Mahdi Fleifel is a Danish-Palestinian film director who graduated in 2009 from the UK National Film & TV School. In 2010 he set up the London-based production company Nakba FilmWorks with Irish producer Patrick Campbell. His debut feature documentary, A World Not Ours (2012), premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and picked up over 30 awards, including the Peace Film Prize and the Panorama Audience Award at the 2013 Berlinale and the Edinburgh, Yamagata and Doc:nyc Grand Jury Prizes. Mahdi’s 2016 short film, A Man Returned, won the Silver Bear and the European Film Nomination at the Berlinale and his latest film, A Drowning Man, formed part of the Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival 2017 and was nominated for a BAFTA award. His fiction feature film debut, a co-production of UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Greece (Homemade Films), Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Palestine, “To A Land Unknown” had its world premiere at the 2024 Quinzaine...
- 11/11/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Conic and Wildcard Distribution have jointly acquired UK-Ireland rights to Mahdi Fleifel’s To A Land Unknown, ahead of its UK premiere at BFI London Film Festival on Friday, October 11.
Conic will release the film in England, Scotland and Wales, with Wildcard releasing the film in Ireland, both in early 2025. The distributors acquired the film from sales agent Salaud Morisset.
To A Land Unknown follows two Palestinian refugees saving for fake passports to get out of Athens. When one loses their cash to his drug addiction, the other hatches a plan to pose as smugglers and escape their situation.
Palestinian-Danish...
Conic will release the film in England, Scotland and Wales, with Wildcard releasing the film in Ireland, both in early 2025. The distributors acquired the film from sales agent Salaud Morisset.
To A Land Unknown follows two Palestinian refugees saving for fake passports to get out of Athens. When one loses their cash to his drug addiction, the other hatches a plan to pose as smugglers and escape their situation.
Palestinian-Danish...
- 10/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Mahdi Fleifel’s debut feature, the documentary “A World Not Ours,” proved to be an unexpected festival hit back in 2012. A warm, often humorous and deeply compassioned study of the Ein El-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp in South Lebanon (where Fleifel was born), and of the frustrations of a stateless generation of young men with no homeland and little prospects except join the growing number of refugees trying to enter Europe, the film won numerous awards around the world.
Fleifel has made several short films since “A World Not Ours,” but 12 years on he’s finally back with another feature. “To a Land Unknown” had its premiere in Cannes (as the only Palestinian film in the lineup), but is now set to close the Galway Film Fleadh on July 13, which has made Palestine its country of focus this year.
And while it marks Fleifel’s narrative debut, the story of “To a Land Unknown...
Fleifel has made several short films since “A World Not Ours,” but 12 years on he’s finally back with another feature. “To a Land Unknown” had its premiere in Cannes (as the only Palestinian film in the lineup), but is now set to close the Galway Film Fleadh on July 13, which has made Palestine its country of focus this year.
And while it marks Fleifel’s narrative debut, the story of “To a Land Unknown...
- 7/12/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
By the time we meet them, Chatila and Reda already are down in the lower depths. Cousins from Palestine, they have spent much of their lives living as refugees on the run. Having made it as far as Athens, a kind of holding zone for people from the Middle East trying to slip into Europe, they are trying to scrape together money to get to Germany.
Ferrety Chatila (Mahmood Bakri) is masterminding the cousins’ next fundraising operation in one of Athens’s pleasantly proletarian parks, directing his sweet-faced cousin Reda (Aram Sabbah) to fall over on his skateboard in front of a middle-aged woman who almost certainly will help him. Chatila’s job is to snatch her handbag and run. It’s mean, it’s shabby, and it’s miserably cheap. Their mark’s purse contains 5 euros, the price of a couple of coffees. They won’t be able to...
Ferrety Chatila (Mahmood Bakri) is masterminding the cousins’ next fundraising operation in one of Athens’s pleasantly proletarian parks, directing his sweet-faced cousin Reda (Aram Sabbah) to fall over on his skateboard in front of a middle-aged woman who almost certainly will help him. Chatila’s job is to snatch her handbag and run. It’s mean, it’s shabby, and it’s miserably cheap. Their mark’s purse contains 5 euros, the price of a couple of coffees. They won’t be able to...
- 5/24/2024
- by Stephanie Bunbury
- Deadline Film + TV
The brilliant Palestinian-Danish documentarian Mahdi Fleifel (“A World Not Ours”) leaps successfully into fiction with a feature debut that borrows a narrative container from “Midnight Cowboy” and a tormented soul that is all Palestinian.
The film opens with a quote from the celebrated Palestinian scholar, Edward Said: “In a way, it’s a sort of fate of Palestinians not to end up where they started, but somewhere unexpected and far away.” These words have been cutting since the moment they were first spoken years ago, but released into the world now during the horrific genocide in Gaza, they have an extra, desperate bite, as another generation is forced to seek displacement as the only alternative to violent death. Premiering at Cannes in this climate, Fleifel’s portrait of two individual characters asks questions that cannot be confined to the screen. Where do you belong after you have been driven from your homeland?...
The film opens with a quote from the celebrated Palestinian scholar, Edward Said: “In a way, it’s a sort of fate of Palestinians not to end up where they started, but somewhere unexpected and far away.” These words have been cutting since the moment they were first spoken years ago, but released into the world now during the horrific genocide in Gaza, they have an extra, desperate bite, as another generation is forced to seek displacement as the only alternative to violent death. Premiering at Cannes in this climate, Fleifel’s portrait of two individual characters asks questions that cannot be confined to the screen. Where do you belong after you have been driven from your homeland?...
- 5/22/2024
- by Sophie Monks Kaufman
- Indiewire
Danish-Spanish co-production “Only On Earth,” by award-winning Danish filmmaker Robin Petré, has picked up the top Iefta Docs-in-Progress Award at Cannes Docs, the Cannes Film Market sidebar dedicated to documentary film.
The film forms part of the Five Nordics Showcase, one of eight showcases presenting a total of 34 docs-in-progress this year. The others include Chile, Scotland, Palestine Circle Women Accelerator, Docs By The Sea, the East Doc Platform, and newcomer Switzerland.
“Only On Earth” is described as a journey deep into southern Galicia in Spain, one of Europe’s most vulnerable wildfire zones, during the hottest summer ever measured, where humans and animals alike struggle to cope as inextinguishable fires draw closer.
Composed of Pov senior producer Opal H. Bennet, head of documentary at Ims in Copenhagen, Rasmus Steen, and Ridm artistic co-director Ana Alice de Morais, handing out the award the jury stated:
“The project stood out with its exceptional combination of craft,...
The film forms part of the Five Nordics Showcase, one of eight showcases presenting a total of 34 docs-in-progress this year. The others include Chile, Scotland, Palestine Circle Women Accelerator, Docs By The Sea, the East Doc Platform, and newcomer Switzerland.
“Only On Earth” is described as a journey deep into southern Galicia in Spain, one of Europe’s most vulnerable wildfire zones, during the hottest summer ever measured, where humans and animals alike struggle to cope as inextinguishable fires draw closer.
Composed of Pov senior producer Opal H. Bennet, head of documentary at Ims in Copenhagen, Rasmus Steen, and Ridm artistic co-director Ana Alice de Morais, handing out the award the jury stated:
“The project stood out with its exceptional combination of craft,...
- 5/22/2024
- by Lise Pedersen
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Dubai-based management and production company 75East has signed Palestinian director Mahdi Fleifel, whose narrative feature debut To A Land Unknown is playing in Directors’ Fortnight this year.
75East, was launched last December by former Mister Smith sales executive Antone Saliba under the banner Untamed Talent with a focus on the Swana region (South West Asia and North Africa), and has recently rebranded.
The only Palestinian feature in Cannes this year, To A Land Unknown tells the story of the desperate attempts of two Palestinian cousins stranded in Athens to find a way to reach Germany.
Chatila and Reda are saving to pay for fake passports to get out of Athens. When Reda loses their hard-earned cash to his drug addiction, Chatila hatches an extreme plan, which involves them posing as smugglers and taking hostages in an effort to get him and his best friend out of their hopeless environment before it is too late.
75East, was launched last December by former Mister Smith sales executive Antone Saliba under the banner Untamed Talent with a focus on the Swana region (South West Asia and North Africa), and has recently rebranded.
The only Palestinian feature in Cannes this year, To A Land Unknown tells the story of the desperate attempts of two Palestinian cousins stranded in Athens to find a way to reach Germany.
Chatila and Reda are saving to pay for fake passports to get out of Athens. When Reda loses their hard-earned cash to his drug addiction, Chatila hatches an extreme plan, which involves them posing as smugglers and taking hostages in an effort to get him and his best friend out of their hopeless environment before it is too late.
- 5/21/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Paris- and Berlin-based sales house Salaud Morisset has picked up international sales duties on Palestinian-Danish director Mahdi Fleifel’s “To a Land Unknown,” which is set to world premiere next month in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes. The exclusive first-look image was released Tuesday.
Eurozoom just signed on to release the film in French theaters.
“To a Land Unknown” tells the story of the desperate attempts of two Palestinian cousins stranded in Athens to find a way to reach Germany. Chatila and Reda are saving to pay for fake passports to get out of Athens. When Reda loses their hard-earned cash to his drug addiction, Chatila hatches an extreme plan, which involves them posing as smugglers and taking hostages in an effort to get him and his best friend out of their hopeless environment before it is too late.
Fleifel said, “It’s especially moving to me, in these incredible times,...
Eurozoom just signed on to release the film in French theaters.
“To a Land Unknown” tells the story of the desperate attempts of two Palestinian cousins stranded in Athens to find a way to reach Germany. Chatila and Reda are saving to pay for fake passports to get out of Athens. When Reda loses their hard-earned cash to his drug addiction, Chatila hatches an extreme plan, which involves them posing as smugglers and taking hostages in an effort to get him and his best friend out of their hopeless environment before it is too late.
Fleifel said, “It’s especially moving to me, in these incredible times,...
- 4/23/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Mbc’s pan-Arab show Laish La (Why Not?) has turned to Dubai-based, crowd-funding site Aflamnah to finance a project to rebuild a women’s radio station in the Gaza Strip.
The popular show, fronted by four Saudi social activists with big YouTube followings, aims to fulfil wishes sent in by viewers.
For their latest project, they are trying to raise $20,000 to help rebuild the Nisaa radio station, the first community radio station in the Gaza Strip for women, which was destroyed during the Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian territory over the summer.
“It’s an interesting concept for us, combining a radio station, TV show and crowd-funding,” said Vida Rizq, who runs Aflamnah alongside co-founder Lotfi Bencheikh. “These guys have a huge following on YouTube and the campaign has generated some 100,000 hits since it started two weeks ago.”
