Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki specials on UTV
UTV World Movies in its constant attempt to present the best of movies from the legends of world cinema brings the Gods of Cinema to television exclusively through its unique on-air property In –Focus. Every month, the channel will focus on one iconic filmmaker and present his work along with information, trivia, contests and online communities. Some of the stalwarts in focus this year are Francois Truffaut, Jafar Panahi, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Wim Winders, Takeshi Kitano and Luc Besson. In the month of May, In – Focus brings to you a range of unforgettable movies of unparalleled Finnish director and writer Aki Kaurismaki.
The younger member of Finland’s most prolific filmmaking team, Aki Kaurismäki, together with older brother Mika, virtually invented the “New Finnish Cinema.” The special line up of movies on UTV World Movies starting from May 2nd to May 30th May are The Man without a past, Ariel, Drifting clouds, Lights in the dusk and The match Factory girl, every Saturday at 10.30 pm.
Speaking on this initiative, Mr. Manasi Sapre, Programming Head, UTV World Movies, said “It is our constant endeavor to bring in the very best in World Cinema to audiences in India. In Focus is a big step in that direction. Kaurismaki- who protested against the US War policy and refused to attend Academy Awards where his film was nominated- is a rebel who is one of leading figures of European Cinema today. His films are celebrated for their eccentric humane style and unforgettable characters. We are certain that they will be appreciated by film aficionados across the country”.
Previous News:
Slumdog makers donate money to Mumbai children
The creators of the blockbuster movie “Slumdog Millionaire” have donated $747,500 to a charity devoted to improving the lives of street children in Mumbai, the filmmakers said on Thursday. The money will be given to Plan, an international children’s charity that has been working in India since 1979.
The aim is to help educate 5,000 slum kids over the next five years. “The bottom line is that some of the beneficiaries of the film’s success have got together to make a donation which will be channeled into relatively small communities where it can hopefully have a tangible and lasting impact,” producer Christian Colson told The Associated Press by e-mail.
While some criticized the filmmakers for failing to share those riches with Mumbai’s millions of slum dwellers. Others accused them of exploiting two of the movie’s child stars, Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, who grew up in a wretched Mumbai slum just minutes from a posh Bollywood enclave.
The filmmakers’ initial efforts to help the families of Rubina, 9, and pedro_almodovar, 10, were thwarted by excessive media attention, the changing demands of family members and the runaway success of the film. The filmmakers feared that if they gave the families a lump sum up front the money would be squandered or extorted.
The filmmakers said Thursday they have appointed three trustees with long experience in social services to manage a trust fund for the two children. They said the children can tap the trust funds after they graduate from high school.The Jai Ho Trust aims to ensure that the pair will get a good education, adequate housing and social support, the filmmakers said. They did not disclose the amount of the trust fund.
Spanish Auteur Pedro Almodovar is back to tease
Pedro Almodovar has returned to his roots with the production of his first short film for 30 years entitled La Concejala Antropofaga (The Cannibalistic Councilwoman) that premiered on Spanish cable television last week. The film attracted immediate and widespread acclaim. One critic called it, “a daring and intelligent act of hooliganism”.
The short film was born as a sequel from his much awaited next release, Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces) which stars Almodovar’s favorite actress and muse Penelope Cruz. Almodovar was inspired to the script of this short film for whole for Carmen Machi, an actress who plays a minor character in his next film. The story follows the monologue of a bored local politician who is driven by a desire to gobble up a man whole for Carmen Machi! Ms Machi so impressed the director of Volver and Talk To Her with her “extraordinary talent” that he wrote the short script for her “on a creative whim”.
Watch the film here (They don’t have subtitles, but I doubt you’d want to give this a miss anyway) :
As for Almodovar’s eagerly anticipated Broken Embraces, a four-way tale of amour-fou, shot - a teaser trailer for the film was recently released. The movie is in the style of ’50s American film noir at its most hard-boiled, and has references to works like Nicholas Ray’s “In a Lonely Place” and Vincente Minnelli’s “The Bad and the Beautiful.” The enthralling trailer only leaves us asking for more. We sure can’t wait to see the gorgeous Penelope, at work with the supreme Almodovar!
