TNT is excited to share a sneak peek clip from the eighth episode of “The Librarians: The Next Chapter,” executive produced by Dean Devlin. A spinoff of the acclaimed original TV and film franchise, the all-new episode will debut on Monday, July 7 at 9pm/8pm Central on TNT.
Produced by Electric Entertainment, “The Librarians: The Next Chapter” centers on Vikram Chamberlain (Callum McGowan), a “Librarian” from the past who time traveled from 1847 and now finds himself stuck in the present. When Vikram returns to his castle in Belgrade, Serbia and discovers that it is now a museum, he inadvertently releases magic across the continent. With the help of a new team of eclectic heroes, including a savant in world history, a scientific genius, and a highly skilled Guardian, Vikram has only six months to clean up the mess he made. Throughout the season, the team will embark on fantastical adventures,...
Produced by Electric Entertainment, “The Librarians: The Next Chapter” centers on Vikram Chamberlain (Callum McGowan), a “Librarian” from the past who time traveled from 1847 and now finds himself stuck in the present. When Vikram returns to his castle in Belgrade, Serbia and discovers that it is now a museum, he inadvertently releases magic across the continent. With the help of a new team of eclectic heroes, including a savant in world history, a scientific genius, and a highly skilled Guardian, Vikram has only six months to clean up the mess he made. Throughout the season, the team will embark on fantastical adventures,...
- 7/1/2025
- by Kristyn Clarke
- Age of the Nerd
For Dean Devlin, the idea of the new Wgn America series Almost Paradise came about 14 years ago during his honeymoon in Hawaii. He connected and was intoxicated by island culture, island justice and island spirituality — and wanted to make a show set in Hawaii. His soulful connection to island life made sense considering he is of Filipino descent. With that in mind, the idea for the show shifted.
“As the years went on and I kept thinking about it, there was something there that wasn’t authentic to me,” Devlin told Deadline. “It was only a couple of years ago that the idea came to do it in the Philippines and then it changed everything. Then I got really excited about the project.”
More from Deadline'Almost Paradise': Wgn America Drama Rounds Out Cast As Production Begins'Nora From Queens' Season Finale: Ep Teresa Hsiao On How Awkwafina Comedy Brings Fresh...
“As the years went on and I kept thinking about it, there was something there that wasn’t authentic to me,” Devlin told Deadline. “It was only a couple of years ago that the idea came to do it in the Philippines and then it changed everything. Then I got really excited about the project.”
More from Deadline'Almost Paradise': Wgn America Drama Rounds Out Cast As Production Begins'Nora From Queens' Season Finale: Ep Teresa Hsiao On How Awkwafina Comedy Brings Fresh...
- 3/30/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
We present the list of winners of the CineFilipino Film Festival 2016.
The CineFilipino Film Festival runs from March 16th until the 22th in Manila (Philippines). The festival aims to support and develop new cinematic, audience-friendly works of artistic merit by up-and-coming and established filmmakers to help define the human experience through a Filipino perspective. The festival features a competition for feature-length movies, shorts section (mobile, online content, and short features), documentary, and TV series in digital format.
Best Picture
Ned’s Project by Lemuel Lorca
2nd Best Picture
Sakaling Hindi Makarating by Ice Idanan
3rd Best Picture
Star Na si Van Damme Stallone by Randolph Longjas
Best Dictor
Ice Idanan for the film Sakaling Hindi Makarating
Best Actress
Angeli Bayani for the film Ned’s Project by Lemuel Lorca
Candy Pangilinan for the film Star Na si Van Damme Stallone by Randolph Longjas
Best Actor
Pepe Herrera for the film...
The CineFilipino Film Festival runs from March 16th until the 22th in Manila (Philippines). The festival aims to support and develop new cinematic, audience-friendly works of artistic merit by up-and-coming and established filmmakers to help define the human experience through a Filipino perspective. The festival features a competition for feature-length movies, shorts section (mobile, online content, and short features), documentary, and TV series in digital format.
Best Picture
Ned’s Project by Lemuel Lorca
2nd Best Picture
Sakaling Hindi Makarating by Ice Idanan
3rd Best Picture
Star Na si Van Damme Stallone by Randolph Longjas
Best Dictor
Ice Idanan for the film Sakaling Hindi Makarating
Best Actress
Angeli Bayani for the film Ned’s Project by Lemuel Lorca
Candy Pangilinan for the film Star Na si Van Damme Stallone by Randolph Longjas
Best Actor
Pepe Herrera for the film...
- 3/20/2016
- by Sebastian Nadilo
- AsianMoviePulse
Directors include Brillante Mendoza, Vimukthi Jayasundara, Yeon Sang-ho.Scroll down for full list
Busan’s Asian Project Market (Apm) has announced this year’s line-up including films from directors Brillante Mendoza, Vimukthi Jayasundara, Yeon Sang-ho and July Jung.
Winner of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival Camera d’or, Vimukthi Jayasundara (The Forbidden Land) will present Sri Lankan project Hair Of The Dog That Bit You.
The drama is about a female tourist guide’s loss of memory and identity, and her struggle to come to terms with what is left of her life and an unknown future.
Cannes 2009 Best Director winner Brillante Mendoza (Kinatay) has Philippines-France-Germany co-production Fowl in the Apm line-up.
The story follows Ramon, a Filipino contract worker working at Singapore Post. When his wife Jenny suddenly dies, he has to travel back to the Philippines with her as if she were one of the many parcels he is so used to handling.
Korean directors...
Busan’s Asian Project Market (Apm) has announced this year’s line-up including films from directors Brillante Mendoza, Vimukthi Jayasundara, Yeon Sang-ho and July Jung.
Winner of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival Camera d’or, Vimukthi Jayasundara (The Forbidden Land) will present Sri Lankan project Hair Of The Dog That Bit You.
The drama is about a female tourist guide’s loss of memory and identity, and her struggle to come to terms with what is left of her life and an unknown future.
Cannes 2009 Best Director winner Brillante Mendoza (Kinatay) has Philippines-France-Germany co-production Fowl in the Apm line-up.
The story follows Ramon, a Filipino contract worker working at Singapore Post. When his wife Jenny suddenly dies, he has to travel back to the Philippines with her as if she were one of the many parcels he is so used to handling.
Korean directors...
- 8/19/2014
- by hjnoh2007@gmail.com (Jean Noh)
- ScreenDaily
Directors include Brillante Mendoza, Vimukthi Jayasundara, Yeon Sang-ho.
Busan’s Asian Project Market (Apm) has announced this year’s line-up including directors Brillante Mendoza, Vimukthi Jayasundara, Yeon Sang-ho and July Jung.
Winner of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival Camera d’or, Vimukthi Jayasundara (The Forbidden Land) will present Sri Lankan project Hair Of The Dog That Bit You.
The drama is about a female tourist guide’s loss of memory and identity, and her struggle to come to terms with what is left of her life and an unknown future.
Cannes 2009 Best Director winner Brillante Mendoza (Kinatay) has Philippines-France-Germany co-production Fowl in the Apm line-up.
The story follows Ramon, a Filipino contract worker working at Singapore Post. When his wife Jenny suddenly dies, he has to travel back to the Philippines with her as if she were one of the many parcels he is so used to handling.
Korean directors include July Jung, the [link=nm...
Busan’s Asian Project Market (Apm) has announced this year’s line-up including directors Brillante Mendoza, Vimukthi Jayasundara, Yeon Sang-ho and July Jung.
Winner of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival Camera d’or, Vimukthi Jayasundara (The Forbidden Land) will present Sri Lankan project Hair Of The Dog That Bit You.
The drama is about a female tourist guide’s loss of memory and identity, and her struggle to come to terms with what is left of her life and an unknown future.
Cannes 2009 Best Director winner Brillante Mendoza (Kinatay) has Philippines-France-Germany co-production Fowl in the Apm line-up.
The story follows Ramon, a Filipino contract worker working at Singapore Post. When his wife Jenny suddenly dies, he has to travel back to the Philippines with her as if she were one of the many parcels he is so used to handling.
Korean directors include July Jung, the [link=nm...
- 8/19/2014
- by hjnoh2007@gmail.com (Jean Noh)
- ScreenDaily
The 19th Busan International Film Festival (Biff) has announced 29 projects selected to benefit from Asian Cinema Fund (Acf) 2014, including projects by award-winning directors such as O Muel (Jiseul) and Hannah Espia (Transit).
Acf this year picked 11 projects from Korea and 18 from around the rest of the continent.
Organisers stated Acf got a total of 565 submissions, approximately 30% up from last year. The submissions came from 52 countries including 161 projects from India and 50 from China.
“We think this big increase in submissions is due to the fact that we’ve publicized the Acf a lot, but also possibly because the production environment in Asia has gotten more difficult,” said Acf director Hong Hyosook.
The Acf 2014 Script Development Fund goes to eight projects - three from Korea and five from the rest of Asia. Each will receive a cash grant of KW10m (currently approximately $9,880).
They include projects from filmmakers who previously screened films in Busan like Cambodian-French director Davy Chou, whose...
Acf this year picked 11 projects from Korea and 18 from around the rest of the continent.
Organisers stated Acf got a total of 565 submissions, approximately 30% up from last year. The submissions came from 52 countries including 161 projects from India and 50 from China.
“We think this big increase in submissions is due to the fact that we’ve publicized the Acf a lot, but also possibly because the production environment in Asia has gotten more difficult,” said Acf director Hong Hyosook.
The Acf 2014 Script Development Fund goes to eight projects - three from Korea and five from the rest of Asia. Each will receive a cash grant of KW10m (currently approximately $9,880).
They include projects from filmmakers who previously screened films in Busan like Cambodian-French director Davy Chou, whose...
- 6/30/2014
- by hjnoh2007@gmail.com (Jean Noh)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: North American rights to Filipino Oscar entry Transit have sold to 7th Art Releasing, which will set a theatrical run for later this year. Stargate producer Dean Devlin‘s Electric Entertainment is still selling international on the Phillippines’ official 2014 Foreign Language Oscar entry which caught Devlin’s eye after a festival run last year. Hannah Espia makes her directorial debut with the Tagalog- and Hebrew-language drama about Filipino immigrants in Tel Aviv. Irma Adlawan, Ping Medina, Mercedes Cabral, Jasmine Curtis-Smith and Marc Justine Alvarez star in the story of a domestic worker with an expired visa who tries to hide […]...
- 6/10/2014
- Deadline
Exclusive: Dean Devlin’s Electric Entertainment has closed multiple territories including a UK deal for the military thriller Boys Of Abu Ghraib.
Head of international distribution Sonia Mehandjiyska has licensed rights to 4 Digital Media for the UK, Anchor Bay for Australia/New Zealand and Daro for South Africa.
Mehandjiyska will continue sales in Cannes next month.
Vertical Entertainment handles the current Us release of Boys Of Abu Ghraib, Luke Moran’s feature directorial debut about a friendship between a Us solider and an Iraqi detainee at the notorious prison.
Moran stars with Sean Astin, Sara Paxton and John Heard. Edward Zwick presents the film with Marshall Herskovitz, who served as executive producer alongside Rogan Donelly.
Electric Entertainment’s international sales and distribution division launched last year at the Afm and the slate include Aj Edwards’ The Better Angels, John Slattery’s Sundance entry God’s Pocket, Hannah Espia’s Transit and The Wannabe, on which Devlin...
Head of international distribution Sonia Mehandjiyska has licensed rights to 4 Digital Media for the UK, Anchor Bay for Australia/New Zealand and Daro for South Africa.
Mehandjiyska will continue sales in Cannes next month.
Vertical Entertainment handles the current Us release of Boys Of Abu Ghraib, Luke Moran’s feature directorial debut about a friendship between a Us solider and an Iraqi detainee at the notorious prison.
Moran stars with Sean Astin, Sara Paxton and John Heard. Edward Zwick presents the film with Marshall Herskovitz, who served as executive producer alongside Rogan Donelly.
Electric Entertainment’s international sales and distribution division launched last year at the Afm and the slate include Aj Edwards’ The Better Angels, John Slattery’s Sundance entry God’s Pocket, Hannah Espia’s Transit and The Wannabe, on which Devlin...