Launched in July 2012, Aflamnah is a fund-raising platform for creative projects in any domain in the Arab world.
Film...
The popular show, fronted by four Saudi social activists with big YouTube followings, aims to fulfil wishes sent in by viewers.
For their latest project, they are trying to raise $20,000 to help rebuild the Nisaa radio station, the first community radio station in the Gaza Strip for women, which was destroyed during the Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian territory over the summer.
“It’s an interesting concept for us, combining a radio station, TV show and crowd-funding,” said Vida Rizq, who runs Aflamnah alongside co-founder Lotfi Bencheikh. “These guys have a huge following on YouTube and the campaign has generated some 100,000 hits since it started two weeks ago.”
Launched in July 2012, Aflamnah is a fund-raising platform for creative projects in any domain in the Arab world.
Film...
- 12/14/2014
- ScreenDaily
Whoopsy. I forgot to share this list... Herewith the films that could be up for Best Documentary Feature this year. We'll get a finalist of 15 at some point next month followed by 5 nominees in January "until we crown A Winnah!" If we've reviewed the titles, you'll notice their pretty color which you can then click on to read about them. The magic of the internet. You can also see the animated and documentary Oscar charts here.
The 134 Semi-Finalists
A-c
Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq, Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case, Algorithms, Alive Inside, All You Need Is Love, Altina, America: Imagine the World without Her, American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs, Anita, Antarctica: A Year on Ice, Art and Craft, Awake: The Life of Yogananda, The Barefoot Artist, The Battered Bastards of Baseball, Before You Know It, Bitter Honey, Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity, Botso The Teacher from Tbilisi,...
The 134 Semi-Finalists
A-c
Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq, Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case, Algorithms, Alive Inside, All You Need Is Love, Altina, America: Imagine the World without Her, American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs, Anita, Antarctica: A Year on Ice, Art and Craft, Awake: The Life of Yogananda, The Barefoot Artist, The Battered Bastards of Baseball, Before You Know It, Bitter Honey, Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity, Botso The Teacher from Tbilisi,...
- 11/3/2014
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
One hundred thirty-four features have been submitted for consideration in the Documentary Feature category for the 87th Academy Awards. A shortlist of 15 films will be announced in December.
The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:
“Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq”
“Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case”
“Algorithms”
“Alive Inside”
“All You Need Is Love”
“Altina”
“America: Imagine the World without Her”
“American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs”
“Anita”
“Antarctica: A Year on Ice”
“Art and Craft”
“Awake: The Life of Yogananda”
“The Barefoot Artist”
“The Battered Bastards of Baseball”
“Before You Know It”
“Bitter Honey”
“Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity”
“Botso The Teacher from Tbilisi”
“Captivated The Trials of Pamela Smart”
“The Case against 8”
“Cesar’s Last Fast”
“Citizen Koch”
“CitizenFour”
“Code Black”
“Concerning Violence”
“The Culture High”
“Cyber-Seniors”
“DamNation”
“Dancing in Jaffa”
“Death Metal Angola”
“The Decent One”
“Dinosaur 13”
“Do You Know What My Name Is?...
The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:
“Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq”
“Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case”
“Algorithms”
“Alive Inside”
“All You Need Is Love”
“Altina”
“America: Imagine the World without Her”
“American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs”
“Anita”
“Antarctica: A Year on Ice”
“Art and Craft”
“Awake: The Life of Yogananda”
“The Barefoot Artist”
“The Battered Bastards of Baseball”
“Before You Know It”
“Bitter Honey”
“Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity”
“Botso The Teacher from Tbilisi”
“Captivated The Trials of Pamela Smart”
“The Case against 8”
“Cesar’s Last Fast”
“Citizen Koch”
“CitizenFour”
“Code Black”
“Concerning Violence”
“The Culture High”
“Cyber-Seniors”
“DamNation”
“Dancing in Jaffa”
“Death Metal Angola”
“The Decent One”
“Dinosaur 13”
“Do You Know What My Name Is?...
- 11/2/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Citizenfour, Life Itself, Red Army, Warsaw Uprising among long-list contenters for the 87th Academy Awards.
The Salt Of The Earth, Happy Valley, Jodorowsky’s Dune, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, Food Chains and Point And Shoot are also named.
The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:
20,000 Days On Earth
Afternoon Of A Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq
Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case
Algorithms
Alive Inside
All You Need Is Love
Altina
America: Imagine The World Without Her
American Revolutionary: The Evolution Of Grace Lee Boggs
Anita
Antarctica: A Year On Ice
Art And Craft
Awake: The Life Of Yogananda
The Barefoot Artist
The Battered Bastards Of Baseball
Before You Know It
Bitter Honey
Born To Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity
Botso The Teacher From Tbilisi
Captivated The Trials Of Pamela Smart
The Case Against 8
Cesar’s Last Fast
Citizen Koch
Citizenfour
Code Black
Concerning Violence
The Culture High
Cyber-Seniors
Damnation
Dancing In Jaffa
Death Metal Angola
The...
The Salt Of The Earth, Happy Valley, Jodorowsky’s Dune, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, Food Chains and Point And Shoot are also named.
The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:
20,000 Days On Earth
Afternoon Of A Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq
Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case
Algorithms
Alive Inside
All You Need Is Love
Altina
America: Imagine The World Without Her
American Revolutionary: The Evolution Of Grace Lee Boggs
Anita
Antarctica: A Year On Ice
Art And Craft
Awake: The Life Of Yogananda
The Barefoot Artist
The Battered Bastards Of Baseball
Before You Know It
Bitter Honey
Born To Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity
Botso The Teacher From Tbilisi
Captivated The Trials Of Pamela Smart
The Case Against 8
Cesar’s Last Fast
Citizen Koch
Citizenfour
Code Black
Concerning Violence
The Culture High
Cyber-Seniors
Damnation
Dancing In Jaffa
Death Metal Angola
The...
- 10/31/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released its list of 134 film vying for the Best Feature Documentary Oscar at the 87th Annual Academy Awards in February. A number of the nonfic hopefuls have yet to get their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases. Those that don’t will be cut from the contention. A shortlist of 15 films will be announced in December. Oscar noms will be revealed January 15, and ABC will broadcast Hollywood’s Big Night live on February 22 from the Dolby Theatre.
Here are the docu feature submissions:
Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq
Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case
Algorithms
Alive Inside
All You Need Is Love
Altina
America: Imagine the World without Her
American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs
Anita
Antarctica: A Year on Ice
Art and Craft
Awake: The Life of Yogananda
The Barefoot Artist
The Battered Bastards of Baseball...
Here are the docu feature submissions:
Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq
Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case
Algorithms
Alive Inside
All You Need Is Love
Altina
America: Imagine the World without Her
American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs
Anita
Antarctica: A Year on Ice
Art and Craft
Awake: The Life of Yogananda
The Barefoot Artist
The Battered Bastards of Baseball...
- 10/31/2014
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline
One hundred thirty-four features have been submitted for consideration in the Documentary Feature category for the 87th Academy Awards®. Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category's other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process. A shortlist of 15 films will be announced in December. Films submitted in the Documentary Feature category also may qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories. The 87th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 15, 2015, at 5:30 a.m. Pt in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar...
- 10/31/2014
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
Nine recipients, including the editor of The Goob [pictured], to receive financial boost.
The Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund (Ctbf) has revealed the recipients of the annual John Brabourne Awards (JBAs), dedicated to providing invaluable financial assistance to individuals that have faced difficulties in progressing their career.
The 2014 awardees will be honoured during a formal reception at BAFTA this evening.
A record 184 entrants applied for consideration, a 50% uplift on 2013, with the successful candidates receiving a grant ranging between £1,000 and £5,000 towards the development of their careers in the film and TV industries. Nine awards were made this year, with an industry committee finalising the list of recipients.
Awardees being recognised at tonight’s reception at BAFTA include: Charlotte Hudson, a comedy writer with a number of film and TV projects in development, and one half of the double act, Two Left Hands; Adam Biskupski, an award-wining shorts editor whose debut feature The Goob recently premiered at Venice Film Festival...
The Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund (Ctbf) has revealed the recipients of the annual John Brabourne Awards (JBAs), dedicated to providing invaluable financial assistance to individuals that have faced difficulties in progressing their career.
The 2014 awardees will be honoured during a formal reception at BAFTA this evening.
A record 184 entrants applied for consideration, a 50% uplift on 2013, with the successful candidates receiving a grant ranging between £1,000 and £5,000 towards the development of their careers in the film and TV industries. Nine awards were made this year, with an industry committee finalising the list of recipients.
Awardees being recognised at tonight’s reception at BAFTA include: Charlotte Hudson, a comedy writer with a number of film and TV projects in development, and one half of the double act, Two Left Hands; Adam Biskupski, an award-wining shorts editor whose debut feature The Goob recently premiered at Venice Film Festival...
- 10/3/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The re-launched Hollywood Film Festival (Hff), now under the auspices of Slamdance co-founder Jon Fitzgerald’s philanthropic CineCause, will run from October 16-19.
CineCause acquired Hff earlier this year after Fitzgerald served as executive director in 2013.
According to a press release the goal of the event going forward will be to showcase socially-conscious films and grow into a leading festival “without the help of typical glitz and glamour”, celebrating creative artists, activists and industry leaders who support causes around the world.
“The word Hollywood is synonymous with celebrity and glamour,” said Fitzgerald. “But Hollywood is filled with people who care about global problems and who recognise the power of celebrity, cinema and storytelling and how this power can help create change.”
“Many of Hollywood’s celebrities back important causes and several will participate in our festival this year. Sharon Stone produced My Name Is Water. Emma Thompson executive produced and narrates Sold [pictured], which stars Gillian Anderson and David Arquette...
CineCause acquired Hff earlier this year after Fitzgerald served as executive director in 2013.
According to a press release the goal of the event going forward will be to showcase socially-conscious films and grow into a leading festival “without the help of typical glitz and glamour”, celebrating creative artists, activists and industry leaders who support causes around the world.
“The word Hollywood is synonymous with celebrity and glamour,” said Fitzgerald. “But Hollywood is filled with people who care about global problems and who recognise the power of celebrity, cinema and storytelling and how this power can help create change.”
“Many of Hollywood’s celebrities back important causes and several will participate in our festival this year. Sharon Stone produced My Name Is Water. Emma Thompson executive produced and narrates Sold [pictured], which stars Gillian Anderson and David Arquette...
- 8/27/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The 27th season of the acclaimed Pov series begins on Monday, June 23, 2014 at 10 p.m. on PBS and continues weekly through Sept. 22. The season, featuring 13 new independent nonfiction films and an encore broadcast, concludes with a special presentation in fall 2014.
