Canadian actor and filmmaker Xavier Dolan will be joined on this year’s Un Certain Regard Jury by French-Senegalese filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré, Moroccan director Asmae El Moudir, German-Luxembourg actress Vicky Krieps, and American film critic and writer Todd McCarthy.
The jury will be in charge of awarding prizes for the Un Certain Regard sidebar. This year, 18 films have been selected, including eight first features. The 2023 Un Certain Regard top prize went to director Molly Manning Walker’s debut feature How to Have Sex. When the light breaks by Rúnar Rúnarsson will open the Un Certain Regard section on May 15.
A self-taught filmmaker, Dolan made his feature directorial debut at 19 with I Killed My Mother, an adaptation of his own short story, which was chosen to represent Canada at the Academy Awards. He followed up that film with the 2010 romantic drama Heartbeats, which brought him into the Un Certain Regard section...
The jury will be in charge of awarding prizes for the Un Certain Regard sidebar. This year, 18 films have been selected, including eight first features. The 2023 Un Certain Regard top prize went to director Molly Manning Walker’s debut feature How to Have Sex. When the light breaks by Rúnar Rúnarsson will open the Un Certain Regard section on May 15.
A self-taught filmmaker, Dolan made his feature directorial debut at 19 with I Killed My Mother, an adaptation of his own short story, which was chosen to represent Canada at the Academy Awards. He followed up that film with the 2010 romantic drama Heartbeats, which brought him into the Un Certain Regard section...
- 4/24/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Actress Vicky Krieps and filmmaker Maimouna Doucoure are among the jury members for the Un Certain Regard section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Also joining are Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir, and American film critic and writer Todd McCarthy.
Xavier Dolan was announced as jury president earlier this year.
The quintet will watch 18 films as part of the Un Certain Regard selection, including eight debut films.
Last year’s Un Certain Regard jury, headed by John C. Reilly, awarded six prizes including the main award to Molly Manning Walker’s How To Have Sex.
This year’s Un Certain Regard...
Also joining are Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir, and American film critic and writer Todd McCarthy.
Xavier Dolan was announced as jury president earlier this year.
The quintet will watch 18 films as part of the Un Certain Regard selection, including eight debut films.
Last year’s Un Certain Regard jury, headed by John C. Reilly, awarded six prizes including the main award to Molly Manning Walker’s How To Have Sex.
This year’s Un Certain Regard...
- 4/24/2024
- ScreenDaily
The Cannes Film Festival has unveiled new additions to the Official Selection for its upcoming 77th edition from May 14 to May 25.
Three new films have been added to the Competition lineup: Oscar-winning director Michel Hazanavicius’ animated feature The Most Precious of Cargoes, Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s Seed of the Sacred Fig and Emanuel Parvu’s Three Miles to the End of the World.
The Artist skyrocketed Hazanavicius to international fame in 2011 as the film won best picture at the Academy Awards, and received 10 Oscar nominations and five wins. Hazanavicius for his latest film adapted the Second World War novel of the same title by Jean-Claude Grumberg that is set against the events of the Holocaust and told with magical realism.
Rasoulof is not expected to attend his Cannes premiere as the director a year ago was barred by Iranian authorities from leaving the country to attend the Cannes Film...
Three new films have been added to the Competition lineup: Oscar-winning director Michel Hazanavicius’ animated feature The Most Precious of Cargoes, Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s Seed of the Sacred Fig and Emanuel Parvu’s Three Miles to the End of the World.
The Artist skyrocketed Hazanavicius to international fame in 2011 as the film won best picture at the Academy Awards, and received 10 Oscar nominations and five wins. Hazanavicius for his latest film adapted the Second World War novel of the same title by Jean-Claude Grumberg that is set against the events of the Holocaust and told with magical realism.
Rasoulof is not expected to attend his Cannes premiere as the director a year ago was barred by Iranian authorities from leaving the country to attend the Cannes Film...
- 4/22/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Oliver Stone is unveiling his long-awaited documentary “Lula” at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Stone filmed the documentary about thrice-elected Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva that encompasses the ruler’s incarceration between 2018 and 2019 and his return to power. Stone was in production on the feature in 2021 during which time Lula da Silva contracted Covid while filming in Cuba.
“Lula” is the latest addition to the star-studded Cannes lineup, which also includes new films from Paul Schrader, Francis Ford Coppola, Yorgos Lanthimos, Andrea Arnold, David Cronenberg, Ali Abbasi, Sean Baker, Jia Zhangke, and Paolo Sorrentino.
Stone teased “Lula” to Jacobin earlier this year, saying that the film would be released “hopefully before the end of the year.”
“As you know, I had him in the other films with Hugo Chávez. And of course, he’s gotten a very dramatic story, with his going to jail after his second term. Now...
Stone filmed the documentary about thrice-elected Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva that encompasses the ruler’s incarceration between 2018 and 2019 and his return to power. Stone was in production on the feature in 2021 during which time Lula da Silva contracted Covid while filming in Cuba.
“Lula” is the latest addition to the star-studded Cannes lineup, which also includes new films from Paul Schrader, Francis Ford Coppola, Yorgos Lanthimos, Andrea Arnold, David Cronenberg, Ali Abbasi, Sean Baker, Jia Zhangke, and Paolo Sorrentino.
Stone teased “Lula” to Jacobin earlier this year, saying that the film would be released “hopefully before the end of the year.”
“As you know, I had him in the other films with Hugo Chávez. And of course, he’s gotten a very dramatic story, with his going to jail after his second term. Now...
- 4/22/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Films from Oliver Stone, Michel Hazanavicius and Arnaud Desplechin have been added to the Official Selection of the 77th Cannes Film Festival. They join previously announced titles from David Cronenberg, Yorgos Lanthimos, Francis Ford Coppola and Paul Schrader. Greta Gerwig is the president of this year’s jury.
Stone’s film, “Lula” is a documentary about Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and will have its world premiere as part of the Special Screenings section, which also features “Spectators,” from Arnaud Desplechin. His latest stars “Anatomy of a Fall” child actor Milo Machado Graner as well as Mathieu Amalric (“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”).
Hazanavicius, a Best Director Oscar winner for “The Artist,” joins the Competition lineup with “La Plus Précieuse des Marchandises” (“The Most Precious of Cargoes”), an animated film about a Jewish child during World War II whose father, in a desperate attempt to save his son’s life,...
Stone’s film, “Lula” is a documentary about Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and will have its world premiere as part of the Special Screenings section, which also features “Spectators,” from Arnaud Desplechin. His latest stars “Anatomy of a Fall” child actor Milo Machado Graner as well as Mathieu Amalric (“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”).
Hazanavicius, a Best Director Oscar winner for “The Artist,” joins the Competition lineup with “La Plus Précieuse des Marchandises” (“The Most Precious of Cargoes”), an animated film about a Jewish child during World War II whose father, in a desperate attempt to save his son’s life,...
- 4/22/2024
- by Missy Schwartz
- The Wrap
The Cannes Film Festival has added 13 new titles to the selection for its 77 th edition, including new films by Oliver Stone, Lou Ye and Arnaud Desplechin as Special Screenings.
Three more titles have been added to competition including Michel Hazanavicius’ animated feature The Most Precious of Cargoes.
Big budget French costume-adventure drama The Count of Monte Cristo, starring Pierre Niney as the titular hero will play Out of Competition.
