360

Starring

Rachel Weisz, Jude Law, Sir Anthony Hopkins

to open

THE 55TH BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL

360 is a Revolution/ Dor Film/ Fidelite production, in co-production with O2 Filme and in association with BBC Films, The UK Film Council, ORF, Unison Films, Gravity Pictures, Hero Entertainment, Prescience, EOS Pictures, Wild Bunch, Film Location Austria, Austrian Film Institute and Vienna Film Fund.

It is produced by Andrew Eaton and David Linde with Emanuel Michael, Danny Krausz, Chris Hanley.

The art of the film festival from a critic's perspective is to systematically work your way through the programme and then select a variety of movies that represent the whole of the festival. In the case of this year's London Film Festival this proved to be an 'operation' of chance more than design.

With the festival showcasing hundreds of movies - many of which involved the breakdown of relationships against the grey skies of everyday life -it was easy to make a cull and then turn to some of the more entertaining and unusual films that have graced the screens of the 55th London Film Festival.

First up was an early press screening of Jack Black's latest movie. Taking his name as inspiration, "Bernie" is a black comedy about a young man working for a funeral parlour who allowed himself to be 'seduced' by a selfish, wealthy widow in Carthage, Texas to do her eternal bidding.

Masterfully played by Shirley MacLaine, this is a charming, funny but sad tale of the demise of the two protagonists. Both losers in the end, this unusual tale is perfectly formed and brilliantly portrayed by a stalwart cast. And although it may not be great cinema, it is quirky and original and rates a good night out.

Great expectations laid on the shoulders of George Clooney's latest political epic; but on this occasion Clooney's shoulders were not broad enough to carry a political saga that depended upon a potential presidential candidate 'doing' the intern.

Despite the fact that the cast of "The Ides of March" includes the likes of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ryan Gosling, Paul Giamatti and Evan Rachel Wood, the story of ambition, greed and revenge threw little new light on American politics - which can be the case when the actor/director roles are taken by one man - in this case Clooney.

Compare 'The Ides of March' with the insightful "Sing Your Song" and the predictability of the feature compares poorly with the documentary directed by Suzanne Rostock. Rostock chronicles the life and times of Harry Belafonte while illustrating his political influence over the Kennedys and his friendships with Marin Luther King and Nelson Mandela.

Rostock uses harsh footage to illustrate racism in the States from the 1950's moving forward; and she also draws a parallel between the plight of the African American and the victims of Apartheid.

Littered generously through the movie is a variety of clips documenting Belafonte's career. It also references key moments such as when Petula Clark touched his arm when they were singing together on network television - a moment which almost shook America. Don't miss this one!

And staying with the theme of politics was perhaps another example of how a 'Rom' with no 'Com' can attempt to tackle a serious subject with little or no regard for the serious nature of breaching American Immigrations laws, "Like Crazy" starring Felicity Jones and Anton Velchin illustrates how the middle classes assume they can buck the system. When the female lead character, Anna decides that she wants to stay on in LA despite the fact that her visa has expired, she is then denied entry back into the USA.

The couple are distraught, form other relationships and get on with their careers whilst at the same time feeling badly treated by the American government. The storyline flip-flops from one side of the Atlantic to the other. A very one-dimensional movie with somewhat one-dimensional performances.

Compare this to "Miss Bala" that tells the story of drug money in Mexico and how one young woman inadvertently gets drawn into gangland drug wars in the border between the USA and Mexico.

Unlike 'Like Crazy' Miss Bala highlights the realities of relentless crime and the mass number of victims killed throughout this endless war. Directed by Gerado Naranjo, Miss Bala tells the story of an innocent young women played by Stephanie Sigman who aspires to enter a beauty contest. But instead she is drawn into a never-ending trap as she becomes increasingly dependant upon a Drug Lord.

Her fate is decided, and in the end she finds it impossible to distinguish between the good guys and the bad guys - which in truth is probably why the situation in Mexico remains so complex and dangerous.

'Miss' Bala is a well considered high-energy thriller that increasingly exposes the desperation of a situation out of control. It also accurately presents a picture of how some men can manipulate and dictate a relationship.

On a lighter note and perhaps one of the funniest films in the festival was the delightful Curling King.  This movie lent a light relief from some of the more 'hard core ' insights into human emotions.  

Set in the world of competitive Scandinavian sport, this delightful movie takes a character with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder who makes the giant leap to return to professional sport in order to raise the money for a vital operation for his ex-coach.

Each of the characters, directed by Ole Endresen, have their own unique eccentricities and it is the rhythms of this bizarre collection of individuals from a small town that makes this move a perfect gem...and they say that sports movies cannot be funny.

And equally funny, but tackling a much more serious topic is the film We Have a Pope.  The story masterfully tackles the subject of electing a new Pope, when none of the candidates wants the job.

This satirical look at the Papacy is tackled with such finesse that nobody can deny the legitimacy of the story.

The idea that no-one wants the top job may have more than an element of truth to it as Director Nanni Moretti - who also takes on the cameo role of a a sceptical psychotherapist -has risked rebuke from the real world of the Catholic church.

One delightful touch to the story is how sport acts as a distraction during the waiting game of the election.   Cardinals are divided into world regions to take on teams in a game of Papal Volleyball.  And there is no denying the competitive nature of the members of the Catholic Church as they bide their time waiting for the white smoke to appear.

Truly entertaining  and no doubt with a very large helping of the truth!  No wonder the process always takes so long!

And sports action may have been in short supply in the 55th London Film Festival but there were two movies - one documentary much in the style of the handheld and another reminding us of the very dark times of apartheid . 

Otelo Burning takes a sharp and incisive look at the townships during the late nineteen eighties in South Africa as the process of Nelson Mandela's release became more of a reality than just a remote possibility.  Two township boys join a friend to take on the sport of surfing - an opportunity for them to leave their impoverished homes and enjoy the world of competitive and potentially lucrative sport.

But amidst their ambitions to better themselves, Otelo leaves his younger brother behind and the young curious boy becomes a victim of his own innocence.

Riding the waves represented the only chance of freedom from the townships; but the dangerous world in which these kids lived turned opportunity into a cruel disaster. A beautifully shot film by Director, Sara Blecher.

In sharp contrast, the documentary DragonSlayer follows the professional career of Josh 'Skreech' Sandoval.   The veteran skateboarder in his twenties appears to have lost his edge as he and his friends highlight the American financial crash as they effectively display their skills by setting up 'squats in abandoned swimming pools across the US.

This story of lost hope juxtaposes the dwindling career and hopelessness of Skreech's addiction to drink and drugs with the demise and decline of the American dream. 

