Movie Bits and Bits

Here are some mini-bits about some movies.

The Tempest by Julie Taymor. I do believe that Taymor movies are not for everyone much less when is based on a not so well-known Shakespeare play about love, vengeance and forgiveness but I believe that this is a fantastic adaptation to the big screen due to the amazing visuals and special effects plus great performance by Helen Mirren who plays Pospera, a role than in the original play is a man, Prospero. Movie is a bit too talkie for me but amazingly kept my total attention which happens not very often. Somehow believe movies like this make Shakespeare more accessible to general audiences, but unfortunately I know that general audiences won’t be attracted by film, which is true pity. Then those that like Shakespeare surely will not like movie, so I really wonder who the natural target of this great film is. I do recommend film to those that don’t mind very visual theatrical adaptations to the moving pictures. Enjoy!!!

Balada Triste de Trompeta (The Last Circus) by Alex de la Iglesia. Surely not for all audiences as this visually crazy with a crazier story film will not please many, but I found movie to be Brilliant!!! Not only made me recall Fellini but I found love story to be a satire of what happened in Spain during those times. Watch at your own risk, but if you enjoy Felliniesque visuals plus are familiar with Spain’s history then maybe you will like this really crazy movie. Enjoy!!!

Hanna by Joe Wright. Liked the story, liked Saorise Ronan performance as well as Cate Blanchett as a villain; but didn’t like the movie as I believe Wright messed up the storytelling, which is a true shame. Director is excellent for period dramas but when he comes to the present he seems to lose his magical touch. Enjoy.

A Religiosa Portuguesa (The Portuguese Nun) by Eugène Green. Movie has everything I like (very slow pace, nothing much happens, silences, very little dialogue, etc) but I couldn’t stand it, was impossible for me to finish watching. Sigh.

Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement by Susan Muska and Gréta Olafsdóttir. A documentary that tells the life of Edie and Thea; actually doc splendidly relates the love that these two women had for each other during 42 years, a story that culminates when finally they are able to get married. You will watch two remarkable ordinary women that lived their life against many odds. Strongly recommend to not miss this nice, very nice documentary. Enjoy!!!

Henry’s Crime by Malcom Venville. Surprisingly entertaining crime-romance-comedy film with very acceptable performances by Vera Farmiga, James Caan and one of my favorite actors Keanu Reeves in a role where he is forced to do his regular straight face acting but also goes to his more human smiling face and emotional acting, which is just great for me. Story is interesting especially because mirrors Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchad play. Great movie for when you feel like having a good entertaining moment. Enjoy!!

La Robe du Soir (The Evening Dress) by Myriam Aziza. Aziza’s debut is a film with striking photography and a not-so-usual story about a student/teacher crush. Juliette, a 12-year-old-girl, has a strong crush on her beautiful/sensual teacher Hélène; everything is fine until she notices that Hélène is paying too much attention to a male student. Story unravels in a sort of Fatal Attraction -French style, of course- that tests the limits of what should and should not be happening between students and teachers. As a matter of fact and according to what I read it was director’s intention to criticize the French education system. I don’t believe film is the usual lesbian interest film as even when the story morale is definitively lesbian, the way story unravels is not lesbian at all. Still film is excellent not only for its top tech specs but also for the unbelievably good performance by Alba Gaïa Kraghede Bellugi that plays Juliette. If you are like me that love excellent French cinema then this film is must be seen for you. Enjoy!!!

Ces amours-là (What War May Bring) by Claude Lelouch. Unfortunately terrible and misleading translation into English as film is nothing about war even when is set during WWII; this is a feminine saga told like perhaps only Lelouch can tell, a female drama during several decades, that revisits life in France, revisits French cinema and is all about love (French style). Not your regular entertainment fare even under French standards but film has a little bit of everything that has been great (and bad) in France. Most notable Anouk Aimée cameo, the passages from films by Gremillon, Fleming, and Carné; but Lelouch homage to Jean Gabin is really fantastic. Suited only for those that really love French cinema. Enjoy!!

