Festivals & Events

ARONOFSKY’S “BLACK SWAN” TO OPEN VENICE

Announced earlier today on indieWIRE, the 67th Venice International Film Festival will open with Darren Aronofsky‘s Black Swan, a thriller set in the world of ballet starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder and Barbara Hershey. The film will screen in competition, debuting Sept. 1 in the Sala Grande, following the opening ceremony. Aronofsky won the Golden Lion at the fest in 2008 for The Wrestler. The Venice Film Festival runs Sept. 1 -11. Fox Searchlight will release Black Swan later this year.

By Jason Guerrasio on Jul 22, 2010 Festivals & Events
IFP PARTNERS WITH UN FOR ENVISION | By Mary Anderson Casavant

This weekend the documentarian as activist was discussed at “Envision: Addressing Global Issues Through Documentaries,” an event presented by the IFP and UN and hosted by The New York Times at The Times Center. In her introductory remarks, IFP Executive Director Joanna Vicente pledged that the program, now in its second year, would continue to use the UN’s Millennium Development Goals as its focal point and praised the program for attempting to “envision a better world for all and achieving that through media.” It was a sentiment echoed by Kiyoa Akasaka, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, who professed […]

By Mary Anderson Casavant on Jul 13, 2010 Festivals & Events
Inside Envision: Jennifer Arnold’s A Small Act

Presented by the IFP and UN, Envision is a daylong program dealing with the addressing of global issues through documentary. It takes place Saturday, July 10, and you can learn more here. Jennifer Arnold’s A Small Act is one of two features that will be screened at the event. As an impoverished boy in Kenya, Chris Mburu received the fortune of one person’s small donation. When WWII-survivor Hilde Back anonymously sponsored an African child’s education, Chris not only went through school but also became a Harvard-educated human rights lawyer for the UN, all unbeknownst to Hilde. So inspired, Chris and […]

By Mike Plante on Jul 8, 2010 Festivals & Events
SILVERDOCS WINNERS ANNOUNCED

AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival (held June 21 to 27) announced its distinguished winners. Best Feature directors receive $5,000. Best US Feature: WO AI NI MOMMY (I LOVE YOU, MOMMY) directed by Stephanie Wang-Breal, which documents eight-year-old Chinese Fang Sui Yong and her adoption by a Jewish couple from Long Island who name her “Faith.” The film follows Faith and her parents’ twist-and-turn journey over a year and a half. Best World Feature: THE WOMAN WITH THE 5 ELEPHANTS directed by Vadim Jendreyko, which chronicles eighty-five-year-old Svetlana Geier who has dedicated her life to language. Considered the greatest translator of […]

By Jaimie Stettin on Jun 30, 2010 Festivals & Events
LA FILM FEST WINNERS

The LA Film Festival (held June 17-27) announced its winners. The prize for Best Narrative Feature went to Danish director Pernille Fischer Christensen for A Family. The Documentary Award went to J. Clay Tweel for his doc Make Believe. Christensen and Tweel both receive $50,000. L.A. Film Festival winners (descriptions provided by the festival): Narrative Award (for Best Narrative Feature): A Family (En Familie) directed by Pernille Fischer Christensen (Denmark). The conflict between love and duty plays out in this stunning, award-winning saga about a successful Danish family that faces agonizing choices when its charismatic patriarch falls ill. Documentary Award […]

By Jaimie Stettin on Jun 30, 2010 Festivals & Events
SUNDANCE ANNOUNCES 2010 DOCUMENTARY FILM FELLOWS

The Sundance Institute announced its 12 Documentary Film Fellows and their five projects in the seventh Documentary Edit and Story Laboratory. Taking place from June 19-27 at a resort in Sundance, Utah, this Lab supports visionary filmmakers and their projects. Fellows are selected from a pool of 60 active, Sundance-funded documentary projects. Lab Fellows are: Ra’anan Alexandrowicz (Directing Fellow), Michael Collins (Directing Fellow), Heather Courtney (Directing Fellow), Ramona Diaz (Directing Fellow), Ron Goldman (Editing Fellow), Kyle Henry (Editing Fellow), Stephen Maing (Directing Fellow), Leah Marino (Editing Fellow), Eric Daniel Metzgar (Editing Fellow), Jonathan Oppenheim (Editing Fellow), Trina Rodriquez (Editing Fellow), […]

By Jaimie Stettin on Jun 25, 2010 Festivals & Events
SUNDANCE DIRECTOR’S LAB DIARY: SAODAT ISMAILOVA

The Sundance Director’s Lab is currently wrapping at the Sundance Institute in Utah, and we have two filmmakers blogging about their experience. First up is Uzbekistan writer/director Saodat Ismailova, whose project, 40 Days of Silence, is described like this: “Four generations of women under one roof in Uzbekistan look to each other for comfort as they try to overcome their destinies.” Yesterday, June 19th, the director’s lab came to the end. When I look back at the past three weeks of my life it already seems like it was more than a year ago… I will simply divide the process […]

By Scott Macaulay on Jun 24, 2010 Festivals & Events
SUNDANCE INSTITUTE UNVEILS SHORTSLAB: LA

The Sundance Institute has announced the inaugural Shortslab: LA, a three-part, all-day workshop that will offer filmmakers inside guidance through the development, production, and exhibition of short films. Shortlabs: LA will be held Saturday, July 31st at the Downtown Independent Theater (251 South Main Street) in Los Angeles. Tickets are $150. For information or to purchase tickets visit: www.sundance.org/shortslab Here is the workshop schedule: Story Development (9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.): Acclaimed filmmakers including Sundance Film Festival alumni share their experiences working with short-form during their careers. These tales from the trenches will focus on conceptualization and script development. Participants […]

By Jaimie Stettin on Jun 22, 2010 Festivals & Events
SUNDANCE INSTITUTE THEATRE LAB IN EAST AFRICA

This July 9-29, Sundance will debut its first Sundance Institute Theatre Lab East Africa on the island of Manda, off the coast of Kenya. This Lab, guided by Philip Himberg, Producing Artistic Director of Sundance Institute Theatre Lab, will help artists with the creative process and the development of their projects. Much like the Sundance Institute Theatre Lab, Sundance Institute East Africa will involve shared training and mentorship. According to Himberg, this East African partnership honors African cultural customs, but also breaks new grounds. Fellows and participants come from all over the region. 2010 Sundance Institute Theatre Lab in East […]

By Jaimie Stettin on Jun 17, 2010 Festivals & Events
2010 BROOKLYN INT’L FILM FEST WINNERS

The Brooklyn International Film Festival (BiFF) has announced its 2010 winners. The 13th annual BiFF ran from June 4th- 13th at indieScreen in Williamsburg and at Brooklyn Heights Cinema. Winners were selected from over 101 film film premieres. A total of $50,000 in prizes and services were awarded to the winners. Here is the list of awards: GRAND CHAMELEON AWARD THE MINUTEMEN MOVIE by Corey Wascinski Best Narrative Feature GABI ON THE ROOF IN JULY by Lawrence Michael Levine Best Documentary THE MINUTEMEN MOVIE by Corey Wascinski Best Narrative Short NAISSANCES by Anne Émond Best Animation SPUTNIK 5 by Susanna […]

By Jaimie Stettin on Jun 17, 2010 Festivals & Events

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