The 34th FilmFestival Cottbus offers exceptional cinema from Central and Eastern Europe in three exciting competitions from November 5-10.

In the feature film competition, twelve titles from 19 (co-)production countries will compete for the prestigious Lubina prizes, including the main prize for the best film (EUR 15,000, donated by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg), the special prize for the best director (EUR 7,500, donated by Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg rbb) and the prize for an outstanding individual acting performance (EUR 5,000, donated by Sparkasse Spree-Neiße).


   

This year's competition once again showcases the stylistic and thematic breadth of Central and Eastern European cinema. Stories and experiences that reflect the challenges of life between family and society - between hope and grief, nature conservation and “turning point”, historical film and science fiction. Bittersweet screen adventures, realistic and touching, that leave nobody unmoved.

DWELLING AMONG THE GODS (RS/HR/IT 2024) by Vuk Ršumović is a modern-day Antigone drama about an Afghan family in Belgrade. The protagonist Fereshteh is faced with an almost impossible decision: should she continue her journey to the West, to a supposedly better future, or stay and give her brother, who died on the run, a proper burial? Magical suburban realism: in RIVIERA (GR/FR 2024), Orfeas Peretzis' debut, 17-year-old Alkistis faces a summer between loss and a new beginning. In UNDER THE VOLCANO (PL 2024) by Damian Kocur, a family from Kyiv struggles with the news of a war of aggression against their homeland during an involuntary vacation in Tenerife. The sci-film U ARE THE UNIVERSE (UA/BE 2024) by Pavlo Ostrikov tells of a destroyed Earth, togetherness in space and the last hope for a human encounter.



U R THE UNIVERSE

In BIKECHESS (Assel Aushakimova, KAZ/FR/NO 2024), a female journalist is confronted with the limits of freedom of expression and attacks on women's rights in an authoritarian state. In the gripping thriller DEAL AT THE BORDER (Dastan Zhapar Ryskeldi, KG 2024), two smugglers in the mountains of Central Asia help a young woman to escape slavery, putting her own life in danger. GOOD CHILDREN (Filip Peruzović, HR 2024 2024) portrays the difficult emotional journey of a brother and sister who, after the death of their mother, have to break up the family home and come to terms with their past and their estranged relationship. In OUR LOVELY PIG SLAUGHTER (CZ/SK 2024) by Adam Martinec, a rural family tradition becomes the starting point for a sensitive, ironic portrait of morality reminiscent of the films of the Czechoslovakian New Wave.

SOUTHERN CHRONICLES (Ignas Miškinis, LT/EE 2024) is a touching coming-of-age story about two young people from different social classes in the Lithuanian province of the 1990s who fall in love despite all their social differences. The world premiere THE TOWER OF STRENGTH (Nikola Vukčević, ME/RS/HR/DE 2024) is set during the Second World War. A Muslim-Albanian family hides a Christian child and becomes the target of an Albanian SS division - a gripping historical film about courage and humanity. In THE TRAP (Nadejda Koseva, BG/DE 2023), the fierce Yovo fights agains

20th Anniversary screening of Gavin O’Connor’s Miracle opens the film festival

Film festival award winners on the inaugural schedule include

Silje Evensmo Jacobsen’s A New Kind of Wilderness Zoë Eisenberg’s Chaperone, Alison Tavel’s Resynator, and Alonso Ruizpalacios’ La Cocina

The inaugural Boise Film Festival will make its debut October 10-13 with a 20th Anniversary screening of Gavin O’Connor’s tale of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team’s Gold Medal journey, Miracle. The new film festival will present a highly curated list of 27 films (16 features, 11 shorts), along with master classes on producing and screenwriting as it brings filmmakers and film and television industry veterans (including prolific producer Mark Ciadi, and CSI’s Anthony Zuiker) to the city to celebrate independent film via a four-day event packed with programming and special events.

The film festival’s epicenter and all screenings will be held at Boise’s Egyptian Theater Screenings (700 West Main Street) and The Flicks (646 West Fulton Street).

Created to be a film festival focused on discovery, looking to find, highlight, and celebrate new cinematic voices and faces, to promote the next generation of film makers and artists. BFF will also include a special focus on films created and shot in the Pacific Northwest.

BFF Founders and Executive Directors, Christine, and Mark Holder, said, “We are thrilled with the inaugural line up of films and special events our team has lined up for this first edition of the Boise Film Festival. From the beginning, we have said we hope to be matchmakers here in our adopted city between film lovers and the type of films and filmmakers that we have championed in our careers as producers and filmmakers. Following what should be a fun night of hockey on film with our 20th anniversary presentation of Miracle, will be a carefully curated and diverse group of films spanning several genres, as well as highly anticipated film industry panels, Q&As, and master classes, bringing a lot of top talent right here to Boise.”

