Brazil’s Fantaspoa film festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and the festival is breaking numerous records, presenting an impressive total of 114 feature films, 22 of these as World Premieres, marking the largest number of feature films in Fantaspoa’s long history.
The final selection of feature films for Fantaspoa’s highly-anticipated 20th edition has been exclusively presented to Bloody Disgusting, so read on for everything you need to know!
The festival tells us this week, “With a diverse selection, the feature films screening at Fantaspoa Xx have been divided into seven distinct competitive categories: International, Ibero-American, National, Documentary, Animation, All-Nighter, and Low Budget, Great Films. These categories promise audiences a variety of cinematic experiences, from the fringes of horror and fantasy to the depths of the human imagination.
“In addition to feature films, Fantaspoa will screen 123 short films, totaling 237 participating works, making this edition of the festival the largest in its history.
The final selection of feature films for Fantaspoa’s highly-anticipated 20th edition has been exclusively presented to Bloody Disgusting, so read on for everything you need to know!
The festival tells us this week, “With a diverse selection, the feature films screening at Fantaspoa Xx have been divided into seven distinct competitive categories: International, Ibero-American, National, Documentary, Animation, All-Nighter, and Low Budget, Great Films. These categories promise audiences a variety of cinematic experiences, from the fringes of horror and fantasy to the depths of the human imagination.
“In addition to feature films, Fantaspoa will screen 123 short films, totaling 237 participating works, making this edition of the festival the largest in its history.
- 3/28/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Reel Suspects has acquired world rights to Renata Pinheiro’s sci-fi thriller “King Car,” which recently world premiered at Rotterdam in the big screen competition.
The elevated genre movie revolves around Ninho, the son of a taxi company owner who has an extraordinary connection with cars and can talk to them. Ninho became friends with the car that saved him from a traffic accident as a child, and now he can also hear the old wrecks complain about the law banning them from the roads. Together with his uncle, Ninho converts the write-offs into futuristic vehicles with consciousness.
Reel Suspects will be handling international on the film outside of Brazil. The movie stars Luciano Pedro Jr, Jules Elting, Clara Pinheiro and Adelio Lima, among others. “King Car” was produced by Sérgio Oliveira.
“With its retro-futuristic cars and ecological tale, [‘King Car’] shows that Brazilian genre cinema is something to keep a close...
The elevated genre movie revolves around Ninho, the son of a taxi company owner who has an extraordinary connection with cars and can talk to them. Ninho became friends with the car that saved him from a traffic accident as a child, and now he can also hear the old wrecks complain about the law banning them from the roads. Together with his uncle, Ninho converts the write-offs into futuristic vehicles with consciousness.
Reel Suspects will be handling international on the film outside of Brazil. The movie stars Luciano Pedro Jr, Jules Elting, Clara Pinheiro and Adelio Lima, among others. “King Car” was produced by Sérgio Oliveira.
“With its retro-futuristic cars and ecological tale, [‘King Car’] shows that Brazilian genre cinema is something to keep a close...
- 2/16/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Paris-based outfit Reel Suspects has acquired “The Three,” directed by up-and-coming Armenian-Russian filmmaker Anna Melikyan. “The Three” will have its international premiere at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and will be distributed in Russia by Disney in December.
Penned by Melikyan and Evgenia Khripkova, “The Three” revolves around a husband, a wife and another woman.
The cast is headlined by local stars Konstantin Khabenskiy, Viktoriya Isakova, and Yulia Peresild, a young Moscow theater actor. Melikyan produced the film through her banner Magnum film company, along with Natella Krapivina and Artem Vasilyev.
“We are really exited to work on Anna’s most recent work. A subtle romance driven by an amazing cast and signed by a wonderful cinematographic camera work. Festivals and buyers will fall surely under the charm,” said Matteo Lovadina, the CEO of Reel Suspects, who will start selling the film at the American Film Market, which kicks off Monday.
Penned by Melikyan and Evgenia Khripkova, “The Three” revolves around a husband, a wife and another woman.
The cast is headlined by local stars Konstantin Khabenskiy, Viktoriya Isakova, and Yulia Peresild, a young Moscow theater actor. Melikyan produced the film through her banner Magnum film company, along with Natella Krapivina and Artem Vasilyev.
“We are really exited to work on Anna’s most recent work. A subtle romance driven by an amazing cast and signed by a wonderful cinematographic camera work. Festivals and buyers will fall surely under the charm,” said Matteo Lovadina, the CEO of Reel Suspects, who will start selling the film at the American Film Market, which kicks off Monday.
- 11/6/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Comrade Christ: Melikyan Muses on the Motherland Through the Eyes of Another Waif
Even through their desperate avatars, the oligarchy overrules the Russian populace, one of several tangential themes explored in Fairy, the latest film from Russian director Anna Melikyan. Scoring a major international breakthrough in 2007 with her film Mermaid, which picked up awards at Sundance and Berlin, Melikyan became an instant rarity, one of the few women Russian-language filmmakers to secure distribution and prestige overseas. Since then, she’s continued with similar trajectories and themes in titles which weren’t as well-traveled. For those familiar with her filmography, her latest feels like the third chapter in a thematic trilogy which began with Mermaid and continued in 2014 with Star, once again exploring Russia’s alienating industries through the naive eyes of an impish, beautiful waif, a magical personality whose presence transports those around her from cynical, selfish charlatans to sympathetic...
Even through their desperate avatars, the oligarchy overrules the Russian populace, one of several tangential themes explored in Fairy, the latest film from Russian director Anna Melikyan. Scoring a major international breakthrough in 2007 with her film Mermaid, which picked up awards at Sundance and Berlin, Melikyan became an instant rarity, one of the few women Russian-language filmmakers to secure distribution and prestige overseas. Since then, she’s continued with similar trajectories and themes in titles which weren’t as well-traveled. For those familiar with her filmography, her latest feels like the third chapter in a thematic trilogy which began with Mermaid and continued in 2014 with Star, once again exploring Russia’s alienating industries through the naive eyes of an impish, beautiful waif, a magical personality whose presence transports those around her from cynical, selfish charlatans to sympathetic...
