New York Int’l Children’s Film Festival 2o10

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Monday, 15 February 2010 16:56

Written by Eric Lurio

The NY International Children’s Film Festival is a movable feast that usually takes place in March, but has been all over the calendar in the past. This year, the festival kicks off its 13th season February 26 - March 21, 2010, at six New York locations, with ground-breaking, exciting and thought-provoking new films and events for ages 3-18. and last for three weekends (taking the kiddies out of school is usually a bad idea).

Founded by Eric Beckman and Emily Shapiro in 1997, the festival was originally a fundraiser for the Children’s Aid Society and had a program of 12 shorts that were borrowed from the larger Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, which had been running for several years. 

This was the height of the animation boom, and Beckman and Shapiro thought that kids should have a diet of more than MTV, Disney and Hanna-Barbera. So over the following years, the thing grew exponentially, then had a near-death experience where it became merely the “presenter” of a film series at the IFC Theater on West 3^rd Street and Sixth Avenue, to a revival as a three-weekend compendium of the best films the rest of the world has to offer children.

Five years ago, for example, the festival had over 1800 submissions, and featured Danny Boyle’s  Millions and Katsuhiro Otomo’s Steamboy, neither of which received major theatrical release.  It was said that for the genre, this had become as important as Cannes, not bad for something that started in a glorified garage.

NYICFF is North America’s largest festival of film for kids and has had an audience of 25,000 children, teens, parents, filmmakers and industry professionals. The festival presents 100 new films of all lengths from around the world; there are gala opening and closing events, major feature film premieres, director Q&As, NYICFF’s award-winning short films programs, children’s film production workshops, a celebrity benefit event, a 50-year French animation retrospective, audience voting, and the NYICFF Awards Ceremony.

The NYICFF 2010 Jury includes Frances McDormand, Uma Thurman, John Turturro, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Modine, Gus Van Sant, Michel Ocelot, and James Schamus.


The festival is pretty much the only place to see some of the hit cartoon features that have been made outside the United States, and this year is no different.

GKids, the people running the thing have almost single-handedly managed to wangle this year’s centerpiece, Tomm Moore's The Secret of Kells an Oscar® nomination; the other features such as Dominique Monfery’s Eleanor’s Secret, Jiri Barta’s In The Attic, and Sunao Katabuchi's Mai Mai Miracle, have all received kudos back in their countries of origin but aren’t going to get much distribution here in the States.

Besides the 15 features being shown, there are also seven shorts programs,  the two galas and two workshops where kids get to find out how films are made.

The venues are:

Cantor Film Ctr
36 E 8th St.
west of Broadway

DGA Theater
110 W 57th St
between 5th and 6th Avenues

IFC Center
323 6th Ave.
off West 3rd Street

Scholastic
557 Broadway
just south of Prince

Symphony Space
2537 Broadway
at 95th Street

A full schedule and tickets to all events can be found at: gkids.tv/intheaters

Boulder Int'l Film Festival Is High on the Fest Circuit

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Thursday, 11 February 2010 08:57

Written by L E Shannon

The Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) is being held February 11-14, 2010 in scenic Boulder, Colorado, featuring award-winning films and filmmakers from all over the world. Screenings are at the Boulder Theater, Boulder Public Library, and First United Methodist Church ("The Church"). 

The Opening Night Red-Carpet Gala includes the screening of The Lightkeepers, directed by Daniel Adams and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Blythe Danner, Bruce Dern, Tom Wisdom and Mamie Gummer. The film is about the lightkeeper for a lighthouse on a deserted Cape Cod beach in 1912. A mysterious man takes the position of assistant lightkeeper, and the two men swear an oath to never get involved with women. However, they soon find themselves contending with two female summer visitors. Following the screening, Ms. Danner, the director, and producer Straw Weisman will be on hand for a Q&A.

