Flanders International Film Festival-Ghent

Clint Mansell and Sonus Quartet to perform cult director Aronofsky soundtracks at 
                        35th Ghent Int'l Film Festival

source: Ghent Int'l Film Festival

For the 35th edition of the Ghent Film Festival (7-18 October), Clint Mansell and
Sonus Quartet will be performing atmospheric tunes from Darren Aronofsky films (Pi,
Requiem For A Dream, The Fountain). Like Aronofsky in the film world, Mansell has
garnered an immense cult following for his soundtrack work, known for its dark,
hypnotic beauty. The concert will be held on 16 October in the theatre hall at the
Vooruit.

Clint Mansell started out as the front man for British electronica-punk group Pop
Will Eat Itself. He broke into the world of scoring when his friend, director Darren
Aronofsky, hired him to write the soundtrack for Pi, his debut feature film. Since
then, Mansell has scored Aronofsky’s two other films, Requiem for a Dream and The
Fountain.

Mansell’s unique sense of style is difficult to pin down, a mix of anything in the
minor-key palette available to him, from swelling strings to heavy electric guitar
and tribal drums. For his work on The Fountain, he teamed up with Scottish post-rock
band Mogwai and Kronos Quartet to produce the most exquisite, powerful soundtrack
experience of 2007. Not only did it win him Best Original Soundtrack at the World
Soundtrack Awards, but also the Public Choice Award, voted by film music fans from
around the world. 

For his concert in Ghent, Mansell will be bringing a few special guests along: a
rock band and Sonus Quartet, a string ensemble. They will be performing Aronofsky
film tracks, complete with film clips pulsating in the background.

Tickets: € 16,5 (presale) / € 20 available from Fnac: www.fnac.be  and Vooruit: www.vooruit.be

SHOWCOMOTION YOUNG PEOPLE'S FILM FESTIVAL: UNICEF UK AWARDS WINNERS

WINNING FILMS ANNOUNCED


Organisers of the Showcomotion Young People’s Film Festival have announced
the winners of their short film competition, the UNICEF UK AWARDS.  The
UNICEF UK AWARDS are film awards specifically for short films on the theme
of human rights for children and young people.


Kathy Loizou, Festival Director said: ‘Our youth jury members worked long
and hard yesterday (Wednesday 9 July), viewing the 23 films in the
competition, and debating and discussing who would have the honour of
winning the prestigious UNICEF UK Awards.’ 


UNICEF UK YOUNG FILM MAKER AWARD

The first award is the UNICEF UK YOUNG FILM MAKER AWARD which is for young
film makers up to and including 18 years old.  The Joint Winners are
Past-Caring by Zoe Kyriakou (age 14), Usman Zaman (age 13) & Aiden Troughton
(age 12) and Wrecked by Oscar Forshaw Swift (age 17).



Special Mentions go to Cube Xtra Movie: Friendship made by Sheffield based
Iman Hussain & Jodie Hobson (age 14) and Flash-Back by Cèlia Rozalén & Emili
Taroncher (age 16)


UNICEF UK SHORT FILM AWARD

The UNICEF UK SHORT FILM AWARD is for professional film makers.  The winner
in this section is Doggie by Simone Van Dusseldorp and Special Mentions go
to Felix by Andreas Utta and Goldfish by Joe Wein.


UNICEF UK AUDIENCE AWARD

The UNICEF UK AUDIENCE AWARD is for the best film from both categories voted
by the audience.  The winner is Doggie and Special Mentions go to Goldfish
and Past-Caring.


Showcomotion is at the Showroom Cinema, Paternoster Row, Sheffield S1 2BX
Box Office: 0114 275 7727  www.showcomotion.org.uk
<http://www.showcomotion.org.uk/>

Sheffield Doc/Fest¹s MeetMarket is now open for Project Submissions!