A clever depiction of the USA that might possibly just be seen as a cult skateboarding movie.  Check it out!

In sharp contrast, The Boy Who Was King is a charming expose of the six-year old Tsar who was banished from his role at the age of nine by a Communist dictatorship. 

Returning 55 years later in 2001 as Prime Minister, once again Simeon II of Bulgaria transformed his life - this time from Banished Boy King to Democratic leader  - in this little known piece of European history that has rarely seen a voice.

Speaking about his experiences as well as listening to the people who were part of his childhood, this is a charming and considered look at the Royal elite - pre and post Communism.

Directed by Audrey Paounov, the film reminds us of the complexities of the first half of the last century when Simeon's father unexpectedly died after a visit to see Hitler in 1943.

Delivered with a light touch,this fascinating documentary is  what docs should be about.  It tells a story of a period of history that in some cases has become an 'untouchable'.  The story of Simeon may be  just one of many that have not seen the light of day.

Perhaps The Boy Who Was King will open the flood gates to a series of other historical facts that can only enhance our knowledge and understanding of 20th century European history.

Futures Market also takes a look at modern day society by using commerce as its vehicle.   As the beautiful precious contents of someone's house - who has died - are stripped from the walls of a classical Italian building, the essence of ownership is charmingly addressed within a series of montages of street markets, high finance and heavy-handed 'sophisticated' sales techniques.

This is a must for every MBA student to analyze ownership and the value of wanted/unwanted goods.  And Yes! there are lessons to be learnt from Future Markets!

Finally, Nobody Else But You is a sad tale of stardom located in a small town in snowbound Eastern France. 

An author, in search of his next paperback best seller drives into a town where the local celebrity (Marilyn Munroe look-alike) weather girl is found dead in the snow. As the author stumbles across the plot-line - inspired  by the girl and her early demise, he decides to investigate the circumstances of her death.  And this event acts as a trigger for his next book.

Despite the unorthodox nature of the plot-line, the film takes your breath away as the harshness of the French mountains act as a bright and brutal backdrop for a small town drama.

And last but not least, if there is you only have time to see one movie from the London Film Festival this year let it be The Artist - perhaps the most 'inventive' movie I have see for many years.  Unmissable!

GALAS & SPECIAL SCREENINGS:

Opening the festival is Fernando Meirelles’ 360, written by Peter Morgan, and starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law and Rachel Weisz. Weisz is also the star of Terence Davies’ closing night film, THE DEEP BLUE SEA, alongside a cast which includes Simon Russell Beale and Tom Hiddleston. Key talent will be in attendance for both films. George Clooney features in two Gala presentations - the political thriller THE IDES OF MARCH which he directs and stars in alongside Ryan Gosling, Evan Rachel Wood, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti, and THE DESCENDANTS, Alexander Payne’s latest feature. Among several literary adaptations are Lynne Ramsay’s WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN with Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly and Ezra Miller; TRISHNA, Michael Winterbottom’s reworking of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles, with Freida Pinto and Riz Ahmed; and CORIOLANUS with Ralph Fiennes directing as well as taking the lead role alongside Gerard Butler and Vanessa Redgrave. Redgrave is also cast in Roland Emmerich’s ANONYMOUS with Rhys Ifans, Joely Richardson and David Thewlis. Madonna directs romantic drama W.E. which stars Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough and James D’Arcy whilst Steve McQueen’s second feature SHAME has a cast that includes Carey Mulligan and Michael Fassbender. Fassbender can also be seen alongside Viggo Mortensen and Keira Knightley in David Cronenberg’s A DANGEROUS METHOD. Foreign language cinema is represented by THE KID WITH A BIKE, the Cannes Grand Prix winner from the Dardenne brothers; Nanni Moretti’s WE HAVE A POPE; and Michel Ocelot’s enchanting animation TALES OF THE NIGHT. Hollywood’s silent era is celebrated in Michel Hazanavicius’ THE ARTIST whilst this year’s Archive Gala is the BFI National Archive’s restoration of Miles Mander’s THE FIRST BORN with a new score by Stephen Horne.

FILM ON THE SQUARE:

Showcasing some of this year’s most anticipated and acclaimed films, the selection includes work from renowned directors such as Roman Polanski (CARNAGE), Gus Van Sant (RESTLESS), Werner Herzog (INTO THE ABYSS: A TALE OF DEATH, A TALE OF LIFE), Todd Solondz (DARK HORSE), Jonathan Demme (I’M CAROLYN PARKER) and Jonas Mekas (SLEEPLESS NIGHTS STORIES). Star power is provided by Jack Black in Richard Linklater’s BERNIE; Sean Penn in Paolo Sorrentino’s THIS MUST BE THE PLACE; Joseph Gordon-Levitt teams with Seth Rogen in Jonathan Levine’s 50/50, whilst Woody Harrelson stars in Oren Moverman’s RAMPART, developed from a screenplay by James Ellroy. British films include Andrea Arnold’s bold retelling of WUTHERING HEIGHTS, Marc Evans’ HUNKY DORY, a celebration of pre-punk 70s pop culture, and Nick Broomfield’s SARAH PALIN – YOU BETCHA! International cinema takes centre stage in the West End with a powerful selection of premieres including Norway’s Joachim Trier’s stunning OSLO, AUGUST 31st; Bruno Dumont’s provocative HORS SATAN; and Cannes Grand Prix winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s audacious ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA. Mexico’s Gerardo Naranjo delivers a thrilling action film with MISS BALA, whist divided family life in Japan is the focus of Hirokazu Kore-eda’s engaging I WISH, and Australia’s most infamous serial murder case inspires Justin Kurzel’s first feature SNOWTOWN. Other feature debuts include Dee Rees’s emotionally powerful PARIAH; Sean Durkin’s beautifully disturbing MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE and Nick Murphy’s 1920s set supernatural tale THE AWAKENING.

NEW BRITISH CINEMA:

Original cinematic voices from across the UK making their debuts this year include D.R. Hood with the haunting WRECKERS starring Claire Foy and Benedict Cumberbatch, and Tinge Krishnan with the social drama JUNKHEARTS in which Eddie Marsan heads a cast which includes Tom Sturridge and Romola Garai. London is the setting for Dexter Fletcher’s drama WILD BILL, starring Charlie Creed-Miles; and Andrew Haigh’s second feature, WEEKEND, is an original and affecting romance. Nirpal Bhogal’s fresh young cast enliven urban drama SKET, and LOTUS EATERS finds director Alexandra McGuinness introducing us to the city’s indulgent, affluent youth. Frances Lea’s STRAWBERRY FIELDS provides an escape to the country with a story of lust, rivalry and liberation. A strong selection of British work include films which imaginatively blur the boundaries between documentary and drama such as Richard Jobson’s response to the Iraq war, THE SOMNAMBULISTS, Simon Pummell’s SHOCK HEAD SOUL and DREAMS OF A LIFE by Carol Morley. Paul Kelly’s portrait of cult hero, LAWRENCE OF BELGRAVIA and Daniel Edelsyn’s HOW TO RE-ESTABLISH A VODKA EMPIRE round out the documentary selection.

