SAUDI FILM COMMISSION FETES FILM CRITICISM AT MAJOR KINGDOM CONFAB

The Saudi Film Commission has held the second edition of the International Film Criticism Conference in Riyadh, over five days from November 6 to 10. The conference is distinguished by a vast presence of international filmmakers, critics, and cinephiles and provides a global platform for artistic and academic exchange with regards to the moving image, from film and video to new media, artificial intelligence, augmented/virtual reality, and video games.

The second edition of the Film Criticism Conference was held in the Saudi Arabian capital as the final stop after a series of mini-forums across the Kingdom, notably Hail on September 27 and Al-Ahsa on October 25. The gathering embraced the theme "Sound in Cinema", welcoming an exploration of sound as part of the film experience and its influence on the sector. Panel discussions covered such diverse elements as film scores, sound effects, and nature sounds and included workshops, film screenings, and interactive exhibits.

At the opening ceremony, a compelling introductory video set the tone for the event, outlining its objectives and highlighting past milestones in the Saudi film industry. It was followed by a speech by the CEO of the Saudi Film Commission, Mr. Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Qahtani, expressing the idea behind this year’s theme. 

"The Saudi Film Commission is dedicated to establishing, developing, and sustaining a strong and vibrant film industry, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.” Al-Qahtani said. “The Film Commission focuses on empowering criticism as an intellectual and artistic tool that illuminates the path of cinema and opens new prospects for it." 

He points out that the conference was created as a platform to bring together critics and cinematic innovators. “[It has] provided them with the opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences, ultimately leading to the formation of a deeper Arabic cinematic awareness that elevates our film sector to international levels, while staying true our authentic culture and identity," said Al-Qahtani.

The ceremony included a speech by prominent Saudi director, Mr. Abdullah Al-Muheisen (Dhilal al sammt, 2006; pictured, left) In his opening remarks, he declared, "Film criticism relies on sentient, honest, and purposeful criticism. It is the dynamic driver of development and creativity for the director. Cinema is and will always be a message before being anything else." 

Al-Mohaisen’s speech was followed by a screening of his 1977 film Assassination of a City, a pioneering Saudi documentary that screened at the Cairo Film Festival where it won the Golden Nefertiti Award for best short movie. A follow-up discussion was held between the director and moderated by film critics Ahmad Shawqi and Ahmad Alayyad (pictured, top).

Prior to this conference, two other film criticism events were held this year, Hail on September 27 and Al-Ahsa on October 25. It was the second major film event to be held in Riyadh in as many months, with the the second edition of the three-day Saudi Film Confex wrapping up on October 12.

AUSTRALIA’S MEMOIR OF A SNAIL, MAGIC BEACH NOMINATED AT 17th ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS

The Asia Pacific Screen Academy has announced the nominees in the 17th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) with Australian films Magic Beach (pictured, below) and Memoir of a Snail among 31 films from 23 Asia Pacific countries and areas represented in the 2024 nominations roster. 

Leading the field for the 17th annual event, with nominations in five categories, are two powerful, cinematic stories by and about women. Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light (France, India, Netherlands, Luxembourg), described as an ode to nocturnal Mumbai, and Dea Kulumbegashvili’s April (Georgia, Italy, France), the story of an ob-gyn, are both nominated for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Performance. 

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2024 APSA NOMINATED FILMS HERE

“Congratulations to all the nominees in the 17th Asia Pacific Screen Awards, who we welcome into the esteemed group of the region’s filmmakers, The Asia Pacific Screen Academy,” said Chair of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Tracey Vieira. “In 2024, two thirds of our nominated films are debut or second films, representing the cinematic excellence of the next generation of Asia Pacific voices, and the unique and compelling stories they are choosing to tell.” 

Adam Elliot’s Memoir of a Snail (Australia; pictured, right) has received a nomination for Best Animated Film, one of five outstanding works that represent a broad range of animation styles from classic hand-drawn to rotoscoping, motion capture and claymation. Elliot’s previous feature Mary and Max won the APSA in the same category in 2008 at the 2nd annual event.

Memoir of a Snail is up against Yoko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita’s Ghost Cat Anzu (Japan, France), Hur Bum-wook’s Pig That Survived Foot-and-Mouth Disease (Republic of Korea), Naoko Yamada’s The Colors Within (Kimi no Iro, Japan) and Carl Joseph Papa’s The Missing (Iti Mapukpukaw, Philippines).