Doc /Fest presents the UK's biggest international documentary marketplace
and its unique pitching initiative: MeetMarket where, in pre-scheduled
match-made one-on-one meetings, documentary makers pitch their newest and
most unique projects to dozens of UK and international buyers, Executive
Producers, commissioning editors and distributors. MeetMarket provides high
quality, original ideas with the possibility to be fast-tracked from
development to production, in a supportive and dynamic setting. The
projected worth of sales in negotiation sparked at MeetMarket 2007 adds up
to £4,321,980, and rising. MeetMarket is a unique and exciting way to pitch
and discuss the projects you¹re most passionate about with the documentary
decision-makers who matter

Online project submissions are now open. Projects can be any stage of
development and applicants can be from any geographic location and
background. Interactive and cross-platform projects are also very welcome.
The deadline for project submissions is September 12th. To see the full list
of confirmed buyers, see http://www.sheffdocfest.com/view/buyerslist . For
more information on applying, email charlie@sidf.co.uk or visit
http://www.sheffdocfest.com/view/meetmarket

"MeetMarket surprised me: I had an extraordinarily creative response to my
film from 23 intelligent men and women who care passionately about
documentaries. They reflected my story back to me and I came out richer ­
not just financially, although I have already been offered money to complete
my film, but in terms of valuing my project." - MeetMarket participant 200

Darryl's Hard Liquor and P0rn Film Festival

Darryl's Hard Liquor and P0rn Film Festival is currently seeking short films for
it's Fall 2008 line-up.
Currently in it's 9th year, Darryl's Hard Liquor and P0rn Film Festival is quickly
becoming the counter culture event on the festival
circuit featuring brilliant short comedy films that spoof sex and porn.
Audiences typically dress up as their most innovative inner P0rn Star and drink
cocktails while watching the films - thus ensuring a good time by all no matter
what!
Always playing to sell out crowds, this year's fest will begin in Toronto on
September 6th (brave enough to go up against the Toronto Film Festival) and move on
to screenings
in New York, San Francisco, Montreal, Vancouver and London.
Submission deadline is August 15 2008.
Toronto Show Saturday September 6th at The Bloor Cinema
Go to www.hardliquorandporn.com for details on submissions.

Note: The 69 Hour Film Challenge will launch on August 20th 2008 - Details soon on
the website.

V International Film Festival «Eurasia»

One of the programmes of V IFF «Eurasia» would be dedicated to “Kazakh New Wave” which emerged 20 years ago and the year 1988 shall be considered the starting point with the release of “The Needle” by Rashid Nugmanov. What was the effect of this “wave”? Who was the part of it? What films did it include? What did it produce for Kazakhstan? This programme of the festival would allow to answer all these questions as well as to discuss the newest history of Kazakhstani cinema. The audience should also expect meetings with film directors – the creators of the “New Wave” films.

«There is no entrance but a magnificent one»

In the late 1980s a number of young people striving for a change in Kazakhstan’s cinema came to “Kazakhfilm” studio. Back then, a philosopher and culturist Murat Auezov was the chief editor and each session of artistic counsel resembled the construction of an intellectual building called cinematography. M. Auezov used to say: «With all absolute or relative achievements of our culture, for the last twenty years the cinema dropped out form the level of cultural Kazakhstani process. That’s why the field of cinematography is positioned as the artistic intelligence’s careful attention zone. It results in the entry of talented people, the accumulation of creative people ready for the breakthrough». He is also the one who said the words that «the state of cinema is so depressive, that there is no entrance but a magnificent one».

The deeds were following the words. Initiated by Goskino headed by Olzhas Suleimenov at that time, film director Sergey Solviev selected students to Kazakhstani workshop, set up at VGIK. And the first students became the representatives of young artistic intellectuals: architect Rashid Nugmanov, historian Abay Karpykov, poet Amir Karakulov, Arabist Bakhyt Kilibayev, philologist Ardak Amirkulov, mathematician Darezhan Omirbayev, playwrights Leyla Akhinzhanova and Alexander Baranov, painter Murat Musin and others. It wasn’t just a group of young men sent to study at VGIK, they were assigned a mission – to create new Kazakh cinema. And when studying came to an end, “Kazakhfilm” studio launched feature film productions of almost all of these students. Moreover, they supported the most challenging and the most unexpected projects. “The Needle” by Rashid Nugmanov emerged in such way becoming the banner of “reconstruction”, «Last Stop» by Serik Aprymov, «Little Fish in Love» by Abay Karpykov, «Home Wrecker» by Amir Karakulov, «The Fall of Otrar» by Ardak Amirkulov, «Kairat» by Darezhan Omirbayev and others. However the “New Kazakh Wave” wasn’t noticed in Kazakhstan, on the contrary the works by the young were harshly criticized. The Wave was spotted and promoted in Moscow and then further on to international film festivals. From the late 80s until the end of 90s almost every festival considered an honor to receive the new Kazakh film.