Check out the teaser below and stay tuned as hopefully Sony Pictures Classics will release some images and an official release date soon.
And the Academy Awards go to..
The most prestigious Oscar Awards were announced today at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. Slumdog Millionaire was top dog at the award function, scooping a total of 8 awards, including awards for Best film, Best director, Best adapted screenplay, Best cinematography, film editing, sound mixing, and original song. A.R Rahman created history by winning 2 awards and Resul Pookutty too broke Indian records by being the first in the country to win an Oscar for Best Sound Mixing. The Best Actress award went out to an exalted Kate Winslet for The Reader, and Best Actor to the high spirited Sean Penn for his outstanding turn in Milk. The award for Best Foreign Language film (quite disappointingly) was handed out to Japan’s Departures, with the Academy giving a miss to the award’s strongest contenders The Class and Waltz with Bashir. India was done proud by another incredible effort in Smile Pinki which won the Best Documentary Short. But the story, was about Slumdog all the way!
The complete list of the awards is as follows:
BEST PICTURE
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Kate Winslet (”The Reader”)
DIRECTING
Danny Boyle (”Slumdog Millionaire)
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Heath Ledger (”The Dark Knight”)
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Penelope Cruz (”Vicky Cristina Barcelona”)
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Departures
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
“Wall-E”
SCREENPLAY (Adapted)
SCREENPLAY (Original)
ART DIRECTION
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
CINEMATOGRAPHY
COSTUME DESIGN
“The Duchess”
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“Man on Wire”
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
“Smile Pinki”
FILM EDITING
MAKEUP
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
MUSIC (SCORE)
“Slumdog Millionaire” A.R. Rahman
MUSIC (SONG)
“Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire”
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
“La Maison en Petits Cubes”
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
“Spielzeugland (Toyland)”
SOUND EDITING
“The Dark Knight”
SOUND MIXING
“Slumdog Millionaire”
VISUAL EFFECTS
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
And the Bafta Awards go to!
09 Feb 2009: The 2009 British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) were held in London yesterday. Slumdog Millionaire that was poised for bagging as many awards with 11 nominations won seven prizes for best film, best director, original screenplay, music, cinematography, editing and sound. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Brad Pitt was nominated for 11 awards but walked away with just three.
Kate Winslet and Mickey Rourke also geared up for the Oscar finale by winning their fair share - Winslet for her role in The Reader and Rourke for his career-reviving performance as a washed-up athlete in The Wrestler. The complete award list is as follows:
Best Film
Leading Actor
Mickey Rourke — The Wrestler
Leading Actress
Kate Winslet — The Reader
Director
Slumdog Millionaire — Danny Boyle
Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger — The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz — Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Outstanding British Film
Man On Wire
Film Not In The English Language
Original Screenplay
In Bruges — Martin McDonagh
Adapted Screenplay
Slumdog Millionaire — Simon Beaufoy
The Carl Foreman Award for special achievement by a British director, writer or producer for their first feature film
Steve McQueen, director/writer — Hunger
Academy Fellowship
Terry Gilliam
Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema
Pinewood Studios / Shepperton Studios
Animated Film
Wall-e
Cinematography
Slumdog Millionaire — Anthony Dod Mantle
Music
Slumdog Millionaire — AR Rahman
Production Design
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button — Donald Graham Burt / Victor J Zolfo
Sound
Slumdog Millionaire — Glenn Freemantle / Resul Pookutty/ Richard Pryke / Tom Sayers / Ian Tapp
Make Up and Hair
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button — Jean Black / Colleen Callaghan
Costume Design
The Duchess — Michael O’Connor
Special Visual Effects
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button — Eric Barba/Craig Barron/Nathan/McGuinness/ Edson Williams
Editing
Slumdog Millionaire — Chris Dickens
Short Animation
Wallace And Gromit: A Matter Of Loaf And Death
Short Film
September
The Orange Rising Star Award (voted for by the public)
Noel Clarke
Previous News:
81st Academy Nominations out!
