Playing with country submissions to the Foreign Language Film

Finally today the Academy released the official list with 65 films that can be considered as ONE of the best films produced in each country and since a few days ago I been thinking about using the list as a database to play a little for fun.

Here is me dissecting the long list for useful and useless data.

Women Filmmakers

With the absence of Afghanistan announced submission, there are ONLY eight (8) films directed by women, which means that ONLY 12.3% of honored directors are women. That’s TERRIBLE!!! Not much happened around the world after and because last year a woman won (for the first time ever) the Oscar for Best Director and her film won the top award.

Countries with films directed or co directed by women: Austria, Costa Rica, Denmark, Germany, India, Nicaragua, Norway, and Switzerland.

Festivals

Doing a very “scientific research” I used the huge blog database and did a search for each of the 65 films. To my surprise almost half, exactly 47.7%,of the movies come from festivals that are listed in this blog. In this year list there are 31 films that have been at festivals since 2007 when the film submitted by Egypt was a project at Locarno, continuing with 7 films that were in 2009 festivals and 23 that were in 2010 festivals. We can say that when films travel the festival circuit they have some good chance of becoming a country submission to the Oscars.

Cannes is the festival that showcases more films that countries select to submit to Oscars; this year there are four (4) that got its premiere at 2009 Cannes and eight (8) screened at 2010 Cannes for a grand total of 12 films coming from this prestigious festival, or 18.4% of the 65 films. These are the countries that submitted films from Cannes

2009 Certain Regard: Greece, Portugal
2009 Quinzaine: Austria, Bulgaria
2010 Cannes
Main Selection: Thailand, Algeria, France, Mexico
Certain Regard: South Africa, Argentina
Quinzaine: Kyrgyzstan, Belgium

But if Cannes has a good presence in this year Foreign Language Film submissions also the Berlin Film Festival or Berlinale has a significant presence with 6 films or 9.2% of 65 films. Just these two festivals represent almost a third of the submitted films or 27.6%

The other 13 films come from other festivals like La Biennale, Locarno, Rotterdam, San Sebastian, Moscow, Montreal, Guadalajara and Pula. I don’t doubt that from the other 34 films that are not listed in this blog, some were also screened in festivals but that’s something we will not know for sure this year as I know that I haven’t covered many festivals during my long hiatus from posting at the blog. The following is the list of festivals and countries that submitted films to be considered at the 83rd Academy Awards.

2010 Berlinale (6): Turkey, Romania, Germany, Colombia, Czech Republic, Iraq
2010 Biennale (3): Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Chile
Locarno (2): 2007 Egypt, 2010 Switzerland
2010 Rotterdam (2): Estonia, Georgia
San Sebastian (2): 2009 Peru, 2010 Uruguay
2010 Moscow International Film Festival (1): Venezuela
2010 Montreal World Film Festival (1): Kazakhstan
2009 Guadalajara (1): Nicaragua
2009 Pula Film Festival (1): Croatia

Unfortunately have to stop here today, but maybe another day will continue dissecting the list to find that -for example- films produced and co produced by France production companies have the largest representation in the list (or maybe is another country like Germany).

If you have something that you wish to find from this list of films please let me know and gladly will try to find whatever is possible to find.

Enjoy!

Improving the Blog

Since a long while ago I wanted to publish the blog's posts in facebook and wanted to be active in Twitter. Isn't until this very moment that finally I'm able to do both!

As you can see there is a new Twitter widget showing whatever could be in my mind and most important, showing the latest Movie On posts. Alright, I'm so excited that haven't tuned the settings, but I'll do it in a moment. As a matter of fact after a couple of hours playing with Twitter I already got three (3) followers! (Thank You Very Much fellow tweetee's) That's the power of Twitter, everything goes really fast in there.

Now my facebook friends will also get in their News feed whatever I post in the blog, so only if they're interested in reading they will have to come to the blog. Since my Wall is public anyone with a facebook account can check the wall to find what's going on at the blog and visit only what calls their attention.

So my dear friends, now you can follow me by coming to the blog, checking Twitter and/or facebook as everything is integrated and communicates with each other.

My first experiment will be with La Mostra, will try to have different information in each service, but as mentioned, blog posts will be in all services. Absolutely will continue learning until I hope to know 'everything' and be completely ready for 2011 Cannes.

