The Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, is back in full force in 2023, celebrating its 25th anniversary edition from April 21–29.
A key component of the celebrations will be a focus on the Asian films of the 1980s. “We have never programmed these films, nor put together this kind of program before,” says Thomas Bertacche, the Feff’s co-head. “But these were the films and directors that inspired us to shape Udine into the festival that it is today.”
Pitching the historical lineup as “hidden treasures,” the selection is expected to include early works by Japan’s Kurosawa Kiyoshi, Thailand’s Nonzee Nimibutr and South Korea’s Jan Sung-woo.
Roger Garcia, former executive director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, is set to curate a section on Leung Po-chi, the 83-year-old British-Hong Kong director who made the leap from commercials to TV and into film. Leung was at the...
A key component of the celebrations will be a focus on the Asian films of the 1980s. “We have never programmed these films, nor put together this kind of program before,” says Thomas Bertacche, the Feff’s co-head. “But these were the films and directors that inspired us to shape Udine into the festival that it is today.”
Pitching the historical lineup as “hidden treasures,” the selection is expected to include early works by Japan’s Kurosawa Kiyoshi, Thailand’s Nonzee Nimibutr and South Korea’s Jan Sung-woo.
Roger Garcia, former executive director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, is set to curate a section on Leung Po-chi, the 83-year-old British-Hong Kong director who made the leap from commercials to TV and into film. Leung was at the...
- 3/13/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The annual film event in Laos that was for the past 12 years known as the Luang Prabang Film Festival has given up its name in order to go ahead with next month’s edition.
“Organizers have recently acquiesced to a name change in order to continue to produce this year’s event, scheduled for Dec. 8- 11, and will move forward using only the iconic blue chair to identify the festival,” they said in a statement that also unveiled the festival’s film selection.
Contacted by Variety, organizers had no additional comment beyond their published statement.
The festival has been operated on a non-profit basis with the backing of private sector and local government sponsors in the Unesco Heritage town of Luang Prabang. It has supported the Laos local film industry, operated talent development workshops and provided free-of-charge screenings of recent Southeast Asian films to the Laos public.
The 2022 selection includes...
“Organizers have recently acquiesced to a name change in order to continue to produce this year’s event, scheduled for Dec. 8- 11, and will move forward using only the iconic blue chair to identify the festival,” they said in a statement that also unveiled the festival’s film selection.
Contacted by Variety, organizers had no additional comment beyond their published statement.
The festival has been operated on a non-profit basis with the backing of private sector and local government sponsors in the Unesco Heritage town of Luang Prabang. It has supported the Laos local film industry, operated talent development workshops and provided free-of-charge screenings of recent Southeast Asian films to the Laos public.
The 2022 selection includes...
- 11/22/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Peter Hedges’ drama “The Same Storm” is set to open the 2021 Austin Film Festival and Writers Conference (Aff).
Festival organizers announced Thursday that the pandemic-set movie starring Noma Dumezweni, Mary-Louise Parker, Sandra Oh, Elaine May, Raúl Castillo, Ato Blankson-Wood, Corey Michael Smith, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ron Livingston, and Alison Pill will lead off the 28th annual event, which runs from Oct. 21-28.
Aff’s full feature film slate includes 26 world, North American and U.S. premieres, including the world premiere of filmmaker Spencer King’s “Time Now” and the U.S. premiere of “Cicada,” written and directed by Chung-ryoul Lee. Other marquee presentations include Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch;” the Cambodian sci-fi title “Karmalink” from XYZ Films, by writers Jake Wachtel and Christopher Larsen; and “Captains of Za’atari” by writer/director Ali El Arab.
A24 is set to expand its partnership with the festival, adding Mike...
Festival organizers announced Thursday that the pandemic-set movie starring Noma Dumezweni, Mary-Louise Parker, Sandra Oh, Elaine May, Raúl Castillo, Ato Blankson-Wood, Corey Michael Smith, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ron Livingston, and Alison Pill will lead off the 28th annual event, which runs from Oct. 21-28.
Aff’s full feature film slate includes 26 world, North American and U.S. premieres, including the world premiere of filmmaker Spencer King’s “Time Now” and the U.S. premiere of “Cicada,” written and directed by Chung-ryoul Lee. Other marquee presentations include Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch;” the Cambodian sci-fi title “Karmalink” from XYZ Films, by writers Jake Wachtel and Christopher Larsen; and “Captains of Za’atari” by writer/director Ali El Arab.
A24 is set to expand its partnership with the festival, adding Mike...
- 9/23/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Reincarnation, artificial consciousness and augmented reality intersect in U.S. director Jake Wachtel’s Cambodia-set “Karmalink,” for which Variety can reveal the first trailer.
The sci-fi mystery will have its world premiere as the opening film of the Venice Film Festival’s Critics’ Week on Sept. 1.
Set in a near-future Phnom Penh, “Karmalink” is about a 13-year-old boy and his street-smart female friend who team up to search for a gold statue from the boy’s past lives, while traveling across town and also back in time.
But what begins as a hunt for a Buddhist treasure soon leads to greater discoveries in the digital realm that could be either enlightening or obliterating.
Wachtel, who grew up in Palo Alto, started developing the film in 2015, while teaching filmmaking in Phnom Penh. He cast two former students as his leads and shot the film on location after living in their community for several years.
