Actualités

Netflix’s latest European originals include scripted series out of Italy and Germany, another Too Hot to Handle remake and a doc on German soccer player Lukas Podolski.

Italian drama Motor Valley will follow a trio working for a famous racing car team and their journey to the Italian Gran Turismo Championship, while dark German miniseries Die Falle comes from the co-creator of Dear Child (Liebes Kind), Isabel Kleefeld. Poldi, meanwhile, explores the life of German World Cup winner Podolski as he reaches the end of his soccer career.

Synopsis for Motor Valley reads: “Arturo, Elena and Blu have lost almost everything in their lives, but one thing still lights them up: the love for cars and adrenaline. Elena, a young member of the Dionisi family, owner of a famous motorsport team, must regain a role in the family business, now in the hands of her brother; she hires Blu,...

Holding court downtown from June 16-26, 2011, the Los Angeles Film Festival comprehensively curates the cinematic landscape across a variety of media. Produced by Film Independent, the festival has continued to grow in recent years, and now boasts many of the best independent films of the year.

With the departure of the organization’s CEO, Dawn Hudson, to run the Academy, it will be interesting to see whether the festival’s director Rebecca Yeldham will stay on board past 2011. In the meantime, they’ve announced their line-up for the 2011 festival, and it includes some much buzzed about Sundance and SxSW titles (“Project Nim,” “The Future,” “Crime After Crime,” “The Salesman,” “Terri,” “Another Earth,” “The Guard,” “Natural Selection,” “Tyrannosaur,” “Where Soldiers Come From” and “Higher Ground,” to name a few), as well as 27 world, North American and U.S. premieres.

For the official list of competition and other films, as well as...

Holding court downtown from June 16-26, 2011, the Los Angeles Film Festival comprehensively curates the cinematic landscape across a variety of media. Produced by Film Independent, the festival has continued to grow in recent years, and now boasts many of the best independent films of the year.

With the departure of the organization’s CEO, Dawn Hudson, to run the Academy, it will be interesting to see whether the festival’s director Rebecca Yeldham will stay on board past 2011. In the meantime, they’ve announced their line-up for the 2011 festival, and it includes some much buzzed about Sundance and SxSW titles (“Project Nim,” “The Future,” “Crime After Crime,” “The Salesman,” “Terri,” “Another Earth,” “The Guard,” “Natural Selection,” “Tyrannosaur,” “Where Soldiers Come From” and “Higher Ground,” to name a few), as well as 27 world, North American and U.S. premieres.

For the official list of competition and other films, as well as...

Film Independent Announces First Round Of Us & International

Film Selections For 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival,

Presented By The Los Angeles Times - 19 Films Chosen for Narrative & Documentary Competition - - International Spotlight to Focus on Cuba -

Los Angeles (May 3, 2011) . Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times, announced the first round of official Us and international selections. The 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival is produced by Film Independent . the non-profit arts organization that also produces the Spirit Awards . and will screen over 200 feature films, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries. Opening and Closing Night films, Galas, Conversations, Artists in Residence, Lafca.s Films That Got Away, along with additional special guests and programming for the Festival Talks will be announced at later dates.

Returning to downtown Los Angeles, with its central hub at L.A. Live, the Festival will run from Thursday, June 16 to Sunday,...

A couple weeks back I was Googling Sundance to find out what was going on there when a link popped up for a short doc called Skateistan. The short was available on-line promoted by both the Festival and Diesel clothing along with several other short films (you can watch it to the right). In an accompanying article it was noted that a feature version would be opening at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival last week so I shot up the coast to get a look and talk to the filmmakers.

My first question was why did the film open as a short at Sundance and as a feature at Santa Barbara and Berlin? Quick answer. It didn't. The information on-line was incorrect. The real story is that the short film piggybacked on the feature film during production and the films are separate entities about the same subject.

That subject,...