days, One Night. Here, Young Ahmed (Idir Ben Addi), an adolescent boy, living in a small Belgian town, suddenly grows distant from his surroundings. His body is changing and out of control and so are his thoughts. The words of the local Imam (Othmane Moumen) and the video of a cousin who died a martyr's death inspire his radical thoughts.
- 10/9/2019
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Fabrizio Rongione and Stéphanie Cleau will head up the film’s cast; the Cnc will also support the feature debuts by Philippe Petit and Camille Ponsin. Three projects have been accepted during the third 2019 session of the Cnc’s first advance on receipts committee. Standing out among them is Andreas Fontana’s Azor, a predominantly Swiss production handled by Alina film with French partners Local Films (Nicolas Brevière) contributing up to 30%. Shooting will begin on 11 November in Argentina. The cast includes Belgian actor of Italian origins Fabrizio Rongione and Stéphanie Cleau (The Blue Room). Worth noting as well is the presence, in...
Palme d’Or winners for 1999’s Rosetta (review) and L’Enfant (2005), Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have attempted to three-peat this past decade with 2011’s The Kid with a Bike (winner of the Grand Prix prize), 2014’s Two Days, One Night and 2016’s The Unknown Girl (review). Their eleventh feature film and eighth consecutive competition film, Le Jeune Ahmed adheres to their beginnings in cinema mixing non professional actors with socially conscious template and bleak realism. Set in Belgium, this is about a young fanatic barely out of childhood who plans to kill his teacher in the name of his religion.…...
- 5/21/2019
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Belgian directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne excel at showing how the struggles of the underprivileged can lead them down morally questionable paths, but when “Young Ahmed” begins, that journey has started long ago. As 13-year-old Ahmed (Idir Ben Addi in a breakout turn) spends his days studying radical Islam with Imam Youssouf (Othmane Moumen), much to the consternation of his frantic mother Louise (Claire Bodson), the child has already committed himself to jihad. Within the first act of the movie, he has sworn himself to murdering his secular teacher Ines (Miriam Akheddiou), and the reckless act lands him in juvenile detention. The rest of the movie finds the kid struggling with his confused ideology, as various characters attempt to sway his beliefs.
In the pantheon of Dardenne brothers movies from the past three decades, “Young Ahmed” lies somewhere on the spectrum ahead of mediocre works like “The Unknown Girl” but...
In the pantheon of Dardenne brothers movies from the past three decades, “Young Ahmed” lies somewhere on the spectrum ahead of mediocre works like “The Unknown Girl” but...
- 5/20/2019
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
IFC Films will launch a new subscription video on demand channel, Variety has learned. Dubbed IFC Films Unlimited, it will comprise theatrically released and award-winning titles such as “Y Tu Mama Tambien,” “The Trip,” “Two Days, One Night,” “45 Years” and “The Babadook.” The movies will be furnished from the company’s distribution labels IFC Films, Sundance Selects and genre label IFC Midnight.
IFC Films Unlimited will initially launch on Amazon Prime Video Channels, with a monthly price of $5.99, and its launch will coincide with the Cannes Film Festival, which is fitting given that the company has distributed five Palme d’Or winners. At launch, IFC Films Unlimited will include three of those victors: “4 Months, 3 Weeks 2 Days,” “Dheepan” and “The Wind That Shakes the Barley.”
The company will initially offer several hundred titles. The selection will be routinely updated. In an interview, IFC Films co-president Lisa Schwartz said that the...
IFC Films Unlimited will initially launch on Amazon Prime Video Channels, with a monthly price of $5.99, and its launch will coincide with the Cannes Film Festival, which is fitting given that the company has distributed five Palme d’Or winners. At launch, IFC Films Unlimited will include three of those victors: “4 Months, 3 Weeks 2 Days,” “Dheepan” and “The Wind That Shakes the Barley.”
The company will initially offer several hundred titles. The selection will be routinely updated. In an interview, IFC Films co-president Lisa Schwartz said that the...
- 5/16/2019
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Nineteen films are in contention for the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, which runs from May 14 to May 25. The history of a filmmaker at this festival can offer wisdom as to who could be out front to win the coveted Palme d’Or. Seven of the entries are by filmmakers that have been honored during past closing ceremonies. Newcomers to Cannes could end up being big winners with three filmmakers making their first appearance on the Croisette and another four having their films shown for the first time in competition. The jury will be headed by four-time Oscar winner Alejandro González Iñárritu, who claimed the Best Director prize at Cannes in 2006 for “Babel.”
Below is a breakdown of the 19 films competing this year and the history of their helmers at the festival.
Pedro Almodóvar (“Pain and Glory”)
The acclaimed Spanish director is back at Cannes...
Below is a breakdown of the 19 films competing this year and the history of their helmers at the festival.
Pedro Almodóvar (“Pain and Glory”)
The acclaimed Spanish director is back at Cannes...
- 4/22/2019
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
One of the few surprises at the 91st Academy Awards came in one of the categories we least expected. While we all thought this would finally be the Oscar coronation for Glenn Close (“The Wife”) on her seventh nomination, Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”) swiped that Best Actress crown to everyone’s shock (even Lady Gaga mouthed “Oh my god.”) So how did Colman pull off this upset when it certainly felt like it was Close’s time after wins at the Golden Globes (and that speech!), the Critics’ Choice and Screen Actors Guild Awards? Here are seven explanations.
1. Colman was in a bigger and widely seen film
“The Favourite” and “Roma” topped the field with 10 nominations. Close’s bid was the only nomination for “The Wife.” The math is not hard. “The Wife” probably wasn’t on top of most voters’ screener piles, while “The Favourite” was going to be...
1. Colman was in a bigger and widely seen film
“The Favourite” and “Roma” topped the field with 10 nominations. Close’s bid was the only nomination for “The Wife.” The math is not hard. “The Wife” probably wasn’t on top of most voters’ screener piles, while “The Favourite” was going to be...
- 2/25/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
This year 16 performers reaped bids at all three key precursor prizes — the SAG, Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice awards. Such recognition certainly warrants getting up early on Oscar nominations mornings. But as Emily Blunt (“Mary Poppins Returns”) and Timothee Chalamet (”Beautiful Boy”) found out reaping bids for that triple crown still didn’t make them sure things in the Academy Awards derby.
They became the most recent of the 23 performers to stumble at the last hurdle and suffer an Oscar snub since the Critics’ Choice Awards introduced nominations in 2001. Last year, James Franco (“The Disaster Artist”) and Hong Chau (“Downsizing”) got added to the roster of those saddled with this dubious achievement.
See 2019 Oscar nominations: Full list of Academy Awards nominees in all 24 categories
Chalamet should take comfort from the case of Leonardo DiCaprio, who finally won an Oscar three years ago for “The Revenant” after four losses. There were...
They became the most recent of the 23 performers to stumble at the last hurdle and suffer an Oscar snub since the Critics’ Choice Awards introduced nominations in 2001. Last year, James Franco (“The Disaster Artist”) and Hong Chau (“Downsizing”) got added to the roster of those saddled with this dubious achievement.
See 2019 Oscar nominations: Full list of Academy Awards nominees in all 24 categories
Chalamet should take comfort from the case of Leonardo DiCaprio, who finally won an Oscar three years ago for “The Revenant” after four losses. There were...
- 1/22/2019
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Ahmed
The Dardenne Bros. turn their socially minded lens to religious extremism with their eleventh narrative feature, Ahmed. As usual, the Dardennes are collaborating with production company Les Films du Fleuve, returning to a template which saw them find early success by using a cast of unknowns. Having twice won the Palme d’Or, the duo are the most celebrated directors to have come from Belgium, making any of their projects of instant note. Besides their Palme wins, their offerings almost always leave Cannes with a major prize, including the Ecumenical Jury Prize for 2002’s Le fils, Best Screenplay for Lorna’s Silence in 2008, the Grand Jury Prize for 2011’s The Kid with a Bike, and again the Ecumenical Jury Prize for 2014’s Two Days, One Night (which also resulted in an Oscar nod for Marion Cotillard).…...
