60th San Sebastian International Film Festival News

This year the fest reaches a milestone with the celebration of the 60th edition, making it what seems to be the oldest (*) while being the most prestigious festival in the Spanish-speaking world. The fest is the fourth largest in Europe after Venice, Cannes and Berlin.

To honor their anniversary here is a brief fest history.

This year the Festival will be celebrating its 60th consecutive edition with the same enthusiasm felt the day it first saw the light on September 21st 1953. Conceived as an International Film Week for the purpose of screening and marketing films, it was not long before the FIAPF (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films) or IFFPA in English, granted it B status (non-competitive), thanks to the success of its first edition. A year later it was called the International Film Festival, and in 1955 the IFFPA recognized the festival as competitive, specializing in color films. In other words, it could now grant official prizes. This marked the emergence of the "Concha", or shell - at the time only awarded in silver - determined by an international jury.

In 1957 the festival was granted "A" status and the Shell awarded in the main categories turned to gold. The festival symbols became increasingly recognizable, as did the direction the festival was aiming for and still strives for to this day. That is, a tendency towards liberalization, shying away from the corseted censorship of the past, still alive today. The festival's primordial role is to serve as a showcase for each year's most disquieting and innovative films.

Today, the Company FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE CINE DE DONOSTIA-SAN SEBASTIÁN is made up in equal parts of the City Council of Donostia-San Sebastian, the Basque Government, the Gipuzkoa Regional Government and the Ministry of Culture, and the chairmanship is held by the Mayor of Donostia-San Sebastian, Mr. Juan Karlos Izagirre. In 2011 José Luis Rebordinos became the director of the festival after being a member of its Management Committee for the previous 15 years.

The 2012 Edition

The festival will run from September 21 to 29 and some films have been already announced but will post lineup when all films are published at the fest official site. While we wait, let's review what festival sections are all about.

Official Selection
A selection of feature films produced worldwide over the year, not yet screened, that meet the conditions established by the FIAPF for festivals classified as “competitive non-specialized”.

New Directors
An international competition for first and second works by their directors. All are examples of the most recent in not-yet-released film production worldwide.

Zabaltegi
An open, heterogeneous section showcasing the biggest and best movies of the year; has two sections.
Zabaltegi Pearls
A selection of the year’s biggest films including some already presented at other festivals.
Zabaltegi Specials
A hugely varied selection of proposals not bound by format, genre or length, where strong cinematic interest prevails.

Horizontes Latinos
A competition between the most interesting Latin American features of the year not previously screened in Spain.

Made in Spain
Non-competitive selection showcasing Spanish films of the year, including productions previously premiered or not in Spain. The Festival offers these films an excellent international launch-pad.

Zinemira
A section on Basque film with the following subsections: Zinemira Premieres (Selection of world premieres mainly produced in the Basque Country), Zinemira Panorama (Overview of the best Basque films of the year), Zinemira Kimuak (selection of Basque short films), Zinemira Works Restored by the Basque Film Library.

Culinary Zinema
Section created in collaboration with the Berlin International Film Festival and jointly organized with the Basque Culinary Center to unite cinema, gastronomy and activities related to food in education, science and agriculture. This section offers a non-competitive selection of gastronomy-related films accompanied by themed dinners.

Velodrome
A hugely popular section screening big premieres to packed sessions in a cinema with seating for an audience of 3,000, cutting-edge screening systems and a giant 400 m² screen. Every morning, the Velodrome is set aside for a kids’ audience. Thanks to an agreement with Basque primary and secondary schools, the Velodrome offers an exclusive programme treating schoolchildren to a film in Basque on the giant screen.

Movies for Kids
A non-competitive section with film premieres specially chosen for younger audiences.

International Film Students Meeting
The meeting gathers students from film schools all over the world to attend screenings of their previously selected shorts, discussions and master classes given by industry professionals. A competition between the short films presented at the meeting will also be called where a student jury, chaired by a prestigious filmmaker, will choose the winner of the Panavision Award and the Agencia Freak Award. The jury will similarly decide the names of the three directors given the opportunity to participate in the Short Film Corner at Cannes.

Retrospectives.
Already announced the Classic retrospective for French filmmaker Georges Franju.
Thematic retrospective will be on New American Comedy with a cycle that includes 20 titles.
Thematic retrospective to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Films in Progress section and Ten Years with Latin American Cinema that will showcase 18 titles from among all those screened at festival during these 10 years

As has become a tradition the fest has very colorful posters for each of its sections and this year perhaps the one that stands among all is the Thematic Retrospective. In Progress. Ten Years with Latin American Cinema section that has an outstanding photo from the film Norteado by Rigoberto Pérezcano. Also is "interesting" that two posters have been released for the New Directors section, one for male directors and other for female directors. These are some of the 2012 posters.

(*)Was not able to confirm from reliable sources if the fest is the oldest in the Spanish-speaking world; but as far as I was able to read, in the Spanish-speaking world there is NO other festival founded before 1953, so probably it is.

65th Locarno Film Festival Award Winners

This year I followed the fest with their mobile apps as well as with the social sites plus the official site; even do they implemented an extensive internet strategy, I believe that they somehow forgot about making more accessible the fest info as the only way you could see the competition and other sections list was with an arid .pdf file. Hope next year they come back to a more user friendly format with info available in a more traditional way. Sigh.

Today the fest had their awards ceremony and here are the winners that you can check at the official site here.

