Always an indication of the imminent onset of awards season, AFI Fest typically gets ahead of the curve with world and local premieres of would-be contenders. For some films, it’s a prestigious Hollywood launching pad to build momentum toward the Golden Globes, guild honors and the Oscars, while for others it’s a brief moment in the spotlight before getting eclipsed by higher-profile titles.

This year’s fest (Oct. 30 - Nov. 9) hit a significant snag even before kicking off, when Paramount pulled opener The Soloist, which will now premiere in theaters in March, 2009, from opening night. AFI Fest fortuitously filled the slot with the world premiere of Miramax’s Doubt, writer-director John Patrick Shanley’s dour inquisition of a suspected pedophile priest (resolutely played by Philip Seymour Hoffman), adapted from the filmmaker’s original Broadway stage production.

After opening night at the Arclight Cinerama Dome, AFI Fest screenings expanded to the historic Grauman’s Chinese Theater and adjacent multiplex in the heart of Hollywood. With the apparent goal of adding another prominent gala venue, the growing scope of the festival proved a challenge for screenings scheduled at different theaters, although a reliable shuttle service connected the Roosevelt Hotel, site of the badgeholders’ Cinema Lounge, to the Arclight complex down Sunset Blvd.

Castmembers from Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler were among those walking the red carpet at the Grauman, including a reinvigorated Mickey Rourke, who gives a staggering performance as middle-aged Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a third-rate professional pugilist confronting health problems and an emotional crisis that threaten not only his career but his fundamental self-image. Kudos came to the The Wrestler’s rescue late in the fall, with Golden Globe and Spirit Award nominations.

Somewhat skirting the limelight prior to the spring 2009 release of Sugar, directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden brought their newest indie drama to the fest. The film recounts the recruitment of Dominican baseball pitcher "Sugar" Santos (Algenis Perez Soto) for the U.S. minor leagues with a familiar immigrant arc coupled to a somewhat unconventional warts-and-all sports drama. Spot-on casting, sensitive storytelling and authentic performances – particularly by the nonpros, including newcomer Soto -- make Sugar a title to watch during next year’s awards contests.

Among the documentary selections, Playing Columbine made a surprisingly convincing case for creative license and free speech in the realm of video games. After crafting a decidedly low-tech game that allows players to reenact the gruesome high school massacre, designer and director Danny Ledonne endured widespread criticism for his alleged insensitivity to the shootings. Thoughtfully responding to the controversy, Ledonne interviewed video game designers, players, advocates and critics for a wider perspective on issues related to free speech and gaming.

Kief Davidson’s Kassim the Dream (pictured above) – a profile of former Ugandan child soldier Kassim Ouma, who battled his way to world junior middleweight boxing champion -- landed a one-two combination to win both the jury and audience doc prizes, sharing the latter award with The World We Want, a hopeful portrayal of international youth activists promoting positive social change in their communities.

Federico Veiroj’s Uruguayan coming of age comedy Acne won the grand jury prize among international narratives, with American indie drama A Necessary Death by Daniel Stamm taking the audience award.

International features comprise a large proportion of AFI Fest programming, drawn from world and North American premieres, prestige festivals and regional releases. Following up on its Toronto International Film Festival People’s Choice award, Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire made another favorable impression at AFI Fest, where Boyle was treated to a career tribute before the screening.

AFI alum Ed Zwick returned to the festival with the world premiere of Paramount Vantage’s Defiance, a World War II actioner starring Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber that’s adapted from a nonfiction book recounting how a group of Jewish resistance fighters took refuge in the Russian forests and launched guerilla attacks on German forces rather than face extermination by the invading Nazis.

Despite the stirring storyline, Zwick’s typically energetic directing style can’t adequately animate the strained relationship between the two brothers leading the partisans, played by Craig and Schreiber, whose performances often seem disengaged from one another, draining the film of essential vitality.

Labels: Festivals

# posted by Webmaster @ 1/05/2009 03:15:00 PM

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