22 January 2009: The Nominations for the 81st Annual Academy Awards that released yesterday had “The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button” leading with as many as 13 nominations - Best picture, Performance by an actor in a leading role (Brad Pitt), Performance by an actress in a supporting role (Taraji P. Henson), Directing (David Fincher), Adapted screenplay, Art direction, Cinematography, Costume design, Film editing, Makeup, Sound mixing, Visual effects and Original score. Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire followed in the leads with a total number of ten nominations for Best picture, Directing, Adapted screenplay, Cinematography, Film editing, Original score, Original song - “Jai Ho,” Original song - “O Saya,” Sound editing and Sound mixing.
Woody Allen’s “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” surprisingly scored only a single nomination for Penelope Cruz and the much loved “In Bruges” was left with just one nomination for screenplay.
“Wall-E” got six, “Frost/Nixon” “Doubt” and “The Reader” got five, but “Gran Torino”, “Che”, and “I’ve Loved You So Long” had many people disappointed for not getting any major nominations.
The complete list of nominations for the 81st Annual Academy Awards are as follows:
BEST PICTURE
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Frost/Nixon”
“The Reader”
“Milk”
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Richard Jenkins (”The Visitor”)
Frank Langella (”Frost/Nixon”)
Sean Penn (”Milk”)
Brad Pitt (”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
Mickey Rourke (”The Wrestler”)
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Anne Hathaway (”Rachel Getting Married”)
Angelina Jolie (”Changeling”)
Melissa Leo (”Frozen River”)
Meryl Streep (”Doubt”)
Kate Winslet (”The Reader”)
DIRECTING
David Fincher (”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
Ron Howard (”Frost/Nixon”)
Gus Van Sant (”Milk”)
Stephen Daldry (”The Reader”)
Danny Boyle (”Slumdog Millionaire)
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Josh Brolin (”Milk”)
Robert Downey Jr. (”Tropic Thunder”)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (”Doubt”)
Heath Ledger (”The Dark Knight”)
Michael Shannon (”Revolutionary Road”)
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams (”Doubt”)
Penelope Cruz (”Vicky Cristina Barcelona”)
Viola Davis (”Doubt”)
Taraji P. Henson (”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
Marisa Tomei (”The Wrestler”)
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Baader Meinhoff Complex
The Class
Departures
Revanche
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
“Bolt”
“Kung Fu Panda”
“Wall-E”
SCREENPLAY (Adapted)
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Doubt”
“Frost/Nixon”
“The Reader”
“Slumdog Millionaire””
SCREENPLAY (Original)
“Frozen River”
“Happy-Go-Lucky”
“In Bruges”
“Milk”
“Wall-E”
ART DIRECTION
“Changeling”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“The Duchess”
“Revolutionary Road”
CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Changeling”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“The Reader”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
COSTUME DESIGN
“Australia”
”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
”The Duchess”
”Milk”
”Revolutionary Road”
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)”
”Encounters at the End of the World”
”The Garden”
”Man on Wire”
”Trouble the Water”
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
“The Conscience of Nhem En”
”The Final Inch”
”Smile Pinki
”The Witness — From the Balcony of Room 306″
FILM EDITING
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Frost/Nixon”
“Milk”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
MAKEUP
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
”The Dark Knight”
”Hellboy II: The Golden Army”
MUSIC (SCORE)
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” Alexandre Desplat
“Defiance” James Newton Howard
“Milk” Danny Elfman
“Slumdog Millionaire” A.R. Rahman
“WALL-E” Thomas Newman”
MUSIC (SONG)
“Down to Earth” from “WALL-E”
“Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire”
“O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire”
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
“La Maison en Petits Cubes”
”Lavatory — Lovestory”
”Oktapodi”
”Presto”
”This Way Up”
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
“Auf der Strecke (On the Line)”
”Manon on the Asphalt”
”New Boy”
”The Pig”
”Spielzeugland (Toyland)”
SOUND EDITING
“The Dark Knight”
“Iron Man”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“WALL-E”
“Wanted”
SOUND MIXING
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“‘WALL-E”
“Wanted”
VISUAL EFFECTS
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
The Dark Knight”
“Iron Man”
The 81st Annual Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, 22 February 2009.