International Competition

Golden Leopard for Best Film: La Fille de Nulle Part (The Woman from Nowhere), Jean-Claude Brisseau, France

Special Jury Prize: Somebody Up There Likes Me, Bob Byington, USA
Silver Leopard for Best Director: Ying Lian for Wo Hai You Hua Shuo (When Night Falls), South Korea and China
Silver Leopard for Best Actress: An Nai in Wo Hai You Hu Shuo (When Night Falls), Ying Liang, South Korea and China
Silver Leopardfor Best Actor: Walter Saavel in Der Glanz des Tages (The Shine of Day), Rainer Frimmel and Tizza Covi, Austria

Special Mention: To the extraordinary character CANDY from the film A Última Vez Que Vi Macau (The Last Time I Saw Macao), João Pedro Rodrigues and João Rui Guerra da Mata, Portugal and France due to her powerful presence through absence which resonated for the Jury as representing the immense courage of Portuguese cinema in times when the failures of government and social systems threaten the cinematic arts worldwide.

Cineasti del Presente (First or second film)

Golden Leopard: 祈 Inori, Pedro González-Rubio, Japan
Best Director: Joel Potrykus for Ape, USA
Special Jury Prize: Not In Tel Aviv, Nony Geffen, Israel
Special Mention: Tectonics, Peter Bo Rappmund, USA

Opera Prima

Best First Feature: Ji Yi Wang Zhe Wo (Memories Look At Me), Song Fang, China
Special Mention: Ape by Joel Potrykus, USA

Other Awards
Audience Award: Lore, Cate Shortland, Germany, Australia and UK
Variety Piazza Grande Award: Camille Redouble, Noémie Lvovsky, France

Independent Juries Awards

FIPRESCI Prize: Leviathan, Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor, UK, France and USA
CICAE: Museum Hours, Jem Cohen, Austria and USA

FICC/IFFS Prize: Der Glanz des Tages (The Shine of Day), Rainer Frimmel and Tizza Covi, Austria
Special Mention: Leviathan, Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor, UK, France and USA

Ecumenical Prize: Une Estonienne à Paris (A Lady In Paris), Ilmar Raag, France, Estonia and Belgium
Special Mention: Der Glanz des Tages (The Shine of Day), Rainer Frimmel and Tizza Covi, Austria

Junior Jury Awards
First Prize: Startlet, Sean Baker, USA
Second Prize: Mobile Home, François Pirot, Belgium and Luxembourg
Third Prize: Compliance, Craig Zobel, USA
Environment is Quality of Life Prize: The End of Time, Peter Mettler, Switzerland and Canada
Special Mentions
Image Problem, Simon Baumann and Andreas Pfiffner, Switzerland
Berberian Sound Studio, Peter Strickland, UK, Germany and Australia

Cinema & Gioventù Jury Prize - Concorso Cineasti del presente: Boa Sorte, Meu Amor (Good Luck, Sweetheart), Daniel Aragao, Brazil

Semaine de la Critique: Vergis Mein Nicht, Davic Sieveking, Germany
Premio Zonta Club Locarno: Dance of Outlaws, Mohamed El Baoudi, Finland and Norway

Pardi di Domani (Short Films)

International Competition
Golden Pardino -Best Short Film: The Mass of Men, Gabriel Gauchet, UK
Silver Pardino: Yaderni Wydhody (Nuclear Waste), Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy, Ukraine
Special Mention: Los Retratos (Portraits), Iván D. Gaona, Colombia
Locarno short film nominee for the European Film Awards: Back of Beyond, Michael Lennox, UK
The Film und Video Untertitelung Prize: O Que Arde Cura (As Flames Rose), João Rui Guerra da Mata, Portugal

National Competition
Golden Pardino - Best Swiss Short Film:  Radio-Actif (Radio-Active), Nathan Hofstetter, Switzerland
Silver Pardino: L'Amour Begue (Stammering Love), Jan Czarlewski, Switzerland
Premio Action Light for Best Swiss Newcomer: Il Vulcano (The Volcano), Alice Riva, Switzerland

Cinema & Gioventù Jury Prize - Pardi di domani
Best International Short Film: Back of Beyond, Michael Lennox, UK
Special Mention: Serce Do Walki, Tomek Matuszczak, Poland
Best Swiss Short Film: L'Amour Begue, Jan Czarlewski, Switzerland

To read all awards you have to download a .pdf file with the official selection plus the Independent Juries awards.

I'm a bit surprised with the top award as unless film is absolutely different to his previous films it's impossible for me to imagine how Jean-Claude Brisseau could win the top award at any festival. But there are a few interesting movies like Song Fang's Memories Look at Me produced by Jia Zhangke, the audience winner with a puzzling story that calls my attention, and Inori that I read a few days back that is produced by none other than Naomi Kawase with Mexican Pedro González-Rubio directing.

Magnifica Presenza

I have been enjoying Ferzan Ozpetek movies since I discovered great Saturno Contro (Saturn in Opposition) and decided that I have to see everything done by him. But seems that now I have to be more careful as I can do a very brief review about his latest film: I did not like it at all and not even Elio Germano saves it. In this movie he really changed his style favoring something more commercial, mainstream which I do not enjoy.