- 10/21/2020
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
The line-up includes new films by István Szabó, Laila Pakalnina, Dalibor Matanić, Georgi Mindadze, Nisan Dağ, Anna Melikyan and Leonardo António. The 24th edition of the Tallinn Black Nights International Film Festival, taking place physically with a stripped-back programme from 13-29 November, has announced the first eight titles of its main Official Selection - Competition. Six of the films will have their world premieres at Tallinn. The line-up includes the international premiere of the most recent film by the Tallinn's 2013 Lifetime Achievement Awardee István Szabó, Final Report (Hungary), the story of a cardiology professor played by Klaus Maria Brandauer, who returns to his home village after retirement to become the local Gp. The film was released in Hungary in February before the lockdown. Latvian director Laila Pakalnina returns to Tallinn with In the Mirror (Latvia/Lithuania) a playful take on the Snow White motif, after winning the Best Cinematography award.
Line-up includes six world premieres, international debut of István Szabó’s ‘Final Report’.
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (November 13-29) has announced the first eight films in its main competition strand as it prepares to go ahead as a physical event.
The line-up includes the international premiere of Final Report by Oscar-winning Hungarian filmmaker István Szabó, having previously been released in its native Hungary before lockdown in February.
The film centres on a retired cardiologist, played by Klaus Maria Brandaue, who stirs up old resentments when he returns to his home village. Szabó, a four-time Oscar nominee and winner in 1982 with Mephisto,...
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (November 13-29) has announced the first eight films in its main competition strand as it prepares to go ahead as a physical event.
The line-up includes the international premiere of Final Report by Oscar-winning Hungarian filmmaker István Szabó, having previously been released in its native Hungary before lockdown in February.
The film centres on a retired cardiologist, played by Klaus Maria Brandaue, who stirs up old resentments when he returns to his home village. Szabó, a four-time Oscar nominee and winner in 1982 with Mephisto,...
- 9/23/2020
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Line-up includes six world premieres, international debut of István Szabó’s ‘Final Report’.
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (November 13-29) has announced the first eight films in its main competition strand as it prepares to go ahead as a physical event.
The line-up includes the international premiere of Final Report by Oscar-winning Hungarian filmmaker István Szabó, having previously been released in its native Hungary before lockdown in February.
The film centres on a retired cardiologist, played by Klaus Maria Brandaue, who stirs up old resentments when he returns to his home village. Szabó, a four-time Oscar nominee and winner in 1982 with Mephisto,...
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (November 13-29) has announced the first eight films in its main competition strand as it prepares to go ahead as a physical event.
The line-up includes the international premiere of Final Report by Oscar-winning Hungarian filmmaker István Szabó, having previously been released in its native Hungary before lockdown in February.
The film centres on a retired cardiologist, played by Klaus Maria Brandaue, who stirs up old resentments when he returns to his home village. Szabó, a four-time Oscar nominee and winner in 1982 with Mephisto,...
- 9/23/2020
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Line-up includes six world premieres, international debut of István Szabó’s ‘Final Report’.
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Nov 13-29) has announced the first eight films in its main competition strand as it prepares to go ahead as a physical event.
The line-up includes the international premiere of Final Report by Oscar-winning Hungarian filmmaker István Szabó, having previously been released in its native Hungary before lockdown in February.
The film centres on a retired cardiologist, played by Klaus Maria Brandaue, who stirs up old resentments when he returns to his home village. Szabó, a four-time Oscar nominee and winner in 1982 with Mephisto,...
Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Nov 13-29) has announced the first eight films in its main competition strand as it prepares to go ahead as a physical event.
The line-up includes the international premiere of Final Report by Oscar-winning Hungarian filmmaker István Szabó, having previously been released in its native Hungary before lockdown in February.
The film centres on a retired cardiologist, played by Klaus Maria Brandaue, who stirs up old resentments when he returns to his home village. Szabó, a four-time Oscar nominee and winner in 1982 with Mephisto,...
- 9/23/2020
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
In the weeks following the inaugural edition of the Key Buyers Event, a showcase for new Russian productions held in Moscow last fall, Roskino CEO Evgenia Markova reached out to scores of international guests who had made the trip to the Russian capital. After what was largely perceived as a successful event, in which dozens of Russian titles sold to foreign buyers, Markova wanted to understand what else the film promotion body could do to support the continued growth of the Russian industry.
One piece of advice stood out. “Not many Russian names are known abroad,” says Markova. The consensus among many of the buyers in attendance was that “this is definitely what [Roskino] should work on: you should promote your actors, your producers, your directors. You should show the world you exist.”
For the Key Buyers Event: Digital Edition, an online platform to showcase and promote Russian content that takes...
One piece of advice stood out. “Not many Russian names are known abroad,” says Markova. The consensus among many of the buyers in attendance was that “this is definitely what [Roskino] should work on: you should promote your actors, your producers, your directors. You should show the world you exist.”
For the Key Buyers Event: Digital Edition, an online platform to showcase and promote Russian content that takes...
- 6/10/2020
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Fairy
Armenian-Russian director Anna Melikyan should have Fairy, her sixth narrative feature, ready for 2020. Produced by Melikyan and Natalya Poklad (who produced Melikyan’s 2017 comedy About Love. For Adults Only), it will serve as the first feature for Dp Andrey Maika and composer Kirill Rikhter. Her cast is headlined by Konstantin Khabenskiy, the lead from Timur Bekmambetov’s Night Watch (2004) and Day Watch (2006), joined by Ingeborga Dapkunaite (Seven Years in Tibet; Hannibal) and Tinatin Dalakishvili. Melikyan is still best known for her 2007 sophomore film Mermaid, which won her the Directing Award in the World Dramatic competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, as well as the Fipresci Prize out of the Panorama sidebar in Berlin the same year.…...