The sci-fi mystery will have its world premiere as the opening film of the Venice Film Festival’s Critics’ Week on Sept. 1.
Set in a near-future Phnom Penh, “Karmalink” is about a 13-year-old boy and his street-smart female friend who team up to search for a gold statue from the boy’s past lives, while traveling across town and also back in time.
But what begins as a hunt for a Buddhist treasure soon leads to greater discoveries in the digital realm that could be either enlightening or obliterating.
Wachtel, who grew up in Palo Alto, started developing the film in 2015, while teaching filmmaking in Phnom Penh. He cast two former students as his leads and shot the film on location after living in their community for several years.
- 8/20/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The programme for the 2021 Venice Film Festival has been unveiled, and includes new films from Pedro Almodóvar, Jane Campion, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michelangelo Frammartino, Pablo Larraín, Paul Schrader, Ridley Scott, and more.Parallel MothersCOMPETITIONParallel Mothers (Pedro Almodóvar)Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon (Ana Lily Amirpour)Un Autre Monde (Stephane Brize)The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion)America LatinaL’Evenement (Audrey Diwan)Official CompetitionThe Hole (Michelangelo Frammartino)Sundown (Michel Franco)Lost Illusions (Xavier Giannoli)The Lost Daughter (Maggie Gyllenhaal)Spencer (Pablo Larrain)Freaks Out (Gabriele Mainetti)Qui Rido Io (Mario Martone)On The Job: The Missing 8 (Erik Matti)Leave No Traces (Jan P. Matuszyński)Captain Volkonogov EscapedThe Card Counter (Paul Schrader)The Hand of God (Paolo Sorrentino)Reflection (Valentyn Vasyanovych)The Box (Lorenzo Vigas)Out Of COMPETITIONFeaturesDune (Denis Villeneuve)Il Bambino Nascosto (Roberto Andò)Les Choses Humaines (Yvan Attal)Ariaferma (Leonardo Di Costanzo)Halloween Kills (David Gordon Green...
- 8/3/2021
- MUBI
The Venice film festival runs September 1-11.
The line-up for the 78th Venice Film Festival (September 1-11) is being unveiled this morning at around 11:00 Cest (10:00 BST) by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.
The press conference will be live-streamed here below, and the story will be updated with the films as they are announced.
As previously announced, Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers will open the festival in competition. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune will also have its world premiere at the festival out of competition on September 3.
Bong Joon Ho will preside over the competition jury that also includes Chloé Zhao,...
The line-up for the 78th Venice Film Festival (September 1-11) is being unveiled this morning at around 11:00 Cest (10:00 BST) by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.
The press conference will be live-streamed here below, and the story will be updated with the films as they are announced.
As previously announced, Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers will open the festival in competition. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune will also have its world premiere at the festival out of competition on September 3.
Bong Joon Ho will preside over the competition jury that also includes Chloé Zhao,...
- 7/26/2021
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Karmalink, the Cambodian sci-fi that marks the debut of director Jake Wachtel, has been picked to open this year’s Venice Critics’ Week sidebar.
The opening night screening will be on September 1, with the fest running until September 11 this year. The wider Venice line-up will be unveiled on Monday.
Produced by Valerie Steinberg for Valerie Steinberg Productions, Karmalink follows a teenage boy who teams up with a street-smart girl from his neighbourhood to untangle the mystery of his past-life dreams When begins as a hunt for Buddhist treasure soon leads. To greater discoveries. LevelK is handling world sales with XYZ handling North America.
The opening night screening will be on September 1, with the fest running until September 11 this year. The wider Venice line-up will be unveiled on Monday.
Produced by Valerie Steinberg for Valerie Steinberg Productions, Karmalink follows a teenage boy who teams up with a street-smart girl from his neighbourhood to untangle the mystery of his past-life dreams When begins as a hunt for Buddhist treasure soon leads. To greater discoveries. LevelK is handling world sales with XYZ handling North America.
- 7/22/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Jake Wachtel makes feature directorial debut on “Buddhist sci-fi mystery”.
XYZ Films and LevelK are joining forces for the first time to work on Cambodian sci-fi feature Karmalink. LevelK will handle international sales while XYZ represents North American rights.
Jake Wachtel makes his feature directorial debut on the film, described as a “Buddhist sci-fi mystery”. The story follows a 13-year-old boy and his detective friend searching for a gold statue from the boy’s past lives, while navigating a high-tech, near-future Cambodia.
Los Angeles-based Valerie Steinberg produces for Valerie Steinberg Productions. Co-producers are Cambodian director-producer Sok Visal of 802 Films, as...
XYZ Films and LevelK are joining forces for the first time to work on Cambodian sci-fi feature Karmalink. LevelK will handle international sales while XYZ represents North American rights.
Jake Wachtel makes his feature directorial debut on the film, described as a “Buddhist sci-fi mystery”. The story follows a 13-year-old boy and his detective friend searching for a gold statue from the boy’s past lives, while navigating a high-tech, near-future Cambodia.
Los Angeles-based Valerie Steinberg produces for Valerie Steinberg Productions. Co-producers are Cambodian director-producer Sok Visal of 802 Films, as...
- 6/3/2021
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
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