Film tells about Pietro, a gay man, coming to Rome to pursue an acting career after his father death. In Rome rents an apartment in an old house and works as a croissant baker at night. He's a lonely guy that is obsessed with a guy he met just once three years ago (when he sees him, scene is quite good) but the twist in this movie is that he has to share the apartment with some ghosts that are a theatre company from the 1940's that still don't realize they're dead. So what started as a good plot up to the moment he meets the guy he's obsessed with turns into a silly, mainstream bittersweet dramedy similar to many really cheesy films that populate Italian cinema.

As film became quite a box office success in Italy we have to imagine that Ozpetek will be prone to do more movies like this one, which is truly regrettable as he used to do extraordinary movies that explored human relationships in his very particular and outstanding way.

Can't recommend this movie and if you enjoyed Ozpetek movies in the past I suggest in the future to learn about movie before watching, which I highly dislike but will have to do if wish to continue watching his films.

Sigh.

Watch trailer @MOC

Babycall (The Monitor)

Another extraordinary performance by Noomi Rapace in the most nerve-wracking movie I have seen in years, I was so much into the movie that even forgot that I was watching Noomi which tells about how good an actress she is but also tells about how good the movie was constructed as starts quite slowly introducing the characters but as soon as the main character, Anna (Rapace), buys the baby monitor film spirals into turmoil where you don't know what is real and what is not. Fantastic.

All right, there is a moment where a key element becomes evident and I know most of you will guess right, but doesn't matter if you have been following what this movie could really be all about, which basically has absolutely nothing to do with the monitor, but with what Anna is feeling/living after ... what? You will not know until the very end that was kind of a downer as it was "spelled" for you.

But director and screenplay writer Pål Sletaune spiced his finale with a sideline story that makes congruent to close Anna story so literal and open the "other" story that was happening in front of you and perhaps you didn't notice that much. Then the "other" story of course is not closed and the open-end leaves you thinking a lot more about what was really happening in this movie. Brilliant.

Absolutely not a movie to relax as will crush your nerves and make you think a lot about what is happening while watching plus when is over the thinking or re-thinking starts and even do I read all over the net for someone that could give me some light about the "other" story and the "new" movie story in general, I was not able to find something. I'm exhausted from watching and thinking, which I find quite exciting as it's been a long while since a movie leaves me in this state of mind and yes, also body.

Somehow even when movies are quite different, this movie makes me think about Daisy Diamond but surely is because the intensity that Noomi Rapace gives to both lead characters is not only similar but the result is equal, excellence in performing. Still fact is that Babycall has the Nordic cold look and feel of Daisy Diamond, so if you liked the second surely will like this one.

As a movie has excellent production values, with some beautiful photography that allows you to pause for seconds, great performance by all the cast, and a hand that puts together quite effectively a complex story that, especially after reading reviews, can be so complex and thinking-consuming that seems most avoid doing it and satisfy themselves by seeing a regular American thriller story/movie with a predictable end, which in my opinion is not at all and suggest you do not think will be. Nevertheless Pål Sletaune twisted mastery takes us into a great, very complex, narrative and visual ride. Great and thank you Mr. Sletaune for the experience.

I highly recommend movie but if you enjoy American thrillers I strongly suggest to try to not think that this movie is alike, maybe then you will not only enjoy movie more but also will be able to tell me what the "other" story told at the very end changes everything we thought we saw. I have several ideas but there is not one that fully convinces/satisfies me.

Will leave you without telling what story is about, as this is the kind of movie where is better not to know much about it and hope I didn't gave away spoilers.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC (the trailer with English subtitles makes movie look like horror, which is not, suggest avoid watching it)

PS: left one interpretation as a comment, which is a major spoiler, so if you haven't seen the movie, please do not read it. Thanks.

69th Venice Film Festival by Countries

I really like this list as has movies in the fest by country, which is the way this blog is mainly organized, so decided to do this special post that is a copy and paste from the official site. List includes only films in the Official Selection, consequently films from Autonomous sections are not included.

As expected Italy has many entries (22) but to my surprise the country with most entries is France (25) then USA (16) is the third in the ranking. Somehow I wish that other festivals could do the same as makes it quite easy to see the "radiography" of the fest structure. By the way it also becomes easy to identify female directors.

ALBANIA
Daniele VICARI, La nave dolce (The Human Cargo) (Out Of Competition - Special Events)

ALGERIA
Djamila SAHRAOUI, Yema (Orizzonti)

ARGENTINA
Daniele INCALCATERRA, Fausta QUATTRINI El impenetrable (Out Of Competition - Special Events)
Jazmin LOPEZ, Leones (Orizzonti)

AUSTRALIA
Nick KING, Marla (Orizzonti short films)
Paola MORABITO, I’m the One (Orizzonti short films)
Kimble RENDALL, Shark (Bait 3D) (Out Of Competition)

AUSTRIA
Ulrich SEIDL, Paradies: Glaube (Paradise: Faith) (Venezia 69)

BELGIUM
Peter BROSENS, Jessica WOODWORTH, La cinquième saison (Venezia 69)
Frédéric FONTEYNE, Tango Libre (Orizzonti)
Xavier GIANNOLI, Superstar (Venezia 69)
Bertrand MANDICO, Living Still Life (Orizzonti short films)
Roberto MINERVINI, Low Tide (Orizzonti)

BRAZIL
Fernando CAMARGO, Matheus PARIZI, O Afinador (Orizzonti short films)