Armenian-Russian director Anna Melikyan should have Fairy, her sixth narrative feature, ready for 2020. Produced by Melikyan and Natalya Poklad (who produced Melikyan’s 2017 comedy About Love. For Adults Only), it will serve as the first feature for Dp Andrey Maika and composer Kirill Rikhter. Her cast is headlined by Konstantin Khabenskiy, the lead from Timur Bekmambetov’s Night Watch (2004) and Day Watch (2006), joined by Ingeborga Dapkunaite (Seven Years in Tibet; Hannibal) and Tinatin Dalakishvili. Melikyan is still best known for her 2007 sophomore film Mermaid, which won her the Directing Award in the World Dramatic competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, as well as the Fipresci Prize out of the Panorama sidebar in Berlin the same year.…...
- 12/31/2019
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Cannes — Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich’s $100 million private film fund Kinoprime is ready for business, the fund’s CEO, Anton Malyshev, said in Cannes this week.
Financed to the tune of $100 million over the next three years, the fund can provide up to 50% of a film’s production budget, with a $2 million cap per project. Its first investment, “Fairy,” the new feature from Berlinale prize winner Anna Melikyan (“Mars”), is currently in post-production and will be released in Russia later this year.
The former managing director of the Russian State Film Fund, Malyshev said Kinoprime would meet a need currently unaddressed by the state funding mechanism. “The Russian cinema fund has just one aim: to make Russian films more box office in Russia. It’s about blockbusters,” said Malyshev. “We need quality movies—not only blockbusters. Very good art projects are good for us.”
He added that for an industry...
Financed to the tune of $100 million over the next three years, the fund can provide up to 50% of a film’s production budget, with a $2 million cap per project. Its first investment, “Fairy,” the new feature from Berlinale prize winner Anna Melikyan (“Mars”), is currently in post-production and will be released in Russia later this year.
The former managing director of the Russian State Film Fund, Malyshev said Kinoprime would meet a need currently unaddressed by the state funding mechanism. “The Russian cinema fund has just one aim: to make Russian films more box office in Russia. It’s about blockbusters,” said Malyshev. “We need quality movies—not only blockbusters. Very good art projects are good for us.”
He added that for an industry...
- 5/19/2019
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
They must have a ‘Russian flavour’.
Russian oligarch and Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich’s $100 million private film fund Kinoprime is up and running - and potentially open to English language and international projects. That was the message from the Fund’s CEO, Anton Malyshev, speaking in Cannes this week.
The Moscow-based fund, created earlier this year, invests in projects at the final stage of filming. Malyshev (who arrived in Cannes by helicopter on Wednesday) has confirmed the Fund’s very first investment, pumping $750,000 into Fairy, the new feature from Anna Melikyan starring Konstantin Khabensky. The film shot last...
Russian oligarch and Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich’s $100 million private film fund Kinoprime is up and running - and potentially open to English language and international projects. That was the message from the Fund’s CEO, Anton Malyshev, speaking in Cannes this week.
The Moscow-based fund, created earlier this year, invests in projects at the final stage of filming. Malyshev (who arrived in Cannes by helicopter on Wednesday) has confirmed the Fund’s very first investment, pumping $750,000 into Fairy, the new feature from Anna Melikyan starring Konstantin Khabensky. The film shot last...
- 5/17/2019
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the annual event broke some of its own barriers, doling out each of its four directing awards to female filmmakers. For the first time in the festival’s 34-year history, directing prizes went only to women, spanning all four major categories — narrative and documentary, U.S. and world cinema: Sara Colangelo (“The Kindergarten Teacher”), Alexandria Bombach (“On Her Shoulders”), Sandi Tan (“Shirkers”), and Isold Uggadottir (“And Breathe Normally”). The festival’s juries also awarded Desiree Akhavan’s “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” the Grand Jury Prize, the festival’s highest honor; Sundance’s sole dedicated screenplay honor, the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, went to Christina Choe for “Nancy.”
In short, it was a big festival for women. But what does winning an award at Sundance actually mean for female filmmakers? How does it impact future projects? Does it guarantee further success in the industry?...
In short, it was a big festival for women. But what does winning an award at Sundance actually mean for female filmmakers? How does it impact future projects? Does it guarantee further success in the industry?...
- 1/29/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Russian filmmakers Alexander Sokurov and Alexey Fedorchenko are among the latest to speak out in public in support of their Ukrainian colleague Oleg Sentsov.
“The story about Sentsov’s arrest appeared from the very beginning to be rather fantastic,” Sokurov said in a statement for the Russian discussion forum Snob.
“The investigating organs have somewhat exaggerated the ability of film directors for criminal political activities.”
The director, whose latest film Francofonia will have its world premiere in Venice next month, said he was “confident” that there wasn’t any extremism in Sentsov’s actions and “nothing more extremist than civil protest”.
Meanwhile, Alexey Fedorchenko (Angels of the Revolution) declared that “protecting the freedom of innocently accused people is not something that only filmmakers must do, but all the inhabitants of our country”.
Alexey German Jr, whose last feature Under Electric Clouds screened at the Berlinale in February, described what was now happening to Oleg Sentsov as “a...
“The story about Sentsov’s arrest appeared from the very beginning to be rather fantastic,” Sokurov said in a statement for the Russian discussion forum Snob.
“The investigating organs have somewhat exaggerated the ability of film directors for criminal political activities.”
The director, whose latest film Francofonia will have its world premiere in Venice next month, said he was “confident” that there wasn’t any extremism in Sentsov’s actions and “nothing more extremist than civil protest”.
Meanwhile, Alexey Fedorchenko (Angels of the Revolution) declared that “protecting the freedom of innocently accused people is not something that only filmmakers must do, but all the inhabitants of our country”.