- 4/8/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Los Angeles-based Electric Entertainment and Arrow Films have announced the latter has taken all United Kingdom rights to John Slattery's feature directorial debut God’s Pocket. The film, which originally drew much heated bidding for the foreign rights, was acquired by Electric at Sundance this year and became part of their high profile slate at the European Film Market in Berlin. Arrow Films, a distribution company that has seen success with the release of films like Love Is All You Need, the Academy Award-nominated The Hunt and A Hijacking, plans to release the film in U.K. theaters later in 2014, with IFC Films handling U.S. distribution.
Electric’s Head of International Distribution Sonia Mehandjiyska negotiated the deal with Tom Stewart, Acquisitions Director for Arrow Films.
“Upon seeing the film for the first time, I was so compelled by Philip Seymour Hoffman’s performance and John Slattery’s take on the material that I made it a point to personally pursue the rights for our company,” said Electric’s CEO Dean Devlin. “This is just the first step in presenting this film to world audiences, and we look forward to working with Arrow in bringing it to film fans in the UK.”
“The film stands as a great example of just what a wonderful actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was and to see such a rich ensemble cast perform at the top of their game alongside him provides a fitting testament to the late star. We’re thrilled to be collaborating on our first picture with Electric Entertainment,” commented Stewart.
The film stars an A-list cast led by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Richard Jenkins, Christina Hendricks, John Turturro and Caleb Landry Jones.
God’s Pocket was written by Slattery and Alex Metcalf , and produced by Sam Bisbee, Jackie Kelman Bisbee,Lance Acord, Slattery, Emily Ziff and Hoffman through his Cooper’s Town Productions. The film is a Park Pictures Film in association with Cooper’s Town Productions and Shoestring Pictures. The film is based on the novel by acclaimed author Pete Dexter.
Slattery, who plays Roger Sterling on AMC’s Mad Men had previously directed a number of episodes of that series, but this marks his feature film directorial debut.
When Mickey's (Hoffman) crazy stepson Leon (Landry) is killed in a construction 'accident,' nobody in the working class neighborhood of God’s Pocket is sorry he's gone. Mickey tries to bury the bad news with the body, but when the boy's mother (Hendricks) demands the truth, and a local reporter (Jenkins) starts sniffing around, Mickey finds himself stuck in a darkly comedic life and death struggle. A body he can’t bury, a wife he can’t please and a debt he can’t pay.
Electric Entertainment’s international sales division launched last year at the American Film Market and is currently selling The Wannabe, which is executive produced by Martin Scorsese, Dean Devlin and Traction Media, and stars Patricia Arquette , Vincent Piazza , and Michael Imperioli . The company also has international rights to Hannah Espia’s Transit (Read our Revie Here), and Boys of Abu Ghraib, directed by Luke Moran and executive produced by Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz and Rogan Donelly.
Electric’s Head of International Distribution Sonia Mehandjiyska negotiated the deal with Tom Stewart, Acquisitions Director for Arrow Films.
“Upon seeing the film for the first time, I was so compelled by Philip Seymour Hoffman’s performance and John Slattery’s take on the material that I made it a point to personally pursue the rights for our company,” said Electric’s CEO Dean Devlin. “This is just the first step in presenting this film to world audiences, and we look forward to working with Arrow in bringing it to film fans in the UK.”
“The film stands as a great example of just what a wonderful actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was and to see such a rich ensemble cast perform at the top of their game alongside him provides a fitting testament to the late star. We’re thrilled to be collaborating on our first picture with Electric Entertainment,” commented Stewart.
The film stars an A-list cast led by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Richard Jenkins, Christina Hendricks, John Turturro and Caleb Landry Jones.
God’s Pocket was written by Slattery and Alex Metcalf , and produced by Sam Bisbee, Jackie Kelman Bisbee,Lance Acord, Slattery, Emily Ziff and Hoffman through his Cooper’s Town Productions. The film is a Park Pictures Film in association with Cooper’s Town Productions and Shoestring Pictures. The film is based on the novel by acclaimed author Pete Dexter.
Slattery, who plays Roger Sterling on AMC’s Mad Men had previously directed a number of episodes of that series, but this marks his feature film directorial debut.
When Mickey's (Hoffman) crazy stepson Leon (Landry) is killed in a construction 'accident,' nobody in the working class neighborhood of God’s Pocket is sorry he's gone. Mickey tries to bury the bad news with the body, but when the boy's mother (Hendricks) demands the truth, and a local reporter (Jenkins) starts sniffing around, Mickey finds himself stuck in a darkly comedic life and death struggle. A body he can’t bury, a wife he can’t please and a debt he can’t pay.
Electric Entertainment’s international sales division launched last year at the American Film Market and is currently selling The Wannabe, which is executive produced by Martin Scorsese, Dean Devlin and Traction Media, and stars Patricia Arquette , Vincent Piazza , and Michael Imperioli . The company also has international rights to Hannah Espia’s Transit (Read our Revie Here), and Boys of Abu Ghraib, directed by Luke Moran and executive produced by Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz and Rogan Donelly.
- 3/12/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Electric Entertainment marks first major territorial sale of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s final film as a leading man to Arrow Films in the UK.
Arrow Films has secured all UK rights to to John Slattery’s feature directorial debut God’s Pocket from Dean Devlin’s Electric Entertainment.
The film, starring the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, will be released in the UK later in 2014.
Review: God’s Pocket
It was reported last week that the movie will be released on May 9 in Us theatres, distributed by IFC Films, and it will be available on video demand from May 14.
The film, which drew heated bidding for the foreign rights when it debuted at Sundance in January, was acquired by Electric and became part of their slate at last month’s European Film Market in Berlin.
Electric’s head of international distribution Sonia Mehandjiyska negotiated the deal with Tom Stewart, acquisitions director for Arrow Films.
“Upon seeing...
Arrow Films has secured all UK rights to to John Slattery’s feature directorial debut God’s Pocket from Dean Devlin’s Electric Entertainment.
The film, starring the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, will be released in the UK later in 2014.
Review: God’s Pocket
It was reported last week that the movie will be released on May 9 in Us theatres, distributed by IFC Films, and it will be available on video demand from May 14.
The film, which drew heated bidding for the foreign rights when it debuted at Sundance in January, was acquired by Electric and became part of their slate at last month’s European Film Market in Berlin.
Electric’s head of international distribution Sonia Mehandjiyska negotiated the deal with Tom Stewart, acquisitions director for Arrow Films.
“Upon seeing...
- 3/10/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
First-time feature film director, Hannah Espia, was elated when I caught up with her! My fellow Filipino was visiting Palm Springs for the annual Film Festival where her film, .Transit,. was making its North American Premiere. I interviewed Miss Espia, alongside her producer, Paul Soriano. The film is being helped by veteran Hollywood producer, Dean Devlin (.Independence Day,. .Godzilla.), reach more audience. Because truthfully, .Transit. is so good, it simply needs to be viewed! .Transit. was Philippines. submission to the Academy Awards for the Best Foreign Language film category.
Here's the interview/review that appeared on Anc in the Philippines:
Here's what appeared on The Filipino Channel's (Tfc) Balitang America:
And here's from my home, Kmir, the NBC-affiliate in Palm Springs:...
Here's the interview/review that appeared on Anc in the Philippines:
Here's what appeared on The Filipino Channel's (Tfc) Balitang America:
And here's from my home, Kmir, the NBC-affiliate in Palm Springs:...
- 1/14/2014
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
As this year's Academy Awards nominations approach, and after the shocking selection of films conforming the Academy's shortlist for the Best Foreign Language Film Award, audiences will get the opportunity to see some of the films that were dismissed but which are absolutely deserving of attention. Rather than including all of the 76 Submissions the Palm Spring Film Festival decided to shorten their program to 45 of what they considered the best representation of the extensive amount of films.
Included in the program are all of the 9 shortlisted films, all the other major omissions, and many more obscure titles that showcase some of the most interesting voices in World Cinema today. Most of these films have been awarded prizes and received praise at major festivals from Sundance to Cannes and Toronto, and will give the viewer a broader view of the category beyond the assumed frontrunners.
Below is a list with more information on each of the films that will be screening at Palm Springs with reviews and interviews with the filmmakers for the majority of them. Read more about the complete list of 76 Foreign Language Oscar Submissions visit Here
For more information on the Palm Springs International Film Festival visit Here
Argentina
The German Doctor (Wakolda)
Dir: Lucia Puenzo
Language: Spanish, German, Hebrew
U.S Release: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Isa: Pyramide
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Case Study by Sydney Levine
Australia
The Rocket
Dir: Kim Mordaunt
Language: Lao
U.S Release: Kino Lorber
Isa: Level K
Festivals: Berlin 2013: Best First Feature Film ,Tribeca 2013: World Narrative Competition
Trailer
Austria
The Wall
Dir: Julian Polsler
Language: German
U.S Release: Music Box Films - May 31, 2013
Isa: The Match Factory
Festivals: Sitges Ff 2012 Official Fantastic, Mumbai Ff 2012 Int'l Competition
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Belgium
The Broken Circle Breakdown
Dir: Felix van Groeningen
Language: Flemish
U.S Release: Tribeca Film - November 1, 2013
Isa: The Match Factory
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Panorama
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Carlos Aguilar
Bosnia And Herzegovina
An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker
Dir: Danis Tanović
Language: Bosnian, Romani
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: The Match Factory
Festivals: Berlinale Competition,Efm Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Cambodia
The Missing Picture
Dir: Rithy Panh
Language: French
U.S Release: Acquired by Strand Releasing for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013 - Un Certain Regard Prix, San Sebastian 2013 Pearls
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Canada
Gabrielle
Dir: Louise Archambault
Language: French
U.S Release: eOne
Isa: eOne
Festivals: Toronto- Tiff 2013, Locarno International Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Carlos Aguilar
Chile
Gloria
Dir: Sebastian Lelio
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Roadside Attractions
Isa: Funny Balloons
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Toronto - Tiff 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Sydney Levine
China
Back to 1942
Dir: Feng Xiaogang
Language: Mandarin, English
U.S Release: Well Go USA - May 14, 2013
Isa: Huayi Brothers
Festivals: Rome Film Festival 2012, Dubai International Film Festival 2012
Trailer
Croatia
Halima's Path
Dir: Arsen Anton Ostojić
Language: Bosnian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Tallinn Black Nights Iff 2012 - EurAsia (Special Jury Prize)
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Denmark
The Hunt
Dir: Thomas Vinterberg
Language: Danish
U.S Release: Magnolia Pictures - July 12, 2013
Isa: TrustNordisk
Festivals: Cannes 2012 Competition, Toronto - Tiff 2012, AFI Fest 2012
Trailer
Egypt
Winter of Discontent
Dir: Ibrahim el-Batout
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Venice International Film Festival, Cairo International Film Festival, Dubai Film Festival
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Finland
Disciple
Dir: Ulrika Bengts
Language: Finnish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Helsinki Ff 2012, Montréal World Ff 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Carlos Aguilar
France
Renoir
Dir: Gilles Bourdos
Language: French
U.S Release: Samuel Goldwyn Films - March 29, 2013
Isa: Wild Bunch
Festivals: Cannes 2012 Un Certain Regard
Trailer
Georgia
In Bloom
Dir: Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß
Language: Georgian
U.S Release: Big World Pictures
Isa: Memento
Festivals: Cicae award Berlinale Forum 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Germany
Two Lives
Dir: Georg Maas
Language: German
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Beta Cinema
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013, Busan 2013
Trailer
Hong Kong
The Grandmaster
Dir: Wong Kar-wai
Language: Cantonese, Mandarin
U.S Release: The Weinstein Company - August 23, 2013
Isa: Fortissimo
Festivals: Berlinale -Efm 2013
Trailer
Hungary
The Notebook
Dir: Janosz Szasz
Language: Hungarian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Iceland
Of Horses and Men
Dir: Benedikt Erlingsson
Language: Icelandic
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Icelandic Film Centre
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Sundance 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
India
The Good Road
Dir: Gyan Correa
Language: Gujarati
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: National Film Board of India
Festivals: London Indian Film Festival in 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Iran
The Past
Dir: Asghar Farhadi
Language: French, Persian
U.S Release: Sony Pictures Classics - December 20, 2013
Isa: Memento
Festivals:Cannes 2013 Competition-Won Best Actress, Toronto - Tiff 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Carlos Aguilar
Israel
Bethlehem
Dir: Yuval Adler
Language: Hebrew
U.S Release: Adopt
Isa: Westend
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery, Telluride Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival
Trailer
Italy
The Great Beauty
Dir: Paolo Sorrentino
Language: Italian
U.S Release: AJanus Films
Isa: Pathe
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Berlin Efm 2013,
Trailer
Interview by Sydney Levine
Japan
The Great Passage
Dir: Yuya Ishii
Language: Japanese
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Shochiku
Festivals: Fantasia Ff 2013 Official Selection
Trailer
Kazakhstan
Shal (The Old Man)
Dir: Yermek Tursunov
Language: Russian, Kazakh
