OPEN CALL: FILANDO BIELLA International 120 Film Festival 2013

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“Some Like It Hot” is the thematic focus of the 2013 BERLIN TALENT CAMPUS

The Berlinale Talent Campus is calling for entries for its eleventh edition that will take place in Berlin-Kreuzberg from February 9-14, 2013.

Berlinale Talent Campus will invite 300 emerging filmmakers from all over the world (directors, screenwriters, producers, distributors, actors, cinematographers, editors, production designers, sound designers/score composers, and film critics) during the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival.

The application can be found online at www.berlinale-talentcampus.de, deadline is September 20, 2012.

Berlinale Talent Campus brings emerging filmmakers and seasoned film professionals together and offers them a platform to find collaborators and discuss new trends and developments in contemporary cinema and media. Filmmakers can also apply for intensive mentoring through the diverse Campus hands-on training programs. 

http://www.berlinale-talentcampus.de/campus/event/hometwo

 

 

2 EDSA-inspired films to compete in Greece

Richard Soriano Legaspi’s “Pamatid-Gutom” (Hunger Pangs) and Seymour Barros Sanchez’s “Patron ng Laging Saklolo” (Patronage Politics) will compete in the short film and documentary category, respectively, of the 14th International Panorama of Independent Film and Video Makers to be held in the city of Patras, Greece from September 29 to October 6.

Both produced by Red Room Media Productions, the films are part of “EDSAngangdaan: The EDSA Stories Film Festival” which was organized and supported by Focus on the Global South – Philippines, a non-government organization, in commemoration of the 25 years of the EDSA People Power movement.

Starring internationally-acclaimed actress Mercedes Cabral, Legaspi’s “Pamatid Gutom” is a stark rendition of electoral politics in post-EDSA Philippines. A mother, desperate to feed her child, takes part in the feeding program of the mayor of a city. Upon seeing the favorable response of the wife of the mayor to her child, she undertakes a disturbing gamble.

On the other hand, Sanchez’s “Patron ng Laging Saklolo” is a short documentary of enduring patterns of patronage politics in the Philippines, chronicling the activities throughout a typical election season. By examining the fiesta mentality of Filipinos and their attitudes towards politics, several gripping comparisons will be drawn.

Patras International Film Festival, as it is also called, will be held “at a time particularly critical both at the economic and political front,” festival director Chionidis Panagiotis said. “At times of social crisis, the need to bring society closer to culture becomes more imperative.”

“The Festival welcomes art creations that reflect upon the problems, struggles and hopes of the individual and society as a whole,” Panagiotis added.

Legaspi recently won the Special Jury prize for his short film “Manenaya” (Waiting) in the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. He also won second prize for “Primera Bella” in the screenplay category of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature this year. He is one of the fellows of the Asian Film Academy of the 2007 Busan International Film Festival where he studied under renowned filmmakers Mohsen Makhmalbaf and Pen-Ek Ratanaruang.

Meanwhile, Sanchez also has a Palanca tucked under his belt, winning the grand prize for his screenplay “Hiwaga” in 2009. He currently teaches film, journalism, broadcasting, and other communication subjects at the Far Eastern University and the College of the Holy Spirit in Manila. He attended the Produire au Sud workshop under the World Film Festival of Bangkok.

Legaspi and Sanchez are both members of the Katorse Writers Group, which is comprised of graduates of Ricky Lee’s 14th batch of scriptwriting workshop for film and television.

2 Pinoy docus compete in Montreal

Joseph Israel Laban’s “Mariana” (The Hermit Crab) and Seymour Barros Sanchez’s “Patron ng Laging Saklolo” (Patronage Politics) were officially selected in the full-length and short category, respectively, of the Documentaries of the World Section of the 36th Montreal World Film Festival held at the city of Montreal in Quebec, Canada from August 23 to September 3.

The festival aimed to encourage cultural diversity and understanding among nations, to foster the cinema of all continents by stimulating the development of quality cinema, to promote filmmakers and innovative works, to discover and encourage new talents, and to promote meetings between cinema professionals from around the world.

Aside from featuring documentaries around the world, it also included the following sections: World Competition, First Films World Competition, Hors Concours (World Greats, out-of competition), Focus on World Cinema (Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania), Tributes, Cinema Under the Stars, Our Cinema, and Canadian Student Film Festival.