The new additions are:
Un Certain Regard
When The Light Breaks
Rúnar Rúnarsson
Niki
Céline Sallette 1st film
Flow
Gints Zilbalodis
Cannes Premiere
Vivre, Mourir, Renaitre
Gaël Morel
Maria
Jessica Palud
Special Screenings
Spectateurs
Arnaud Desplechin
Nasty
Tudor Giurgiu
Lula
Oliver Stone
An Unfinished Film
Lou Ye
Out Of Competition
Le Comte De Monte-cristo
Alexandre De La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte
Competition
LA Plus PRÉCIEUSE Des Marchandises
Michel Hazanavicius
Trei Kilometri Pana LA Capatul Lumii
Emanuel Parvu
The Seed Of The...
Three more titles have been added to competition including Michel Hazanavicius’ animated feature The Most Precious of Cargoes.
Big budget French costume-adventure drama The Count of Monte Cristo, starring Pierre Niney as the titular hero will play Out of Competition.
The new additions are:
Un Certain Regard
When The Light Breaks
Rúnar Rúnarsson
Niki
Céline Sallette 1st film
Flow
Gints Zilbalodis
Cannes Premiere
Vivre, Mourir, Renaitre
Gaël Morel
Maria
Jessica Palud
Special Screenings
Spectateurs
Arnaud Desplechin
Nasty
Tudor Giurgiu
Lula
Oliver Stone
An Unfinished Film
Lou Ye
Out Of Competition
Le Comte De Monte-cristo
Alexandre De La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte
Competition
LA Plus PRÉCIEUSE Des Marchandises
Michel Hazanavicius
Trei Kilometri Pana LA Capatul Lumii
Emanuel Parvu
The Seed Of The...
- 4/22/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Cannes Film Festival has completed its 2024 Official Selection with 13 new films, including three new Competition titles.
Michel Hazanavicius’ The Most Precious Of Cargoes, Emanuel Parvu’s Three Kilometres To The End Of The World and Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed Of The Sacred Fig join the Competition line-up, bringing it to 22 films.
There are four additional special screenings, including Oliver Stone’s documentary Lula, about Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Also added are Arnaud Desplechin’s Filmlovers! [pictured], Lou Ye’s An Unfinished Film and Tudor Giurgiu’s Nasty.
Un Certain Regard will open with Runar Runarsson’s When The Light Breaks,...
Michel Hazanavicius’ The Most Precious Of Cargoes, Emanuel Parvu’s Three Kilometres To The End Of The World and Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed Of The Sacred Fig join the Competition line-up, bringing it to 22 films.
There are four additional special screenings, including Oliver Stone’s documentary Lula, about Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Also added are Arnaud Desplechin’s Filmlovers! [pictured], Lou Ye’s An Unfinished Film and Tudor Giurgiu’s Nasty.
Un Certain Regard will open with Runar Runarsson’s When The Light Breaks,...
- 4/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
As the final work in progress wrapped on Friday, Göteborg ‘s head of TV Drama Vision Cia Edström and head of industry and Nordic Film Market Josef Kullengård could finally relax after a mission well accomplished.
Two of their biggest challenges this year – hosting an industry showcase for 700-plus international delegates in a brand-new venue, the Clarion Hotel Draken, and lifting the Nordic industry’s moral by the crisis in the drama sector – had been successfully met. Variety drills down on how and why:
All-Time Record Attendees
As many as 2,029 accredited delegates registered for the festival and industry showcases at the 47th Göteborg Film Festival, and parallel TV and film markets, the largest in the Nordic region. “We’ve never hit this silver line,” said Kullengård. The 18th TV Drama Vision drew 729 delegates, the Nordic Film Market 556.
Ideal New Göteborg Industry Hub
Literally built around Götoborg’s historic Draken Cinema...
Two of their biggest challenges this year – hosting an industry showcase for 700-plus international delegates in a brand-new venue, the Clarion Hotel Draken, and lifting the Nordic industry’s moral by the crisis in the drama sector – had been successfully met. Variety drills down on how and why:
All-Time Record Attendees
As many as 2,029 accredited delegates registered for the festival and industry showcases at the 47th Göteborg Film Festival, and parallel TV and film markets, the largest in the Nordic region. “We’ve never hit this silver line,” said Kullengård. The 18th TV Drama Vision drew 729 delegates, the Nordic Film Market 556.
Ideal New Göteborg Industry Hub
Literally built around Götoborg’s historic Draken Cinema...
- 2/3/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
Line-up for the 25th edition of the market includes 16 completed features, 15 Wip, 17 films in development.
Films by Sweat director Magnus von Horn and Margrete: Queen of the North filmmaker Charlotte Sieling will be presented at the 25th Nordic Film Market (January 31-February 2), the film marketplace of Goteborg Film Festival.
The projects are among the 15 Nordic films in post-production being showcased in the Works in Progress strand.
Scroll down for the full Market selection
Swedish director von Horn attends with The Girl With The Needle, a horror story set in 1910s Denmark, starring Trine Dyrholm and produced by Creative Alliance’s Malene Blenkov.
Films by Sweat director Magnus von Horn and Margrete: Queen of the North filmmaker Charlotte Sieling will be presented at the 25th Nordic Film Market (January 31-February 2), the film marketplace of Goteborg Film Festival.
The projects are among the 15 Nordic films in post-production being showcased in the Works in Progress strand.
Scroll down for the full Market selection
Swedish director von Horn attends with The Girl With The Needle, a horror story set in 1910s Denmark, starring Trine Dyrholm and produced by Creative Alliance’s Malene Blenkov.
- 1/16/2024
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Paris-based The Party Film Sales has boarded renowned Icelandic auteur Rúnar Rúnarsson’s fourth pic, “When the Light Breaks,” which is selected for Göteborg’s Nordic Film Market’s works in progress session.
Rúnarsson serves as producer together with Heather Millard of Iceland’s Compass Films, in co-production with local banner Halibut, Holland’s Revolver, France’s Eaux Vives/Jour2Fête and Croatia’s MP Film.
Lauded for his coming-of age tales set against Iceland’s majestic scenery, Rúnarsson saw his international breakthrough in 2008 with his Oscar-nominated short “Two Birds.” Since then, he has delivered equally poetic fare in the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2011 entry “Volcano,” San Sebastian 2015 winner “Sparrows “ and 2019 Valladolid and Lübeck fest winner “Echo.”
As in his earlier works, Rúnarsson was inspired by a personal event for “When the Light Breaks”. “Ever since experiencing the loss of a friend as a young man, I wanted to deal with the...
Rúnarsson serves as producer together with Heather Millard of Iceland’s Compass Films, in co-production with local banner Halibut, Holland’s Revolver, France’s Eaux Vives/Jour2Fête and Croatia’s MP Film.
Lauded for his coming-of age tales set against Iceland’s majestic scenery, Rúnarsson saw his international breakthrough in 2008 with his Oscar-nominated short “Two Birds.” Since then, he has delivered equally poetic fare in the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2011 entry “Volcano,” San Sebastian 2015 winner “Sparrows “ and 2019 Valladolid and Lübeck fest winner “Echo.”
As in his earlier works, Rúnarsson was inspired by a personal event for “When the Light Breaks”. “Ever since experiencing the loss of a friend as a young man, I wanted to deal with the...
- 1/16/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
The Göteborg Film Festival’s film industry confab, the Nordic Film Market, unspooling Jan 31-Feb. 2, has unveiled in exclusivity to Variety its 2024 lineup comprising 58 new and upcoming Nordic films.
These are directed by newcomers and bona fide helmers such as Hans Petter Moland, Rúnar Rúnarsson, Charlotte Sieling, Daniel Espinosa and Pirjo Honkasalo.
Just over two weeks before kick-off, a record number of delegates – 507 from 33 countries – have signed up for the biggest film market in the Nordic region.