2008 Oscar Foreign Language shortlist infuriates masses
15 January 2009: Aamir Khan’s directorial debut ‘Taare Zameen Par’ failed to make it to the short-list in the Foreign Language Film category of the Oscar nominations for the 81st Annual Academy Awards 2009.
The Oscar selection committee announced on Tuesday a list of nine movies out of which five will make into the final competition out of a total of 65 that submitted their films. The 9 films shortlisted by the committee are:
3 Monkeys (Turkey), The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany), The Class (France), Departures (Japan), Everlasting Moments (Sweden), The Necessities of Life (Canada), Revanche (Austria), Tear This Heart Out (Mexico), Waltz with Bashir (Israel).
Films like Sweden’s Let The Right One In which could not be submitted for the Oscars despite its grandeur owing to the one-submission-per-country rule, and Italy’s Gomorra that was plainly left omitted from the shortlist have brought in a sense of skepticism amongst many people with respect to the Awards’ credibility. It was Sweden’s Everlasting Moments that the country submitted to the Academy, a film that also made it to the shortlist. But reviewers are still unhappy. “To have a film that has won the acclaim that Let The Right One In has, and have that film go completely ignored for even the nominating process… frankly, it is unjust and beneath the standard that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences purports to endorse,” said a dissatisfied reviewer.
“Gomorra” is the more controversial snub. The film, which was adapted from a notoriously famous and best-selling book, shows the inner-workings of the Camorra, the oldest organized criminal organization in Italy. It was nominated for the Palm d’Or and won the Grand Prix at Cannes, won the best film prize at the European Film Awards, and was nominated for best foreign language film at the Golden Globes. Furious reviewers insist that the foreign-language committee should pay more attention to critical response and take into account the world cinema awards.
Israel’s Waltz with Bashir, a movie that easily beats out every other film of 2008, according to most people, is playing strongest contender to win the award. While the battle against the common crowd and the crowning committee has been taking place for years, we can only hope that the final awards do proper justice.
The 81st Academy Awards nominations for the final competition will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 5:30 a.m, and the final Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009
66th Annual Golden Globe awards announced!
12 January 2009: The 66th Annual Golden Globes were announced today at Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California at 0100 HRS GMT. India’s A R Rahman creates history as he receives India’s first Golden Globe for his thumping soundtrack of Slumdog Millionaire.
A visibly excited, but the ever humble Rahman said: “Unbelievable. First, I thank the Almighty for bringing me here”. He then proceeded to thank his crew starting with director Danny Boyle, who won the best director award in the same ceremony. He concluded his short speech by thanking the billion Indians for their wishes.
