This year the event dedicated to women and cinema will throw its programme open to groundbreaking Middle Eastern movies
"The best documentary at the Doha international film festival in 2011 and 2012 was won by a woman," says Will Young from the Birds Eye View film festival. "The best feature in the Dubai international film festival in 2011 and 2012 was won by a woman … We knew there was something going on."
The "something", says the event's creative director Kate Gerova, was "an explosion of creative talent" among female directors from the Middle East with Lara Saba's Blind Intersections opening the Beirut international film festival and Djamila Sahraoui's Yema winning the Algerian international film festival last year. Throw in the added topicality sparked by the Arab spring and the organisers of Birds Eye felt it only right for the annual festival dedicated to women and film to give itself over for one year to Arab women film-makers.
"The best documentary at the Doha international film festival in 2011 and 2012 was won by a woman," says Will Young from the Birds Eye View film festival. "The best feature in the Dubai international film festival in 2011 and 2012 was won by a woman … We knew there was something going on."
The "something", says the event's creative director Kate Gerova, was "an explosion of creative talent" among female directors from the Middle East with Lara Saba's Blind Intersections opening the Beirut international film festival and Djamila Sahraoui's Yema winning the Algerian international film festival last year. Throw in the added topicality sparked by the Arab spring and the organisers of Birds Eye felt it only right for the annual festival dedicated to women and film to give itself over for one year to Arab women film-makers.
- 4/3/2013
- by Homa Khaleeli
- The Guardian - Film News
Top prize at the Panafrican Film Festival, Fespaco, has gone to Alain Gomis' Today (Tey, or Aujourd'hui), which had its European première at last year's Berlinale. The French-Senegalese co-production stars Us musician Saul Williams, who took the Best Actor award for his peformance as a man revisiting familiar places on what is to be the last day of his life. It mixes poignant observation with astute criticism and musings on the ephemeral nature of existence.
It may not be as well known within the industry as some of its European counterparts, but Fespaco certainly outdoes them in terms of audience, packing 15,000 people into the Stade du 4-Août stadium in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) for its awards ceremony. It also stands out this year for having juries all of which were led by women.
Taking second prize at the fesival was Algerian Djamila Sahraoui's Yema, which explores the subject of religiously-inspired terrorism through.
It may not be as well known within the industry as some of its European counterparts, but Fespaco certainly outdoes them in terms of audience, packing 15,000 people into the Stade du 4-Août stadium in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) for its awards ceremony. It also stands out this year for having juries all of which were led by women.
Taking second prize at the fesival was Algerian Djamila Sahraoui's Yema, which explores the subject of religiously-inspired terrorism through.
- 3/3/2013
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Everything from street hustlers and school teachers to Nobel prize winners and Islamist extremists in a feast of African film
We have selected eight films from five African countries to look out for in 2013 – the year of the 23rd edition of Fespaco – the bi-annual pan-African film and television festival of Ouagadougou.
Burn it up Djassa by Lonesome Solo (Cote d'Ivoire)
Labelled "a film by the people for the people", Burn it up Djassa is about a young street hustler in Abidjan looking for a break. After shooting his first feature, Lonesome Solo escaped the war torn Cote d'Ivoire and has not been seen since.
Half of a Yellow Sun by Biyi Bandele (Nigeria/UK)
The adaptation of Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi-Adiche's Orange Prize-winning and bestselling epic, stars Thandie Newton and Chewitel Ejiofor. Nigerian investors contributed with 80% of the budget to fellow Nigerian director and writer Bandele's feature debut.
Jeppe on a Friday by Shannon Walsh,...
We have selected eight films from five African countries to look out for in 2013 – the year of the 23rd edition of Fespaco – the bi-annual pan-African film and television festival of Ouagadougou.
Burn it up Djassa by Lonesome Solo (Cote d'Ivoire)
Labelled "a film by the people for the people", Burn it up Djassa is about a young street hustler in Abidjan looking for a break. After shooting his first feature, Lonesome Solo escaped the war torn Cote d'Ivoire and has not been seen since.