BIFF’s Closing Night Awards Ceremony will feature a tribute to Emmy Award-winning actor Alec Baldwin, who will be honored with an Award of Excellence in Acting. Included is a film retrospective of his work, followed by a Q&A hosted by BIFF executive producer Ron Bostwick.

Film highlights from the festival include:

I Am Love, directed by Luca Guadagnino, was a winner at the Venice Film Festival. Starring Tilda Swinton, this drama portrays the irresistible heat of forbidden passion within the constrained upper-class mores of an Italian family.

Last Train Home, directed by Lixin Fan. The world’s largest human migration takes place each year in China as 130 million factory workers fight for space on overcrowded trains to return home for the Spring Festival. This beautiful film captures two years in the life of the Zhangs, who left the poverty of the countryside and their children behind with their extended family.

Mugabe and the White African, directed by Lucy Bailey and Andrew Thompson, is the story of one of the few hundred white farmers left in Zimbabwe since President Robert Mugabe began his violent land seizure program in 2000. In 2008, Campbell took the unprecedented step of challenging Robert Mugabe before international court, charging him and his government with racial discrimination and violations of human rights.

Other BIFF films not to be missed:

Soundtrack for a Revolution, directed by Bill Guttentag and Dan Struman, depicts the American civil rights movement through the music that fortified protestors as they struggled for equality, with music by The Roots, Wyclef Jean, Joss Stone, Richie Havens and Harry Belafonte.

A Film with Me In It, directed by Ian Fitzgibbon, is a morbidly delightful account of a hapless out-of-work Dublin actor named Mark, who is struggling to make it through a day from hell. Together with his hilarious neighbor, Pierce, they hatch a desperate plan of treating their predicament like a film scenario and try to rewrite the day.

The Most Dangerous Man in America; Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, directed by Rick Goldsmith and Judith Ehrlich, depicts the high-level Pentagon official, former Marine and Vietnam War hawk who discovers top-secret reports detailing the lies the Pentagon had been telling the public about the war.

Wings of Silver: The Vi Cowden Story, directed by Mark and Christine Bonn. This remarkable documentary follows Vi Cowden’s journey from rural South Dakota, where she learned to fly biplanes, to her two years in the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), for which she piloted 19 different types of fighter planes in the U.S. on enough trips to have circumnavigated the world 55 times. Healthy and lively, Vi last piloted a P-51 when she was 92.  In March the United States will award the Congressional Gold Medal to nearly 300 women, all over the age of 86, who flew fighter planes for the Army Air Corps in 1943-44. The directors will be present following the screening.

Waking Sleeping Beauty, directed by Don Hahn, is a juicy, scathing, behind-the-scenes tell-all about the turmoil at Walt Disney Studios released by, well, Walt Disney Studios. After a string of flops in the 1980s, movie animation was considered dead. Yet the ‘90s saw a staggering output of Disney hits—Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King. This incredibly well-crafted documentary from two-time Oscar nominee Don Hahn and then-animation-head Peter Schneider shows us a side of Disney we’ve never seen before, with feuds, ego battles, cost overruns, failed experiments—all the blood, sweat and carnage that went into the great Disney Renaissance. Magic, it seems, like sausage, is not always pretty to watch being made. This film is a must-see for all serious film heads who still believe in magic. The director will be present.

Mother, directed by Bong Joon-ho, is about a fiercely maternal single mother determined to protect her only child, a handsome but mentally challenged 27-year-old son, who was framed for a heinous murder. The small-town police and the town folk are already convinced of his guilt, while the mother ferociously goes on a hunt for the real killer herself. Bong Joon-ho, who wrote and directed the cult film The Host, has crafted a superb Hitchcockian murder mystery peppered with surprising twists coming thick and fast, which keep his audience guessing over who the real culprit is until the very end.