The Adjustment Bureau by George Nolfi. Surprisingly good sci-fi entertaining movie especially when really film is all about love, which is surely the reason why so many disliked film as probably were expecting another Bourne-type story as Matt Damon is the star. So if you enjoy watching unusual love stories then give this movie a try and perhaps you will highly enjoy your entertaining moment. Enjoy!

Submarino by Thomas Vinterberg. Movie grabbed me since the very beginning up to the very end. While story is painful to watch film is truly mesmerizing thanks to great performances and the grim reality style. Not often I’m able to hypnotically watch a film about alcoholism, drug addiction, violence, mental illness, and many other not positive life situations, but film takes you by the hand and not fast-not slowly shows you the lives of those inevitably marked by what they had to live in their childhood. You’re the observer, they live, you feel; intense. Highly recommend it to those that enjoy excellent European cinema. Enjoy!!!

That is all.

Almost Summer Movie Bits

After Cannes I was left with an entertainment mood wishing to watch only irrelevant escape films that take me into fantasy land. So that’s exactly what I have been doing with a few exceptions. But I’m also in a 3D mood so for sure will go to watch not Pirates but the green movie that soon will open at a theater near you with none other than Ryan Reynolds and a story about my favorite super hero from when I was a kid.

Unknown – If you don’t expect much then this thriller will entertain you even when story is similar to many other stories –man hits head and not even wife recognizes him- but here the twist at the end is unexpected and unfortunately anticlimactic. Starring great Liam Neeson carrying the entire film well -but take note that this is NO great Taken- plus many other great actors like Bruno Ganz, Sebastian Koch, Frank Langella, Aidan Quinn, January Jones and Diane Kruger makes movie watchable and for a while you will surely forget everything about your real life. Enjoy!

Just Go with It – Expecting not much, movie really surprised me. First because I had no idea Nicole Kidman was here and much less that she was doing comedy. Second because movie is as good/entertaining as those movies with the Sandler/Barrymore duo. Third I had fun watching Jennifer Aniston, which is absolutely unusual. So if you liked movies like The Wedding Singer and/or 50 First Dates I know you will enjoy this movie. Enjoy.

Red Ridding Hood – Perhaps I really like Catherine Hardwicke filmmaking style with spectacular outdoor compositions and takes but to my huge surprise, I enjoyed this movie for the visuals and well the unusual take on the classic fairy tale. Some female critics are saying that this movie target is female teenagers, hmm… maybe but even if I’m no teen I can tell you I enjoy watching great Julie Christie in the screen –she should act more often- and the twisted story that kept me wondering who the werewolf was. No, didn’t guessed right, so was absolutely unexpected, which is also unusual for me. This is no horror movie or thriller, is more like a suspense “who dunnit” kind of movie with spectacular visuals. Enjoy!!

Ilusiones Opticas (Optical Illusions) – When I finished watching this movie by Cristián Jiménez I said “is okay”. Not much time passed when I started to really think what I saw in the screen and then, story absolutely hit me hard, very hard. Movie is about “optical illusions” about what is crudely in front of you but you don’t chose to see it for whatever reason; so you create your fantasy to cover reality, to dream a dream of change, with a happier ending that never will be. Great story in a minimalist, narrative oriented film with some humor, some sadness, and some temporary happiness. If you decide to watch it you will not be disappointed. Enjoy!!!

Pa negre (Black Bread) - This Agustí Villaronga film tells about what lies can do to people, how one lie takes to another lie, how lies come from ignorance and from fear of what others could say if you admit truth, even when everybody else knows truth but chose to keep it silent or to forget about it, until truth comes out and everyone points fingers. Yes that’s what this entertaining movie is all about but using kids plus the harsh post-war years’ in Spain Catalan countryside makes what could have been a difficult-to-watch story into a more digestible story and an entertaining movie. Enjoy!!