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Latvia
Mother, I Love You
Dir: Janis Nords
Language: Latvian
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: New Europe Film Sales
Festivals: Los Angeles Film Festival 2013, Berlinale Generation KPlus (Grand Prix of the International Jury for the best feature film)
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Mexico
Heli
Dir: Amat Escalante
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Ndm
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition-Winner Best Director, San Sebastian 2013 Horizontes Latinos,
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Carlos Aguilar
Morocco
Horses of God
Dir: Nabil Ayouch
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2012, Bif London Film Festival 2012
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
The Netherlands
Borgman
Dir: Alex van Warmerdam
Language: Dutch
U.S Release: Drafthouse Films
Isa: Fortissimo
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Busan 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
New Zealand
White Lies
Dir: Dana Rotberg
Language: Maori
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Film Sales Company
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Norway
I Am Yours
Dir: Iram Haq
Language: Norwegian, Urdu
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Palestine
Omar
Dir: Hany Abu-Assad
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Adopt FilmsIsa: The Match Factory
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Carlos Aguilar
Philippines
Transit
Dir: Hannah Espia
Language: Filipino, Tagalog, Hebrew
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cinemalaya Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Poland
Walesa
Dir: Andrzej Wajda
Language: Polish
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Films Boutique
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013, Venice- Biennale 2013
Trailer
Romania
Child's Pose
Dir: Calin Peter Netzer
Language: Romanian
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Beta Cinema
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Competition (Golden Bear for the Best Film), Toronto - Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Articles by Sydney Levine, Berlin Diary #2
Russia
Stalingrad
Dir: Fedor Bondarchuk
Language: Russian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Saudi Arabia
Wadjda
Dir: Haifaa al-Mansour
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Sony Pictures Classics - September 13, 2013
Isa: The Match Factory
Festivals: Cannes 2012, Venice International Film Festival 2012, Los Angeles Film Festival, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Serbia
Circles
Dir: Srdan Golubovic
Language: Serbian
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Memento
Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlinale - Efm 2013 Forum
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Sydney Levine
Singapore
Ilo Ilo
Dir: Anthony Chen
Language: Mandarin, Hokkien, English, Tagalog
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Memento
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Directors Fortnight, Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Slovenia
Class Enemy
Dir: Rok Biček
Language: Slovene
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
South Korea
Juvenile Offender
Dir: Kang Yi-kwan
Language: Korean
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Finecut
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Contemporary World Cinema,
Trailer
Spain
15 Years and One Day
Dir: Gracia Querejeta
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Latido
Festivals: San Sebastian 2013 Made in Spain, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Carlos Aguilar
Switzerland
More Than Honey
Dir: Markus Imhoof
Language: German, Mandarin
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Films Boutique
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Tiff Docs, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Turkey
The Butterfly's Dream
Dir: Yılmaz Erdoğan
Language: Turkish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Istanbul Film Festival, Los Angeles Turkish Film Festival
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
United Kingdom
Metro Manila
Dir: Sean Elllis
Language: Filipino, Tagalog
U.S Release: Paladin/108 Media
Isa:
Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlin Efm 2012, Cannes 2012, Afm 2012, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Uruguay
Anina
Dir: Alfredo Soderguit
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin International Film Festival, Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar...
Included in the program are all of the 9 shortlisted films, all the other major omissions, and many more obscure titles that showcase some of the most interesting voices in World Cinema today. Most of these films have been awarded prizes and received praise at major festivals from Sundance to Cannes and Toronto, and will give the viewer a broader view of the category beyond the assumed frontrunners.
Below is a list with more information on each of the films that will be screening at Palm Springs with reviews and interviews with the filmmakers for the majority of them. Read more about the complete list of 76 Foreign Language Oscar Submissions visit Here
For more information on the Palm Springs International Film Festival visit Here
Argentina
The German Doctor (Wakolda)
Dir: Lucia Puenzo
Language: Spanish, German, Hebrew
U.S Release: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Isa: Pyramide
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Case Study by Sydney Levine
Australia
The Rocket
Dir: Kim Mordaunt
Language: Lao
U.S Release: Kino Lorber
Isa: Level K
Festivals: Berlin 2013: Best First Feature Film ,Tribeca 2013: World Narrative Competition
Trailer
Austria
The Wall
Dir: Julian Polsler
Language: German
U.S Release: Music Box Films - May 31, 2013
Isa: The Match Factory
Festivals: Sitges Ff 2012 Official Fantastic, Mumbai Ff 2012 Int'l Competition
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Belgium
The Broken Circle Breakdown
Dir: Felix van Groeningen
Language: Flemish
U.S Release: Tribeca Film - November 1, 2013
Isa: The Match Factory
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Panorama
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Carlos Aguilar
Bosnia And Herzegovina
An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker
Dir: Danis Tanović
Language: Bosnian, Romani
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: The Match Factory
Festivals: Berlinale Competition,Efm Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Cambodia
The Missing Picture
Dir: Rithy Panh
Language: French
U.S Release: Acquired by Strand Releasing for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013 - Un Certain Regard Prix, San Sebastian 2013 Pearls
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Canada
Gabrielle
Dir: Louise Archambault
Language: French
U.S Release: eOne
Isa: eOne
Festivals: Toronto- Tiff 2013, Locarno International Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Carlos Aguilar
Chile
Gloria
Dir: Sebastian Lelio
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Roadside Attractions
Isa: Funny Balloons
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Toronto - Tiff 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Sydney Levine
China
Back to 1942
Dir: Feng Xiaogang
Language: Mandarin, English
U.S Release: Well Go USA - May 14, 2013
Isa: Huayi Brothers
Festivals: Rome Film Festival 2012, Dubai International Film Festival 2012
Trailer
Croatia
Halima's Path
Dir: Arsen Anton Ostojić
Language: Bosnian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Tallinn Black Nights Iff 2012 - EurAsia (Special Jury Prize)
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Denmark
The Hunt
Dir: Thomas Vinterberg
Language: Danish
U.S Release: Magnolia Pictures - July 12, 2013
Isa: TrustNordisk
Festivals: Cannes 2012 Competition, Toronto - Tiff 2012, AFI Fest 2012
Trailer
Egypt
Winter of Discontent
Dir: Ibrahim el-Batout
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Venice International Film Festival, Cairo International Film Festival, Dubai Film Festival
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Finland
Disciple
Dir: Ulrika Bengts
Language: Finnish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Helsinki Ff 2012, Montréal World Ff 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Carlos Aguilar
France
Renoir
Dir: Gilles Bourdos
Language: French
U.S Release: Samuel Goldwyn Films - March 29, 2013
Isa: Wild Bunch
Festivals: Cannes 2012 Un Certain Regard
Trailer
Georgia
In Bloom
Dir: Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß
Language: Georgian
U.S Release: Big World Pictures
Isa: Memento
Festivals: Cicae award Berlinale Forum 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Germany
Two Lives
Dir: Georg Maas
Language: German
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Beta Cinema
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013, Busan 2013
Trailer
Hong Kong
The Grandmaster
Dir: Wong Kar-wai
Language: Cantonese, Mandarin
U.S Release: The Weinstein Company - August 23, 2013
Isa: Fortissimo
Festivals: Berlinale -Efm 2013
Trailer
Hungary
The Notebook
Dir: Janosz Szasz
Language: Hungarian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Iceland
Of Horses and Men
Dir: Benedikt Erlingsson
Language: Icelandic
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Icelandic Film Centre
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Sundance 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
India
The Good Road
Dir: Gyan Correa
Language: Gujarati
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: National Film Board of India
Festivals: London Indian Film Festival in 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Iran
The Past
Dir: Asghar Farhadi
Language: French, Persian
U.S Release: Sony Pictures Classics - December 20, 2013
Isa: Memento
Festivals:Cannes 2013 Competition-Won Best Actress, Toronto - Tiff 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Carlos Aguilar
Israel
Bethlehem
Dir: Yuval Adler
Language: Hebrew
U.S Release: Adopt
Isa: Westend
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery, Telluride Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival
Trailer
Italy
The Great Beauty
Dir: Paolo Sorrentino
Language: Italian
U.S Release: AJanus Films
Isa: Pathe
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Berlin Efm 2013,
Trailer
Interview by Sydney Levine
Japan
The Great Passage
Dir: Yuya Ishii
Language: Japanese
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Shochiku
Festivals: Fantasia Ff 2013 Official Selection
Trailer
Kazakhstan
Shal (The Old Man)
Dir: Yermek Tursunov
Language: Russian, Kazakh
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Latvia
Mother, I Love You
Dir: Janis Nords
Language: Latvian
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: New Europe Film Sales
Festivals: Los Angeles Film Festival 2013, Berlinale Generation KPlus (Grand Prix of the International Jury for the best feature film)
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Mexico
Heli
Dir: Amat Escalante
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Ndm
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition-Winner Best Director, San Sebastian 2013 Horizontes Latinos,
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Carlos Aguilar
Morocco
Horses of God
Dir: Nabil Ayouch
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2012, Bif London Film Festival 2012
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
The Netherlands
Borgman
Dir: Alex van Warmerdam
Language: Dutch
U.S Release: Drafthouse Films
Isa: Fortissimo
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Busan 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
New Zealand
White Lies
Dir: Dana Rotberg
Language: Maori
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Film Sales Company
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Norway
I Am Yours
Dir: Iram Haq
Language: Norwegian, Urdu
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Palestine
Omar
Dir: Hany Abu-Assad
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Adopt FilmsIsa: The Match Factory
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Carlos Aguilar
Philippines
Transit
Dir: Hannah Espia
Language: Filipino, Tagalog, Hebrew
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cinemalaya Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Poland
Walesa
Dir: Andrzej Wajda
Language: Polish
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Films Boutique
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013, Venice- Biennale 2013
Trailer
Romania
Child's Pose
Dir: Calin Peter Netzer
Language: Romanian
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Beta Cinema
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Competition (Golden Bear for the Best Film), Toronto - Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Articles by Sydney Levine, Berlin Diary #2
Russia
Stalingrad
Dir: Fedor Bondarchuk
Language: Russian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Saudi Arabia
Wadjda
Dir: Haifaa al-Mansour
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Sony Pictures Classics - September 13, 2013
Isa: The Match Factory
Festivals: Cannes 2012, Venice International Film Festival 2012, Los Angeles Film Festival, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Serbia
Circles
Dir: Srdan Golubovic
Language: Serbian
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Memento
Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlinale - Efm 2013 Forum
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Sydney Levine
Singapore
Ilo Ilo
Dir: Anthony Chen
Language: Mandarin, Hokkien, English, Tagalog
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Memento
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Directors Fortnight, Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Slovenia
Class Enemy
Dir: Rok Biček
Language: Slovene
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
South Korea
Juvenile Offender
Dir: Kang Yi-kwan
Language: Korean
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Finecut
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Contemporary World Cinema,
Trailer
Spain
15 Years and One Day
Dir: Gracia Querejeta
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Latido
Festivals: San Sebastian 2013 Made in Spain, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
Interview by Carlos Aguilar
Switzerland
More Than Honey
Dir: Markus Imhoof
Language: German, Mandarin
U.S Release: Tba
Isa: Films Boutique
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Tiff Docs, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Turkey
The Butterfly's Dream
Dir: Yılmaz Erdoğan
Language: Turkish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Istanbul Film Festival, Los Angeles Turkish Film Festival
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar
United Kingdom
Metro Manila
Dir: Sean Elllis
Language: Filipino, Tagalog
U.S Release: Paladin/108 Media
Isa:
Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlin Efm 2012, Cannes 2012, Afm 2012, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Uruguay
Anina
Dir: Alfredo Soderguit
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin International Film Festival, Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema
Trailer
Review by Carlos Aguilar...