The Secret of Kells, directed by Tomm Moore, is an animated masterpiece that blends fantasy and Celtic mythology into a riot of color and detail. In this sweeping story about the Viking raids of Ireland, 12-year-old Brendan’s dangerous quest takes him, and the mysterious wolf-girl, Aisling, into the enchanted forest where mythical creatures hide. Director Moore scanned the stunningly beautiful illuminations of Ireland’s thousand-year-old Book of Kells into a computer program so that they would move. And then, using the same brilliant colors and flat medieval perspective, he produced a feature-length animated film that tells a hero-quest set in the time of the book.

Additionally, BIFF hosts:

The Digital Media Convergence Symposium (DiMe), a celebration of creativity, technology and those who innovate in these converging spheres. A panel of visionary leaders in the film, media and gaming industries will discuss commonalities and potential for collaboration, as well as the evolution and applications of new technology and distribution and how to engage in this profitable arena.

Call 2 Action, a program that offers concrete ways for filmgoers to translate the energy and passion that film evokes into action. Film has the unique and creative ability to educate, integrate and involve the entire community to teach us about our world.

For further information, visit www.biff1.com. 

Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF)
February 11-14, 2010

Boulder Theater, Boulder Public Library, and
First United Methodist Church ("The Church")
Boulder, Colorado

Pan African Film & Arts Festival

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Thursday, 11 February 2010 02:24

Written by L E Shannon

The 18th Annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF), America’s largest and most prestigious Black film and arts festival, runs from February 10 through 17, 2010 at the Culver Plaza Theatres, 9919 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, California.

The accompanying Fine Arts Show is being held February 12-15, 2010 at the Westfield Culver Plaza, 6000 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City, California.

The Pan African Film and Arts Festival is an official event of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's Black History Month Celebration. The 2010 Celebrity Host is acclaimed actress CCH Pounder (Avatar, Brothers, Warehouse 13).

The Opening Night feature is the world premiere of Blood Done Sign My Name, starring Nate Parker (The Great Debaters) as notable Civil Rights activist Dr. Ben Chavis, who is expected to attend, Other cast members include Lela Rochon, Omar Benson Miller, Afemo Omilami and Ricky Schroder. Jeb Stuart directed his own screenplay. This Opening Night Gala is being held at the Directors Guild of America, 7920 Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles.

The 2010 PAFF Lifetime Achievement Award honoree is Glynn Turman (Cooley High, The Wire), presented at the PAFF Night of Tribute. This star-studded red carpet event is televised on the Africa Channel and shown throughout Africa, the Caribbean and Europe.

Other honorees:

Pioneer Award – director F. Gary Gray (The Italian Job, A Man Apart)
Beah Richards Award – Tatyana Ali (Love That Girl)
Canada Lee Award – Nate Parker (The Great Debaters, Blood Done Sign My Name)
PAFF/African Channel Visionary Award – Nigerian filmmaker and founder of the African Academy of Motion Pictures Peace, Anyiam-Fiberesima
Community Service Award – LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas

The Centerpiece Presentation is the documentary 41st & Central: The Untold Story of the L.A. Black Panthers, directed by Gregory Everett. The film explores the Southern California Chapter of the Black Panther Party from its glorious Black Power beginnings through to its tragic demise. Despite the Party’s formation of free medical clinics and a successful breakfast program for children, the L.A. chapter was also known as the most violent Black political group in the United States.

The film includes both archival footage and many interviews with former Party members, including surviving original members, many of whom will be present for the panel discussion after the screening.

In addition, the PAFF is holding numerous screenings of the powerful film Haiti: the Sleeping Giant, directed by Love Joel Aryeetey, to raise money for Haitian relief efforts. 100% of the proceeds raised from ticket sales will be donated to the Haitian Emergency Relief Fund. The PAFF is encouraging attendees to make it a point to include this film in their must-see list. Aside from providing the highly needed assistance for Haiti, the film provides a comprehensive understanding of the historical and political history that has led to Haiti’s current condition.