In "When I Walk", a young up-and-coming filmmaker discovers he has multiple sclerosis. To cope, he decides to use the art of filmmaking to look at his new reality. In the Oscar-nominated "The Act of Killing," a group of unrepentant Indonesian mass murderers re-enact their crimes in a surreal performance that mimics the Hollywood movies they grew up with, and shocks a nation. In "The Genius of Marian," a mother's watercolors help a daughter suffering with Alzheimer's grasp family memories.
The art of politics is also on display in Koch, a history of the life and times of New York City's former mayor Ed Koch that is as rollicking and unconventional as the man himself, in "American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs," about a fiery activist who urges today's movers and shakers to think in entirely new ways, and in "Getting Back to Abnormal," in which a New Orleans politician prone to putting her foot in her mouth gets an education in street smarts and the city's divergent cultures.
Pov recently announced a collaboration with The New York Times to premiere new documentaries on the organization's websites. The first film, "The Men of Atalissa" by Dan Barry and Kassie Bracken, produced by The New York Times, can be seen on www.pbs.org/pov and www.nytimes.com . In addition, Pov will renew its media partnership with New York flagship public radio station Wnyc.
"Documentaries no longer exist on the cultural margins; they have become an essential tool in how we explore and experience the world," said Pov Executive Producer Simon Kilmurry. "The work produced by these filmmakers is remarkable and important, engaging, daring and entertaining. And it's exciting to see how audiences celebrate and embrace these stories."
"Pov programs take you on a journey, whether traveling alongside a politician, a person grappling with a debilitating illness or an individual in love for the first time," said Pov Co-Executive Producer Cynthia Lopez. "As always, Pov films deliver a emotional punch with superbly crafted storytelling. This season promises to be a powerful roller coaster ride."
Pov 2014 Schedule
June 23: "When I Walk" by Jason DaSilva
Jason DaSilva was 25 years old and a rising independent filmmaker when a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis changed everything, and inspired him to make another film. When I Walk is a candid and brave chronicle of one young man's struggle to adapt to the harsh realities of M.S. while holding on to his personal and creative life. With his body growing weaker, DaSilva's spirits, and his film, get a boost from his mother's tough love and the support of Alice Cook, who becomes his wife and filmmaking partner. The result is a life-affirming documentary filled with unexpected moments of joy and humor. Official Selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. A co-production of Itvs. A co-presentation with the Center for Asian American Media (Caam).
June 30: "American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs" by Grace Lee
Grace Lee Boggs, 98, is a Chinese American philosopher, writer, and activist in Detroit with a thick FBI file and a surprising vision of what an American revolution can be. Rooted for 75 years in the labor, civil rights and Black Power movements, she challenges a new generation to throw off old assumptions, think creatively and redefine revolution for our times. Winner, Audience Award, 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival. Festival. A co-presentation with Caam.
July 7: My Way to Olympia by Niko von Glasow
Who better to cover the Paralympics, the international sporting event for athletes with physical and intellectual disabilities, than Niko von Glasow, the world's best-known disabled filmmaker? Unfortunately, or fortunately for anyone seeking an insightful and funny documentary, this filmmaker frankly hates sports and thinks the games are "a stupid idea." Born with severely shortened arms, von Glasow serves as an endearing guide to London's Paralympics competition in "My Way to Olympia." As he meets a one-handed Norwegian table tennis player, the Rwandan sitting volleyball team, an American archer without arms and a Greek paraplegic boccia player, his own stereotypes about disability and sports get delightfully punctured. Official Selection of the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival.
July 14: Getting Back to Abnormal by Louis Alvarez, Andy Kolker, Peter Odabashian, Paul Stekler
What happens when America's most joyous, dysfunctional city rebuilds itself after a disaster? New Orleans is the setting for "Getting Back to Abnormal," a film that serves up a provocative mix of race, corruption and politics to tell the story of the re-election campaign of Stacy Head, a white woman in a city council seat traditionally held by a black representative. Supported by her irrepressible African-American aide Barbara Lacen-Keller, Head polarizes the city as her candidacy threatens to diminish the power and influence of its black citizens. Featuring a cast of characters as colorful as the city itself, the film presents a New Orleans that outsiders rarely see. Official Selection of the 2013 SXSW Film Festival.
A co-production of Itvs.
July 21: Dance for Me by Katrine Philp
Professional ballroom dancing is very big in little Denmark. Since success in this intensely competitive art depends on finding the right partner, aspiring Danish dancers often look beyond their borders to find their matches. In Dance for Me, 15-year-old Russian performer Egor leaves home and family to team up with 14-year-old Mie, one of Denmark's most promising young dancers. Strikingly different, Egor and Mie bond over their passion for Latin dance, and for winning. As they head to the championships, so much is at stake: emotional bonds, career and the future. Dance for Me is a poetic coming-of-age story, with a global twist and thrilling dance moves.
Airing with "Dance for Me" is the StoryCorps animated short A Good Man by The Rauch Brothers. Bryan Wilmoth and his seven younger siblings were raised in a strict, religious home. He talks to his brother Mike about what it was like to reconnect years after their dad kicked Bryan out for being gay. Major funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Produced in association with American Documentary | Pov.
July 28: Fallen City by Qi Zhao
In today's go-go China, an old city completely destroyed by a devastating earthquake can be rebuilt, boasting new and improved civic amenities, in an astoundingly quick two years. But, as "Fallen City" reveals, the journey from the ruined old city of Beichuan to the new Beichuan nearby is long and heartbreaking for the survivors. Three families struggle with loss, most strikingly the loss of children and grandchildre, and feelings of loneliness, fear and dislocation that no amount of propaganda can disguise. First-time director Qi Zhao offers an intimate look at a country torn between tradition and modernity. Official Selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. A co-production of Itvs International.
A co-presentation with Caam.
Aug. 4: 15 to Life: Kenneth's Story by Nadine Pequeneza
Does sentencing a teenager to life without parole serve our society well? The United States is the only country in the world that routinely condemns children to die in prison. This is the story of one of those children, now a young man, seeking a second chance in Florida. At age 15, Kenneth Young received four consecutive life sentences for a series of armed robberies. Imprisoned for more than a decade, he believed he would die behind bars. Now a U.S. Supreme Court decision could set him free. "15 to Life: Kenneth's Story" follows Youn's struggle for redemption, revealing a justice system with thousands of young people serving sentences intended for society's most dangerous criminals.
Aug. 11: Encore presentation: Neurotypical by Adam Larsen
Neurotypical is an unprecedented exploration of autism from the point of view of autistic people themselves. Four-year-old Violet, teenaged Nicholas and adult Paula occupy different positions on the autism spectrum, but they are all at pivotal moments in their lives. How they and the people around them work out their perceptual and behavioral differences becomes a remarkable reflection of the "neurotypical" world, the world of the non-autistic, revealing inventive adaptations on each side and an emerging critique of both what it means to be normal and what it means to be human.
Aug. 18: A World Not Ours by Mahdi Fleifel
"A World Not Ours" is a passionate, bittersweet account of one familyâs multi-generational experience living as permanent refugees. Now a Danish resident, director Mahdi Fleifel grew up in the Ain el-Helweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon, established in 1948 as a temporary refuge for exiled Palestinians. Today, the camp houses 70,000 people and is the hometown of generations of Palestinians. The filmmakerâs childhood memories are surprisingly warm and humorous, a testament to the resilience of the community. Yet his yearly visits reveal the increasing desperation of family and friends who remain trapped in psychological as well as political limbo. Official Selection of the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival.
Aug. 25: Big Men by Rachel Boynton
Over five years, director Rachel Boynton and her cinematographer film the quest for oil in Ghana by Dallas-based Kosmos. The company develops the country's first commercial oil field, yet its success is quickly compromised by political intrigue and accusations of corruption. As Ghanaians wait to reap the benefits of oil, the filmmakers discover violent resistance down the coast in the Niger Delta, where poor Nigerians have yet to prosper from decades-old oil fields. "Big Men," executive produced by Brad Pitt, provides an unprecedented inside look at the global deal making and dark underside of energy development, a contest for money and power that is reshaping the world. Official Selection of the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival.
Sept. 1: After Tiller by Martha Shane and Lana Wilson
"After Tiller" is a deeply humanizing and probing portrait of the four doctors in the United States still openly performing third-trimester abortions in the wake of the 2009 assassination of Dr. George Tiller in Wichita, Kansas, and in the face of intense protest from abortion opponents. It is also an examination of the desperate reasons women seek late abortions. Rather than offering solutions, "After Tiller" presents the complexities of these women's difficult decisions and the compassion and ethical dilemmas of the doctors and staff who fear for their own lives as they treat their patients. Official Selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.
Sept. 8: The Genius of Marian by Banker White and Anna Fitch
"The Genius of Marian" is a visually rich, emotionally complex story about one family's struggle to come to terms with Alzheimer's disease. After Pam White is diagnosed at age 61 with early-onset Alzheimer's, life begins to change, slowly but irrevocably, for Pam and everyone around her. Her husband grapples with his role as it evolves from primary partner to primary caregiver. Pam's adult children find ways to show their love and support while mourning the gradual loss of their mother. Her eldest son, Banker, records their conversations, allowing Pam to share memories of childhood and of her mother, the renowned painter Marian Williams Steele, who had Alzheimer's herself and died in 2001.
Pov is preempted on Sept. 15 and returns the following week.
Sept. 22: Koch by Neil Barsky
New York City mayors have a world stage on which to strut, and they have made legendary use of it. Yet few have matched the bravado, combativeness and egocentricity that Ed Koch brought to the office during his three terms from 1978 to 1989. As Neil Barskyâs Koch recounts, Koch was more than the blunt, funny man New Yorkers either loved or hated. Elected in the 1970s during the cityâs fiscal crisis, he was a new Democrat for the dawning Reagan era, fiscally conservative and socially liberal. Koch finds the former mayor politically active to the end (he died in 2013), still winning the affection of many New Yorkers while driving others to distraction.
In fall 2014 Pov presents a special broadcast (date and time to be announced):
The Act of Killing by Joshua Oppenheimer
Nominated for an Academy Award, The Act of Killing is as dreamlike and terrifying as anything that Werner Herzog (one of the executive producers) could imagine. This film explores a horrifying era in Indonesian history and provides a window into modern Indonesia, where corruption reigns. Not only is the 1965 murder of an estimated one million people honored as a patriotic act, but the killers remain in power. In a mind-bending twist, death-squad leaders dramatize their brutal deeds in the style of the American westerns, musicals and gangster movies they love, and play both themselves and their victims. As their heroic facade crumbles, they come to question what they've done. Winner, 2014 BAFTA Film Award, Best Documentary.