The 90-plus international buyers, 90 funding bodies, 60 festival programmers and 50 sales agents can look forward to a revamped showcase, both in terms of programming and set-up, with a new hub for networking and accommodation at the Clarion Hotel Draken. “We’re very excited about making this year’s venue both new and familiar for delegates coming to Göteborg,” said head of industry Josef Kullengård.
“The industry has entered a slowdown, but creatively, the Nordic...
These are directed by newcomers and bona fide helmers such as Hans Petter Moland, Rúnar Rúnarsson, Charlotte Sieling, Daniel Espinosa and Pirjo Honkasalo.
Just over two weeks before kick-off, a record number of delegates – 507 from 33 countries – have signed up for the biggest film market in the Nordic region.
The 90-plus international buyers, 90 funding bodies, 60 festival programmers and 50 sales agents can look forward to a revamped showcase, both in terms of programming and set-up, with a new hub for networking and accommodation at the Clarion Hotel Draken. “We’re very excited about making this year’s venue both new and familiar for delegates coming to Göteborg,” said head of industry Josef Kullengård.
“The industry has entered a slowdown, but creatively, the Nordic...
- 1/16/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
New projects from Cherien Dabis, Anders Thomas Jensen and Ameer Fakher Eldin have also been awarded
Ariane Labed’s feature-directing debut Sisters is among the 33 projects to receive funding from Eurimages second wave of 2023 co-production funding.
The French-Greek actor’s feature directing debut received €350,000 from the €9.7m pot. The Ireland, UK, Germany and Greece co-production is produced by Ireland’s Element Pictures. An English-language adaptation of Daisy Johnson’s gothic novel of the same name it follows two sisters who move to the countryside with their maniac depressive mother. Labed previously directed short film Olla which won three awards at...
Ariane Labed’s feature-directing debut Sisters is among the 33 projects to receive funding from Eurimages second wave of 2023 co-production funding.
The French-Greek actor’s feature directing debut received €350,000 from the €9.7m pot. The Ireland, UK, Germany and Greece co-production is produced by Ireland’s Element Pictures. An English-language adaptation of Daisy Johnson’s gothic novel of the same name it follows two sisters who move to the countryside with their maniac depressive mother. Labed previously directed short film Olla which won three awards at...
- 7/4/2023
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Foster took part in the Reykjavik festival’s panel discussion about women’s progress in the film industry.
Iceland’s ninth Stockfish Film Festival got a high-profile boost with Jodie Foster participating in the Reykjavik festival’s panel discussion about women’s progress in the film industry.
Foster, the US actress, producer and director, is in Iceland shooting the fourth season of True Detective, and she joined producer Marianne Slot and actress Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir in the discussion, led by the new artistic director of Stockfish, Lamb producer Hrönn Kristinsdóttir. Kristinsdóttir started the panel started by stating, “In year 2000 a study...
Iceland’s ninth Stockfish Film Festival got a high-profile boost with Jodie Foster participating in the Reykjavik festival’s panel discussion about women’s progress in the film industry.
Foster, the US actress, producer and director, is in Iceland shooting the fourth season of True Detective, and she joined producer Marianne Slot and actress Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir in the discussion, led by the new artistic director of Stockfish, Lamb producer Hrönn Kristinsdóttir. Kristinsdóttir started the panel started by stating, “In year 2000 a study...
- 4/4/2023
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
The ninth edition of Iceland’s Stockfish Film & Industry Festival, which runs March 23 to April 2, is innovating under an ambitious new team that includes one of Variety’s 10 Producers to Watch, Hrönn Kristinsdottír (“Lamb”), as artistic director and festival veteran Carolina Salas as managing director.
Among the highlights will be a masterclass with Oscar-nominated cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister (“Tár”), who is currently in Iceland shooting the fourth season of HBO’s “True Detective.”
The screening program opens with Ukraine’s “Pamfir,” directed by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk and includes tributes to Oscar-nominated Polish helmer Jerzy Skolimowski and U.K. producer Mike Downey, recipient of the fest’s first “Outstanding Contribution to the Industry” kudos.
Kristinsdottír said: “Mike Downey has achieved a great many things in the worldwide film industry, but he also has a special connection to Iceland, having co-produced Icelandic productions for decades.”
How did a producer like Kristinsdottír, whose latest...
Among the highlights will be a masterclass with Oscar-nominated cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister (“Tár”), who is currently in Iceland shooting the fourth season of HBO’s “True Detective.”
The screening program opens with Ukraine’s “Pamfir,” directed by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk and includes tributes to Oscar-nominated Polish helmer Jerzy Skolimowski and U.K. producer Mike Downey, recipient of the fest’s first “Outstanding Contribution to the Industry” kudos.
Kristinsdottír said: “Mike Downey has achieved a great many things in the worldwide film industry, but he also has a special connection to Iceland, having co-produced Icelandic productions for decades.”
How did a producer like Kristinsdottír, whose latest...
- 3/23/2023
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Seasoned helmers Ole Bornedal, Erik Poppe, Mikael Håfström, newcomers Mika Gustafson, Sara Gyllenstierna and rising talent Ulaa Salim are some of the 15 Nordic helmers set to pitch their feature projects in post-production at this year’s Nordic Film Market.
The leading Nordic film confab is due to run Feb. 2-5 in a hybrid version, parallel to Sweden’s 46th Göteborg Film Festival (Jan.27-Feb. 5), the biggest film-tv event in Scandinavia.
For its first full-scale outing post-covid and first year under the helm of industry chief Josef Kullengård, the Nordic Film Market is set to draw a record 500 delegates on-site, on top of nearly 60 on-line visitors. “The interest from the international industry is amazing! It will be a record year for us, even compared to pre-pandemic times,” boasts. Kullengård, a habitué of the event’s backstage gigs who took over from Cia Edström in October to allow her to focus on...
The leading Nordic film confab is due to run Feb. 2-5 in a hybrid version, parallel to Sweden’s 46th Göteborg Film Festival (Jan.27-Feb. 5), the biggest film-tv event in Scandinavia.
For its first full-scale outing post-covid and first year under the helm of industry chief Josef Kullengård, the Nordic Film Market is set to draw a record 500 delegates on-site, on top of nearly 60 on-line visitors. “The interest from the international industry is amazing! It will be a record year for us, even compared to pre-pandemic times,” boasts. Kullengård, a habitué of the event’s backstage gigs who took over from Cia Edström in October to allow her to focus on...
- 1/17/2023
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
Einvera (Solitude)
A NYU Tisch grad with a pair of attention-getting shorts under her belt, Ninna Pálmadóttir worked herself into feature film terrain with a screenplay renowned filmmaker Rúnar Rúnarsson. Solitude won the ArteKino International Award for best project of Coproduction Village at Les Arcs Film Festival at the 2021 edition and was showcased as an Out of Comp item in the Works in Progress section at the fest the following year. Produced by Lilja Osk Snorradóttir, the Icelandic filmmaker may keep the working title which sounds like a simple tale of friendship by two people who are far removed in age.…...
A NYU Tisch grad with a pair of attention-getting shorts under her belt, Ninna Pálmadóttir worked herself into feature film terrain with a screenplay renowned filmmaker Rúnar Rúnarsson. Solitude won the ArteKino International Award for best project of Coproduction Village at Les Arcs Film Festival at the 2021 edition and was showcased as an Out of Comp item in the Works in Progress section at the fest the following year. Produced by Lilja Osk Snorradóttir, the Icelandic filmmaker may keep the working title which sounds like a simple tale of friendship by two people who are far removed in age.…...