- 1/9/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Transit, The Philippines' Submission for the Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. U.S. : None Yet. International Sales Agent: Electric Entertainment. It will screen at the Palm Springs Film Festival this January.
Storytelling is a matter of perspective. The artist deliberately chooses who is the protagonist and the role the secondary characters play in that individual’s narrative. Every incident is explored, for the most part, from a singular point of view. But what if the same story were told from the perspective of those in the periphery? What if everyone had the chance to display his or her own unique reaction to the same events? Would this place all the characters on the same level of importance and create a democratic retelling of the occurrence? Hannah Espia’s Transit attempts to decode a highly controversial subject by means of multiple vignettes that follow the same period of time as seen through the eyes of every member of a family. In this touching and skillfully edited piece, the director tackles a deeply relevant topic for Filipino nationals thousands of miles away from the Southeast Asian archipelago.
While most developed countries struggle with creating immigration policies, the right to citizenship by birth (jus soli) is perhaps the most divisive issue. The U.S. and Canada are the only two advanced economies that grant the privilege without objections; the rest of the world deals with the increasing globalization in distinct, sometimes morally questionable manners. In 2010, Israel approved a policy that would allow the government to deport small children of migrant workers who were born in the country, speak Hebrew, and have never seen their parents’ homelands. Espia’s film focuses on two of these children at risk of being separated from their loved ones.
Conscious of this threatening possibility, Moises (Ping Medina), a Filipino single father who works as caretaker for an elderly Israeli man, hides his 4-year-old son, Joshua (Marc Justine Alvarez), forbidding him from leaving the apartment they share with their compatriot Janet (Irma Adlawan), and her teenage daughter Yael (Jasmine Curtis). Both of their children were born in the Jewish state but are still considered foreigners which creates in them a fragmented identity between their environment and their heritage.
Under the new regulations, Janet’s daughter might be able to become a resident since she is in school and meets the age requirements. Nonetheless, the underlying issue is the turbulent mother-daughter relationship between them. Yael considers herself Israeli, while Janet is adamant about making her see that she does not truly belong with the majority but with her suffering Filipino countrymen. The makeshift family increases its already dysfunctional operations as it receives Tina (Mercedes Cabral), a new immigrant, who will stay with them until she saves enough money to live on her own.
Divided into five segments, one for each of the main characters, the film repeatedly revisits the same interactions as each individual slowly reveals his or her own motivations and contribution to the situation as a whole. On the one hand, Yael is in a relationship with a Jewish boy who sees her as an equal despite their ethnic differences. Still, knowing that Joshua, whom she considers a brother, is in danger of being deported, she can’t entirely find her role within Jewish society. In the same manner Moises’ friendship with his boss testifies of the important services workers like him provide to a country that doesn’t offer them the chance to become a part of it. Unable to speak Tagalog and eager to learn about the Torah, Joshua is essentially like any other kid born in Israel, but to the government he was born in "transit" to immigrant parents. His existence is caught up in between the country where he lives and an unknown homeland.
Thought provoking and carefully constructed to expose the complexity of the matter at hand in an encompassing fashion, Espia’s film delves into a defining part of the modern Filipino identify, one that affects those abroad and in the island nation. Giving each of the participants a particular voice paints a broad picture which questions the morality of the policy at the center of the story. With a proficient ensemble cast and a meticulous attention to its narrative structure, Transit is a poignant exploration of national identity in the increasingly globalized world we all live in today.
Read more about all the 76 Best Foreign Language Film Submission for the 2014 Academy Awards...
Storytelling is a matter of perspective. The artist deliberately chooses who is the protagonist and the role the secondary characters play in that individual’s narrative. Every incident is explored, for the most part, from a singular point of view. But what if the same story were told from the perspective of those in the periphery? What if everyone had the chance to display his or her own unique reaction to the same events? Would this place all the characters on the same level of importance and create a democratic retelling of the occurrence? Hannah Espia’s Transit attempts to decode a highly controversial subject by means of multiple vignettes that follow the same period of time as seen through the eyes of every member of a family. In this touching and skillfully edited piece, the director tackles a deeply relevant topic for Filipino nationals thousands of miles away from the Southeast Asian archipelago.
While most developed countries struggle with creating immigration policies, the right to citizenship by birth (jus soli) is perhaps the most divisive issue. The U.S. and Canada are the only two advanced economies that grant the privilege without objections; the rest of the world deals with the increasing globalization in distinct, sometimes morally questionable manners. In 2010, Israel approved a policy that would allow the government to deport small children of migrant workers who were born in the country, speak Hebrew, and have never seen their parents’ homelands. Espia’s film focuses on two of these children at risk of being separated from their loved ones.
Conscious of this threatening possibility, Moises (Ping Medina), a Filipino single father who works as caretaker for an elderly Israeli man, hides his 4-year-old son, Joshua (Marc Justine Alvarez), forbidding him from leaving the apartment they share with their compatriot Janet (Irma Adlawan), and her teenage daughter Yael (Jasmine Curtis). Both of their children were born in the Jewish state but are still considered foreigners which creates in them a fragmented identity between their environment and their heritage.
Under the new regulations, Janet’s daughter might be able to become a resident since she is in school and meets the age requirements. Nonetheless, the underlying issue is the turbulent mother-daughter relationship between them. Yael considers herself Israeli, while Janet is adamant about making her see that she does not truly belong with the majority but with her suffering Filipino countrymen. The makeshift family increases its already dysfunctional operations as it receives Tina (Mercedes Cabral), a new immigrant, who will stay with them until she saves enough money to live on her own.
Divided into five segments, one for each of the main characters, the film repeatedly revisits the same interactions as each individual slowly reveals his or her own motivations and contribution to the situation as a whole. On the one hand, Yael is in a relationship with a Jewish boy who sees her as an equal despite their ethnic differences. Still, knowing that Joshua, whom she considers a brother, is in danger of being deported, she can’t entirely find her role within Jewish society. In the same manner Moises’ friendship with his boss testifies of the important services workers like him provide to a country that doesn’t offer them the chance to become a part of it. Unable to speak Tagalog and eager to learn about the Torah, Joshua is essentially like any other kid born in Israel, but to the government he was born in "transit" to immigrant parents. His existence is caught up in between the country where he lives and an unknown homeland.
Thought provoking and carefully constructed to expose the complexity of the matter at hand in an encompassing fashion, Espia’s film delves into a defining part of the modern Filipino identify, one that affects those abroad and in the island nation. Giving each of the participants a particular voice paints a broad picture which questions the morality of the policy at the center of the story. With a proficient ensemble cast and a meticulous attention to its narrative structure, Transit is a poignant exploration of national identity in the increasingly globalized world we all live in today.
Read more about all the 76 Best Foreign Language Film Submission for the 2014 Academy Awards...
- 12/29/2013
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Best Foreign Language Film Oscar 2014 submissions (photo: Ziyi Zhang in ‘The Grandmaster’) (See previous post: Best Foreign Language Film Oscar: ‘The Past,’ ‘Wadjda,’ Andrzej Wajda Among Omissions) In case you missed it, here’s the full list of submissions (in alphabetical order, per country) for the 2014 Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. The list of contenders was originally announced on October 7, 2013. Of note: Saudi Arabia and Moldova were first-timers; Montenegro was a first-timer as an independent country. Afghanistan, Wajma — An Afghan Love Story, Barmak Akram, director; Albania, Agon, Robert Budina, director; Argentina, The German Doctor, Lucía Puenzo, director; Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt, director; Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler, director; Azerbaijan, Steppe Man, Shamil Aliyev, director; Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director; Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen, director; Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanovic, director; Brazil, Neighboring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho,...
- 12/25/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Top brass at the 25th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) have announced a new programme on Canadian Cinema as well as the traditionally strong roster of foreign-language films eligible for the Fipresci Award in the Awards Buzz section, and Modern Masters.
The festival will screen 45 of the 76 official foreign-language Oscar submissions under the umbrella of Awards Buzz.
“We’ve selected Canadian films for a special focus at this year’s festival for many reasons, not the least of which is the wealth of talent emerging from its relatively small, indigenous film industry, and the depth and richness of story and character portrayal its films exemplify,” said festival director Darryl Macdonald.
“Whether it’s established auteurs like Denis Coté, Denis Villenueve and Atom Egoyan, gifted actor-directors like Don McKellar and Sarah Polley or newly emerging talents like Chloé Robichaud, Craig Goodwill and Sébastien Pilote, Canadian creative ingenuity is on abundant display in its films. All of this...
The festival will screen 45 of the 76 official foreign-language Oscar submissions under the umbrella of Awards Buzz.
“We’ve selected Canadian films for a special focus at this year’s festival for many reasons, not the least of which is the wealth of talent emerging from its relatively small, indigenous film industry, and the depth and richness of story and character portrayal its films exemplify,” said festival director Darryl Macdonald.
“Whether it’s established auteurs like Denis Coté, Denis Villenueve and Atom Egoyan, gifted actor-directors like Don McKellar and Sarah Polley or newly emerging talents like Chloé Robichaud, Craig Goodwill and Sébastien Pilote, Canadian creative ingenuity is on abundant display in its films. All of this...
- 12/12/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Other winners include Harmony Lessons and Ilo Ilo.
Directors Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross’ In Bloom was awarded the grand prize and $6,830 (Y700,000) at the closing awards of the 14th edition of Tokyo Filmex, which ran Nov 23 to Dec 1.
The Georgia-Germany-France co-production is set in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi during the early years of the dissolved Soviet Union as two teenaged girls struggle against a backdrop of familial and political strife.
Chairperson of the jury Mohsen Makhmalbaf praised In Bloom for “its talent to portray two strong girls and the energetic recreation of reality in cinema.”
The award adds to previous accolades won in Berlin, Hong Kong, AFI Fest and Montreal among other festivals.
The special jury prize and $2,930 (Y300,000) was presented to Kazakhstan writer-director Emir Baigazin for his debut feature Harmony Lessons.
The tough juvenile drama previously won prizes at Berlin, Tribeca and Warsaw. Baigazin is seen as a leading light in the Kazakh new wave...
Directors Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross’ In Bloom was awarded the grand prize and $6,830 (Y700,000) at the closing awards of the 14th edition of Tokyo Filmex, which ran Nov 23 to Dec 1.
The Georgia-Germany-France co-production is set in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi during the early years of the dissolved Soviet Union as two teenaged girls struggle against a backdrop of familial and political strife.
Chairperson of the jury Mohsen Makhmalbaf praised In Bloom for “its talent to portray two strong girls and the energetic recreation of reality in cinema.”
The award adds to previous accolades won in Berlin, Hong Kong, AFI Fest and Montreal among other festivals.
The special jury prize and $2,930 (Y300,000) was presented to Kazakhstan writer-director Emir Baigazin for his debut feature Harmony Lessons.
The tough juvenile drama previously won prizes at Berlin, Tribeca and Warsaw. Baigazin is seen as a leading light in the Kazakh new wave...
- 12/1/2013
- by jasong.screen@gmail.com (Jason Gray)
- ScreenDaily
Other winners include Harmony Lessons and Ilo Ilo.
Directors Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross’ In Bloom was awarded the grand prize and $6,830 (Y700,000) at the closing awards of the 14th edition of Tokyo Filmex, which ran Nov 23 to Dec 1.
The Georgia-Germany-France co-production is set in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi during the early years of the dissolved Soviet Union as two teenaged girls struggle against a backdrop of familial and political strife.
Chairperson of the jury Mohsen Makhmalbaf praised In Bloom for “its talent to portray two strong girls and the energetic recreation of reality in cinema.”
The award adds to previous accolades won in Berlin, Hong Kong, AFI Fest and Montreal among other festivals.
The special jury prize and $2,930 (Y300,000) was presented to Kazakhstan writer-director Emir Baigazin for his debut feature Harmony Lessons.
The tough juvenile drama previously won prizes at Berlin, Tribeca and Warsaw. Baigazin is seen as a leading light in the Kazakh new wave...
Directors Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross’ In Bloom was awarded the grand prize and $6,830 (Y700,000) at the closing awards of the 14th edition of Tokyo Filmex, which ran Nov 23 to Dec 1.
The Georgia-Germany-France co-production is set in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi during the early years of the dissolved Soviet Union as two teenaged girls struggle against a backdrop of familial and political strife.
