1497, the nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting South Asian filmmakers, has enlisted Mira Nair, Geeta Malik (India Sweets and Spices)and Minhal Baig (Hala) as mentors for its third Features Lab. Baig is returning after having also served as a mentor for last year’s lab, held virtually and in-person in New York.
The 2023 edition will move cross-country to Malibu for the first time, taking place Oct. 18 through 23, wherein a newly structured format each of the three Lab participants will be given a dedicated pod of experts — a filmmaker, a producer, a representative and a Lab alum — to help them with script development and career guidance. In addition, they will receive (along with seven other finalists) the latest version of software from Final Draft, which is returning as Lab sponsor.
1497 has assembled a team of industry figures descended from all eight officially recognized South Asian countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, The Maldives,...
The 2023 edition will move cross-country to Malibu for the first time, taking place Oct. 18 through 23, wherein a newly structured format each of the three Lab participants will be given a dedicated pod of experts — a filmmaker, a producer, a representative and a Lab alum — to help them with script development and career guidance. In addition, they will receive (along with seven other finalists) the latest version of software from Final Draft, which is returning as Lab sponsor.
1497 has assembled a team of industry figures descended from all eight officially recognized South Asian countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, The Maldives,...
- 4/12/2023
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Germany based New Docs, an international sales agency specializing in documentaries, has boarded sales on documentary “Long Distance Swimmer: Sara Mardini,” written and directed by Charly Wai Feldman (HBO’s “The Talwars”).
Sara Mardini fled Syria in 2015 with her younger sister Yusra, and when the motor of the boat they escaped on failed on the sea crossing to Greece, the sisters used their skills as competitive swimmers to bring the boat to safety. Their journey made headlines around the world, and is dramatized in Netflix film “The Swimmers,” which opened Toronto earlier this year.
The documentary begins when the fictionalized drama ends. Sara spent three years volunteering to save refugees on the same journey that made her so famous, and was suddenly arrested in Aug. 2018, accused by Greek authorities of running a criminal enterprise with charges including “international espionage and people smuggling.” If convicted, she faces up to 25 years in...
Sara Mardini fled Syria in 2015 with her younger sister Yusra, and when the motor of the boat they escaped on failed on the sea crossing to Greece, the sisters used their skills as competitive swimmers to bring the boat to safety. Their journey made headlines around the world, and is dramatized in Netflix film “The Swimmers,” which opened Toronto earlier this year.
The documentary begins when the fictionalized drama ends. Sara spent three years volunteering to save refugees on the same journey that made her so famous, and was suddenly arrested in Aug. 2018, accused by Greek authorities of running a criminal enterprise with charges including “international espionage and people smuggling.” If convicted, she faces up to 25 years in...
- 11/24/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
German cinema has a problem with diversity. In a recent survey of more than 5,000 workers in the German movie business, more than two thirds complained that characters considered outside the German mainstream — including Black, Arabic and Muslim people, as well LGBTQ+ characters and those from low socio-economic backgrounds — were mainly depicted as stereotypes on screen. A shocking 51 percent of those surveyed reported having experienced discrimination at the workplace in the past two years.
On the gender discrimination front, Germany also has a long way to go. A study by Pro Quote, an association that promotes equality and diversity in the film industry, found men still account for 72 percent of working directors and 85 percent of cinematographers.
But set against those depressing statistics are the individual stories of a new generation of filmmakers — actors, directors, producers and crew — whose diverse backgrounds more accurately reflect the true nature of German society.
German cinema has a problem with diversity. In a recent survey of more than 5,000 workers in the German movie business, more than two thirds complained that characters considered outside the German mainstream — including Black, Arabic and Muslim people, as well LGBTQ+ characters and those from low socio-economic backgrounds — were mainly depicted as stereotypes on screen. A shocking 51 percent of those surveyed reported having experienced discrimination at the workplace in the past two years.
On the gender discrimination front, Germany also has a long way to go. A study by Pro Quote, an association that promotes equality and diversity in the film industry, found men still account for 72 percent of working directors and 85 percent of cinematographers.
But set against those depressing statistics are the individual stories of a new generation of filmmakers — actors, directors, producers and crew — whose diverse backgrounds more accurately reflect the true nature of German society.
- 7/29/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Face to Face with German Films actor, producer, co-writer of Eline Gehring’s Nico, Sara Fazilat stated “I love the films of Andrea Arnold, Ken Loach, Susanne Bier and Asghar Farhadi.”