CHINA
Stephen FUNG, Tai Chi 0 (Out Of Competition)
LI Ruijun, Gaosu tamen, wo cheng baihe qu le (Fly with the Crane) (Orizzonti)

CZECH REPUBLIC
Jean-Pierre AMERIS, L’homme qui rit (Out Of Competition)

DENMARK
Susanne BIER, Den skaldede frisør (Love Is All You Need) (Out Of Competition)
Renate COSTA, Salla SORRI, Resistente (Orizzonti short films)
Tobias LINDHOLM, Kapringen (A Hijacking) (Orizzonti)

EGYPT
Ibrahim EL BATOUT, El Sheita Elli Fat (Winter of Discontent) (Orizzonti)

FINLAND
Renate COSTA, Salla SORRI, Resistente (Orizzonti short films)

FRANCE
Jean-Pierre AMERIS, L’homme qui rit (Out Of Competition)
Olivier ASSAYAS, Après Mai (Something in the Air) (Venezia 69)
Marco BELLOCCHIO, Bella Addormentata (Venezia 69)
Pascal BONITZER, Cherchez Hortense (Out Of Competition)
Simon BROOK, The Tightrope (Out Of Competition)
Peter BROSENS, Jessica WOODWORTH, La cinquième saison (Venezia 69)
Daniele CIPRÌ, È stato il figlio (Venezia 69)
Ivano DE MATTEO, Gli equilibristi (Orizzonti)
Brian DE PALMA, Passion (Venezia 69)
Noelle DESCHAMPS, Conteurs d’images (Venezia Classici - Documentary)
Frédéric FONTEYNE, Tango Libre (Orizzonti)
Xavier GIANNOLI, Superstar (Venezia 69)
Amos GITAI, Carmel (Out Of Competition - Special Events)
Amos GITAI, Lullaby To My Father (Out Of Competition)
Daniele INCALCATERRA, Fausta QUATTRINI, El impenetrable (Out Of Competition - Special Events)
Jazmin LOPEZ, Leones (Orizzonti)
Emilio MAILLÉ, Miradas Múltiples (La máquina loca) (Venezia Classici - Documentary)
Bertrand MANDICO, Living Still Life (Orizzonti short films)
Constance MEYER, Frank-Étienne vers la béatitude (Orizzonti short films)
Manoel de OLIVEIRA, O Gebo e a Sombra (Out Of Competition)
Djamila SAHRAOUI, Yema (Orizzonti)
Valeria SARMIENTO, Linhas de Wellington (Venezia 69)
Ulrich SEIDL, Paradies: Glaube (Paradise: Faith) (Venezia 69)
Yesim USTAOGLU, Araf (Araf - Somewhere in Between) (Orizzonti)
WANG Bing, San zimei (Three Sisters) (Orizzonti)

GERMANY
Haifaa AL MANSOUR, Wadjda (Orizzonti)
Brian DE PALMA, Passion (Venezia 69)
Leonardo DI COSTANZO, L’intervallo (Orizzonti)
Bertrand MANDICO, Living Still Life (Orizzonti short films)
Alex SCHMIDT, Du hast es versprochen (Forgotten) (Out of Competition)
Ulrich SEIDL, Paradies: Glaube (Paradise: Faith) (Venezia 69)
Yesim USTAOGLU, Araf (Araf - Somewhere in Between) (Orizzonti)

GREAT BRITAIN
Ramin BAHRANI, At Any Price (Venezia 69)
Bernard ROSE, Boxing Day (Orizzonti)

GREECE
Yorgos ZOIS, Titloi Telous (Out of Frame) (Orizzonti short films)

HONG KONG
WANG Bing, San zimei (Three Sisters) (Orizzonti)

INDIA
Mira NAIR, The Reluctant Fundamentalist (Out Of Competition)

IRAN
Kianoosh AYARI, The Paternal House (Orizzonti)

ISRAEL
Rama BURSHTEIN, Lemale Et Ha’Chalal (Fill the Void) (Venezia 69)
Amos GITAI, Carmel (Out Of Competition - Special Events)
Amos GITAI, Lullaby To My Father (Out Of Competition)
Idan HUBEL, Manatek Ha-Maim (The Cutoff Man) (Orizzonti)

ITALY
Marco BELLOCCHIO, Bella Addormentata (Venezia 69)
Simon BROOK, The Tightrope (Out Of Competition)
Mario CANALE, Felice FARINA, Mario GIANNI, Wilma LABATE, Annarosa MORRI, Monicelli. La versione di Mario (Venezia Classici - Documentary)
Liliana CAVANI, Clarisse (Out Of Competition - Special Events)
Daniele CIPRÌ, È stato il figlio (Venezia 69)
Francesca COMENCINI, Un giorno speciale (Venezia 69)
Adolfo CONTI, Gli anni delle immagini perdute (Venezia Classici - Documentary)
Ivano DE MATTEO, Gli equilibristi (Orizzonti)
Jonathan DEMME, Enzo Avitabile Music Life (Out Of Competition)
Leonardo DI COSTANZO, L’intervallo (Orizzonti)
Alessio GIANNONE, La sala (Orizzonti short films)
G. GIANNOTTI, D. SAVELLI, E. SALVATORI, Dai nostri inviati alla Mostra di Venezia (Venezia Classici - Documentary)
Silvia GIRALUCCI, Luca RICCIARDI, Sfiorando il muro (Out Of Competition - Special Events)
Amos GITAI, Carmel (Out Of Competition - Special Events)
Carlo MAZZACURATI, Medici con l’Africa (Out Of Competition - Special Events)
Roberto MINERVINI, Low Tide (Orizzonti)
Francesco PATIERNO, La Guerra dei vulcani (Venezia Classici - Documentary)
Pasquale SCIMECA, Convitto Falcone (Special Event)
Carlo SIRONI, Cargo (Orizzonti short films)
Monica STAMBRINI, Sedia Elettrica - Il making of di IO e TE (Venezia Classici - Documentary)
Daniele VICARI, La nave dolce (The Human Cargo) (Out Of Competition - Special Events)
Maurizio ZACCARO, Come voglio che sia il mio futuro? (Out Of Competition - Special Events)