FRENCH REVOLUTIONS:

The focus on French cinema brings a wide range of new and established filmmakers including Dominik Moll, with THE MONK starring Vincent Cassel and Geraldine Chaplin. Chaplin also appears with Salma Hayek in AMERICANO, the feature debut of actor Mathieu Demy. From the directorial team of Nicolas Klotz and Elisabeth Perceval, LOW LIFE is a study of the trials facing French youth that has universal resonance whilst Laurent Achard provides a macabre touch in LAST SCREENING and popular comedian Emmanuel Mouret brings wry comedy to THE ART OF LOVE. Among a number of French directors returning to the Festival are Mathieu Amalric with a modern adaptation of Corneille’s classic play, THE SCREEN ILLUSION, Jean-Marc Moutout examining executive culture in EARLY ONE MORNING and Mathieu Kassovitz directing himself in the provocative military drama, REBELLION.

CINEMA EUROPA:

A diverse selection of filmmakers bring Europe into focus with films from countries including Belgium, Bulgaria, Ireland, Sweden, Austria, Romania, Poland, Slovakia, The Czech Republic, Denmark, The Netherlands, Russia and Iceland, as well as Italy, Spain and Germany. Highlights include Benito Zambrano’s post-Spanish Civil War drama THE SLEEPING VOICE; Iceland’s Rúnar Rúnarsson’s VOLCANO; Angelina Nikonova’s TWILIGHT PORTRAIT, a study in Russian institutional corruption, Andrea Molaioli’s Italian conspiratorial drama THE JEWEL , Ulrich Köhler’s SLEEPING SICKNESS and the World Premiere of Hans Weingartner’s HUT IN THE WOODS. There are a number of outstanding directorial debuts which include Jonathan Cenzual Burley’s absurdist road movie, THE SOUL OF FLIES; Andrea Segre’s LI AND THE POET and Marie Kreutzer’s THE FATHERLESS. From Germany, the unique DREILEBEN project brings together Christian Petzold, Dominik Graf and Christoph Hochhäusler with three very different features that share an incidental starting point. Documentary features include Andrey Paounov’s THE BOY WHO WAS A KING and WHORES’ GLORY from Michael Glawogger, who will be one of the four Austrian filmmakers with work in the Festival who will be participating in a special panel discussion on the current state of Austrian cinema.

WORLD CINEMA:

An extensive selection of the finest features and documentaries from across the globe includes new films from well known filmmakers and emerging voices. Highlights from the US include NATURAL SELECTION, the brilliant debut from Robbie Pickering that swept the board at this year’s SXSW Film Festival awards; Ken Kesey and The Merry Band of Pranksters’ trek across America is revisited in MAGIC TRIP from directors Alison Ellwood and Alex Gibney; whilst a journey of a different kind features in Braden King’s HERE, part road-movie, part love-story and part investigation of cinema itself. Tristan Patterson’s skateboarding documentary DRAGONSLAYER and Michael Barnett’s hugely entertaining SUPERHEROES about real life crimefighters offer fascinating glimpses of American life. Latin American cinema is well represented with HARD LABOUR, a blistering dissection of the class structure of Brazilian society from directors Juliana Rojas and Marco Dutra; KAREN CRIES ON THE BUS, the debut feature from Colombia’s Gabriel Rojas Vera; Laura Citarella’s OSTENDE and Santiago Mitre’s THE STUDENT, both from Argentina. The notable rise of ethnically Tibetan filmmaking is evidenced in Pema Tseden’s OLD DOG and Sonthar Gyal’s THE SUN-BEATEN PATH whilst other East Asian highlights include Hong Sangsoo’s THE DAY HE ARRIVES and Kim Kyung-Mook’s STATELESS THINGS, both from South Korea; Jiang Wen’s LET THE BULLETS FLY, China’s highest-grossing film; Ann Hui’s A SIMPLE LIFE, and Yuya Ishii’s MITSUKO DELIVERS. Indian cinema is represented this year by titles including Salim Ahamed’s ABU, SON OF ADAM, a rare and poignant tale of Muslim community life in Kerala; Gurvinder Singh’s ALMS OF THE BLIND HORSE and Kaushik Mukherjee’s cult film in the making ASSHOLE.

EXPERIMENTA:

This year’s programme features an innovative and cutting edge selection of films to inspire. Highlights include TWO YEARS AT SEA, the new work from Jarman Prize nominee and Rotterdam Tiger Award winner Ben Rivers; CORRESPONDENCE: JONAS MEKAS – JL GUERÍN, a series of five cinematic letters presented in Spanish and English; and FREE RADICALS: A HISTORY OF EXPERIMENTAL FILM from Pip Chodorov. Lewis Klahr returns to the Festival with THE PETTIFOGGER and other featured filmmakers include Phil Solomon, Chick Strand, Gabriel Abrantes, Robert Fenz and Nathaniel Dorsky. Altered States is a selection of shorts from filmmakers including Ben Russell, Neil Beloufa, Mary Helena Clark and Deborah Stratman.

TREASURES FROM THE ARCHIVE:

Highlighting invaluable restoration work, these cinematic treasures will entertain and capture the imagination in equal measure. Titles include a digital restoration of George Sidney’s exuberant, good-natured satire on rock’n’roll BYE BYE BIRDIE with Janet Leigh; Humphrey Bogart stars in Edward Dmytrik’s epic THE CAINE MUTINY; Elia Kazan’s Oscar-winning AMERICA, AMERICA and Marcel Carné’s timeless masterpiece, LES ENFANTS DU PARADIS. The latest restoration by Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation, LAW OF THE BORDER will also feature alongside the little seen Roberto Rossellini film, THE MACHINE THAT KILLS BAD PEOPLE. One of two colour features from the prolific Japanese master Kenji Mizoguchi, SHIN-HEIKE MONOGATARI, will play in the section along with WE CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN by Nicholas Ray, a film which anticipated experiments by Jean Luc Godard, Mike Figgis et al. And from close to home comes WONDERFUL LONDON programme, restored by the BFI National Archive, in which directors Harry B. Parkinson and Frank Miller capture some of the most evocative images of the capital in the mid-1920s.