In "When I Walk", a young up-and-coming filmmaker discovers he has multiple sclerosis. To cope, he decides to use the art of filmmaking to look at his new reality. In the Oscar-nominated "The Act of Killing," a group of unrepentant Indonesian mass murderers re-enact their crimes in a surreal performance that mimics the Hollywood movies they grew up with, and shocks a nation. In "The Genius of Marian," a mother's watercolors help a daughter suffering with Alzheimer's grasp family memories.
The art of politics is also on display in Koch, a history of the life and times of New York City's former mayor Ed Koch that is as rollicking and unconventional as the man himself, in "American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs," about a fiery activist who urges today's movers and shakers to think in entirely new ways, and in "Getting Back to Abnormal," in which a New Orleans politician prone to putting her foot in her mouth gets an education in street smarts and the city's divergent cultures.
Pov recently announced a collaboration with The New York Times to premiere new documentaries on the organization's websites. The first film, "The Men of Atalissa" by Dan Barry and Kassie Bracken, produced by The New York Times, can be seen on www.pbs.org/pov and www.nytimes.com . In addition, Pov will renew its media partnership with New York flagship public radio station Wnyc.
"Documentaries no longer exist on the cultural margins; they have become an essential tool in how we explore and experience the world," said Pov Executive Producer Simon Kilmurry. "The work produced by these filmmakers is remarkable and important, engaging, daring and entertaining. And it's exciting to see how audiences celebrate and embrace these stories."
"Pov programs take you on a journey, whether traveling alongside a politician, a person grappling with a debilitating illness or an individual in love for the first time," said Pov Co-Executive Producer Cynthia Lopez. "As always, Pov films deliver a emotional punch with superbly crafted storytelling. This season promises to be a powerful roller coaster ride."
Pov 2014 Schedule
June 23: "When I Walk" by Jason DaSilva
Jason DaSilva was 25 years old and a rising independent filmmaker when a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis changed everything, and inspired him to make another film. When I Walk is a candid and brave chronicle of one young man's struggle to adapt to the harsh realities of M.S. while holding on to his personal and creative life. With his body growing weaker, DaSilva's spirits, and his film, get a boost from his mother's tough love and the support of Alice Cook, who becomes his wife and filmmaking partner. The result is a life-affirming documentary filled with unexpected moments of joy and humor. Official Selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. A co-production of Itvs. A co-presentation with the Center for Asian American Media (Caam).
June 30: "American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs" by Grace Lee
Grace Lee Boggs, 98, is a Chinese American philosopher, writer, and activist in Detroit with a thick FBI file and a surprising vision of what an American revolution can be. Rooted for 75 years in the labor, civil rights and Black Power movements, she challenges a new generation to throw off old assumptions, think creatively and redefine revolution for our times. Winner, Audience Award, 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival. Festival. A co-presentation with Caam.
July 7: My Way to Olympia by Niko von Glasow
Who better to cover the Paralympics, the international sporting event for athletes with physical and intellectual disabilities, than Niko von Glasow, the world's best-known disabled filmmaker? Unfortunately, or fortunately for anyone seeking an insightful and funny documentary, this filmmaker frankly hates sports and thinks the games are "a stupid idea." Born with severely shortened arms, von Glasow serves as an endearing guide to London's Paralympics competition in "My Way to Olympia." As he meets a one-handed Norwegian table tennis player, the Rwandan sitting volleyball team, an American archer without arms and a Greek paraplegic boccia player, his own stereotypes about disability and sports get delightfully punctured. Official Selection of the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival.
July 14: Getting Back to Abnormal by Louis Alvarez, Andy Kolker, Peter Odabashian, Paul Stekler
What happens when America's most joyous, dysfunctional city rebuilds itself after a disaster? New Orleans is the setting for "Getting Back to Abnormal," a film that serves up a provocative mix of race, corruption and politics to tell the story of the re-election campaign of Stacy Head, a white woman in a city council seat traditionally held by a black representative. Supported by her irrepressible African-American aide Barbara Lacen-Keller, Head polarizes the city as her candidacy threatens to diminish the power and influence of its black citizens. Featuring a cast of characters as colorful as the city itself, the film presents a New Orleans that outsiders rarely see. Official Selection of the 2013 SXSW Film Festival.
A co-production of Itvs.
July 21: Dance for Me by Katrine Philp
Professional ballroom dancing is very big in little Denmark. Since success in this intensely competitive art depends on finding the right partner, aspiring Danish dancers often look beyond their borders to find their matches. In Dance for Me, 15-year-old Russian performer Egor leaves home and family to team up with 14-year-old Mie, one of Denmark's most promising young dancers. Strikingly different, Egor and Mie bond over their passion for Latin dance, and for winning. As they head to the championships, so much is at stake: emotional bonds, career and the future. Dance for Me is a poetic coming-of-age story, with a global twist and thrilling dance moves.
Airing with "Dance for Me" is the StoryCorps animated short A Good Man by The Rauch Brothers. Bryan Wilmoth and his seven younger siblings were raised in a strict, religious home. He talks to his brother Mike about what it was like to reconnect years after their dad kicked Bryan out for being gay. Major funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Produced in association with American Documentary | Pov.
July 28: Fallen City by Qi Zhao
In today's go-go China, an old city completely destroyed by a devastating earthquake can be rebuilt, boasting new and improved civic amenities, in an astoundingly quick two years. But, as "Fallen City" reveals, the journey from the ruined old city of Beichuan to the new Beichuan nearby is long and heartbreaking for the survivors. Three families struggle with loss, most strikingly the loss of children and grandchildre, and feelings of loneliness, fear and dislocation that no amount of propaganda can disguise. First-time director Qi Zhao offers an intimate look at a country torn between tradition and modernity. Official Selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. A co-production of Itvs International.
A co-presentation with Caam.
Aug. 4: 15 to Life: Kenneth's Story by Nadine Pequeneza
Does sentencing a teenager to life without parole serve our society well? The United States is the only country in the world that routinely condemns children to die in prison. This is the story of one of those children, now a young man, seeking a second chance in Florida. At age 15, Kenneth Young received four consecutive life sentences for a series of armed robberies. Imprisoned for more than a decade, he believed he would die behind bars. Now a U.S. Supreme Court decision could set him free. "15 to Life: Kenneth's Story" follows Youn's struggle for redemption, revealing a justice system with thousands of young people serving sentences intended for society's most dangerous criminals.
Aug. 11: Encore presentation: Neurotypical by Adam Larsen
Neurotypical is an unprecedented exploration of autism from the point of view of autistic people themselves. Four-year-old Violet, teenaged Nicholas and adult Paula occupy different positions on the autism spectrum, but they are all at pivotal moments in their lives. How they and the people around them work out their perceptual and behavioral differences becomes a remarkable reflection of the "neurotypical" world, the world of the non-autistic, revealing inventive adaptations on each side and an emerging critique of both what it means to be normal and what it means to be human.
Aug. 18: A World Not Ours by Mahdi Fleifel
"A World Not Ours" is a passionate, bittersweet account of one familyâs multi-generational experience living as permanent refugees. Now a Danish resident, director Mahdi Fleifel grew up in the Ain el-Helweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon, established in 1948 as a temporary refuge for exiled Palestinians. Today, the camp houses 70,000 people and is the hometown of generations of Palestinians. The filmmakerâs childhood memories are surprisingly warm and humorous, a testament to the resilience of the community. Yet his yearly visits reveal the increasing desperation of family and friends who remain trapped in psychological as well as political limbo. Official Selection of the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival.
Aug. 25: Big Men by Rachel Boynton
Over five years, director Rachel Boynton and her cinematographer film the quest for oil in Ghana by Dallas-based Kosmos. The company develops the country's first commercial oil field, yet its success is quickly compromised by political intrigue and accusations of corruption. As Ghanaians wait to reap the benefits of oil, the filmmakers discover violent resistance down the coast in the Niger Delta, where poor Nigerians have yet to prosper from decades-old oil fields. "Big Men," executive produced by Brad Pitt, provides an unprecedented inside look at the global deal making and dark underside of energy development, a contest for money and power that is reshaping the world. Official Selection of the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival.
Sept. 1: After Tiller by Martha Shane and Lana Wilson
"After Tiller" is a deeply humanizing and probing portrait of the four doctors in the United States still openly performing third-trimester abortions in the wake of the 2009 assassination of Dr. George Tiller in Wichita, Kansas, and in the face of intense protest from abortion opponents. It is also an examination of the desperate reasons women seek late abortions. Rather than offering solutions, "After Tiller" presents the complexities of these women's difficult decisions and the compassion and ethical dilemmas of the doctors and staff who fear for their own lives as they treat their patients. Official Selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.
Sept. 8: The Genius of Marian by Banker White and Anna Fitch
"The Genius of Marian" is a visually rich, emotionally complex story about one family's struggle to come to terms with Alzheimer's disease. After Pam White is diagnosed at age 61 with early-onset Alzheimer's, life begins to change, slowly but irrevocably, for Pam and everyone around her. Her husband grapples with his role as it evolves from primary partner to primary caregiver. Pam's adult children find ways to show their love and support while mourning the gradual loss of their mother. Her eldest son, Banker, records their conversations, allowing Pam to share memories of childhood and of her mother, the renowned painter Marian Williams Steele, who had Alzheimer's herself and died in 2001.
Pov is preempted on Sept. 15 and returns the following week.
Sept. 22: Koch by Neil Barsky
New York City mayors have a world stage on which to strut, and they have made legendary use of it. Yet few have matched the bravado, combativeness and egocentricity that Ed Koch brought to the office during his three terms from 1978 to 1989. As Neil Barskyâs Koch recounts, Koch was more than the blunt, funny man New Yorkers either loved or hated. Elected in the 1970s during the cityâs fiscal crisis, he was a new Democrat for the dawning Reagan era, fiscally conservative and socially liberal. Koch finds the former mayor politically active to the end (he died in 2013), still winning the affection of many New Yorkers while driving others to distraction.
In fall 2014 Pov presents a special broadcast (date and time to be announced):
The Act of Killing by Joshua Oppenheimer
Nominated for an Academy Award, The Act of Killing is as dreamlike and terrifying as anything that Werner Herzog (one of the executive producers) could imagine. This film explores a horrifying era in Indonesian history and provides a window into modern Indonesia, where corruption reigns. Not only is the 1965 murder of an estimated one million people honored as a patriotic act, but the killers remain in power. In a mind-bending twist, death-squad leaders dramatize their brutal deeds in the style of the American westerns, musicals and gangster movies they love, and play both themselves and their victims. As their heroic facade crumbles, they come to question what they've done. Winner, 2014 BAFTA Film Award, Best Documentary.
