A pair of young adults sit on a rocky coast staring at the sun as it hovers on the horizon, casting an ochre glow over the landscape. They trade dreams, jokes and promises while smoking a joint. She teases him about being horny. He vows to break up with his girlfriend, so they no longer have to hide their relationship. Later, in bed, nestling into the grooves of each other’s bodies, they will excitedly murmur their visions of tomorrow.
None of their tomorrows comes true because the boy, Diddi (Baldur Einarsson), dies. On his way out of town, an explosion engulfs a tunnel in Reykjavik in flames, indiscriminately incinerating vehicles and bodies like his own. When the girl, Una (Elin Hall), hears the news, she is enveloped by a gutting despair.
Without ever working above a whisper, Runar Runarsson’s When the Light Breaks (Ljósbrot) finds distinctive and unexpectedly...
None of their tomorrows comes true because the boy, Diddi (Baldur Einarsson), dies. On his way out of town, an explosion engulfs a tunnel in Reykjavik in flames, indiscriminately incinerating vehicles and bodies like his own. When the girl, Una (Elin Hall), hears the news, she is enveloped by a gutting despair.
Without ever working above a whisper, Runar Runarsson’s When the Light Breaks (Ljósbrot) finds distinctive and unexpectedly...
- 5/16/2024
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On a streak like few other directors working today, Christian Petzold’s mesmerizing, humorous Rohmer-esque drama Afire was the finest film of last year. The German director is now swiftly beginning his next project, set to kick off production this spring.
Miroirs No. 3 will mark Petzold’s fourth collaboration with Paula Beer following Transit, Undine, and Afire. Beer will play “a young music student who has to restructure her life when her boyfriend dies in a car crash in the countryside,” Screen Daily notes in an update that it’s received funding from Germany’s Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, while also receiving backing from the state ministry for culture and media (Bkm) and script funding from the German Federal Film Board (Ffa).
The feature’s produced by Petzold’s production company Schramm Film Koerner Weber Kaiser. We also dug up an expanded, translated synopsis: “The young piano student Emily from Berlin is...
Miroirs No. 3 will mark Petzold’s fourth collaboration with Paula Beer following Transit, Undine, and Afire. Beer will play “a young music student who has to restructure her life when her boyfriend dies in a car crash in the countryside,” Screen Daily notes in an update that it’s received funding from Germany’s Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, while also receiving backing from the state ministry for culture and media (Bkm) and script funding from the German Federal Film Board (Ffa).
The feature’s produced by Petzold’s production company Schramm Film Koerner Weber Kaiser. We also dug up an expanded, translated synopsis: “The young piano student Emily from Berlin is...
- 4/30/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Christian Petzold’s anticipated Miroirs No.3 and Kaouther Ben Hania’s epic love story Mimesi are among the 19 projects awarded a total funding of almost €3.5m by Germany’s Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (Mbb) at the second funding session of 2024.
Miroirs No.3 will star Paula Beer in her fourth collaboration with Petzold after Transit, Undine and Afire. She will play a young music student who has to restructure her life when her boyfriend dies in a car crash in the countryside.
The film, which is being produced by Petzold’s production company Schramm Film Koerner Weber Kaiser, received €500,000 in production funding from Mbb.
Miroirs No.3 will star Paula Beer in her fourth collaboration with Petzold after Transit, Undine and Afire. She will play a young music student who has to restructure her life when her boyfriend dies in a car crash in the countryside.
The film, which is being produced by Petzold’s production company Schramm Film Koerner Weber Kaiser, received €500,000 in production funding from Mbb.
- 4/30/2024
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Jewish streamer ChaiFlicks has licensed Oscar-winning Paweł Pawlikowski movie Ida and a wealth of other titles following a deal with Music Box Films.
The SVoD platform that specializes in Jewish storytelling has licensed 15 titles from the Chicago-based outfit, including Golden Globe-nominated Gett: The Trial of Vivane Amsalem. Other titles include Memoir of War, Golden Voices and Aida’s Secrets.
The main draw is Pawlikowski’s Ida, which won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in 2015 and follows a young Polish woman (Agata Trzebuchowska) as she prepares to take vows as a Catholic nun. The orphaned protagonist then discovers that her parents were Jewish, and joins her only surviving relative on a road trip to learn the fate of their families.
ChaiFlicks has more than 3,000 hours of Jewish films, TV series, and documentaries, and plans to launch Ida and the other new titles on its platform later this year.
The SVoD platform that specializes in Jewish storytelling has licensed 15 titles from the Chicago-based outfit, including Golden Globe-nominated Gett: The Trial of Vivane Amsalem. Other titles include Memoir of War, Golden Voices and Aida’s Secrets.
The main draw is Pawlikowski’s Ida, which won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in 2015 and follows a young Polish woman (Agata Trzebuchowska) as she prepares to take vows as a Catholic nun. The orphaned protagonist then discovers that her parents were Jewish, and joins her only surviving relative on a road trip to learn the fate of their families.
ChaiFlicks has more than 3,000 hours of Jewish films, TV series, and documentaries, and plans to launch Ida and the other new titles on its platform later this year.
- 4/17/2024
- by Hannah Abraham
- Deadline Film + TV
Global Screen has struck a US deal with Film Movement on Kilian Riedhof’s Second World War drama Stella. A Life. starring Silver Bear winning-Undine lead Paula Beer.
Film Movement plans to open the film theatrically after president Michael Rosenberg negotiated the deal with Global Screen’s Karina Korenblum.
“We are huge fans of Paula Beer, having admired her work in films by Christian Petzold and François Ozon,” said Rosenberg.
“She does another incredible job inhabiting the complex role of Stella Goldschlag in Kilian Riedhof’s exploration of her actions during the Nazi period.”
Inspired by true events, Stella. A Life.
Film Movement plans to open the film theatrically after president Michael Rosenberg negotiated the deal with Global Screen’s Karina Korenblum.
“We are huge fans of Paula Beer, having admired her work in films by Christian Petzold and François Ozon,” said Rosenberg.
“She does another incredible job inhabiting the complex role of Stella Goldschlag in Kilian Riedhof’s exploration of her actions during the Nazi period.”
Inspired by true events, Stella. A Life.
- 4/8/2024
- ScreenDaily
German actress Nina Hoss (Phoenix, Tár, Barbara) has signed on to star in The Other Side, an upcoming adventure thriller from German director Mariko Minoguchi.
Hoss will play Hanna, a doctor who, during the midst of an epidemic, goes into self-isolation in the mountain wilderness to protect herself and others.
Best known for her many collaborations with German director Christian Petzold —including 2007’s Yella, 2012’s Barbara and 2014’s Phoenix — Hoss played Cate Blanchett’s wife in Todd Field’s Oscar-nominated Tár (2022) and had a recurring role as Astrid in seasons 5 and 6 of Showtime’s Emmy-winning series Homeland and in Amazon’s action series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. More recently, Hoss co-starred in Claire Burger’s coming-of-age romantic drama Langue Étrangère, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival last month, and in Radu Jude’s freewheeling feminist satire Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World, which...
Hoss will play Hanna, a doctor who, during the midst of an epidemic, goes into self-isolation in the mountain wilderness to protect herself and others.
Best known for her many collaborations with German director Christian Petzold —including 2007’s Yella, 2012’s Barbara and 2014’s Phoenix — Hoss played Cate Blanchett’s wife in Todd Field’s Oscar-nominated Tár (2022) and had a recurring role as Astrid in seasons 5 and 6 of Showtime’s Emmy-winning series Homeland and in Amazon’s action series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. More recently, Hoss co-starred in Claire Burger’s coming-of-age romantic drama Langue Étrangère, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival last month, and in Radu Jude’s freewheeling feminist satire Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World, which...
- 3/13/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After two weeks of new cinema, the Berlin Film Festival comes to a close this Sunday, February 25, with its annual awards ceremony. This year’s event marks one of change, as festival artistic director Carlo Chatrian, at his post since 2018, steps down to make way for Tricia Tuttle, who will take over for next year’s outing.
This year’s Berlinale has already stirred plenty of buzz for films like Alonso Ruizpalacios’s “La Cocina,” a drama set in a New York City kitchen and starring Rooney Mara, and Tim Mielants’ opener “Small Things Like These,” starring likely Oscar winner Cillian Murphy. Both films are eligible for awards, along with “Timbuktu” director Abderrahmane Sissako’s “Black Tea,” “Goodnight Mommy” filmmakers Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s “The Devil’s Bath,” “The Guilty” director Gustav Möller’s “Sons,” Olivier Assayas’ “Suspended Time,” plus Aaron Schimberg’s Sundance hit “A Different Man,” and many more.