SHORT CUTS AND ANIMATION:

A strong line-up of short films and animation that will captivate audiences young and old make up this year’s programme. Animation from around the globe is covered including a dedicated collection aimed at the younger audience, Animated Shorts for Younger Audiences, which include FUNNY ALPHABET and PICKELS IN A PICKLE. Exciting new filmmakers from the capital are showcased in London Calling, experiences of modern urban living are the focus of The Suburbs, and LONG DISTANCE INFORMATION and HOLD ON ME feature in The School of Life, a series dealing with issues such as family duty and conscience. Talent spotters will be able to see established names including Nicholas Hoult, Michael Fassbender and Luke Treadaway, along with new shorts from director Terry Gilliam and comedian Matthew Holness.

EVENTS:

To accompany the screenings, the festival will present an extensive programme of public events featuring panel discussions, on-stage interviews and masterclasses. There will also be a number of free events. This year’s Screen Talks, presented in partnership with American Express, feature directors Michael Winterbottom and Alexander Payne. The Masterclasses, presented in partnership with Swarovski, feature celebrated writer Abi Morgan, writer-director Miranda July, award-winning composer Alexandre Desplat and cinematographer Barry Ackroyd. Other highlights include an in-depth look at the making of WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN with key members of the cast and crew, one of three free to access events presented in collaboration with Time Out.

AWARDS:

The BFI London Film Festival Awards recognise creative excellence from both new and established filmmaking talent. Taking place on 26 October at LSO St Luke’s, awards presented include: Best Film, The Grierson Award for Best Documentary, The Sutherland Award for most imaginative and original first feature in the festival, Best British Newcomer Award and the BFI Fellowship. This year’s jurors and full awards shortlists will be announced on 4 Oct – full details will be available at bfi.org.uk/lff.

FILM GUESTS:

In addition to many of the names already highlighted, we expect to welcome guests including Alexander Payne, Andrea Arnold, Azazel Jacobs, Ben Rivers, Braden King, Bruno Dumont, Carol Morley, David Cronenberg, Dexter Fletcher, Elisabeth Olsen, Fernando Meirelles, Freida Pinto, George Clooney, Hans Weingartner, Harry Belafonte, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Joe Swanberg, Jonas Mekas, Jonathan Demme, Lynne Ramsay, Marina Goldovskaya, Michael Fassbender, Michael Shannon, Michael Winterbottom, Miranda July, Nanni Moretti, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Phil Solomon, Ralph Fiennes, Roland Emmerich, Sean Durkin, Shailene Woodley, Terence Davies and Yorgos Lanthimos.

About the BFI

The BFI is the lead body for film in the UK with the ambition to create a flourishing film environment in which innovation, opportunity and creativity can thrive by:
" Connecting audiences to the widest choice of British and World cinema
" Preserving and restoring the most significant film collection in the world for today and future generations
" Investing in creative, distinctive and entertaining work
" Promoting British film and talent to the world
" Growing the next generation of filmmakers and audiences
" The BFI London Film Festival

Last year's Festival hosted 201 feature films and 112 short films from 68 countries including 34 world premieres. There were 629 filmmakers in attendance, drawing the highest ever audience attendance of over 132,000 filmgoers. The Festival opened with the European Premiere of NEVER LET ME GO and closed with the European Premiere of 127 HOURS.

GLAMOUR OF THE GODS: HOLLYWOOD PORTRAITS

Photographs from the John Kobal Foundation

July 7 through October 23, 2011

National Portrait Gallery: Porter Gallery

review to follow:

Nearly all of the photographs in the exhibition are vintage prints drawn from the archive of the John Kobal Foundation. This is a rare opportunity to view these important artifacts of a now extinct Hollywood studio system. The exhibition shows both iconic and previously unseen studio portraits of Clark Gable, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Vivien Leigh, Loretta Young, and Carole Lombard among others. These portraits are shown alongside film scene stills including Lillian Gish for The Wind, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers for Swing Time and James Dean for Rebel without a Cause. Stills photographs which were used for lobby cards and posters and had to encapsulate the film plot, or be powerful and dramatic enough to attract film-goers in just one image.

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The film studios in Hollywood between 1920 and 1960 exercised an extraordinary level of control over the image of the stars they represented. The portraits they released to the public and press depicted the actors as glamorous and inaccessible, imbuing them with mystique. The photographers in this exhibition were the leading photographers employed by the studios to shoot and oversee the star portraits. The exhibition includes portraits by Davis Boulton, one of the few British photographers working for the Hollywood studios, and Ruth Harriet Louise, the only woman to run a studio photo gallery. Often stars would build up a relationship with a photographer as was the case with Greta Garbo and Clarence Sinclair Bull, and Joan Crawford and George Hurrell. This was a time before paparazzi, and these photographs distributed by the studios were the only vehicle of connection between stars and fans. Thousands of photographs would be sent out worldwide by the studios both to fans and to publications. To enable the photographs to be reproduced as widely as possible for publicity they were stamped ‘copyright free’, which resulted in the names of many pivotal studio photographers remaining uncredited for creating timeless and career-defining portraits.

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John Kobal (1940-1991) was a collector and author who methodically sought to understand the role of photography in the Hollywood legend. He began collecting film photographs in the 1950s, visiting Los Angeles frequently when many of the major studios were being bought by corporations who cared little for the history of the film industry. At first his interest was solely in the stars and their films but his interest began to shift to the photographers behind the portraits, many of whom were still alive and accessible at this time. Kobal tracked down the surviving members of the circle of great Hollywood photographers and through a series of major exhibitions and books sought to gain them the recognition they deserved. As a result, the significance of the Hollywood photographers is now widely acknowledged for their contribution to both the film industry and twentieth century photographic portraiture.

The John Kobal Foundation was formed before John’s death in 1991. He donated to it the negatives and photographs that he had collected over the years. Exploitation of these provides a source of income used to help advance appreciation and awareness of photography, particularly portraiture. The foundation first pursued this aim through the John Kobal Photographic Portrait Award in association with the National Portrait Gallery from 1992-2002. The foundation continues to encourage the work of emerging photographers primarily through the grant of discretionary awards. In recent years, the John Kobal New Work Award has given grants to Whitechapel Gallery in London, the National Media Museum’s Bursary Awards and the charity, Photovoice, as well as to individual photographers. http://www.johnkobal.org/

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The Santa Barbara Museum of Art is a privately funded, not-for-profit institution that presents international recognised collections and exhibitions and a broad array of cultural and educational activities as well as travel opportunities around the world.