Programmed by veterans Ash Hoyle (Sundance Film Festival, Outfest LA, NewFest NY, Damn These Heels, Sun Valley Film Festival, Overlook Film Festival, and AFI Fest), and Caroline Bloom (Atlanta Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival, and No Budget Film Festival), the depth of Boise Film Festival’s lineup has the look of a film festival several years into its run versus a year one debut.

Regarding the inaugural lineup for BFF, Ash, said, "We're excited to bring these films to Boise and to give our audiences a chance to experience some of the most exciting work out there on the circuit this year. We're proud to present films from Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, Cannes, and from the local filmmaking community. We think we're off to a strong start." Bloom added, “The inaugural Boise Film Festival features an exciting mix of inspiring documentaries, quirky comedies, acclaimed dramas, spotlights on women in media, journeys of social change, and new takes on the thriller and sci fi genre. We’re equally thrilled about the short film program, which features a dynamic range of stories that celebrate the diversity and creativity of human connection. There truly is something for every type of moviegoer to enjoy.

Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (Ariane Louis-Seize, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars A film titled Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person with a runtime of a little over 90 minutes offers a lot of condensed narrative promise. French director Ariane Louis-Seize (making her feature debut) tackles sensitive topics like depression and suicide while […]

We Were the Lucky Ones tells the story of the Kurc family during the second world war. Until it began they lived in the Polish city of Radom, but following Hitler’s invasion some went into hiding, some were taken to concentration camps and others flew to distant corners of the world. The score is jointly credited to Rachel Portman and Jon Ehrlich with no indication of the division of labour – but there is no doubting who was responsible for the main theme, which is nothing short of magnificent.

Few can write a tune like Portman and this one is a seemingly effortless mixture of effervescence and tragedy – such a difficult mixture to pull off, I imagine its creation was in fact anything but effortless. It is genuinely exceptional, and yes it sounds like various creations from the past works of the composer but that’s the hallmark of a truly distinct and individual voice. The score’s highlights are generally when it appears but elsewhere there are scondary themes, typically for solo piano, and typically very touching and with Portman’s trademark deft touch. Inevitably there are darker moments too which provide the album with a nice balance which help to sustain its long run time. Highly recommended.

Even though Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem was necessarily dumbed down somewhat for its tv adaptation (as wonderful as it is, it does occasionally read more like a physics textbook) it was still made in a way that could have supported a great score. The direct allegory of the novel to Chinese social issues is lost in translation to the screen as the setting of the modern-day segments are shifted to allow more western characters, but there’s still stuff going on under the surface of the story that would have allowed a smart and deep score which could have combined these personal moments with the broad science fiction scope of the underlying narrative.

Unfortunately it didn’t get that. Instead Ramin Djawadi’s score is entirely surface-level, missing all the opportunities the project provided to him (whether this is his fault or the showrunners’, of course I have no idea). The main title piece is the highlight, a jittery and (by design) disorientating little piece with rhythmic cells being constructed then deconstructed over its brief run time. Sadly the rest of the score is just standard modern thriller material, an array of electronically-realised industrial sounds generally drowning out the orchestra with nary a tune in sight. Avoiding any attempt to create any emotional bonds between the characters (or between them and the audience) it’s just musical wallpaper, even the big sci-fi moments reduced in scope by the music. It’s such a dull album, and within the show feels like a big missed opportunity.

Djawadi fares a little (but only a little) better in his other big show released at the same time, Fallout, based on the post-apocalyptic video game series. While it’s not The Last Of Us by any means, I found it to be a reasonably entertaining show. Again the opportunity was there for a distinctive score and again it wasn’t really taken – the big mecha-warrior types, the cowboy/ghoul, the plucky young heroine, the mystery of the creation and leadership of the underground community – easy to see how these elements could have been given their own sounds with some overarching material linking everything together.

Instead it is mostly standard modern thriller material again, a bit grittier and more electronic than 3 Body Problem, but importantly with more of a sense of momen

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Rick Prickett, Competition Director

858-779-9544

BestShorts.net

Info@BestShorts.net

La Jolla, CA, April 2024 – The Best Shorts Competition is proud to announce the latest winners. The Best Shorts Competition puts filmmakers first and provides a direct opportunity for recognition and publicity for high quality productions. It is international in scope and has granted awards to producers in Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, China, Columbia, Cuba, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, Martinique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Mauritius, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States.