What did the “Wave” do for the country?

«Kazakh New Wave» was the first to mark independent Kazakhstan on world map. The cinematographers were the first ones to do that in the field of culture. Let’s recollect: when the independence was just declared, the film festivals were already giving out prizes to the films of the country which was absolutely unknown to everyone.

Second of all, it changed the paradigm of art from the soviet to none-soviet. Young independent people who wanted and were able to build their own lives emerged from the cinema. So the minds changed first and then the reality. It’s noteworthy, that our “wave” started earlier than the collapse of Soviet Union. In the late 80s the soviet distribution still operated and, let’s say, the film was watched by 13 million viewers. And that wasn’t just a film about a super hero, the film was about the coming of new time, new heroes, it showed the dying of the outmoded old system.

Third of all – it laid the basis of nation-construction, tearing us away from soviet past and making us look towards what new and independent Kazakhstan should be like.

Let’s take the works of Serik Aprymov as example. Each film of his is a stage in country’s life. “Last Stop” (1989) – the denial of old soviet experience. «Aksuat» (1998) – a very important film in establishing Kazakh self-awareness. «Three Brothers» (2000) – a film, showing post-colonial reflections and, at last, «The Hunter» (2003) – the creation of a new myth about the new\old nation of Kazakhs.

Films by Darezhan Omirbayev also portray the reflections of young individuals in the moment of entering new life. Through his films, the director speaks not only about the change of social formation but also touches upon particularly domestic problems in Kazakhstan. Thus, the films «Kairat» (1991) and «Cardiogram» (1995) concern different spheres – urban and village, and correspondingly, the people speaking Russian and Kazakh. Darezhan addresses the social criticism of the public in his film «Killer» (1998).

If Serik Aprymov works with myths and Darezhan Omirbayev with social problems, Amir Karakulov deals with models of family in his films such as “Home Wrecker”, “Pigeon Ringer”, “Zhylama”, and Ardak Amirkulov works with historical material: «The Fall of Otrar», «Abay», «Farewell, Gulsary». By means of their creations, almost every film director of the “New Wave” covered the entire layer of issues and problems, not to mention the stylistic and artistic quests.

What did it show to the World?

The phenomenon of “Kazakh New Wave” as a social event ended in 2000-2001 with the following films: “Three Brothers” by Serik Aprymov and “Zhylama” by Amir Karakulov. And the film “Zhol” by Darezhan Omirbayev has closed this chapter being an ironical story about the film directors of the “new wave”. Sure enough, we can’t say that “Kazakh New Wave” is twenty years old. We’d rather say that it’s been twenty years since the spring of the “wave” because there isn’t a single cultural movement that would last more than 10-12 years. Italian “neorealism” and the “French New Wave” existed for approximately the same period. The phenomenon is over but directors are still shooting films.

Today is time to take a newer look on the contribution of the “new-wavers” to the culture of independent Kazakhstan. Films by Darezhan Omirbayev participated in competitions of Cannes and Venice and “Killer” received Grand-Prix in the Un Certain Regard programme. Newspapers wrote the following headliners about Amir Karakulov: “Venice from Amir Karakulov to Nagisa Oshima”. Quentin Tarantino handed him the Grand-Prix award for “Pigeon Ringer” at the festival in Turin. Film “Lat Holidays” received Grand-Prix at the film festival in Tokyo. Serik Aprymov’s films ranged the whole world and received many prizes. One of the last prizes – “Nika” was given to his film “The Hunter” for the best foreign film.

The entrance was, indeed, a magnificent one and each one of these film directors deserve to be honored by Kazakh nation and all Kazakhstani citizens, for now Kazakhstan is not only famous for its oil but for highly intellectual cinema as well.

V IFF «Eurasia» programme will include such films as: “The Needle” by Rashid Nugmanov, «The Hunter» by Serik Aprymov, «The Fall of Otrar» by Ardak Amirkulov, “Zhol” by Darezhan Omirbayev, «The Tender One» by Abay Karpykov, «Zhylama» by Amir Karakulov, and also the shot films «Toro» by Talgat Temenov, «Shilde» by Darezhan Omirbayev. The viewers will also get a chance to meet with the creators of these films.