APSA has, since its inception, celebrated films made for and about young people, and as a collection they provide insight into the unique and the universal issues facing young people across the region. Magic Beach (Australia), the live action and animated omnibus adaptation of Alison Lester’s classic children’s book, is nominated for Best Youth Film and was previously a recipient of the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund in its early script development stages.

Magic Beach will be competing alongside Lakshmipriya Devi’s Boong (India), Qu Youjia’s She Sat There Like All Ordinary Ones (Kai Shi De Qiang, People’s Republic of China; pictured, right), Antoinette Jadaone’s Sunshine (Philippines), and Rachel House’s The Mountain (New Zealand). 

Three further feature film awards will be announced and in 2024 are supported by the Top 51 World Filmmakers Club as a Major Partner. These categories are Best New Performer, in recognition of an exceptional debut or sophomore performance in a feature film; The Cultural Diversity Award, for outstanding contribution to the promotion and preservation of cultural diversity through film; and, the Young Cinema Award (in partnership with NETPAC) is awarded to an impressive first or second time feature director in recognition of the abundant emerging talent of the Asia Pacific.

The FIAPF AWARD is determined by APSA founding partner FIAPF–International Federation of Film Producers Associations for outstanding achievement in film in the Asia Pacific region. Also to be announced during the 17th Asia Pacific Screen Awards Ceremony are the four recipients of the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund grants of US$25,000 wholly supported by the MPA (Motion Picture Association) Asia Pacific. 

APSA’s theme in 2024, Land, holds profound significance across the Asia Pacific, encompassing traditional, cultural, and historical meanings, and serves as a powerful lens through which we can explore the relationship between identity, sovereignty, and the stories we tell through film.

In 2024, an unprecedented number of nominated films are set for Australian theatrical release across the peak summer box office period, allowing local audiences the opportunity to connect with the best cinema of the region. These include APSA frontrunner All We Imagine as Light (Rialto, 30 Jan), Magic Beach (Madman, Jan 16), The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Sharmill, 23 Jan), No Other Land (Hi Gloss, 21 Nov), Ghost Cat Anzu (Kismet, Dec 5; pictured, right), The Colors Within (Kismet), Hesitation Wound (Arcadia), the recently released The Mountain (Madman) and Memoir of a Snail, which opens this week (Madman). 

The 17th Asia Pacific Screen Awards on Saturday 30 November and the 6th Asia Pacific Screen Forum, 27-30 November, will be held at The Langham, Gold Coast, on the traditional land of the Kombumerri families of the Yugambeh language region.

PREVIEW: 2023 GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL

In collaboration with German Films, Palace Cinemas presents the 2023 German Film Festival with a lineup that includes several titles arriving in Australia direct from the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival (The Berlinale). Other highlights in the vibrant, 33-film strong program include a music-themed retrospective, a focus on female filmmakers and the return of the popular family sidebar, Kino for Kids.

Opening the festival is director Michael ‘Bully’ Herbig's A THOUSAND LINES (Tausend Zeilen; pictured, above), a true-life drama starring Elyas M’Barek and Jonas May as journalists caught in a fake news scandal involving a disgraced Der Spiegel journalist.

The Festival Centrepiece, direct from its Berlinale world premiere, is Ilker Çatak's THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE (Das Lehrerzimmer) featuring 'Babylon Berlin' star Leonie Benesch (pictured, right) as a dedicated, idealistic teacher who is pushed to the brink when she investigates a series of thefts at her new school.

The program strand Frauen Am Werk: Focus on Female Directors showcases German and Swiss women in film with eleven films from dramas, to documentaries and comedies. Frauke Finsterwalder’s SISI & I (Sisi & Ich) is a contemporary reinterpretation of the “Sisi” myth starring Sandra Hüller; the stylish biopic INGEBORG BACHMANN - JOURNEY INTO THE DESERT (Ingeborg Bachmann – Reise in die Wüste), starring Vicki Krieps, is the latest film by the legendary Margarethe von Trotta; IN A LAND THAT NO LONGER EXISTS (In einem Land, das es nicht mehr gibt) is based on director Aelrun Goette’s own experiences as a model in the German Democratic Republic in 1989; and, Saskia Diesing’s WWII drama LOST TRANSPORT explores the unexpected friendship between three very different women of diverse backgrounds.

Anika Decker directs Elyas M’Barek and Alexandra Maria Lara in the romcom LOVE THING (Liebesdings); Barbara Kulcsar’s Swiss box office hit comedy GOLDEN YEARS (Die goldenen Jahre) follows two retirees who must face their marital problems on a cruise through the Mediterranean; Emily Atef’s seductive drama SOMEDAY WE’LL TELL EACH OTHER EVERYTHING (Irgendwann werden wir uns alles erzählen) follows a young woman who begins a relationship with a charismatic middle-aged farmer; and, Birgit Möller’s FRANKY FIVE STAR is a quirky dramatic comedy starring newcomer Lena Urzendowsky as a woman inhabited by four weird but lovable personalities.