- 1/10/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
France’s Les Arcs Film Festival has unveiled the 14 European feature film projects that will be presented in its Works in Progress showcase as part of its industry program, running December 1-10.
The selected projects were picked out of 160 submissions this year.
The line-up includes Rossa Speranza, the second film from Italian director Annarita Zambrano, whose debut feature After The War world premiered in Cannes Un Certain Regard in 2017.
Set in the 1980s, the dark comedy revolves around a group of teenagers who meet in an institution for wayward rich kids.
Other projects in the mix include the Peruvian feature Fuga by directorial duo Mary Jiménez and Bénédicte Liénard, whose previous collaborations include the award-winning documentary By The Name Of Tania.
The Work in Progress showcase is aimed at connecting features in post-production with sales agents, distributors and festival programmers.
Twelve of the projects will compete for a €10,000 post-production prize,...
The selected projects were picked out of 160 submissions this year.
The line-up includes Rossa Speranza, the second film from Italian director Annarita Zambrano, whose debut feature After The War world premiered in Cannes Un Certain Regard in 2017.
Set in the 1980s, the dark comedy revolves around a group of teenagers who meet in an institution for wayward rich kids.
Other projects in the mix include the Peruvian feature Fuga by directorial duo Mary Jiménez and Bénédicte Liénard, whose previous collaborations include the award-winning documentary By The Name Of Tania.
The Work in Progress showcase is aimed at connecting features in post-production with sales agents, distributors and festival programmers.
Twelve of the projects will compete for a €10,000 post-production prize,...
- 12/1/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The festival runs July 21-31.
Alexandru Belc’s Metronom has picked up the award for best international film at the 39th edition of the Jerusalem Film Festival (Jff) this week.
The Romanian film was selected from 11 international titles, which included Park Chan-wook’s Decision To Leave and Mia Hansen-Løve’s One Fine Morning. It centres around a teenage couple spending their last few days together in 1972. Belc also won the best director award when the film played in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard selection earlier this year.
Berlinale managing director Mariette Rissenbeek, Hungarian filmmaker László Nemes and Icelandic director Rúnar Rúnarsson comprised the jury.
Alexandru Belc’s Metronom has picked up the award for best international film at the 39th edition of the Jerusalem Film Festival (Jff) this week.
The Romanian film was selected from 11 international titles, which included Park Chan-wook’s Decision To Leave and Mia Hansen-Løve’s One Fine Morning. It centres around a teenage couple spending their last few days together in 1972. Belc also won the best director award when the film played in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard selection earlier this year.
Berlinale managing director Mariette Rissenbeek, Hungarian filmmaker László Nemes and Icelandic director Rúnar Rúnarsson comprised the jury.
- 7/29/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Iceland’s Pegasus Pictures and sales agent Alief have just dropped a first trailer for “Cop Secret,” a full-on pulse pounding cop actioner that world premieres in main competition at the 74th Locarno Film Festival.
Alief President Brett Walker will introduce the propulsive, high testosterone movie to buyers at Locarno Pro, the Swiss festival’s robust industry program which kicks off Friday.
The movie tips its hat to ‘80s and ‘90s buddy cop action classics in its action set-ups, characters and shots – as when the camera swoops over blue Icelandic water to a rather bathetic non-“Miami Vice” skyline at the get-go.
“Cop Secret” is not, however, popcorn escapism. It turns on Bussi, a tough “supercop” played by Audunn Blöndal (“The Garden”), who shoots people and destroys stuff, “Bad Boys”-style.
But when Bussi assigned a new partner – the suave, cultured and self-declaredly pan-sexual Hordur Bess, played by “Black’s Game...
Alief President Brett Walker will introduce the propulsive, high testosterone movie to buyers at Locarno Pro, the Swiss festival’s robust industry program which kicks off Friday.
The movie tips its hat to ‘80s and ‘90s buddy cop action classics in its action set-ups, characters and shots – as when the camera swoops over blue Icelandic water to a rather bathetic non-“Miami Vice” skyline at the get-go.
“Cop Secret” is not, however, popcorn escapism. It turns on Bussi, a tough “supercop” played by Audunn Blöndal (“The Garden”), who shoots people and destroys stuff, “Bad Boys”-style.
But when Bussi assigned a new partner – the suave, cultured and self-declaredly pan-sexual Hordur Bess, played by “Black’s Game...
- 8/4/2021
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Of Horses And Men As the temperatures start to dip in the UK, we're turning our attention north for this week's streaming spotlight - and to Iceland. The country has a proud history of film dating back to the silent era, but it has undergone something of a resurgence on the world stage in recent years, driven by the Icelandic Film Centre, which promotes homegrown cinema abroad and cultivates initiatives at home. Among the international festivals that have brought Icelandic film to wider audiences, is Glasgow, which featured the enjoyably named I Hate Iceland Strand of short films in 2012 and returned to the region as its feature film country focus this year. It's continuing that support as its new online venture, which launches on Monday, features Rúnar Rúnarsson's Echo, so we thought we'd use that as a gateway to other films available to stream from the region.
Echo, Glasgow...
Echo, Glasgow...
- 11/20/2020
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
A quick glance at the shortlist for the 2006 Oscars is a reminder that many accomplished directors start in the smaller format, with the contenders including Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri helmer Martin McDonagh, whose Six Shooter would go on to win, British director Sean Ellis and this affecting drama from Icelander Rúnar Rúnarsson.
Rúnarsson has since proved himself something of a master of telling poignant stories with economy, using no fewer than 56 vignettes in his most recent feature Echo. This low-key affair has engaging visual storytelling from the start as we watch the elderly Hrafn (Jón Sigurbjörnsson) go about his work on the farm, although what the job in hand is will only be revealed further through the runtime.
Returning to his remote farmhouse we see him talking to his daughter as G. Magni Ágústsson's camera watches him through a window, creeping...
Rúnarsson has since proved himself something of a master of telling poignant stories with economy, using no fewer than 56 vignettes in his most recent feature Echo. This low-key affair has engaging visual storytelling from the start as we watch the elderly Hrafn (Jón Sigurbjörnsson) go about his work on the farm, although what the job in hand is will only be revealed further through the runtime.
Returning to his remote farmhouse we see him talking to his daughter as G. Magni Ágústsson's camera watches him through a window, creeping...
- 11/19/2020
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Gff award winner Arracht Glasgow Film Festival has announced its 17th edition, which will run from February 24 to March 7 next year, will be a hybrid edition. Cinema screenings will run alongside an online streaming platform, Glasgow Film At Home.
The streaming platform will be launched on November 23 and will operate year-round, with the aim of bringing festival films to audience at home. The first programme will feature four films, including 2020 Audience Award winner Arracht, an Irish drama set against the backdrop of the potato famine, directed by Tom Sullivan. Rúnar Rúnarsson's portrait of modern Iceland, Echo, will also be featured, along with Mattie Do's The Long Walk and Matthew Rankin's faux biopic The Twentieth Century.
Allison Gardner, Glasgow Film CEO and co-director of Glasgow Film Festival, said: “We are delighted to be bringing Glasgow Film Festival back in 2021 in as safe as possible a way. Gff...
The streaming platform will be launched on November 23 and will operate year-round, with the aim of bringing festival films to audience at home. The first programme will feature four films, including 2020 Audience Award winner Arracht, an Irish drama set against the backdrop of the potato famine, directed by Tom Sullivan. Rúnar Rúnarsson's portrait of modern Iceland, Echo, will also be featured, along with Mattie Do's The Long Walk and Matthew Rankin's faux biopic The Twentieth Century.