This is the second important step into becoming again myself. The third is having all my stuff with me, which will happen soon.

2011 is the year of the new re-invented me and my new profession that has lots to do with movies, but also with the Internet, software and other related stuff.

I'm VERY HAPPY!!!

Cheers!!!

Fall Preview: The 33 Must See Films

As Peter Knegt (yes, I will always say again-and again- that he's my favorite net writer) says, summer is over! (I'm so glad!) not necessarily by the calendar but certainly when it comes to festivals and movies. For many of us tomorrow the fall festival season starts with La Mostra/La Biennale/Venice Film Festival and the 2011 award season already started.

But Mr. Knegt today delighted readers with his Must See Films for the American fall and even if there are some that will not be must be seen for me (but surely will watch), we agree with many like -for example- Aronofsky's Black Swan (he says, "think of it as a violent, sexual, ballet world update of "All About Eve" -wow! - I know have to control expectations); Sylvain Chomet's The Illusionist (the follow-up of extraordinary The Triplets of Belleville"); Schnabel's Miral; Julie Taymor's The Tempest; hmm... he's talking about Heartbreaker, maybe should watch it, with Romain Duris, Vanessa Paradis); Allen's You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger; and others that could be interesting.

To check the complete article please go here.

By the way, the other favorite net writer, Anne Thompson is in Venice, so hope she does more than just reviewing movies, which will allow us to enjoy more the fest. Well, well... today she also has an interesting column "Critic vs. Critic: The Changing Landscape of Movie Coverage"... yep, about the many Internet "informal" critics/reviewers ... like me (LOL!). Suggest to read the article here.

It’s no secret: The Academy makes some strange choices

Just love this article about Oscar's Foreign Language Film category, very cleverly written. The first I ever like from Metacritic! As a teaser, a brief excerpt.

"So if the Academy voters aren’t selecting the most critically-acclaimed films, what exactly are they picking? The most accessible films? That doesn’t appear to be the case, either. As you can see above, the Academy’s selections rarely coincide with Metacritic user preferences. And, more surprisingly — given that an Oscar victory presumably provides some sort of box office bump — the Oscar-winning foreign film more often than not performs more poorly in U.S. theaters than at least one other nominee. Apparently, the only people who agree with Academy voters are … Academy voters."

You'll find data and much more. I strongly suggest you take a look at the complete article here.

Moving.... again!

Tomorrow I'll be traveling ... again!!! LOL! I'm really tired of traveling, think I had enough. This time is -again- to another country where I hope I'll stay for a long time!!! All my stuff left yesterday and me will leave tomorrow. Hope to get settle fast so I can go back to do what I really like: watching films and sharing with you all.

Cheers!!!

Hope

For the past year I've not been able to post regularly as I did since I started this blog about five years ago, but I HOPE that soon I'll be back to 'normal' in the blog and most important, in my life.

I thank dearly to all that visited during the last 365+ days to view or review old posts -and a few new ones- that now have become an interesting database and my way of not forgetting which movies I have seen and which have to watch.

As always there is an exception to the rule, I truly loved being able to cover this year Cannes festival the way I did and promise you all that next year will be even better as there were so many things that I couldn't do this year due to life non-pleasant situations.

It may not be fast, but hopefully soon I'll be back to my regular posting.

Again, THANK YOU!

MUBI - Update

One of my true passions until today is Branding. I invested many years of my career learning and developing brands. I know the power of a brand and had the opportunity to help some companies that had high levels of brand or branding fragmentation. With this background, it is with high surprise that today I discover that MUBI is still The Auteurs... and The Auteurs is MUBI.

From product description I gather that The Auteurs is where we will continue to find excellent movies, while in MUBI we will find more films less strictly curated and will be like a social network, a discussion group, the latest news and critcism... Hmmm. Like they say: The Auteurs is about films, MUBI about the audience. Hmm.

I'm really sorry to say that this seems like a bad case of brand fragmentation (against a good case of brand segmentation) and just hope that eventually brand owners realize the power of The Auteur brand as what was a unique World platform to watch, discuss, read, review, learn and simply enjoy excellent cinema. My suggestion if I was their brand consultant is .... wait! I used to charge three figures an hour to give this kind of advise... so I better remain silent, LOL!