Paul Hendy (United Kingdom), The Choice, Film Short – Paul Hendy’s astute direction brings depth to “The Choice,” a haunting psychological drama about a famous TV personality whose life unravels when confronted by a mysterious visitor. Rita Simons (EastEnders, The Krays) delivers a powerful performance, while BAFTA-nominee Alex Macqueen’s portrayal of pure evil adds chilling depth. The film keeps audiences guessing until the end, making it a compelling and relevant story that explores themes of favoritism, identity, and the consequences of our choices. BAFTA-winner Whitnall’s compelling script, coupled with Hendy’s nuanced direction, creates a captivating narrative that lingers long after the credits roll.

Marko Bosanac (Serbia), New Idea, Animation – A whimsical animated short that dives into the inner workings of creativity. Pensilio, Loopito, and Lensio, embodying creativity, research, and production, embark on a quest for a new idea. Their journey is fraught with obstacles mirroring the creative process – from distractions to self-doubt. The twist comes as the adventure unfolds within a teenage girl’s mind, adding layers to the narrative. With utterly charming characters, brilliant animation and universal themes, “New Idea” is a delightful exploration of creativity’s complexities, leaving audiences inspired and uplifted.

Jaclyn Lehrer (USA), Johnny Johnny, Film Short – A darkly comedic short follows a homeless comedian seeking revenge on those he deems unfunny. It delves into friendship and resilience in a society overlooking those in need. Lehrer’s deft direction blends humor with shocking twists, challenging stereotypes. Engaging performances by Sencere Tucker and Alexandria Sanders add dep

SIFF announces lineup, tributes & premieres slated for the

50th Seattle International Film Festival, returning May 9-19

261 films with 18 World, 26 North American, and 14 U.S. Premieres make up the lineup for the Festival’s 50th anniversary, screening at venues across Seattle, including SIFF’s newly opened

SIFF Cinema Downtown

SEATTLE – SIFF announced today the lineup of films included in the 50th Seattle International Film Festival, to be held May 9–19 at venues across Seattle and followed by a week of select virtual screenings on the SIFF Channel May 20–27. The Festival will screen 261 films representing 84 countries/regions, including 92 features, 47 documentaries, five archival features, two special tributes, two secret screenings, and 115 short films.

In addition to the full lineup, SIFF announced today that Seattle native and Emmy®, Golden Globe®, SAG Award®, and Critics Choice Award-winning actress Jean Smart will be awarded The Hollywood Reporter’s Trailblazer Award for her contributions to storytelling on film, television, and the stage. The event will feature a screening of an episode from the new season of the Max Original comedy series Hacks, followed by the Trailblazer trophy presentation and a conversation between Smart and THR Contributing Editor Stacey Wilson Hunt. 

The Festival will open with Josh Margolin’s action comedy Thelma from Magnolia Pictures, which will screen at The Paramount Theatre during the Festival's Opening Night on May 9. The film will be followed by a Q&A with Writer & Director Josh Margolin, lead actress June Squibb, and producers Zoë Worth and Chris Kaye. Following the Q&A, there will be an after-party onstage and outside on Ninth Ave.

SIFF will honor June Squibb with the 2024 Golden Space Needle Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cinema for the unforgettable work she’s presented throughout the span of her career. The Oscar-nominated actress and lead of the Festival’s Opening Night film,

Thelma, will be presented the award at a special Tribute Event on May 11 at SIFF Cinema Downtown with a conversation moderated by Variety’s Jenelle Riley. Prior to the event, there will be an Honoree Brunch with Squibb at Palace Kitchen.

Closing the Festival is Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing from A24, which will screen on May 18 at SIFF Cinema Downtown. Director and co-writer Greg Kwedar will be in attendance and participate in a Q&A after the screening along with members of the film’s ensemble cast, who will receive a Golden Space Needle Award for excellence in Ensemble Acting. A Closing Night party will follow at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI).

Additional highlights showing throughout the Festival include Focus Features’ Sundance award-winner Dìdi (

弟弟), a directorial debut from Oscar® nominee Sean Wang (SIFF 2023 Grand Jury winner for Live Action short); Neon’s Babes written by and starring Ilana Glazer and directed by debut helmer Pamela Adlon; IFC’s stirring and emotional Ghostlight which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival; Harmony Korine’s latest boundary-pushing work AGGRO DR1FT; a new 4K restoration of Wim Wenders’ iconic Wings of Desire, in celebration of the 70th anniversary of German Films; and an exciting new slate of cINeDIGENOUS films, including the world premiere of Molokaʻi Bound, directed by Alika Tengan (Kanaka Maoli).