The complete list of Awards is as follows:
CECIL B. DEMILLE AWARD
Steven Spielberg
BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
BEST MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
BEST DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE
Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
Kate Winslet for Revolutionary Road
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Colin Farrell for In Bruges
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Kate Winslet for The Reader
BEST SCREENPLAY - MOTION PICTURE
Slumdog Millionaire - Simon Beaufoy
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - MOTION PICTURE
Slumdog Millionaire - A.R. Rahman
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
BEST ANIMATED FILM
WALL·E
BEST ORIGINAL SONG - MOTION PICTURE
The Wrestler (”The Wrestler”)
BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
“John Adams”
BEST TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
“Mad Men”
BEST TELEVISION SERIES - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
“30 Rock”
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Gabriel Byrne for “In Treatment”
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Anna Paquin for “True Blood”
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Alec Baldwin for “30 Rock”
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Tina Fey for “30 Rock”
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Paul Giamatti for “John Adams”
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Laura Linney for “John Adams”
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Tom Wilkinson for “John Adams”
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Laura Dern for Recount
Kate Winslet broke her losing spree big time winning both the Best Actress and Supporting Actress awards the same night. India’s Shah Rukh Khan presented the synopsis for the Best Picture Slumdog Millionaire which went on to win 4 awards this evening . With Golden Globe considered a dress rehearsal for the Oscars late next month, it is going to be interesting to see how Academy’s ever changing policies track the Golden Globes’.
Freida Pinto wins Breakthrough Award
6 January 2009: The 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) honored Indian actor Freida Pinto with the Breakthrough Award for her performance in Slumdog Millionaire today. This was the final prize awarded at the Awards Gala, presented by Cartier, on at the Palm Springs Convention Center.
Pinto stars in Slumdog Millionaire, the story of a young man who looks to become a contestant on the Hindi version of “Who Wants to be A Millionaire” in order to re-establish contact with the girl he loves, who is an ardent fan of the show.
Pinto’s role as Latika in Slumdog Millionaire is her first lead role in a feature film. “The first time I saw her, I saw her with hundreds of girls on a tape, and the first time I saw her audition, I remember thinking, ‘I bet that’s her!’” Boyle said in an interview. “It’s not an enormous part, but I think she gives it real presence that you feel that he (the protagonist star Dev Patel) is looking for somebody well worth looking for.”
Previous Breakthrough Awards have gone to Marion Cotillard and Jennifer Hudson—and both won Oscars for their breakthrough performances.
The gala also will honor Clint Eastwood with the Career Achievement Award, Ron Howard with the Director’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and Dustin Hoffman with the Chairman’s Award
Palm Springs International Film Festival was started in 1989, and is held annually in Palm Strings, California in January every year.
Another feather to the crown for Santosh Sivan’s Tahaan
9 December 2008: Santosh Sivan’s Tahaan has won three awards at the Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People in Greece. The movie won the Best Feature Film, Best Film UNICEF Award and the CIFEJ Jury Award at the Olympia International Film Festival.
“That covers the entire major awards in the films category,” said an excited Sivan, minutes after the Olympia awards concluded in Greece. “What makes these awards special is the fact that every category has a separate set of jury members, so it was basically three different set of jury members giving the three awards to Tahaan. That felt good,” says Santosh Sivan who is known to make memorable children’s films beginning with Halo and Asoka.
About the relationship between a little boy and his pet donkey, Tahaan, the exquisitely shot work of art has been a part of many international festivals since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival 2008. These include: The Rome Film Festival, The Cinekid Film Festival, The Pusan Film Festival, The BFI London Film Festival and The Amazonas Film Festival in Brazil.
Starring Anupam Kher, Purav Bhandare, Sarika, Rahul Bose, Rahul Khanna and Victor Banerjee the film was released in India by Sony Pictures in September. Purav Bhandare who plays the main part in Tahaan, couldn’t be in Greece for the awards, but left the audience stunned with his performance. The jury found it hard to believe Tahaan to be Purav’s debut film.
The director was keyed up by meeting many prospective producers at Olympia and has even locked in for a project with a Canadian production house.
Official Entries for the Oscars Out: Who’s hot and Who’s not?
The Oscar Official entries are out (Full list here) and as many as 67 countries have submitted their candidates for the golden statuette – A record number by itself. With the nominations out in January, here is an early look at the major players this year.
Gomorra: Italy’s tale of the life and times in Camorra, the crime hub of Naples interweaves 5 stories of people living in the area and trying to make a life and name for themselves. The film is already making waves as the author of the book on which the film is based on is under a life threat. Confusing and unconventional narrative keeps one engaged. And the Academy won’t fail to notice such films.