National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place WC2H 0HE

OPENING HOURS

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday: 10am – 6pm (Gallery closure commences at 5.50pm) Late Opening: Thursday, Friday: 10am – 9pm (Gallery closure commences at 8.50pm)

The Exhibition will run from 7 July until 23 October 2011 in the Porter Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, London.

TICKETS

To book tickets please call 0844 248 5033

ADMISSION

£6. Concessions £5.50/£5  - USD 10 approx

or

With Gift Aid (includes voluntary Gift Aid donation of 10% above standard price):
Admission £6.60. Concessions £6.05/ £5.50

PUBLICATION

A fully-illustrated paperback book, published by the National Portrait Gallery in association with Steidl, accompanies the exhibition, with essays by Robert Dance and John Russell Taylor. RRP £25

Will
WIN WIN win over the audience?

in movie theatres in the UK from May 20, 2011

see review below

review to follow

UK Release: 20th May 2011
Director: Thomas McCarthy
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Alex Shaffer, Amy Ryan, Jeffrey Tambor, Bobby Cannavale

Disheartened attorney Mike Flaherty (Giamatti), who moonlights as a high school wrestling coach, stumbles across a star athlete through some questionable business dealings while trying to support his family. Just as it looks like he will get a double payday, the boy's mother shows up fresh from rehab and flat broke, threatening to derail everything.

review:

Win Win is a charming, funny and delightful movie and like many others of its genre it tells a story of the  breakdown of everyday relationships in a fashion that is neither moralizing or didactic. 

Sports movies manage to retain a level of optimism in the context of tales of morality.   Humor runs throughout the story as disintegrating relationships are seen as rite of passage rather than as a negative and hopeless.

Paul Giamatti perfects the perfect balance of stressed but caring parent.

The character of Terry Delfino is the comedy in the movie.  And first-timer, Alex Shaffer plays the perfect adolescent - as well as having great wrestling skills.

Sports films always seem to end up being feel-good moves and this is yet another example which give you hope and energy against the challenges of typical family life. 

Thoroughly enjoyable and great entertainment.  And a 'winning' formula!

May 2011

BEST FILM
Black Swan
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
True Grit

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
127 Hours
Another Year
Four Lions
The King’s Speech
Made In Dagenham

DIRECTOR
127 Hours - Danny Boyle
Black Swan - Darren Aronofsky
Inception - Christopher Nolan
The King’s Speech - Tom Hooper
The Social Network - David Fincher

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Black Swan - Mark Heyman, Andrés Heinz, John Mclaughlin
The Fighter - Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson
Inception - Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right - Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg
The King’s Speech - David Seidler

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
127 Hours - Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Rasmus Heisterberg, Nikolaj Arcel
The Social Network - Aaron Sorkin
Toy Story 3 - Michael Arndt
True Grit - Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Biutiful
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
I Am Love
Of Gods and Men
The Secret in Their Eyes

ANIMATED FILM
Despicable Me
How To Train Your Dragon
Toy Story 3

LEADING ACTOR
Javier Bardem – Biutiful
Jeff Bridges - True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network
Colin Firth - The King’s Speech
James Franco - 127 Hours

LEADING ACTRESS
Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right
Julianne Moore - The Kids Are All Right
Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Noomi Rapace - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale - The Fighter
Andrew Garfield - The Social Network
Pete Postlethwaite - The Town
Mark Ruffalo - The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush - The King’s Speech

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams - The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter - The King’s Speech
Barbara Hershey - Black Swan
Lesley Manville - Another Year
Miranda Richardson - Made In Dagenham

ORIGINAL MUSIC
127 Hours - Ar Rahman
Alice In Wonderland - Danny Elfman
How To Train Your Dragon - John Powell
Inception - Hans Zimmer
The King’s Speech - Alexandre Desplat

CINEMATOGRAPHY
127 Hours - Anthony Dod Mantle, Enrique Chediak
Black Swan - Matthew Libatique
Inception - Wally Pfister
The King’s Speech - Danny Cohen
True Grit - Roger Deakins

EDITING
127 Hours - Jon Harris
Black Swan - Andrew Weisblum
Inception - Lee Smith
The King’s Speech - Tariq Anwar
The Social Network - Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter

PRODUCTION DESIGN
Alice In Wonderland - Robert Stromberg, Karen O’Hara
Black Swan - Thérèse Deprez, Tora Peterson
Inception - Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias, Doug Mowat
The King’s Speech - Eve Stewart, Judy Farr
True Grit - Jess Gonchor, Nancy Haigh

COSTUME DESIGN
Alice In Wonderland - Colleen Atwood
Black Swan - Amy Westcott
The King’s Speech - Jenny Beavan
Made In Dagenham - Louise Stjernsward
True Grit - Mary Zophres

SOUND
127 Hours - Glenn Freemantle, Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Steven C Laneri, Douglas Cameron
Black Swan - Ken Ishii, Craig Henighan, Dominick Tavella
Inception - Richard King, Lora Hirschberg, Gary A Rizzo, Ed Novick
The King’s Speech - John Midgley, Lee Walpole, Paul Hamblin
True Grit - Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff, Peter F Kurland, Douglas Axtell

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
Alice In Wonderland - Nominees TBC
Black Swan - Dan Schrecker
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 - Tim Burke, John Richardson, Nicolas Ait'hadi, Christian Manz
Inception - Chris Corbould, Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Peter Bebb
Toy Story 3 - Nominees TBC

MAKEUP & HAIR
Alice In Wonderland - Nominees Tbc
Black Swan - Judy Chin, Geordie Sheffer
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 - Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin
The King’s Speech - Frances Hannon
Made In Dagenham - Lizzie Yianni Georgiou

SHORT FILM
Connect - Samuel Abrahams, Beau Gordon
Lin - Piers Thompson, Simon Hessel
Rite - Michael Pearce, Ross Mckenzie
Turning - Karni Arieli, Saul Freed, Alison Sterling, Kat Armour-Brown
Until The River Runs Red - Paul Wright, Poss Kondeatis

SHORT ANIMATION
The Eagleman Stag - Michael Please
Matter Fisher - David Prosser
Thursday - Matthias Hoegg

ORANGE RISING STAR AWARD
Emma Stone - Easy A
Andrew Garfield - The Social Network
Tom Hardy - Inception
Gemma Arterton - Tamara Drewe
Aaron Johnson - Kick-Ass

the london film festival 2010

127 hours

The 2010 London Film Festival showcased a wide range of movies from around the world...... and as usual a single journalist has little choice but to select from the pool of talent just a handful of movies which representative the best of the festival.

Coming soon to your screen is the latest movie from the award winning director of Slumdog Millionaire.