- 6/22/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
A second weekend adds to The Lego Movie's impressive tally as it retains its top slot above Mr Peabody & Sherman and Disney's Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy
• The Lego Movie – review
• Mr Peabody & Sherman – review
• More on the UK box office
The winner
Our compact half-term school holidays always concentrate the minds of UK families, offering rich potential for bonanza box-office over a highly compressed time period. And so it has proved with the half-term just ended: from Friday 14 February to Sunday 23 February, The Lego Movie has taken an astonishing £19.72m in just 10 days of play, an average of nearly £2m per day. Add in the previews from the previous weekend, and the film's tally to date rises to a stonking £21.88m. That's more than the lifetime totals of the two lowest-grossing Pixar films – Cars and Cars 2 – and is also ahead of both Kung Fu Panda pictures from DreamWorks Animation.
• The Lego Movie – review
• Mr Peabody & Sherman – review
• More on the UK box office
The winner
Our compact half-term school holidays always concentrate the minds of UK families, offering rich potential for bonanza box-office over a highly compressed time period. And so it has proved with the half-term just ended: from Friday 14 February to Sunday 23 February, The Lego Movie has taken an astonishing £19.72m in just 10 days of play, an average of nearly £2m per day. Add in the previews from the previous weekend, and the film's tally to date rises to a stonking £21.88m. That's more than the lifetime totals of the two lowest-grossing Pixar films – Cars and Cars 2 – and is also ahead of both Kung Fu Panda pictures from DreamWorks Animation.
- 2/26/2014
- by Charles Gant
- The Guardian - Film News
Stranger By The Lake | Only Lovers Left Alive | Nymphomaniac | A New York Winter's Tale | A World Not Ours | Stalingrad | The Godfather: Part II | Highway
Stranger By The Lake (18)
(Alain Guiraudie, 2013, Fra) Pierre Deladonchamps, Christophe Paou, Patrick D'Assumçao, Jérôme Chapatte. 100 mins
Sex and death take a synchronised swim in this bold thriller, shot at a single lakeside location. It's a popular cruising spot, and the rituals of its regular (and regularly naked) male visitors are observed with a combination of frankness, lyricism and mischievous satire. But a more mysterious tone takes hold when newcomer Franck sees his Selleck-moustachio'd crush commit a terrible crime. The riptide of desire drags him into a dangerous game.
Only Lovers Left Alive (15)
(Jim Jarmusch, 2013, UK/Ger/Fra/Cyp/Us) Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska. 123 mins
Making Twilight look like Sesame Street, Jarmusch gives us the coolest vampires imaginable – too cool to even do much vampire stuff.
Stranger By The Lake (18)
(Alain Guiraudie, 2013, Fra) Pierre Deladonchamps, Christophe Paou, Patrick D'Assumçao, Jérôme Chapatte. 100 mins
Sex and death take a synchronised swim in this bold thriller, shot at a single lakeside location. It's a popular cruising spot, and the rituals of its regular (and regularly naked) male visitors are observed with a combination of frankness, lyricism and mischievous satire. But a more mysterious tone takes hold when newcomer Franck sees his Selleck-moustachio'd crush commit a terrible crime. The riptide of desire drags him into a dangerous game.
Only Lovers Left Alive (15)
(Jim Jarmusch, 2013, UK/Ger/Fra/Cyp/Us) Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska. 123 mins
Making Twilight look like Sesame Street, Jarmusch gives us the coolest vampires imaginable – too cool to even do much vampire stuff.
- 2/22/2014
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
This documentary based on Ghassan Kanafani's novel is an accomplished study of a community dreaming of a lost homeland
A World Not Ours borrows its title from a novel by the author and activist Ghassan Kanafani: it is a filmed portrait of the Palestinian refugee camp in South Lebanon known as Ein El-Helweh, or "sweet spring". Mahdi Fleifel was born there, and moved away with his family to live in Dubai and Europe – but often returned with his video camera to visit friends and relations and build up this richly personal archive of impressions and interviews. The result is a very watchable study of a stateless community, subsisting on dreams and memories of a lost homeland, and a generation of young men who have no prospects, sometimes drawn to jihadism out of sheer personal frustration; yet they are often quite as critical of the Palestinian leadership as everything else.
A World Not Ours borrows its title from a novel by the author and activist Ghassan Kanafani: it is a filmed portrait of the Palestinian refugee camp in South Lebanon known as Ein El-Helweh, or "sweet spring". Mahdi Fleifel was born there, and moved away with his family to live in Dubai and Europe – but often returned with his video camera to visit friends and relations and build up this richly personal archive of impressions and interviews. The result is a very watchable study of a stateless community, subsisting on dreams and memories of a lost homeland, and a generation of young men who have no prospects, sometimes drawn to jihadism out of sheer personal frustration; yet they are often quite as critical of the Palestinian leadership as everything else.
- 2/21/2014
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
★★★★☆"The old will die and the young will forget. We shall reduce the Arab population to a community of woodcutters and waiters". The lethal words of statesman David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel, who expunged generations of Palestinians after the Second World War, with no right of return. They say violence breeds violence, and it's no surprise that today we witness an entire culture of disillusionment, estrangement and fury among all of the Palestinian territories. One in particular, a refugee camp named Ain el-Helweh ('Sweet Spring') in Lebanon, is the setting of Mahdi Fleifel's A World Not Ours (2012).
- 2/19/2014
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Her | The Lego Movie | Bastards | The Monuments Men | Cuban Fury | 8 Minutes Idle | Love Is In The Air | Endless Love | Bette Bourne: It Goes With The Shoes
Her (15)
(Spike Jonze, 2013, Us) Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara. 126 mins
Technophilia will only get you so far, Jonze's near-future parable suggests, as it engineers a blind date between a lonely man and a sentient operating system with no concept of privacy settings – and finds both partners wanting. More successful is the marriage of sci-fi and romantic drama: the focus is more on the heart than the hardware in this soulful, often sorrowful movie.
The Lego Movie (U)
(Phil Lord, 2014, Us) Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett. 100 mins
Using pop-culture humour and star voices to overcome blatant product placement, this canny, rapid-fire comedy adventure is like a Matrix parody rendered in CGI plastic bricks.
Bastards (18)
(Claire Denis, 2013, Fra/Ger) Vincent Lindon, Chiara Mastroianni.
Her (15)
(Spike Jonze, 2013, Us) Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara. 126 mins
Technophilia will only get you so far, Jonze's near-future parable suggests, as it engineers a blind date between a lonely man and a sentient operating system with no concept of privacy settings – and finds both partners wanting. More successful is the marriage of sci-fi and romantic drama: the focus is more on the heart than the hardware in this soulful, often sorrowful movie.
The Lego Movie (U)
(Phil Lord, 2014, Us) Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett. 100 mins
Using pop-culture humour and star voices to overcome blatant product placement, this canny, rapid-fire comedy adventure is like a Matrix parody rendered in CGI plastic bricks.
Bastards (18)
(Claire Denis, 2013, Fra/Ger) Vincent Lindon, Chiara Mastroianni.
- 2/15/2014
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Mahdi Fleifel’s debut feature won Best International Film at Edinburgh.
E2 Films has acquired UK rights to Mahdi Fleifel’s debut feature A World Not Ours. It will distribute theatrically in the UK on Feb 21.
The documentary is a portrait of three generations in the refugee camp of Ein el-Helweh in southern Lebanon, filmed over more than 20 years by the same family.
The film has won a string of international awards including Best International Film at Edinburgh, the Peace Film Award at the Berlinale, the Audience Award in Sarajevo, the Grand Prix in Yamagata, the Reel Talent Award at Cph:dox, the Grand Jury prize at Doc NYC and the Black Pearl Award in Abu Dhabi.
Palestinian filmmaker Fleifel is based in London. He recently developed his second feature at the Cannes’ Cinefondation residence in Paris.
E2 Films has acquired UK rights to Mahdi Fleifel’s debut feature A World Not Ours. It will distribute theatrically in the UK on Feb 21.
The documentary is a portrait of three generations in the refugee camp of Ein el-Helweh in southern Lebanon, filmed over more than 20 years by the same family.
The film has won a string of international awards including Best International Film at Edinburgh, the Peace Film Award at the Berlinale, the Audience Award in Sarajevo, the Grand Prix in Yamagata, the Reel Talent Award at Cph:dox, the Grand Jury prize at Doc NYC and the Black Pearl Award in Abu Dhabi.
Palestinian filmmaker Fleifel is based in London. He recently developed his second feature at the Cannes’ Cinefondation residence in Paris.
- 1/16/2014
- ScreenDaily
Danish-Palestinian filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel is set to launch a crowd-funding campaign on Dubai-based platform Aflamnah this January to finance a 2015 Oscar race bid with his award-winning documentary A World Not Ours.
The documentary, a humorous account of life in the Ein el-Helweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon, has won a slew of awards since premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2012.
It is not eligible, however, for Oscar consideration because it has not been released in New York and Los Angeles as per the regulations of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
“The big question is, can a Palestinian film win an Oscar?” said Fleifel.
“My film has suffered a lot because people keep saying we’ve just had 5 Broken Cameras,” he continued, referring to Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi’s work which was Oscar short-listed last year.
“My film is the antithesis of that film. I really...
The documentary, a humorous account of life in the Ein el-Helweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon, has won a slew of awards since premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2012.
It is not eligible, however, for Oscar consideration because it has not been released in New York and Los Angeles as per the regulations of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
“The big question is, can a Palestinian film win an Oscar?” said Fleifel.
“My film has suffered a lot because people keep saying we’ve just had 5 Broken Cameras,” he continued, referring to Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi’s work which was Oscar short-listed last year.
“My film is the antithesis of that film. I really...
- 12/12/2013
- ScreenDaily
Little White Lies Weekender | Cinema Palestino: Bristol Palestine Film Festival | Dirty Wars | Alexander Payne
Little White Lies Weekender, London
The best-designed film magazine on the shelf celebrates its 50th issue with a display of its unimpeachable good taste – mostly. The selection is largely overlooked/underpraised auteur classics, such as Harmony Korine's Gummo, Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch Drunk Love, Lynch's Mulholland Drive, and obscure 1970s road movie Wanda. There are also previews of future releases like Lukas Moodysson's We Are The Best!, plus 1980s Irish "thriller" (and Adam and Joe favourite) Taffin – a monumentally bad movie that definitely didn't get Pierce Brosnan the Bond gig. If you're quick, you can still catch Lwl's pop-up shop in Old Street, too.
Ica, SW1, Fri to 8 Dec
Cinema Palestino: Bristol Palestine Film Festival
Two events to bring us up to speed on Palestine's unique cultural and political situation, both of which...