Alexey German Jr, whose last feature Under Electric Clouds screened at the Berlinale in February, described what was now happening to Oleg Sentsov as “a...
- 8/24/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Talya Lavie’s Zero Motivation won the Grand Prix at this year’s Odessa International Film Festival (Oiff), overshadowed in its final days by the shooting down of a Malaysian Airways plane.
Lavie’s debut feature, handled internationally by The Match Factory, was voted by the festival-goers to receive the Golden Duke statuette and the $12,000 cash prize.
Director Lavie and actress Shani Klein were accompanied on stage by the Israel Film Fund Katriel Schory to accept the Grand Prix from the hands of the Oiff president Viktoriya Tigipko.
News of the Malaysian Airways plane tragedy broke early on Thursday evening during a reception in honour of Turkish films showing at the festival.
A minute’s silence was held in memory of the crash victims ahead of Gogol Wives’ documentary Pussy vs Putin that evening.
On Friday, another minute of silence was held at the beginning of the awards ceremony in memory of the aeroplane’s passengers as well...
Lavie’s debut feature, handled internationally by The Match Factory, was voted by the festival-goers to receive the Golden Duke statuette and the $12,000 cash prize.
Director Lavie and actress Shani Klein were accompanied on stage by the Israel Film Fund Katriel Schory to accept the Grand Prix from the hands of the Oiff president Viktoriya Tigipko.
News of the Malaysian Airways plane tragedy broke early on Thursday evening during a reception in honour of Turkish films showing at the festival.
A minute’s silence was held in memory of the crash victims ahead of Gogol Wives’ documentary Pussy vs Putin that evening.
On Friday, another minute of silence was held at the beginning of the awards ceremony in memory of the aeroplane’s passengers as well...
- 7/21/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Talya Lavie’s Zero Motivation won the Grand Prix at this year’s Odessa International Film Festival (Oiff), overshadowed in its final days by the shooting down of a Malaysian Airways plane.
Lavie’s debut feature, handled internationally by The Match Factory, was voted by the festival-goers to receive the Golden Duke statuette and the $12,000 cash prize.
Director Lavie and actress Shani Klein were accompanied on stage by the Israel Film Fund Katriel Schory to accept the Grand Prix from the hands of the Oiff president Viktoriya Tigipko.
News of the Malaysian Airways plane tragedy broke early on Thursday evening during a reception in honour of Turkish films showing at the festival.
A minute’s silence was held in memory of the crash victims ahead of Gogol Wives’ documentary Pussy vs Putin that evening.
On Friday, another minute of silence was held at the beginning of the awards ceremony in memory of the aeroplane’s passengers as well...
Lavie’s debut feature, handled internationally by The Match Factory, was voted by the festival-goers to receive the Golden Duke statuette and the $12,000 cash prize.
Director Lavie and actress Shani Klein were accompanied on stage by the Israel Film Fund Katriel Schory to accept the Grand Prix from the hands of the Oiff president Viktoriya Tigipko.
News of the Malaysian Airways plane tragedy broke early on Thursday evening during a reception in honour of Turkish films showing at the festival.
A minute’s silence was held in memory of the crash victims ahead of Gogol Wives’ documentary Pussy vs Putin that evening.
On Friday, another minute of silence was held at the beginning of the awards ceremony in memory of the aeroplane’s passengers as well...
- 7/21/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
New legislation banning use of obscene words came into effect yesterday [July 1].
Russia’s arthouse film-makers are preparing for hard times ahead as new legislation came into effect on Tuesday [July 1] banning the use of obscene words in films, stage plays, musical performances, and the media.
Speaking to Business FM, director Boris Khlebnikov [pictured] said that there had been obscene language in almost all of his films because it was “somehow necessary”.
However, there hadn’t been any such language in his last film, the rural-set A Long And Happy Life, which had been part-funded by the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Culture.
“The most curious thing was that four old ladies came up to me one after another, said they liked the cinema, but that people don’t speak like that in the countryside,”Khlebnikov recalled. “It is impossible to reproduce rural speech without swearing.”
Set on the Kola peninsula north of Murmansk, A Long And...
Russia’s arthouse film-makers are preparing for hard times ahead as new legislation came into effect on Tuesday [July 1] banning the use of obscene words in films, stage plays, musical performances, and the media.
Speaking to Business FM, director Boris Khlebnikov [pictured] said that there had been obscene language in almost all of his films because it was “somehow necessary”.
However, there hadn’t been any such language in his last film, the rural-set A Long And Happy Life, which had been part-funded by the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Culture.
“The most curious thing was that four old ladies came up to me one after another, said they liked the cinema, but that people don’t speak like that in the countryside,”Khlebnikov recalled. “It is impossible to reproduce rural speech without swearing.”
Set on the Kola peninsula north of Murmansk, A Long And...
- 7/2/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Peter Webber to head jury, David Puttnam to deliver lecture during fifth edition of the Ukranian festival.
Golden Bear winner Black Coal, Thin Ice and the Camera D’Or recipient Party Girl [pictured] are among the 12 films selected for the International Competition at the fifth edition of the Odessa International Film Festival (Oiff), which runs July 11-19.
UK director Peter Webber will head the jury composed of Ukrainian film-maker Sergei Loznitsa, Israeli actress Jenya Dodina, Belorussian actress-director Olga Dykhovichnaya and French actor-critic Jean-Philippe Tessé.
The other films in the running for the Golden Duke award are:
Bryan Reisberg’s social and psychological drama Big Significant Things (Us)Levan Koguashvili’s feelgood film Blind Dates (Georgia)Director and painter Lech Majewski’s Field of Dogs (Poland)Alonso Ruizpalacios’ road movie debut Güeros (Mexico)Valentin Hotea’s social and psychological drama Roxanne (Romania)Anna Melikyan’s Kinotavr award-winner Star (Russia)Maximilan Erlenwein’s psychological thriller Stereo (Germany)Tribeca winner [link=nm...