Also helmed by women are the documentaries in the lineup. Eva Weber’s MERKEL (pictured, right) is the astonishing story of how a triple political outsider – a woman, a scientist, and an East German – became Germany’s first female chancellor. And Cordula Kablitz-Post's FCK 2020 – TWO AND A HALF YEARS WITH SCOOTER (FCK 2020  -Zweieinhalb Jahre mit Scooter) follows Germany's undisputed techno superstars Scooter and their eccentric front man H.P Baxxter.

Music flows through this year’s festival with the sidebar retrospective, Music, Art and Chaos: A Sonic Transmission from Berlin. B-MOVIE: LUST & SOUND IN WEST BERLIN 1979-1989, from the directing team of Jörg A. Hoppe, Heiko Lange and Klaus Maeck, fuses unreleased footage and original interviews with pioneers Mark Reeder, Nick Cave, Blixa Bargeld, Nena, Joy Division and Gudrun Gut to reveal the story of life in the divided city; Muscha’s iconic film DECODER (1984) explores the disenfranchised youth culture, neon drenched visuals and urban industrial aesthetics of the early 80s; and, Klaus Maeck and Johanna Schenkel’s LIEBESLIEDER: EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN (1993) captures the renowned industrial band from 1980 to 1993 on the low-fi analogue equipment of the time.

Other centrepiece retrospective screenings include the Wim Wender’s angels-in-love classic WINGS OF DESIRE and Uli Edel’s CHRISTIANE F., remastered in 4K, starring Natja Bronckhurst as the14-year-old girl who falls into the drug scene in West Berlin in the 1970s.

Austrian Cinema presents Adrian Goiginger’s touching WWII drama THE FOX (Der Fuchs) featuring a standout performance from newcomer Simon Morzé as a member of the Austrian Army who finds friendship with a young fox cub; Dieter Berner’s ALMA AND OSKAR (Alma und Oskar) a historical romantic drama that follows the torrid love affair between Viennese grand dame Alma Mahler and expressionist artist Oskar Kokoschka; and, Chris Raiber’s quirky fairytale-like Vienna-set urban love story, FIRST SNOW OF SUMMER.

The Goethe-Institut will present films especially curated for children, teens and families with their Kino for Kids for sidebar. The roster of titles includes Mark Schlichter’s ALFONS JITTERBIT – CLASS TRIP CHAOS! (Alfons Zitterbacke – Endlich Klassenfahrt!), the story of a chaotic class trip to the Baltic Sea coast; MY LIFE AS LOTTA – OKEY DOKEY ALPACA! (Mein Lotta-Leben - Alles Tschaka mit Alpaka!), Martina Plura’s family comedy that follows Lotta (Meggy Husson) on her first school trip adventure; ONE IN A MILLION, Joya Thome’s coming-of-age documentary about success and loneliness in the age of social media; Sven Unterwaldt Jr.’S SCHOOL OF MAGICAL ANIMALS 2 (Die Schule der magischen Tiere 2; pictured, above), the live-action-adventure sequel that became Germany’s most popular film of 2022; and, THE ROBBER HOTZENPLOTZ (Der Räuber Hotzenplotz), Michael Krummenacher’s remake of Otfried Preußler's classic children's book.

Closing Night honours go to the female-led drama OVER & OUT, a unique take on a female friendship story. Directed by Julia Becker, it focuses on four lifelong friends who vowed to celebrate their weddings together 26 years ago but when one of them invites the others to Italy, a chaotic road trip ensues.

The 2023 GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL will take place nationally from 2 May to 24 May in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane and Byron Bay. Tickets and session details will be available at the event’s Official Website.

CANNES BOSSES DRAW ON STAR WATTAGE AND PAST WINNERS IN 75TH FEST LINE-UP

Cannes festival president Pierre Lescure and general delegate/artistic director Thierry Frémaux shared the competition, Un Certain Regard and out of competition titles for the 75th edition of the event at a press conference overnight, held on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. 