The Dardenne Bros. turn their socially minded lens to religious extremism with their eleventh narrative feature, Ahmed. As usual, the Dardennes are collaborating with production company Les Films du Fleuve, returning to a template which saw them find early success by using a cast of unknowns. Having twice won the Palme d’Or, the duo are the most celebrated directors to have come from Belgium, making any of their projects of instant note. Besides their Palme wins, their offerings almost always leave Cannes with a major prize, including the Ecumenical Jury Prize for 2002’s Le fils, Best Screenplay for Lorna’s Silence in 2008, the Grand Jury Prize for 2011’s The Kid with a Bike, and again the Ecumenical Jury Prize for 2014’s Two Days, One Night (which also resulted in an Oscar nod for Marion Cotillard).…...
- 1/8/2019
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
A collective sigh by critics greeted Monday’s announcement of the nine films shortlisted for this year’s foreign-language film Oscar. For once, though, it was a sigh of relief rather than exasperation, with few complaints arising over the chosen titles, which were broadly acclaimed.
Controversy over prominent omissions is practically an annual tradition. Last year, critics castigated the Academy for leaving out France’s celebrated AIDS drama “120 Beats Per Minute,” while the year before that, they lambasted the snubbing of Pedro Almodovar’s “Julieta” and Paul Verhoeven’s “Elle” (which went on to nab a nomination for Isabelle Huppert). From “Gomorrah” to “Once Upon a Time in Anatolia” to “Two Days, One Night,” the roll call of recent critics’ darlings to fall at this first hurdle is a distinguished one.
The Academy addressed the outcry that followed the sidelining of 2007 Palme d’Or winner “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days...
Controversy over prominent omissions is practically an annual tradition. Last year, critics castigated the Academy for leaving out France’s celebrated AIDS drama “120 Beats Per Minute,” while the year before that, they lambasted the snubbing of Pedro Almodovar’s “Julieta” and Paul Verhoeven’s “Elle” (which went on to nab a nomination for Isabelle Huppert). From “Gomorrah” to “Once Upon a Time in Anatolia” to “Two Days, One Night,” the roll call of recent critics’ darlings to fall at this first hurdle is a distinguished one.
The Academy addressed the outcry that followed the sidelining of 2007 Palme d’Or winner “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days...
- 12/19/2018
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Most of the winners at the 2018 New York Film Critics Circle Awards were already in the conversation for Oscars, but my favorite part of the critics awards roll-out at this time of year is when they wander off the beaten path to champion a movie or performance that has flown under the radar. That’s what they did in Best Actress, where they sidestepped more familiar choices like Glenn Close (“The Wife”) and Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”). Instead, they picked Regina Hall (“Support the Girls”), who may seem like an unlikely Oscar contender, but history is on her side.
Is she really that unlikely, though? She’s a veteran of film and television with credits including “Ally McBeal,” “Girls Trip” and another acclaimed film this year, “The Hate U Give.” And while it’s early yet, she hasn’t missed a beat on the awards circuit. She earned Best Actress...
Is she really that unlikely, though? She’s a veteran of film and television with credits including “Ally McBeal,” “Girls Trip” and another acclaimed film this year, “The Hate U Give.” And while it’s early yet, she hasn’t missed a beat on the awards circuit. She earned Best Actress...
- 11/29/2018
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
The New York Film Critics’ Circle is so determined to be one of the first groups to weigh in with its picks for the best of the year that the date of its decision-making keeps getting advanced; it was on Nov. 29 this year. But how much influence does it have on the last group to be heard from — the motion picture academy which will reveal the Oscar winners 88 days from now on Feb. 24, 2019? Let’s take a look back at the last seven years of the Gotham critics picks and see how well (or not), these early kudos previewed the Academy Awards.
See New York Film Critics’ Circle Awards 2019: Full list of winners [Updating Live]
Last year, Greta Gerwig‘s solo directorial debut “Lady Bird” was named Best Picture by the Nyfcc while its star, Saoirse Ronan, took home the Best Actress award. The film fell short at the Oscars, losing...
See New York Film Critics’ Circle Awards 2019: Full list of winners [Updating Live]
Last year, Greta Gerwig‘s solo directorial debut “Lady Bird” was named Best Picture by the Nyfcc while its star, Saoirse Ronan, took home the Best Actress award. The film fell short at the Oscars, losing...
- 11/29/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
After months of searching for a white knight, Paris-based film group Wild Bunch is looking to be rescued by its biggest German shareholder, Lars Windhorst, who owns a controlling stake in the company via his investment fund Sapinda, Variety has learned.
Windhorst is in advanced negotiations to inject capital and to restructure Wild Bunch’s debt – which stood at €74.7 million ($86.5 million) as of mid-2017 – in a deal potentially worth €40 million to €50 million, according to several sources. The deal has yet to be approved by a Paris business court as part of Wild Bunch’s ongoing mediation procedure, which began last December and received an extension of deadline before the Cannes Film Festival.
Wild Bunch and Sapinda declined requests for comment Thursday.
Windhorst will have to prove that he has the financial resources to make the transaction in order for the deal to be sealed in mid-July, sources say. A colorful financier,...
Windhorst is in advanced negotiations to inject capital and to restructure Wild Bunch’s debt – which stood at €74.7 million ($86.5 million) as of mid-2017 – in a deal potentially worth €40 million to €50 million, according to several sources. The deal has yet to be approved by a Paris business court as part of Wild Bunch’s ongoing mediation procedure, which began last December and received an extension of deadline before the Cannes Film Festival.
Wild Bunch and Sapinda declined requests for comment Thursday.
Windhorst will have to prove that he has the financial resources to make the transaction in order for the deal to be sealed in mid-July, sources say. A colorful financier,...
- 6/28/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
This year, 15 performers reaped bids at all three key precursor prizes — the SAG, Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice awards. Such recognition certainly warrants getting up early on Oscar nominations mornings. But as James Franco (“The Disaster Artist”) and Hong Chau (“Downsizing”) found out, reaping bids for that triple crown still didn’t make them sure things in the Oscars derby. They became the most recent of the 21 performers to stumble at the last hurdle and suffer an Oscar snub since the Critics’ Choice Awards introduced nominations in 2001.
Franco should take comfort from the case of Leonardo DiCaprio, who finally won an Oscar two years ago for “The Revenant” after four losses. There were two instances when he didn’t even reap an Oscar nomination despite having done well in the run-up awards. He was spurned by the actors branch of the academy for his leading performance in “J. Edgar” (2011) and...
Franco should take comfort from the case of Leonardo DiCaprio, who finally won an Oscar two years ago for “The Revenant” after four losses. There were two instances when he didn’t even reap an Oscar nomination despite having done well in the run-up awards. He was spurned by the actors branch of the academy for his leading performance in “J. Edgar” (2011) and...
- 1/23/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Every year Hollywood gets a curated batch of films from dozens of countries seeking an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. One film per nation is chosen to represent the best of its cinematic production during the previous year. Certainly the chosen film is not always the ideal candidate, but the reasoning behind the selection usually follows two patterns: there are countries that go with the best film even if this is not the most appealing choice and there are countries that go with the most ambitious, industry-friendly, and financially successful work. This year the astonishing number of submissions – a total of 83 – makes for an incredible list of films that range from those that sport festival pedigree of the highest caliber, unknown gems looking for an audience, expensive visual achievements, and obscure art house hopefuls.