Little White Lies Weekender, London
The best-designed film magazine on the shelf celebrates its 50th issue with a display of its unimpeachable good taste – mostly. The selection is largely overlooked/underpraised auteur classics, such as Harmony Korine's Gummo, Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch Drunk Love, Lynch's Mulholland Drive, and obscure 1970s road movie Wanda. There are also previews of future releases like Lukas Moodysson's We Are The Best!, plus 1980s Irish "thriller" (and Adam and Joe favourite) Taffin – a monumentally bad movie that definitely didn't get Pierce Brosnan the Bond gig. If you're quick, you can still catch Lwl's pop-up shop in Old Street, too.
Ica, SW1, Fri to 8 Dec
Cinema Palestino: Bristol Palestine Film Festival
Two events to bring us up to speed on Palestine's unique cultural and political situation, both of which...
- 11/30/2013
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
The fourth edition of Doc NYC winners includes a world premiere, a Canadian short, a film on a New York City legend, and a personal world of one's own.
73 feature-length documentaries and 39 short films were screened from November 14-21 at IFC Center and the Sva Theatre. Three competition juries and a SundanceNOW Audience Award were announced. A World Not Ours directed by Mahdi Fleifel, The Pleasures Of Being Out Of Step by David L. Lewis, Softening by Kelly O’Brien, and Web by Michael Kleiman were honored.
A World Not Ours directed by Mahdi Fleifel
Viewfinders Competition Grand Jury Prize Winner – A World Not Ours
Jurors’ statement: “The eight films in our category offered a stunning range of subject matter, and an equally stunning array of artistic and directorial visions. It was a privilege to have to select amongst such fine works for this year’s winner. The 2013 Viewfinders award...
73 feature-length documentaries and 39 short films were screened from November 14-21 at IFC Center and the Sva Theatre. Three competition juries and a SundanceNOW Audience Award were announced. A World Not Ours directed by Mahdi Fleifel, The Pleasures Of Being Out Of Step by David L. Lewis, Softening by Kelly O’Brien, and Web by Michael Kleiman were honored.
A World Not Ours directed by Mahdi Fleifel
Viewfinders Competition Grand Jury Prize Winner – A World Not Ours
Jurors’ statement: “The eight films in our category offered a stunning range of subject matter, and an equally stunning array of artistic and directorial visions. It was a privilege to have to select amongst such fine works for this year’s winner. The 2013 Viewfinders award...
- 11/25/2013
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Doc NYC wrapped this past Thursday, and the jury awards have been announced. In the Viewfinders Competition, "chosen for their distinct directorial visions," according to the festival, the Grand Jury Prize winner was Mahdi Fleifel's A World Not Ours, a wry, humorous look at the Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon where the director grew up. From the jurors' statement: "Director Mahdi Fleifel has drawn on his family's home movies, archival footage, and his own extensive video diaries to invite us into a world completely unfamiliar to most viewers, and one from which most residents cannot leave. Unlike his friends and family who have spent decades living in the camp, Fleifel is free to come and go - but his portrayal of the world of the...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 11/25/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Doc NYC has awarded the grand jury prize in the festival’s Viewfinders Competition to director Mahdi Fleifel’s for “A World Not Ours” and to David L. Lewis’ “The Pleasures of Being Out of Step” in the Metropolis Competition. “A World Not Ours” paints a portrait of collective dispossession and uncertain identity in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Helweh in Southern Lebanon. The film uses personal and historical archives to chronicle Fleifel’s personal association with the phenomenon in the context of a wider socio-political isse. In honoring “A World Not Ours” with the award the Jury declared that, “Director Mahdi Fleifel has drawn on his family’s home movies, archival footage, and his own extensive video diaries to invite us into a world completely unfamiliar to most viewers, and one from which most residents cannot leave. Unlike his friends and family who have spent decades living in the camp,...
- 11/21/2013
- by Ramzi De Coster
- Indiewire
Mahdi Fleifel’s A World Not Ours (pictured) won the Viewfinders Competition’s Grand Jury Prize on the eve of the final day of programming.
David L Lewis’ The Pleasures Of Being Out Of Step was named grand prize winner of the Metropolis Competition on November 20 and Kelly O’Brien’s Softening prevailed in the Shorts Competition.
The SundanceNOW Audience Award went to Web by Michael Kleiman.
The 2013 festival drew close to 20,000 attendees as levels increased by 25% over last year.
The fourth annual event screened 73 feature documentaries including 11 world premieres, 10 Us premieres and 34 New York premieres. The event ran from November 14-21.
David L Lewis’ The Pleasures Of Being Out Of Step was named grand prize winner of the Metropolis Competition on November 20 and Kelly O’Brien’s Softening prevailed in the Shorts Competition.
The SundanceNOW Audience Award went to Web by Michael Kleiman.
The 2013 festival drew close to 20,000 attendees as levels increased by 25% over last year.
The fourth annual event screened 73 feature documentaries including 11 world premieres, 10 Us premieres and 34 New York premieres. The event ran from November 14-21.
- 11/20/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Other winners include Everyday Rebellion, Dirty Wars and A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness.
Algerian film Bloody Beans has picked up the Dox:Award for best film at Copenhagen documentary festival Cph:dox (Nov 7-17).
The directorial debut of Narimane Mari includes a large group of children who blend role play and trippy re-enactment to portray Algeria’s historical struggle for independence.
The film, which received its international premiere at the festival, was described as “radical, original and playful” by the jury.
The jury comprised Georgian filmmaker Tinatin Gurchiani, Danish filmmaker Janus Metz, Tate Modern flm curator George Clark, artist Angela Melitopoulos and MoMA film curator Lawrence Kardish.
They gave a special mention to Us drama-doc Stop the Pounding Heart, directed by Roberto Minervini. The film, about an illicit romance between two teenagers in a conservative, rural Texan community, debuted at Cannes and recently won a top prize at Dok Leipzig.
The Politiken...
Algerian film Bloody Beans has picked up the Dox:Award for best film at Copenhagen documentary festival Cph:dox (Nov 7-17).
The directorial debut of Narimane Mari includes a large group of children who blend role play and trippy re-enactment to portray Algeria’s historical struggle for independence.
The film, which received its international premiere at the festival, was described as “radical, original and playful” by the jury.
The jury comprised Georgian filmmaker Tinatin Gurchiani, Danish filmmaker Janus Metz, Tate Modern flm curator George Clark, artist Angela Melitopoulos and MoMA film curator Lawrence Kardish.
They gave a special mention to Us drama-doc Stop the Pounding Heart, directed by Roberto Minervini. The film, about an illicit romance between two teenagers in a conservative, rural Texan community, debuted at Cannes and recently won a top prize at Dok Leipzig.
The Politiken...
- 11/17/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox, Amit Virmani’s Menstrual Man and Shilpa Ranade’s The World of Goopi and Bagha have been nominated under different categories for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Rajeev Ravi has earned a nomination for Achievement in Cinematography in Amit Kumar’s Monsoon Shootout.
The Lunchbox has been nominated for Best Screenplay while The World of Goopi and Bagha has been nominated in the Best Animated Feature Film category.
Amit Virmani’s Menstrual Man, a Singapore – India co-production, has been nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Film. The film made its Canadian Premiere at the HotDocs, the Canadian International Documentary Film Festival in Toronto and was screened at International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (Idfa).
A total of 39 films from 22 countries will compete in nine different categories. The award ceremony will be held December 12, 2013 in Brisbane.
The jury is headed by Shyam Benegal and comprises South Korean director Kim Tae-yong,...
The Lunchbox has been nominated for Best Screenplay while The World of Goopi and Bagha has been nominated in the Best Animated Feature Film category.
Amit Virmani’s Menstrual Man, a Singapore – India co-production, has been nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Film. The film made its Canadian Premiere at the HotDocs, the Canadian International Documentary Film Festival in Toronto and was screened at International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (Idfa).
A total of 39 films from 22 countries will compete in nine different categories. The award ceremony will be held December 12, 2013 in Brisbane.
The jury is headed by Shyam Benegal and comprises South Korean director Kim Tae-yong,...
- 11/12/2013
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
Mubi is proud to present the 2nd Dialogue of Culture International Film Festival (Dciff), hosted globally online by Mubi. This free film festival will run online from November 1 – 14, 2013, and be available exclusively on Mubi.
The Dciff is the world's first film festival dedicated to the worldwide phenomenon of people in search of their identity in the era of mass migration and globalization. Its goal is to jumpstart a dialogue between cultures through the universal language of cinema.
The festival program includes films from across the globe, giving voice to multiple perspectives on issues of culture and identity. To create a global dialogue and promote better understanding between cultures, the participating filmmakers, producers, and rights holders have agreed to show their films online for free. The Dciff and Mubi are proud to bring these vital and necessary films to a global audience.
The 2013 Program:
After the Battle (Yousry Nasrallah, Egypt/France) Alì Blue Eyes (Claudio Giovannesi,...
The Dciff is the world's first film festival dedicated to the worldwide phenomenon of people in search of their identity in the era of mass migration and globalization. Its goal is to jumpstart a dialogue between cultures through the universal language of cinema.
The festival program includes films from across the globe, giving voice to multiple perspectives on issues of culture and identity. To create a global dialogue and promote better understanding between cultures, the participating filmmakers, producers, and rights holders have agreed to show their films online for free. The Dciff and Mubi are proud to bring these vital and necessary films to a global audience.
The 2013 Program:
After the Battle (Yousry Nasrallah, Egypt/France) Alì Blue Eyes (Claudio Giovannesi,...
- 11/1/2013
- by Notebook
- MUBI
Silver Linings Playbook actress to lead Narrative Competition jury.
The juries of the 7th Abu Dhabi Film Festival (Oct 24-Nov 2) have been revealed.
The Narrative Competition jury president is Australian actress Jacki Weaver, best known for her Oscar-nominated performances in David Michôd’s Animal Kingdom and David O. Russell’s The Silver Linings Playbook.
Joining her on the jury are Israeli actress Hiam Abbass, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission Adrian Wootton, Tunisian producer Dora Bouchoucha and Sandra den Hamer, current CEO of Eye Film Institute Netherlands.
The New Horizons Competition jury is lead by Yeşim Ustaoğlu, director of Turkish drama Araf.
Ustaoğlu is assisted by Irene Bignardi, co-founder of daily newspaper La Repubblica and former director of the Locarno Film Festival (2000–05), Moroccan filmmaker Nour-Eddine Lakhmari, Ukrainian director Valery Todorovsky and Lebanese director Michel Kammoun.
President of the Documentary Competition is the co-director and artistic director of the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff...
The juries of the 7th Abu Dhabi Film Festival (Oct 24-Nov 2) have been revealed.
The Narrative Competition jury president is Australian actress Jacki Weaver, best known for her Oscar-nominated performances in David Michôd’s Animal Kingdom and David O. Russell’s The Silver Linings Playbook.
Joining her on the jury are Israeli actress Hiam Abbass, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission Adrian Wootton, Tunisian producer Dora Bouchoucha and Sandra den Hamer, current CEO of Eye Film Institute Netherlands.