This year’s Berlinale has already stirred plenty of buzz for films like Alonso Ruizpalacios’s “La Cocina,” a drama set in a New York City kitchen and starring Rooney Mara, and Tim Mielants’ opener “Small Things Like These,” starring likely Oscar winner Cillian Murphy. Both films are eligible for awards, along with “Timbuktu” director Abderrahmane Sissako’s “Black Tea,” “Goodnight Mommy” filmmakers Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s “The Devil’s Bath,” “The Guilty” director Gustav Möller’s “Sons,” Olivier Assayas’ “Suspended Time,” plus Aaron Schimberg’s Sundance hit “A Different Man,” and many more.
- 2/24/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
The 74th Berlin International Film Festival announced the winners of the fest at the awards ceremony held at the Berlinale Palast on February 24.
20 films competed for the awards in this year’s competition with Lupita Nyong’o heading the International Jury alongside Ann Hui, Christian Petzold, Albert Serra, Jasmine Trinca and Oksana Zabuzhko. The Encounters Jury, Lisandro Alonso, Denis Côté and Tizza Covi choose the winners for Best Film, Best Director and the Special Jury Award.
The Golden Bear for Best Film was awarded to Dahomey by Mati Diop. Emily Watson won The Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance for her role in Small Things Like These, while Sebastian Stan received The Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance in A Different Man. Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias was honored with The Silver Bear for Best Director for his film Pepe, and the Silver Bear Jury Prize went to Bruno Dumont for Empire.
20 films competed for the awards in this year’s competition with Lupita Nyong’o heading the International Jury alongside Ann Hui, Christian Petzold, Albert Serra, Jasmine Trinca and Oksana Zabuzhko. The Encounters Jury, Lisandro Alonso, Denis Côté and Tizza Covi choose the winners for Best Film, Best Director and the Special Jury Award.
The Golden Bear for Best Film was awarded to Dahomey by Mati Diop. Emily Watson won The Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance for her role in Small Things Like These, while Sebastian Stan received The Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance in A Different Man. Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias was honored with The Silver Bear for Best Director for his film Pepe, and the Silver Bear Jury Prize went to Bruno Dumont for Empire.
- 2/22/2024
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve, both seasoned veterans in the film industry, have cultivated unique and distinctive styles throughout their extensive careers. From Nolan’s captivating works like Interstellar and Oppenheimer to Villeneuve’s gripping films such as Sicario and the Dune film series, both have showcased their directorial prowess. Not just fans, the filmmakers themselves hold mutual respect, as Nolan has commended Villeneuve’s work on the Dune film series.
A still from Dune: Part Two
However, as anticipation mounts for Dune: Part Two following its initial reviews heralding it as a monumental achievement in filmmaking, the debate over which director reigns supreme has ignited enthusiastic discussions among cinemagoers worldwide.
Christopher Nolan And Denis Villeneuve – Who is Better?
The director behind movies like Oppenheimer, The Dark Knight, Interstellar, and Inception, Christopher Nolan, is known for his complex narratives, non-linear storytelling, and mind-blowing concepts. His movies often explore themes of time,...
A still from Dune: Part Two
However, as anticipation mounts for Dune: Part Two following its initial reviews heralding it as a monumental achievement in filmmaking, the debate over which director reigns supreme has ignited enthusiastic discussions among cinemagoers worldwide.
Christopher Nolan And Denis Villeneuve – Who is Better?
The director behind movies like Oppenheimer, The Dark Knight, Interstellar, and Inception, Christopher Nolan, is known for his complex narratives, non-linear storytelling, and mind-blowing concepts. His movies often explore themes of time,...
- 2/19/2024
- by Laxmi Rajput
- FandomWire
One of the ways in which the Berlinale is addressing the large, complex issue of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza is by channelling it into a small, safe space called The Tiny House.
The Tiny House project is a cabin-like structure, set up near the festival’s hub in Potsdamer Platz for three days from February 17-19. Festival attendees and interested members of the public can come in and discuss their feelings around the issue, with the support of two moderators, Shai Hoffmann and Ahmad Dakhnous.
Hoffman, a German Jew with Israeli roots, is the architect of the project. With his German-Palestinian colleague Jouanna Hassoun,...
The Tiny House project is a cabin-like structure, set up near the festival’s hub in Potsdamer Platz for three days from February 17-19. Festival attendees and interested members of the public can come in and discuss their feelings around the issue, with the support of two moderators, Shai Hoffmann and Ahmad Dakhnous.
Hoffman, a German Jew with Israeli roots, is the architect of the project. With his German-Palestinian colleague Jouanna Hassoun,...
- 2/19/2024
- ScreenDaily
The Berlin Film Festival officially kicked off Thursday evening with an eventful opening ceremony at the Berlinale Palast theater in the German capital.
After a divisive build-up to the fest, the opening ceremony was, in contrast, a relatively conventional affair. High-profile attendees included veteran German filmmakers Wim Wenders and Fatih Akin, Phantom Thread actress Vicky Krieps, and international jury president Lupita Nyong’o alongside her fellow jury members Brady Corbet, Ann Hui, Christian Petzold, Albert Serra, Jasmine Trinca and Oksana Zabuzhko.
The evening’s opening film was Small Things Like These, starring Cillian Murphy, who was in attendance with producer Matt Damon and co-star Emily Watson. Directed by Tim Mielants (Peaky Blinders), Small Things Like These is the first Irish film to open the Berlinale.
Related: ‘Small Things Like These’ Review: Cillian Murphy Plays A Father In Torment In ’80s-Set Irish Trauma Tale
Before the pic opened, the crowd inside the...
After a divisive build-up to the fest, the opening ceremony was, in contrast, a relatively conventional affair. High-profile attendees included veteran German filmmakers Wim Wenders and Fatih Akin, Phantom Thread actress Vicky Krieps, and international jury president Lupita Nyong’o alongside her fellow jury members Brady Corbet, Ann Hui, Christian Petzold, Albert Serra, Jasmine Trinca and Oksana Zabuzhko.
The evening’s opening film was Small Things Like These, starring Cillian Murphy, who was in attendance with producer Matt Damon and co-star Emily Watson. Directed by Tim Mielants (Peaky Blinders), Small Things Like These is the first Irish film to open the Berlinale.
Related: ‘Small Things Like These’ Review: Cillian Murphy Plays A Father In Torment In ’80s-Set Irish Trauma Tale
Before the pic opened, the crowd inside the...
- 2/15/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
After kicking off with a feisty press conference, the Berlin Film Festival got even more political as three groups of protesters descended on Potsdamer Platz before the start of opening night festivities.
The first saw around 50 members of the film industry walk the red carpet holding hands. The demonstrators then turned on their phone flashlights and chanted “defend democracy!” while the same phrase was displayed on the Palast’s big screen. The red carpet’s music was turned off for the occasion, and the demonstrators wore pins stating “movies unite, hate divides.” Berlinale organizers had planned this demonstration to highlight their decision to disinvite members of the far-right political party AfD.
Among the talent was Jonathan Berlin, Meret Becker, Luisa Gaffron, Pegah Ferydoni, Roshanak Khodabakhsh Anne Leppin, Jannis Niewöhner, Murali Perumal, Katja Riemann, Lavinia Wilson and Jessica Schwarz.
A group of demonstrators at Berlin Film Festival chant “defend democracy” ahead of tonight’s opening ceremony.
The first saw around 50 members of the film industry walk the red carpet holding hands. The demonstrators then turned on their phone flashlights and chanted “defend democracy!” while the same phrase was displayed on the Palast’s big screen. The red carpet’s music was turned off for the occasion, and the demonstrators wore pins stating “movies unite, hate divides.” Berlinale organizers had planned this demonstration to highlight their decision to disinvite members of the far-right political party AfD.
Among the talent was Jonathan Berlin, Meret Becker, Luisa Gaffron, Pegah Ferydoni, Roshanak Khodabakhsh Anne Leppin, Jannis Niewöhner, Murali Perumal, Katja Riemann, Lavinia Wilson and Jessica Schwarz.
A group of demonstrators at Berlin Film Festival chant “defend democracy” ahead of tonight’s opening ceremony.