“Mariana” is set in the middle of the traditional Moryonan rites observed every Holy Week on the island of Marinduque. Mariana receives devastating news from abroad – her sister, Magda, who was working as a domestic in Saudi Arabia is dead. Mariana and her mother then have to deal with the expensive process of repatriating Magda’s remains. Living on top of a mountain of mine tailings in an abandoned mining site, Mariana has very few options to raise funds. Her faith and determination are put to a severe test.

Meanwhile, Sanchez’s “Patron ng Laging Saklolo” explores the similarities between fiestas and elections in the Philippines, as well as the ambivalent role of religion and patronage relations in Philippine politics as a way of re-imagining and re-capturing the meaning of the EDSA events. It chronicles the activities during a typical election season in the Philippines, with a focus on patronage politics and the fiesta attitude of Filipinos.

Laban received his masters in journalism from New York University and has worked as a journalist for media in the Philippines and around the world, including the New York Times and GMA News. His first feature “Cuchera” was widely shown in several international film festivals.

Sanchez is a director and writer of Red Room Media Productions and a professor at the Far Eastern University and College of the Holy Spirit in Manila. He won the grand prize in the Viva – Pinoy Box Office Digitales competition for his first short film Lababo (Kitchen Sink) and in the screenplay category of the 2009 Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature for Hiwaga. His films have competed in Thailand, Indonesia, Greece, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Founded in 1977, the MWFF is one of Canada’s oldest international film festivals and is recognized by FIAPF (Fédération internationale des associations de producteurs de films – the International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations) as the only competitive film festival in North America.

Asia Livelihood Documentary Festival 2012

31 August-2 September 2012

Taking place in the heartland of India, New Delhi, the 9^th JEEVIKA: Asia Livelihood Documentary Festival is a non-profit film showcase promoting films that put livelihood on the live wire!

Organised by the Centre for Civil Society, the documentary festival is a part of the larger Livelihood Freedom Campaign ‘JEEVIKA’ which helps develop public policy measures to clear the path for free enterprise.

Not only filmmakers, but also artists from various other fields such as photography, theatre, music, painting and dance are encouraged to participate and showcase their work.

In addition to great networking opportunities for upcoming and veteran film-makers alike, the festival also offers fabulous prize packages worth INR 2 lakh!

Previous years have seen remarkable participation from film-makers throughout Asia, livelihood professionals & activities as well as film and media students. Notable guests in the past have included actors like Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das, and Rahul Bose as well as dignitaries like P. Chidambaram, Hon’ble Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Sharad Yadav, (MP) Chairman, Committee for Urban Development, and Mr S M Khan Director, Film Festivals under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

The objective of the documentary festival is to:

• Encourage filmmakers to actively engage with livelihood issues
• Provide a platform for filmmakers to maximize the reach and impact of their documentaries
• Create awareness about the livelihood challenges faced by individuals and communities in rural and urban Asia
• Advocate with policy makers for changes in livelihood policies and regulations
• Engage with social leaders to bring about changes in practices, mindsets and attitudes to expand livelihood freedom
• Act as a resource centre for documentaries focused on livelihood issues

Application Form

http://jeevika.org/submissions2012/

or more information, contact:

Centre for Civil Society

A-69 Hauz Khas

New Delhi 110 016

India

Phone: +91 11 26537456

Fax: +91 11 26512347

Mobile: +91 9953133868

Email: jeevika@ccs.in

“Song of Silence” and “Nono” at the 9th Skip City International D-Cinema Festival 2012

The 9th Skip City International D-Cinema Festival  (14-22 July) next month will feature outstanding films from different parts of the world.The festival this year introduces a combined competition for local and foreign features, some powerful films under the competition program are the following:

China – CHEN Zhuo, Song of Silence – Jing is a deaf girl living in a town by Chang Jiang River in the Hunan District. Since the divorce of her parents, she has built a wall around her heart. Her father Haoyang wished to have a son and doesn’t love his daughter. He has a lover Mei, who leaves home seeking desperately for an ideal family.

Philippines – Rommel TOLENTINO’s Nono is about an 8-year-old boy with a speech impediment who nevertheless enters a public speaking contest with the support of his mother.

– Japan, ASANUMA Naoya Heart Beat , NAKANO Ryota’s Capturing Dad and OKUMURA Morito’s Out to Sea. Masao is a skipjack pole-and-line fisherman and lives with his mother and his son Yusuke. His mother dies and Masao and Yusuke are left behind. Masao is disturbed by Yusuke who keeps making troubles.Masao f inally makes a decision that changes their lives forever.