Chairperson of the jury Mohsen Makhmalbaf praised In Bloom for “its talent to portray two strong girls and the energetic recreation of reality in cinema.”
The award adds to previous accolades won in Berlin, Hong Kong, AFI Fest and Montreal among other festivals.
The special jury prize and $2,930 (Y300,000) was presented to Kazakhstan writer-director Emir Baigazin for his debut feature Harmony Lessons.
The tough juvenile drama previously won prizes at Berlin, Tribeca and Warsaw. Baigazin is seen as a leading light in the Kazakh new wave...
- 12/1/2013
- by jasong.screen@gmail.com (Jason Gray)
- ScreenDaily
It is inevitable for the Philippines, a country whose economy thrives because of the inward remittances of its overseas workers, to develop a film culture that revolves specifically around the experiences of those expatriated breadwinners and the families they left behind. It is perhaps the penchant for Filipinos for melodrama that eventually shaped the unique genre into what it is now: an enduring portrait of marginalized sector that has become most famous for its selfless sacrifices. From Joel Lamangan's The Flor Contemplacion Story (1995), a dramatization of the life and death of a domestic helper in Singapore, to Hannah Espia's Transit (2013), about a family in Israel being threatened of deportation, overseas Filipino workers are consistently depicted in a state of physical, emotional or...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 11/14/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Exclusive: Dean Devlin’s Electric Entertainment has acquired all worldwide sales excluding the Philippines to the country’s official Oscar submission.
Hannah Espia makes her debut on the Tagalog and Hebrew-language film about the plight of Filipino immigrants in Israel.
Espia and Giancarlo Abrahan co-wrote the screenplay and Paul Soriano and Ernest Escaler produced.
Irma Adlawan, Ping Medina, Mercedes Cabral, Jasmine Curtis-Smith and Marc Justine Alvarez star in the story, which weaves together the lives of Filipinos in Tel Aviv as a new law threatens deportation.
Electric Entertainment’s new sales division led by Sonia Mehandjiyska will commence talks with buyers next month at the Afm.
“As someone who is both Filipino and Jewish, I was particularly moved by this film, though the themes of this film are truly universal and can be applied to almost every culture in the industrial world,” said Devlin.
“The filmmakers have taken a complex subject and have created an incredibly moving...
Hannah Espia makes her debut on the Tagalog and Hebrew-language film about the plight of Filipino immigrants in Israel.
Espia and Giancarlo Abrahan co-wrote the screenplay and Paul Soriano and Ernest Escaler produced.
Irma Adlawan, Ping Medina, Mercedes Cabral, Jasmine Curtis-Smith and Marc Justine Alvarez star in the story, which weaves together the lives of Filipinos in Tel Aviv as a new law threatens deportation.
Electric Entertainment’s new sales division led by Sonia Mehandjiyska will commence talks with buyers next month at the Afm.
“As someone who is both Filipino and Jewish, I was particularly moved by this film, though the themes of this film are truly universal and can be applied to almost every culture in the industrial world,” said Devlin.
“The filmmakers have taken a complex subject and have created an incredibly moving...
- 10/25/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The 18th Busan International Film Festival (Biff) wrapped with the two New Currents Awards going to Ahn Seonkyoung’s Korean film Pascha and Byamba Sakhya’s Mongolia-Germany co-production Remote Control.Scroll down for feature film winners
Headed by Rakhshan Banietemad, the New Currents jury of Aoyama Shinji, Scott Foundas and Charles Tesson lauded Pascha: “For its intimate, highly original expression of an unusual love story.”
They awarded Remote Control: “For its sharply observed portrait of the tension between city and country, reality and fiction.”
Both films won $30,000 each.
Hannah Espia’s Filipino film Transit picked up a Special Mention: “For opening a window on to an unknown dimension of contemporary Israeli life and the fates of people caught in a desperate political situation.”
Maximilian Hult’s Sweden-Iceland coproduction Home picked up the inaugural Busan Bank Award, also known as the Audience Award for selected Flash Forward section films. It comes with $10,000 in Korean distribution support and another...
Headed by Rakhshan Banietemad, the New Currents jury of Aoyama Shinji, Scott Foundas and Charles Tesson lauded Pascha: “For its intimate, highly original expression of an unusual love story.”
They awarded Remote Control: “For its sharply observed portrait of the tension between city and country, reality and fiction.”
Both films won $30,000 each.
Hannah Espia’s Filipino film Transit picked up a Special Mention: “For opening a window on to an unknown dimension of contemporary Israeli life and the fates of people caught in a desperate political situation.”
Maximilian Hult’s Sweden-Iceland coproduction Home picked up the inaugural Busan Bank Award, also known as the Audience Award for selected Flash Forward section films. It comes with $10,000 in Korean distribution support and another...
- 10/14/2013
- by hjnoh2007@gmail.com (Jean Noh)
- ScreenDaily
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its shortlist for the 2014 Foreign Language Film Oscar — totaling a not-so-short 76 submitted films.
The number, up from 71 films last year, sets a new record for the category and includes frontrunners such as Asghar Farhadi’s The Past from Iran, Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt from Denmark, and Wong Kar-Wai’s The Grandmaster from Hong Kong. Abdellatif Kechiche’s festival favorite lesbian drama Blue Is the Warmest Color from France, however, failed to make the cut-off date for eligibility, while India controversially submitted Gyan Correa’s The Good Road over Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox.
The number, up from 71 films last year, sets a new record for the category and includes frontrunners such as Asghar Farhadi’s The Past from Iran, Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt from Denmark, and Wong Kar-Wai’s The Grandmaster from Hong Kong. Abdellatif Kechiche’s festival favorite lesbian drama Blue Is the Warmest Color from France, however, failed to make the cut-off date for eligibility, while India controversially submitted Gyan Correa’s The Good Road over Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox.
- 10/8/2013
- by Shirley Li
- EW - Inside Movies
The Academy officially announced today that a record 76 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 2014 Oscars. Among those submitting, Moldova and Saudi Arabia are first-time entrants and this is the first time Montenegro has submitted a film as an independent country. Based solely on name recognition alone I'd say Thomas Vinterberg's The Hunt (Denmark) and Asghar Farhadi's The Past (Iran) will be looked at as front-runners. However, I haven't only seen a few of the titles on this list, another of which is Mexico's entry, Heli from Amat Escalante. I have heard good things about Borgman (Netherlands) and it will be interesting to see how Haifaa al-Mansour's Wadjda is treated as it is a story unto itself, not to mention it seems to be receiving high marks from those that have seen it. I'm personally hoping to catch it soon...
- 10/7/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
A record 76 countries have submitted films for consideration in the foreign language film category for the 86th Academy Awards.
Moldova and Saudi Arabia are first-time entrants while Montenegro is submitting for the first time as an independent country.
Earlier this year the Academy changed its rule allowing all voting members to vote on the shortlist.
The nominations will be announced on January 16 2014 and the Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 2 2014 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
The 2013 submissions are:
Afghanistan, Wajma: An Afghan Love Story, Barmak Akram
Albania, Agon, Robert Budina
Argentina, Wakolda, Lucía Puenzo
Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt
Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler
Azerbaijan, Steppe Man, Shamil Aliyev
Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen
Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanović
Brazil, Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho
Bulgaria, The Colour of the Chameleon, Emil Hristov
Cambodia...
Moldova and Saudi Arabia are first-time entrants while Montenegro is submitting for the first time as an independent country.
Earlier this year the Academy changed its rule allowing all voting members to vote on the shortlist.
The nominations will be announced on January 16 2014 and the Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 2 2014 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
The 2013 submissions are:
Afghanistan, Wajma: An Afghan Love Story, Barmak Akram
Albania, Agon, Robert Budina
Argentina, Wakolda, Lucía Puenzo
Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt
Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler
Azerbaijan, Steppe Man, Shamil Aliyev
Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen
Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanović
Brazil, Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho
Bulgaria, The Colour of the Chameleon, Emil Hristov
Cambodia...
- 10/7/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has released the list of the 76 countries and their submissions officially competing for the 2014 Foreign Language Film Oscar.
Amongst the high profile entries this year are Australia's "The Rocket," Denmark's "The Hunt," France's "Renoir," Wong Kar-wai's "The Grandmaster," Iran's "The Past," and Saudi Arabia's "Wadjda".
The nominations will be announced on January 16th 2014 ahead of the ceremony on March 2nd. Here is the complete list:
Afghanistan, "Wajma – An Afghan Love Story," Barmak Akram
Albania, "Agon," Robert Budina
Argentina, "The German Doctor," Lucía Puenzo
Australia, "The Rocket," Kim Mordaunt
Austria, "The Wall," Julian Pölsler
Azerbaijan, "Steppe Man," Shamil Aliyev
Bangladesh, "Television," Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Belgium, "The Broken Circle Breakdown," Felix van Groeningen
Bosnia and Herzegovina, "An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker," Danis Tanovic
Brazil, "Neighboring Sounds," Kleber Mendonça Filho
Bulgaria, "The Color of the Chameleon," Emil Hristov
Cambodia, "The Missing Picture,...
Amongst the high profile entries this year are Australia's "The Rocket," Denmark's "The Hunt," France's "Renoir," Wong Kar-wai's "The Grandmaster," Iran's "The Past," and Saudi Arabia's "Wadjda".
The nominations will be announced on January 16th 2014 ahead of the ceremony on March 2nd. Here is the complete list:
Afghanistan, "Wajma – An Afghan Love Story," Barmak Akram
Albania, "Agon," Robert Budina
Argentina, "The German Doctor," Lucía Puenzo
Australia, "The Rocket," Kim Mordaunt
Austria, "The Wall," Julian Pölsler
Azerbaijan, "Steppe Man," Shamil Aliyev
Bangladesh, "Television," Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Belgium, "The Broken Circle Breakdown," Felix van Groeningen
Bosnia and Herzegovina, "An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker," Danis Tanovic
Brazil, "Neighboring Sounds," Kleber Mendonça Filho
Bulgaria, "The Color of the Chameleon," Emil Hristov
Cambodia, "The Missing Picture,...
- 10/7/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
A record 76 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 86th Academy Awards®.
Moldova and Saudi Arabia are first-time entrants; Montenegro is submitting for the first time as an independent country.
The 2013 submissions are:
Afghanistan, “Wajma – An Afghan Love Story,” Barmak Akram, director;
Albania, “Agon,” Robert Budina, director;
Argentina, “The German Doctor,” Lucía Puenzo, director;
Australia, “The Rocket,” Kim Mordaunt, director;
Austria, “The Wall,” Julian Pölsler, director;
Azerbaijan, “Steppe Man,” Shamil Aliyev, director;
Bangladesh, “Television,” Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director;
Belgium, “The Broken Circle Breakdown,” Felix van Groeningen, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker,” Danis Tanovic, director;
Brazil, “Neighboring Sounds,” Kleber Mendonça Filho, director;
Bulgaria, “The Color of the Chameleon,” Emil Hristov, director;
Cambodia, “The Missing Picture,” Rithy Panh, director;
Canada, “Gabrielle,” Louise Archambault, director;
Chad, “GriGris,” Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, director;
Chile, “Gloria,” Sebastián Lelio, director;
China, “Back to 1942,” Feng Xiaogang,...
Moldova and Saudi Arabia are first-time entrants; Montenegro is submitting for the first time as an independent country.
The 2013 submissions are:
Afghanistan, “Wajma – An Afghan Love Story,” Barmak Akram, director;
Albania, “Agon,” Robert Budina, director;
Argentina, “The German Doctor,” Lucía Puenzo, director;
Australia, “The Rocket,” Kim Mordaunt, director;
Austria, “The Wall,” Julian Pölsler, director;
Azerbaijan, “Steppe Man,” Shamil Aliyev, director;
Bangladesh, “Television,” Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director;
Belgium, “The Broken Circle Breakdown,” Felix van Groeningen, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker,” Danis Tanovic, director;
Brazil, “Neighboring Sounds,” Kleber Mendonça Filho, director;
Bulgaria, “The Color of the Chameleon,” Emil Hristov, director;
Cambodia, “The Missing Picture,” Rithy Panh, director;
Canada, “Gabrielle,” Louise Archambault, director;
Chad, “GriGris,” Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, director;
Chile, “Gloria,” Sebastián Lelio, director;
China, “Back to 1942,” Feng Xiaogang,...
- 10/7/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
All entries for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the Academy Awards 2014.