Barney’s Version – Not sure what I was expecting from this movie, but surely wasn’t much as I don’t particularly like Paul Giamatti performances and much less, Scott Speedman; so when movie starts and goes to the past in Italy I almost stopped watching but decided to continue and I’m very glad as in the end, I liked this movie that tells the story of Barney Panofsky with his business successes, his female conquests –until he’s conquered by one woman- and his numerous failures. To me story and movie is a satire that pictures quite well the life of many men, a story that strongly resembles the life of many real life men that I know. An entertaining movie to escape reality while watching what could be reality to many. Enjoy!!

Ubiitsy (Killers) – This 1956 short film co directed by Andrei Tarkovsky when he was a student at VGIK absolutely is the best student film I have EVER seen. Is the last of Tarkovsky’s so reduced (11 titles) oeuvre that I had to see before I die or I decide to stop doing the blog. Now I can say that I have seen all his outstanding films and this short co directed with his student colleagues, with them acting, and with a scene with Tarkovsky acting is truly visual poetry even when is based on a short story by Hemingway about some killers that are in town to kill a man. If you love Tarkovsky’s work as much as I do, you have to watch this short film as well as the other 10 films he did. Truly Outstanding. BIG ENJOY!!!

El Sicario: Room 164 - A documentary that tells about the life (20 years) of a man as a highly trained Mexican narco hit man that will capture your attention not only because what he says but also for his multiple drawings while telling the most horrible stories of killings, kidnappings, torture and all the things he did while being trained, starting to work, becoming an expert and how he went into hiding, as now there is a contract on his life of US$250,000. You will not see a thing but you will hear everything, which I believe makes it more ice-cold terrific. Still, is mesmerizing until the very not-expected end that is totally anti-climatic and ruined the doc for me. Watch at your own risk. Enjoy!

El Infierno (Hell) – Actually watched this film before watching the above documentary and definitively was the reason why I decided to watch El Sicario as wanted to learn more about narco’s life as with this movie you get a satiric approach, which is very entertaining and definitively succeeds in getting you to think about this theme that you hardly think about it in your everyday life. As mentioned in other post, film is good as humor facilitates watching everything; but when you live or have lived in Mexico or any other country where chaos is real, film definitively is must be seen to realize that after all whatever is happening in Mexico -and many other similar countries- is consequence of many years, hundreds of years, where citizens indifference –and participation- have made everything possible as they did before, are doing today and unfortunately will continue to do tomorrow. According to what I read –and I agree- many films released for Mexico’s bicentennial celebration tell so many dark truths that makes many wonder if there is something to celebrate as “nothing has changed much” after 200 years. Enjoy!!!

Surely I’m forgetting some films, but this is it for today!

Cheers!

53rd Ariel Awards

A while back the Mexican Academy had their award ceremony where the narco-themed satire El Infierno (Hell) swept the awards by winning nine top film prizes, including best picture and director. I have seen the movie -that was released under Mexico’s Bicentennial celebrations- and is a dark comedy that precisely because the humor is able to tell and show many crude “realities” about what’s happening in Mexico with the narco, the government, and perhaps most of all its citizens. It’s a film that many should watch, especially if you live in a country where citizens indifference facilitates chaos.

Here are nominations with winner in (*) BLUE for some categories.

