 |
Table of Content
-------------------------------------------------
Babel
A powerful conclusion to the trilogy begun with Amores Perros, and 21 Grams, Babel is a modern version of the story of the Tower of Babel. Shot in four languages on three continents by a Mexican director with an international cast it reminds us of our inability to communicate between individuals, and culture. It also reminds us of the hidden tight connectivity between events, and people lives. Starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Adriana Barraza. FILM CREDITS: Director Alejandro González Iñarritu Producer Jon Kilik, Steve Golin, Alejandro González Iñarritu, Screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga Cinematographer Rodrigo Pietro Editor Stephen Mirrione Music Gustavo Santaolalla Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, Koji Yakusho, Adriana Barraza, Rinko Kikuchi, Boubker Ait el Caid, Said Tarchani FILM HISTORY/ PRIZES: 2006 Cannes Film Festival: Best Director DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY: Alejandro González Iñarritu was born in Mexico City and started his career as a radio DJ. His highly acclaimed first feature, Amores Perros (00), won numerous awards, including the Grand prix de la Semaine de la Critique at the Cannes Film Festival. His second feature, was 21 Grams (03). Babel (06) is his third feature and won several awards at the Cannes Film Festival including best director. ----------------------------- Bamako SHORT FILM SYNOPSIS: Director Abderrahmane Sissako Executive Producer Danny Glover, Joslyn Barnes Producer Denis Freyd, Abderrahmane Sissako Screenwriter Abderrahmane Sissako Cinematographer Jacques Besse Editor Nadia ben Rachid Music Dana Farzanehpour Cast: Aïssa Maïga, Tiécoura Traoré, Hélène Diarra, Habib Dembélé FILM HISTORY/ PRIZES: Cannes 2006, Section Officielle - Hors competition DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY: Abderrahmane Sissako was born in Kiffa, Mauritania and raised in Mali. After studying at the Russian State Institute of Cinematography in Moscow, he directed several short films including Octobre (93) and Sabriya (96), followed by the documentary Rostov-Luanda in 1997. His feature films include La Vie sur terre (98), and Waiting For Happiness (02), and Bamako (06). Back to top ------------------------
Good Night and Good Luck Director: George Clooney Exec. Producer: Steven Soderbergh, Grant Heslov, Jeff Skoll Producer: Grant Heslov Screenplay: George Clooney, Grant Heslov Cinematographer: Robert Elswit Editor: Stephen Mirrione Cast: David Strathairn, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr., Patricia Clarkson, George Clooney DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY: George Clooney An acclaimed television actor and blockbuster film actor, George Clooney made his directorial debut in 2002 with "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" (Miramax), for which he won the Special Achievement in Film award from the National Board of Review. He also works with Section Eight television division and has served as executive producer and directed five of the episodes of ?Unscripted,? a reality-based show that debuted on HBO in January. He also was an executive producer and cameraman for "K-Street," also for HBO. FILM HISTORY/ PRIZES: Six Oscar Nominations, 2005 LAFCA Awards, 2006 Independent Spirit Awards, 2005 European Film Awards, and many other Nominations and Awards. Back to top
Crónica
de una Fuga Based on true story: A “task group” working for the Argentine military government kidnaps Claudio Tamburrini, goalkeeper of a B-league soccer team, and takes him to a clandestine detention center known as Sere Mansion: After four months of imprisonment, and torture, Claudio and three other inmates forced open a window and jump out in the middle of a storm, completely naked. At that point their future begins. FILM CREDITS: Director: Israel Adrian Caetano Producers: Oscar Kramer, Hugo Sigman Screenwriter Israel Adrian Caetano, Esteban Student, Julian Loyola Cinematographer Julian Apezteguia Editor Alberto Ponce Music Ivan Wyzsogrod Cast: Rodrigo de la Serna, Nazareno Casero, Pablo Echarri, Lautaro Delgado DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY: Israel Adrián Caetano was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. At the age of sixteen, he moved to Argentina and began directing short films. In 1997, he co-directed his first feature, Pizza, Beer and Cigarettes, which became an enormous critical and commercial success in Argentina. His next two features, Bolivia (01) and A Red Bear (02), won numerous International awards. Chronicle of an Escape (Crónica de una Fuga) (06) is his most recent feature. FILM HISTORY/ PRIZES: Nominated, Golden Palm, 2006 Cannes film Festival Back to top -----------------------