- 2/15/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy and Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
The Cillian Murphy-starring Berlin Film Festival opener Small Things Like These “is asking the audience to care about cinema,” Matt Damon, one of the pic’s financiers, has said.
Addressing the movie’s press conference in Berlin on Thursday, Damon, who starred in Oppenheimer opposite Murphy, said “there is enough audience in the world that still does [care about cinema]” amidst fraught geopolitics and financial challenges for the sector.
Damon recalled when he was “starting out in the 1990s” and “you would see movies like [Small Things Like These] all the time,” but said today’s landscape is “constantly in flux.”
In Tim Mielants’ Small Things Like These, which is financed by Damon and Ben Affleck’s Artists Equity, Murphy plays a devoted family man who discovers the local convent is in fact a cruel institution that takes in so-called “fallen girls and women.” This revelation forces him to confront some hard truths about the convent,...
Addressing the movie’s press conference in Berlin on Thursday, Damon, who starred in Oppenheimer opposite Murphy, said “there is enough audience in the world that still does [care about cinema]” amidst fraught geopolitics and financial challenges for the sector.
Damon recalled when he was “starting out in the 1990s” and “you would see movies like [Small Things Like These] all the time,” but said today’s landscape is “constantly in flux.”
In Tim Mielants’ Small Things Like These, which is financed by Damon and Ben Affleck’s Artists Equity, Murphy plays a devoted family man who discovers the local convent is in fact a cruel institution that takes in so-called “fallen girls and women.” This revelation forces him to confront some hard truths about the convent,...
- 2/15/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Hot button topics like the Berlinale disinviting AfD politicians, the Israel-Gaza war and Vladimir Putin were on the agenda as the 2024 Berlin Film Festival got underway.
Jury president Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave, Black Panther) said she hoped political debate among Berlin international jury would center around film and the 20 competition titles to be viewed over the next 11 days. “When we were debating this as a jury, Oksana (Zabuzhko) said everything is political. And I think that’s true, in art. What we’re here to do is to see how artists are responding to the world we’re living in right now,” Nyong’o answered when asked how it felt to be a festival jury president in “these crazy times.”
Other jury members were more willing to directly address hot potatoes tossed in their direction during a heated press conference on Thursday. That included repeated queries about the Berlinale sparking controversy by first inviting,...
Jury president Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave, Black Panther) said she hoped political debate among Berlin international jury would center around film and the 20 competition titles to be viewed over the next 11 days. “When we were debating this as a jury, Oksana (Zabuzhko) said everything is political. And I think that’s true, in art. What we’re here to do is to see how artists are responding to the world we’re living in right now,” Nyong’o answered when asked how it felt to be a festival jury president in “these crazy times.”
Other jury members were more willing to directly address hot potatoes tossed in their direction during a heated press conference on Thursday. That included repeated queries about the Berlinale sparking controversy by first inviting,...
- 2/15/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jury members for the 74th Berlinale answered and avoided numerous political questions in a tense press conference ahead of the opening of the 2024 festival.
In a 40-minute conference, the seven-person jury fielded questions on the invitation then disinvitation of Germany right-wing party Alternative fur Deutschland; the ongoing crisis in Gaza; and the war in Ukraine.
Responding to a question about Gaza, German filmmaker Christian Petzold said, “I don’t want to answer this question here because it’s not really one that belongs in this press conference.
“I’m in favour of peace, in favour of discussing, talking, which I...
In a 40-minute conference, the seven-person jury fielded questions on the invitation then disinvitation of Germany right-wing party Alternative fur Deutschland; the ongoing crisis in Gaza; and the war in Ukraine.
Responding to a question about Gaza, German filmmaker Christian Petzold said, “I don’t want to answer this question here because it’s not really one that belongs in this press conference.
“I’m in favour of peace, in favour of discussing, talking, which I...
- 2/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
The build-up to the 74th Berlin Film Festival has been highly politicized, and the international jury press conference Thursday morning was no different.
Lupita Nyong’o presides over the International Competition jury, whose members include American actor and filmmaker Brady Corbet, Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui, German director Christian Petzold, Spanish filmmaker Albert Serra, Italian actress Jasmine Trinca and Ukrainian novelist and poet Oksana Zabuzhko.
This wasn’t like most jury press conferences, however, with members drawn into multiple — occasionally testy — discussions about their own political stances on events in Ukraine, Gaza and Germany.
Russia’s war in Ukraine was a central topic, with multiple journalists asking Serra about a 2018 interview in which he supposedly expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin. Serra was asked whether he had changed his mind on Putin since the war:
“I don’t know,” said the director. “This is a political question. Everyone is upset with Russia right now.
Lupita Nyong’o presides over the International Competition jury, whose members include American actor and filmmaker Brady Corbet, Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui, German director Christian Petzold, Spanish filmmaker Albert Serra, Italian actress Jasmine Trinca and Ukrainian novelist and poet Oksana Zabuzhko.
This wasn’t like most jury press conferences, however, with members drawn into multiple — occasionally testy — discussions about their own political stances on events in Ukraine, Gaza and Germany.
Russia’s war in Ukraine was a central topic, with multiple journalists asking Serra about a 2018 interview in which he supposedly expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin. Serra was asked whether he had changed his mind on Putin since the war:
“I don’t know,” said the director. “This is a political question. Everyone is upset with Russia right now.
- 2/15/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman and Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
During a press conference on Thursday, Berlinale jury president Lupita Nyong’o responded to the festival inviting and then disinviting politicians from far-right group AfD to its opening ceremony.
“I’m a foreigner here. I don’t know the ins and outs of the political situation here,” Nyong’o said in response to a question asking if she would have attended the ceremony had the politicians still been invited. “I’m glad I don’t have to answer that question. I’m glad I don’t have to be in that position.”
Jury member Christian Petzold, the German director of “Barbara” and “Phoenix,” had a different perspective.
“I think it’s not a problem to have five persons of the AfD in the audience,” he said. “We are no cowards. If you can’t stand five persons of the AfD as part of the audience, we will lose our fight.”
He later added,...
“I’m a foreigner here. I don’t know the ins and outs of the political situation here,” Nyong’o said in response to a question asking if she would have attended the ceremony had the politicians still been invited. “I’m glad I don’t have to answer that question. I’m glad I don’t have to be in that position.”
Jury member Christian Petzold, the German director of “Barbara” and “Phoenix,” had a different perspective.
“I think it’s not a problem to have five persons of the AfD in the audience,” he said. “We are no cowards. If you can’t stand five persons of the AfD as part of the audience, we will lose our fight.”
He later added,...
- 2/15/2024
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
It’s the end of an era for the Berlin International Film Festival, as Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian and his co-head Mariette Rissenbeek — a pair of fearless cineastes and programmers who came onboard together in the summer of 2019, and helped steer the world’s largest film festival through the crisis of the pandemic years — are being unceremoniously shoved out to sea after the 2024 edition as a part of cost-cutting measures instituted by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Claudia Roth.
It’s too soon to say how the Berlinale will shrink and suffer in the absence of the leadership that has allowed the festival to remain such a vital arena for world cinema at a time of industry-wide constriction, but even a quick overview of this year’s program suggests that Chatrian and Rissenbeek will be going out with a bang.
As usual, the Berlinale will play...
It’s too soon to say how the Berlinale will shrink and suffer in the absence of the leadership that has allowed the festival to remain such a vital arena for world cinema at a time of industry-wide constriction, but even a quick overview of this year’s program suggests that Chatrian and Rissenbeek will be going out with a bang.
As usual, the Berlinale will play...
- 2/14/2024
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
The Berlin International Film Festival has confirmed its full juries for the 2024 edition (February 16-24), with Italian actress Jasmine Trinca and German filmmaker Christian Petzold among those joining president Lupita Nyong’o on the main international jury.
Also on the jury are filmmakers Ann Hui (Hong Kong) and Albert Serra (Spain) alongside Ukrainian novelist and poet Oksana Zabuzhko.
The international jury will select the winners of the Golden and Silver Bears from the 20 films playing in Competition.
The three-member jury for the Encounters strand comprises filmmakers Lisandro Alonso (Argentina), Denis Côté (Canada) and Tizza Covi (Italy).
The Encounters jury will choose the winners of best film,...
Also on the jury are filmmakers Ann Hui (Hong Kong) and Albert Serra (Spain) alongside Ukrainian novelist and poet Oksana Zabuzhko.
The international jury will select the winners of the Golden and Silver Bears from the 20 films playing in Competition.