The New Horizons Competition jury is lead by Yeşim Ustaoğlu, director of Turkish drama Araf.
Ustaoğlu is assisted by Irene Bignardi, co-founder of daily newspaper La Repubblica and former director of the Locarno Film Festival (2000–05), Moroccan filmmaker Nour-Eddine Lakhmari, Ukrainian director Valery Todorovsky and Lebanese director Michel Kammoun.
President of the Documentary Competition is the co-director and artistic director of the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff...
- 10/23/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Sarajevo and QumraFilm festivals to share films, delegates.
The Sarajevo Film Festival has formed a new strategic partnership with the Doha Film Institute (Dfi).
The two will partner on a number of initiatives at their respective festivals to strengthen connections between Arab and European cinema.
This year the Dfi will curate a selection of films from the Arab world to be shown at Sarajevo including Mahdi Fleifel’s A World Not Ours [pictured] and Ahd’s Sanctity.
A delegation of Doha representatives, headed by the organisation’s CEO Abdulaziz Al Khater, will attend Sarajevo (which runs through Aug 24).
Additionally, a recipient of funding from the Dfi’s grant programme will take part in the festival’s CineLink co-production market.
In return, Sarajevo will present three films from its official 2013 programme at the QumraFilm Festival, Doha, in March 2014.
The inaugural Qumra Film Festival is aimed at showcasing first- and second-time filmmakers. It will also include an Industry Days programme...
The Sarajevo Film Festival has formed a new strategic partnership with the Doha Film Institute (Dfi).
The two will partner on a number of initiatives at their respective festivals to strengthen connections between Arab and European cinema.
This year the Dfi will curate a selection of films from the Arab world to be shown at Sarajevo including Mahdi Fleifel’s A World Not Ours [pictured] and Ahd’s Sanctity.
A delegation of Doha representatives, headed by the organisation’s CEO Abdulaziz Al Khater, will attend Sarajevo (which runs through Aug 24).
Additionally, a recipient of funding from the Dfi’s grant programme will take part in the festival’s CineLink co-production market.
In return, Sarajevo will present three films from its official 2013 programme at the QumraFilm Festival, Doha, in March 2014.
The inaugural Qumra Film Festival is aimed at showcasing first- and second-time filmmakers. It will also include an Industry Days programme...
- 8/19/2013
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
London – The Sarajevo Film Festival and Qatar's Doha Film Institute are set to partner on a range of initiatives to increase and strengthen links between Arab and European cinema. The strategic alliance, announced Sunday on the third day of the 16th edition of the Sarajevo festival, will include screenings of films at their festivals from their respective territories and collaboration on fostering co-productions. The Doha Film Institute (Dfi) is curating a selection of films from the Arab world at the Sarajevo festival's Partners Present sidebar, including Mahdi Fleifel’s A World Not Ours (U.K.-Lebanon-Denmark, 2012) and
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- 8/18/2013
- by Nick Holdsworth
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mahdi Fleifel’s refugee documentary wins Best Film in the International Competition. Experimental doc Leviathan wins Best British Feature.Scroll down for full list of winners
The winners have been announced at the 67th Edinburgh International Film Festival.
The ceremony, held at Edinburgh’s Filmhouse this afternoon, saw the award for Best Film in the International Competition presented to Mahdi Fleifel’s A World Not Ours (Lebanon/UAE/Denmark/UK).
The jury also gave a special mention to Elias Giannakakis’ Joy.
South Korean director Bong Joon-ho chaired the International Feature Film Competition Jury, which also included actress Natalie Dormer and film critic Siobhan Synnot.
The jury citation read: “The International Jury loved this film’s warm regard for the people at the heart of the film. A difficult subject was handled with confidence and humour.”
Fleifel said: “I have lived, studied and worked in the UK for 13 years, but I’ve never managed to screen any of...
The winners have been announced at the 67th Edinburgh International Film Festival.
The ceremony, held at Edinburgh’s Filmhouse this afternoon, saw the award for Best Film in the International Competition presented to Mahdi Fleifel’s A World Not Ours (Lebanon/UAE/Denmark/UK).
The jury also gave a special mention to Elias Giannakakis’ Joy.
South Korean director Bong Joon-ho chaired the International Feature Film Competition Jury, which also included actress Natalie Dormer and film critic Siobhan Synnot.
The jury citation read: “The International Jury loved this film’s warm regard for the people at the heart of the film. A difficult subject was handled with confidence and humour.”
Fleifel said: “I have lived, studied and worked in the UK for 13 years, but I’ve never managed to screen any of...
- 6/28/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The bold and experimental documentary Leviathan scooped the Michael Powell Award at the 67th Edinburgh International Film Festival, beating out eleven other UK independent features to the prestigious title. The awards ceremony, which was held at the Filmhouse earlier this afternoon, was presented by Grant Lauchlan, who hosts and produces Stv’s dedicated film series Moviejuice.
Leviathan, co-directed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel, is a striking and deeply immersive study of the commercial fishing industry that’s filled with skilful cinematography that plungers the audience head first into the fisherman’s dangerous lives. Castaing-Taylor, who was on hand to collect the award, said he was “totally bowled over by the news of this award.”
The jury of the Michael Powell Award also commended director Paul Wright for his feature debut For Those In Peril, which centers on the lone surviver of a freak fishing accident who struggles to cope...
Leviathan, co-directed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel, is a striking and deeply immersive study of the commercial fishing industry that’s filled with skilful cinematography that plungers the audience head first into the fisherman’s dangerous lives. Castaing-Taylor, who was on hand to collect the award, said he was “totally bowled over by the news of this award.”
The jury of the Michael Powell Award also commended director Paul Wright for his feature debut For Those In Peril, which centers on the lone surviver of a freak fishing accident who struggles to cope...
- 6/28/2013
- by Jamie Neish
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Documentaries dominate as film festival wraps up, with Piper Alpha film and refugee camp study taking major honours
The experimental documentary Leviathan has won the Michael Powell award for best British feature at the Edinburgh international film festival, which closes on Friday.
Directed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel, Leviathan is an impressionist study of a fishing trawler at work off the coast of Massachusetts, and was described by the jury – headed by Iranian director Samira Makhmalbaf – as "an original and imaginative documentary which observes the brutal routine of deep-sea fishing in a way which completely immerses the watcher in its story".
Castaing-Taylor and Paravel said: "We are totally bowled over by the news of this award. All our films have been rejected by every British film festival to date, so it is all the more moving for us!"
Paul Wright's haunting For Those in Peril, which was selected...
The experimental documentary Leviathan has won the Michael Powell award for best British feature at the Edinburgh international film festival, which closes on Friday.
Directed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel, Leviathan is an impressionist study of a fishing trawler at work off the coast of Massachusetts, and was described by the jury – headed by Iranian director Samira Makhmalbaf – as "an original and imaginative documentary which observes the brutal routine of deep-sea fishing in a way which completely immerses the watcher in its story".
Castaing-Taylor and Paravel said: "We are totally bowled over by the news of this award. All our films have been rejected by every British film festival to date, so it is all the more moving for us!"
Paul Wright's haunting For Those in Peril, which was selected...
- 6/28/2013
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
London -- Mahdi Fleifel’s A World Not Ours won the best film in the international competition at this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival. The festival's awards were dished out Friday ahead of Sunday’s closing night gala Not Another Happy Ending, which brings the curtain down on this year's 12-day event in the Scottish capital. Fleifel’s movie, a Lebanon/UAE/Denmark/U.K. co-production, was awarded the plaudit by an international jury chaired by South Korean director Bong Joon and that included actress Natalie Dormer and film critic Siobhan Synnot. Fleifel said: "I have lived, studied and worked in the U.K. for
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- 6/28/2013
- by Stuart Kemp
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mahdi Fleifel’s powerful study of life in the Ain el-Helweh refugee camp, A World Not Ours, has won the International Competition at this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival, it was announced today. The delighted filmmaker said “I am immensely grateful to the programmers at the Eiff for inviting my film. I have lived, studied and worked in the UK for 13 years, but I've never managed to screen any of my work at a single British film event - not even my short films which were pretty successful internationally. Winning the prize in Britain's No. 1 Film Festival is too good to be true. I hope this will help bring our film to a wider audience in the UK and I would like to thank the jury for this wonderful honour.”
You can also catch A World Not Ours at the East End Film Festival which opened in London this...
You can also catch A World Not Ours at the East End Film Festival which opened in London this...
- 6/27/2013
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
BBC Defends Its ‘Doctor Who’ Against Accusations Of Racism A new book calls out the BBC’s sci-fi series Doctor Who as “thunderingly racist,” but the UK pubcaster begs to differ. The Beeb has hit back at the accusations claimed by a group of academics in Doctor Who And Race, and fans have rushed to dismiss the criticisms as “groundless” and “ridiculous.” The BBC noted the 2006 casting of Freema Agyeman as the Time Lord’s first black assistant and Noel Clarke playing Mickey Smith for five years. The pubcaster’s reply came as critics alleged the Doctor’s apparent dismissive attitude toward black companions, his contempt for “primitive” people, and his passion for cricket as proof of a reactionary “whiteness”. Related: BBC Confirms ‘Doctor Who’ Season 8 Edinburgh Fest Announces 147-Film Lineup The Edinburgh International Film Festival on Wednesday announced the lineup for its 67th edition, slating 147 movies from 53 countries. The festival,...
- 5/30/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
The 63rd Berlinale is coming to a close, and the awards have been announced!
In Competition
Golden Bear - Child's Pose, directed by Călin Peter Netzer
Jury Grand Prix - An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, directed by Danis Tanović
Silver Bear for Best Director - Prince Avalanche, directed by David Gordon Green
Best Actor - Nazif Mujić, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker
Best Actress - Paulina Garcia, Gloria
Best Screenplay - Closed Curtain, written by Jafar Panahi
Alfred Bauer Prize - Vic+Flo Saw a Bear, directed by Denis Côté
Outstanding Artistic Contribution - Cinematographer Aziz Zhambakiyev, for Harmony Lessons
Special Mentions - Promised Land, directed by Gus Van Sant & Layla Fourie, directed by Pia Marais
Best First Feature Award
Best First Feature - The Rocket, directed by Kim Mordaunt
Special Mention - The Battle of Tabatô, directed by João Viana
Teddy...