JAPAN
Takeshi KITANO, Outrage Beyond (Venezia 69)
Kiyoshi KUROSAWA, Shokuzai (Penance) (Out Of Competition)
Koji WAKAMATSU, Sennen no Yoraku (The Millennial Rapture) (Orizzonti)

LUXEMBOURG
Frédéric FONTEYNE, Tango Libre (Orizzonti)

MEXICO
Carlos ARMELLA, Las manos limpias (Orizzonti short films)
Emilio MAILLÉ, Miradas Múltiples (La máquina loca) (Venezia Classici - Documentary)

NEPAL
Min BHAM, Bansulli (The Flute) (Orizzonti short films)

NETHERLANDS
Peter BROSENS, Jessica WOODWORTH, La cinquième saison (Venezia 69)
Jazmin LOPEZ, Leones (Orizzonti)

PAKISTAN
Mira NAIR, The Reluctant Fundamentalist (Out Of Competition)

PARAGUAY
Renate COSTA, Salla SORRI, Resistente (Orizzonti short films)

PHILIPPINES
Brillante MENDOZA, Sinapupunan (Thy Womb) (Venezia 69)

PORTUGAL
Manoel de OLIVEIRA, O Gebo e a Sombra (Out Of Competition)
Valeria SARMIENTO, Linhas de Wellington (Venezia 69)

RUSSIA
Lyubov ARKUS, Anton tut ryadom (Anton’s Right Here) (Out Of Competition - Special Events)
Alexey BALABANOV, Ja Tozhe Hochu (Me Too) (Orizzonti)
Kirill SEREBRENNIKOV, Izmena (Betrayal) (Venezia 69)

SAUDI ARABIA
Haifaa AL MANSOUR, Wadjda (Orizzonti)

SINGAPORE
Kimble RENDALL, Shark (Bait 3D) (Out Of Competition)

SOUTH KOREA
KIM Ki-duk, Pieta (Venezia 69)
YOO Min-young, Cho-De (Invitation) (Orizzonti short films)

SPAIN
Emilio MAILLÉ, Miradas Múltiples (La máquina loca) (Venezia Classici - Documentary)
Celia RICO CLAVELLINO, Luisa no está en casa (Orizzonti short films)

SWEDEN
Susanne BIER, Den skaldede frisør (Love Is All You Need) (Out Of Competition)

SWITZERLAND
Leonardo DI COSTANZO, L’intervallo (Orizzonti)
Amos GITAI, Lullaby To My Father (Out Of Competition)
Sophie HUBER, Harry Dean Stanton Partly Fiction (Venezia Classici - Documentary)

TAIWAN
TSAI Ming-liang, Jingang jing (Diamond Sutra) (Orizzonti short films)

TUNISIA
Hinde BOUJEMAA, Ya Man Aach (It Was Better Tomorrow) (Out Of Competition - Special Events)

TURKEY
Yesim USTAOGLU, Araf (Araf - Somewhere in Between) (Orizzonti)

UNITED STATES
Paul Thomas ANDERSON, The Master (Venezia 69)
Ramin BAHRANI, At Any Price (Venezia 69)
Jonathan DEMME, Enzo Avitabile Music Life (Out Of Competition)
Sophie HUBER, Harry Dean Stanton Partly Fiction (Venezia Classici - Documentary)
Harmony KORINE, Spring Breakers (Venezia 69)
Spike LEE, Bad 25 (Out Of Competition)
Jake MAHAFFY, Miracle Boy (Orizzonti short films)
Terrence MALICK, To the Wonder (Venezia 69)
Roberto MINERVINI, Low Tide (Orizzonti)
Mira NAIR, The Reluctant Fundamentalist (Out Of Competition)
Abdallah OMEISH, Witness: Libya (Out Of Competition - Special Events)
Robert REDFORD, The Company You Keep (Out Of Competition)
Bernard ROSE, Boxing Day (Orizzonti)
Henry-Alex RUBIN, Disconnect (Out Of Competition)
Michael SINGH, Valentino’s Ghost (Venezia Classici - Documentary)
Ariel VROMEN, The Iceman (Out Of Competition)

Enjoy!!!

69th Venice International Film Festival Lineup - Update

Today, August 7th, La Mostra announced the 18th film in competition and is none other than The Master by great Paul Thomas Anderson. Also announced today three more films in the out of competition and special event sections. The screening schedule will be online Wednesday, August 8th and will be checking to find if also includes info for films. To read the official announcement go here.

All four films are included in their respective sections.

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La Biennale will run at Venice Lido from August 29th to September 8th, directed by newly appointed Alberto Barbera.