The three-member jury for the Encounters strand comprises filmmakers Lisandro Alonso (Argentina), Denis Côté (Canada) and Tizza Covi (Italy).
The Encounters jury will choose the winners of best film,...
- 2/1/2024
- ScreenDaily
The Berlinale Film Festival has unveiled the jury members for its main International Competition, which will be presided over by Lupita Nyong’o.
The members of the International Jury are American actor and filmmaker Brady Corbet, Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui, German director Christian Petzold, Spanish filmmaker Albert Serra, Italian actress Jasmine Trinca, and Ukrainian novelist and poet Oksana Zabuzhko.
Nyong’o’s presidential appointment was announced in December.
The festival also unveiled the three-member jury for its Encounters strand. Lisandro Alonso (Argentina), Denis Côté (Canada), and Tizza Covi (Italy) will pick the competition sidebar’s Best Film, Best Director, and Special Jury award winners.
The 2024 Berlin Film Festival runs Feb 15 – Feb 25. The festival opens with the Cillian Murphy movie Small Things Like These. The film reveals truths about Ireland’s Magdalen laundries – horrific asylums run by Roman Catholic institutions from the 1820s until 1996, ostensibly to reform “fallen young women.” It...
The members of the International Jury are American actor and filmmaker Brady Corbet, Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui, German director Christian Petzold, Spanish filmmaker Albert Serra, Italian actress Jasmine Trinca, and Ukrainian novelist and poet Oksana Zabuzhko.
Nyong’o’s presidential appointment was announced in December.
The festival also unveiled the three-member jury for its Encounters strand. Lisandro Alonso (Argentina), Denis Côté (Canada), and Tizza Covi (Italy) will pick the competition sidebar’s Best Film, Best Director, and Special Jury award winners.
The 2024 Berlin Film Festival runs Feb 15 – Feb 25. The festival opens with the Cillian Murphy movie Small Things Like These. The film reveals truths about Ireland’s Magdalen laundries – horrific asylums run by Roman Catholic institutions from the 1820s until 1996, ostensibly to reform “fallen young women.” It...
- 2/1/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Berlin has unveiled the international jury for the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, which runs Feb. 15-25.
The 2024 jury will include U.S. director Brady Corbet (Vox Lux), Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui (Summer Snow), Berlinale regular Christian Petzold (Afire, Undine), Spanish director Albert Serra (Pacification), Italian actress Jasmine Trinca (The Son’s Room) and the Ukrainian writer Oksana Zabuzhko.
Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave, Black Panther) will serve as president of the International Jury.
The four-woman, three-man jury will screen the competition titles at this year’s Berlinale and select the winners of the 2024 festival, including the Golden Bear for best film. The winners of the 74th Berlinale will be announced live at a gala ceremony in Berlin on Saturday, Feb. 24.
Petzold is probably the most familiar face for Berlinale audiences. The German director has had 6 films in competition in Berlin, most recently Afire, which won...
The 2024 jury will include U.S. director Brady Corbet (Vox Lux), Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui (Summer Snow), Berlinale regular Christian Petzold (Afire, Undine), Spanish director Albert Serra (Pacification), Italian actress Jasmine Trinca (The Son’s Room) and the Ukrainian writer Oksana Zabuzhko.
Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave, Black Panther) will serve as president of the International Jury.
The four-woman, three-man jury will screen the competition titles at this year’s Berlinale and select the winners of the 2024 festival, including the Golden Bear for best film. The winners of the 74th Berlinale will be announced live at a gala ceremony in Berlin on Saturday, Feb. 24.
Petzold is probably the most familiar face for Berlinale audiences. The German director has had 6 films in competition in Berlin, most recently Afire, which won...
- 2/1/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The international jury at the 74th Berlin Film Festival, led by Lupita Nyong’o, will include filmmakers Christian Petzold (Germany) and Ann Hui.
The international jury members also include actor-producer-director Brady Corbet (U.S.), filmmaker Albert Serra (Spain), actor-director Jasmine Trinca (Italy) and writer Oksana Zabuzhko (Ukraine). They will decide who will win the festival’s Golden and the Silver Bears.
The three-member jury that chooses the winners for best film, director and the special jury award at the Berlinale’s Encounters strand is made up of filmmakers Lisandro Alonso (Argentina), Denis Côté (Canada) and Tizza Covi (Italy).
Director and screenwriter Ilker Çatak (Germany), sound artist and researcher Xabier Erkizia (Spain) and director, screenwriter, video artist and lecturer Jennifer Reeder (U.S.) are the international short film jury for the 2024 Berlinale Shorts competition. They will be choosing the winner of the Golden Bear for best short film, the winner of the...
The international jury members also include actor-producer-director Brady Corbet (U.S.), filmmaker Albert Serra (Spain), actor-director Jasmine Trinca (Italy) and writer Oksana Zabuzhko (Ukraine). They will decide who will win the festival’s Golden and the Silver Bears.
The three-member jury that chooses the winners for best film, director and the special jury award at the Berlinale’s Encounters strand is made up of filmmakers Lisandro Alonso (Argentina), Denis Côté (Canada) and Tizza Covi (Italy).
Director and screenwriter Ilker Çatak (Germany), sound artist and researcher Xabier Erkizia (Spain) and director, screenwriter, video artist and lecturer Jennifer Reeder (U.S.) are the international short film jury for the 2024 Berlinale Shorts competition. They will be choosing the winner of the Golden Bear for best short film, the winner of the...
- 2/1/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Searching for and listening to movie soundtrack music for the year is an active quest of curiosity, discovery, and collage. For those fatigued and pushing through the chilliest season, I hope this mix can provide both energy and warmth, as it did to me in making it.Trends in film music over the last decade are continuing strong in 2023, particularly in the ambition of independent auteurs using complex and unusual scoring. The foundation for this mix is Angela Schanelec's beautiful and aptly titled Music, which provides both diegetic and non-diegetic moments to guide us. Samples range from The Old Oak, in which classical choral choir meets Syrian guitar and words of hope that now hit harder than ever, to a mix of sentimental strings courtesy of the legendary Joe Hisaishi. Abstract experimental sounds by two completely different kinds of artists—Harmony Korine and Thomas Newman—are mixed with sliced...
- 1/4/2024
- MUBI
Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2023, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.
In all honesty, the films of 2023 should take a backseat to the images we are seeing every day in Gaza, where journalists and average citizens have been recording and documenting a daily assault on their homes and livelihoods by the Idf. Whatever fakery we watched and enjoyed in the cinema this year should always be kept in perspective in importance with images that are real and actually happening right now. The Palestinians who have documented these important images have been targeted and killed with intent and purpose to silence what their photos and videos are showing and saying.
List of journalists who have been killed.
The below is of lesser note:
Best First Watches:
Angel’s Egg La belle noiseuse Centipede Horror Charley Varrick Coffy Crimson Gold...
In all honesty, the films of 2023 should take a backseat to the images we are seeing every day in Gaza, where journalists and average citizens have been recording and documenting a daily assault on their homes and livelihoods by the Idf. Whatever fakery we watched and enjoyed in the cinema this year should always be kept in perspective in importance with images that are real and actually happening right now. The Palestinians who have documented these important images have been targeted and killed with intent and purpose to silence what their photos and videos are showing and saying.
List of journalists who have been killed.
The below is of lesser note:
Best First Watches:
Angel’s Egg La belle noiseuse Centipede Horror Charley Varrick Coffy Crimson Gold...
- 1/3/2024
- by Soham Gadre
- The Film Stage
llker Çatak, the director of Germany’s Oscar shortlisted The Teachers’ Lounge with Anne-Katrin Titze on Wim Wenders, the director of Japan’s Oscar shortlisted Perfect Days: “Wim is such a nice guy! He’s not my competitor, he’s one of my teachers.”
Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s Young Ahmed (Le Jeune Ahmed), Laurent Cantet’s The Class (Entre Les Murs), Stéphane Brizé’s The Measure Of A Man, starring the unforgettable Vincent Lindon, and Gus Van Sant’s Elephant are four of the films that inspired llker Çatak’s outstanding The Teachers’ Lounge. Shot by Judith Kaufmann, edited by Gesa Jäger (Jakob Lass’s Love Steaks with Lana Cooper and Franz Rogowski; Anna Winger's Transatlantic and Maria Schrader's Unorthodox series with Shira Haas), stars a terrific Leonie Benesch (Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon).