This year more than most, there are a great number of films with serious possibilities. There is no unshakable front-runner, but there are numerous favorites. Yet, looking at last year’s 9 shortlisted films and eventual 5 nominees, nothing is written in stone. Critics and audience favorites like “ The Past” (Iran), “Gloria” (Chile), “Heli” (Mexico), and “Wadjda” (Saudi Arabia) were left out to include surprises like “The Missing Picture“ (Cambodia), “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker” (Bosnia & Herzegovina) or “The Notebook” (Hungary).
With Awards Season now in full swing and knowing that this is one of the most difficult races to follow, here is a comprehensive list that includes information for each of the 83 submissions. Below each poster you will find the title of the film linked to its page on IMDb Pro followed by the title in the original language; the director’s name also linked to his/her IMDb Page; the language the film is primarily in; the name of the U.S. distributor if there is one; the name of the film’s International Sales Agent (Isa) or Production Company (PC) linked to the film’s page on Cinando; and a link to the film’s trailer (most of them have English subtitles, others are only in the original language, and a few are videos related to the film because a trailer wasn't available). In addition, reviews and interviews with many of these filmmakers will be added regularly.
Before getting into the list, let’s take a look at some of the statistics and patterns among these 83 foreign language features.
Period Dramas/Biopics
Several countries selected films based on the lives of prominent local figures or great period pieces, both showcase the level of films being produced across the globe in terms of production value and scope. Mexico’s “Cantinflas,” Venezuela’s “The Liberator,” Kyrgyzstan “Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains,” Bolivia’s “Forgotten,” Indonesia’s “Soekarno,” Greece’s “Little England,” Macedonia’s “To the Hilt,” Hong Kong’s “The Golden Era,” Austria’s “The Dark Valley,” Switzerland’s “The Circle,” Bulgaria’s “Bulgarian Rhapsody,” Serbia’s “ See You in Montevideo,” Slovakia’s “A Step Into the Dark” and New Zealand’s “The Dead Lands” are some of the most expensive films ever made in their respective territories. All of them are epic productions that highlight an important historical period using impressive cinematography, a great number of extras, intricate costumes, lavish locations, detailed production design, as well as great battle sequences in several of them. Other more traditional biopics/period pieces on the list include France’s “Saint Laurent,” The Netherlands “ Accused,” Germany’s “Beloved Sisters,” Spain’s “Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed” and the Czech Republic’s “Fair Play”
Masters and Festival Winners
Not surprisingly many of the films on the list come into this race after winning important awards at international festivals. Furthermore, a handful of them are from master filmmakers, masters in the making, or unique new voices. These films include Belgium’s “Two Days, One Night” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, Nyff, AFI Fest) by the Dardenne Brothers, Canada’s “Mommy” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, AFI Fest) by prodigy Xavier Dolan, Chile’s “To Kill a Man” (Sundance, Rotterdam, Cartagena) by Alejandro Fernandez Almendras, Hungary's "White God" (Cannes) by Kornél Mundruczó, Norway’s “1001 Grams” (Tiff) by Bent Hamer, Poland’s “Ida”(Tiff, Sundance) by Pawel Pawlikowski, Russia’s “Leviathan” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, AFI Fest) by Andrey Zvyagintsev, Sweden’s “Force Majeure” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff) by Ruben Östlund, and Turkey’s “ Winter Sleep” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. All of these films have played at renowned international festivals and most have earned important recognition there.
Out of the Box
Whether they are aware of their actual possibilities at a nomination or not, each year a few countries take the risk of sending a film that defies convention despite having more safe choices. But that is not say they are entirely out of the race, films like “The Missing Picture” and “Dogtooth” prove that sometimes there is room for daring and unique filmmaking. With “Rocks in My Pockets” Latvia is the only country to submit an animated film this year. The film is an inventive and colorful look at depression. Then there is the almost-silent and highly poetic Ecuadorian entry “Silence in Dreamland” and Singapore’s musically driven drama “Sayang Disayang.” However, the boldest selection has to be the Philippines’ “Norte, the End of History” by acclaimed auteur Lav Diaz, which runs over four hours and is inspired by Dostoyevsky Crime and Punishment.
Documentaries
Only two countries chose to go with non-fiction entries. One of them is Panama’s “Invasion,” which deals with the aftermath of the U.S. intervention in that country in 1989. This is the Central American nation’s first ever Oscar submission. The other documentary contending is Portugal’s “ What Now? Remind Me,“ a self-portrait by filmmaker Joaquim Pinto exploring his struggles living with HIV. One should note that Portugal is one of the few countries in Western Europe to have never obtained a nomination in the category despite entering films consecutively for several decades.
Lgbt
Films with stories that highlight sexual diversity occasionally make their way into this list. Last year the only Lgbt title submitted was “ Soongava: Dance of the Orchids,” which surprisingly came from Nepal and dealt with the relationship between two young women in the traditional Asian society. This time around two countries selected films with similar themes. Brazil’s festival darling “ The Way He Looks” – a sweet coming-of-age tale- was an audacious choice among the many other films the South American country produces every year. Then there is Switzerland’s “The Circle” about a pioneering gay publication during the 1940s/1950s in Zurich and the real life relationship between two of its prominent members.
Surprising Choices
As it usually happens, some countries go against what the industry expects and decide to send films that weren’t on most people’s radars. Bulgaria for example selected “Bulgarian Rhapsody” by veteran director Ivan Nitchev over Sundance’s “Viktoria” by young female director Maya Vitkova. Similarly, Ukraine overlooked Cannes favorite “The Tribe”- a powerful drama entirely in sign language - and decided to go with “The Guide” by Oles Sanin. Nevertheless, the most shocking decision came from China. Instead of selecting a Chinese-directed film like Berlin’s Golden Bear winner “Black Coal, Thin Ice” or Zhang Yimou’s “Coming Home,” the Chinese selection committee chose “The Nightingale” by French director Philippe Muyl. Despite having a European helmer the film is authentically Chinese in terms of language and story, but it was still an unexpected move from the traditionally patriotic country.
First Timers
The unprecedented number of entries is in part due to the addition of countries submitting for the first time. Besides aforementioned Panama, there are three other debutant nations in the mix. Kosovo- a tiny Balkan state often associated with the rampart war that afflicted the region a few decades ago - is finally showcasing its film production. Their entry titled “Three Windows and a Hanging” is said to be a high quality, affecting drama. Malta - a European island nation near Italy - is often used as astonishing location for big budget studio films. This year, however, “ Simshar,” a great immigration drama will represent the country. Lastly, Mauritania – a prominently Muslim nation in Sub-Saharan Africa – selected Abderrahmane Sissako’s “Timbuktu,”which played in competition at Cannes,as their inaugural submission. Although Sissako has had several successful films at international festivals, this is the first time his country decides to participate.
Female Directors
Out of the 83 films, 14 were directed by women. That’s 17% of all entries. What’s more interesting is the fact that some of these films come from countries that are often seen as traditionally patriarchal societies. 3 Latin American entries were created by female directors: Colombia’s “Mateo,” Costa Rica’s “Red Princesses” and the Dominican Republic’s “Cristo Rey.” 4 from Asia: Hong Kong’s “ The Golden Era,” India’s “Liar’s Dice,” Japan’s “The Light Shines Only There,” and Pakistan’s “Dukhtar.” 2 from the Middle East: Israel’s “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem” (Co-directed) and Palestine’s “Eyes of a Thief.” Lastly, 5 films from Europe: The Czech Republic’s “Fair Play,” Finland’s “Concrete Night,” Latvia’s “ Rocks in My Pockets,” Malta’s “Simshar” and the Netherlands’ “Accused.”
