International Film News
2009 INTERNATIONAL FILM GUIDE TO BE UNVEILED AT BERLIN FF
30/12/2008
The 45th edition of the International Film Guide, published by UK specialty publisher Wallflower Press and edited again by Ian Haydn-Smith, will have its world premiere unveiling at the Berlin International Film Festival in February. The 2009 IFG will feature year-end summaries from 123 different countries, as well as a special focus on Israeli Cinema. In addition, the Guide will announce its choice for the 5 Directors of the Year, as well as in-depth reportage covering the areas of new technology, the international film festival circuit and the developments from the newest country members in the expansion of the European Union. In addition, the contents of the Guide will be available to readers of the IFG website: www.internationalfilmguide.com. Additional announcements on special features of the 2009 International Film Guide will be reported here in the coming weeks.
WOODY ALLEN’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH EUROPE
30/12/2008
Woody Allen, long known as the “quintessential New York filmmaker” has been having a love affair with European locations in the late renaissance of his 40 year career in film. With VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, shot in Barcelona and in various Spanish locations, Allen has scored a late-career hit with both critics and audiences. The film has been in constant theatrical release since the summer, making it one of the Woodster’s most financial successful efforts.
The film continues a trend of shooting in Europe, which began with the warmly received MATCH POINT three years ago. That film, shot in London, gave Allen a whole new urban palette to explore. While he continues to live in New York, his new production ventures are taking him across the pond. At a press conference held in Paris right before Christmas, Allen announced that he plans on shooting his next film in the City of Lights. “I’ve always wanted to shoot a whole film here, and I have a screenplay all set that would be perfect”, Allen announced. “I wrote the screenplay a few years ago but when I tried to get it going then, it was just too expensive. Now with the production tax credit in Paris, the financing should work and we can film in the next year or so.”
ACADEMY BALLOTS ARE IN THE MAIL
30/12/2008
The holidays may be winding down, but for Oscar fans, the season of celebration has just begun.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences mailed 5,810 official Oscar nominations ballots to voting members last Friday. New Academy inductees were recently toasted at a private reception in Beverly Hills, where they mingled with fellow members and reflected on what it means to belong to Hollywood's most exclusive club.
Each of the Academy's 15 branches is responsible for nominating those in their field — so actors nominate actors and sound engineers nominate sound engineers — based on the eligible films released that year. For 2008, there was a staggering 281 films that were eligible for awards. Oscars’ final winners are determined by the entire voting membership. Membership in the Academy is by invitation based on professional accomplishment. Nominations will be announced on 22 January and the Oscars themselves will be presented at a live international broadcast on 22 February.
ACTOR DEV PATEL IS MAKING HIS BREAKTHROUGH
23/12/2008
Dev Patel, the Indian-born, England-raised young actor is fast becoming the breakthrough actor of the year, for his winning performance as the “slumdog” who makes a million in the Danny Boyle directed SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. The 17-year-old actor, who is making his feature film debut in the role of Jamar Malik, a “chaiwallah” who goes all the way in the Indian television version of the popular quiz show WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE, was nominated last week for a Screen Actors Guild Award (rather ridiculously in the Supporting Actor category, considering that he is the true lead of the film). Patel became a British favorite for his role as Tony in the UK television series SKINS, about a group of British teens who grow up and learn about love without much adult supervision. The series, which is now being seen internationally via BBC International, will only expand the young Mr. Patel’s notoriety. Last month, Patel won the British Independent Film Award as Most Promising Newcomer as well as the National Board of Review award for Best Promising Newcomer.