A variety of film and event passes are on sale now. Ticke

Hello Alex! Welcome to SIFF.

Originally this was a whole other movie where there was no romance or love interest. It was made without any real goal at the end other than making it. We all have experiences outside of our daily routine we can classify as extrasensory – be they dreams, premonitions, communication with loved ones who have passed on, near death experiences. These are all very normal and accepted experiences now, but before these were seen by the scientific establishment as craziness. In order to know thy self, one often has to go past the known and accepted and into the unknown. My initial thought with this film was as an exploration of that unknown through the Sam character leading him to find a guru in Arizona and finding out what his connection to those deities was, which we were doing while filming the movie. It still retains a bit of that hero’s journey flare, let’s get it done, and cross that bridge when we get to it feeling. Never did I think it would become what it became or be accepted by festivals, or accepted for distribution.

This movie is this movie because I asked Ewa to help me with the film, and our personal experiences fed into what we had shot already naturally, well that and the original idea included a guru in Sedona, who we later found out wanted to use the project as a springboard for his own aggrandizement, and to expand his donations and power base. As Charlie Chaplin once said “You need Power, only when you want to do something Harmful, Otherwise Love is Enough to get everything done”, so I killed that project and that film and we made this one which I really love as it has parts of both of us. I hadn’t touched anything in the cinema for 6 years and I felt comfortable with Ewa helping me as we have a unique connection. As we worked, I could see our quantum entanglement at play as she never worked on a film before but I noticed it was a very different experience like a telepathic communion where she automatically knew what to do and how to do it. We didn’t really speak as we worked, it sometimes caught people by surprise that we never made a film together before. This is where we noticed our story was more interesting than the original one.  I also roped in Alex Lora Cercos, whom I have known for about 11 years, and we have worked on a few projects together similar to this one (no budget ? Al was finishing up his first international feature “Unicorns”, which premiered in theaters internationally mid 2023 and his recent short “The Masterpiece” which won the Grand Jury Award at Sundance 2024, so he wasn’t able to jump on a plane with me to Arizona, but he was super helpful with equipment recommendations, a few caveats given my run and gun style, and genuinely being a godfather for the project. We joke that we give each other associate producer credit and special thanks on all of our projects. He really is a one of a kind in this industry. 

I  wouldn’t call them creative challenges, I would call them creative opportunities – as I didn’t have any one in my network available to help me with post production it became a matter of teaching an old dog new

For the last two decades, Shorts TV has been at the forefront of screening the best of shorts to audiences across the globe. Their online library includes over 13,000 international titles from all genres, including animation, comedy, horror, drama, documentary and thriller. They have showcased Oscar-nominated projects for over 15 years. Here’s our selection of must-watch films from Shorts TV, some of which have also screened at Aesthetica Short Film Festival.

Lightning | Christina Isoli, 2018

A feel-good romance story about a quirky musician named Sean, who moves to London and crosses paths with Summer at a traffic light. Summer, a deaf girl who works in a café, is dreaming of becoming a pilot. Later on, she discovers that Sean has a secret as their friendship evolves.

Dela | Bernard Attal, 2018

Bernard Attal’s short centres around Dela, a young girl who lives with her father on the magical island of Itaparica in Brazil’s Bay of All Saints. She does not understand why all the other kids at school keep on making fun of her name and her hair, but she is on a journey to sort it out. Dela screened at Aesthetica 2020.

Steve | Rupert Friend, 2010

British actor Rupert Friend’s short, Steve is an award-winning drama starring Colin Firth and Keira Knightley We witness a couple’s strained relationship getting interrupted by their neighbour. Soon we find out that his amiable demeanor hides his true intentions.

Bear Story | Gabriel Osorio Vargas, 2014

A humble fable for all generations, Gabriel Osorio Vargas’ Bear Story is an Academy Award-winning animation, inspired by the director’s own grandfather. The short centres around a lonesome bear who tells about his life with the help of a mechanical diorama. It is the first Chilean animation to be nominated for or win an Oscar.

Colonies Under The Sea | Armel Ruy, 2019

Colonies Under The Sea is a visually stunning and fascinating documentary. A group of divers explores shipwrecks in the heart of the Bahamas archipelago. They are on a mission to discover unknown species. The film reveals how forgotten shipwrecks have been colonised by sea creatures, transforming debris into an oasis teeming with life.

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