U.S. Distribution
Another interesting fact is the number of these films that already have U.S. distribution. Several of them have actually already opened theatrically here, and others are set to open early next year. Out 83 films, 24 already have U.S. distribution. That’s 29% of all films. Hopefully that number increases by the end of the season. The films are: Argentina’s “Wild Tales,” Austria’s “The Dark Valley,” Belgium’s “Two Days, One Night,” Brazil’s “The Way He Looks,” Canada’s “Mommy,” Chile’s “To Kill a Man,” France’s “Saint Laurent,” Germany’s “Beloved Sisters,” Hungary’s “White God,” Israel’s “ Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem,” Italy’s “Human Capital,” Latvia’s “Rocks in My Pockets,” Mauritania’s “Timbuktu,” Mexico’s “Cantinflas,” Norway’s “1001 Grams,” The Philippines “Norte, the End of History,” Poland’s “Ida,” Portugal's "What Now? Remind Me," Russia’s “Leviathan,” Spain’s “Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed,” Sweden’s “Force Majeure,” Switzerland’s “The Circle,” Turkey’s “Winter Sleep,” and Venezuela’s “ The Liberator.”
To see which distribution company has each of these films please refer to the list below.
Afghanistan
"A Few Cubic Meters of Love" (چند متر مکعب عشق)
Dir: Jamshid Mahmoudi
Language: Persian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Argentina
"Wild Tales" (Relatos Salvajes)
Dir: Damián Szifrón
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
Trailer
Austria
"The Dark Valley" (Das finstere Tal)
Dir: Andreas Prochaska
Language: German
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
Isa: Films Distribution
Trailer
Australia
"Charlie's Country"
Dir: Rolf de Heer
Language: Yolŋu Matha/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Visit Films
Trailer
Azerbaijan
"Nabat"
Dir: Elcin Musaoglu
Language: Azerbaijani
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Bangladesh
"Glow of the Firefly" (Jonakir Alo)
Dir: Khalid Mahmood Mithu
Language: Bengali
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Impress Telefilm
Trailer
Belgium
"Two Days, One Night" (Deux jours, une nuit)
Dir: Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne
Language: French/Arabic
U.S Distribution: Sundance Selects
Isa: Wild Bunch
Trailer
Bolivia
"Forgotten" (Olvidados)
Dir: Carlos Bolado
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Flor de Loto Pictures
Trailer
Bosnia & Herzegovina
"With Mom" (Sa mamom)
Dir: Faruk Loncarevic
Language: Bosnian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Scca/pro.ba
TraileR
Brazil
"The Way He Looks" (Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho)
Dir: Daniel Ribeiro
Language: Portuguese
U.S Distribution: Strand Releasing
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
Bulgaria
"Bulgarian Rhapsody" (българска рапсодия)
Dir: Ivan Nitchev
Language: Bulgarian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Cinepaz Eood
Trailer
Canada
"Mommy"
Dir: Xavier Dolan
Language: French/English
U.S Distribution: Roadside Attractions
Isa: Seville International
Trailer
Chile
"To Kill a Man" (Matar a un Hombre)
Dir: Alejandro Fernández Almendras
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
Trailer
China
"The Nightingale" (夜莺/Le promeneur d'oiseau)
Dir: Philippe Muyl
Language: Mandarin
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Kinology
Trailer
Colombia
"Mateo"
Dir: Maria Gamboa ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Alpha Violet
Trailer
Costa Rica
"Red Princesses" (Princesas Rojas)
Dir: Laura Astorga ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Latido Films Trailer
Croatia
"Cowboys" (Kauboji)
Dir: Tomislav Mrsic
Language: Croatian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Wide
Trailer
Cuba
"Behavior" (Conducta)
Dir: Ernesto Daranas
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Latido Films
Trailer
Czech Republic
"Fair Play"
Dir: Andrea Sedlácková Andrea Sedlácková
Language: Czech
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: IntraMovies
Trailer
Denmark
"Sorrow and Joy" (Sorg og glæde)
Dir: Nils Malmros
Language: Danish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Nordisk Film Production
Trailer
Dominican Republic
"Cristo Rey"
Dir: Leticia Tonos ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: The Little Film Company
Trailer
Ecuador
"Silence in Dreamland" (El Silencio en la Tierra de los Sueños)
Dir: Tito Molina
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: La Facultad
Trailer
Egypt
"Factory Girl" (فتاة المصنع )
Dir: Mohamed Khan
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: DayDream Art Production
Trailer
Estonia
"Tangerines" (Mandariinid)
Dir: Zaza Urushadze
Language: Estonian/Russian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Cinemavault
Trailer
Ethiopia
"Difret"
Dir: Zeresenay Mehari
Language: Amharic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
Finland
"Concrete Night" (Betoniyö)
Dir: Pirjo Honkasalo ♀
Language: Finnish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Film Republic Trailer
France
"Saint Laurent"
Dir: Bertrand Bonello
Language: French
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Europacorp
Trailer
Georgia
"Corn Island" (სიმინდის კუნძული)
Dir: George Ovashvili
Language: Georgian/Abkhazian/Russian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Arizona Productions
Trailer
Germany
"Beloved Sisters" (Die geliebten Schwestern)
Dir: Dominik Graf
Language: German /French
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Global Screen
Trailer
Greece
"Little England" (Μικρά Αγγλία)
Dir: Pantelis Voulgaris
Language: Greek
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Black Orange
Trailer
Hong Kong
"The Golden Era" (黄金时代)
Dir: Ann Hui ♀
Language: Mandarin
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Edko Films
Trailer
Hungary
"White God" (Fehér isten)
Dir: Kornél Mundruczó
Language: Hungarian/English
U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Isa: The Match Factory
Trailer
Iceland
"Life in a Fishbowl" (Vonarstræti)
Dir: Baldvin Zophoníasson
Language: None Yet
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
India
"Liar's Dice" (लायर्स डाइस)
Dir: Geethu Mohandas ♀
Language: Hindi
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Jar Pictures Trailer
Indonesia
"Soekarno"
Dir: Hanung Bramantyo
Language: Indonesian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Mvp Pictures
Trailer
Iran
"Today" (امروز )
Dir: Reza Mirkarimi
Language: Persian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Iraq
"Mardan"
Dir: Batin Ghobadi
Language: Kurdish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Versatile Trailer
Ireland
"The Gift" (An Bronntanas)
Dir: Tom Collins
Language: Irish/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Rosg/De Facto Films
Trailer
Israel
"Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem" (Gett: Le Procès de Viviane Amsalem)
Dir: Ronit Elkabetz ♀ & Shlomi Elkabetz
Language: Hebrew/French/Arabic
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Films Distribution
Trailer
Italy
"Human Capital" (Il Capitale Umano)
Dir: Paolo Virzì
Language: Italian
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
PC: Indiana Production Company
Trailer
Japan
"The Light Shines Only There" (そこのみにて光輝く)
Dir: Mipo Oh ♀
Language: Japanese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Open Sesame
Trailer
Kosovo
"Three Windows and a Hanging" (Tri Dritare dhe një Varje)
Dir: Isa Qosja
Language: Albanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: CMb Productions
Trailer
Kyrgyzstan
"Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains" (Курманжан Датка)
Dir: Sadyk Sher-Niyaz
Language: Kirghiz
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Aitysh Film
Trailer
Latvia
"Rocks in My Pockets" (Akmeņi manās kabatās)
Dir: Signe Baumane ♀
Language: Latvian
U.S Distribution: Zeitgeist Films
Isa: New Europe Film Sales
Trailer
Lebanon
"Ghadi" (غدي)
Dir: Amin Dora
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Fortissimo Films
Trailer
Lithuania
"The Gambler" (Lošėjas)
Dir: Ignas Jonynas
Language: Lithuanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Wide
Trailer
Luxembourg
"Never Die Young"
Dir: Pol Cruchten
Language: French
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: EastWest Distribution
Trailer
MacEdonia
"To the Hilt" (До балчак)
Dir: Stole Popov
Language: Macedonian/French/English/ Turkish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Triangle Film- Skopje
Trailer
Malta
"Simshar"
Dir: Rebecca Cremona ♀
Language: Maltese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Kukumajsa Productions
Trailer
Mauritania
"Timbuktu"
Dir: Abderrahmane Sissako
Language: French/Arabic/Bambara/English/Songhay/Tamasheq
U.S Distribution: Cohen Media Group
Isa: Le Pacte
Trailer
Mexico
"Cantinflas"
Dir: Sebastian del Amo
Language: Spanish/English
U.S Distribution: Pantelion Films
Isa: 6 Sales
Trailer
Moldova
"The Unsaved" (La Limita de Jos a Cerului)
Dir: Igor Cobileanski
Language: Romanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Insomnia World Sales Trailer
Montenegro
"The Boys from Marx and Engels Street" (Djecaci iz ulice Marksa i Engelsa)
Dir: Nikola Vukcevic
Language: Serbian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Artikulacija Production
Trailer
Morocco
"The Red Moon" (القمر الأحمر)
Dir: Hassan Benjelloun
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Bentaqerla
Trailer
Nepal
"Jhola" (झोला)
Dir: Yadav Kumar Bhattarai
Language: Nepali
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Media for Culture
Trailer
The Netherlands
"Accused" (Lucia de B.)