Golden Bear winner Black Coal, Thin Ice and the Camera D’Or recipient Party Girl [pictured] are among the 12 films selected for the International Competition at the fifth edition of the Odessa International Film Festival (Oiff), which runs July 11-19.
UK director Peter Webber will head the jury composed of Ukrainian film-maker Sergei Loznitsa, Israeli actress Jenya Dodina, Belorussian actress-director Olga Dykhovichnaya and French actor-critic Jean-Philippe Tessé.
The other films in the running for the Golden Duke award are:
Bryan Reisberg’s social and psychological drama Big Significant Things (Us)Levan Koguashvili’s feelgood film Blind Dates (Georgia)Director and painter Lech Majewski’s Field of Dogs (Poland)Alonso Ruizpalacios’ road movie debut Güeros (Mexico)Valentin Hotea’s social and psychological drama Roxanne (Romania)Anna Melikyan’s Kinotavr award-winner Star (Russia)Maximilan Erlenwein’s psychological thriller Stereo (Germany)Tribeca winner [link=nm...
- 6/11/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Roskino and Russian Cinema Fund to make presentations.
Russian cinema will be represented by not one, but two stands at the Marché du Film much to the bewilderment of some in the industry.
While Roskino, the successor to the former state film organisation Sovexportfilm, is the official organiser of the Russian Pavilion with support from the Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs, the Russian Cinema Fund is backing the Russian Cinema stand in the Festival Palais.
Both initiatives will be having presentations of extracts from completed films or works in progress to sales agents, distributors and festival programmers.
Roskino’s line-up on May 17 will include Natalia Meshaninova’s The Hope Factory [pictured], Igor Voloshin’s Moscow-Russia Express, the documentary Rudolf Nureyev. A Rebel Demon, and Sergei Dvortsevoy’s My Little One, co-produced by the late Karl Baumgartner.
The Russian Cinema Fund will follow three days later – on May 20 - with its own showcase of 19 projects at various stages...
Russian cinema will be represented by not one, but two stands at the Marché du Film much to the bewilderment of some in the industry.
While Roskino, the successor to the former state film organisation Sovexportfilm, is the official organiser of the Russian Pavilion with support from the Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs, the Russian Cinema Fund is backing the Russian Cinema stand in the Festival Palais.
Both initiatives will be having presentations of extracts from completed films or works in progress to sales agents, distributors and festival programmers.
Roskino’s line-up on May 17 will include Natalia Meshaninova’s The Hope Factory [pictured], Igor Voloshin’s Moscow-Russia Express, the documentary Rudolf Nureyev. A Rebel Demon, and Sergei Dvortsevoy’s My Little One, co-produced by the late Karl Baumgartner.
The Russian Cinema Fund will follow three days later – on May 20 - with its own showcase of 19 projects at various stages...
- 5/13/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Slate includes Garry Bardin’s animation trilogy Three Strains - Rondo, Exodus, Elegia and Anna Melikyan’s The Star.
New films by animator Garry Bardin and Anna Melikyan are among the titles added by fledgling Russian sales agent Ant!pode Sales & Distribution to its Efm lineup.
Anton Mazurov and his sales team will be taking presales on Bardin’s animation trilogy Three Strains Rondo, Exodus, Elegia, which is currently in postproduction and will be premiered at international festivals later in the year; Melikyan’s third feature The Star coming after her award-winning Mermaid (Rusalka) which was the Panorama opening film in 2008; and Alexey Fedorchenko’s The Angels of the Revolution, a romantic drama set in the Russian avant-garde period.
In addition, international distribution is being handled on venerated documentary film-maker Maria Razbezhkina’s latest project The Optical Axis (Opticheskaya Os), which had its world premiere at Dok Leipzig last October, and six feature...
New films by animator Garry Bardin and Anna Melikyan are among the titles added by fledgling Russian sales agent Ant!pode Sales & Distribution to its Efm lineup.
Anton Mazurov and his sales team will be taking presales on Bardin’s animation trilogy Three Strains Rondo, Exodus, Elegia, which is currently in postproduction and will be premiered at international festivals later in the year; Melikyan’s third feature The Star coming after her award-winning Mermaid (Rusalka) which was the Panorama opening film in 2008; and Alexey Fedorchenko’s The Angels of the Revolution, a romantic drama set in the Russian avant-garde period.
In addition, international distribution is being handled on venerated documentary film-maker Maria Razbezhkina’s latest project The Optical Axis (Opticheskaya Os), which had its world premiere at Dok Leipzig last October, and six feature...
- 2/6/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Pawel Pawlikowski’s Ida scored a second top festival prize in one night, after success in London.
The international jury of the Warsaw Film Festival has awarded the City of Warsaw Grand Prix to Pawal Pawlikowski’s Ida, which won Best Film at the BFI London Film Festival on the same night.
The black-and-white film set in the 1960s, which the international jury praised for “the superb combination of script, directing, cinematography, acting and music”, also received the prize of the Ecumenical Jury in Warsaw.
Speaking to ScreenDaily after the awards ceremony, producer Ewa Puszczynska of Lodz-based Opus Film said the film will be released on 90 screens in Poland this Friday (Oct 25) by distributor Solopan Spólka.
Fandango Portobello Sales is handling international distribution, and Music Box Films are planning the North American release for the second quarter of 2014. It debuted at Toronto last month.
Puszczynska was joined on stage to receive the Grand Prix by the non-professional...
The international jury of the Warsaw Film Festival has awarded the City of Warsaw Grand Prix to Pawal Pawlikowski’s Ida, which won Best Film at the BFI London Film Festival on the same night.
The black-and-white film set in the 1960s, which the international jury praised for “the superb combination of script, directing, cinematography, acting and music”, also received the prize of the Ecumenical Jury in Warsaw.