An Inconvenient Truth FILM TITLE (Original): An Inconvenient TruthCOUNTRY OF ORIGIN: US YEAR OF COMPLETION: 2006 RUNNING TIME: 94mn FORMAT/COLOR/BW: 35mm/color LANGUAGE: English Spanish Subtitles SHORT FILM SYNOPSIS: Humanity is sitting on a time bomb. If the vast majority of the world’s scientists are right, we have just ten years to avert a major catastrophe that could send our entire planet’s climate system into a tail-spin of epic destruction beyond anything we have ever experienced. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore offers a passionate and inspirational look at the myths and misconceptions that surround global warming and inspire actions to prevent it. FILM CREDITS: Director: Davis Guggenheim Executive Producers: Jeff Skoll, Davis Guggenheim, Diane Weyermann, Ricky Strauss, Jeff Ivers Producers: Laurie David, Lawrence Bender, Scott Z. Burns Co-Producer: Lesley Chilcott Cinematography: Bob Richman, Davis Guggenheim Editor: Jay Cassidy, Dan Swietlik Music: Michael Brook Featuring: Al Gore DIRECTOR BIO: Davis Guggenheim Davis Guggenheim, Executive Producer on Training Day and Director of the feature film Gossip, received the 2002 Peabody Award and Grand Jury Prize at Full Frame Film Festival for The First Year, a PBS documentary about the challenging initial year of several public school teachers. Guggenheim is also producer and director of the Emmy Award winning HBO series “Deadwood” and has directed episodes of such critically acclaimed programs as NYPD Blue, ER, The Shield, Alias, and 24. Guggenheim’s other documentary films include Norton Simon: A Man and His Art, and JFK and the Imprisoned Child”. FILM HISTORY: Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Durban International Film Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Festival, Brisbane International Film Festival Back to top ----------------------- The Last King of Scotland In 1971, in an incredible twist of fate, a Scottish doctor (James McAvoy) on a Ugandan medical mission becomes irreversibly entangled with one of the world's most barbaric figures: Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker) who was responsible by the end of his “reign” for the execution of over 300,000 of his own people. Loosely based on a book by Giles Foden. FILM CREDITS: Director: Kevin Macdonald Executive Producers: Tessa Ross, Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich Producer: Andrea Calderwood, Lisa Bryer, Charles Steel Screenplay: Peter Morgan, Jeremy Brock, based on the novel by Giles Foden Cinematographer: Anthony Dod Mantle Editor: Justine Wright Music: Alex Heffes Cast: Forest Whitaker, Gillian Anderson, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY: Kevin Macdonald was born in Glasgow and studied at Oxford University. He is a journalist, author, director, and producer. His documentary One Day In September (99) won an Academy Award for best documentary feature in 2000. His other films include Chaplin’s Goliath (96), A Brief History of Errol Morris (99), and Touching The Void (03). The Last King of Scotland is his most recent film. Back to top ---------------------
The
Lost City SHORT FILM SYNOPSIS: Director: Andy Garcia Executive Producers: Tom Gores?Johnny O. Lopez Producers: Frank Mancuso, Jr.?Andy Garcia Screenwriter: G. Cabrera Infante Cinematographer: Emmanuel Kadosh Editor: Christopher Cibelli Music: Andy Garcia Cast: Andy Garcia, Inés Sastre, Tomás Milian, Bill Murray, Dustin Hoffman, Steven Bauer, Elizabeth Peña DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY: Andy Garcia is a renowned actor, producer, composer and director. His performance in Godfather III was nominated for an Oscar, and he recently appeared in Ocean’s Twelve. Garcia has won Grammies for his collaborations with legendary musician Israel “Cachao” Lopez. He marked his directorial debut with the documentary Cahao … Como Su Ritmo No Hay Dos. He is the producer, composer, and first time director of The Lost City. Back to top -------------------------
