Notizie

Paramount's "Selma" from director Ava Duvernay is picking up steam this awards season. The Martin Luther King drama has been announced to be the opening night movie of the 26th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival. The festival will close on Sunday, January 11 with the Us premiere of "Boychoir" from director Francois Girard. David Oyelowo, who plays the beloved King in "Selma," is also being honored at the fest with Breakthrough Performance Award, Actor.

Here's the complete press release which includes the list of Easter European movies in a program titled Eastern Promises:

Palm Springs, CA (December 16, 2014) . The 26th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will launch on Friday, January 2 with the opening night screening of the GoldenGlobe nominated Selma directed by Ava Duvernay. The Festival will wrap on Sunday, January 11 with the Us premiere of Boychoir directed by François Girard. New this year, the festival will focus on...

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...

Tim here. Now that the Chicago Film Festival is all over, I can offer the rest of my thoughts on the official submissions for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar that I was able to catch.

Czech Republic: Fair Play

A political drama about sports, or a sports drama about politics? Why not be both, says this film about a teenage track star in 1980s Czechoslovakia, who gets bullied into taking steroids by the government forces that want to show off a whole population of physically gorgeous super-athletes at the 1984 Olympics. The battle being waged over ownership of one’s body and health in a dictatorship is an interesting one, and well presented; lead actress Judit Bárdos is a bit shapeless and superficial in portraying the internal tensions of this conflict, but the film around her has been constructed with enough merciless geometry and clinical coolness that it’s surprisingly...

The festival’s 25th edition will feature a contribution from Ai Weiwei and competition titles including Whiplash, Nightcrawler and Foxcatcher.

The Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 5-16) is to present its Achievement Award to Us actress Uma Thurman.

The Kill Bill star will will visit Stockholm to receive the prestigious Bronze Horse and meet the audience during an exclusive “Face2Face”.

Thurman will also take part in the inauguration ceremony, which will include the unveiling of an ice sculpture by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.

Weiwei was a Stockholm jury member last year but since he wasn’t allowed to leave China, he sent an empty chair named ”The Chair for Non-attendance” as symbol of his absence.

He is still not allowed to leave China so will send a design that will be portrayed in the form of a large ice sculpture symbolising this years’ Spotlight theme - Hope.

Brazil

The festival will focus this year on Brazil...

This year’s European Film Awards are officially out of the gates with a not so lean 50 film submissions to select from. The 27th edition collects titles that date back to last year’s Venice and Toronto Int. Film Festivals moving into Sundance-Rotterdam-Berlin and finally Cannes of ’14. Among the 31 European countries represented, we’ve got likes of the Palme d’Or winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan leading the huge pack of contenders including Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin and Pawel Pawlikowski’s Ida. Here’s the complete list of 50!:

Alienation

ОТЧУЖДЕНИЕ (Otchujdenie)

Bulgaria

Directed By: Milko Lazarov

Written By: Milko Lazarov, Kitodar Todorov & Georgi Tenev

Produced By: Veselka Kiryakova

Amour Fou

Austria/Luxembourg/Germany

Written & Directed By: Jessica Hausner

Produced By: Martin Gschlacht, Antonin Svoboda, Bruno Wagner, Bady Minck, Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu & Philippe Bober

Beautiful Youth

Hermosa Juventud

Spain/France

Directed By: Jaime Rosales

Written By: Jaime Rosales & Enric Rufas

Produced By: Jaime Rosales,...

Seven world premieres and five international premieres include an animated movie for the first time in competition; Us drama Low Down starring John Hawkes and Elle Fanning; and Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson’s follow-up to Either Way.

The 49th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (July 4-12) has revealed the line-ups for its Official Selection Competition, East of the West Competition, Documentary Films Competition and Forum of Independents Competition.

Kv artistic director Karel Och said: “This year’s selection of competing films offers an exciting mixture of outstanding films whose completion has been eagerly anticipated.

“Many of the filmmakers, who explore less frequently trodden paths of cinematic expression, come from the countries of the former Eastern Bloc, which the Kviff has long focused on.”

In the main festival section, renowned Georgian filmmaker George Ovashvili (The Other Bank) will introduce his long-anticipated film Corn Island, a psychological drama that uses captivating imagery and visuals to present a highly topical subject...