On July 26 announced the lineup and after August 15 movie info will be available at the official site. Official Selection organizers viewed a total of 3,231 films of which 1,459 were feature films and 1,772 short films.

This is the complete lineup that includes the Official Selection as well as the Autonomous Sections.

Official Selection

Venezia 69 Competition

These are the seventeen (17) films announced in the press conference but there is one (1) more film that will be announced later for a total of 18 films in competition.

Après mai (Something in the Air), Olivier Assayas, France
At Any Price, Ramin Bahrani, USA
アウトレイジ ビヨンド Autoreiji: Biyondo (Outrage Beyond), Takeshi Kitano, Japan
Bella Addormentata (Dormant Beauty), Marco Bellocchio, Italy and France
È stato il figlio, Daniele Ciprì, Italy
Измена Izmena (Betrayal), Kirill Serebrennikov, Russia
La Cinquiéme Saison, Peter Brosens and Jessica Hope Woodworth, Belgium, Netherlands and France
למלא את החלל Lemale Et Ha'Chalal (Fill The Void), Rama Burshtein, Israel
Linhas de Wellington, Valeria Sarmiento, Portugal and France
Paradies: Glaube (Paradise: Faith), Ulrich Seidl, Austria, France and Germany
Passion, Brian de Palma, France and Germany
피에타 Pieta, Kim Ki-Duk, South Korea
Sinapupunan (Thy Womb), Brillante Mendoza, Philippines
Spring Breakers, Harmony Korine, USA
Superstar, Xavier Giannoli, France and Belgium
The Master, Paul Thomas Anderson, USA
To The Wonder, Terrence Malick, USA
Un Giorno Speciale, Francesca Comencini, Italy

Jury
President: Michael Mann, director, screenwriter, producer, USA
Marina Abramovic, artist and performer, Serbia
Laetitia Casta, actress, France
Peter Ho-Sun Cha, producer and director, Hong Kong
Ari Folman, director and screenwriter, Israel
Matteo Garrone, director, Italy
Ursula Meier, director, Switzerland
Samantha Morton, actress, UK
Pablo Trapero, director and producer, Argentina

Out of Competition

Festival Opening Film: The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Mira Nair, India, Pakistan and USA
Festival Closing Film: L'Homme Qui Rit (The Man Who Laughs), Jean-Pierre Améris, France and Czech Republic

Bad 25, Spike Lee, USA (documentary)
Cherchez Hortense, Pascal Bonitzer, France
Den skaldede frisør (Love is All You Need), Susanne Bier, Denmark and Sweden
Disconnect, Henry-Alex Rubin, USA
Du Hast es Versprochen (Forgotten), Alex Schmidt, Germany
Enzo Avitabile Music Life, Jonathan Demme, Italy and USA (documentary)
Lullaby To My Father, Amos Gitai, Israel, France and Switzerland (documentary)
O Gebo E A Sombra, Manoel de Oliveira, Portugal and France
Shark (Bait 3D), Kimble Rendall, Australia and Singapore
Shokuzai (Penance), Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Japan
Sur un fil (The Tightrope), Simon Brook, France and Italy (documentary)
Tai Chi 0, Stephen Fung, China
The Company You Keep, Robert Redford, USA
The Iceman, Ariel Vromen, USA

Out of Competition - Special Screenings
Anton Tut Ryadom (Anton's Right Here), Lyubov Arkus, Russia (documentary)
Clarisse, Liliana Cavani, Italy (documentary)
Carmel, Amos Gitai, Israel and France
Comme Voglio Che Sia Il Mio Futuro?, Maurizio Zaccaro, Italy
Convitto Falcone, Pasquale Simenca, Italy
El Impenetrable, Daniele Incalcaterra and Fausta Quattrini, Argentina and France (documentary)
La Nave Dolce, Daniele Vicari, Italy and Albania (documentary)
Medici con L'Africa, Carlo Mazzacurati, Italy (documentary)
Sfiorando Il Muro, Silvia Giralucci and Luca Ricciardi, Italy (documentary)
Witness: Libya, Abdallah Omeish, USA
Ya Man Aach (It Was Better Tomorrow), Hinde Boujemaa, Tunisia (documentary)

Orizzonti

Feature Films

Araf (Araf. Somewhere in Between), Yesim Ustaoglu, Turkey
Bellas Mariposas, Salvatore Mereu, Italy
Boxing Day, Bernard Rose, UK and USA
El Sheita Elli Fat (Winter of Discontent), Ibrahim El Batout, Egypt
Gao Tamen, Wo Cheng Baihe Qu Le (Fly With The Crane), Ruijun Li, China
Gli Equilibristi, Ivano de Matteo, Italy and France
Ja Tozhe Hochu (I Also Want It), Alexey Blabanov, Russia
Kapringen (A Hijacking), Tobias Lindholm, Denmark
Khanéh Pedari (The Paternal House), Kianoush Ayari, Iran
Leones, Jazmin Lopez, Argentina, France and Netherlands
L'Intervallo, Leonardo Di Costanzo, Italy, Switzerland and Germany
Low Tide, Roberto Minervini, USA, Italy and Belgium
Menatek Ha-Maim (The Cutoff Man), Idan Hubel, Israel
San Zi Mei (Three Sisters), Bing Wang, France, Hong Kong and China (documentary)
Sennen No Yuraku (The Millennial Rapture), Kôji Wakamatsu, Japan
Tango Libre, Frédéric Fonteyne, Belgium, France and Luxembourg
Wadjda, Haifaa Al Mansour, Saudi Arabia and Germany
Yema, Djamila Sahraqui, Algeria and France