Ms Nowak (Leonie Benesch) in the classroom with her students...
Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s Young Ahmed (Le Jeune Ahmed), Laurent Cantet’s The Class (Entre Les Murs), Stéphane Brizé’s The Measure Of A Man, starring the unforgettable Vincent Lindon, and Gus Van Sant’s Elephant are four of the films that inspired llker Çatak’s outstanding The Teachers’ Lounge. Shot by Judith Kaufmann, edited by Gesa Jäger (Jakob Lass’s Love Steaks with Lana Cooper and Franz Rogowski; Anna Winger's Transatlantic and Maria Schrader's Unorthodox series with Shira Haas), stars a terrific Leonie Benesch (Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon).
Ms Nowak (Leonie Benesch) in the classroom with her students...
- 12/31/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
No reasonably intelligent person imagines an artist’s statement about the horrors in Gaza would, in fact, end those horrors, but there are always limits to what one can take and hopes for what one could do. It might even be said that, as observers of the world and human behavior, filmmakers are especially inclined to recoil. When I interviewed Pedro Costa last month he spoke, unprompted, of a situation that’s only grown worse: “It’s very clear that we cannot stand images anymore. I can’t. I can’t. The images of the world for me [Exhales] I can’t. I turn my eyes, and I’m sure you do the same. It’s unbearable.” When I spoke with Anthony Dod Mantle a couple of weeks later it, again, emerged––vis-a-vis The Zone of Interest, whose own cinematographer alluded to it the next day. It’s difficult being a person in the world,...
- 12/29/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
It is meaningful to me to be back here, compiling a list of ten for Dn, following a year off last year. Coming back I feel my list is different to what it may have been without the break, where my film watching, cinema-going and general cinephilia took new forms that are still revealing themselves. Some notes:
There is no inclusion of Enys Men or One Fine Morning, which for me are 2022 films and though released cinematically this year I wish to leave that year well and truly behind me. I’ve only included films where there is a trailer link so there’s no room for Nariman Massoumi’s poetic short doc Pouring Water on Troubled Oil, currently screening at festivals though criminally getting overlooked at many that should show it, John Akomfrah’s stunning installation Arcadia, at The Box in Plymouth until June 2024, or finally, Mark Jenkin’s...
There is no inclusion of Enys Men or One Fine Morning, which for me are 2022 films and though released cinematically this year I wish to leave that year well and truly behind me. I’ve only included films where there is a trailer link so there’s no room for Nariman Massoumi’s poetic short doc Pouring Water on Troubled Oil, currently screening at festivals though criminally getting overlooked at many that should show it, John Akomfrah’s stunning installation Arcadia, at The Box in Plymouth until June 2024, or finally, Mark Jenkin’s...
- 12/29/2023
- by Neil Fox
- Directors Notes
[Editor’s Note: The following story contains spoilers for “Passages.”]
Franz Rogowski’s intense and offbeat appeal gets its purest expression in the despairing polycule at the center of Ira Sachs’ “Passages.” In the Euro-chic romantic drama that recalls Mike Nichols’ “Closer” through the unsentimental lens of a Maurice Pialat film, the German dancer-turned-actor plays solipsistic, emotionally arrested filmmaker Tomas Freibur. On the eve of wrapping his latest film, he strays from his taciturn husband Martin (Ben Whishaw) and into the arms of Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos), who, when Tomas later tells her he’s in love with her, replies, “You must say that a lot.”
Rogowski is a physically striking performer, here in great shape in this film after withering as a gay prisoner post-World War II for his European Film Award-nominated turn in 2021’s “Great Freedom.” His filmography has acquainted him closely with the world’s great filmmakers, from Michael Haneke to Terrence Malick (“A Hidden Life”) and Christian Petzold...
Franz Rogowski’s intense and offbeat appeal gets its purest expression in the despairing polycule at the center of Ira Sachs’ “Passages.” In the Euro-chic romantic drama that recalls Mike Nichols’ “Closer” through the unsentimental lens of a Maurice Pialat film, the German dancer-turned-actor plays solipsistic, emotionally arrested filmmaker Tomas Freibur. On the eve of wrapping his latest film, he strays from his taciturn husband Martin (Ben Whishaw) and into the arms of Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos), who, when Tomas later tells her he’s in love with her, replies, “You must say that a lot.”
Rogowski is a physically striking performer, here in great shape in this film after withering as a gay prisoner post-World War II for his European Film Award-nominated turn in 2021’s “Great Freedom.” His filmography has acquainted him closely with the world’s great filmmakers, from Michael Haneke to Terrence Malick (“A Hidden Life”) and Christian Petzold...
- 12/28/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Was 2023 a good year for movies? The end of each moviegoing year always raises that age-old question and, as always, the ultimate answer remains squarely in the eye of the beholder. For most, that tends to come down to the most populist theatrical offerings. If the latest superhero sequels and nostalgic remakes and most highly-anticipated blockbusters failed to live up to their crowd-pleasing billing, well, at least there's always next year. But for those of us who spend entirely too much time and effort on the hunt for hidden gems beneath the surface, international cinema from the most exciting talent around the globe, and overlooked indies that didn't have millions of marketing dollars to throw around, that turns out to be the wrong question to ask in the first place.
What we should be talking about is whether we've caught up on all the undeniably great movies readily available to us,...
What we should be talking about is whether we've caught up on all the undeniably great movies readily available to us,...
- 12/22/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
What do some of the directors of the best movies of 2023 think about the year in cinema? Films in Frame polled Christian Petzold, Justine Triet, Pedro Costa, Victor Erice, Aki Kaurismäki, Bas Devos, Pham Thien An, Joanna Arnow, Radu Jude, Pedro Costa, Rodrigo Moreno, Lisandro Alonso, and more––and we’ll spotlight one of the best lists, from the Afire director, here.
While he admits he wasn’t able to check out the latest from Albert Serra, Jonathan Glazer, Radu Jude, Yorgos Lanthimos, Kelly Reichardt, Aki Kaurismäki, and Hirokazu Kore-eda, he did find time for this year’s Palme d’Or winner, Mexico’s 2023 Oscar entry, Ireland’s 2022 Oscar entry, and of course, the latest from one of his favorite actors on the planet, Gerard Butler.
Check out Petzold’s picks below and visit Films in Frame to see more lists.
The Quiet Girl (Colm Bairead)
Anatomy of a Fall...
While he admits he wasn’t able to check out the latest from Albert Serra, Jonathan Glazer, Radu Jude, Yorgos Lanthimos, Kelly Reichardt, Aki Kaurismäki, and Hirokazu Kore-eda, he did find time for this year’s Palme d’Or winner, Mexico’s 2023 Oscar entry, Ireland’s 2022 Oscar entry, and of course, the latest from one of his favorite actors on the planet, Gerard Butler.
Check out Petzold’s picks below and visit Films in Frame to see more lists.
The Quiet Girl (Colm Bairead)
Anatomy of a Fall...
- 12/20/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
A strange thing happens to me at the end of each year. Tasked with compiling a list of cultural favorites, I find myself drawing a blank. It’s as if I haven’t spent the past 365 days watching films, binging various TV shows, listening to albums or attending theater productions to prepare for this very moment.
On the heel of a deadline, I usually fire off some texts to friends — some desperate, all pleading. Is there anything you’ve watched this year that deserves more attention, I ask. What’s the best song you’ve heard? The best movie you watched? The best series?
Other than outsourcing a bit of my job, the questions end up being a good exercise in perspective. They reorient my attitude toward the compilation process. I begin to recognize the importance of reflecting, even casually, on a year’s worth of culture. I get excited about what’s to come,...
On the heel of a deadline, I usually fire off some texts to friends — some desperate, all pleading. Is there anything you’ve watched this year that deserves more attention, I ask. What’s the best song you’ve heard? The best movie you watched? The best series?
Other than outsourcing a bit of my job, the questions end up being a good exercise in perspective. They reorient my attitude toward the compilation process. I begin to recognize the importance of reflecting, even casually, on a year’s worth of culture. I get excited about what’s to come,...
- 12/19/2023
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As various critics groups and awards bodies dole out their top films of the year, it can be hard to parse which ones are actually worth paying attention to. Following our top 50 films of 2023, one such list has arrived today with Film Comment’s annual end-of-year survey. Revealed at a special live talk last night, Todd Haynes’s May December, Kelly Reichardt’s Showing Up, and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon grabbed the top three spots, while Eduardo Williams’s The Human Surge 3, Lisandro Alonso’s Eureka, and Víctor Erice’s Close Your Eyes topped the best undistributed films.