Anyway if you're interested in this subject, more from a marketing/branding point-of-view than cinema pov, check the letter that The Auteurs/MUBI Founder & CEO published today, please go here.

---end of Update--

Some of my European friends have to be very interested in today's news from Cannes. Here is an excerpt from the news at indieWire that you can read here just go down to 11:33 AM.

“Never before have filmmakers had the ability to program, now they do,” said Celluloid Dreams head Hengameh Panahi in Cannes this morning. She helped usher in a new phase for online film library, The Auteurs, which has unveiled a partnership with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and re-branded itself as ‘MUBI.’

Under the pact, detailed today at a Majestic Hotel press event, MUBI’s collection of international, independent and classic cinema will be available to European PlayStation3 users. MUBI will be a free, downloadable application that allows anyone with a PS3 in designated territories access to its library. PS3 users in the U.K., Ireland, France, Italy, the Iberian peninsula, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Benelux and Nordic countries, Australia and New Zealand will have access to MUBI’s collection beginning in Autumn, 2010. Plans for North America are said to be still pending.

Included in the downlodable offering is the entire work of Belgian/French filmmaker, Agnes Varda (“The Gleaners and I”). MUBI and Sony call it “the first time that the complete work of such an established filmmaker will have been available to watch globally on the Internet.” Additionally, Mexican collaboration, “Revolucion,” which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and will screen in Cannes this week will be available on MUBI on the anniversary of Mexico’s revolution and ahead of its worldwide DVD release. Work from the Coen brothers and Tarantino as well as Latin American directors and restored shorts are among the array of films that will be available to users"

So I know a few friends that if they don't have a PS3 maybe should buy one fast. But don't despair if you can't afford one, the films are all available at the good old The Auteurs site that from today the opening page reads as follows.

Dont' panic... We just changed our name. We are now MUBI. Your Online cinema. Anytime, anywhere.

Now it's important that you update your bookmarks as the new address is http://mubi.com/home or www.mubi.com. Still, to check and watch Agnes Varda films in one page you have to go to http://www.theauteurs.com/agnes-varda (!) so, go figure, they must be in the transition phase.

I'm really glad to learn that now PS3 owners can now also watch interesting world cinema besides only playing (lol!), hope my particular friends in Spain enjoy the new film distribution outlet as much as they enjoy playing.

Obviously The Auteurs did more than just changing their name to MUBI as with more platforms come more new viewers and more viewers means more new films! Excellent.

Cheers!!!

This is the ad at Playstation

Three Short Films

My other passion was Advertising and when the lines become blur with my first passion, Films, the end result is quite interesting. Always wanted to work in Europe for an European brand. Did worked in Europe for an European brand, but never allow us to do something like this or hiring such amazing directors. Check the short films/long-form ads for Lady Dior, starring Marion Cotillard.

Lady Noir directed by Olivier Dahan (from La Môme fame)



Lady Rouge Directed by Jonas Akerlund (Music video)



Lady Blue Shanghai Written and directed by David Lynch (very Lynch!!)

This video looks a lot better at Lady Dior site.

Part 1



Part 2



Can you guess what Dior is advertising? If you can't just mark the following word to find out. [Handbags].

Sharing with YOU Loyal Movie On Readers

For the first time I’m going to share with you all how I follow Cannes fest. I’m doing it so perhaps some of you will join me for a few days and could ‘party’ together.

Everything starts at the Official Site where info will be pouring slowly, so you have to be patient for them to upload everything. As patience is not my virtue I always watch on TV the opening but this year I wont be able as now I live in a country where the satellite provider unannouncedly stopped TV5 Monde transmission. So I’m hoping that Canal+ uploads the opening ceremony faster than the official site and maybe (wish me success) I’ll find a site that broadcasts TV5 Monde online and viola, will watch it live. Yes, have several sites ready, but I wont know if they work until the show is broadcasted, so if you wish to watch it live check this site as surely I’ll post the link.