Best Film
Abel, Diego Luna
Chicogrande, Felipe Cazals
(*) El Infierno (Hell), Luis Estrada

Best First Film
Alamar, Pedro Gonzalez Rubio
(*) Año Bisiesto (Leap Year), Michael Rowe
La Mitad del Mundo, Jaime Ruiz Ibáñez

Best Director
Diego Luna for Abel
Felipe Cazals for Chicogrande
(*) Luis Estrada for El Infierno

Best Actress
Karina Gidi in Abel, Diego Luna
(*) Mónica Del Carmen in Año Bisiesto (Leap Year), Michael Rowe
Maricel Alvares in Biutiful, Alejandro González Iñárritu
Ursula Pruneda in Las Buenas Hierbas (The Good Herbs), María Novaro

Best Actor
Javier Bardem in Biutiful, Alejandro González Iñárritu
(*) Damián Alcázar in El Infierno (Hell), Luis Estrada
Demián Bichir in Hidalgo, la Historia Jamás Contada, Antonio Serrano
Hansel Ramírez in La Mitad del Mundo, Jaime Ruiz Ibáñez

Best Iberoamerican Film
El Hombre de al Lado (The Man Next Door), Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat, Argentina
(* Tie) José Martí: el ojo del canario, Fernando Pérez, Cuba
(* Tie)También la lluvia (Even the Rain), Iciar Bollaín, Spain

To check nominations in all categories go here and for all winners go here.

Many were wondering why the movie that was submitted to 2011 Oscar was not even nominated in top categories, but some of us know that Mexico politics are not always clear not only in the Country but also in cinema circles. Anyway if you wish to understand better what’s going on in Mexico, then El Infierno should be must be seen for you.

64th Festival de Cannes Award Winners

With a “Blue Screen of Death” in the middle of the broadcast I watched the live Cannes 2011 ceremony (yay!), I’m so glad to have a fast, lean, clean machine that starts again FAST! Ceremony was fast, which is very welcomed by everyone. So, here are ALL the Cannes 2011 winners.

Main Competition

Palme d’Or: The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick, USA

Grand Prix (tie): Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia), Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Le Gamin au Vélo (Boy with a Bike), Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Belgium, France and Italy

Jury Prize:Polisse, Maïwenn, France

Best Director: Nicolas Winding Refn for Drive, USA
Best Screenplay:Joseph Cedar for Hearat Shulayim (Footnote), Israel

Best Actress: Kirsten Dunst in Melancholia, Lars Von Trier, Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany and Italy
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin in The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius, France

Honorary Palm d’Or: Bernardo Bertolucci and Jean-Paul Belmondo

Camera d’Or: Las Acacias, Pablo Giorgelli, Argentina and Spain (from La Semaine de la Critique)

Short Films
Palme d’Or: Cross (Cross-Country), Maryna Vroda, France and Ukraine
Special Mention: Badpakje 46 (Swimsuit 46), Wannes Destoop, Belgium

Un Certain Regard

Un Certain Regard Prize (tie): 아리랑 Arirang, Kim ki-duk, South Korea and Halt Auf Freier Strecke (Stopped on Track), Andreas Dresen, Germany
Jury Prize: Elena, Andrei Zvyagintsev, Russia
Best Director: Mohammad Rasoulof for Bé Omid é Didar (Good Bye), Iran

Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (Directors’ Fortnight)

Label Europa Cinemas: Atmen (Breathing), Karl Markovics, Austria
Art Cinema Award: Les Géants, Bouli Lanners, Belgium, France and Luxembourg
Prix SACD: Les Géants, Bouli Lanners, Belgium, France and Luxembourg
Séance "Coup de coeur": Play, Ruben Östlund, Sweden, France and Denmark
Carrosse d'Or: Jafar Panahi

Semaine de la Critique (Critic's Week)

Feature Films
Grand Prize: Take Shelter by Jeff Nichols, USA
Special Mention of the President: Snowtown by Justin Kurzel, Australia
SACD Prize: Take Shelter by Jeff Nichols, USA
ACID/CCAS Support: Las Acacias, Pablo Giorgelli, Argentina and Spain
OFAJ (Very) Young Critic Award: Las Acacias, Pablo Giorgelli, Argentina and Spain
Grand Rail d’Or: Las Acacias, Pablo Giorgelli, Argentina and Spain

Short Films
Best Short: Blue, Stephan Kang, New Zealand
Special Mention: Alexis Ivanovitch vous êtes mon héros, Guillaume Gouix, France
Discovery Award: Dimanches, Valérie Rosier, Belgium
Petit Rail d’Or: Junior, Julia Ducournau, France

Cinéfondation

First Prize: Der Brief (The Letter), Doroteya Droumeva, Germany,
Second Prize: Drari, Kamal Lazraq, France
Third Prize: Ya-Gan-Bi-Hang (Fly By Night), Son Tae-gyum, South Korea

To read award winners plus info about each film please go here.