Mad Hot Ballroom FILM TITLE (Original): Mad Hot BallroomCOUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA YEAR OF COMPLETION: 2005 RUNNING TIME: 105mn FORMAT/COLOR/BW: 35mm /color LANGUAGE: English Spanish Subtitles SHORT FILM SYNOPSIS: MAD HOT BALLROOM is an inspiring look inside the lives of eleven-year-old New York City public school kids from Washington Heights, who journey into the world of ballroom dancing and reveal pieces of themselves along the way. Told from their candid, sometimes hilarious perspectives, they are transformed from typical urban kids to “ladies and gentlemen,” as they strive toward the final citywide competition. FILM CREDITS: Director Marilyn Agrelo Producer Amy Sewell, Marilyn Agrelo Base on the article by Amy Sewell Cinematographer Claudia Raschke-Robinson Editor Sabine Krayenbuhl Music Steven Lutvak and Joseph Baker FILM HISTORY/ PRIZES: Audience Award for Best Documentary at Sydney Int’l Film Festival, Special Jury mention Competition at Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Best International Film at Encouters South African Documentary Festival. DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY: Marilyn Agrelo has over 15 years of experience producing independent films (most recent, Smash The Kitty, 03), and numerous commercial and fundraising films. She is continuing work on the documentary Us & Them, a chronicle of her divided family, shot in both the US and Cuba. Other documentary works include The Orbis Story, a short about an international humanitarian project. Mad Hot Ballroom is her directorial feature debut. Back to top --------------------------- Maquilapolis Carmen and Lourdes work in Tijuana’s maquiladoras, the foreign-owned factories which came to Mexico for its cheap labor. Every day, these workers confront labor violations, environmental devastation and urban chaos. In MAQUILAPOLIS, they reach beyond the daily struggle for survival to organize for change. They also use video cameras to document how globalization has transformed their city and to share their hopes for the future. FILM CREDITS: Director Vicky Funari, Sergio De La Torre Executive Producer Vivian Kleiman Producer Vicky Funari, Sergio De La Torre Co-Producers Darcy McKinnon, Annelise Wunderlich Screenwriter Cinematographer Daniel Gorrell, Sophia Constantinou Editor Vicky Funari Music Pauline Oliveros, Nortec Collective, John Blue Cast: Carmen Durán, Lourdes Luján In collaboration with the women of Grupo Factor X, the Chipancingo Collective for Environmental Justice and Women’s Rights Advocates FILM HISTORY/ PRIZES: World Premiere, International Film Festival Rotterdam, February 2006. Latin American Premiere, Guadalajara International Film Festival, Competition, March 2006. North American Premiere, Tribeca Film Festival, Documentary Competition, April-May 2006 DIRECTORS’ BIOGRAPHY: Vicky Funari, Producer/Director/Editor: Funari produced, directed and edited the acclaimed non-fiction feature film Paulina, which received a Grand Jury Prize at the 1998 San Francisco International Film Festival and Lifetime Television's Vision Award at the 1998 Hamptons Film Festival. Live Nude Girls Unite!, won a Golden Spire and the Audience Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival, and aired on Cinemax in 2001. Funari began her film career in 1985 by assistant directing the indie feature Working Girls, directed by Lizzie Borden. Sergio De La Torre, Producer/Director: Sergio De La Torre is a photographer, performance artist and installation artist. De La Torre grew up in the Tijuana/San Diego border area and migrated to San Francisco. His photographic, performance and installation works have focused on issues regarding diaspora/tourism and identity politics. In 1995, De La Torre co-founded the performance/installation group Los Tricksters. His works, among them Access Denied, Disappearing and Mexiclone, have appeared in many Performance Arts Festival around the world, and his film and video work has included photography for La Raza, directed by Alfonso Dávila, and assistant to the art director on Garden of Eden, directed by Maria Novaro. Back to top ------------------------- Pan's Labyrinth "Pan's Labyrinth" is the story of a young girl that travels with her mother and adoptive father to a rural area up North in Spain, 1944. After Franco´s victory. The girl lives in an imaginary world of her own creation and faces the real world with much chagrin. Post-war Fascist repression is at its height in rural Spain and the girl must come to terms with that through a fable of her own. FILM CREDITS: Director: Guillermo del Toro Executive Producer : Belen Atienza, Elena Manrique Producer: Guillermo del Toro, Bertha Navarro, Alfonso Cuarón, Frida Torresblanco, Álvaro Áugustin Screenplay: Guillermo del Toro Cinematographer: Guillermo Navarro Editor: Bernat Vilaplana Production Designer: Eugenio Caballero Sound: Miguel Polo Music: Javier Navarrete Cast: Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Doug Jones, Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Alex Angulo, Federico Luppi DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY: Guillermo del Toro was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and began making Super 8 films in his youth. In 1985, he started Necropia, a special-effects company, and he worked as a makeup supervisor for nearly a decade. In 1993, he completed his feature directorial debut, Cronos. Since then, he has produced several films and directed Mimic (97), The Devil's Backbone (01), Blade II (02) and Hellboy (04). Pan's Labyrinth (06) is his sixth feature film. ------------------------ Secuestro