The seven filmmakers selected for the 7th annual Face to Face with German Films campaign are Jerry Hoffmann; Sarah Noa Bozenhardt (writer-director; Among Us Women); Matthias Luthardt (writer-director; Pingpong); Zamarin Wahdat [cinematographer and director; visual designer on Carol Dysinger’s Oscar-winning Learning To Skateboard In A Warzone (If You’re A Girl)]; Sara Fazilat; Julia Kovalenko (film editor; Nora Fingscheidt’s System Crasher), and Anne Zander (actor; Barbara Ott’s For Jojo).
I asked them, as I did with Unifrance’s 10 Talents To Watch in 2022, which film or films they saw in 2021 they particularly enjoyed and why. Joachim Trier’s multiple Oscar-nominated The Worst Person In The World and the Oscar-nominated The Hand Of God, directed by Paolo Sorrentino, and last year’s Oscar winner...
The seven filmmakers selected for the 7th annual Face to Face with German Films campaign are Jerry Hoffmann; Sarah Noa Bozenhardt (writer-director; Among Us Women); Matthias Luthardt (writer-director; Pingpong); Zamarin Wahdat [cinematographer and director; visual designer on Carol Dysinger’s Oscar-winning Learning To Skateboard In A Warzone (If You’re A Girl)]; Sara Fazilat; Julia Kovalenko (film editor; Nora Fingscheidt’s System Crasher), and Anne Zander (actor; Barbara Ott’s For Jojo).
I asked them, as I did with Unifrance’s 10 Talents To Watch in 2022, which film or films they saw in 2021 they particularly enjoyed and why. Joachim Trier’s multiple Oscar-nominated The Worst Person In The World and the Oscar-nominated The Hand Of God, directed by Paolo Sorrentino, and last year’s Oscar winner...
- 2/14/2022
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
German Films, an agency that promotes German cinema worldwide, has announced the talent who will feature in its 7th annual Face to Face With German Films campaign. The high-profile platform sets out to bring international visibility to the wealth of ground-breaking talent working in film and TV in Germany, and shaping the future of the industry.
This year’s selected talent are documentary writer-director Sarah Noa Bozenhardt (“Among Us Women”), actor-producer-writer Sara Fazilat (“Nico”), actor-director Jerry Hoffmann (“Shahada”), film editor Julia Kovalenko (“System Crasher”), writer-director Matthias Luthardt (“Pingpong”), cinematographer and director Zamarin Wahdat (“Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)”) and actor Anne Zander (“For Jojo”).
After spotlighting well-known actors, writers and directors such as Saskia Rosendahl (“Lore”), Alexander Fehling, Burhan Qurbani (“Berlin Alexanderplatz”) and Jonas Nay in its first five years, last year’s Face to Face With German Films – The Filmmakers campaign broadened its...
This year’s selected talent are documentary writer-director Sarah Noa Bozenhardt (“Among Us Women”), actor-producer-writer Sara Fazilat (“Nico”), actor-director Jerry Hoffmann (“Shahada”), film editor Julia Kovalenko (“System Crasher”), writer-director Matthias Luthardt (“Pingpong”), cinematographer and director Zamarin Wahdat (“Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)”) and actor Anne Zander (“For Jojo”).
After spotlighting well-known actors, writers and directors such as Saskia Rosendahl (“Lore”), Alexander Fehling, Burhan Qurbani (“Berlin Alexanderplatz”) and Jonas Nay in its first five years, last year’s Face to Face With German Films – The Filmmakers campaign broadened its...
- 1/18/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The mostly virtual 2021 Sundance Film Festival is coming to a close. The festival announced awards winners Tuesday night, trading an in-person ceremony for one broadcast live and hosted by Patton Oswalt. The biggest winner was Sian Heder’s coming of age drama “Coda,” which earned four U.S. Dramatic Competition awards, including the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. Other Big winners were “Summer of Soul,” which took home the two top U.S. Documentary awards.
Blerta Basholli’s “Hive” won three awards in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition: the Directing and Audience awards and the Grand Jury Prize. Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh’s “Writing with Fire” earned two World Cinema Documentary awards.
A total of 72 features screened over the last week, along with 50 shorts, four Indie Series, and 14 New Frontier VR/new media projects. Those projects were judged by a jury made up of Zeynep Atakan, Raúl Castillo,...