Dir: Paula van der Oest ♀
Language: Dutch
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Fortissimo Films
Trailer
New Zealand
"The Dead Lands"
Dir: Toa Fraser
Language: Maori
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Xyz Films
Trailer
Norway
"1001 Grams" (1001 Gram)
Dir: Bent Hamer
Language: Norwegian/French/ English
U.S Distribution: Kino Lorber
Isa: Les Films du Losange
Trailer
Pakistan
"Dukhtar" (دختر، بیٹی)
Dir: Afia Nathaniel ♀
Language: Urdu
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Zambeel Films
Trailer
Palestine
"Eyes of a Thief" (عيون الحراميه)
Dir: Najwa Najjar ♀
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Ustura Films Trailer
Panama
"Invasion" (Invasión)
Dir: Abner Benaim
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Apertura Films Trailer
Peru
"The Gospel of the Flesh" (El Evangelio de la Carne)
Dir: Eduardo Mendoza de Echave
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: La Soga Producciones
Trailer
The Philippines
"Norte, the End of History" (Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan)
Dir: Lav Diaz
Language: Tagalog/English
U.S Distribution: The Cinema Guild
Isa: M-Appeal World Sales
Trailer
Poland
"Ida"
Dir: Pawel Pawlikowski
Language: Polish
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Portobello Film Sales
Trailer
Portugal
"What Now? Remind Me" (E Agora? Lembra-me)
Dir: Joaquim Pinto
Language: Portuguese
U.S Distribution: The Cinema Guild
PC: C.R.I.M Productions
Trailer
Romania
"The Japanese Dog" (Câinele Japonez)
Dir: Tudor Cristian Jurgiu
Language: Romanian/Japanese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: M-Appeal World Sales
Trailer
Russia
"Leviathan" (Левиафан)
Dir: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Language: Russian
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Pyramide International
Trailer
Serbia
"See You in Montevideo" (Montevideo, vidimo se!)
Dir: Dragan Bjelogrlic
Language: Serbian/Spanish/ English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Intermedia Network
Trailer
Singapore
"Sayang Disayang"
Dir: Sanif Olek
Language: Malay/Indonesian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: ReelJuice
Trailer
Slovakia
"A Step Into the Dark" (Krok do tmy)
Dir: Miloslav Luther
Language: Slovak
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Trigon Production Trailer
Slovenia
"Seduce Me" (Zapelji me)
Dir: Marko Santic
Language: Slovenian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Radio-Television Slovenia
Trailer
South Africa
"Elelwani"
Dir: Ntshaveni Wa Luruli
Language: Venda
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: EastWest FilmDistribution
Trailer
South Korea
"Haemoo" (해무)
Dir: Sung Bo Shim
Language: Korean
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Finecut
Trailer
Spain
"Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed" (Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados)
Dir: David Trueba
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Outsider Pictures
Isa: 6 Sales
Trailer
Sweden
"Force Majeure" (Turist)
Dir: Ruben Östlund
Language: Swedish/English
U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Isa: Coproduction Office (Paris)
Trailer
Switzerland
"The Circle" (Der Kreis)
Dir: Stefan Haupt
Language: Swiss German/ German/ French
U.S Distribution: Wolfe Video
Isa: Wide House
Trailer
Taiwan
"Ice Poison" (冰毒)
Dir: Midi Z.
Language: Burmese/Chinese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Flash Forward Enterteinment
Trailer
Thailand
"The Teacher's Diary" (คิดถึงวิทยา)
Dir: Nithiwat Tharathorn
Language: Thai
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Gth
Trailer
Turkey
"Winter Sleep" (Kis uykusu)
Dir: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Language: Turkish/English
U.S Distribution: Adopt Films
Isa: Memento Films International
Trailer
Ukraine
"The Guide" (Поводир)
Dir: Oles Sanin
Language: Ukrainian/Russia/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Pronto Film
Trailer
United Kingdom
"Little Happiness" (Uzun Yol)
Dir: Nihat Seven
Language: Turkish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: 7&7 Producers' Sales Services
Trailer
Uruguay
"Mr. Kaplan"
Dir: Álvaro Brechner
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Memento Films International
Trailer
Venezuela
"The Liberator" (Libertador)
Dir: Alberto Arvelo
Language: Spanish/English/ French
U.S Distribution: Cohen Media Group
Isa: Mundial
Trailer...
This year more than most, there are a great number of films with serious possibilities. There is no unshakable front-runner, but there are numerous favorites. Yet, looking at last year’s 9 shortlisted films and eventual 5 nominees, nothing is written in stone. Critics and audience favorites like “ The Past” (Iran), “Gloria” (Chile), “Heli” (Mexico), and “Wadjda” (Saudi Arabia) were left out to include surprises like “The Missing Picture“ (Cambodia), “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker” (Bosnia & Herzegovina) or “The Notebook” (Hungary).
With Awards Season now in full swing and knowing that this is one of the most difficult races to follow, here is a comprehensive list that includes information for each of the 83 submissions. Below each poster you will find the title of the film linked to its page on IMDb Pro followed by the title in the original language; the director’s name also linked to his/her IMDb Page; the language the film is primarily in; the name of the U.S. distributor if there is one; the name of the film’s International Sales Agent (Isa) or Production Company (PC) linked to the film’s page on Cinando; and a link to the film’s trailer (most of them have English subtitles, others are only in the original language, and a few are videos related to the film because a trailer wasn't available). In addition, reviews and interviews with many of these filmmakers will be added regularly.
Before getting into the list, let’s take a look at some of the statistics and patterns among these 83 foreign language features.