Short Films

Closing Film: Diamond Sutra, Ming-Liang Tsai, Taiwan, 20'

Bansulli (The Flute), Min Bham, Nepal, 15'
Cargo, Carlo Sironi, Italy, 15'
Cho-De (Invitation), Min-Young Yoo, South Korea, 16'
Frank-Étienne vers la béatitude, Constance Meyer, France, 15' (Great cast!)
I'm The One, Paola Morabito, Australia, 14'
La Sala, Alessio Giannone, Italy, 16'
Las Manos Limpias, Carlos Armella, Mexico, 11'
Living Still Life, Bertrand Mandico, France, Belgium and Germany, 16'
Luisa no está en casa, Celia Rico Clavellino, Spain, 19'
Marla, Nick King, Australia, 15'
Miracle Boy, Jake Mahaffy, USA, 17'
O Afinador, Fernando Camargo and Matheus Parizi, Brazil, 15'
Resistente, Renate Costa and Salla Sorri, Denmark, Paraguay and Finland, 20'
Titloi Telous (Out of Frame), Yorgos Zois, Greece, 10'

Jury
President: Pierfrancesco Favino, actor, Italy
Sandra de Hammer, film critic and festival director, Netherlands
Runa Islam, visual artist, UK/Bangladesh
Jason Kliot, producer, USA
Nadine Labaki, director and actress, Lebanon
Milcho Manchevski, director, USA/Macedonia
Amir Naderi, director, Iran

Other sections in the Official Selection are 80! a retrospective section on rare films from the Biennale's Historical Archives and Venice Classics that screens a selection of restored classic films and documentaries. To check these sections go here.

Autonomous Sections

9th Giornate degli Autori - Venice Days

Official Selection

Acciaio, Stefano Mordini, Italy
Blondie, Jesper Ganslandt, Sweden
(*) Crawl, Hervé Lasgouttes, France
(*) Hayuta Ve Berl (Epilogue), Amir Manor, Israel
(*) Heritage (Inheritance), Hiam Abbass, France, Israel and Turkey
Il Gemello (The Triplet), Vicenzo Marra, Italy
Kinshasa Kids, Marc-Henri Wajnberg, Belgium and France
(*) Keep Smiling, Rusudan Chkonia, France, Georgia and Luxemburg
무게 Mooge (The Weight), Jeon Kyu-hwan, South Korea
Pinocchio, Enzo d'Alò, Italy, France, Belgium and Luxemburg
Queen of Montreuil, Solveig Anspach, France
Stories We Tell, Sarah Polley, Canada

Special Presentations

6 Sull'Autobus, Simone Dante Antonelli, Giacomo Bisordi, Rita de Donato, Irene di Lelio, Antonio Ligas, Emiliano Russo, Italy (Short Collection)
Bob Wilson's Life and Death of Marina Abramovic, Giada Colagrande, Italy
L'Uomo Che Amava Il Cinema, Marco Segato, Italy
Non Mi Avete Convinto. Pietro Ingrao, un eretico, Filippo Vendemmiati, Italy
Terra Matta. Il Novecento italiano di Vincenzo Rabito analfabeta siciliano, Constanza Quatriglio, Italy

Venice Nights (documentaries)

La Cose Belle, Agostino Ferrente and Giovanni Piperno, Italy
Francesco De Gregori - Finestre Rotte, Stefano Pistolini, Italy
Il Risveglio Del Fiume Segreto. In viaggio sul Po con Paolo Rumiz, Alessandro Scillitani, Italy
My Friend Johnny, Alessandra Cardone, Italy
Nozze D'Agosto, Andrea Parena, Italy
The Golden Temple, Enrico Masi, UK, France and Italy
Tralalà, Masbedo (ie Nicolo Massazza and Iacopo Bedogni), Italy

Women's Tales

The Powder Room, Zoe Cassavetes, Italy and UK
Muta, Lucrecia Martel, Argentina, Paraguay and Italy
The Woman Dress, Giada Colagrande, Italy and USA
It's Getting Late, Massy Tadjedin, USA and Italy
Meshes of the Afternoon, Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid, USA, 1943

Women's Tales screens four "short films" (long ads) sponsored by Miu Miu. Films are visually outstanding with crazy/wild stories. Watch the first three shorts at the MOC blog they are worth watching. The last short film is not an ad as is one of the most influential works in American experimental cinema and you can also watch complete short at MOC.

To check info about each film in this section go here where you also can check the films in the Cinema Corsaro section and the three (3) Lux Prize finalists.

27th Settimana Internazionale Della Critica - Venice International Film Critics Week

The 2012 selection includes seven (7) first time director’s full-length films from all over the world, plus two special events.

(*) Äta sova dö (Eat Sleep Die), Gabriela Pichler, Sweden
(*) La città ideale (The Ideal City), Luigi Lo Cascio, Italy
(*) Küf (Mold), Ali Aydin, Turkey and Germany
(*) O Luna In Thailandia (A Month in Thailand), Paul Negoescu, Romania
(*) No Quiero Dormir Sola (She Doesn't Want to Sleep Alone), Natalia Beristain, Mexico
(*) Welcome Home, Tom Heene, Belgium
(*) Xiao He (Lotus), Liu Shu, China

Out of Competition

Opening Film: Water, Nir Sa’ar, Maya Sarfaty, Mohammad Fuad, Yona Rozenkier, Mohammad Bakri, Ahmad Bargouthi, Pini Tavger, Tal Haring, Israel, Palestine and France

Closing Film: Kiss Of The Dammed, Xan Cassavetes, USA

To read info for each film go here.