“It speaks to the ongoing vitality of cinema as an art form, as well as the discernment of our critics in the year of ‘Barbenheimer,’ that this year’s top films represent some of the most boundary-pushing, complex movies of recent times—three new classics from contemporary masters,...
“It speaks to the ongoing vitality of cinema as an art form, as well as the discernment of our critics in the year of ‘Barbenheimer,’ that this year’s top films represent some of the most boundary-pushing, complex movies of recent times—three new classics from contemporary masters,...
- 12/15/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
One-half of Barbenheimer has been available on digital platforms for weeks, and now the equation is complete. Releasing the other half on a long holiday weekend is a smart strategy because it restores momentum as a deluge of fall prestige titles premiere in theaters and online.
The contender to watch this week: “Oppenheimer“
At long last, Oppy has come home. Christopher Nolan‘s colossal biopic about atomic-bomb daddy J. Robert Oppenheimer is available on VOD, right in time for an Oscar contest that’s fully aflame. The blockbuster’s likely nominations include Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.), Best Score (Ludwig Göransson), and Best Sound. Gather the whole family for three hours of thrilling post-turkey physics.
Other contenders:
“Joan Baez: I Am a Noise”: The pop documentaries that flood streaming services today are often undercooked PR exercises without enough critical distance from their subjects,...
The contender to watch this week: “Oppenheimer“
At long last, Oppy has come home. Christopher Nolan‘s colossal biopic about atomic-bomb daddy J. Robert Oppenheimer is available on VOD, right in time for an Oscar contest that’s fully aflame. The blockbuster’s likely nominations include Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.), Best Score (Ludwig Göransson), and Best Sound. Gather the whole family for three hours of thrilling post-turkey physics.
Other contenders:
“Joan Baez: I Am a Noise”: The pop documentaries that flood streaming services today are often undercooked PR exercises without enough critical distance from their subjects,...
- 11/25/2023
- by Matthew Jacobs
- Gold Derby
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Afire (Christian Petzold)
Writing recently about the introduction of video umpires in baseball, of all things, Zach Helfand was skeptical: “accuracy is not the same as enjoyment,” he wrote, “baseball is meant to kill time, not maximize it.” The best films of German director Christian Petzold do both, though you sense his heart might belong to the latter. Petzold’s latest, Afire, unfurls with all the page-turning seduction of a gripping novella. It stars Thomas Schubert as a struggling writer who travels with a friend to a secluded house near the Baltic Sea. Their car breaks down. They encounter a beautiful woman. Somewhere in the distance, a forest fire rages. Soon, inevitably, another burns inside. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream:...
Afire (Christian Petzold)
Writing recently about the introduction of video umpires in baseball, of all things, Zach Helfand was skeptical: “accuracy is not the same as enjoyment,” he wrote, “baseball is meant to kill time, not maximize it.” The best films of German director Christian Petzold do both, though you sense his heart might belong to the latter. Petzold’s latest, Afire, unfurls with all the page-turning seduction of a gripping novella. It stars Thomas Schubert as a struggling writer who travels with a friend to a secluded house near the Baltic Sea. Their car breaks down. They encounter a beautiful woman. Somewhere in the distance, a forest fire rages. Soon, inevitably, another burns inside. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream:...
- 11/24/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
While it’s difficult to imagine there will be a better German film––or film, period––this year than Christian Petzold’s Afire, the country went with Ilker Çatak’s Berlinale, TIFF, and Telluride selection The Teachers’ Lounge as their Oscar entry this year. The thriller, which explores power dynamics at a German middle school, is set for a U.S. release from Sony Classics at the end of the year and now the U.S. trailer has landed.
Here’s the synopsis: “Carla Nowak (Leonie Benesch) is a dedicated, idealistic young teacher in her first job at a German middle school. Her relaxed rapport with her seventh-grade students is put under stress when a series of thefts occur at the school, and a staff investigation leads to accusations and mistrust among outraged parents, opinionated colleagues, and angry students. Caught in the middle of these complex dynamics, Carla tries to...
Here’s the synopsis: “Carla Nowak (Leonie Benesch) is a dedicated, idealistic young teacher in her first job at a German middle school. Her relaxed rapport with her seventh-grade students is put under stress when a series of thefts occur at the school, and a staff investigation leads to accusations and mistrust among outraged parents, opinionated colleagues, and angry students. Caught in the middle of these complex dynamics, Carla tries to...
- 11/21/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
You can’t hold someone like Christian Petzold accountable for self-indulgence. Not when he might just be the one he’s so exasperatedly critical of through his barely cryptic, nearly autobiographical critique of a self-absorbed, miserable writer. The overlooked yet strikingly mesmerizing waves of the Baltic Sea are as important to this insufferable individual as the people he’s begrudgingly gracing with his attention in Afire. Is Leon’s character Petzold’s nonchalant, almost suicidally despondent actualization of an overwhelming sense of self-loathing? I’m afraid that’s a state of contemplation I won’t be allowed to accompany you in. But let’s take a stroll through the coarse, sandy terrain of Leon’s mind and see how much of him we can figure out.
Spoilers Ahead
Plot Synopsis: What Happens In The Film?
Had it been for leisure, Leon and Felix would’ve perhaps opted for a retreat...
Spoilers Ahead
Plot Synopsis: What Happens In The Film?
Had it been for leisure, Leon and Felix would’ve perhaps opted for a retreat...
- 11/18/2023
- by Lopamudra Mukherjee
- Film Fugitives
Jonathan Glazer’s harrowing Holocaust drama The Zone of Interest leads the nominations for this year’s European Film Awards (EFAs), picking up five nominations, including for best film and best director, in nominations announced via video on Tuesday.
Zone of Interest, the U.K. official entry for the 2024 Oscars in the best international feature category, also scored Efa nominations for best screenwriter, for Glazer, and best actress and best actor noms for leads Sandra Hüller and Christian Friedel.
Hüller will be competing against herself in the best actress category, having picked up a second Efa nom for her starring role in Justine Triet’s courtroom drama Anatomy of a Fall. The Palme d’Or winner recieved four Efa noms, including for best European Film, best director for Triet and best screenplay for Triet and co-writer Arthur Harari.
Other best European film nominees include Matteo Garrone’s refugee drama Io Capitano from Italy,...
Zone of Interest, the U.K. official entry for the 2024 Oscars in the best international feature category, also scored Efa nominations for best screenwriter, for Glazer, and best actress and best actor noms for leads Sandra Hüller and Christian Friedel.
Hüller will be competing against herself in the best actress category, having picked up a second Efa nom for her starring role in Justine Triet’s courtroom drama Anatomy of a Fall. The Palme d’Or winner recieved four Efa noms, including for best European Film, best director for Triet and best screenplay for Triet and co-writer Arthur Harari.
Other best European film nominees include Matteo Garrone’s refugee drama Io Capitano from Italy,...
- 11/7/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Explore where to stream the best films of 2023.
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Drylongso (Cauleen Smith)
Writer-director Cauleen Smith made Drylongso when she was in college, 25 years ago, premiering at Sundance in 1998. She has gone on to create dozens of short films, art installations, and more experimental work, focused on similar themes of feminism, racial violence, and Black communities. The low-key hangout movie should have been a stepping stone for Smith, but, as with many other works by Black female filmmaking of the last half-century, it fell out of circulation. – Michael F. (full interview)
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
Fingernails (Christos Nikou)
Is love quantifiable? No, but that doesn’t stop Greek filmmaker Christos Nikou from exploring that question over two dull, excruciating hours in Fingernails,...
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Drylongso (Cauleen Smith)
Writer-director Cauleen Smith made Drylongso when she was in college, 25 years ago, premiering at Sundance in 1998. She has gone on to create dozens of short films, art installations, and more experimental work, focused on similar themes of feminism, racial violence, and Black communities. The low-key hangout movie should have been a stepping stone for Smith, but, as with many other works by Black female filmmaking of the last half-century, it fell out of circulation. – Michael F. (full interview)
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
Fingernails (Christos Nikou)
Is love quantifiable? No, but that doesn’t stop Greek filmmaker Christos Nikou from exploring that question over two dull, excruciating hours in Fingernails,...