127 hours is not a marathon like Slumdog; it is more of a snapshot of a brief period in someone's life that takes them through a series of emotions that are rarely encapsulated into a single experience.   But 127 hours does capture the intensity of these moments in a jaw-dropping movie based upon a real-life story.

Thrown into a screening early one morning with a bunch of other journalists where everyone knows how the story unfolds, it was hard to imagine how Director Danny Boyle would be able to maintain his 'top of the class' record for a movie which had little storyline alongside the added penalty that we all knew how it ended.

But knowledge and foresight can be wonderful things.  So instead of the big moment being a 'dramatic letdown', our insight into the story and the build up to how and when the dreadful deed would take place amounted to so much anticipation and dread in that West End theatre that we were universally trapped in our seats waiting and waiting and waiting for the inevitable.  

The ability to make the whole audience experience the process of surviving against all odds made this movie almost cathartic- and at the same time a tribute to the skills of Danny Boyle as both a Director and a Story-teller.

A great performance, fabulous cinematography and an entirely unforgiving landscape provided Boyle with the tools to make a masterpiece out of what may appear to be a very short story.

Without disclosing any more of the 'plot' go see this movie... but plan to eat afterwards!

the london film festival 2010

movie reviews

This year's London Film Festival showcased a wide range of movies from around the world...... and as usual a single journalist has little choice but to select from the pool of talent just a handful of movies which representative the best of the festival.

First up the most likely to be selected for an Academy Award: the very fantastic King's Speech.  It is a wonderfully simple story of how a prince - who did not want to be king - did everything possible to overcome a stammer in order to deliver 'royal' speeches worthy of the crown during the very difficult times in and around the Second World War.

Colin Firth gives a convincing and emotional performance in the role of Proce X who is determined to meet the expectations of the leader of the British Royal Family when his older bother abdicated in favour of Mrs Simpson..

This is not a tear jerker in the making.  This is a piece of 20th century history which illustrates every part of society - even a King - can suffer from a stammer.   Geoffrey Rush plays the antipodean voice coach who successfully teaches technique which allows the King to speak well, if not perfectly.  And Helen Bonham-Carter gives her usual perfect interpretation of the wealthy classes.

Don't miss this film ... not only because it will receive a sack of awards; but because is a simple  and universal story.  And bring the tissues!

Another one which requires a handy box of Kleenex is Africa United.  A charming feature which tells the story of a group of kids who make the tripacross the continent of Africa to Soccer City in South Africa so that one 'their team' can participate in the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 World Cup.

Not failing to address some of the more contentious issues in Africa, the movie tackles AIDS , drugs, gun crime and child prostitution..... but the glue behind the whole film is the exceptional performance of the character Dudu played by x who is the 'team manager' who keeps the whole thing together with  an energy and enthusiasm which far exceeded mand y of the professional players who participated in the actual tournament.

The Kids Are Alright - unlike the previous two movies is not a tear-jerker.  In fact it is almost the opposite as two sibling teenagers attempt to track down their genetic father as they watch the  disintegration of their parents' marriage - in this case 'two MOMS' played by Annette Benning and Julianne Moore.

Despite the fact that this film has been described as a ground breaking movie the matrimonial relationship is unremarkable, as the parents display few characteristics that are different to any other long-term married couple with two kids.  What makes this movie disappointing is that it focuses on the female characters and rather dismisses the male roles in this 5-hander.

Silent and Live Music
Series

september 5 and 19, 2010
at the Barbican

Barbican Box Office: 0845 120 7527

Ticket prices:

From the 1st of September:
Standard: £10.50 / £8.50 online
Members: £8.50 / £6.50 online
Concessions: £7.50
Under 15: £5.50

Monday Madness: all tickets £6.50

Ticket offer:

Ticket offer: Book Blackmail in the Hall and pay just £7 per ticket
for The Lodger and The Ring.

erasing david



credit: Jack Barner

Presented by Green Lions Films and The Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation

where to see it:

Nationwide (UK) Theatrical release:

Opening: April 29, 2010
Erasing David is showing in: Aberdeen - The Belmont Picturehouse, Bath - Little Theatre Cinema, Brighton - Duke Of Yorks, Cambridge - Cambridge Picturehouse, Edinburgh - Cameo Picturehouse, Exeter - Picturehouse, Henley-On-Thames - Regal Picturehouse, Islington - Screen on The Green, Lancaster - The Dukes Cinema, Liverpool - FACT, London - Brixton Ritzy Picturehouse, London - The Lexi Cinema Kensal Rise, London - Greenwich Picturehouse, London - Stratford Picturehouse, London - Notting Hill Gate, Newcastle - Tyneside Cinema, Norwich - Cinema City, Oxford - Phoenix Pitcturehouse, Prestatyn - The Scala, Southampton - Harbour Lights Picturehouse, Stamford - Arts Centre, Straford-upon-Avon - Stratford Picturehouse, Winchester - The Screen, York - Picturehouse

UK TV Broadcast: Channel 4 (More4), Tuesday 4th May 2010, 10pm

Self-imposed exile is a strange choice for anyone – but a particularly odd decision for a family man with a young daughter and a pregnant wife.

Despite what might seem an apparent conflict of interest, David Bond decided to abandon his family and go on the run for a period of a month to make a point:  Could he disappear and stay invisible for a period of time without being found by a couple of very amiable private investigators from Cerberus Investigations.

Bond did all the sensible things as he set out to face the challenge. He did his best to remove himself from social networking sites (can you ever really do that?); rarely used his mobile phone when he was on the run; and paid cash.   Ultimately the investigators tracked him down when the NHS disclosed some information about an appointment that his wife was attending at a maternity clinic; but the amateur Bond had proved something of a challenge for the experts.

Although some might see the whole process as a series of ‘bad timing’ choices, David Bond seemed obsessively motivated to expose this ‘new media, full disclosure, high-tech society’ that we live in as a threat to our privacy - despite family commitments.

Erasing David develops into a ‘road movie’ thriller with an increasingly paranoid protagonist fearing that he might be caught as he filmed himself on the run. 

The private investigators took this unpaid movie gig as a serious challenge and armed with just the name of their target, “Bond. David Bond”, they eventually tracked him down by accessing what some might believe to be secure and/or private personal information.

This is an entertaining thriller in a drama/doc format; although perhaps an obvious weakness is that he knows he is being chased and that the worst thing that can happen is that is caught and happily returns to his family life.

What Erasing David does is highlight the many risks that can occur in our information-driven society.  Curiously, the Q&A with the film-makers after the screening clearly illustrated that the response from the invited audience varied across the  spectrum - from the fearful, to the fearless and indifferent.  Give up your personal information and you may run the risk of becoming a target.  Bond did it; but then the original Bond always survived at the end of this movies and came up smelling of roses…… as did our hero, David!

Erasing David is entertaining and fun and shows the darker side of a world of data ‘espionage' that can only increase in today’s society.  A sequel is the obvious ending for this film and I look forward to seeing Bond’s identity stolen and how he manages to extricate himself from the world of digital crime.

Invictus may not be a great movie but it does share a very powerful message:  Sport can unify a community as well as a nation.

In the nineteen-nineties Nelson Mandela seized the opportunity to unify black and white South Africa through the 'power' of sport.  At the time, little did he realize just how influential sport could be!

After attending a game of the Springboks, the country's rugby union team, it became clear that sport was a voice for the disunited as well as the united; and as blacks in the stadium cheered against their home squad, Mandela recognized while that sport was not a level playing in South Africa it had the potential to be a united force.

While the Springboks represented prejudice and apartheid, South Africa's unification seemed like a lost cause.   Mandela chose  the 1995 Rugby World Cup as his vehicle to bring together a divided nation and Invictus tells the story of the role of sport as a 'role model'.

In one year Mandela not only convinced the South African Rugby Board to keep the Springbok team, name and colours; he also meet with the Springboks' captain.  And although Mandela never articulated the true substance of the meeting to François Pienaar (Matt Damon), Pienaar understood its meaning: to challenge the Springboks to gain the support of black South Africans and win the upcoming World Cup.

Mandela also shared with Pienaar a poem, Invictus, that had been his inspiration during his time in prison, helping him to "stand when all he wanted to do was lie down".

The Springboks team captain,and his team - all white with one exception - Chester Williams - were persuaded by Mandela to endeavour to represent a post-apartheid South Africa; and in so doing they took the championship in the most unexpected, and yet heroic fashion, winning 15-12 in the final against the expected firm favorites, the All Blacks.

Supported by a crowd of 62,000, Morgan Freeman plays a convincing Mandela.  And while many of his scenes are inspirational and in the spirit of organizations such as Fifa and the IOC; the rugby action is often unconvincing and the movie would have been better served by actual footage.

Despite its shortcomings, Invictus is a worthy illustration of how sports unifies the world and that message is worth its weight in gold medals.

TRIBECA/ESPN SPORTS FILM FESTIVAL 2009

- trailer competition

April 22, 2009 - May 3, 2009

Festival jury announced; the 32 jurors include Uma Thurman, Meg Ryan,
Morgan Spurlock, James Franco, Todd Haynes, Bradley Cooper, Melissa Leo,
Parker Posey, Adrien Brody and Rachel Maddow

[New York, NY - April 21, 2009] -Tribeca Film Festival co-founders
Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal kicked off the eighth annual Tribeca
Film Festival today at the Borough of Manhattan Community College in
lower Manhattan. De Niro and Rosenthal were joined by Uma Thurman, who
will serve as a juror for the World Narrative competition and who
announced her fellow 2009 Festival jurors, Spike Lee, who directed two
films featured in this year's Festival, and Rich Lehrfeld, VP, Global
Sponsorship and Experiential Marketing for American Express, the
founding sponsor of the Festival.

The 2009 Tribeca Film Festival will run from April 22 - May 3 and will
include 85 features and 46 short films representing 36 different
countries. The film slate, chosen from 4,720 submissions, features 45
world premieres, 5 international premieres, 15 North American premieres,
3 U.S. premieres and 12 New York premieres. In addition to the film
line-up, there will also be an array of panel discussions, valuable
networking opportunities for filmmakers and the industry, gala premieres
of highly anticipated new studio releases - including Sony Pictures
Classics' Whatever Works and Fox Searchlight Pictures' My Life in Ruins
- and a number of free, community events, including the Tribeca
Drive-In, the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day and the Tribeca Family Festival
Street Fair.

"At its core, our Festival has always been about great films; but it has
also been about community and renewal. These themes were resonant right
after we founded the Festival after 9/11, as well as in the years that
followed and especially now - at a time of such uncertainty for so many
people struggling with the global economic crisis. In good times and
bad, people love to go to the movies, and we are thrilled to be here
once again to present 12 days of films and events that will appeal to
the industry and the general public alike. Whether you're an
accomplished filmmaker or just need a way to escape everyday life for a
few hours, there's something for you at Tribeca," said Rosenthal.

"It's great to see how much the Festival has grown since we began in
2002 and how it has impacted the neighborhood," said De Niro. "We
invite everyone to come to Tribeca to enjoy all that our Festival has to
offer - from great films to industry gatherings to free community
events."

"Year after year, the Tribeca Film Festival brings a vibrant energy to
New York City and excitement to filmmakers, film fans, and merchants in
the local communities," said Rich Lehrfeld, VP, Global Sponsorship and
Experiential Marketing, American Express. "American Express is proud to
continue our support of the Festival as we have since its inception,
driving business to local merchants, celebrating filmmakers and the art
of storytelling, and creating unforgettable experiences for our
Cardmembers."

"I want to thank American Express, our founding partner, who was with us
from the very beginning when we set out to drive business, energy and
excitement downtown post-9/11. They have offered unwavering support of
that original mission and of the art of filmmaking and storytelling in a
most powerful way," added Rosenthal, who also noted, "We are grateful to
all our partners and corporate sponsors - returning and new - who make
our programming possible."

"I'm so proud of the films we are showing this year, from the heaviest
hitting documentary to the lightest comedy, there is something for
everyone. I can't wait for to share the films with our audience," said
Nancy Schafer, Executive Director of the Tribeca Film Festival.

Jurors for the competitive categories were announced by Academy
Award-nominated actress Uma Thurman.

"For me, and for people everywhere who love film, Tribeca has become a
major event to which we all look forward with anticipation. And as a
New Yorker, it's been wonderful to see the impact the festival has had
on the City. This year is especially exciting because I get to be a
part of it as a juror. I look forward to watching some incredible
films," said Thurman.

Following is a list of the 2009 Festival jurors and their respective
categories:

World Competition Categories:
* The jurors for the 2009 World Narrative Competition are Bradley
Cooper, Richard Fischoff, Todd Haynes, Meg Ryan and Uma Thurman.
* The jurors for the 2009 World Documentary Competition are Liz
Garbus, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. , Whoopi Goldberg, Morgan Spurlock and
Brian Williams.

New York Competition Categories:
* The 2009 Best New York Narrative jurors are Adrien Brody, Karen
Durbin, Richard Ledes, Melissa Leo, Parker Posey, Andre Leon Talley and
Beau Willimon.
* The 2009 Best New York Documentary jurors are Jon Robin Baitz,
Mary Boone, Marc Ecko, Douglas Keeve and Rachael Ray.

Short Film Competition Categories:
* The 2009 Narrative Short jurors are Thomas Haden Church, James
Franco, Mary Harron, Debra Messing and Mary-Kate Olsen.
* The 2009 Documentary and Student Short jurors are Bobby
Cannavale, Gael Greene, AJ Jacobs, Rachel Maddow and Sheikha Al Mayassa
bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Celebrated filmmaker and proud New Yorker Spike Lee was also on hand to
talk about being a part of the Tribeca Film Festival for the first time.
Lee directed two films in this year's Festival - Kobe Doin' Work, which
will have its world premiere as part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film
Festival, and Passing Strange, which will have its New York premiere and
screen as part of a special panel discussion for American Express
cardmembers. Additionally, Lee serves as an Ambassador for the
Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival, which in just its third year, the
Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film has become the premier showcase for independent
films about sports and competition.

"Glad I'm part of a great NY Film Institution," said Spike Lee.
"Looking forward to Premiering Passing Strange and Kobe Doin' Work with
the great Tribeca Film Festival."

To showcase the variety and strength of this year's film slate, which
Schafer noted has "something for everyone," she showed clips from four
highly-anticipated Festival films during today's press conference:
* TiMER. Directed and written by Jac Schaeffer. (USA) - World
Premiere. Finding true love is easier than ever thanks to a
bio-technological implant called the TiMER, which counts down to the
exact time people meet their soul mates. Love-starved Oona (Emma
Caulfield, TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is pushing 30, but her TiMER
hasn't even started counting down yet. What's worse, she's falling for a
guy (John Patrick Amedori, Gossip Girl) who is set to meet his true love
in four months. Newcomer Jac Schaeffer crafts a smart romantic comedy
that leaves behind the burning question... would you want to know?
* Burning Season. Directed by Cathy Henkel. (Australia) -
International Premiere. TFF award winner Henkel returns with this
powerful portrait of three lives affected by deliberately lit fires
raging across Indonesia. Destroying pristine rainforest, endangering
wildlife, and contributing to climate change, these fires only benefit
the lucrative palm oil industry. Following a carbon-trading
entrepreneur, an orangutan rescuer, and a palm oil farmer, this doc
inspirationally shows those caught at the intersection of big business
and conservation. Hugh Jackman narrates.
* Vegas: Based on a True Story. Directed by Amir Naderi, written
by Susan Brennan, Bliss Esposito, Charlie Lake Keaton and Naderi. (USA)
- North American Premiere. Returning to the Festival, acclaimed director
Amir Naderi applies his inimitable cinematic style to Vegas. The film
takes place away from the glittering strip of luxury mega casinos, but
the judgment-clouding greed of Sin City is just as pervasive on the
desert outskirts of town, where an otherwise happy family is thrown into
turmoil after learning of a forgotten fortune that may be buried beneath
their scrubby little home.
* Racing Dreams. Directed by Marshall Curry. (USA) - World
Premiere. What Little League is to baseball, go-karting is to auto
racing. Oscar(r)-nominated director Marshall Curry (Street Fight)
follows the exhilarating and emotional journeys of three top racers
competing for the national championship. Three adolescents and their
families must discover if they have the talent and dedication-and
sponsorship dollars-to one day become NASCAR superstars. Part of the
Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.

Prior to the screening of these clips, Schafer welcomed and introduced
the directors of these four films. Schaffer is a first time filmmaker
and new to Tribeca, while Australian filmmaker Henkel won the Best
Feature Documentary Award at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival, Curry won
the Audience Award at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival for his documentary
Street Fight, which went on to be nominated for an Academy Award, and
Naderi returns to Tribeca for the third time, having previously debuted
two films during the 2003 and 2004 Tribeca Film Festivals.

About the Tribeca Film Festival
Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff founded the Tribeca
Film Festival in 2001 following the attacks on the World Trade Center,
New York City to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of the
lower Manhattan district through an annual celebration of film, music
and culture. The Festival's mission is to help filmmakers reach the
broadest possible audience, enable the international film community and
general public to experience the power of cinema and promote New York
City as a major filmmaking center.

Tribeca Film Festival is well known for being a diverse international
film festival that supports emerging and established directors. The
Tribeca Festival has screened over 1,100 films from over 80 countries
since its first festival in 2002. Since its founding, it has attracted
an international audience of more than two million attendees and has
generated over $530 million in economic activity for New York City.

THE MAIN FESTIVAL ACTION

Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff founded the Tribeca Film Festival in 2001 following the attacks on the World Trade Center, New York City to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of the lower Manhattan district through an annual celebration of film, music and culture. The Festival’s mission is to help filmmakers reach the broadest possible audience, enable the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promote New York City as a major filmmaking center.

The Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival is a partnership between Tribeca Enterprises, the parent company of the Tribeca Film Festival, and ESPN Inc. The Festival, founded in 2006, is the premiere showcase for independent sports film.

Tribeca Film Festival is well known for being a diverse international film festival that supports emerging and established directors. The Tribeca Festival has screened over 1100 films from over 80 countries since its first festival in 2002. Since its founding, it has attracted an international audience of more than two million attendees and has generated over $530 million in economic activity for New York City.

For the first time in the three-year history of the Festival, Tribeca and ESPN have created a unique competition to find the official Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival trailer that will be scheduled to play prior to all of the films in this year’s sports film festival. The 2009 Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival will take place during the Tribeca Film Festival, April 22 through May 3, 2009.

To participate in the competition, contestants will need to shoot a reenactment of a scene from a classic sports film. Three scenes from two classic Walt Disney Pictures, Remember The Titans and Cool Runnings, have been preselected for contestants to recreate. All recreations of the scenes should keep within the spirit of the original film and be under 30 seconds. A panel of Tribeca and ESPN notables will select the top submissions and choose the final winner. The competition ended Saturday, March 7, 2009.

For the first time in its three-year history the  Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival announced a competition to find the official trailer for the 2009 Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.

Contestants should log on to:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=tribeca/trailer/contest
to download the script pages to both films and then submit their videos.

Selected shorts will be featured on www.espn.com, beginning in early April 2009.

..........the prize winner gets

In addition to having the scene play as the official trailer for the 2009 Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival, the grand prize winner will receive a trip for two to New York City (including airfare and hotel accommodations) for two nights to attend the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, dinner for two at the ESPN Zone, one Apple TV with an I-Tunes gift certificate in the amount of $100, and a 17-inch Apple Mac Book Pro fully loaded with Leopard OS and Final Cut studio.

editor: April 2009