Blerta Basholli’s “Hive” won three awards in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition: the Directing and Audience awards and the Grand Jury Prize. Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh’s “Writing with Fire” earned two World Cinema Documentary awards.
A total of 72 features screened over the last week, along with 50 shorts, four Indie Series, and 14 New Frontier VR/new media projects. Those projects were judged by a jury made up of Zeynep Atakan, Raúl Castillo,...
- 2/3/2021
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
The narrative feature “Coda” and the documentary “Summer of Soul” swept the top categories at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Grand Jury Prizes and also taking the audience awards in the U.S. dramatic and documentary competitions.
“Coda,” director Sian Heder’s coming-of-age story in which Emilia Jones plays the only hearing member of a deaf family, also won an award for its ensemble, many of them deaf actors who performed in ASL. Its wins come three days after the film set a record for the largest sale in Sundance history, a $25 million deal with Apple.
“Summer of Soul,” which like “Coda” screened on the festival’s opening night, is a documentary by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson built around long-unseen concert footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a six-weekend event that first-time director Questlove uses as a launching pad to explore race relations and Black culture in that tumultuous time.
“Coda,” director Sian Heder’s coming-of-age story in which Emilia Jones plays the only hearing member of a deaf family, also won an award for its ensemble, many of them deaf actors who performed in ASL. Its wins come three days after the film set a record for the largest sale in Sundance history, a $25 million deal with Apple.
“Summer of Soul,” which like “Coda” screened on the festival’s opening night, is a documentary by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson built around long-unseen concert footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a six-weekend event that first-time director Questlove uses as a launching pad to explore race relations and Black culture in that tumultuous time.
- 2/3/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The 2021 Sundance Film Festival awards went off at a very fast clip tonight, in an hour’s time. Host Patton Oswalt — or as he billed himself, “Discount Giamatti” — kept the jokes flowing.
Siân Heder’s Coda, which we first told you was swooped up by Apple with a rich $25 million bid, came up big. It won both the U.S. Grand Jury Prize, U.S. Dramatic Audience Award and a Special Jury Ensemble Cast award too. Heder also won Best Director in the U.S. Dramatic section. The movie follows a girl named Ruby. As the only hearing person in an otherwise deaf family, she is divided about staying with them as their fishing business is threatened.
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s Summer of Soul took the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for Documentary.
Blerta Basholli’s Hive, about a woman in Kosovo who fights against a patriarchal society and whose husband is missing,...
Siân Heder’s Coda, which we first told you was swooped up by Apple with a rich $25 million bid, came up big. It won both the U.S. Grand Jury Prize, U.S. Dramatic Audience Award and a Special Jury Ensemble Cast award too. Heder also won Best Director in the U.S. Dramatic section. The movie follows a girl named Ruby. As the only hearing person in an otherwise deaf family, she is divided about staying with them as their fishing business is threatened.
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s Summer of Soul took the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for Documentary.
Blerta Basholli’s Hive, about a woman in Kosovo who fights against a patriarchal society and whose husband is missing,...
- 2/3/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Every January, the Sundance Film Festival debuts many of the independent films that will dominate the cinematic conversation for the rest of the year. While this year’s virtual festival may be diminished in numbers, it is no less robust a showcase for the next generation of vanguard filmmakers.
While a lauded feature film debut can launch a career, showing a short film at Sundance is often a place for up and coming filmmakers to get a foot in the door. Taika Waititi, Dee Rees, the Duplass Brothers, and Andrea Arnold all showed shorts at Sundance before making their feature debuts. This year’s slate may herald the arrival of the next great cinematic voice.
Due to the smaller festival, this year’s shorts slate comprises 50 films, down from the festival’s typical 70 to 80. Contrary to popular belief, Sundance does not require premieres for its shorts, a fact Senior Shorts...
While a lauded feature film debut can launch a career, showing a short film at Sundance is often a place for up and coming filmmakers to get a foot in the door. Taika Waititi, Dee Rees, the Duplass Brothers, and Andrea Arnold all showed shorts at Sundance before making their feature debuts. This year’s slate may herald the arrival of the next great cinematic voice.
Due to the smaller festival, this year’s shorts slate comprises 50 films, down from the festival’s typical 70 to 80. Contrary to popular belief, Sundance does not require premieres for its shorts, a fact Senior Shorts...
- 1/27/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
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