Period Dramas/Biopics
Several countries selected films based on the lives of prominent local figures or great period pieces, both showcase the level of films being produced across the globe in terms of production value and scope. Mexico’s “Cantinflas,” Venezuela’s “The Liberator,” Kyrgyzstan “Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains,” Bolivia’s “Forgotten,” Indonesia’s “Soekarno,” Greece’s “Little England,” Macedonia’s “To the Hilt,” Hong Kong’s “The Golden Era,” Austria’s “The Dark Valley,” Switzerland’s “The Circle,” Bulgaria’s “Bulgarian Rhapsody,” Serbia’s “ See You in Montevideo,” Slovakia’s “A Step Into the Dark” and New Zealand’s “The Dead Lands” are some of the most expensive films ever made in their respective territories. All of them are epic productions that highlight an important historical period using impressive cinematography, a great number of extras, intricate costumes, lavish locations, detailed production design, as well as great battle sequences in several of them. Other more traditional biopics/period pieces on the list include France’s “Saint Laurent,” The Netherlands “ Accused,” Germany’s “Beloved Sisters,” Spain’s “Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed” and the Czech Republic’s “Fair Play”
Masters and Festival Winners
Not surprisingly many of the films on the list come into this race after winning important awards at international festivals. Furthermore, a handful of them are from master filmmakers, masters in the making, or unique new voices. These films include Belgium’s “Two Days, One Night” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, Nyff, AFI Fest) by the Dardenne Brothers, Canada’s “Mommy” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, AFI Fest) by prodigy Xavier Dolan, Chile’s “To Kill a Man” (Sundance, Rotterdam, Cartagena) by Alejandro Fernandez Almendras, Hungary's "White God" (Cannes) by Kornél Mundruczó, Norway’s “1001 Grams” (Tiff) by Bent Hamer, Poland’s “Ida”(Tiff, Sundance) by Pawel Pawlikowski, Russia’s “Leviathan” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, AFI Fest) by Andrey Zvyagintsev, Sweden’s “Force Majeure” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff) by Ruben Östlund, and Turkey’s “ Winter Sleep” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. All of these films have played at renowned international festivals and most have earned important recognition there.
Out of the Box
Whether they are aware of their actual possibilities at a nomination or not, each year a few countries take the risk of sending a film that defies convention despite having more safe choices. But that is not say they are entirely out of the race, films like “The Missing Picture” and “Dogtooth” prove that sometimes there is room for daring and unique filmmaking. With “Rocks in My Pockets” Latvia is the only country to submit an animated film this year. The film is an inventive and colorful look at depression. Then there is the almost-silent and highly poetic Ecuadorian entry “Silence in Dreamland” and Singapore’s musically driven drama “Sayang Disayang.” However, the boldest selection has to be the Philippines’ “Norte, the End of History” by acclaimed auteur Lav Diaz, which runs over four hours and is inspired by Dostoyevsky Crime and Punishment.
Documentaries
Only two countries chose to go with non-fiction entries. One of them is Panama’s “Invasion,” which deals with the aftermath of the U.S. intervention in that country in 1989. This is the Central American nation’s first ever Oscar submission. The other documentary contending is Portugal’s “ What Now? Remind Me,“ a self-portrait by filmmaker Joaquim Pinto exploring his struggles living with HIV. One should note that Portugal is one of the few countries in Western Europe to have never obtained a nomination in the category despite entering films consecutively for several decades.
Lgbt
Films with stories that highlight sexual diversity occasionally make their way into this list. Last year the only Lgbt title submitted was “ Soongava: Dance of the Orchids,” which surprisingly came from Nepal and dealt with the relationship between two young women in the traditional Asian society. This time around two countries selected films with similar themes. Brazil’s festival darling “ The Way He Looks” – a sweet coming-of-age tale- was an audacious choice among the many other films the South American country produces every year. Then there is Switzerland’s “The Circle” about a pioneering gay publication during the 1940s/1950s in Zurich and the real life relationship between two of its prominent members.
Surprising Choices
As it usually happens, some countries go against what the industry expects and decide to send films that weren’t on most people’s radars. Bulgaria for example selected “Bulgarian Rhapsody” by veteran director Ivan Nitchev over Sundance’s “Viktoria” by young female director Maya Vitkova. Similarly, Ukraine overlooked Cannes favorite “The Tribe”- a powerful drama entirely in sign language - and decided to go with “The Guide” by Oles Sanin. Nevertheless, the most shocking decision came from China. Instead of selecting a Chinese-directed film like Berlin’s Golden Bear winner “Black Coal, Thin Ice” or Zhang Yimou’s “Coming Home,” the Chinese selection committee chose “The Nightingale” by French director Philippe Muyl. Despite having a European helmer the film is authentically Chinese in terms of language and story, but it was still an unexpected move from the traditionally patriotic country.
First Timers
The unprecedented number of entries is in part due to the addition of countries submitting for the first time. Besides aforementioned Panama, there are three other debutant nations in the mix. Kosovo- a tiny Balkan state often associated with the rampart war that afflicted the region a few decades ago - is finally showcasing its film production. Their entry titled “Three Windows and a Hanging” is said to be a high quality, affecting drama. Malta - a European island nation near Italy - is often used as astonishing location for big budget studio films. This year, however, “ Simshar,” a great immigration drama will represent the country. Lastly, Mauritania – a prominently Muslim nation in Sub-Saharan Africa – selected Abderrahmane Sissako’s “Timbuktu,”which played in competition at Cannes,as their inaugural submission. Although Sissako has had several successful films at international festivals, this is the first time his country decides to participate.
Female Directors
Out of the 83 films, 14 were directed by women. That’s 17% of all entries. What’s more interesting is the fact that some of these films come from countries that are often seen as traditionally patriarchal societies. 3 Latin American entries were created by female directors: Colombia’s “Mateo,” Costa Rica’s “Red Princesses” and the Dominican Republic’s “Cristo Rey.” 4 from Asia: Hong Kong’s “ The Golden Era,” India’s “Liar’s Dice,” Japan’s “The Light Shines Only There,” and Pakistan’s “Dukhtar.” 2 from the Middle East: Israel’s “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem” (Co-directed) and Palestine’s “Eyes of a Thief.” Lastly, 5 films from Europe: The Czech Republic’s “Fair Play,” Finland’s “Concrete Night,” Latvia’s “ Rocks in My Pockets,” Malta’s “Simshar” and the Netherlands’ “Accused.”
U.S. Distribution
Another interesting fact is the number of these films that already have U.S. distribution. Several of them have actually already opened theatrically here, and others are set to open early next year. Out 83 films, 24 already have U.S. distribution. That’s 29% of all films. Hopefully that number increases by the end of the season. The films are: Argentina’s “Wild Tales,” Austria’s “The Dark Valley,” Belgium’s “Two Days, One Night,” Brazil’s “The Way He Looks,” Canada’s “Mommy,” Chile’s “To Kill a Man,” France’s “Saint Laurent,” Germany’s “Beloved Sisters,” Hungary’s “White God,” Israel’s “ Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem,” Italy’s “Human Capital,” Latvia’s “Rocks in My Pockets,” Mauritania’s “Timbuktu,” Mexico’s “Cantinflas,” Norway’s “1001 Grams,” The Philippines “Norte, the End of History,” Poland’s “Ida,” Portugal's "What Now? Remind Me," Russia’s “Leviathan,” Spain’s “Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed,” Sweden’s “Force Majeure,” Switzerland’s “The Circle,” Turkey’s “Winter Sleep,” and Venezuela’s “ The Liberator.”
To see which distribution company has each of these films please refer to the list below.