Collateral Awards

FIPRESCI Awards
Main Competition: Le Havre, Aki Kaurismäki, Finland, France and Germany
Un Certain Regard: L'Exercice de l'Etat (The Minister), Pierre Schoeller, France
Semaine de la Critique: Take Shelter by Jeff Nichols, USA

Ecumenical Jury Award: This Must Be the Place, Paolo Sorrentino, Italy, France and Ireland
Special Mention: Le Havre, Aki Kaurismäki, Finland, France and Germany and Wo Hallah La Wen? (Where Do We Go Now?), Nadine Labaki, Lebanon and France

Prix de la Jeunesse: La Piel Que Habito (The Skin I Live In), Pedro Almodóvar, Spain
Prix du Jeune Regard: Martha Marcy May Marlene, Sean Durkin, USA

Queer Palm: Skoonheid (Beauty), Olivier Hermanus, South Africa, France and Germany (gay interest)

Prix François Chalais: Wo Hallah La Wen? (Where Do We Go Now?), Nadine Labaki, Lebanon and France
Special Mention: Bé Omid é Didar (Good Bye), Mohammad Rasoulof, Iran

Prix France Culture Cinema Award: Céline Sciamma and Alexandre Astruc
MEDIA European Talent Prize: Virág Zomborácz (Hungary) and Hanna Sköld (Sweden)
Chopard Newcomers: Astrid Bergès-Frisbey and Niels Schneider

Palm Dog: Uggy in The Artist
Jury Grand Prix: Laika in Le Havre

Le Festival de Cannes c'est fini ... à l’année prochaine!!!

2011 Cannes Queer Palm Award Winner

So perhaps my gaydar is not rusty (or should I say my movie gaydar?) as the ONLY movie that I discover as really having LGBT interest is the winner of the 2011 Queer Palm. Hmm, still have to watch films that were considered but from what I leaned from each film LGBT interest is marginal to story and/or is related to secondary characters.

There are two exceptions, one is the film that there was no available info or meaningful trailer, Michael, and it wasn't after was screened that we learned what was all about. Similar situation happened for the second, Snowtown. As we know now both films are not what we can call a positive representation of LGBT relations/lifestyle that awards similar to this one honor. Still, if now I think about the film that was honored last year, Kaboom -which I already saw- wasn't also a positive portrait ... so, don't really know what organizers honor with this award.

Nevertheless, this year the Queer Palm goes to a clearly gay interest film.

Skoonheid (Beauty), Olivier Hermanus, South Africa, France and Germany

Film was part of Cannes Official Selection and was screened in the Un Certain Regard section; I hope film is as interesting as what I learned promises because I'll watch film.


This year the Queer Palm site was sort of abandoned and better coverage came from French LGBT sites, I hope that this improves next year as I really want this award to consolidate as a desired award that filmmakers are interested in winning, just like happens with the Teddy. Last, today we know the winner but still have no clear idea about which films were considered for the award.

If you wish to read the news at a French site please go here.

Found the reason why movie was chosen:

“We have been deeply impressed by a movie which comes from a country of the “Cine-World” as [French, daily newspaper] Libération would say, a country which remains to be explored: South Africa. The movie takes place in a background which is the white, straight, religious middle class, that is the ruling class of the country. This is a portrayal of a man, a family man, being confronted to his profound desire and being unable to accept it. It’s a film about self-hatred and a film about homophobia, as well as a film dealing with racism, in a very subtle way. It is a true cinema film, a quite unpleasant one at first sight, and very disturbing, hard-hitting, radical. We are honored and delighted to award the 2011 Queer Palm to “Skoonheid” (Beauty) by Oliver Hermanus.”