Gulnara Abikeyeva

IFF “Eurasia” Artistic Director

More detailed information on films, programmes, jury, prizes, participants and guests of the film festival “Eurasia” will be available in the next issues of the bulletin and at www.eurasiaiff.kz

LIMELIGHT FILM AND ARTS AWARDS 2009

The East end has officially begun its count down as it opened its doors
for the limelight film and arts awards competition on the 3rd of June 2008.

The ground breaking film and arts awards ceremony which people are
already referring to as the Oscar's of London, welcomed many guests and
local talents to it's prominent launch, addressing the expectations and
goals for this years campaign.

The primary aim is as it has always been to give a platform to those who
are deprived from recognition after working so hard to produce a short
film or other creative works.

The night kicked off with Munsur Ali (Director of Limelight) welcoming
and addressing the guests, expanding on the core aims and objectives
limelight hopes to achieve this year. The main key developments are new
categories, a diverse range of performers for the night which shall
provide all participants with further recognition for their chosen
creative medium.

As usual Richard A. Vangramberg (Head of Production & Limelight Co Event
Director) created a lively and exhilarating promo teaser video which
really captured the prestigious awards ceremony and gave us all a little
taster of what we all can expect at the 2009 awards show. 'With the
tremendous success of the 2008 awards show, we are looking for ways to
improve and continue to build on that success.' – Richard A. Vangramberg

The 2008 limelight Attendees of the launch included music producer Coco
Varma, Tower Hamlets Phil Maxwell, Zak from Canary and many other.

Phil Maxwell Tower Hamlets Waste Education Officer and last years winner
is now one of the official judges of limelight and he was surprised and
honored when he was approached by the limelight team.

Limelight asked him why he choose to be one of the judges and he replied
  "Limelight gives people the platform they need and also limelight
cares the people who have no platform and support and I want to be a
part of something and anything that gives the people support and hand
they need to be recognized".

Zak from Canary Wharf the partner of Limelight was delighted that
Limelight has once again risen to give platforms to local film makers as
well as performers on its second year round. Zak's response to a
question from a guest which "was why are you backing Limelight"? He
replied "if businesses do not back events like limelight then how can we
expect people talents to progress".

Cherry Lee our very own performer of Limelight 2008  once again shared
her wonderful talent with us by giving another live performance for the
guests of Limelight which gave everyone a taste of what's to come on
January 22nd the Limelight film and arts awards night.

Limelight will always aim to be bigger and more fun for guests and
performers as well as submitters promising to provide a platform for
everyone.

The countdown has begun!!!!!!!!!!


22nd January 2009 - The countdown has begun
www.limelightonline.org

USER-GENERATED AND USER-OWNED FEATURE FILM COMPETITION

Calling all Film Buffs, Writers, Directors and Producers…

The Movie Mogul Fund ‘Micro Movie Lab’ competition to a create a user-generated feature film is about to enter its exciting second phase entitled ‘The Writer’s Brief’.

Round 1 – Cherry Bowl: Wining Pitch Announced!

“Negotiating Life” A melancholic life insurance salesman finds his attempts at committing suicide unwittingly thwarted by his disgruntled customers.© Movie Mogul Ltd

Welsh Filmmaker Ryan Hooper won both the Members Award and the Jury Award with his pitch “Negotiating Life.” This idea now forms the basis of the next round of the competition.

Round 2 – The Writer’s Brief

Budding screenwriters have until 31^st July to devise and submit their 500-1200 word story outline, incorporating the title, genre and essence of ‘Negotiating Life’. Subject to members voting throughout August ’08, the top ten ranking ideas then go before a Jury Panel consisting of industry professionals; Huw Penallt Jones from Capitol Films, Ed Thomas from the Fiction Factory, Mark Sandell from Trinity Filmed Entertainment, Olivier Lauchenauer from Pogo Films and John Shackleton of Movie Mogul Ltd.

‘The Writer’s Brief’ main prizes:

• Jury Award - £400 screenwriting commission
• £100 and a share in the film’s profits
• 1 year’s NPA membership (worth £85)
• Members Award - £200
• 1 year’s NPA membership (worth £85)
• Runner-up £50

Further rounds include an open Director and Producer’s call, to bring the vision to life. The production budget of £100k will be raised by members of the website purchasing affordable units at £4.95 each. All winners and unit holders will share in the film’s profits and own it jointly. The film aims to go into production towards the end of the year, under the supervision of participating Jury members.

For further information see www.moviemogulfund.com