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Updated February 01 2009
February 01: Winners of the AFCA Film Awards and the inaugural AFCA Awards for Excellence in Film Writing have been announced. Click here for more information.
Venice Film Festival Report from AFCA FIPRESCI jury member, Donna Demaio
The 66th Venice Film Festival offered hundreds of movies but in my role as a member of the Fipresci jury my focus was well and truly on the task at hand. I, along with eight others, would see the films in competition and those screened in the parallel sections, Horizons and Critics Week.
The other jurors were Andrei Plakov (president), Barbara Lorey de Lacharriere, Magda Mihailescu, Gunnar Bergdahl, Ronald Rovers, Jon Frosch, Paulo Portugal and Alberto Castellano.
The immersion in film and film discussion was intoxicating. Jessica Hausner's Lourdes (the eventual winner of the Fipresci prize) was a mesmerising, and at times crushing, portrayal of a young womans' physical and emotional journey as she travels to the religious epicentre Lourdes. Optimism and hope permeate most of the film, with a respectful approach to the subject matter. But ultimately, the joy dissipates and reality sets in.
The Romanian film Francesca was an insight into a young woman's desperation and fear that accompanies the desire to find a better life. A quality drama that made you care what happens to the main character.
Director Werner Herzog was granted two films in competition, which caused an initial stir. The Bad Lieutenant : Port of Call New Orleans and My son, my son, what have ye done? The first offers Nicholas Cage a chance to demonstrate once again his fine ability to play a man on the edge while the second takes a look at a twisted man's life as he kills a family member.
The opening night film Baaria from Giuseppe Tornatore also prompted fierce debate on whether it was a masterpiece or not. It's the story of several generations, depicting their love and passion for people and politics. Some of the scenes are intensely poetic.
Todd Solondtz' Life During Wartime is black comedy in its purest form. Characters discover disturbing characteristics about the ones they love. There is heartache, volatility,confusion and hope. The film is part sequel to Happiness but the director says with a completely different cast, it's more interesting and fun.
Lebanon directed by Samuel Maoz ( the winner of the Leone D'oro) was gripping . It takes the viewer inside a tank in Lebanon in 1982. The young, inexperienced and very scared paratroopers are trapped in a hostile town , inside the tank, and deal with their fear of dying.
An aesthetically pleasing and beautiful film was Tom Ford's A Single Man about 52 year old British college professor George Falconer, who is battling to maintain the will to live after his long-time partner, Jim, dies. Texas born Ford has delivered ,with his first feature film, a romantic tale of isolation and loss. It's a pure love story. Colin Firth won the best actor award.
Italian movies had a strong presence in the program, with La Doppia Ora from Giuseppe Capotondi a definite highlight. Sonia and Guido meet at a speed dating session in a bustling bar, but the film soon becomes more than a simple tale of the search for romance. It seductively develops into a thriller. I jumped twice in my seat.
Being a jury member meant I saw many films, some easily forgettable and others that have made a fine impression.The intensity and responsibility of my role was quickly defined and accepted. It was an inspiri ng grind against a back-drop of red carpet arrivals ( Nicholas Cage, Matt Damon, Omar Shariff and so on). The wonderful nature of any film festival is that it brings together those who live and breathe film. And in that regard, it was very, very worthwhile.
Updated 26 August 2009
Italian and Israeli Festival 2009 review pages added
See reviews from our members here.
Marinetti Screening - 4pm 19 September 2009, ACMI Melbourne
PG Albie Thoms, 85 mins, Australia, 16mm. Source: National Film & Sound Archive. Courtesy: Albie Thoms.
AFCA presents its next joint screening with ACMI on Saturday, 19 September at 4pm. General admission: $8
Please join us at the 40th anniversary screening of the experimental film Marinetti directed by Albie Thoms, with a panel discussion on the film and the Sydney co-operative that launched a number of experimental films at the time.