What follows comes from different sources. Some Press calls and conferences are really fun-to-watch, last year had a blast watching Almodovar, let’s hope that this year we find some amusing ones. This kind of videos come only from the official site, they’re the best and if you have bandwith strongly recommend to watch them in high definitition. Also Canal+, as an official partner, loads tons of videos but most are not really interesting, so what I don’t miss is Zapping Cannois that gives me a glimpse of everything that happens and if I’m interested in something in particular just browse the site to find the video with all the information.

The best place to find excellent information and videos is arte.tv that’s definitively more selective in what they upload to their site plus their interviews are less gossipy and more cinema interesting.

Then comes the reading from people that actually are in Cannes. Unfortunately this year my favorite net writer won’t be in Cannes and I surely will miss his peculiar writing, still he’ll be covering the fest from the same side of the world I am. Luckily I have another writer that I like to follow exclusively for Cannes coverage as his ‘darkish’ humor absolutely is my kind of humor; love Peter Bradshaw from British newspaper the Guardian. He’s already in Cannes and today’s article is just great reading for Cannes movies that never crossed the English channel and (some) much less the big ocean. Fortunately many are or will be available in DVD which up-to-today is the most greatest (and cheapest) cinema invention ever (for me).

I avoid reading Cannes films reviews, but if I’m really curious about an especific film surely I’ll read (some) of what Todd McCarthy writes if he saw that movie. Yes I check gossipy news too. The most serious writer is Anne Thompson that since she went to indiewire she’s a lot more free to write lighter articles, but the drawback about these two ex-Variety writers is that many times what they write has a very American pov against a more international one. Speaking of Variety, they’re promoting new writers and if their site allows me to read more articles than 3 a month, surely I’ll check them.

For true gossip I read Paris Match (lol!), Premiere (France), and use google latest news search in French (avoid English or you’ll get mostly annoying American news). Here is where I learn stuff like what in the world is Aish doing in Cannes this year? (LOL!) plus stuff about thousands of films that didn’t got into any Selection but are being promoted in Cannes marche, the biggest in the world.

Surely I’m forgetting something, but this gives you an idea of how I’ll spend the following days until May 23 when the festival closes. Afterwards I close the book until next year and the greatest party of the year is over for me. Sadly the wait starts until I’m able to watch whatever films ‘I have to’ watch, a wait that sometimes takes up to 2 years (if not more).

Always say that I have to go to Cannes and always hope for ‘next year’. Hope never dies and well let’s hope that next year I’ll be writing live from Cannes.

Cheers!!!

Lynn Redgrave

Lynn Redgrave passed away last Sunday. RIP. There is one movie that impressed my young mind and possibly set a path for what became my future. Georgy Girl. I never forgotten that film or Lynn Redgrave performance as Georgy and will never forget.

My sincere condolences go to the Redgrave family.

More about Oscar Winning Director

Not very often I read articles in 'serious' publications about the so-called 'glass ceiling'and women struggle to break it as well as dismantling stereotypes about what types of films women can and should direct. Manohla Dargis wrote on March 10th in the New York Times an article that is much worth reading and definitively food-for-thought to women all over the world. Alright we all know that the American Society is perhaps one of the most sexist societies in the Occidental world, but I found the article direct and well-written. Just check the first paragraph.

"KATHRYN BIGELOW’S two-fisted win at the Academy Awards for best director and best film for “The Hurt Locker” didn’t just punch through the American movie industry’s seemingly shatterproof glass ceiling; it has also helped dismantle stereotypes about what types of films women can and should direct. It was historic, exhilarating, especially for women who make movies and women who watch movies, two groups that have been routinely ignored and underserved by an industry in which most films star men and are made for and by men. It’s too early to know if this moment will be transformative — but damn, it feels so good."

I strongly suggest to readers -male and female- to read the article that's here.

The Good News Were NOT Good

I was just reading the post "Good News" from July 20, 2009 where I shared with you all about me moving to another country and realized that 7 months later the moving seems to be finally over. Yes, this was the most disastrous moving experience I have ever had in my entire life and believe me, I have moved a lot.

In about an hour the container with whatever is left from my stuff is arriving home. I don't know how things will arrive but I'm expecting the worst and I hope I can salvage some of my stuff like my books, my pictures, my extensive movie collection and my life story. I know that my computer, sound system, dvd player, laserdisc player and many other stuff will be kaput! But at least the wait will be over after months and months of waiting.