(*) First Feature, competes for "Luigi De Laurentiis" award for a Debut Film. Please note that not all first feature films are known, will update as soon as info becomes available for the Official Selection.

Debut Film Jury
President: Shekhar Kapur, director and producer, India
Michel Demopoulos, film critic and historian, France/Greece
Isabella Ferrari, actress, Italy
Matt Reeves, film writer, director and producer, USA
Bob Sinclair, DJ and record producer, France

There are some very interesting films in the festival and the numerous sections, many are must be seen for me just because the director and/or the amazing cast that includes the likes of Isabelle Huppert, Noomi Rapace, Catherine Deneuve, Alba Rohrwacher, Hiam Abbass, Cecile De France, Gerard Depardieu, Marina Fois, Toni Servillo, Javier Bardem, and more. I believe that this year the fest has something for everyone and perhaps is true as I find it a lot more comprehensive and condensed with a wide selection of films from all over the world, especially when you include films from the autonomous sections.

For those following the circuit festivals "transformation" into becoming more "inclusive", La Mostra has many female directors including four (4) in the main competition. As soon as organizers announce the list of films that will compete for the 6th Queer Lion will publish them but from what I read today, spontaneously I couldn't identify any film with LGTB interest, unless Brian De Palma's remake goes more explicit than the original French film then there is one that will be in consideration. Seems info will be published after August 20th.

Think that will do a day by day coverage of festival hoping that will be more interesting than last year, soon we will find out how the new administration "improves" the oldest festival in the world.

Cheers!

Check some trailers -plus the short films- @MOC

Bumblefuck, USA

This is the kind of movie that I strongly suggest you read about it before watching as has a narrative style that is not easy to follow. As some of you know I don't like to read about movies before watching so almost stop watching as in the beginning narrative is so fragmented that I lost interest, but I kept watching as the little I knew about story kept me curious to find what this debut film by Aaron Douglas Johnston was all about. I'm glad I did as yes, eventually I got inside the movie, kept my interest and what I saw stayed for a long time after watching.

As there is not much info about the movie will share some info about the director that could help you to set your mind in the right direction to what you will see. Aaron Douglas Johnston was born and raised in Iowa, studied sociology in Oxford and Yale and found his way into filmmaking in Amsterdam where he has made numerous short films. So even when this movie is in English, set in an unnamed Iowa small town and telling an apparently American story, we can say that basically is not an American Indie as not only has a Dutch crew but style is definitively European and yes, is quite unconventional.

For starters film mixes narrative with documentary as includes interviews with real gay/lesbian people that live in Iowa. These people tell their real-life experiences and interviews are shown randomly along the movie. Then there is a very unconventional narrative that tells the story of Alexa and I say that's unconventional as is mainly told by images not dialogue making it not easy to follow in the beginning, but once you realize style becomes not only easier to follow but quite interesting. Still, I believe director should have worked better the editing to allow viewers to get inside movie faster.

Story is written by Johnston and Cat Smits, who is also the lead as she plays Alexa, and tells a compelling story about Dutch Alexa that takes a trip to a small Iowa town hoping to uncover the reasons that led her gay friend Matt to take his own life. In this quest she has intentions to make a film about what it must be like to be gay/lesbian in Bumblefuck, USA. Two key facts, movie name is slang to "in the middle of nowhere" and story is an homage to Johnston real-life cousin who committed suicide after coming out as gay in his Iowa hometown. So even when movie tells the story of Alexa actually is a vision of what is to be gay/lesbian in small town America, a theme that definitively hasn't been explored much in movies -at least without a crime committed- much less with a positive end and a non-commercial style.

But there is more to say about story. First it is important to have in mind that Alexa is Dutch and her background makes her have behaviors that are very far from small town Americans, especially her vision about life and sex. She might or might not find what led Matt to commit suicide but definitively she discovered more about herself than she could ever have imagined and is not about being lesbian, is about being a human being. Okay, I'm having trouble trying to tell what her story is all about and not telling spoilers, but will say that Alexa's story is absolutely with lesbian interest and is not the usual movie in the genre at all. One word of caution, film includes a scene of sexual assault which might not be suited for all genre viewers.

Definitively film is not simple and yes could be complex, not only because how story -or stories- is told but also for the style and even if at moments looks and feels like one of those not so successful lesbian interest European movies that try so hard to be art, in general movie as a movie is acceptable with above average production values, good performances and directing. But above all, movie is quite an unexpected cinematic experience that could stay with you for a while after finishing watching.

I believe movie is must be seen for those that like the lesbian interest genre but be prepared to see a very unusual narrative in the genre. Also film may be suited for gay viewers and yes, general adult audiences that like European arty films with unusual stories.

Film surprised me as never imagined from story, credentials and awful trailer that could be as interesting as it was; still, I do believe that if I had more and better information about movie I could have enjoyed film a lot more since the very beginning. Yes, I will watch it again as I'm sure will see details that I wasn't able to see before writing about it.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC