A sensitive, intimate film opened the German Currents series at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica last night, “A Year in Winter” by Academy Award-winner Caroline Link (Nowhere in Africa). The movie explores grief and the process of mourning as well as the intricacy of relationships. Although it deals with very strong emotions, it keeps a certain delicacy and modesty throughout.We have five main characters: 22 year old Lili, strong-willed, talented dancer but rebellious, her father, her mother, her brother Alex, deceased a year earlier, and Max, the painter who is commissioned by the mother to paint a portrait of…
Browsing: Festivals
Lisa McLaughlin- Strassman spent a traditional Irish childhood in Inishowen, County Donegal, Ireland, an area rich in Celtic history. Her education led her not only to receive a degree in Philosophy but also to become an accomplished designer. However, her overriding passion for film induced her to accept the sage advice of a veteran filmmaker who suggested that, rather than go on to film school, she should “buy yourself a car and get yourself a trainee assistant director ticket.” Lisa duly bought herself an old Citroen CV and embarked upon a career as an Assistant Director, working on numerous films…
Bernd Desinger was born in 1962 in Oberhausen, Germany. He studied German language and literature, History, Psychology and Film. Bernd Desinger joined the Goethe-Institut in 1990. After postings in Germany and Athens, Greece, he became deputy director of the Goethe-Institut Toronto. In 2000 he was transferred to Germany, where he became director of the Bonn branch of the central office, serving in a parallel capacity as head of the Department of Audiovisual Media. In this position he was responsible for the acquisition and co-production of documentary films. In addition, he produced an internationally distributed program series on German art and…
According to The New York Times latest electoral map, there are currently only 4 states that could either swing blue or red: Ohio, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado. In 2004, Bush won Colorado by less than 5 %, and the NYT suggests that the Democrats might have a good chance of winning this state this election. They are working hard to do so. For one, Denver, Colorado will host one of the year’s most anticipated US events – the Democratic Convention – which will take place between Monday, August 25 and Thursday, August 28.In addition to the official convention, where…
Darryl Macdonald is the Director of the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the Palm Springs International ShortFest and Short Film Market. He is the co-founder of The Seattle International Film Festival, and was its Executive and Artistic Director from 1975 until October of 2003. He served as the first Artistic Director of the Palm Springs Film Festival (1989 -1993) and the Hamptons Film Festival (1993 -1996) and was the Programming Director of the Vancouver International Film Festival (1988 -1992), which he helped found in 1980. He has also served as the Director of the Goodwill Games Film Festival, the…
Slovenia is an Eastern European country, approximately the size of New Jersey, which borders Italy, Hungary, Austria and Croatia. It declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 after a short 10 day war. A country of 2 million citizens, 60% of which is covered by forests, vineyards and mountains with access to the Mediterranean Sea, Slovenia is becoming a popular tourist destination. What might not yet be well-known, is the country’s long history of film production, with a current output of 6-8 films a year. And so last week, The Film Society of Lincoln Center celebrated Slovenian Cinema with a…
REEL NEW YORK is Channel Thirteen’s summer film series that has been running for 13 seasons and is an exciting annual survey of independent filmmaking by established and emerging NY filmmakers. The series features classics as well as inspiring new works – all representing the diversity and creativity of the city.In 1996, when Thirteen postponed production of one its independent film series due to a financial downturn, film advocates Ruby Lerner, Terry Lawler, and Mona Jimenez approached Thirteen’s management and lobbied for more broadcast time for local independent filmmakers. Producer Garrison Botts, who had recently joined the station, was given…
Now in its 19th year, the HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL is an important annual event for the NY community. Since 1994 it has been co-presented and hosted by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. This year’s festival featured 23 films including feature length documentaries, fiction films, and shorts, as well as a special program of 9 shorts by young international filmmakers. Produced and curated by the independent organization HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, the festival’s mission is to draw attention to the violation of human rights issues. The themes range from the fight for freedom of speech, to war stories,…
Nahid Persson was born and raised in Iran. Throughout her teen years, she was politically active and a supporter of human rights. Nahid participated actively in a revolution against the Shah 29 years ago, and then against the new religious regime that took over the country after Shah. Nahid was forced to flee the country 25 years ago. Before arriving in Sweden, she worked at a newspaper and wrote articles about women in various social groups. In Sweden some other Iranians and Nahid started a local radio station while also doing radio shows for the Swedish Educational Broadcasting Company. In…
These days, the sun never sets in the city of Tromso, which lies far to the north, near the Arctic Circle in Norway. Just the other week I had the good fortune to visit this beautifully serene city of 45,000 – home to the 6th Nordic Youth Film Festival (NUFF). Founded in 2003, NUFF offers young filmmakers from around the world a forum to meet, work together, and view one another’s films. In addition to making a short film, the filmmakers also learn about other cultures, a lesson which is equally important to the NUFF experience. Festival director Hermann Greuel…