I wish this blog will be the place to tell you my moving story, but it's not. This is a film blog and as such will remain.

Now you know another reason why I haven't posted often.

Sigh.

Metaweb

As you can see in The Hurt Locker post I'm testing a new service from Metaweb with basic info for the movie; the snippet still is in testing mode and imagine that soon will be officially launched. I definitively prefer more 'reliable' sources for the data and hope that when launched will include them.

Still I need your help to please tell us if you like or not the snippet. You can select the method you prefer to give your feedback, send email and/or leave a comment. I know that comments are not easy in the blog, but since the awful spam attack had to turn back the word verification and other security measures.

We thank you in advance for your generous feedback.

Films for the 11 to 15 Years Old - Update 2

As the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) closes we find new films targeted for kids and teens. Most interesting is finding that the fest has in the past and will continue to release DVD's with movies from the fest.

If you're interested in learning about the films, checking the available DVD's and read about the Generation Section of this year's festival, please go here.

-end of update 2-

Recently we got an email from a mother asking us for websites where she could find reviews/recommendations about films for kids in those ages. We answered that we did not know of such sites, but we know about festivals with awards for films targeted to those ages.

The age range is a difficult one as parents still want to control what their children watch and children are starting to develop their own individuality, consequently start to look for what they want to watch.

Nevertheless I liked the idea to have one post -that could be a constant work in progress, especially with blog readers help- to list movies and/or link to sites with films that parents can watch with their children because someone said they are targeted to those ages. The last is the difficult part as always parents should read what the movie is about, check the trailer and read a few reviews before considering if whatever we list here is suited for their own children.

To start this post here is one links where interested parents can look for films names, read about the films and then look for trailers and more info.

Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus at the Berlin Film Festival. To check the 2009 Crystal Bear award winners feature films and shorts go here. Browse the site for films from previous years.

Most of the films are not American and some definitively are arty, but I suggest parents not to be scare off; after all I was lucky enough to start watching great movies when I was in those ages and also learned to read subtitles at a very early age which makes a lot easier to read them when you’re an adult.

26th Annual Chicago International Children's Film Festival - October 22 to November 1, 2009

Check all the films in this festival here and browse the fest site (and previous years films) here.

Film Festival World - Children's Film Festivals - To check many festivals targeted to children go here.

We will highly appreciate if any of the blog readers knows about a website, film, source of info, etc. to please leave the information as a comment or email us.

I will create a direct link to the post in the second column for easiest access.

Cheers!

The Danish Girl - Update 1

The news are out and the new actress playing Nicole Kidman's wife is none other than Gwyneth Paltrow.

Here is the announcement that if you want to read it at the original site go here.

"Gwyneth Paltrow will join Nicole Kidman in “The Danish Girl,” an adaptation of the David Ebershoff novel that tells the story of a relationship between the first post-operative transsexual, Einar Wegener, and his wife Greta.

Thomas Alfredson (“Let the Right One In”) is directing a script by Lucinda Coxon. Gail Mutrux, Anne Harrison and Linda Reisman are producing, along with Kidman and Per Saari.

One afternoon in 1920s Copenhagen, Greta, a portrait painter, asked her husband to stand in for an absent female model. Slipping on a dress, stockings and woman’s shoes began a metamorphosis into Lili. When the photos became wildly popular, Greta encouraged her husband to do more, but a harmless game evolved into something deeper that threatens their marriage.

Kidman had already been attached to play Einar, and Paltrow will play Greta, who stood by her partner through the sex-change operation, finally letting go when she realized the man she married no longer exists."

I don't know about you readers, but I enjoy Paltrow in the screen. I'm curious to find how the two will look together, as I think they resemble each other.

--end of Update 1--

There are good news and bad news about the project.

The bad: Charlize Theron quit the project.

The Excellent News: Tomas Alfredson, who made Swedish vampire film Let The Right One In, will adapt David Ebershoff's novel for the big screen.

The film will be released by the end of 2010.

-end of update-

Since yesterday that I saw the news on TV I was speechless and today the news are spread allover the net so, why not include them also in this blog? Unfortunately serious and reliable resources are not carrying the news, so I have to use “unreliable” sources that sometimes publish more gossip than facts.