Allison Gardner, Glasgow Film CEO and co-director of Glasgow Film Festival, said: “We are delighted to be bringing Glasgow Film Festival back in 2021 in as safe as possible a way. Gff...
- 11/13/2020
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Nordic Council Film Prize comes with $55,600 in cash.
The world’s most lucrative film prize, The Nordic Council Film Prize, has been awarded to writer/director Dag Johan Haugerud and producer Yngve Saether of Motlys for their Norwegian drama Beware Of Children (Barn).
The prize comes with $55,600 cash.
The film, which premiered at Venice Days 2019, is about a community in distress after an accident involving two 13-year-olds.
The jury’s statement said: “With empathy and great seriousness Haugerud explores the relationship between children and adults… Dag Johan Haugerud is a distinct filmmaker, with a highly personal view of the world...
The world’s most lucrative film prize, The Nordic Council Film Prize, has been awarded to writer/director Dag Johan Haugerud and producer Yngve Saether of Motlys for their Norwegian drama Beware Of Children (Barn).
The prize comes with $55,600 cash.
The film, which premiered at Venice Days 2019, is about a community in distress after an accident involving two 13-year-olds.
The jury’s statement said: “With empathy and great seriousness Haugerud explores the relationship between children and adults… Dag Johan Haugerud is a distinct filmmaker, with a highly personal view of the world...
- 10/28/2020
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
The five nominees for the 2020 Nordic Council Film Prize have just been announced, sporting a solid quintet of award and festival favourites. For the 18th time around, sharp-minded juries based in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have each picked their brilliant brains in search of the most splendid national representative of their respective national cinema, as dictated by the nomination procedure of the Nordic Council Film Awards. From Denmark comes Frelle Petersen’s mild-mannered story of the barren Danish countryside, Uncle. From Finland, devoid of such manners is the existential Bdsm comedy Dogs Don’t Wear Pants by J.-P. Valkeapää. Iceland is represented by Rúnar Rúnarsson’s Echo, a tour-de-force journey into modern society, made up of 56 different scenes. From Norway comes Beware of Children, the story of an accidental death of a young boy and the consequences of it among the many affected parties, meticulously written, directed and fine-tuned.
This year’s selection will be announced over two waves to account for pandemic conditions.
The first 32 features up for the 2020 European Films Awards has been announced with a second wave of “pandemic year” titles due to be revealed in September.
Scroll down for first selection of films
The titles include Armando Iannucci’s The Personal History Of David Copperfield and Viggo Mortensen’s Falling as well as Berlinale award-winners Undine, by Christian Petzold; Hidden Away, by Giorgio Diritti; Bad Tales, by the D’Innocenzo Brothers; Dau. Natasha, by Ilya Khrzhanovskiy and Jekaterina Oertel; and Delete History, by Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern.
The first 32 features up for the 2020 European Films Awards has been announced with a second wave of “pandemic year” titles due to be revealed in September.
Scroll down for first selection of films
The titles include Armando Iannucci’s The Personal History Of David Copperfield and Viggo Mortensen’s Falling as well as Berlinale award-winners Undine, by Christian Petzold; Hidden Away, by Giorgio Diritti; Bad Tales, by the D’Innocenzo Brothers; Dau. Natasha, by Ilya Khrzhanovskiy and Jekaterina Oertel; and Delete History, by Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern.
- 8/18/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Venice Days pic “Beware of Children” and Sundance alumnus “Charter” are among the five Nordic films nominated for the coveted Nordic Council Film Prize.
“Beware of Children” was directed by Norwegian scribe/helmer Dag Johan Haugerud and produced by Yngve Sæther. The drama is set in the aftermath of a tragic event in a suburb of Oslo, where the teenage daughter of a prominent Labour Party member seriously injured her classmate, the son of a high profile right-wing politician, during a school break.
“Charter,” meanwhile, world premiered at this year’s Sundance festival and marks Swedish director/screenwriter Amanda Kernell’s second feature following “Sami Blood.” “Charter” is a character study of a flawed mother who impulsively embarks on a perilous attempt to reconnect with her children after leaving them with their father to start a new life in Stockholm. “Charter” was produced by Lars G. Lindström and Eva Åkergren.
“Beware of Children” was directed by Norwegian scribe/helmer Dag Johan Haugerud and produced by Yngve Sæther. The drama is set in the aftermath of a tragic event in a suburb of Oslo, where the teenage daughter of a prominent Labour Party member seriously injured her classmate, the son of a high profile right-wing politician, during a school break.
“Charter,” meanwhile, world premiered at this year’s Sundance festival and marks Swedish director/screenwriter Amanda Kernell’s second feature following “Sami Blood.” “Charter” is a character study of a flawed mother who impulsively embarks on a perilous attempt to reconnect with her children after leaving them with their father to start a new life in Stockholm. “Charter” was produced by Lars G. Lindström and Eva Åkergren.
- 8/18/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Titles are from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
This year’s five nominees for the Nordic Council Film Prize 2020 have been unveiled as the New Nordic Films market kicks off in Haugesund.
The lucrative prize, now in its 18th year, comes with an award of $55,300, which is shared equally between the screenwriter, director and producer,
Films are chosen by national committees in the five Nordic countries, with this criteria: “The nominated films must have deep roots in Nordic culture, be of high artistic quality, distinguish themselves by their artistic originality, and combine and elevate the many elements of film...
This year’s five nominees for the Nordic Council Film Prize 2020 have been unveiled as the New Nordic Films market kicks off in Haugesund.
The lucrative prize, now in its 18th year, comes with an award of $55,300, which is shared equally between the screenwriter, director and producer,
Films are chosen by national committees in the five Nordic countries, with this criteria: “The nominated films must have deep roots in Nordic culture, be of high artistic quality, distinguish themselves by their artistic originality, and combine and elevate the many elements of film...
- 8/18/2020
- by 1100142¦Wendy Mitchell¦39¦
- ScreenDaily
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
An American Pickle (Brandon Trost)
Seth Rogen plays dual roles in his latest comedy, American Pickle follows Seth Rogen both as Herschel Greenbaum, an immigrant who falls in a vat of pickled is brined for 100 years, and his great-grandson Ben Greenbaum, who is a computer coder and lives a very different life, to say the least. While there are certainly humorous sequences (a Brooklyn hipster couple’s first impressions of Greenbaum’s pickle stand comes foremost to mind), Rogen is far more interested in the definitions of family and loyalty, themes that are not explored with a great deal of emotional impact, but do add some heart to what...
An American Pickle (Brandon Trost)
Seth Rogen plays dual roles in his latest comedy, American Pickle follows Seth Rogen both as Herschel Greenbaum, an immigrant who falls in a vat of pickled is brined for 100 years, and his great-grandson Ben Greenbaum, who is a computer coder and lives a very different life, to say the least. While there are certainly humorous sequences (a Brooklyn hipster couple’s first impressions of Greenbaum’s pickle stand comes foremost to mind), Rogen is far more interested in the definitions of family and loyalty, themes that are not explored with a great deal of emotional impact, but do add some heart to what...
- 8/7/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Rúnar Rúnarsson's Echo is showing August 5 - September 3, 2020 on Mubi in the series Festival Focus: Locarno Film Festival.Echo is a film where reality was captured, initiated and staged. The timeline of the film is the advent season of December 2018 to New Year’s day 2019, shot in Iceland. In this sometimes stressful time of year it’s easy to lose track of ourselves and get disconnected from our surroundings. At the same time, the dusk of the year fuels self-reflection and enables us to put our lives into perspective, often evoking empathy for others.Each individual in the film will only appear in a single scene and therefore there won’t be a main character. Each scene is an observing, static one slate shot on a tripod. Time is only broken when there is a cut between scenes. By themselves, these scenes either tell a short story or capture a mood or an emotion,...