Speaking to ScreenDaily after the awards ceremony, producer Ewa Puszczynska of Lodz-based Opus Film said the film will be released on 90 screens in Poland this Friday (Oct 25) by distributor Solopan Spólka.
Fandango Portobello Sales is handling international distribution, and Music Box Films are planning the North American release for the second quarter of 2014. It debuted at Toronto last month.
Puszczynska was joined on stage to receive the Grand Prix by the non-professional...
- 10/21/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Mermaid (Rusalka) Directed by: Anna Melikyan Cast: Masha Shalayeva, Yevgeni Tsyganov, Mariya Sokova Running Time: 1 hr 55 mins Rating: Unrated 32nd Portland International Film Festival Country: Russia English?: Nope. Subtitled. Plot: Alice (Shalayeva) grows up in a small seaside village where she attends a school for the mentally disabled because she refuses to speak. But after moving to Moscow with her family, she meets Sasha (Tsyganov). She saves his life, falls in love with him and becomes his housekeeper to get close to him. Who’s It For? Mermaid is a sophisticated fairytale. Adults and older teens who don't mind subtitles and like a bit of magical realism should really enjoy this film. Overall I've seen a few Russian movies in my day, and Mermaid isn't like any of them. Sure, it's a...
- 2/9/2009
- The Scorecard Review
Year: 2007
Release date: Unknown
Director: Anna Melikyan
Writer: Anna Melikyan
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: quietearth
Rating: 6 out of 10
The introductor to this film told us writer/director Anna Melikyan's influences were Amelie and the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Little Mermaid, pointing out that the latter was one of the only fairy tales with a sad ending although I'm pretty sure we could flip some Brother's Grimm and disprove that. This was a whimsical tale about a girl, conceived in the water, who had the power to control nature (although she barely used it) which had a fantastic beginning like so much odd film fare, but then lost its way down some non-existent path halfway through which was too bad. I was thinking to myself "this is a solid 8!", it was really that brilliant with it's perfect acting, beautiful and inventive shots, and spots of comedy,...
Release date: Unknown
Director: Anna Melikyan
Writer: Anna Melikyan
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: quietearth
Rating: 6 out of 10
The introductor to this film told us writer/director Anna Melikyan's influences were Amelie and the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Little Mermaid, pointing out that the latter was one of the only fairy tales with a sad ending although I'm pretty sure we could flip some Brother's Grimm and disprove that. This was a whimsical tale about a girl, conceived in the water, who had the power to control nature (although she barely used it) which had a fantastic beginning like so much odd film fare, but then lost its way down some non-existent path halfway through which was too bad. I was thinking to myself "this is a solid 8!", it was really that brilliant with it's perfect acting, beautiful and inventive shots, and spots of comedy,...
- 11/16/2008
- QuietEarth.us
- Last year’s fiasco over the Academy award Foreign Film nominations proved that: the voting process and those who were placing X’s on the ballot form were running a system that was as faulty as New Orleans’ levees. This year there will likely be no omissions or screw ups such as last year’s mistake of leaving the Palme d’Or winner 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days out of the process and there won't be the usual favoritism towards already established directors. The task of watching 67 films will be made a lot easier because 2008’s batch include a fivesome of films that stick out like a sour thumbs because of their style, substance and beauty. I don’t care how old these Academy voters are: they’ll end up seeing the same thing that I and thousands of other critics saw. Predestined to be represented come Oscar night in February,
- 10/24/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
A record 67 countries have submitted films for consideration for best foreign-language film for the 81st Academy Awards, Academy president Sid Ganis said Friday. Nominations will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 22, and the awards will be presented on Sunday, Feb. 22.
The complete list of foreign-language submissions follows. For more details on some of the films, visit THR.com/foreignoscars.
Afghanistan, "Opium War," Siddiq Barmak
Albania, "The Sorrow of Mrs. Schneider," Piro Milkani and Eno Milkani
Algeria, "Masquerades," Lyes Salem
Argentina, "Lion's Den," Pablo Trapero
Austria, "Revanche," Gotz Spielmann
Azerbaijan, "Fortress," Shamil Nacafzada
Bangladesh, "Aha!," Enamul Karim Nirjhar
Belgium, "Eldorado," Bouli Lanners
Bosnia and Herzegovina, "Snow," Aida Begic
Brazil, "Last Stop 174," Bruno Barreto
Bulgaria, "Zift," Javor Gardev
Canada, "The Necessities of Life," Benoit Pilon
Chile, "Tony Manero," Pablo Larrain
China, "Dream Weavers," Jun Gu
Colombia, "Dog Eat Dog," Carlos Moreno
Croatia, "No One's Son," Arsen Anton Ostojic
Czech Republic, "The Karamazovs," Petr Zelenka
Denmark,...
The complete list of foreign-language submissions follows. For more details on some of the films, visit THR.com/foreignoscars.
Afghanistan, "Opium War," Siddiq Barmak
Albania, "The Sorrow of Mrs. Schneider," Piro Milkani and Eno Milkani
Algeria, "Masquerades," Lyes Salem
Argentina, "Lion's Den," Pablo Trapero
Austria, "Revanche," Gotz Spielmann
Azerbaijan, "Fortress," Shamil Nacafzada
Bangladesh, "Aha!," Enamul Karim Nirjhar
Belgium, "Eldorado," Bouli Lanners
Bosnia and Herzegovina, "Snow," Aida Begic
Brazil, "Last Stop 174," Bruno Barreto
Bulgaria, "Zift," Javor Gardev
Canada, "The Necessities of Life," Benoit Pilon
Chile, "Tony Manero," Pablo Larrain
China, "Dream Weavers," Jun Gu
Colombia, "Dog Eat Dog," Carlos Moreno
Croatia, "No One's Son," Arsen Anton Ostojic
Czech Republic, "The Karamazovs," Petr Zelenka
Denmark,...