Half of a Yellow Sun by Biyi Bandele (Nigeria/UK)
The adaptation of Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi-Adiche's Orange Prize-winning and bestselling epic, stars Thandie Newton and Chewitel Ejiofor. Nigerian investors contributed with 80% of the budget to fellow Nigerian director and writer Bandele's feature debut.
Jeppe on a Friday by Shannon Walsh,...
- 1/23/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Nishtha Jain’s “Gulabi Gang” won Best Film Award in Muhr Asia Africa documentary section at the 9th Dubai Film Festival. Awards were announced at the closing ceremony on Sunday, December 16, 2012.
Sourav Sarangi’s “Char … No Man’s Island” won a special mention in the same category.
Egyptian actress Aida El-Kashef won Best Actress award in Muhr Asia Africa Feature category for Anand Gandhi’s film “Ship of Theseus”.
Musa Syeed’s “Valley of Saints” got a special jury prize in the Muhr Asia Africa feature category.
Complete List of Winners:-
Dubai Expo 2020 People’s Choice award:
• Benjamin Renner, Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar – Ernest Et Celestine (Ernest And Celestine): France
• Karzan Kader – Bekas: Sweden
The annual ‘Prize of the International Critics’ for Arab films from the International Federation of Film Critics (Fipresci), the world’s foremost body of film writers, academics and critics from over 60 countries, were awarded...
Sourav Sarangi’s “Char … No Man’s Island” won a special mention in the same category.
Egyptian actress Aida El-Kashef won Best Actress award in Muhr Asia Africa Feature category for Anand Gandhi’s film “Ship of Theseus”.
Musa Syeed’s “Valley of Saints” got a special jury prize in the Muhr Asia Africa feature category.
Complete List of Winners:-
Dubai Expo 2020 People’s Choice award:
• Benjamin Renner, Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar – Ernest Et Celestine (Ernest And Celestine): France
• Karzan Kader – Bekas: Sweden
The annual ‘Prize of the International Critics’ for Arab films from the International Federation of Film Critics (Fipresci), the world’s foremost body of film writers, academics and critics from over 60 countries, were awarded...
- 12/16/2012
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
The 17th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (Iffk) has announced its lineup. The festival will run from 7th to 14th December, 2012 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Some of the highlights of the lineup are festival favourites of the year Amour, Chitrangada, Samhita, The Sapphires, Drapchi, Miss Lovely, Me and You, Celluloid Man, and Baandhon.
Fourteen films will screen in the Competition section while seven contemporary films will be screened in “Indian Cinema Now” section.
Complete list of films:
Competition Films
Fourteen feature films from Asia, Africa and Latin America will compete for the coveted “Suvarna Chakoram” (Golden Crow Pheasant) and other awards.
Always Brando by Ridha Behi (Tunisia)
Inheritors of the Earth by T V Chandran (India)
A Terminal Trust by by Masayuki Suo (Japan)
Shutter by Joy Mathew (India)
Today by Alain Gomis (Senegal-France)
The Repentant by Merzak Allouache (Algeria)
Sta. Niña by Manny Palo (Philippines)
Present Tense...
Some of the highlights of the lineup are festival favourites of the year Amour, Chitrangada, Samhita, The Sapphires, Drapchi, Miss Lovely, Me and You, Celluloid Man, and Baandhon.
Fourteen films will screen in the Competition section while seven contemporary films will be screened in “Indian Cinema Now” section.
Complete list of films:
Competition Films
Fourteen feature films from Asia, Africa and Latin America will compete for the coveted “Suvarna Chakoram” (Golden Crow Pheasant) and other awards.
Always Brando by Ridha Behi (Tunisia)
Inheritors of the Earth by T V Chandran (India)
A Terminal Trust by by Masayuki Suo (Japan)
Shutter by Joy Mathew (India)
Today by Alain Gomis (Senegal-France)
The Repentant by Merzak Allouache (Algeria)
Sta. Niña by Manny Palo (Philippines)
Present Tense...
- 11/2/2012
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
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