Anyway the news is that Nicole Kidman is co producing and starring in this film along with none other than Charlize Theron. The movie is based on the true story set in early last century of Danish artists Einar (Kidman) and Greta Wegener (Theron), that when Einar had a successful sex change surgery and became a woman (Lili Elbe) the king of Denmark annulled their marriage, as two women cannot be married. Yes Nicole Kidman plays a man that becomes a woman and he/she is married to Charlize Theron!!!

Then Einar in his female guise “Lili” often posed for his wife paints and illustrations and for me the best part is to learn that Gerda Wegener was a renowned painter and while living in Paris did illustrations for Vogue, La Vie Parisienne, and many other magazines; also among the books she illustrated we find none other than "Une Aventure d'Amour a Venice'' by Giacomo Casanova! But more interesting was to find that she has many lesbian erotic art watercolors that if you wish you can check some here. She’s recognized as one of the leading Art Deco artists of the early twentieth century.

The story of Einar/Lili is quite interesting and perhaps the best site I found to read about it is here that details his transformation in a very clinical way, as well as gives details of his/her life.

Well, all the above is about the real life story of both artists, but the movie is a fictional and novelized recount of their story based on the book "The Danish Girl" by David Ebershoff. So, with all the information I shared with you all I didn’t spoiled the movie as the book is described as dealing more with “the mysterious and ineffable nature of love”.

According to The Hollywood Reporter the movie is in pre-production and hopefully they'll film and release it very fast, as not only the casting is more than superb, but the story can be very interesting and absolutely a must be seen.

The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made

If you are into lists and movie books then I suggest you do not miss checking the list by the Film Critics of the New York Times and learn about the 2004 book edited by Peter M. Nichols. To check the list and info about each movie go here.

Traveling ... again!

Yep, I have to travel again. So, for about two weeks I won't be posting as much as I like and I really regret that probably I wont be able to follow the Foreign Film submissions to the Oscar as I do from here... but I'll try.

As soon as I'm back, my priority will be to Update that post!

The extremely very good news is that I'll be able to shop for GOOD DVD's in person and pickup many that have ordered! So, eventually reviews will start to appear.

Thank you for visiting the blog and I'll be back to normal soon.

Contact Us

Times change and we believe is time that this blog opens a communication line with all of you that wish to communicate with us. We are pleased to announce that in the first column you will find a link that will allow you to send us emails.

Some of you have been leaving general messages as comments in posts and we truly appreciate them, so much that now we will make it easier to contact us either pressing the envelope in this post or by using the link in the first column.

Some filmmakers have been offering to send us movie screeners for our “unusual” review and as of today we are opening the possibility to communicate with us privately to define how to make the screeners available to us.

We thank you very much for visiting the blog and the many kind words about this blog that started as a way to express my thoughts about movies, evolved into an ever growing database of films, festivals, synopsis, and trailers, and will continue to evolve in the future into a more coherent Movie site, that hopefully will be a reference for many.

What started with only Storyteller now has Chaos and I envision more contributors that will enrich the future of this site.

Many, many THANKS!!!

Hello

As you probably noticed I'm back! Actually I'm partially back, as I'm posting from the tiny laptop and believe me, it's hard! lol!

But finally today I finished posting the Biennale lineups and the only thing missing is the shorts section that still have not been published, but as soon as they are I will post the link so everyone interested in shorts can take a look.

In the next days I'll check the Locarno fest, Toronto fest and Rome fest as they're active and will post accordingly.

Thanks for visiting while I was out of circulation and for the next weeks that I'll be posting from my tiny laptop.

Sigh.

Chaos

From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary we have that Chaos means:

2 a often capitalized: a state of things in which chance is supreme; especially : the confused unorganized state of primordial matter before the creation of distinct forms
3 a: a state of utter confusion

I do not have an idea how Chaos will come to this blog, if more like the first, the second definition or a little from both; but one thing is true, as of today Chaos is part of Movie On and now we will have a new and different point of view about the stuff that makes this blog unusual.

So please give Chaos a warm welcome and let Chaos know that we are looking forward to the first and successive posts.

BIG WELCOME!!!