U.S. Critics’ Awards 2007

Josh Brolin in No Country for Old Men

Much has been said about the absence of a front-runner for this year’s Academy Awards. Be that as it may, one film is clearly the favorite among the myriad film critics’ groups in the United States.
Directed and written by Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men has been chosen the top film of 2007 by nearly all critics’ societies, associations, and circles in the US and by the Toronto critics.
What often crosses my mind whenever I look at those award lists is their lack of variety. (That could be the result of the way votes are tabulated; if so, perhaps the rules should be changed.) Generally speaking, the [...]

Berlin 2006 Winners

There weren’t many surprises at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival awards. One of this year’s favorites, Jasmila Zbanic’s Grbavica, the story of a 12-year-old girl (Luna Mijovic, above, hugging Mirjana Karanovic) who discovers that she is the end result of a Bosnian war crime — namely, rape — was awarded the Golden Bear for best film.
Also on the political side, Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross took home the Silver Bear for best director for The Road to Guantanamo, which follows three British Muslims held at the notorious U.S. prison (located on the island of Cuba) where suspected terrorists — without having been formally charged and without access to legal representation — have been systematically tortured and abused.
The acting [...]

Berlin Film Festival Awards 2006

2006 Berlin Film Festival Awards
2006 Berlin Film Festival: February 9–19, 2006
2006 Berlin Film Festival Winners
Photos: © Berlinale 2006
 

Golden Bear : GRBAVICA, by Jasmila Zbanic
Silver Bear – The Jury Grand Prix 2006 (ex-aequo): EN SOAP / A SOAP, by Pernille Fischer Christensen, and OFFSIDE, by Jafar Panahi

Silver Bear – Best Director : Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross, THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO

Silver Bear – Best Actor : Moritz Bleibtreu in ELEMENTARTEILCHEN / THE ELEMENTARY PARTICLES, by Oskar Roehler

Silver Bear – Best Actress : Sandra Hüller in REQUIEM, by Hans-Christian Schmid
Silver Bear – Artistic Contribution : Jürgen Vogel as actor, co-writer and co-producer of the film DER FREIE WILLE / THE FREE WILL, by Matthias Glasner
Silver Bear – Best Film Music [...]

Berlin 2006: REQUIEM, GRBAVICA, THE YACOUBIAN BUILDING

Moritz Bleibtreu in The Elementary Particles (top); Sandra Hüller in Requiem (bottom)

More on the Berlin International Film Festival:
Four German films will be screened in the Official Competition.
They are: Oscar Roehler’s literary adaptation Elementarteilchen / The Elementary Particles; Hans-Christian Schmid’s exorcism drama Requiem; Matthias Glasner’s Der Freie Wille / The Free Will, the story of a convicted rapist who is freed after 12 years behind bars; and Valeska Grisebach’s Sehnsucht / Desire (right), a love story set in eastern Germany, and starring Andreas Müller and Ilka Welz.
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At European Films, Boyd van Hoeij gives his take on the films screened at Berlin 2006, including Jasmila žbanic’s post-Bosnian war drama Grbavica, the Icelandic gay soccer comedy Strákarnir Okkar / Eleven Men [...]

Sundance 2006: World Cinema Dramatic Lineup

Sundance 2006: World Cinema Dramatic Lineup
 

Fernanda Torres in House of Sand
 

13 TZAMETI / France (Director and Screenwriter: Géla Babluani) – Sebastien has decided to follow instructions intended for someone else. When he reaches his destination, he falls into a degenerate, clandestine world of mental chaos. North American Premiere.
ALLEGRO / Denmark (Director: Christoffer Boe; Screenwriters: Christoffer Boe, Mikael Wulff) – After a long absence, a famous amnesiac pianist returns to his native Copenhagen where he is contacted by a mysterious messenger who leads him back into his forgotten past. North American Premiere.
EL AURA / THE AURA / Argentina (Director and Screenwriter: Fabián Bielinsky) – Espinoza is an introverted taxidermist who secretly dreams of executing the perfect robbery. On his first-ever hunting [...]