Submissions for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards are coming in and will continue until October, when the full list of eligible submissions will be revealed.
Last year, a record 71 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Austrian entry Amour, directed by Michael Haneke.
An initial nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 16, 2014.
Submissions
Afghanistan, Wajma: An Afghan Love Story, Barmak Akram
Albania, Agon, Robert Budina
Argentina, Wakolda, Lucía Puenzo
Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt
Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler
Azerbaijan, Steppe Man, Shamil Aliyev
Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen
Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanović
Brazil, Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho
Bulgaria, The Colour of the Chameleon, Emil Hristov
Cambodia...
Submissions for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards are coming in and will continue until October, when the full list of eligible submissions will be revealed.
Last year, a record 71 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Austrian entry Amour, directed by Michael Haneke.
An initial nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 16, 2014.
Submissions
Afghanistan, Wajma: An Afghan Love Story, Barmak Akram
Albania, Agon, Robert Budina
Argentina, Wakolda, Lucía Puenzo
Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt
Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler
Azerbaijan, Steppe Man, Shamil Aliyev
Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen
Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanović
Brazil, Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho
Bulgaria, The Colour of the Chameleon, Emil Hristov
Cambodia...
- 10/7/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
In line with SydneysBuzz’s focus on the international film business we have put together the most complete list on the 67 national submissions to compete for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. This list showcases films that have been the centerpieces of the most renowned festivals and that represent the best in the cinematic landscape from across the globe. Last year, at this point in the race the clear favorite was Palm d'Or winner Amour, which went on to win the award with no significant competition and scoring 4 other nominations including Best Picture, an outstanding feat for a foreign film about love at the end of life, by Michael Haneke.
This time around the story could have repeated almost identically with the most recent winner of Cannes’ biggest prize Blue is the Warmest Color. However, the film became one more victim of the Academy's rules, which rendered it unqualified to compete because of the late release date in France. With Blue out of the race the award is fair game for virtually anyone on the list, although there are certainly some favorites.
Saudi Arabia's first ever submission, the charming Wadjda might turn into beginners luck and score the Kingdom, in which movie theaters are banned, a nomination or even a win. Iran's audacious decision to submit the French-language The Past caused uproar among conservatives, but might certainly score the nation another nomination after their win in 2012 with the masterful A Separation. Other strong contenders are Denmark's The Hunt starring Mads Mikkelsen, and which would continue the countries streak of 3 consecutive nominations winning in 2011 with In A Better World, as well as Canada's Gabrielle about the romantic relationship of a handicapped couple, and Hong Kong’s The Grandmaster by famous director Wong Kar-wai.
Italy’s The Great Beauty, Australia’s The Rocket, Romania’s Child’s Pose, and Chile’s Gloria are among other titles that might score a nomination given their success and prominence during their festivals rounds. Some countries decided to take a chance and send audacious choices as their representation to the Academy, so is the case Mexico, a country that chose the more violent and artistically daring Cannes winner Heli, over the hit comedy Instructions Not Included, or Greece’s Boy Eating The Bird’s Food, which includes grotesque imagery that might not sit well with academy members.
The African continent is minimally represented with only 3 entries, South Africa’s Four Corners, and the Arabic-language works God’s Horses from Morocco, and Winter of Discontent from Egypt. Algeria, which has submitted regularly and even scored several nominations, is absent in this occasion. Another big omission is China who did not submit an entry but whose language is represented by Taiwan and the above-mentioned Hong Kong; equally strange is France’s decision to enter Renoir over tons of other films that could have substituted Abdellatif Kechiche.
Less surprising is Russia’s decision to submit a blockbuster-style production with a very nationalistic message in lieu of a more intimate film. On the other hand, Cambodia, Lithuania, and Switzerland decided to go with a documentary, a choice that has never been very fruitful in this category. Lastly, Israel and Palestine both entered strong candidate with Bethlehem and Omar respectively, adding with that to the great year the region has seen in the cinematic realm.
The rest of the films are a mixture of obscure titles with not much exposure outside their homelands, and a others with great premise but equally unknown quality. Thankfully for SydneysBuzz readers, the list below compiles all 67 Foreign Submissions and includes links to more information and a link to the trailer of every single one of them. For the most part the clips are subtitled; the ones that are not will at least give the reader a sense of what the film is about. As the Awards Season develops, we will have updates on predicted nominees and other developments in the race for the Best Foreign Language Film.
Argentina
The German Doctor (Wakolda)
Dir: Lucia Puenzo
Language: Spanish, German, Hebrew
U.S Release: Acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard
Trailer
Australia
The Rocket
Dir: Kim Mordaunt
Language: Lao
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin 2013: Best First Feature Film ,Tribeca 2013: World Narrative Competition
Trailer
Austria
The Wall
Dir: Julian Polsler
Language: German
U.S Release: Released by Music Box Films on May 31st, 2013
Festivals: Sitges Ff 2012 Oficial Fantastic, Mumbai Ff 2012 Int'l Competition
Trailer
Bangladesh
Television
Dir: Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Language: Bengali
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Dubai Diff 2012 (Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature Special Mention)
Trailer
Belgium
The Broken Circle Breakdown
Dir: Felix van Groeningen
Language: Flemish
U.S Release: Tribeca Film Will Release the Film on November 1st, 2013
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Panorama
Trailer
Bosnia And Herzegovina
An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker
Dir: Danis Tanović
Language: Bosnian, Romani
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 Competition, Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Brazil
Neighboring Sounds
Dir: Kleber Mendonça Filho
Language: Portuguese, Mandarin
U.S Release: Released by Cinema Guild, Now Available on Netflix streaming
Festivals:Mar Del Plata Ff 2012 Competencia Int'l, Bafici (Buenos Aires) 2013 Panorama
Trailer
Bulgaria
The Color of the Chameleon
Dir: Emil Hristov
Language: Bulgarian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Discovery, Thessaloniki Iff 2012 Int'l Competition
Trailer
Cambodia
The Missing Picture
Dir: Rithy Panh
Language: French
U.S Release: Acquired by Strand Releasing for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013 - Un Certain Regard Prix, San Sebastian 2013 Pearls
Trailer
Canada
Gabrielle
Dir: Louise Archambault
Language: French
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto- Tiff 2013, Locarno International Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Chile
Gloria
Dir: Sebastian Lelio
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Acquired by Roadside Attractions for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Toronto - Tiff 2013
Trailer
Colombia
La Playa DC
Dir: Juan Andrés Arango
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Released by Artmattan Productions on July 19th, 2013
Festivals:Official Selection Cannes 2012 Un Certain Regard, Chicago Iff 2012 New Directors Competition
Trailer
Croatia
Halima's Path
Dir: Arsen Anton Ostojić
Language: Bosnian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Tallinn Black Nights Iff 2012 - EurAsia (Special Jury Prize)
Trailer
Czech Republic
Burning Bush
Dir: Agnieszka Holland
Language: Czech
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013
Trailer
Denmark
The Hunt
Dir: Thomas Vinterberg
Language: Danish
U.S Release: Released by Magnolia Pictures on July 12th
Festivals: Cannes 2012 Competition, Toronto - Tiff 2012, AFI Fest
Trailer
Dominican Republic
Who's the Boss?
Dir: Ronni Castillo
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Egypt
Winter of Discontent
Dir: Ibrahim el-Batout
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013
Trailer
Estonia
Free Range
Dir: Veiko Õunpuu
Language: Estonian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2012
Trailer
Finland
The Disciple
Dir: Ulrika Bengts
Language: Finnish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals:Helsinki International Film Festival, Montréal World Film Festival
Trailer
France
Renoir
Dir: Gilles Bourdos
Language: French
U.S Release: Released by Samuel Goldwyn Films on March 29th, 2013
Festivals: Cannes 2012 Un Certain Regard
Trailer
Georgia
In Bloom
Dir: Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß
Language: Georgian
U.S Release: Acquired by Big World Pictures for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Cicae award Berlinale Forum 2013
Trailer
Germany
Two Lives
Dir: Georg Maas
Language: German
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013, Busan 2013
Trailer
Greece
Boy Eating The Bird's Food
Dir: Ektoras Lygizos
Language: Greek
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Discovery
Trailer
Hong Kong
The Grandmaster
Dir: Wong Kar-wai
Language: Cantonese, Mandarin
U.S Release: Released by The Weinstein Company on August 23rd, 2013
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013, Cannes 2013
Trailer
Hungary
The Notebook
Dir: Janosz Szasz
Language: Hungarian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Iceland
Of Horses and Men
Dir: Benedikt Erlingsson
Language: Icelandic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Sundance 2013
Trailer
India
The Good Road
Dir: Gyan Correa
Language: Gujarati
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: London Indian Film Festival in 2013
Trailer
Iran
The Past
Dir: Asghar Farhadi
Language: French, Persian
U.S Release: Sony Pictures Classics will release the film on December 20th, 2013
Festivals:Cannes 2013 Competition-Won Best Actress, Toronto - Tiff 2013
Trailer
Israel
Bethlehem
Dir: Yuval Adler
Language: Hebrew
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery, Cannes 2013 , Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Italy
The Great Beauty
Dir: Paolo Sorrentino
Language: Italian
U.S Release: Acquired by Janus Films for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Berlin Efm 2013,
Trailer
Japan
The Great Passage
Dir: Yuya Ishii
Language: Japanese
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Fantasia Ff 2013 Official Selection, Cannes 2013
Trailer
Kazakhstan
The Old Man
Dir: Ermek Tursunov
Language: Russian, Kazakh
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Latvia
Mother, I Love You
Dir: Janis Nords
Language: Latvian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Los Angeles Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Lebanon
Ghadi
Dir: Amin Dora
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Lithuania
Conversations on Serious Topics
Dir: Giedrė Beinoriūtė
Language: Lithuanian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Luxembourg
Blind Spot
Dir: Christophe Wagner
Language: Luxembourgish, French
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2012
Trailer
Mexico
Heli
Dir: Amat Escalante
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition-Won Best Director, San Sebastian 2013 Horizontes Latinos,
Trailer
Montenegro
Bad Destiny
Dir: Draško Đurović
Language: Serbo-Croatian
U.S Release: Acquired by Princ Films for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Toronto- Tiff 2013, Busan 2013
Trailer
Morocco
God's Horses
Dir: Nabil Ayouch
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2012, Bif London Film Festival 2012
Trailer
Nepal
Soongava: Dance of the Orchids
Dir: Subarna Thapa
Language: Nepalese
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2012, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
The Netherlands
Borgman
Dir: Alex van Warmerdam
Language: Dutch
U.S Release: Acquired by Drafthouse Films for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Busan 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
New Zealand
White Lies
Dir: Dana Rotberg
Language: Maori
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Norway
I Am Yours
Dir: Iram Haq
Language: Norwegian, Urdu
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Pakistan
Zinda Bhaag
Dir: Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi
Language: Udu, Punjabi
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Palestine
Omar
Dir: Hany Abu-Assad
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Peru
The Cleaner
Dir: Adrian Saba
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Palm Springs Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival
Trailer
Philippines
Transit
Dir: Hannah Espia
Language: Filipino, Tagalog, Hebrew
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cinemalaya Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Poland
Walesa
Dir: Andrzej Wajda
Language: Polish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013, Venice- Biennale 2013
Trailer
Portugal
Lines of Wellington
Dir: Valeria Sarmiento
Language: Portuguese, English, French
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Venice - Biennale 2012 Competition, Toronto - Tiff 2012
Trailer
Romania
Child's Pose
Dir: Calin Peter Netzer
Language: Romanian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Competition (Golden Bear for the Best Film), Toronto - Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Russia
Stalingrad
Dir: Fedor Bondarchuk
Language: Russian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Saudi Arabia
Wadjda
Dir: Haifaa al-Mansour
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Released by Sony Pictures Classics on September 13th, 2013
Festivals: Cannes 2012, Venice International Film Festival 2012, Los Angeles Film Festival, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Serbia
Circles
Dir: Srdan Golubovic
Language: Serbian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlinale - Efm 2013 Forum, Cannes 2013
Trailer
Singapore
Ilo Ilo
Dir: Anthony Chen
Language: Mandarin, Hokkien, English, Tagalog
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Directors Fortnight, Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery
Trailer
Slovakia
My Dog Killer
Dir: Mira Fornay
Language: Slovak
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Busan 2013
Trailer
Slovenia
Class Enemy
Dir: Rok Biček
Language: Slovene
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Spain
15 Years and One Day
Dir: Gracia Querejeta
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: San Sebastian 2013 Made in Spain, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
South Africa
Four Corners
Dir: Ian Gabriel
Language: Afrikaans, Tsotsitaal
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals:N/A
Trailer
South Korea
Juvenile Offender
Dir: Kang Yi-kwan
Language: Korean
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Contemporary World Cinema,
Trailer
Sweden
Eat Sleep Die
Dir: Gabriela Pichler
Language: Swedish, Croatian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Venice International Film Festival 2012, Toronto - Tiff 2012
Trailer
Switzerland
More Than Honey
Dir: Markus Imhoof
Language: German, Mandarin
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Tiff Docs, Cannes 2013, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Taiwan
Soul
Dir: Mong-Hong Chung
Language: Mandarin
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto - Tiff 2013 Vanguard
Trailer
Thailand
Countdown
Dir: Nattawut Poonpiriya
Language: Thai
U.S Release: Acquired by Birch Tree Entertainment for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Far East Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Turkey
The Butterfly's Dream
Dir: Yılmaz Erdoğan
Language: Turkish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Istanbul Film Festival, Los Angeles Turkish Film Festival
Trailer
Ukraine
Paradjanov
Dir: Serge Avedikian and Olena Fetisova
Language: Russian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto 2013
Trailer
United Kingdom
Metro Manila
Dir: Sean Elllis
Language: Filipino, Tagalog
U.S Release: Acquired by Paladin/108 Media for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlin Efm 2012, Cannes 2012, Afm 2012, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Venezuela
Breach in the Silence
Dir: Luis and Andrés Rodríguez
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Ventana Sur 2012, Festival de Mar del Plata "Panorama Latinomaericano"
Trailer...