- 10/17/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- So far, about one third (35 countries to be exact) of the 96 invited to submit their entry for the Academy Awards' Best Foreign Language Picture category have done so. While tomorrow's list will beef up the finally tally, there are three pictures that first caught everyone's attention at Cannes this year that are destined to make it to the final five. After last year's fiasco (the exclusion of Persepolis and 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days), I'm hoping that this year's measures (a new voting system broken into phases) will make sure that voting members don't mess up once again and If I'd had to handicap the race this early on, I'd say The Class, Gomorra and Waltz with Bashir -- all films that are currently being showcased at the 46th Nyff, will each be considered as top tier noms. I'd also love to see Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Three Monkeys in
- 9/30/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
Moscow -- Director Anna Melikyan's "The Mermaid" (Rusalka) will represent Russia in the race for the 2009 foreign-language film Oscar.
Produced by Magnum for Central Partnership, "The Mermaid" has won both domestic and international awards. Its star, Masha Shalayeva, took home the best actress award last year at Russia's Kinotavr film festival. The film later claimed the Fipresci Prize for the Panorama sidebar at the Berlinale and the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award at Sundance.
Melikyan told Russian TV channel Rossiya that she was surprised by the committee's decision and happy that "The Mermaid," her second film, was selected.
Russia's previous entry for the foreign-language Oscar race, Nikita Mikhalkov's "12," won a nomination.
Produced by Magnum for Central Partnership, "The Mermaid" has won both domestic and international awards. Its star, Masha Shalayeva, took home the best actress award last year at Russia's Kinotavr film festival. The film later claimed the Fipresci Prize for the Panorama sidebar at the Berlinale and the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award at Sundance.
Melikyan told Russian TV channel Rossiya that she was surprised by the committee's decision and happy that "The Mermaid," her second film, was selected.
Russia's previous entry for the foreign-language Oscar race, Nikita Mikhalkov's "12," won a nomination.
- 9/25/2008
- by By Vladimir Kozlov
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Audience members gave Doris Dorris' Cherry Blossoms -- Hanami the best film Golden Space Needle Award at the 34th Seattle International Film Festival, which ended Sunday. The jury's grand prize went to Tony Barbieri's "Em."
At the 25-day fest, the jury awarded a special jury prize to writer-director Russell Brown for The Bluetooth Virgin.
Within the fest's New Directors Showcase competition, the grand jury prize was awarded to Yves-Christian Fournier's Everything Is Fine, while the special jury prize was bestowed on Anna Melikyan's Mermaid.
The grand jury prize for documentary was presented to Isaac Julien's Derek, and special jury prizes were awarded to Raphael Mathie's Combalion and Timothy Hotchner's Accelerating America.
The short film winners were Rebecca Dreyfus' "Self Portrait With Cows Going Home and Other Works: A Portrait of Sylvia Plachy" in the documentary category, with Christina Voros' The Ladies picking up the special prize; Luis Cook's The Pearce Sisters in the animation category, with Kim Slate's Home winning the special prize; and Atul Taishete's Rewind in the narrative category. Narrative special jury prizes were handed out to Amy Gebhardt's Walnut, Paddy Considine's Dog Altogether, Teemu Nikki's A Mate and Steph Green's New Boy.
John Grigsby's Introduction to Lucid Dreaming and Adam Keker's "On the Assassination of the President" earned honorable mentions for inventive filmmaking.
At the 25-day fest, the jury awarded a special jury prize to writer-director Russell Brown for The Bluetooth Virgin.
Within the fest's New Directors Showcase competition, the grand jury prize was awarded to Yves-Christian Fournier's Everything Is Fine, while the special jury prize was bestowed on Anna Melikyan's Mermaid.
The grand jury prize for documentary was presented to Isaac Julien's Derek, and special jury prizes were awarded to Raphael Mathie's Combalion and Timothy Hotchner's Accelerating America.
The short film winners were Rebecca Dreyfus' "Self Portrait With Cows Going Home and Other Works: A Portrait of Sylvia Plachy" in the documentary category, with Christina Voros' The Ladies picking up the special prize; Luis Cook's The Pearce Sisters in the animation category, with Kim Slate's Home winning the special prize; and Atul Taishete's Rewind in the narrative category. Narrative special jury prizes were handed out to Amy Gebhardt's Walnut, Paddy Considine's Dog Altogether, Teemu Nikki's A Mate and Steph Green's New Boy.
John Grigsby's Introduction to Lucid Dreaming and Adam Keker's "On the Assassination of the President" earned honorable mentions for inventive filmmaking.
- 6/15/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MOSCOW -- Central Partnership, Russia's biggest independent film producer and distributor, on Friday unveiled a plethora of international sales for Vladimir Biortko's "Taras Bulba", including deals with Turkey's MedyaVisyon, Czech/Slovak Hollywood C.E. and Romania's Pro-Rom Media.
Additionally, the same trio of companies joined Taiwan's Scholar Entertainment in acquiring the $5 million-budgeted action movie "Streetracers", which grossed about $6 million at the local boxoffice during the spring.
Scholar also acquired Anna Melikyan's "Rusalka" (Mermaid), which won the directing prize at this year's Sundance, Grand Prix at Sofia International Film Festival and the FIPRESCI Prize for Panorama at the Berlin International Film Festival.
In other sales, Netherlands' Kinovista purchased veteran director Nikita Mikhalkov's Oscar-nominated "12"; France's Action Communication bought the action adventure film "Apocalypse Code"; Koch Entertainment bought U.S. DVD rights for the period piece "1612"; and Turkey's ATV picked up action title "Countdown".
Additionally, the same trio of companies joined Taiwan's Scholar Entertainment in acquiring the $5 million-budgeted action movie "Streetracers", which grossed about $6 million at the local boxoffice during the spring.