Director Albie Thoms summarises his ground-breaking film as "a record, in futurist stream-of-consciousness form, of a man's reactions to the presence of both his present and former girlfriends at a party."
Regarded as Australia's first avant-garde experimental feature-length film, how does it stand up now forty years on? Join Thoms, a panel of critics and host Peter Krausz, Chair of the Australian Film Critics Association, as they discuss this landmark work and its place in Australian film history.
Stars Clemency Weight, Susan Howe, Aggy Read, David Perry and Abigayl Day.
Russian Resurrection Film Festival 2009 reviews page updated
See reviews from our members here.
Melbourne International Film Festival reviews page updated
See handy reference links and reviews from our members outlets here.
Street Sweeper Screening - 4pm 16 May 2009, ACMI Melbourne
AFCA's eighth joint screening with ACMI will be held on Saturday, 16 May at 4pm. General admission: $8
Unclassified 18+ Neil Mansfield, 77 mins, Australia, 2007, DV Cam.
The streets of Newcastle form the backdrop to the wanderings of our protagonist (Marin Mimca, Erskineville Kings) who spouts poetry triggered by the ephemera he finds along the way.
Accompanied by his buggy and broom he wanders the city, mostly unnoticed. The screening will be followed by a discussion hosted by AFCA Chair, Peter Krausz.
Josh Jarman Screening - 4pm 21 February, ACMI Melbourne
AFCA's seventh joint screening with ACMI will be held on Saturday, 21 February at 4pm. General admission: $8
M rated. Pip Mushin, 96 mins, Australia, 2004, Source: Instinct Entertainment.
Playwrights deserve everything they get. For hero Josh, it's a sexy hyperactive girlfriend, a ruthless producer, an unscrupulous director and the girl next door. Marcus Graham plays the hapless and decidedly uncool hero, Mr Jarman, whose quest for success as a writer pushes him on a collision course toward success at any cost and at the expense of artistic integrity.
Followed by a panel discussion hosted by AFCA Chair, Peter Krausz, with director Pip Mushin on the panel and producer Eva Orner by telephone from Los Angeles.
THE BLACK BALOON SOARS AGAIN AT THE 2008 AFCA FILM AWARDS - MEDIA RELEASE
Australian Film Critics' Association (AFCA) is proud to announce the results of their 2008 Film Awards. Encompassing four categories comprising Best Australian Film, Best Overseas Film, Best Documentary and Best Un-released Film, the winners were:
Best Australian Film: WINNER: The Black Balloon (Australia). Commended: The Square (Australia)
Best Overseas Film: WINNER: There Will Be Blood (USA). Commended: Dark Knight (USA)
Best Documentary: WINNER: Man On Wire (UK/USA). Commended: Not Quite Hollywood (Australia)
Best Un-released Film: WINNER: En La Ciudad De Sylvia (In Sylvia's City) (Spain). Commended: Les Amours d'Astrée et de Céladon (The Romance of Astree & Celadon) (France/Italy/Spain)
In 2009 AFCA will launch its inaugural awards for film writing to be called the AFCA Ivan Hutchinson Award for Excellence in Film Writing which will offer cash prizes for the Best Essay or Article on Australian film the Best Example of Film Criticism. Further details will be announced mid-year.
AFCA started life as the Melbourne Film Critics' Forum in 1996, expanding to a national organization in 2004 and is a member of FIPRESCI, the revered International Federation of Film Critics and Film Journalists. AFCA's members, many of whom are globally acknowledged as experts in their field, are comprised of professional film critics, film reviewers and film journalists who provide informed discussion, analysis and comment on Australian and world cinema. AFCA supports both mainstream and independent cinema and particularly aims to generate
appreciation for significant or challenging films that may, for whatever reason, have been overlooked.
AFCA also enjoys an association with Australian Centre for Moving Image (ACMI) for which it hosts regular screenings and panel discussions.
For interviews and media enquiries, please contact: Peter Krausz, AFCA Chair, M: 0413 599 840, E: krausz.peter.gATedumail.vic.gov.au