This time around the story could have repeated almost identically with the most recent winner of Cannes’ biggest prize Blue is the Warmest Color. However, the film became one more victim of the Academy's rules, which rendered it unqualified to compete because of the late release date in France. With Blue out of the race the award is fair game for virtually anyone on the list, although there are certainly some favorites.
Saudi Arabia's first ever submission, the charming Wadjda might turn into beginners luck and score the Kingdom, in which movie theaters are banned, a nomination or even a win. Iran's audacious decision to submit the French-language The Past caused uproar among conservatives, but might certainly score the nation another nomination after their win in 2012 with the masterful A Separation. Other strong contenders are Denmark's The Hunt starring Mads Mikkelsen, and which would continue the countries streak of 3 consecutive nominations winning in 2011 with In A Better World, as well as Canada's Gabrielle about the romantic relationship of a handicapped couple, and Hong Kong’s The Grandmaster by famous director Wong Kar-wai.
Italy’s The Great Beauty, Australia’s The Rocket, Romania’s Child’s Pose, and Chile’s Gloria are among other titles that might score a nomination given their success and prominence during their festivals rounds. Some countries decided to take a chance and send audacious choices as their representation to the Academy, so is the case Mexico, a country that chose the more violent and artistically daring Cannes winner Heli, over the hit comedy Instructions Not Included, or Greece’s Boy Eating The Bird’s Food, which includes grotesque imagery that might not sit well with academy members.
The African continent is minimally represented with only 3 entries, South Africa’s Four Corners, and the Arabic-language works God’s Horses from Morocco, and Winter of Discontent from Egypt. Algeria, which has submitted regularly and even scored several nominations, is absent in this occasion. Another big omission is China who did not submit an entry but whose language is represented by Taiwan and the above-mentioned Hong Kong; equally strange is France’s decision to enter Renoir over tons of other films that could have substituted Abdellatif Kechiche.
Less surprising is Russia’s decision to submit a blockbuster-style production with a very nationalistic message in lieu of a more intimate film. On the other hand, Cambodia, Lithuania, and Switzerland decided to go with a documentary, a choice that has never been very fruitful in this category. Lastly, Israel and Palestine both entered strong candidate with Bethlehem and Omar respectively, adding with that to the great year the region has seen in the cinematic realm.
The rest of the films are a mixture of obscure titles with not much exposure outside their homelands, and a others with great premise but equally unknown quality. Thankfully for SydneysBuzz readers, the list below compiles all 67 Foreign Submissions and includes links to more information and a link to the trailer of every single one of them. For the most part the clips are subtitled; the ones that are not will at least give the reader a sense of what the film is about. As the Awards Season develops, we will have updates on predicted nominees and other developments in the race for the Best Foreign Language Film.
Argentina
The German Doctor (Wakolda)
Dir: Lucia Puenzo
Language: Spanish, German, Hebrew
U.S Release: Acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard
Trailer
Australia
The Rocket
Dir: Kim Mordaunt
Language: Lao
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin 2013: Best First Feature Film ,Tribeca 2013: World Narrative Competition
Trailer
Austria
The Wall
Dir: Julian Polsler
Language: German
U.S Release: Released by Music Box Films on May 31st, 2013
Festivals: Sitges Ff 2012 Oficial Fantastic, Mumbai Ff 2012 Int'l Competition
Trailer
Bangladesh
Television
Dir: Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Language: Bengali
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Dubai Diff 2012 (Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature Special Mention)
Trailer
Belgium
The Broken Circle Breakdown
Dir: Felix van Groeningen
Language: Flemish
U.S Release: Tribeca Film Will Release the Film on November 1st, 2013
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Panorama
Trailer
Bosnia And Herzegovina
An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker
Dir: Danis Tanović
Language: Bosnian, Romani
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 Competition, Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Brazil
Neighboring Sounds
Dir: Kleber Mendonça Filho
Language: Portuguese, Mandarin
U.S Release: Released by Cinema Guild, Now Available on Netflix streaming
Festivals:Mar Del Plata Ff 2012 Competencia Int'l, Bafici (Buenos Aires) 2013 Panorama
Trailer
Bulgaria
The Color of the Chameleon
Dir: Emil Hristov
Language: Bulgarian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Discovery, Thessaloniki Iff 2012 Int'l Competition
Trailer
Cambodia
The Missing Picture
Dir: Rithy Panh
Language: French
U.S Release: Acquired by Strand Releasing for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013 - Un Certain Regard Prix, San Sebastian 2013 Pearls
Trailer
Canada
Gabrielle
Dir: Louise Archambault
Language: French
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto- Tiff 2013, Locarno International Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Chile
Gloria
Dir: Sebastian Lelio
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Acquired by Roadside Attractions for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Toronto - Tiff 2013
Trailer
Colombia
La Playa DC
Dir: Juan Andrés Arango
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Released by Artmattan Productions on July 19th, 2013
Festivals:Official Selection Cannes 2012 Un Certain Regard, Chicago Iff 2012 New Directors Competition
Trailer
Croatia
Halima's Path
Dir: Arsen Anton Ostojić
Language: Bosnian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Tallinn Black Nights Iff 2012 - EurAsia (Special Jury Prize)
Trailer
Czech Republic
Burning Bush
Dir: Agnieszka Holland
Language: Czech
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013
Trailer
Denmark
The Hunt
Dir: Thomas Vinterberg
Language: Danish
U.S Release: Released by Magnolia Pictures on July 12th
Festivals: Cannes 2012 Competition, Toronto - Tiff 2012, AFI Fest
Trailer
Dominican Republic
Who's the Boss?
Dir: Ronni Castillo
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Egypt
Winter of Discontent
Dir: Ibrahim el-Batout
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013
Trailer
Estonia
Free Range
Dir: Veiko Õunpuu
Language: Estonian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2012
Trailer
Finland
The Disciple
Dir: Ulrika Bengts
Language: Finnish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals:Helsinki International Film Festival, Montréal World Film Festival
Trailer
France
Renoir
Dir: Gilles Bourdos
Language: French
U.S Release: Released by Samuel Goldwyn Films on March 29th, 2013
Festivals: Cannes 2012 Un Certain Regard
Trailer
Georgia
In Bloom
Dir: Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß
Language: Georgian
U.S Release: Acquired by Big World Pictures for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Cicae award Berlinale Forum 2013
Trailer
Germany
Two Lives
Dir: Georg Maas
Language: German
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013, Busan 2013
Trailer
Greece
Boy Eating The Bird's Food
Dir: Ektoras Lygizos
Language: Greek
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Discovery
Trailer
Hong Kong
The Grandmaster
Dir: Wong Kar-wai
Language: Cantonese, Mandarin
U.S Release: Released by The Weinstein Company on August 23rd, 2013
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013, Cannes 2013
Trailer
Hungary
The Notebook
Dir: Janosz Szasz
Language: Hungarian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Iceland
Of Horses and Men
Dir: Benedikt Erlingsson
Language: Icelandic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Sundance 2013
Trailer
India
The Good Road
Dir: Gyan Correa
Language: Gujarati
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: London Indian Film Festival in 2013
Trailer
Iran
The Past
Dir: Asghar Farhadi
Language: French, Persian
U.S Release: Sony Pictures Classics will release the film on December 20th, 2013
Festivals:Cannes 2013 Competition-Won Best Actress, Toronto - Tiff 2013
Trailer
Israel
Bethlehem
Dir: Yuval Adler
Language: Hebrew
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery, Cannes 2013 , Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Italy
The Great Beauty
Dir: Paolo Sorrentino
Language: Italian
U.S Release: Acquired by Janus Films for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Berlin Efm 2013,
Trailer
Japan
The Great Passage
Dir: Yuya Ishii
Language: Japanese
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Fantasia Ff 2013 Official Selection, Cannes 2013
Trailer
Kazakhstan
The Old Man
Dir: Ermek Tursunov
Language: Russian, Kazakh
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Latvia
Mother, I Love You
Dir: Janis Nords
Language: Latvian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Los Angeles Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Lebanon
Ghadi
Dir: Amin Dora
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Lithuania
Conversations on Serious Topics
Dir: Giedrė Beinoriūtė
Language: Lithuanian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Luxembourg
Blind Spot
Dir: Christophe Wagner
Language: Luxembourgish, French
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2012
Trailer
Mexico
Heli
Dir: Amat Escalante
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition-Won Best Director, San Sebastian 2013 Horizontes Latinos,
Trailer
Montenegro
Bad Destiny
Dir: Draško Đurović
Language: Serbo-Croatian
U.S Release: Acquired by Princ Films for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Toronto- Tiff 2013, Busan 2013
Trailer
Morocco
God's Horses
Dir: Nabil Ayouch
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2012, Bif London Film Festival 2012
Trailer
Nepal
Soongava: Dance of the Orchids
Dir: Subarna Thapa
Language: Nepalese
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2012, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
The Netherlands
Borgman
Dir: Alex van Warmerdam
Language: Dutch
U.S Release: Acquired by Drafthouse Films for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Busan 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
New Zealand
White Lies
Dir: Dana Rotberg
Language: Maori
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Norway
I Am Yours
Dir: Iram Haq
Language: Norwegian, Urdu
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Pakistan
Zinda Bhaag
Dir: Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi
Language: Udu, Punjabi
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Palestine
Omar
Dir: Hany Abu-Assad
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Peru
The Cleaner
Dir: Adrian Saba
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Palm Springs Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival
Trailer
Philippines
Transit
Dir: Hannah Espia
Language: Filipino, Tagalog, Hebrew
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cinemalaya Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Poland
Walesa
Dir: Andrzej Wajda
Language: Polish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013, Venice- Biennale 2013
Trailer
Portugal
Lines of Wellington
Dir: Valeria Sarmiento
Language: Portuguese, English, French
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Venice - Biennale 2012 Competition, Toronto - Tiff 2012
Trailer
Romania
Child's Pose
Dir: Calin Peter Netzer
Language: Romanian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Competition (Golden Bear for the Best Film), Toronto - Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema
Trailer
Russia
Stalingrad
Dir: Fedor Bondarchuk
Language: Russian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: N/A
Trailer
Saudi Arabia
Wadjda
Dir: Haifaa al-Mansour
Language: Arabic
U.S Release: Released by Sony Pictures Classics on September 13th, 2013
Festivals: Cannes 2012, Venice International Film Festival 2012, Los Angeles Film Festival, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Serbia
Circles
Dir: Srdan Golubovic
Language: Serbian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlinale - Efm 2013 Forum, Cannes 2013
Trailer
Singapore
Ilo Ilo
Dir: Anthony Chen
Language: Mandarin, Hokkien, English, Tagalog
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013 Directors Fortnight, Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery
Trailer
Slovakia
My Dog Killer
Dir: Mira Fornay
Language: Slovak
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Busan 2013
Trailer
Slovenia
Class Enemy
Dir: Rok Biček
Language: Slovene
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013
Trailer
Spain
15 Years and One Day
Dir: Gracia Querejeta
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: San Sebastian 2013 Made in Spain, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
South Africa
Four Corners
Dir: Ian Gabriel
Language: Afrikaans, Tsotsitaal
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals:N/A
Trailer
South Korea
Juvenile Offender
Dir: Kang Yi-kwan
Language: Korean
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Contemporary World Cinema,
Trailer
Sweden
Eat Sleep Die
Dir: Gabriela Pichler
Language: Swedish, Croatian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Venice International Film Festival 2012, Toronto - Tiff 2012
Trailer
Switzerland
More Than Honey
Dir: Markus Imhoof
Language: German, Mandarin
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Tiff Docs, Cannes 2013, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Taiwan
Soul
Dir: Mong-Hong Chung
Language: Mandarin
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto - Tiff 2013 Vanguard
Trailer
Thailand
Countdown
Dir: Nattawut Poonpiriya
Language: Thai
U.S Release: Acquired by Birch Tree Entertainment for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Cannes 2013, Far East Film Festival 2013
Trailer
Turkey
The Butterfly's Dream
Dir: Yılmaz Erdoğan
Language: Turkish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Istanbul Film Festival, Los Angeles Turkish Film Festival
Trailer
Ukraine
Paradjanov
Dir: Serge Avedikian and Olena Fetisova
Language: Russian
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Toronto 2013
Trailer
United Kingdom
Metro Manila
Dir: Sean Elllis
Language: Filipino, Tagalog
U.S Release: Acquired by Paladin/108 Media for U.S Distribution
Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlin Efm 2012, Cannes 2012, Afm 2012, Berlin Efm 2013
Trailer
Venezuela
Breach in the Silence
Dir: Luis and Andrés Rodríguez
Language: Spanish
U.S Release: Tba
Festivals: Ventana Sur 2012, Festival de Mar del Plata "Panorama Latinomaericano"
Trailer...