The festival opens with the world premiere of SHINJO Taku’s Aokigakara (pictured), based on ISHIHARA Shintaro’s novel, and South Korean thriller Countdown, the latter produced by Oh.

http://www.skipcity-dcf.jp/en/about.html

Asian Films at the 2012 GOLDEN APRICOT Yerevan International Film Festival

 

Around 90 films are selected out of 1250 submissions to be presented in the four main competition categories of GOLDEN APRICOT Yerevan International Film Festival 2012: Feature Competition, Documentary Competition, “Apricot Stone”– (the short film competition) and the Armenian Panorama.  The latter this year is divided into Feature and Documentary sections.

 

”Station44”, dir.: Farshid Akhlaghipour (Iran, 2011) A man, a woman, and the man who believes he has seen the woman before.

”Under the Colours”, dir.: Esmaeel Monsef, (Iran, 2012)

”White” dir.: Kanchan Ghosh, (India, 2011)

“Planet of Snail”, dir.: Seung-Yun Yi, (Korea/Finland/Japan, 2011)

JIA Zhangke : Dean of ASIAN FILM ACADEMY 2012

Asian Film Academy (AFA) 2012 finalized its faculty members – JIA Zhangke as Dean, OH Seok-geun as Deputy Dean, Parviz SHAHBAZI as Directing Mentor, WATANABE Makoto as Cinematography Mentor

 

Asian Film Academy (AFA) in its eighth year is an intensive educational program for up-and-coming Asian filmmakers. AFA brings together promising Asian filmmakers to foster them as well as to help create a multicultural network among them.

Previous AFA Deans have been appointed among world-renowned filmmakers such as IM Kwon-teak, HOU Hsiao Hsien, and Krzysztof ZANUSSI. AFA2012 newly appointed JIA Zhangke, a leading figure in Chinese cinema, as its Dean.

Born in 1970, JIA Zhangke is one of Chinese Sixth Generation filmmakers and one of the most celebrated film directors with a unique style and auteurial voice in the global film sphere. JIA launched his international career at the Busan International Film Festival. His first feature film “Xiao Wu” (1997) won the New Currents Award at the 3^rd Busan International Film Festival followed by the Golden Montgolfiere at the 20^th Nantes Three Continents Festival and the Dragons & Tigers Award for Young East Asian Cinema at the 17^th Vancouver International Film Festival. His second feature “Platform” (2000) realized through the Pusan Promotion Plan (PPP, current Asian Project Market) along with “In Public” (2001), “Unknown Pleasures” (2002), and “The World” (2004) received critical acclaim at major international film festivals. “Still Life” (2006) recognized for JIA’s signature cinematic vision and aesthetics won the Golden Lion at the 63^rd Venice International Film Festival. Recently, JIA produced films of young Chinese film directors including “Yulu” (2011) and “Mr. Tree” (2011). 

Along with JIA Zhangke as the Dean, the rest of the AFA2012 faculty has been finalized. Director of the Busan Film Commission, OH Seok-geun (South Korea) will serve as Deputy Dean. Iranian filmmaker and screen writer, Parviz SHAHBAZI (Iran) will be Directing Mentor. Esteemed Japanese cinematographer WATANABE Makoto (Japan) will be Cinematography Mentor. 

Know more about ASIAN FILM ACADEMY 2012 follow this link:

ttp://afa.biff.kr/artyboard/Mboard.asp?Action=View&strBoardID=9634_02&intSeq=20681

Grand OFF World Independent Short Film Awards

Grand OFF World Independent Short Film Awards is now accepting submissions for its 6th edition. This time the festival will take place in Warsaw, from 29th November to 2nd December, 2012.

– all genres
– films made after the 1st of January 2011
– films which were made without any professional production support (except for film schools)
– whose length does not exceed 45 minutes

Deadline for submissions is 15th August 2012.

http://www.grandoff.eu/grand-off-2012-zglos-swoj-film/?lang=en

CINEMALAYA SHORT FILMS CATEGORY 2012 FINALISTS

The 10 finalists are Bohe: Son of the Sea by Nadjoua Bansil; Ang Paghihintay sa Bulong, Sigrid Andrea Bernardo; Pasahero, Mario Celeda; As He Sleeps, Sheron Dayoc; Sarong Aldaw, Marianito Dio Jr.; Balintuna, Emmanuel Escalona Jr.; Ruweda, Hannah Espia; Ulian (Senility), Chuck Gutierrez; Manenaya

MANENAYA by RICHARD SORIANO LEGASPI

BULONG, Sigrid Andrea Bernardo

 

 

Cinemalaya 2012 will be held on July 20 to 29 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.