- 8/1/2020
- MUBI
Parent company Jour2Fête will retain existing name for French distribution activities.
Paris-based film company Jour2Fête is rebranding the merged sales operations of its recent acquisition Doc & Film International and in-house sales team under the banner of The Party Film Sales.
Jour2Fête’s French theatrical distribution business will continue to operate under its existing name.
Sarah Chazelle and Etienne Ollagnier’s Jour2Fête acquired Paris-based Doc & Film International last October, following the departure of its long-time CEO Daniela Elstner for French cinema agency Unifrance to take up the role of managing director.
Under the deal, the aim was to merge the existing staff,...
Paris-based film company Jour2Fête is rebranding the merged sales operations of its recent acquisition Doc & Film International and in-house sales team under the banner of The Party Film Sales.
Jour2Fête’s French theatrical distribution business will continue to operate under its existing name.
Sarah Chazelle and Etienne Ollagnier’s Jour2Fête acquired Paris-based Doc & Film International last October, following the departure of its long-time CEO Daniela Elstner for French cinema agency Unifrance to take up the role of managing director.
Under the deal, the aim was to merge the existing staff,...
- 2/5/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
The 38th edition of the festival (7-15 March) will introduce a new and wholly European industry section, as well as welcoming special guests João Nicolau, Rúnar Rúnarsson and Danis Tanović. The Bergamo Film Meeting, one of the biggest events on the Italian festival calendar, is this year celebrating its 38th edition (running 7-15 March) by unveiling a new and wholly European industry section. In addition to masterclasses led by guest directors, who will also form the focus of retrospectives and tributes, the Europe Now! section will now include two days of professional activities (on 13 and 14 March) known as the Film Industry Meetings, which are intended as a new platform for information, updates and networking. On the one hand, these Meetings will cover the opportunities offered to directors and producers by festivals, markets and training programmes funded by Creative Europe, but they will also explore the landscape of European...
After highlighting the most overlooked films of 2019 with our 50 favorite movies that made less than $100K at the U.S. box office, today we’re putting a spotlight on the truly overlooked: the 30 films (and honorable mentions) that we loved on the festival circuit that are still seeking U.S. distribution.
Acting also as a 2020 preview, we hope that highlighting these titles spurs some distributor interests and a release in the next twelve months. Featuring favorites from Berlinale, Cannes, Locarno, Tiff, Nyff, and beyond, make sure to follow us on Twitter to get the latest distribution updates. As we move into a new decade, one can also track all of our festival coverage here.
Bait (Mark Jenkin)
For his debut feature, writer-director-cinematographer Mark Jenkin takes a parable about a contemporary fishing community under threat from wealthy outsiders and presents it in a style reminiscent of documentaries of the early 20th century,...
Acting also as a 2020 preview, we hope that highlighting these titles spurs some distributor interests and a release in the next twelve months. Featuring favorites from Berlinale, Cannes, Locarno, Tiff, Nyff, and beyond, make sure to follow us on Twitter to get the latest distribution updates. As we move into a new decade, one can also track all of our festival coverage here.
Bait (Mark Jenkin)
For his debut feature, writer-director-cinematographer Mark Jenkin takes a parable about a contemporary fishing community under threat from wealthy outsiders and presents it in a style reminiscent of documentaries of the early 20th century,...
- 1/6/2020
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Hlynur Pálmason’s second feature has claimed the competition’s main prize, while Rúnar Rúnarsson was the recipient of the prestigious Interfilm Church Prize for Echo. “The Ndr Film Prize jury honours a film that explores the despair of a great loss with almost playful ease. In unusual, precise scenes, the characters interact as equals, displaying enormous strength and comedic elements. This is brave filmmaking, bolstered by breathtakingly inventive skill and powerful imagery.” This was the jury statement accompanying the Ndr Film Prize at the Nordic Film Days in Lübeck, which was bestowed upon Hlynur Pálmason’s A White, White Day. The Nordic Film Days, held annually in November since 1956, is one of the few European festivals devoted entirely to presenting Nordic and Baltic films. Many directors whose features were presented in Lübeck have seen their careers skyrocket – names such as Bille August, Aki Kaurismäki and Friðrik Þór Friðriksson, among others.
The audience prize was won by Mika Kaurismäki’s Master Cheng.
Hlynur Pálmason’s second feature A White, White Day has won the top prize at Nordic Film Days in Lubeck in Germany.
The Ndr Film Prize includes a cash award of €12,500.
It is the second consecutive year an Icelandic film has won the award following Benedikt Erlingsson’s Woman At War win in 2018.
A White, White Day premiered at Cannes Critics’ Week and is a tale of grief and revenge, revolving around a former policeman in a small Icelandic town. International sales are handled by New Europe Film Sales...
Hlynur Pálmason’s second feature A White, White Day has won the top prize at Nordic Film Days in Lubeck in Germany.
The Ndr Film Prize includes a cash award of €12,500.
It is the second consecutive year an Icelandic film has won the award following Benedikt Erlingsson’s Woman At War win in 2018.
A White, White Day premiered at Cannes Critics’ Week and is a tale of grief and revenge, revolving around a former policeman in a small Icelandic town. International sales are handled by New Europe Film Sales...
- 11/4/2019
- by 158¦Martin Blaney¦40¦
- ScreenDaily
Dok Leipzig’s International Golden Dove won by ‘Exemplary Behaviour’.
Hlynur Pálmason’s second feature A White, White Day has won the top prize at Nordic Film Days in Lubeck in Germany.
The Ndr Film Prize includes a cash award of €12,500.
It is the second consecutive year an Icelandic film has won the award following Benedikt Erlingsson’s Woman At War win in 2018.
A White, White Day premiered at Cannes Critics’ Week and is a tale of grief and revenge, revolving around a former policeman in a small Icelandic town. International sales are handled by New Europe Film Sales and...
Hlynur Pálmason’s second feature A White, White Day has won the top prize at Nordic Film Days in Lubeck in Germany.
The Ndr Film Prize includes a cash award of €12,500.
It is the second consecutive year an Icelandic film has won the award following Benedikt Erlingsson’s Woman At War win in 2018.
A White, White Day premiered at Cannes Critics’ Week and is a tale of grief and revenge, revolving around a former policeman in a small Icelandic town. International sales are handled by New Europe Film Sales and...
- 11/4/2019
- by 158¦Martin Blaney¦40¦
- ScreenDaily
Joe Odagiri’s drama They Say Nothing Stays the Same wins best film in international competition.
Ali Ozel’s drama Steppe, about an elderly man who refuses to leave his home village after it is condemned to make way for a dam, broke records to sweep the awards of the national feature competition of the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival over the weekend.
The debut feature won in nine categories clinching best film, director, first film, screenplay, cinematography, music, editing, actor and best supporting actor.
The decision to award the production both the best film and best first film prizes...
Ali Ozel’s drama Steppe, about an elderly man who refuses to leave his home village after it is condemned to make way for a dam, broke records to sweep the awards of the national feature competition of the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival over the weekend.
The debut feature won in nine categories clinching best film, director, first film, screenplay, cinematography, music, editing, actor and best supporting actor.
The decision to award the production both the best film and best first film prizes...
- 11/4/2019
- by 1100380¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Valladolid, Spain – The Valladolid Intl. Film Festival (Seminci), the truest event dedicated to international arthouse cinema on Spain’s festival calendar, capped off eight days of screenings, press conferences and roundtables by handing out awards on Saturday evening at the Spanish city’s historic Calderon Theater. The evening’s big winners: Wang Quan’an’s “Öndög” and Karim Aïnouz’s “The Invisible Life.”