- 10/3/2013
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
New entries from Argentina, Denmark, Lebanon, Lithuania and Peru.
Submissions for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards are coming in and will continue until October, when the full list of eligible submissions will be revealed.
Last year, a record 71 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Austrian entry Amour, directed by Michael Haneke.
An initial nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 16, 2014.
Submissions
* = new additions
* Argentina, Wakolda, Lucía Puenzo
Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt
Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler
Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen
Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanović
Brazil, Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho
Bulgaria, The Colour of the Chameleon, Emil Hristov
Canada, Gabrielle, Louise Archambault
Chile, Gloria, Sebastián Lelio
Colombia, La Playa DC, Juan Andrés Arango
Croatia, Halima’s Path...
Submissions for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards are coming in and will continue until October, when the full list of eligible submissions will be revealed.
Last year, a record 71 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Austrian entry Amour, directed by Michael Haneke.
An initial nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 16, 2014.
Submissions
* = new additions
* Argentina, Wakolda, Lucía Puenzo
Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt
Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler
Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen
Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanović
Brazil, Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho
Bulgaria, The Colour of the Chameleon, Emil Hristov
Canada, Gabrielle, Louise Archambault
Chile, Gloria, Sebastián Lelio
Colombia, La Playa DC, Juan Andrés Arango
Croatia, Halima’s Path...
- 9/27/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Showcasing the latest films from across the region, the Busan International Film Festival is undoubtedly one of the most influential film events in Asia. Besides the incredible amount of films from all over the world, highlighting the continent’s most prominent nations in the cinematic landscape (Japan, India, and South Korea itself), it also hosts the Asian Film Market. For it’s 18th edition taking place October 3rd to 12 th 2013, the festival has garnered an astonishing 299 films from 70 different countries, creating with this a fantastic gallery of autochthonous films from up-and-coming directors working in diverse Asian nations, but also infusing the mix with the best World Cinema has had to offer this year.
The festival will open with the Bhutanese film Vara: A Blessing, which is the third feature film by lama-turned-director Khyentse Norbu, and deals with the love affair between a men and woman from different castes. Closing the festival will be Kim Dong-hyun’s The Dinner, a family drama that deals with the characters’ financial issues and interpersonal relationships.
Among several other relevant sections, the festival’s “New Currents” will display 12 films that represent innovative or bold storytelling that explore social issues in non-traditional ways. One of the standouts of this section is the Philippine feature Transit by Hannah Espia about Philippine immigrants working in Israel, which was recently chosen as the country’s official submission for next year’s Academy Awards. Also in this section is the experimental narrative The Story of an Old Woman by Kazakh director Alexey Gorlov, whose feature debut depicts the life of the elderly lead character in a single, unedited,continuous shot.
Honoring the festival’s home country are two section’s that collectively represent the current state of Korean Cinema. The “Panorama” section includes 14 films from some of the most renowned filmmakers in the Asian nation, among them Hong Sang-soo's two latest features Our Sunhi and Nobody’s Daughter Haewon, Ki-duk Kim’s Moebius, and Lee Jang-ho’s first film in 18 years God’s Eye View. On the other side of the spectrum, the “Visions’ section is conformed of 10 films from the fast-growing Korean independent film arena that feature stories from varied genres, from gangster films to comedies.
Other sections include the “Unknown New Wave Central Asian Cinema” which is designed to shine light on forgotten gems from the Central Asian nations, 8 films from Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan will be presented at the festival, many of them for the first time in decades as they were considered lost. Lastly, the World Cinema section will bring the best from Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, and many other important markets to the Asian landscape. Blue is the Warmest Color, Fruitvale Station, Heli, and Inside Llewyn Davis are among the outstanding collection of films that will make their debut outside the European and North American circuits.
For for more information on the Festival click Here...
The festival will open with the Bhutanese film Vara: A Blessing, which is the third feature film by lama-turned-director Khyentse Norbu, and deals with the love affair between a men and woman from different castes. Closing the festival will be Kim Dong-hyun’s The Dinner, a family drama that deals with the characters’ financial issues and interpersonal relationships.
Among several other relevant sections, the festival’s “New Currents” will display 12 films that represent innovative or bold storytelling that explore social issues in non-traditional ways. One of the standouts of this section is the Philippine feature Transit by Hannah Espia about Philippine immigrants working in Israel, which was recently chosen as the country’s official submission for next year’s Academy Awards. Also in this section is the experimental narrative The Story of an Old Woman by Kazakh director Alexey Gorlov, whose feature debut depicts the life of the elderly lead character in a single, unedited,continuous shot.
Honoring the festival’s home country are two section’s that collectively represent the current state of Korean Cinema. The “Panorama” section includes 14 films from some of the most renowned filmmakers in the Asian nation, among them Hong Sang-soo's two latest features Our Sunhi and Nobody’s Daughter Haewon, Ki-duk Kim’s Moebius, and Lee Jang-ho’s first film in 18 years God’s Eye View. On the other side of the spectrum, the “Visions’ section is conformed of 10 films from the fast-growing Korean independent film arena that feature stories from varied genres, from gangster films to comedies.
Other sections include the “Unknown New Wave Central Asian Cinema” which is designed to shine light on forgotten gems from the Central Asian nations, 8 films from Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan will be presented at the festival, many of them for the first time in decades as they were considered lost. Lastly, the World Cinema section will bring the best from Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, and many other important markets to the Asian landscape. Blue is the Warmest Color, Fruitvale Station, Heli, and Inside Llewyn Davis are among the outstanding collection of films that will make their debut outside the European and North American circuits.
For for more information on the Festival click Here...
- 9/23/2013
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Philippines-set crime thriller, made by British filmmaker Sean Ellis, submitted by the UK for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Metro Manila, by British filmmaker Sean Ellis, has been selected as the UK’s official submission in the Best Foreign Language Film Award category for the Oscars 2014.
A selection committee from BAFTA chose the crime thriller, shot in the Philippine capital in the Tagalog language with a local cast and crew.
The crime drama follows Oscar Ramirez and his family, who escape their impoverished life in the rice fields north of the Philippines for the capital city of Metro Manila. Oscar lands a job for an armored truck company and is taken under the wing of senior officer Ong. But he is soon exposed to the reality of the job’s mortality rate and the shady motives of his new partner.
Metro Manila won the audience award for world cinema at this year’s Sundance...
Metro Manila, by British filmmaker Sean Ellis, has been selected as the UK’s official submission in the Best Foreign Language Film Award category for the Oscars 2014.
A selection committee from BAFTA chose the crime thriller, shot in the Philippine capital in the Tagalog language with a local cast and crew.
The crime drama follows Oscar Ramirez and his family, who escape their impoverished life in the rice fields north of the Philippines for the capital city of Metro Manila. Oscar lands a job for an armored truck company and is taken under the wing of senior officer Ong. But he is soon exposed to the reality of the job’s mortality rate and the shady motives of his new partner.
Metro Manila won the audience award for world cinema at this year’s Sundance...
- 9/19/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
I've added three more films to the list of contenders for the Best Foreign Language category at the 2014 Oscars with Poland submitting Andrzej Wajda's Walesa, the Philippines submit Hannah Espia's Transit and Mexico has entered Amat Escalante's Heli, which won the young helmer Best Director honors at this year's Cannes Film Festival. I caught the ultra-violent film in Cannes earlier this year and it is a truly striking piece of cinema. Here's how I opened my review: The first thing anyone is sure to notice in Amat Escalante's Heli is Lorenzo Hagerman's cinematography. The film opens with the sole of a boot pressed against a young man's face as he is bleeding, bound, gagged and lay flat on the bed of a moving truck. Next to him is another young man whose face we cannot see. All we hear is the creaking of the truck...
- 9/18/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The 18th Busan International Film Festival (Biff) has announced its full line-up of 301 films from 70 countries with 95 world premieres and 42 international premieres.
Running Oct 3-12, the festival will open with the world premiere of Bhutanese film Vara: A Blessing, directed by Buddhist monk Khyentse Norbu, who formerly served as technical advisor to Bernardo Bertolucci on Little Buddha.
Biff will close with the world premiere of Korean film The Dinner, directed by Kim Dong-hyun whose Hello, Stranger (2007) won Asian Cinema Fund (Acf) post-production support and won the 12th Biff’s Netpac Award.
New Market Incentive
The Asian Film Market is launching new incentives for buyers and sellers participating from this year.
Market head Jay Jeon said: “With an aim to being more productive and bring more Asia-focused development in future, we are going to offer indirect support with flight and accommodations to buyers who pick up films at the Asian Film Market.
“We’ll be giving...
Running Oct 3-12, the festival will open with the world premiere of Bhutanese film Vara: A Blessing, directed by Buddhist monk Khyentse Norbu, who formerly served as technical advisor to Bernardo Bertolucci on Little Buddha.
Biff will close with the world premiere of Korean film The Dinner, directed by Kim Dong-hyun whose Hello, Stranger (2007) won Asian Cinema Fund (Acf) post-production support and won the 12th Biff’s Netpac Award.
New Market Incentive
The Asian Film Market is launching new incentives for buyers and sellers participating from this year.
Market head Jay Jeon said: “With an aim to being more productive and bring more Asia-focused development in future, we are going to offer indirect support with flight and accommodations to buyers who pick up films at the Asian Film Market.
“We’ll be giving...
- 9/3/2013
- by hjnoh2007@gmail.com (Jean Noh)
- ScreenDaily
Hannah Espia's Transit deals with the struggles of an extended Filipino family living and working in Tel Aviv after the Israeli government passed a law forcing children of overseas workers who are below five years of age to be deported back to their homelands. Joshua (Marc Justine Alvarez), who has lived all his life in Israel, is a few months shy of his fifth birthday. Moises (Ping Medina), Joshua's father, aware of the risk of his son being deported if caught, keeps Joshua indoors. Janet (Irma Adlawan), Moises' sister, takes care of Joshua while Moises is out to work as a caretaker for a wealthy retiree. She also has to manage Yael (Jasmine Curtis-Smith), her teenage daughter from an Israeli former flame, who now has...
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- 8/7/2013
- Screen Anarchy
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