Amongst the high-profile titles announced were new films from George Miller (Three Thousand Years of Longing, with Tilda Swinton), David Cronenberg (Crimes of the Future, with Kristen Stewart), Kelly Reichardt (Showing Up, a reteaming with star Michelle Williams) and James Gray (Armageddon Time, with Anne Hathaway) in the official selection. The Opening Slot was afforded to Z Comes Z (aka, Final Cut; pictured, below), the long-delayed zombie comedy from Michel Hazanvicius, Oscar winner for The Artist. (Pictured, above: Beast, from directors Riley Keough and Gina Gammell)

Frémaux also confirmed the World Premiere of Top Gun: Maverick, with star Tom Cruise attending, which will roll into a retrospective celebration of his career. Along with Baz Luhrman's Elvis, 20th-century rock legends will be celebrated in Ethan Coen’s out-of-competition doc Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind and Brett Morgen's  Moonage Daydream, a montage-driven midnight-movie tribute to David Bowie.

The competition lineup includes new work from several returning Palme d’Or winners - Ruben Östlund’s social satire Triangle of Sadness (pictured, below); Japanese helmer Kore-eda Hirokazu’s Korea-set Broker; Romanian director Cristian Mungiu’s politically charged RMN; and, Belgian duo the Dardenne brothers’ immigrant-focused Tori and Lokita.

The 18-strong competition features three female directors; in addition to Reichardt, Claire Denis will premiere Stars at Noon, with Margaret Qualley, and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi debuts her 80s-set coming-of-age story, The Almond Tree.

Two Ukrainian filmmakers will present works -, Sergei Loznitsa (The Natural History of Destruction, invited as a ‘Special Screening’) and Maksim Nakonechnyi (Butterfly Vision, to screen in Un Certain Regard), along with one Russian, dissident director Kirill Serebrennikov, in competition with Tchaïkovski’s Wife.

Further announcements regarding 2022 title are expected in the days ahead, which may address the absence of Emanuele Crialese’s L'immensità, starring Penelope Cruz; director Haruki Murakami animated pic Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman; Rebecca Zlotowski’s Les Enfants des Autres; and, the Disney/Pixar tentpole Lightyear, all of which had been high on the pre-announcement radar.

The line-up for the 75th Festival de Cannes is: 

OPENING NIGHT (Out of Competition):
Z Comme Z / Final Cut (Dir: Michel Hazanvicius; France)

COMPETITION
The Almond Tree (Dir: Valeria Bruni Tedeschi; France)
Armageddon Time (Dir: James Gray; U.S.)
Boy From Heaven (Dir: Tarik Saleh; Sweden)
Broker (Dir: Kore-eda Hirokazu; Japan)
Brother and Sister / Frère et Sœur (Dir: Arnaud Desplechin, France)
Close (Dir: Lucas Dhont; Belgium)
Crimes of the Future (Dir: David Cronenberg; Canada)
Decision to Leave (Dir: Park Chan-Wook; South Korea)
Eo / Hi-Han (Dir: Jerzy Skolimowski; Poland)
Holy Spider (Dir: Ali Abbasi; Iran)
Leila’s Brothers (Dir: Saeed Roustaee; Iran)
Nostalgia (Dir: Mario Martone; Italy)
RMN (Dir: Cristian Mungiu; Romania)
Showing Up (Dir: Kelly Reichardt; U.S.)
Stars at Noon (Dir: Claire Denis; France)
Tchaïkovski’s Wife (Dir: Kirill Serebrennikov; Russia)
Tori and Lokita (Dir: Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne; Belgium)
Triangle of Sadness (Dir: Ruben Östlund; Sweden)

UN CERTAIN REGARD
All the People I’ll Never Be / Retour à Séoul (Dir: Davy Chou; Cambodia)
Beast (Dirs: Riley Keough and Gina Gammell; U.S.)
Burning Days (Dir: Emin Alper; Turkey)
Butterfly Vision (Dir: Maksim Nakonechnyi; Ukraine)
Corsage (Dir: Marie Kruetzer; Austria)
Domingo and the Mist (Dir: Ariel Escalante Meza; Costa Rica)
Joyland (Dir: Saim Sadiq; Pakistan)
Metronom (Dir: Alexandru Belc; Romania)
Plan 75 (Dir: Hayakawa Chie; Japan)
Rodeo (Dir: Lola Quivoron; France)
Sick of Myself (Dir: Kristoffer Borgli)
The Silent Twins (Dir: Agnieszka Smocynska; Poland)
The Stranger (Dir: Thomas M. Wright; Australia)
Volada Land (Dir: Hlynur Pálmason; Iceland)
The Worst / Les Pires (Dirs: Lise Akora and Romane Gueret; France)

OUT OF COMPETITION
Elvis (Dir: Baz Luhrmann; U.S.-Australia)
Mascarade (Dir: Nicolas Bedos; France)
November (Dir: Cédric Jimenez; France)
Three Thousand Years of Longing (Dir: George Miller; Australia)
Top Gun: Maverick (Dir: Joseph Kosinski; U.S.)

MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS
Fumer Fait Tousser (Dir: Quentin Dupieux; France)
Hunt (Dir: Lee Jung-Jae; S. Korea)
Moonage Daydream (Dir: Brett Morgen; U.S.)

SPECIAL SCREENINGS
All That Breathes (Dir: Shaunak Sen; India)
The Natural History of Destruction (Dir: Sergei Loznitsa; Ukraine)
Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind (Dir: Ethan Coen; U.S.)

CANNES PREMIERE
Dodo (Dir: Panos H. Koutras; Greece)
Irma Vep (Dir: Olivier Assayas; France)
Nightfall (Dir: Marco Bellocchio; Italy)
Nos Frangins (Dir: Rachid Bouchareb; France)

“I CALL ON THE WORLD TO UNITE AGAINST PUTIN’S RUSSIA”; UKRAINIAN FILM INDUSTRY RALLIES IN DEFIANCE.

In the late 1960s, as the majority of Soviet filmmakers were adhering to the stark paradigms of ‘social realism’ cinema, director Serhiy Paradzhanov was forging an elevated film style called ‘Ukrainian Poetic Cinema’. Those three words speak of the elegance of Ukrainian film culture and the role it represents to the nation and its population; an artform that embraces life in the independent democracy with optimism and grace.

In the days after Russia’s declaration of war against the sovereign state of Ukraine, key figures in contemporary Ukrainian film culture spoke to the website Cineuropa.org about their reactions to Putin’s assault and how they hope the rest of the world will react.  

OLEH SENTSOV (pictured, right)
Director - Rhino (2020); Numbers (2021): “Putin does not dwell on Ukraine. This is a full-scale war. This is a challenge to the whole democratic world. We are not only defending our land; we are resisting the impending tyranny. The time of concern is over. It is time to fight for freedom and truth.”

VALENTYN VASYANOVYCH 
Director - Reflection (2021); Atlantis (2019): “I am staying in Kyiv. I want to be among people who are aware of their ethnic, cultural and political affiliation. I want to be among these people to gain important experiences that will help me create true stories about them. I want to be part of a force that will lead to the destruction of the evil empire.”

MARYNA ER GORBACH (pictured, right)
Director - Love Me (2013); Omar and Us (2019) Klondike (2022): “Dear colleagues…every minute of delay in making influential decisions takes away the lives of Ukrainians now and every life outside Ukraine in the future. World security is in the hands of the Ukrainian army. Be brave and determined, support the demands of Ukrainian politicians. Do it for the future of your own children!”

ANNA MACHUKH
Executive Director of the Ukrainian Film Academy and the Odesa International Film Festival: “These actions are unforgivable and will never be forgotten. Now more than ever, Ukraine needs the help of the international community, not only their support and concern, but with certain actions. It’s not the time now to bury your head in the sand. It's time to call out. Russia has started the war against Ukraine, and tomorrow it may be at your door.”

NATALIA VOROZHBYT (pictured, right)
Director - Bad Roads (2020): “We live in the centre of Europe, in the 21st century, in Ukraine. Our closest neighbours are Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, the Baltics and Romania. Nearby are Germany, France, Italy – we go there by car. This is not just our war; it will affect every European. It can destroy our world. Your participation, support and help are very much needed now, as well as your speeches, protests, money, weapons and sanctions. I call on the world to unite against Putin's Russia and win together.”

IRYNA TSILYK (pictured, right)
Director - The Earth Is Blue as an Orange (2020); Home (2016): “We see the real face of Russian fascism now. The Russian dictator has started a full-scale invasion in Ukraine…It is important to understand that the Russian neo-Führer and the millions of his voiceless or agreeable people have started the war not only against Ukraine, but against the whole of Europe and the whole Western world…The main thing is not [to] watch silently as the leviathan is trying to devour Ukraine. Your country could be the next one in his crosshairs.”

NARIMAN ALIEV 
Director - Homeward (2019): “Ukraine is fighting for its freedom and for its right to freedom. The Russian Federation is no longer ashamed to attack a sovereign country in front of the eyes of the entire world. We need support and assistance: military, economic, informational. Go to the squares in your cities and put pressure on the leaders of your countries to provide real assistance to Ukraine. Why do we have a voice if we are afraid to use it to destroy evil and avoid innocent people suffering?”

Originally published at Cineuropa.org, February 25 2022.

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