- 11/3/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Mubi has unveiled their November 2023 lineup, featuring notable new releases such as Ashley McKenzie’s Queens of the Qing Dynasty and Alain Gomis’ Thelonious Monk documentary Rewind & Play. Also in the lineup is three stellar earlier films from Christian Petzold––Yella, Jerichow, and The State I Am In––along with John Cassavetes’ Husbands and Gloria, a Hayao Miyazaki short, and a retrospective dedicated to Argentinian-born, French-educated filmmaker and theorist Nelly Kaplan.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
November 1
A Very Curious Girl, directed by Nelly Kaplan | A Mischievous Rebellion: Films by Nelly Kaplan
The Pleasure of Love, directed by Nelly Kaplan | A Mischievous Rebellion: Films by Nelly Kaplan
Charles and Lucie, directed by Nelly Kaplan | A Mischievous Rebellion: Films by Nelly Kaplan
Papa the Little Boats, directed by Nelly Kaplan | A Mischievous Rebellion: Films by Nelly Kaplan
Yella, directed by Christian Petzold | Phantoms Among Us: The Films of Christian Petzold
Jerichow,...
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
November 1
A Very Curious Girl, directed by Nelly Kaplan | A Mischievous Rebellion: Films by Nelly Kaplan
The Pleasure of Love, directed by Nelly Kaplan | A Mischievous Rebellion: Films by Nelly Kaplan
Charles and Lucie, directed by Nelly Kaplan | A Mischievous Rebellion: Films by Nelly Kaplan
Papa the Little Boats, directed by Nelly Kaplan | A Mischievous Rebellion: Films by Nelly Kaplan
Yella, directed by Christian Petzold | Phantoms Among Us: The Films of Christian Petzold
Jerichow,...
- 10/25/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
As 2023 winds down, like most cinephiles, we’re looking to get our eyes on titles that may have slipped under the radar or simply gone unseen, so—as we do each year—we’re sharing a rundown of the best titles available to watch at home.
Curated from the Best Films of 2023 So Far list we published for the first half of the year, it also includes films we’ve enjoyed the past few months and some we’ve recently caught up with. While our year-end coverage is still to come, including our staff’s top 50 films of 2023, this streaming guide will hopefully be a helpful tool for readers to have a chance to find notable, perhaps underseen, titles of late.
Note that we’re going by U.S. releases and that streaming services are limited solely to the territory as well. If you want to stay up-to-date with new titles being made available,...
Curated from the Best Films of 2023 So Far list we published for the first half of the year, it also includes films we’ve enjoyed the past few months and some we’ve recently caught up with. While our year-end coverage is still to come, including our staff’s top 50 films of 2023, this streaming guide will hopefully be a helpful tool for readers to have a chance to find notable, perhaps underseen, titles of late.
Note that we’re going by U.S. releases and that streaming services are limited solely to the territory as well. If you want to stay up-to-date with new titles being made available,...
- 10/24/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Afire (Christian Petzold)
Writing recently about the introduction of video umpires in baseball, of all things, Zach Helfand was skeptical: “accuracy is not the same as enjoyment,” he wrote, “baseball is meant to kill time, not maximize it.” The best films of German director Christian Petzold do both, though you sense his heart might belong to the latter. Petzold’s latest, Afire, unfurls with all the page-turning seduction of a gripping novella. It stars Thomas Schubert as a struggling writer who travels with a friend to a secluded house near the Baltic Sea. Their car breaks down. They encounter a beautiful woman. Somewhere in the distance, a forest fire rages. Soon, inevitably, another burns inside. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream:...
Afire (Christian Petzold)
Writing recently about the introduction of video umpires in baseball, of all things, Zach Helfand was skeptical: “accuracy is not the same as enjoyment,” he wrote, “baseball is meant to kill time, not maximize it.” The best films of German director Christian Petzold do both, though you sense his heart might belong to the latter. Petzold’s latest, Afire, unfurls with all the page-turning seduction of a gripping novella. It stars Thomas Schubert as a struggling writer who travels with a friend to a secluded house near the Baltic Sea. Their car breaks down. They encounter a beautiful woman. Somewhere in the distance, a forest fire rages. Soon, inevitably, another burns inside. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream:...
- 10/20/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Summer is long gone and it’s time to look beyond the blockbuster. Our latest study of recent books about or related to the world of filmmaking is full of artistic titans––Sofia Coppola, Whit Stillman, Clint Eastwood, Christian Petzold, Kore-eda Hirokazu, Wes Anderson. This column also boasts a lengthy rundown of noteworthy novels, many of which will surely be brought to large and small screens in years to come.
Archive by Sofia Coppola (MacK)
In recent years this column has covered several books focused on the iconic, inimitable Sofia Coppola, including a hardcover career overview and interview collection. Archive is constructed from the personal collection of the writer-director of The Virgin Suicides and Marie Antoinette herself. And as one would expect from a filmmaker known for her sense of style, fashion, and design, the result is positively gorgeous. It is packed with photos, ephemera, collages, and text––nearly 500 pages’ worth.
Archive by Sofia Coppola (MacK)
In recent years this column has covered several books focused on the iconic, inimitable Sofia Coppola, including a hardcover career overview and interview collection. Archive is constructed from the personal collection of the writer-director of The Virgin Suicides and Marie Antoinette herself. And as one would expect from a filmmaker known for her sense of style, fashion, and design, the result is positively gorgeous. It is packed with photos, ephemera, collages, and text––nearly 500 pages’ worth.
- 10/18/2023
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
The selection include Langston Uibel, star of Christian Petzold’s Berlinale award-winner ‘Afire’.
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Poff) has unveiled this year’s Black Nights Stars, spotlighting eight rising actors from the Baltic Sea region.
The initiative brings together international casting directors and filmmakers with emerging talent from the region and is part of Discovery Campus, an education programme organised by Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event (Nov 13-17).
The selection includes Germany’s Langston Uibel, star of Christian Petzold’s Afire, which received the Silver Bear grand jury prize at the Berlinale in February.
The eight actors are:...
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Poff) has unveiled this year’s Black Nights Stars, spotlighting eight rising actors from the Baltic Sea region.
The initiative brings together international casting directors and filmmakers with emerging talent from the region and is part of Discovery Campus, an education programme organised by Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event (Nov 13-17).
The selection includes Germany’s Langston Uibel, star of Christian Petzold’s Afire, which received the Silver Bear grand jury prize at the Berlinale in February.
The eight actors are:...
- 10/16/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
A predictably spectacular sunset spreads streaks of pink and orange across a northern Spanish late September sky, heralding the end of another packed edition of the San Sebastian Film Festival, where at the closing gala, “The Rye Horn” the second feature from Spanish director Jaione Camborda has just been handed the Golden Shell, the festival’s top award.
It is perhaps a surprising win, but does now mark the fourth consecutive year that the festival’s most prestigious prize has gone to a female director. But in another way it has to be a first: the international jury, comprising French director Claire Denis, alongside Chinese actor and producer Fan Bingbing, Colombian producer-director Cristina Gallego, French photographer Brigitte Lacombe, Spanish actor Vicky Luengo, Canadian producer and distributor Robert Lantos and German director Christian Petzold, has chosen to award not just a Spanish film, but one from a female director who was...
It is perhaps a surprising win, but does now mark the fourth consecutive year that the festival’s most prestigious prize has gone to a female director. But in another way it has to be a first: the international jury, comprising French director Claire Denis, alongside Chinese actor and producer Fan Bingbing, Colombian producer-director Cristina Gallego, French photographer Brigitte Lacombe, Spanish actor Vicky Luengo, Canadian producer and distributor Robert Lantos and German director Christian Petzold, has chosen to award not just a Spanish film, but one from a female director who was...
- 9/30/2023
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Mexico’s Monterrey Film Festival (ficmonterrey) is chasing new ambitions in a bid to raise its international profile. Buttressed by generous state, local and private backing as well as some federal funding, the festival, running Sept. 28 – Oct. 4, aims to become Mexico’s most prominent international film festival and a key creative hub in Mexico.
This year’s 19th edition boasts a new director, Janeth Aguirre, also its first female director, and new hires: Diana Cadavid, a programmer for Toronto (TIFF), LA Latino Int’l Film Fest (Laliff) and Colombia’s Cali, who has taken charge of the festival’s burgeoning industry section, and LA-based PR agent Alvar Carretero of Joshua Jason Public Relations.
In recognition of its country guest of honor, South Korea, the fest will open with “Little Forest” by Yim Soonrye, one of the few prominent women film auteurs in South Korean New Wave cinema. Five of her...