To read at official site go here.

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2011 Cannes Queer Palm Lineup

4/22/11

Perhaps my gaydar is rusty but I found one gay interest film in all the selections and was hoping that one film was lesbian interest but according to Queer Palm organizers there are ten films that can be considered for this award and unfortunately the one I was hoping in the lesbian interest is not there.

These are the films to be considered for the award during the second edition of the Queer Palm.

Busong (Palawan Fate), Auraeus Solito, Philippines
Chatrak (Mushrooms), Vimukthi Jayasundara, India and France
Des Jeunes Gens Mödernes, Jérôme de Missolz, France and Belgium
La Guerre est déclarée, Valérie Donzelli, France (maybe with lesbian interest??!! Yes in secondary characters)
La Piel Que Habito (The Skin I Live In), Pedro Almodóvar, Spain
My Little Princess, Eva Ionesco, France
Skoonheid, Olivier Hermanus, South Africa, France and Germany (gay interest)
Snowtown, Justin Kurzel, Australia
Walk away Renée, Jonathan Caouette, USA, France and Belgium (gay interest)

Also considering O Abismo Pratedo by Karim Aïnouz, Brazil but I imagine that only after watching film will confirm if is eligible or not. Also in the selection a film from the independent cinema selection (L’Acid): Gatos Viejos (Old Cats), Sebastian Silva and Pedro Peirano, Chile which is with lesbian interest!!!

To read about each movie you have to open the complete guide and browse it; guide is here available in French and English, but be careful as the English version has several mistakes.

Jury
President: Elisabeth Quin, Journalist/writer, France
Marie Comant, Journalist, France
Gerard Lefort, Film critic, France
Thomas Abeltshauser, Journalist/film critic, Germany
Fred Arends, Pink Screens Film Festival programmer/journalist/film critic, Belgium
Esther Cuénot, Co founder of Quinzaine de cinema LGBT or Cinemarges Festival, France
Roberto Schinardi, Journalist/film critic, Italy

To learn more about each of the juror go here.

With a few exceptions, the movie descriptions included in the guide are as ambiguous as the ones I have read, so the only way we could be sure is after someone has seen the films. Almodovar has been so mysterious about this movie that no one is really sure if movie will have some LGBT interest and just because is Almodovar I don’t want to assume that film will be eligible, but he’s one of my favorite directors so all his films are must be seen for me no matter the story. The same applies to Isabelle Huppert movies, so if My Little Princess has some LGBT interest will be a tiny plus but I’ll watch movie for her performance and the puzzling story.

Most interesting is that organizers are planning to have Le Marché Queer Palm to promote LGBT filmmakers and films. The market will not be open this year but already started planning for the 2012 edition, so if my filmmakers friends are interested go here to find the formats to be used to register feature films, short films, screenplays and/or synopsis (depending of the stage of your project).

Also on May 17 the film Illegal Love by Julie Gali will be screened to celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia. Closing ceremony will be on May 21st. Still pending the short films that are eligible and they have announced one juror for the short film competition: Joao Pedro Rodrigues; as soon as there more info available will modify post.

Honestly I’m still not sure how many films will be eligible for this year award but I hope that the Queer Palm second edition will be successful and most important, sets strong basis for improvement in future editions so eventually will become a respected and desired award, just like the Belinale’s Teddy Award.

Read synopsis, watch photos and some trailers @MOC

Day 11 at Cannes 2011

Tomorrow is the last day. Sigh. By now there are many press people that have seen the Palm d’Or winner as have seen the 20 films in competition, the question is which one will be chosen by the Jury? Have to admit that’s an eclectic jury, but today is the day that will try to guess with some objectivity. Still today is a great day as there are several films that absolutely are must be seen for me.

Main Competition

Another of the most awaited films by me, Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia) by one of my favorite directors, Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Have to accept that his previous film was less enjoyable than previous but from trailers –and first comments- film has to be visually stunning.

Not only has a Romanian director but also one actress I love to watch in the screen so is no surprise that La Source des Femmes (The Source) by Radu Mihaileanu is a must be seen movie for me.

Out of Competition

The red carpet will be tomorrow with the closing ceremony, but since today film will be screened and the photocall has amazing photos let’s talk today about Les Bien-aimés (The Beloved) by Christophe Honoré starring “La Reine” Catherine Deneuve, the divine Ludivine Sagnier, very hansome Louis Garrel, and looking each day more like his father, Chiara Mastroianni. Absolutely must be seen for me and wait will be very hard to endure.

Un Certain Regard

Since amazing Izgnanie (The Banishment) Adrei Zvygintsev became an almost perfect storyteller and filmmaker as film had great story with mesmerizing visuals; a while back learned that he has released a third film (first was amazing The Return), Elena and certainly was very glad that film became the closing film in this section as assures me that there is the possibility of faster movie release so the wait becomes shorter. I recognize his particular style in movie photos and let’s hope that story will be as engaging as in his previous two feature films.

Will publish awards before this post as I’m learning winners via twitter, but will wait for official news to publish post.

Cannes Classics

Today a medium-length film, Le Rideau Cramoisi (The Crimson Curtain) by Alexandre Astruc, a director that had a big influence on the Nouvelle Vague. Screening will have the presence of the director and great Anouk Aimée who is the star in film that no have not seen it but yes, of course will love to see film.

Short Films

Today the screening of all the shorts in competition, if you wish to learn the shorts please go here.

Not a bad day at all; yes the last day with film screenings is today, so this is my last daily post.  Tomorrow we will be anxiously waiting for the awards that hope to be able to follow live on TV and/or twitter.

News

Céline Sciamma and Alexandre Astruc were honored with the Prix France Culture Cinema 2011 in a ceremony at the Majestic Barrière. Awards were given by Yasmina Réza, president of this year edition. As noted above Astruc is also honored today at Cannes Classics and Sciamma is very well known in this blog for her extraordinary debut film Naissance des Pieuvres (Water Lilies) that was at 2007 Cannes in the Un Certain Regard, winning in 2008 the prestigious Prix Louis Delluc, and her second film released just last April in France, Tomboy was the winner of the 2011 Teddy Jury Award; obviously all her films were, are and will be must be seen for me.

My Best Guesses

Palm d’Or will go to… Hazanavicius OR Aki (the first if certain jury group prevails and the second if they’re really unanimous). But deep in my heart I wish this could be the Almodovar year, sigh.

But I know that movies by Hazanavicius, Kaurismäki, Dardenne Bros, Almodovar, and Sorrentino will get one of the many awards.

Photos

Today photos from films that are Must Be Seen for me: Les Bien-aimés, La Source des Femmes, and Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da

64th Festival de Cannes Un Certain Regard Award Winners

I’m starting post with info from twitter that’s just pouring, but will not publish until awards are posted at the official site; still I’m getting info from the official festival twitter feed.

Here are the winners that Emir Kusturica and his jury selected for this year.

Un Certain Regard Prize (tie):
아리랑 Arirang, Kim ki-duk, South Korea
Halt Auf Freier Strecke (Stopped on Track), Andreas Dresen, Germany

Jury Prize: Elena, Andrei Zvyagintsev, Russia

Best Director: Mohammad Rasoulof for Bé Omid é Didar (Good Bye)

FIPRESCI Award: L'Exercice de l'Etat (The Minister), Pierre Schoeller, France

To read official press release please go here.Very pleased with winners as almost all -except one- are films that I have to watch and definitively will watch.

The Un Certain Regard Award Winners and the Jury