After premiering in competition at February’s Berlinale, Quan’an’s Mongolian dramedy “Öndög” has hit its stride eight months later scoring a best film award at last week’s Ghent Intl. Film Festival before repeating the feat at last night’s closing gala along with a best cinematography award for its Beijing-based French cinematographer Aymerick Pilarski.
Set on the seemingly endless planes of Mongolia, the film follows a rookie officer and a veteran shepard tasked with protecting a crime scene from harsh elements and harsher wolves.
After premiering in competition at February’s Berlinale, Quan’an’s Mongolian dramedy “Öndög” has hit its stride eight months later scoring a best film award at last week’s Ghent Intl. Film Festival before repeating the feat at last night’s closing gala along with a best cinematography award for its Beijing-based French cinematographer Aymerick Pilarski.
Set on the seemingly endless planes of Mongolia, the film follows a rookie officer and a veteran shepard tasked with protecting a crime scene from harsh elements and harsher wolves.
- 10/27/2019
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The Last Word: Rúnarsson Sketches Mosaic of Modern Iceland in Varied Vignettes
Had each of the 56 segments of Echo, the third film from Iceland’s Rúnar Rúnarsson, been helmed by a different director, it would have been an omnibus fashioned into something like Reykjavik, I Love You. Instead, these unrelated single shot snippets of contemporary lives in Iceland around the Christmas season results in a sometimes touching, often austere portrait of the ups and downs of a particularly prime emotional occasion. Like a Roy Andersson film without the requisite absurdity, Rúnarsson abandons the linear narratives of his previous features Volcano (2011) and Sparrows (2015) and runs a gamut of narrative kernels (the central characters from those previous works could have fit into this panorama as well).…...
Had each of the 56 segments of Echo, the third film from Iceland’s Rúnar Rúnarsson, been helmed by a different director, it would have been an omnibus fashioned into something like Reykjavik, I Love You. Instead, these unrelated single shot snippets of contemporary lives in Iceland around the Christmas season results in a sometimes touching, often austere portrait of the ups and downs of a particularly prime emotional occasion. Like a Roy Andersson film without the requisite absurdity, Rúnarsson abandons the linear narratives of his previous features Volcano (2011) and Sparrows (2015) and runs a gamut of narrative kernels (the central characters from those previous works could have fit into this panorama as well).…...
- 8/17/2019
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
A search and rescue mission wanders into an ice-covered landscape; a librarian tells his parents he will not have whale meat for dinner, and neither will his kids; an African American athlete pops out of a tanning bed to take a phone call from home, he reassures his mom the coach told him to use the solarium “not for a tan, but to embrace the light”; butchers dance to Christmas tunes inside a slaughterhouse, chopping and pounding carcasses; and a grandma holds his grandson’s hand before pointing to her late husband’s grave, warning the child that “we’ll all be buried here: first me, then your mum, then you.” There are 56 scenes inside Rúnar Rúnarsson’s Echo, 56 tesserae of a sprawling mosaic that have nothing in common save for the fact that they all take place around the same time (the last few days of December 2018) and place...
- 8/13/2019
- by Leonardo Goi
- The Film Stage
The 25th New Nordic Films, unspooling Aug. 20-23 parallel to the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, will kick off with the critically-lauded “A White, White Day” by Hlynur Pálmason. The Icelandic drama which world premiered at Cannes’ Critics’ Week, is among 19 films set to screen, of which 13 are world market premieres such as Jesper W. Nielsen’s thriller “The Exception,” Venice Critics Week’s pick “Psychosia,”, Venice Days’ entry “Beware of Children”, Jens Jonsson’s “The Spy” and Jesper Ganslandt’s “438 Days”.
The hot Works in Progress session has 20 titles to be pitched to more than 300 attendees. Gauging this year’s crop, New Nordic Films’ managing director Gyda Velvin Myklebust underlines the large number of local films, genre-driven and reality-based stories, as well as the healthy gender balance -half the films are female directed. “There are many new female talents to watch out for,” says Myklebust, citing the...
The hot Works in Progress session has 20 titles to be pitched to more than 300 attendees. Gauging this year’s crop, New Nordic Films’ managing director Gyda Velvin Myklebust underlines the large number of local films, genre-driven and reality-based stories, as well as the healthy gender balance -half the films are female directed. “There are many new female talents to watch out for,” says Myklebust, citing the...
- 8/13/2019
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
There are numerous magical moments in Rúnar Rúnarsson’s moving mosaic “Echo,” though perhaps none more powerful than that instant when we as viewers allow ourselves to jettison expectations of narration and let the director’s composite vision bury itself snugly deep within. It might take a bit of time to reach that point — there are 56 scenes, theoretically unconnected, and for a while we wait for some character to return, some bridge to be revealed. Instead, the film is a patchwork of stories set during the Christmas holidays, and as Rúnarsson says, society itself is the protagonist. Once a sense of rhythm is grasped, things fall into place, and audiences will exit the cinema debating their favorite scenes, recalling a wealth of graceful, humane interactions.
Marketing “Echo” outside the fest circuit will be a tricky task, but worth the effort if handled well. That means ensuring viewers understand the film...
Marketing “Echo” outside the fest circuit will be a tricky task, but worth the effort if handled well. That means ensuring viewers understand the film...
- 8/12/2019
- by Jay Weissberg
- Variety Film + TV
In the opening stages of “Echo,” a farmhouse burns brilliantly against the beautifully bruised sky of Iceland at dusk. It’s a striking image that recalls the climax of Andrei Tarkovksy’s “The Sacrifice,” a moment consumed with despair, madness, and transformation as part of a bargain with God. However, in the new film by Rúnar Rúnarsson, the occasion carries no such theological or metaphysical concerns.
Continue reading ‘Echo’ Elegantly Explores Iceland’s Personal & Political Landscape At Christmas [Locarno Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Echo’ Elegantly Explores Iceland’s Personal & Political Landscape At Christmas [Locarno Review] at The Playlist.
- 8/11/2019
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Manivel’s fourth feature is a dance-themed drama.
Screen can exclusively reveal the first trailer for Isadora’s Children, Damien Manivel’s dance-themed drama which premieres in the international competition at Locarno Film Festival (August 7 - 17).
In the film, following the death of her two children in April 1913, legendary dancer Isadora Duncan creates a solo dance called ‘Mother’, in which a mother cradles her child one last time before letting him go. A century later, four women encounter the heartrending dance.
Isadora’s Children is produced by Manivel and Martin Bertier for Mld Films. It stars Agathe Bonitzer, Manon Carpentier,...
Screen can exclusively reveal the first trailer for Isadora’s Children, Damien Manivel’s dance-themed drama which premieres in the international competition at Locarno Film Festival (August 7 - 17).
In the film, following the death of her two children in April 1913, legendary dancer Isadora Duncan creates a solo dance called ‘Mother’, in which a mother cradles her child one last time before letting him go. A century later, four women encounter the heartrending dance.
Isadora’s Children is produced by Manivel and Martin Bertier for Mld Films. It stars Agathe Bonitzer, Manon Carpentier,...