Afghanistan
"A Few Cubic Meters of Love" (چند متر مکعب عشق)
Dir: Jamshid Mahmoudi
Language: Persian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Argentina
"Wild Tales" (Relatos Salvajes)
Dir: Damián Szifrón
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
Trailer
Austria
"The Dark Valley" (Das finstere Tal)
Dir: Andreas Prochaska
Language: German
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
Isa: Films Distribution
Trailer
Australia
"Charlie's Country"
Dir: Rolf de Heer
Language: Yolŋu Matha/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Visit Films
Trailer
Azerbaijan
"Nabat"
Dir: Elcin Musaoglu
Language: Azerbaijani
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Bangladesh
"Glow of the Firefly" (Jonakir Alo)
Dir: Khalid Mahmood Mithu
Language: Bengali
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Impress Telefilm
Trailer
Belgium
"Two Days, One Night" (Deux jours, une nuit)
Dir: Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne
Language: French/Arabic
U.S Distribution: Sundance Selects
Isa: Wild Bunch
Trailer
Bolivia
"Forgotten" (Olvidados)
Dir: Carlos Bolado
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Flor de Loto Pictures
Trailer
Bosnia & Herzegovina
"With Mom" (Sa mamom)
Dir: Faruk Loncarevic
Language: Bosnian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Scca/pro.ba
TraileR
Brazil
"The Way He Looks" (Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho)
Dir: Daniel Ribeiro
Language: Portuguese
U.S Distribution: Strand Releasing
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
Bulgaria
"Bulgarian Rhapsody" (българска рапсодия)
Dir: Ivan Nitchev
Language: Bulgarian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Cinepaz Eood
Trailer
Canada
"Mommy"
Dir: Xavier Dolan
Language: French/English
U.S Distribution: Roadside Attractions
Isa: Seville International
Trailer
Chile
"To Kill a Man" (Matar a un Hombre)
Dir: Alejandro Fernández Almendras
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
Isa: Film Factory Entertainment
Trailer
China
"The Nightingale" (夜莺/Le promeneur d'oiseau)
Dir: Philippe Muyl
Language: Mandarin
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Kinology
Trailer
Colombia
"Mateo"
Dir: Maria Gamboa ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Alpha Violet
Trailer
Costa Rica
"Red Princesses" (Princesas Rojas)
Dir: Laura Astorga ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Latido Films Trailer
Croatia
"Cowboys" (Kauboji)
Dir: Tomislav Mrsic
Language: Croatian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Wide
Trailer
Cuba
"Behavior" (Conducta)
Dir: Ernesto Daranas
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Latido Films
Trailer
Czech Republic
"Fair Play"
Dir: Andrea Sedlácková Andrea Sedlácková
Language: Czech
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: IntraMovies
Trailer
Denmark
"Sorrow and Joy" (Sorg og glæde)
Dir: Nils Malmros
Language: Danish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Nordisk Film Production
Trailer
Dominican Republic
"Cristo Rey"
Dir: Leticia Tonos ♀
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: The Little Film Company
Trailer
Ecuador
"Silence in Dreamland" (El Silencio en la Tierra de los Sueños)
Dir: Tito Molina
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: La Facultad
Trailer
Egypt
"Factory Girl" (فتاة المصنع )
Dir: Mohamed Khan
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: DayDream Art Production
Trailer
Estonia
"Tangerines" (Mandariinid)
Dir: Zaza Urushadze
Language: Estonian/Russian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Cinemavault
Trailer
Ethiopia
"Difret"
Dir: Zeresenay Mehari
Language: Amharic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
Finland
"Concrete Night" (Betoniyö)
Dir: Pirjo Honkasalo ♀
Language: Finnish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Film Republic Trailer
France
"Saint Laurent"
Dir: Bertrand Bonello
Language: French
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Europacorp
Trailer
Georgia
"Corn Island" (სიმინდის კუნძული)
Dir: George Ovashvili
Language: Georgian/Abkhazian/Russian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Arizona Productions
Trailer
Germany
"Beloved Sisters" (Die geliebten Schwestern)
Dir: Dominik Graf
Language: German /French
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Global Screen
Trailer
Greece
"Little England" (Μικρά Αγγλία)
Dir: Pantelis Voulgaris
Language: Greek
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Black Orange
Trailer
Hong Kong
"The Golden Era" (黄金时代)
Dir: Ann Hui ♀
Language: Mandarin
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Edko Films
Trailer
Hungary
"White God" (Fehér isten)
Dir: Kornél Mundruczó
Language: Hungarian/English
U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Isa: The Match Factory
Trailer
Iceland
"Life in a Fishbowl" (Vonarstræti)
Dir: Baldvin Zophoníasson
Language: None Yet
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Films Boutique Trailer
India
"Liar's Dice" (लायर्स डाइस)
Dir: Geethu Mohandas ♀
Language: Hindi
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Jar Pictures Trailer
Indonesia
"Soekarno"
Dir: Hanung Bramantyo
Language: Indonesian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Mvp Pictures
Trailer
Iran
"Today" (امروز )
Dir: Reza Mirkarimi
Language: Persian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Dreamlab Films
Trailer
Iraq
"Mardan"
Dir: Batin Ghobadi
Language: Kurdish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Versatile Trailer
Ireland
"The Gift" (An Bronntanas)
Dir: Tom Collins
Language: Irish/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Rosg/De Facto Films
Trailer
Israel
"Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem" (Gett: Le Procès de Viviane Amsalem)
Dir: Ronit Elkabetz ♀ & Shlomi Elkabetz
Language: Hebrew/French/Arabic
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Films Distribution
Trailer
Italy
"Human Capital" (Il Capitale Umano)
Dir: Paolo Virzì
Language: Italian
U.S Distribution: Film Movement
PC: Indiana Production Company
Trailer
Japan
"The Light Shines Only There" (そこのみにて光輝く)
Dir: Mipo Oh ♀
Language: Japanese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Open Sesame
Trailer
Kosovo
"Three Windows and a Hanging" (Tri Dritare dhe një Varje)
Dir: Isa Qosja
Language: Albanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: CMb Productions
Trailer
Kyrgyzstan
"Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains" (Курманжан Датка)
Dir: Sadyk Sher-Niyaz
Language: Kirghiz
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Aitysh Film
Trailer
Latvia
"Rocks in My Pockets" (Akmeņi manās kabatās)
Dir: Signe Baumane ♀
Language: Latvian
U.S Distribution: Zeitgeist Films
Isa: New Europe Film Sales
Trailer
Lebanon
"Ghadi" (غدي)
Dir: Amin Dora
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Fortissimo Films
Trailer
Lithuania
"The Gambler" (Lošėjas)
Dir: Ignas Jonynas
Language: Lithuanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Wide
Trailer
Luxembourg
"Never Die Young"
Dir: Pol Cruchten
Language: French
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: EastWest Distribution
Trailer
MacEdonia
"To the Hilt" (До балчак)
Dir: Stole Popov
Language: Macedonian/French/English/ Turkish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Triangle Film- Skopje
Trailer
Malta
"Simshar"
Dir: Rebecca Cremona ♀
Language: Maltese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Kukumajsa Productions
Trailer
Mauritania
"Timbuktu"
Dir: Abderrahmane Sissako
Language: French/Arabic/Bambara/English/Songhay/Tamasheq
U.S Distribution: Cohen Media Group
Isa: Le Pacte
Trailer
Mexico
"Cantinflas"
Dir: Sebastian del Amo
Language: Spanish/English
U.S Distribution: Pantelion Films
Isa: 6 Sales
Trailer
Moldova
"The Unsaved" (La Limita de Jos a Cerului)
Dir: Igor Cobileanski
Language: Romanian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Insomnia World Sales Trailer
Montenegro
"The Boys from Marx and Engels Street" (Djecaci iz ulice Marksa i Engelsa)
Dir: Nikola Vukcevic
Language: Serbian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Artikulacija Production
Trailer
Morocco
"The Red Moon" (القمر الأحمر)
Dir: Hassan Benjelloun
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Bentaqerla
Trailer
Nepal
"Jhola" (झोला)
Dir: Yadav Kumar Bhattarai
Language: Nepali
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Media for Culture
Trailer
The Netherlands
"Accused" (Lucia de B.)