Scholar also acquired Anna Melikyan's "Rusalka" (Mermaid), which won the directing prize at this year's Sundance, Grand Prix at Sofia International Film Festival and the FIPRESCI Prize for Panorama at the Berlin International Film Festival.
In other sales, Netherlands' Kinovista purchased veteran director Nikita Mikhalkov's Oscar-nominated "12"; France's Action Communication bought the action adventure film "Apocalypse Code"; Koch Entertainment bought U.S. DVD rights for the period piece "1612"; and Turkey's ATV picked up action title "Countdown".
Among the films screening tonight at AFI Dallas is the acclaimed, Russian feature Mermaid. The movie concerns a young girl who leaves the seaside for the city where she has a fateful encounter with a businessman. Mermaid has been making the rounds on the festival circuit -- director Anna Melikyan has picked up awards at Berlin and Sundance -- and there's also been a lot of buzz concerning its shocking ending. (No...
- 3/30/2008
- AMC News: Film Festivals
Distributors steered clear of most films up for sale at the recent Sundance Film Festival, but the talent on display generated excitement, with agencies pouncing on actors, directors and writers.
Many of the fest's top winners also topped the agency lists. WMA signed writer-director Courtney Hunt, whose illegal immigration drama Frozen River won the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize, and her film's star, Melissa Leo (21 Grams, NBC's Homicide), who was repped by Don Buchwald and Associates. Hunt's feature debut also scored a distribution deal from Sony Pictures Classics.
WMA also picked up writer-director Andrew MacLean, whose Alaskan thriller Sikumi (On the Ice) won the jury prize in short filmmaking. The Inupiaq filmmaker recently helmed the full-length docu "When the Season Is Good: Artists of Arctic Alaska."
Russian writer-director Anna Melikyan won the world cinema directing award for her romantic fable Mermaid, then won representation from Endeavor, which is selling the film. Her Central Partnership Sales House production, a follow-up to her 2004 comedy Mars, will be screened at the Berlin International Film Festival.
And while Andrew Fleming's comedy Hamlet 2 didn't win any awards, it won the unofficial $10 million grand prize from Focus Features for the biggest acquisition of the year. Skylar Astin garnered some of the film's biggest laughs as an overly dramatic drama student, earning him a deal with UTA in his feature debut.
Many of the fest's top winners also topped the agency lists. WMA signed writer-director Courtney Hunt, whose illegal immigration drama Frozen River won the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize, and her film's star, Melissa Leo (21 Grams, NBC's Homicide), who was repped by Don Buchwald and Associates. Hunt's feature debut also scored a distribution deal from Sony Pictures Classics.
WMA also picked up writer-director Andrew MacLean, whose Alaskan thriller Sikumi (On the Ice) won the jury prize in short filmmaking. The Inupiaq filmmaker recently helmed the full-length docu "When the Season Is Good: Artists of Arctic Alaska."
Russian writer-director Anna Melikyan won the world cinema directing award for her romantic fable Mermaid, then won representation from Endeavor, which is selling the film. Her Central Partnership Sales House production, a follow-up to her 2004 comedy Mars, will be screened at the Berlin International Film Festival.
And while Andrew Fleming's comedy Hamlet 2 didn't win any awards, it won the unofficial $10 million grand prize from Focus Features for the biggest acquisition of the year. Skylar Astin garnered some of the film's biggest laughs as an overly dramatic drama student, earning him a deal with UTA in his feature debut.
BERLIN -- Soren Kragh-Jacobsen's Danish political thriller What No One Knows, South African crime drama Jerusalema by Ralph Ziman, Love & Other Crimes by Serbia's Stefan Arsenijevic's and apocalyptic fantasy Before Fall from Spain's Javier Gutierrez are among the titles that have been selected for the Berlin International Film Festival's Panorama sidebar.
The 2008 lineup, which also features the sci-fi dystopia of Mexican director Alex Rivera's Sleep Dealer and the China-to-Moscow murder chase in Brad Anderson's thriller Transsiberian, includes several genre titles amidst the usual mix of serious art house films (represented this year by such titles as Beautiful by Korea's Jaihong Juhn and Russian director Anna Melikyan's Mermaid.)
One of the highlights of this year's Panorama is certain to be the world premiere of Madonna's directorial debut -- the drama Filth And Wisdom, starring Stephen Graham and Richard E. Grant.
Organizers will announce the full Panorama lineup in the coming days.
The 2008 lineup, which also features the sci-fi dystopia of Mexican director Alex Rivera's Sleep Dealer and the China-to-Moscow murder chase in Brad Anderson's thriller Transsiberian, includes several genre titles amidst the usual mix of serious art house films (represented this year by such titles as Beautiful by Korea's Jaihong Juhn and Russian director Anna Melikyan's Mermaid.)
One of the highlights of this year's Panorama is certain to be the world premiere of Madonna's directorial debut -- the drama Filth And Wisdom, starring Stephen Graham and Richard E. Grant.
Organizers will announce the full Panorama lineup in the coming days.
- 1/17/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- There were 983 submissions from 15 countries in this category and apart from a couple of names, I know not one of the final selections below. World Cinema Dramatic Competition"Absurdistan" (Germany), directed by Veit Helmer, written by Helmer, Zaza Buadze, Gordan Mihic and Ahmet Golbol, about a sex strike by village women that threatens a young couple's first night together."Blue Eyelids" (Mexico), directed by Ernesto Contreras, about the ramifications of a single woman's winning of a beach trip for two."Captain Abu Raed" (Jordan), directed and written by Amin Matalqa, concerning an aging airport janitor who relates tall tales to local kids who think he's a pilot."The Drummer" (Hong Kong), directed and written by Kenneth Bi, the story of a young man who matures from reckless gangster to serious grownup due to the influence of Zen drumming."Elite Squad" (Brazil), directed by Jose Padilha ("Bus 174") and written by Braulio Mantovani and Padilha,
- 11/28/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
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