Express -------------------------- Refugee
All Stars And the beat goes on! Refugees, victims of the brutal Sierra Leon war, form a band and perform reggae-tinged music in their safe-haven camp in Guinea. While their music inspires, their powerful personal stories quickly dispel the stereotype of refugees as helpless victims of war. A moving and elating experience. Winner of the Best Documentary Award at the A.F.I. Film Festival 2005. FILM CREDITS: Directors Zach Niles, Banker White Executive Producers Steve Bing, Shelley lazar Producers Zach Niles, Screenwriters Zach Niles, Banker White, Jim Bruce Cinematographers Christopher Jenkins, Andy Mitchell Editors Jim Bruce, Banker White Music The Refugee All Stars band, The Emperors Dance band, Chris Velan FILM HISTORY/ PRIZES: 2005 Documentary Award at AFI , Audience Award Miami International Film Festival DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY: Zach Niles is the associate producer for the eight-part television series Live at The Fillmore, which aired on the UPN Television Network in 2001. Zach has a personal and professional interest in the music and culture of Africa. Banker White is a multidisciplinary artist and accomplished musician in the Bay Area. He received his MFA from the California College of Arts and Crafts. In 1994-96, he helped start the Kokrobitey institute in Ghana. Back to top ------------------------ The Republic of Baseball: The Dominican Giants of the American Game -------------------------- Tsotsi A twenty something thug is prone to robbing, mugging and backstabbing fellow crooks. The day he carjacks and shoots a middle-class woman is a new low. The victim's baby is in the back seat. Is anybody beyond redemption? Winner of Audience Awards at both the Edinburgh and Toronto International Film Festivals. A nail-biting emotional Rollercoaster. FILM CREDITS: Director Gavin Hood Executive Producer Sam Bhembe Little, Doug Mankoff, Basil Ford, Joseph D’Morais, Alan Howden Producer Peter Fudakowski Screenwriter Gavin Hood ( based on novel by Athol Fugard) Cinematographer Lance Gewer Editor Megan Hill Music Mark Kilian, Paul Hepker Cast: Presley Chweneyagae, Terry Pheto, Kenneth Nkosi, Mothusi Magano, Zenzo Ngqobe, Nambitha Npumlwana FILM HISTORY/ PRIZES: Oscar, Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, 2005 AFI: Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award, Winner at Denver, Toronto Film Festivals among others. DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY: Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Gavin Hood studied at the University of the Witwatersrand and at the University of California, Los Angeles. He directed educational dramas for the South African Education of Health before directing his first short film, The Storekeeper, in 1998. His first feature film was A Reasonable Man, which he also co-produced, wrote and starred in. His other features are the Polish-language film In Desert, Wilderness and Tsotsi. Back to top --------------------------
Vete y Vive FILM TITLE (Original): Va Vis et DeviensCOUNTRY OF ORIGIN: France, Belgium, France, Italy YEAR OF COMPLETION: 2005 RUNNING TIME: 140mn FORMAT/COLOR/BW: 35mm, Color LANGUAGE: Amharic, Hebrew, French Spanish Subtitles SHORT FILM SYNOPSIS: Sudan, 1984 --- hundreds of thousands from 26 famine-struck countries find themselves in refugee camps in Sudan. Operation Moses, a vast project initiated by Israel and the United States, is undertaken to bring the Ethiopian Jews (Falashas) to Israel. A Christian mother pushes her 9-year-old son to declare himself Jewish, in order to survive … He grows up fearing that his secrets and lies will be discovered: he is neither Jewish nor orphan. FILM CREDITS: Director Radu Mihaileanu Producers Marie Masmonteil, Denis Carot, Radu Mihaileanu Screenwriter Radu Mihaileanu, Alain-Michel Blanc Music Armand Amar Cinematography Rémy Chevrin Editor Ludo Troch Cast: Yael Abecassis, Roschdy Zem, Moshe Agazai, Mosche Abebe, Sirak M. Sabahat DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY: Radu Mihaileanu was born in Bucharest and worked as an actor, playwright and theatre director before enrolling at L’Institut des Hautes