Dir: Paula van der Oest ♀
Language: Dutch
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Fortissimo Films
Trailer
New Zealand
"The Dead Lands"
Dir: Toa Fraser
Language: Maori
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Xyz Films
Trailer
Norway
"1001 Grams" (1001 Gram)
Dir: Bent Hamer
Language: Norwegian/French/ English
U.S Distribution: Kino Lorber
Isa: Les Films du Losange
Trailer
Pakistan
"Dukhtar" (دختر، بیٹی)
Dir: Afia Nathaniel ♀
Language: Urdu
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Zambeel Films
Trailer
Palestine
"Eyes of a Thief" (عيون الحراميه)
Dir: Najwa Najjar ♀
Language: Arabic
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Ustura Films Trailer
Panama
"Invasion" (Invasión)
Dir: Abner Benaim
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Apertura Films Trailer
Peru
"The Gospel of the Flesh" (El Evangelio de la Carne)
Dir: Eduardo Mendoza de Echave
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: La Soga Producciones
Trailer
The Philippines
"Norte, the End of History" (Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan)
Dir: Lav Diaz
Language: Tagalog/English
U.S Distribution: The Cinema Guild
Isa: M-Appeal World Sales
Trailer
Poland
"Ida"
Dir: Pawel Pawlikowski
Language: Polish
U.S Distribution: Music Box Films
Isa: Portobello Film Sales
Trailer
Portugal
"What Now? Remind Me" (E Agora? Lembra-me)
Dir: Joaquim Pinto
Language: Portuguese
U.S Distribution: The Cinema Guild
PC: C.R.I.M Productions
Trailer
Romania
"The Japanese Dog" (Câinele Japonez)
Dir: Tudor Cristian Jurgiu
Language: Romanian/Japanese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: M-Appeal World Sales
Trailer
Russia
"Leviathan" (Левиафан)
Dir: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Language: Russian
U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics
Isa: Pyramide International
Trailer
Serbia
"See You in Montevideo" (Montevideo, vidimo se!)
Dir: Dragan Bjelogrlic
Language: Serbian/Spanish/ English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Intermedia Network
Trailer
Singapore
"Sayang Disayang"
Dir: Sanif Olek
Language: Malay/Indonesian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: ReelJuice
Trailer
Slovakia
"A Step Into the Dark" (Krok do tmy)
Dir: Miloslav Luther
Language: Slovak
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Trigon Production Trailer
Slovenia
"Seduce Me" (Zapelji me)
Dir: Marko Santic
Language: Slovenian
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Radio-Television Slovenia
Trailer
South Africa
"Elelwani"
Dir: Ntshaveni Wa Luruli
Language: Venda
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: EastWest FilmDistribution
Trailer
South Korea
"Haemoo" (해무)
Dir: Sung Bo Shim
Language: Korean
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Finecut
Trailer
Spain
"Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed" (Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados)
Dir: David Trueba
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: Outsider Pictures
Isa: 6 Sales
Trailer
Sweden
"Force Majeure" (Turist)
Dir: Ruben Östlund
Language: Swedish/English
U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures
Isa: Coproduction Office (Paris)
Trailer
Switzerland
"The Circle" (Der Kreis)
Dir: Stefan Haupt
Language: Swiss German/ German/ French
U.S Distribution: Wolfe Video
Isa: Wide House
Trailer
Taiwan
"Ice Poison" (冰毒)
Dir: Midi Z.
Language: Burmese/Chinese
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Flash Forward Enterteinment
Trailer
Thailand
"The Teacher's Diary" (คิดถึงวิทยา)
Dir: Nithiwat Tharathorn
Language: Thai
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Gth
Trailer
Turkey
"Winter Sleep" (Kis uykusu)
Dir: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Language: Turkish/English
U.S Distribution: Adopt Films
Isa: Memento Films International
Trailer
Ukraine
"The Guide" (Поводир)
Dir: Oles Sanin
Language: Ukrainian/Russia/English
U.S Distribution: None Yet
PC: Pronto Film
Trailer
United Kingdom
"Little Happiness" (Uzun Yol)
Dir: Nihat Seven
Language: Turkish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: 7&7 Producers' Sales Services
Trailer
Uruguay
"Mr. Kaplan"
Dir: Álvaro Brechner
Language: Spanish
U.S Distribution: None Yet
Isa: Memento Films International
Trailer
Venezuela
"The Liberator" (Libertador)
Dir: Alberto Arvelo
Language: Spanish/English/ French
U.S Distribution: Cohen Media Group
Isa: Mundial
Trailer...
- 11/11/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
The New York Film Festival Main Slate official selection has landed, with 30 features including many Cannes entries and potential Oscar contenders. They include French actor Mathieu Amalric’s adaptation of Georges Simenon’s novel "The Blue Room" (Sudnance Selects), Lisandro Alonso's 19th century road quest "Jauja," starring Viggo Mortensen, Asia Argento's autobiographical "Misunderstood," Olivier Assayas' "Clouds of Sils Maria" starring Juliette Binoche and Kristen Stewart (IFC), David Cronenberg's "Maps of the Stars," starring Cannes-winner Julianne Moore and Rob Pattinson (EOne), Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne's "Two Days, One Night" starring Marion Cotillard (IFC), Jean-Luc Godard’s first 3D feature, "Goodbye to Language," Mike Leigh's "Mr. Turner" starring Cannes-winner Timothy Spall (Sony Pictures Classics), Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher," starring Steve Carell...
- 8/13/2014
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Toronto International Film Festival announced more selections Tuesday for the upcoming 2014 edition of the annual awards season kick-off. The majority of the festival's program was announced last month, but this group includes intriguing world premieres from notable directors such as Todd McCarthy ("The Cobbler") and Gina Prince-Bythewood ("Beyond the Lights"). A number of the titles revealed have screened at other festivals including the underrated "Infinitely Polar Bear" and "Laggies" from Sundance as well as Cannes players "Two Days, One Night," "The Search" and "Clouds of Sils Maria." And yes, the presence of "Sils Maria," which is a favorite of this particular writer, means Kristen Stewart will likely hit one of the festival's many red carpets. As you'd expect for Toronto, the world premieres feature some big names including Josh Hutcherson and Benicio Del Toro in "Escobar: Paradise Lost," Jean Dujardin in "The Connection (La French)," Dustin Hoffman in "Boychoir,...
- 8/12/2014
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
This morning the Toronto Film Festival added several more films to their lineup including the world premiere of Thomas McCarthy's The Cobbler which stars Adam Sandler as a New York City cobbler who, disenchanted with the grind of daily life, stumbles upon a magical heirloom that allows him to step into the lives of his customers and see the world in a new way. The film co-stars Method Man, Ellen Barkin, Melonie Diaz, Dan Stevens, Steve Buscemi and Dustin Hoffman. Additionally, Sundance standouts Infinity Polar Bear and Laggies starring Keira Knightley and Chloe Grace Moretz were added to the Gala selection. Joining The Cobbler as new additions to the Special Presentations field include Olivier Assayas' Clouds of Sils Maria starring Kristen Stewart and Juliette Binoche and Two Days, One Night from Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne and starring Marion Cotillard. Both films made a splash at Cannes earlier this year,...
- 8/12/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Why did Two Days, One Night work so well for me? It's not easy to explain. This is especially the case, considering this is my first experience watching a film by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, and the fact I know nothing about modern-day Belgium's working-class. Given this lack of knowledge, the film is a capsule, a bitter pill of ethical and moral dilemma that simply shows humanity for what it is, for better or worse.Two Days, One Night throws us into a troubled weekend where Sandra (the always wonderful Marion Cotillard) stresses about convincing her workmates to make a powerful decision. After a bout of depression, Sandra returns from a hiatus to her employment. Her manager and his boss, the unseen Jean-Marc have other plans, however, as...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 8/5/2014
- Screen Anarchy
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