The Closing Night presentation is Freedom Riders, directed by Stanley Nelson. This is the powerful, harrowing and ultimately inspirational story of eight months that changed America forever. From May until December 1961, more than 400 Black and White Americans risked their lives. Many endured savage beatings and imprisonment, often for simply traveling together on buses as they journeyed through the Deep South. Discussion will follow afterward with former Freedom Riders Dr. Robert Singleton, Helen Singleton and former Los Angeles City Councilman Bob Farrell, who will share their experiences.

Other features include:

All My Life / Toul Omry, directed by Yetnayet Bahru. When a young man’s longtime lover leaves him to marry a woman, and his best friends drift away, he comes face to face with the harsh realities of life as a gay man in Egypt.

Darfur, directed by Uwe Boll. American journalists in Sudan are confronted with the dilemma of whether to return home to report on the atrocities they have seen, or to stay behind and help some of the victims they have encountered. Starring Billy Zane, Edward Furlong, Hakeem Kae-Kazim.

From A Whisper, directed by Wanuri Kahiu.  A Kenyan family is caught up in the bombing of the American Embassy by Islamist terrorists. Abu, a Muslim intelligence officer investigating the bombing, has a deep, complex friendship with one of the terrorists. Winner of Best Picture in Africa last year at the Africa Movie Awards.

Documentary Features include:

Rwanda Beyond the Deadly Pit, directed by Gilbert Ndahayo.  A Rwandan aspiring filmmaker emotionally resurfaces to confront his parents’ murderers. Filmed over the course of three years, this is the first film ever made by a genocide survivor.

Stolen, directed by Violeta Ayala and Daniel Fallshaw. This film confronts the all-too-real issue of modern day slavery as Black Saharawis reveal to the filmmakers, despite the grave risks, that they are enslaved.

Sweet Crude, directed by Sandy Cioffi. This film examines the politics, the people and the spin surrounding the policies regarding oil in the Nigerian Delta, one of the most oil rich regions on Earth.

Shorts include:

Charity, directed by Lansana Mansaray. The film explores delicate family dynamics in desperate times, as a reflection of the mixed blessing of the massive amount of international support and assistance Sierra Leone received during the UN peacekeeping mission.

Killer Necklace, directed by Judy Kibinge. A young man from a sprawling Nairobi ghetto, trying to stay away from the enticements of crime, longs to buy his girlfriend the gold necklace that she covets.

Documentary Shorts include:

A Day Without Mines, directed by Adisa. In Sierra Leone, the filmmakers embark on a journey to excavate the children from the diamond mines by hosting an all day soccer tournament.

The Little Princess and the Sand School, directed by Stéphanie Gillard. In Mali, Tuaregs try to keep their traditional way of life as nomadic shepherds and at the same time to participate actively in contemporary social changes, so school has become a matter of survival.

Panels and workshops include:

A Directors Roundtable
It’s Legal…So Write, Right?
Breaking Into Reality TV
Hiring Film Composers: Avoiding 7 Common Costly Mistakes
Acting on the Web: Testimonies from the Frontlines of the Online Revolution
Creating for the Web: New Visions for a New Frontier
Promoting Your Independently Produced Film…The Right Way

One of PAFF’s most popular special programs is the StudentFest, which provides free arts education for over 10,000 students from the Los Angeles Unified School District and throughout Los Angeles County. Students view age appropriate specially programmed films and have discussions with film and community professionals in the morning and in the afternoon tour the fine arts market where they interact with the artists.

The PAFF also includes a Children’s Fest, which entertains over 1,000 children, ages 4-12, and their parents with Free film screenings, storytelling, refreshments and interactive activities. Among the films shown is The Princess and the Frog.

The Fine Art Show features over 100 fine artists and craftspeople from around The world showcasing The best in Black fine art, sculpture, photography, unique handmade crafts, home furnishings, designer jewelry, designer fashions and accessories that highlight The artistry and beauty of the African aesthetic.

For more information, visit www.paff.org.  

Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF)
February 10-17, 2010

Culver Plaza Theatres
9919 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA


Fine Arts Show
February 12-15, 2010

Westfield Culver Plaza,
6000 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City, CA