Études Cinématographiques (IDHEC) in Paris. He worked as an assistant director in France, where he is now based, and made the short films Les Quatre Saisons (80), Un Vieux (81), Happy End (83), Naissance de Blimp (84) and Mensonge d?un clochard (89). As well as directing for television, he has made the feature films Betrayal (93) and Train of Life (98), which won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Venice International Film Festival. Va, vis et deviens (05) is his most recent film. FILM HISTORY/ PRIZES: Berlin Film Festival: 2006 Panorama Audience Award, 2006 Best César award for screenwriting. Copenhagen International Film Festival, Golden Swan Back to top ------------------------
El
Violin Set in a small Mexican village during the uprisings of the seventies, the film portrays the tensions between the peasants and military in the Guerrero region. A tender and poignant drama shot in stunning black and white, The Violin is a beautiful story about a father's love for his family and the sacrifice of an unlikely hero. The film premiered at the 2006 Cannes Festival, Un Certain Regard. FILM CREDITS: Director: Francisco Vargas Quevedo Producer: Francisco Vargas Quevedo Screenplay: Francisco Vargas Quevedo Cinematographer: Martín Boege Paré Editor: Francisco Vargas Quevedo, Ricardo Garfias Music: Cuauhtémoc Tavira, Armando Rosas Cast: Don Ángel Tavira, Dagoberto Gama, Gerardo Taracena, Fermín Martínez DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY: Francisco Vargas Quevedo was born in Ixtapaluca, Mexico. He studied theatre at the Escuela National de Artes Plásticas, communications at the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana and filmmaking at the University Centre of Cinematography Studies. He has directed many commercials, documentaries and short films, as well as the acclaimed documentary Tierra caliente … Se mueren los que la mueven (04). The Violin (El Violín), based on his 2005 short film of the same name, is his feature directorial debut. FILM HISTORY/ PRIZES: Best Male Performance, Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2006 Back to top --------------------------
Volver …” The power of motherhood and the blessing of good friends run as themes through Pedro Almodovar's entertaining fantasy "Volver," even though the central topics are abuse and death.” Ray Bennett, Hollywood Reporter. Starring, Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo, Chus Lampreave. FILM CREDITS: Director Pedro Almodóvar Executive Producer Agustín Almodóvar Producer Esther Garcia Screenwriter Pedro Almodóvar Cinematographer José Luis Alcaine Editor José Salcedo Music Alberto Iglesias Cast: Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo, Chus Lampreave FILM HISTORY/ PRIZES: Cannes Film Festival, 2006: Best Screenplay: Pedro Almodóvar, Best Female Ensemble: Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca portillo, Yohana Cobo, Chus Lampreave; San Sebastian 2006: FIPRESCI Film of the Year. Spain's submission for the 2007 Foreign-language Academy Award. DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY: Pedro Almodóvar was born in Calzada de Calatrava, Spain. A self-taught filmmaker, he directed his first feature, Pepi, Luci, Bom and the Other Girls, in 1980. His 1999 film All About My Mother won the Academy Award for best foreign language film. His other films include Labyrinth of Passion (82), Dark Habits (83), What I Have Done to Deserve This? (84), Matador (86), Law of Desire (87), Women On The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (88), Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (90), High Heels (91), Kika (93), The Flower of My Secret (95), Talk to Her (02), Bad Education (04), and Volver (06). Back to top --------------------------
Water
Deepa Mehta's brave exploration of India's storied past continues in her perfectly pitched, finely judged tale of a young Hindu girl whose life is suddenly changed by the traditions of her religion. Delving into Indian society of the thirties, Mehta has made a remarkably inspirational film about a girl who refuses to accept her fate and struggles against powerful religious customs that turn her into a prisoner without a future. FILM CREDITS: Director Deepa Mehta Executive Producer Mark Burton, Doug Mankoff, Ajay Virmani Producer David Hamilton Screenwriter Deepa Mehta Cinematographer Giles Nuttgens Editor Colin Monie Music Mychael Danna, A.R. Rahman Cast: Lisa Ray, Seema Biswas, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Waheeda Rehman, Raghubir Yadav’, FILM HISTORY/ PRIZES: Genie Awards 2006, Received Awards at numerous Festivals, Canada entry for 2007 Oscars Back to top |