This year’s 19th edition boasts a new director, Janeth Aguirre, also its first female director, and new hires: Diana Cadavid, a programmer for Toronto (TIFF), LA Latino Int’l Film Fest (Laliff) and Colombia’s Cali, who has taken charge of the festival’s burgeoning industry section, and LA-based PR agent Alvar Carretero of Joshua Jason Public Relations.
In recognition of its country guest of honor, South Korea, the fest will open with “Little Forest” by Yim Soonrye, one of the few prominent women film auteurs in South Korean New Wave cinema. Five of her...
- 9/11/2023
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Javier Bardem, winner of a San Sebastian 2023 Donostia Award for career achievement, is putting back his on-stage acceptance of the distinction until the 2024 San Sebastian Film Festival.
The postponement is due to the “limits imposed under the strike called by the U.S. Actors Union (SAG-AFTRA),” the San Sebastian Festival announced Friday.
It deprives this year’s Festival of its biggest on-stage major star moment this year.
The fest will, however, enjoy its customary bullish presence of world-class auteurs, led this year by Claire Denis, main competition jury chair, and Victor Erice, will accept his Donostia Award on Sept. 29. San Sebastian announced Friday that Hayao Miyazaki will also accept a Donostia Award online.
Gabriel Byrne, François Cluzet, Emmanuelle Devos, Griffin Dunne, Aidan Gillen, Mads Mikkelsen, James Norton and Dominic West have confirmed their attendance, Byrne and Gillen for one of the festival’s biggest tickets, James Marsh’s official selection closing film “Dance First.
The postponement is due to the “limits imposed under the strike called by the U.S. Actors Union (SAG-AFTRA),” the San Sebastian Festival announced Friday.
It deprives this year’s Festival of its biggest on-stage major star moment this year.
The fest will, however, enjoy its customary bullish presence of world-class auteurs, led this year by Claire Denis, main competition jury chair, and Victor Erice, will accept his Donostia Award on Sept. 29. San Sebastian announced Friday that Hayao Miyazaki will also accept a Donostia Award online.
Gabriel Byrne, François Cluzet, Emmanuelle Devos, Griffin Dunne, Aidan Gillen, Mads Mikkelsen, James Norton and Dominic West have confirmed their attendance, Byrne and Gillen for one of the festival’s biggest tickets, James Marsh’s official selection closing film “Dance First.
- 9/8/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
The festival is set to open with Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy And The Heron’ on September 22.
French filmmaker Claire Denis will chair the official selection jury for the 71st San Sebastian International Film Festival.
The director of Beau Travail and Stars At Noon will be joined by Chinese actress Fan Bingbing; Colombian producer, moviemaker and writer Cristina Gallego; French photographer Brigitte Lacombe; Hungarian producer Robert Lantos; Spanish actress Vicky Luengo; and German director Christian Petzold.
They will decide the winners of the Golden Shell for best film and Silver Shell for best director, leading performance and supporting performance, and will...
French filmmaker Claire Denis will chair the official selection jury for the 71st San Sebastian International Film Festival.
The director of Beau Travail and Stars At Noon will be joined by Chinese actress Fan Bingbing; Colombian producer, moviemaker and writer Cristina Gallego; French photographer Brigitte Lacombe; Hungarian producer Robert Lantos; Spanish actress Vicky Luengo; and German director Christian Petzold.
They will decide the winners of the Golden Shell for best film and Silver Shell for best director, leading performance and supporting performance, and will...
- 9/8/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Hayao Miyazaki will receive a Donostia Award Photo: Courtesy of San Sebastian Film Festival French filmmaker Claire Denis will chair San Sebastian Film Festival's official during this year.
The 35 Shots Of Rum director will be joined by Chinese actress Fan Bingbing (The Lady In The Portrait), Colombian filmmaker and producer Cristina Gallego (Birds Of Passage), French photographer Brigitte Lacombe, Hungarian producer Robert Lantos (Eastern Promises), Spanish star Vicky Luengo (Cork) and German director Christian Petzold, whose Afire is screening in the festival's Pearls section.
The festival has also announced that Hayao Miyazaki, whose The Boy And The Heron is this year's opening film, will receive a Donostia Award for lifetie achievement in a virtual ceremony.
Among the other filmmakers in attendance will be Maite Alberdi, Ja Bayona, Robin Campillo, Isabel Coixet, Víctor Erice, Michel Franco, Matteo Garrone, Craig Gillespie, Jonathan Glazer, Kitty Green, Todd Haynes, Tran Anh Hung, Ladj Ly,...
The 35 Shots Of Rum director will be joined by Chinese actress Fan Bingbing (The Lady In The Portrait), Colombian filmmaker and producer Cristina Gallego (Birds Of Passage), French photographer Brigitte Lacombe, Hungarian producer Robert Lantos (Eastern Promises), Spanish star Vicky Luengo (Cork) and German director Christian Petzold, whose Afire is screening in the festival's Pearls section.
The festival has also announced that Hayao Miyazaki, whose The Boy And The Heron is this year's opening film, will receive a Donostia Award for lifetie achievement in a virtual ceremony.
Among the other filmmakers in attendance will be Maite Alberdi, Ja Bayona, Robin Campillo, Isabel Coixet, Víctor Erice, Michel Franco, Matteo Garrone, Craig Gillespie, Jonathan Glazer, Kitty Green, Todd Haynes, Tran Anh Hung, Ladj Ly,...
- 9/8/2023
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
French filmmaker Claire Denis has been announced as the jury president for the Official Section of the 71st San Sebastian Film Festival, running from September 22-30.
Denis will be joined by the German director Christian Petzold; Chinese actress Fan Bingbing; Colombian producer, director, and writer Cristina Gallego; French photographer Brigitte Lacombe; Hungarian producer Robert Lantos; and Spanish actress Vicky Luengo.
The jury awards the Golden Shell for Best Film and the Silver Shell awards for Best Director, Best Leading Performance, and Best Supporting Performance, as well as jury prizes for Cinematography and Screenplay. The Official Awards will be announced and presented at the festival’s Closing Gala on September 30.
The festival also announced today that it will hand Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki an honorary Donostia Award for career achievement. Miyazaki will receive the award virtually during the opening ceremony on September 22.
Filmmakers also set to attend San Seb include Maite Alberdi,...
Denis will be joined by the German director Christian Petzold; Chinese actress Fan Bingbing; Colombian producer, director, and writer Cristina Gallego; French photographer Brigitte Lacombe; Hungarian producer Robert Lantos; and Spanish actress Vicky Luengo.
The jury awards the Golden Shell for Best Film and the Silver Shell awards for Best Director, Best Leading Performance, and Best Supporting Performance, as well as jury prizes for Cinematography and Screenplay. The Official Awards will be announced and presented at the festival’s Closing Gala on September 30.
The festival also announced today that it will hand Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki an honorary Donostia Award for career achievement. Miyazaki will receive the award virtually during the opening ceremony on September 22.
Filmmakers also set to attend San Seb include Maite Alberdi,...
- 9/8/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
When Franz Rogowski tries to pinpoint the moment he went from being a struggling unknown to an in-demand art house star — the 37-year-old German actor is still basking in critical acclaim for his performances in Ira Sachs’ Passages alongside Ben Whishaw and Adèle Exarchopoulos, as well
as Giacomo Abbruzzese’s Berlin festival sleeper Disco Boy and will be walking the Lido red carpet with Giorgio Diritti’s Venice competition title Lubo — he goes back to Berlin 2018.
“That was the year I had a double pack: Two films in competition, with [Christian Petzold’s] Transit and [Thomas Stuber’s] In the Aisles,” says Rogowski, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter via a shaky Zoom connection from France, where he’s spending a few days after wrapping his latest, Bird from American Honey director Andrea Arnold.
“I was also one of the European Shooting Stars that year. So it was a bit of a turning point.
as Giacomo Abbruzzese’s Berlin festival sleeper Disco Boy and will be walking the Lido red carpet with Giorgio Diritti’s Venice competition title Lubo — he goes back to Berlin 2018.
“That was the year I had a double pack: Two films in competition, with [Christian Petzold’s] Transit and [Thomas Stuber’s] In the Aisles,” says Rogowski, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter via a shaky Zoom connection from France, where he’s spending a few days after wrapping his latest, Bird from American Honey director Andrea Arnold.
“I was also one of the European Shooting Stars that year. So it was a bit of a turning point.
- 8/30/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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