In Competition
Golden Bear - Child's Pose, directed by Călin Peter Netzer
Jury Grand Prix - An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, directed by Danis Tanović
Silver Bear for Best Director - Prince Avalanche, directed by David Gordon Green
Best Actor - Nazif Mujić, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker
Best Actress - Paulina Garcia, Gloria
Best Screenplay - Closed Curtain, written by Jafar Panahi
Alfred Bauer Prize - Vic+Flo Saw a Bear, directed by Denis Côté
Outstanding Artistic Contribution - Cinematographer Aziz Zhambakiyev, for Harmony Lessons
Special Mentions - Promised Land, directed by Gus Van Sant & Layla Fourie, directed by Pia Marais
Best First Feature Award
Best First Feature - The Rocket, directed by Kim Mordaunt
Special Mention - The Battle of Tabatô, directed by João Viana
Teddy...
- 2/17/2013
- by Notebook
- MUBI
British filmmaker Kim Longinotto’s India-based documentary Salma has bagged the second place in Panorama Audience awards at Berlinale.
Salma chronicles the life of a woman from south India who was locked by her parents on reaching puberty and decided to fight her way back to the outside world twenty-five years later. Now she is a well-known poet.
The Panorama Audience Award has been given since 1999. During the Berlinale, movie-goers were asked to rate the films shown in the Panorama section and over 28,000 votes were cast and counted altogether. This year the Panorama presented 52 productions from 33 countries, of which 20 were documentaries.
The 63rd Berlin International Film Festival will come to a close on February 16 with the presentation of the awards.
Winners of the Panorama Audience Award – fiction film 2013:
The Broken Circle Breakdown
Belgium/Netherlands 2012
Directed by Felix van Groeningen
2nd Place
Reaching for the Moon
Brazil 2013
Directed by Bruno Barreto...
Salma chronicles the life of a woman from south India who was locked by her parents on reaching puberty and decided to fight her way back to the outside world twenty-five years later. Now she is a well-known poet.
The Panorama Audience Award has been given since 1999. During the Berlinale, movie-goers were asked to rate the films shown in the Panorama section and over 28,000 votes were cast and counted altogether. This year the Panorama presented 52 productions from 33 countries, of which 20 were documentaries.
The 63rd Berlin International Film Festival will come to a close on February 16 with the presentation of the awards.
Winners of the Panorama Audience Award – fiction film 2013:
The Broken Circle Breakdown
Belgium/Netherlands 2012
Directed by Felix van Groeningen
2nd Place
Reaching for the Moon
Brazil 2013
Directed by Bruno Barreto...
- 2/16/2013
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
Above: Ernie Gehr's Auto-Collider Xv.
The vast bulk of Tiff's 2012 has been announced and listed here, below. We'll be updating the lineup with the previous films announced, as well as updating links to specific films for more information on them in the coming days. Of particular note is that the Wavelengths and Visions programs have been combined to create what is undoubtedly the most interesting section of the festival. Stay tuned, too, for our own on the ground coverage of Tiff.
Galas
A Royal Affair (Nikolai Arcel, Demark/Sweden/Czech Republic/Germany)
Argo (Ben Affleck, USA)
The Company You Keep (Robert Redford, USA)
Dangerous Liaisons (Hur Jin-ho, China)
Emperor (Peter Webber, Japan/USA)
English Vinglish (Gauri Shinde, India)
Free Angela & All Political Prisoners (Shola Lynch)
Great Expectations (Mike Newell, UK)
Hyde Park on Hudson (Roger Michell, UK)
Inescapable (Ruba Nadda, Canada)
Jayne Mansfield's Car (Billy Bob Thorton, USA/Russia)
Looper (Rian Johnson,...
The vast bulk of Tiff's 2012 has been announced and listed here, below. We'll be updating the lineup with the previous films announced, as well as updating links to specific films for more information on them in the coming days. Of particular note is that the Wavelengths and Visions programs have been combined to create what is undoubtedly the most interesting section of the festival. Stay tuned, too, for our own on the ground coverage of Tiff.
Galas
A Royal Affair (Nikolai Arcel, Demark/Sweden/Czech Republic/Germany)
Argo (Ben Affleck, USA)
The Company You Keep (Robert Redford, USA)
Dangerous Liaisons (Hur Jin-ho, China)
Emperor (Peter Webber, Japan/USA)
English Vinglish (Gauri Shinde, India)
Free Angela & All Political Prisoners (Shola Lynch)
Great Expectations (Mike Newell, UK)
Hyde Park on Hudson (Roger Michell, UK)
Inescapable (Ruba Nadda, Canada)
Jayne Mansfield's Car (Billy Bob Thorton, USA/Russia)
Looper (Rian Johnson,...
- 8/22/2012
- MUBI
Toronto – On July 31st, the 37th annual Toronto International Film Festival announced its second wave of features and documentaries to be added to this year’s already promising lineup.
The ‘Midnight Madness’ programme, which showcases up and coming genre films, will return for a second year, with The Raid winning the inaugural audience choice award in 2011.
Tiff Programmer Colin Geddes says that the audience should expect “everything from outrageous horror comedies to mock-doc-eco-apocalypse thrillers, featuring trans-dimensional bugs, lewd Catholic priests, meat monsters and dog-snapping psychopaths that will animate the Ryerson Theatre when the clock chimes 12.”
Returning for its fourth edition this year is the ‘City to City’ programme, which puts a spotlight on filmmakers working and living in a certain city, introducing audiences to local independent films from around the world. This year’s city of choice is Mumbai.
Artistic Director Cameron Bailey says, “Mumbai’s cinema today is entirely...
The ‘Midnight Madness’ programme, which showcases up and coming genre films, will return for a second year, with The Raid winning the inaugural audience choice award in 2011.
Tiff Programmer Colin Geddes says that the audience should expect “everything from outrageous horror comedies to mock-doc-eco-apocalypse thrillers, featuring trans-dimensional bugs, lewd Catholic priests, meat monsters and dog-snapping psychopaths that will animate the Ryerson Theatre when the clock chimes 12.”
Returning for its fourth edition this year is the ‘City to City’ programme, which puts a spotlight on filmmakers working and living in a certain city, introducing audiences to local independent films from around the world. This year’s city of choice is Mumbai.
Artistic Director Cameron Bailey says, “Mumbai’s cinema today is entirely...
- 8/1/2012
- by Justin Li
- SoundOnSight
Toronto – On July 31st, the 37th annual Toronto International Film Festival announced its second wave of features and documentaries to be added to this year’s already promising lineup.
The ‘Midnight Madness’ programme, which showcases up and coming genre films, will return for a second year, with The Raid winning the inaugural audience choice award in 2011.
Tiff Programmer Colin Geddes says that the audience should expect “everything from outrageous horror comedies to mock-doc-eco-apocalypse thrillers, featuring trans-dimensional bugs, lewd Catholic priests, meat monsters and dog-snapping psychopaths that will animate the Ryerson Theatre when the clock chimes 12.”
Returning for its fourth edition this year is the ‘City to City’ programme, which puts a spotlight on filmmakers working and living in a certain city, introducing audiences to local independent films from around the world. This year’s city of choice is Mumbai.
Artistic Director Cameron Bailey says, “Mumbai’s cinema today is entirely...
The ‘Midnight Madness’ programme, which showcases up and coming genre films, will return for a second year, with The Raid winning the inaugural audience choice award in 2011.
Tiff Programmer Colin Geddes says that the audience should expect “everything from outrageous horror comedies to mock-doc-eco-apocalypse thrillers, featuring trans-dimensional bugs, lewd Catholic priests, meat monsters and dog-snapping psychopaths that will animate the Ryerson Theatre when the clock chimes 12.”
Returning for its fourth edition this year is the ‘City to City’ programme, which puts a spotlight on filmmakers working and living in a certain city, introducing audiences to local independent films from around the world. This year’s city of choice is Mumbai.
Artistic Director Cameron Bailey says, “Mumbai’s cinema today is entirely...
- 7/31/2012
- by Justin Li
- SoundOnSight
Fans of documentary cinema prepare yourselves for a sprawling non-fiction selection at this years Toronto International Film Festival, with a huge number of the diverse titles boasting World Premiere status. Here's what's coming: 9.79* Daniel Gordon, United Kingdom Daniel Gordon's 9.79* looks at the legacy of the 100-metre men's final at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, when gold medalist Ben Johnson tested positive for anabolic steroids and scandal reigned. For the first time ever, the eight athletes who ran that infamous race tell their story. Artifact Bartholomew Cubbins, USA World Premiere The band Thirty Seconds to Mars and lead singer Jared Leto fight an excruciating lawsuit with Emi while writing songs for their album This is War. A World Not Ours Mahdi Fleifel, United Kingdom/Lebanon/Denmark...
- 7/31/2012
- Screen Anarchy
The 2012 Toronto International Film Festival line-up got another boost with today's announcement of the Midnight Madness, Vanguard and Documentary selections which include films from the likes of Barry Levinson, Don Coscarelli, Rob Zombie, Martin McDonagh, Ben Wheatley, Michel Gondry and Alex Gibney and include titles such as Aftershock, Dredd, Seven Psychopaths, Pusher, Sightseers, The We and the I, The Gatekeepers, Finding Nemo 3D, Hotel Transylvania and a Cinemateque selection that includes Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M For Murder, Roman Polanski's Tess and Roberto Rossellini's Stromboli. Considering Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master was recently added to the official selection as a Special Presentation I am going to have my hands full when it comes to screenings, but I will definitely make sure to catch McDonagh's Seven Psychopaths, which is one of my most anticipated films of the year. Otherwise, the schedule will determine which ones I check out. The...
- 7/31/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
In terms of documentary film servings in the fall (pre Idfa in November), in the hands of Thom Powers, Tiff’s former Real to Reel section now simply known as Tiff Docs is the equivalent to riding the gravy train. To be housed at the new spanking brand new Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, this year’s docu items included such names/titles as Ken Burns and what looks to be the Telluride preemed The Central Park Five, Julien Temple’s London – The Modern Babylon, Marina Zenovich’s sequel Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out, another hot topic subject for Alex Gibney with Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God and an exec produced item from Errol Morris with Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Act of Killing side by side with with the latest from Crossing the Line helmer Daniel Gordon (9.79*) and Operation Filmmaker helmer Nina Davenport (First Comes Love). Here...
- 7/31/2012
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Last week, the Toronto International Film Festival announced the movies playing in its Special Presentations and Galas programs. Today, they've provided the line-up for their other programs, and they've got some strong flicks in the Documentary category. This year's line-up includes new movies from Ken Burns' The Central Park Five (co-directed by David McMahon and Sarah Burns), Alex Gibney's Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Act of Killing, and Marina Zenovich’s Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out (the follow-up to her great 2008 documentary, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired). Hit the jump for the full documentary line-up and synopses. The 2012 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 – 16th. Click here for the Midnight Madness line-up. 9.79* Daniel Gordon, United Kingdom World Premiere Daniel Gordon’s 9.79* looks at the legacy of the 100-metre men’s final at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, when gold medalist Ben Johnson...
- 7/31/2012
- by Matt Goldberg
- Collider.com
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