- 8/2/2019
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
"I heard your sister was going to repair it?" "Yes, that's true." "Dreams don't cost a dime." Screen Daily has debuted the first festival promo trailer for a new Icelandic drama from filmmaker Rúnar Rúnarsson (Volcano Sparrows), this one called Echo - or Bergmál in Icelandic. Set during Christmas, the film takes us on a journey into the lives of the people of Iceland. Rúnarsson "uses 56 scenes to create a portrait of modern society. Settings include an abandoned farm on fire in the countryside; a children’s choir singing carols; and a young girl making her grandmother try a new virtual reality headset." Looks like a very beautiful, intimate portrait of modern life in all its splendor. Locarno says: "Whether close or distant, these characters struggle with their solitude, their fears, their generosity, their present and their past. A contemporary panorama by turns ironic and caustic, Echo allows each character...
- 7/31/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The film is set in Iceland at Christmas time as a strange atmosphere falls on the country.
Screen can reveal the first trailer for Rúnar Rúnarsson’s third feature Echo, which has its world premiere in the International Competition at Locarno Film Festival (August 7-17).
Set at Christmastime in Iceland, the film uses 56 scenes to create a portrait of modern society. Settings include an abandoned farm on fire in the countryside; a children’s choir singing carols; and a young girl making her grandmother try a new virtual reality headset.
French sales agent Jour2Fête is handling sales on the film,...
Screen can reveal the first trailer for Rúnar Rúnarsson’s third feature Echo, which has its world premiere in the International Competition at Locarno Film Festival (August 7-17).
Set at Christmastime in Iceland, the film uses 56 scenes to create a portrait of modern society. Settings include an abandoned farm on fire in the countryside; a children’s choir singing carols; and a young girl making her grandmother try a new virtual reality headset.
French sales agent Jour2Fête is handling sales on the film,...
- 7/31/2019
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
2019 Locarno Film Festival: Fabrice du Welz, Donzelli, Fukada, Ameur-Zaïmeche & Pedro Costa Selected
The first edition of the Locarno Film Festival under Lili Hinstin’s leadership will include the world premiere to Fabrice du Welz’s Adoration and Valérie Donzelli’s Notre Dame while the likes of Rúnar Rúnarsson, Ulrich Köhler (co-directed feature), Koji Fukada, Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche and Pedro Costa will be presented in the International Competition. Several big auteurs in Jean-Luc Godard, José Luis Guerin and Yorgos Lanthimos are also presenting their short films. Here is the major section line-ups for next month’s fest. Look for a handful of these to debut at Tiff.
Piazza Grande
7500 (Ger/Aus), dir. Patrick Vollrath, world premiere,
Adoration (Bel/Fra), dir.…...
Piazza Grande
7500 (Ger/Aus), dir. Patrick Vollrath, world premiere,
Adoration (Bel/Fra), dir.…...
- 7/17/2019
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Celebrating its 72nd edition this year, the Locarno Film Festival has been the birthplace for the finest in international arthouse cinema and this year’s lineup looks to continue the tradition. Ahead of the festival, running August 7-17, the full slate has been announced.
Top highlights include the world premieres of Pedro Costa’s Vitalina Varela (pictured above), Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s To the Ends of the Earth, Ben Rivers & Anocha Suwichakornpong’s Krabi, 2562, Ben Russell’s Color-blind, Denis Côté’s Wilcox, Fabrice Du Welz’s Adoration, as well as a new 12-minute short film from Yorgos Lanthimos titled Nimic and starring Matt Dillon. Other titles that have caught out eye are Echo, from Sparrows director Rúnar Rúnarsson, and A Girl Missing, from Harmonium director Koji Fukada.
The festival will also kick off with some star power as Patrick Vollrath’s 7500, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, will premiere. Check out the lineup below,...
Top highlights include the world premieres of Pedro Costa’s Vitalina Varela (pictured above), Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s To the Ends of the Earth, Ben Rivers & Anocha Suwichakornpong’s Krabi, 2562, Ben Russell’s Color-blind, Denis Côté’s Wilcox, Fabrice Du Welz’s Adoration, as well as a new 12-minute short film from Yorgos Lanthimos titled Nimic and starring Matt Dillon. Other titles that have caught out eye are Echo, from Sparrows director Rúnar Rúnarsson, and A Girl Missing, from Harmonium director Koji Fukada.
The festival will also kick off with some star power as Patrick Vollrath’s 7500, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, will premiere. Check out the lineup below,...
- 7/17/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
This year’s Locarno Film Festival (Aug 7 -17) lineup includes Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and Joseph Gordon-Levitt plane thriller 7500, which gets its world premiere at the Swiss showcase. Scroll down for major category lineups.
The 72nd edition of the festival marks the first for incoming artistic director Lili Hinstein who has taken over from Carlo Chatrian. As ever, there is a strong contingent of European and Asian arthouse movies and the Piazza Grande section includes a handful of titles with more mainstream appeal, such as Tarantino’s Cannes pic Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which rolls out globally in August.
Alongside Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, the open air Piazza Grande screenings will include the world premieres of German-produced hijack thriller-drama 7500, Carice Van Houten starrer Instinct, UK comedy actor Simon Bird’s directorial debut Days Of The Bagnold Summer, French director Stéphane Demoustier...
The 72nd edition of the festival marks the first for incoming artistic director Lili Hinstein who has taken over from Carlo Chatrian. As ever, there is a strong contingent of European and Asian arthouse movies and the Piazza Grande section includes a handful of titles with more mainstream appeal, such as Tarantino’s Cannes pic Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which rolls out globally in August.
Alongside Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, the open air Piazza Grande screenings will include the world premieres of German-produced hijack thriller-drama 7500, Carice Van Houten starrer Instinct, UK comedy actor Simon Bird’s directorial debut Days Of The Bagnold Summer, French director Stéphane Demoustier...
- 7/17/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Works-in-progress section featured a slew of English-language films.
The first footage from the English-language drama End Of Sentence, starring John Hawkes was unveiled during the works- in- progress presentations at Iceland’s Stockfish film festival in Reykjavik last week.
Us actor Hawkes, who was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for Winter’s Bone in 2011, stars as a man trying to fulfill his late wife’s last wish, to go on a road trip with his son, played by Logan Lerman, to scatter her ashes in rural Ireland. The cast also includes Sarah Bolger, Andrea Irvine and Trapped’s Olafur Darri Olafsson.
The first footage from the English-language drama End Of Sentence, starring John Hawkes was unveiled during the works- in- progress presentations at Iceland’s Stockfish film festival in Reykjavik last week.
Us actor Hawkes, who was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for Winter’s Bone in 2011, stars as a man trying to fulfill his late wife’s last wish, to go on a road trip with his son, played by Logan Lerman, to scatter her ashes in rural Ireland. The cast also includes Sarah Bolger, Andrea Irvine and Trapped’s Olafur Darri Olafsson.
- 3/11/2019
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
Hot projects include Runar Runarsson’s Echo, Grimur Hakonarson’s The County and Hlynur Palmason’s A White, White Day.
The three Icelandic films presented at Goteborg’s Works In Progress were some of the most buzzed about by festival programmers and buyers.
Runar Runarsson’s Echo is a stylistic departure for the Volcano and Sparrows director. He paints a portrait of contemporary society by presenting 59 difference scenes, in a mix of fiction and documentary. Jour2Fete handles sales.
The County will mark Grimur Hakonarson’s follow-up to his international hit Rams. The film, previously pitched at Les Arcs’ works in progress,...
The three Icelandic films presented at Goteborg’s Works In Progress were some of the most buzzed about by festival programmers and buyers.
Runar Runarsson’s Echo is a stylistic departure for the Volcano and Sparrows director. He paints a portrait of contemporary society by presenting 59 difference scenes, in a mix of fiction and documentary. Jour2Fete handles sales.
The County will mark Grimur Hakonarson’s follow-up to his international hit Rams. The film, previously pitched at Les Arcs’ works in progress,...
- 2/4/2019
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
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