The Comic Evangelists protest their own film at the AFI FEST 2006 in Hollywood. Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images
Tuesday evening picks at the AFI FEST 2006:
Unfortunately, it's a little too late for me to recommend Marwan Hamed's remarkable feature-film début, Omaret yakobean / The Yacoubian Building — a bold look at modern-day Egyptian society — as the the nearly three-hour drama was screened this afternoon.
But later this evening, the festival will be showing several intriguing titles:
At 7pm, Jasmila Zbanic's Grbavica, a Bosnian War drama about a young woman who discovers the truth about her father's role in the war (and in her mother's life). The film won the Golden Bear at this year's Berlin Film Festival and has been nominated for two European Film Awards (Best Film and Best Actress – Mirjana Karanovic).
At 9:30pm, Wristcutters: A Love Story, Goran Dukic's quirky comedy about a man (Patrick Fugit) who, after killing himself, tries to find his beloved ex-girlfriend (Leslie Bibb) — another suicide — in the afterlife. Dukic won the Best Director Award at this year's Seattle International Film Festival.
Also at 9:30pm, Chris Kraus' Vier Minuten / Four Minutes, the story of an elderly piano teacher (Monica Bleibtreu) who tries to reform a murderess (Hannah Herzsprung) by developing the young woman's musical talents. Vier Minuten won the Golden Goblet for Best Film at this year's Shanghai International Film Festival.
At 9:45pm, Amie Williams' documentary No Sweat, a look behind the scenes of the garment industry in Los Angeles.
Unfortunately did not get to see very many of the movies. I will look to see more of them.