The Baader Meinhof Complex: Consistent performer at the Oscar Awards, Germany’s fantastic portrayal of interconnected lives in The Edge of Heaven may have been overlooked, but this film about the rise of the Red Army Faction during the late 60’s seems to be the favorite especially since the Academy seems to have shed its policy of not embracing violence.
The Class: A sleeper, even for Cannes where it went all the way. It has become a thumb rule that Oscar should not be given to the Palm D’Or winner and The Class may just succumb to that. Another minimalist film, following its Cannes predecessor 4 Months. 3 Weeks and 2 Days, The Class serves as a exhibition of the various cultures and their intersection in the city of Paris. A low chance, but the Academy never ceases to surprise.
Waltz With Bashir: Israeli reply to Persepolis follows the life of the director during his involvement in the Israel-Palestine war told in animation. The Academy loves issues – be it cultural or political (conditions apply!) – and what bigger issue at this time than the middle eastern conflict. Persepolis was unfairly ignored and let’s hope Waltz with Bashir makes up for that.
Dream Weavers: Beijing 2008: We’ve all seen it and we’ve all collapsed in awe – the 2008 Olympics in China. Surprising entrant is this documentary from China that follows the Chinese government’s run up to the Beijing Olympics. The film took 5 years to make and hope is that it is as grand as the Olympics itself. But a docu? Propaganda? And China? Fat Chance!
Opium War: Siddik Barmak made an instant mark with his film Osama (2003) and Opium War follows suit that follows life in Afghanistan as a country influenced by both the Russian and American involvement in War. With the film grabbing the top award at the Rome International Film Festival this year, this one comes as one of the dark horses in the race.
The Song Of Sparrows: Iran’s safest director Majid Majidi is embodiment of consistence and it may be high time he gets another nod after Children of Heaven (1998). The Song of Sparrows follows the life of a man after being fired from an Ostrich farm for his negligence. How the melodrama supporting academy views this one is a question mark. But the profile of the director may just give it the required boost.
Taare Zameen Par: The Indian entry is not exactly a strong contender and may be one of the first films to be weeded out. For a person not new to the Hollywood way of filmmaking, the ordeal of a boy suffering from Dyslexia and his subsequent treatment may be just too typical. Taare Zameen Par edged past contenders like Vallu, Tingya, A Wednesday, Mumbai Meri Jaan, Black & White, Jodhaa Akbar, Rock On and Ghanyam.
The Rest Is Silence: Romanian Follow up to the Cannes winner 4 Months. 3 Weeks and 2 Days is an unconventional movie that depicts how a film based on the Romanian war of independence is made. Part fact, part fiction, the film is being praised in internet circles for its extraordinary art direction and cinematography. We’ll have to wait to hear more about this seemingly strong contender.
Mermaid: Coming of age tale of a girl whose illusions of Childhood are slowly crumbled as she discovers love and the real world may not recreate the magic of Moscow Does not Believe in Tears (1980) at the Oscars, but given Russia’s track record of the Academy Awards, Mermaid seems to be a formidable player this year.
Captain Abu Raed: Jordan enters the race for the first time in its film history and how! Already the winner
of the revered Sundance Audience Award and going great guns among the internet forums, Captain Abu Raed is the story of a janitor who is mistaken for a captain by the children in his neighbourhood. He begins to assume the bestowed role and develops fictional stories about his travels to far off countries. This genuine crowd pleaser may just be one of the five the Academy is looking for.
Let’s wait for January.
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Wow! That is too early
I am surprised how you got to watch all these films, as the DVDs are not yet out. Gomorrah is a very strong contender, no doubt.
I haven’t seen all the films Aravind, these are based on the reports from the festivals.
Thanks for the post.
You are absolutely right in stating that TZP might easily be one of the first films to be weeded out. Agreed it is a sensitively made movie. But the long run-time, a fair share of melodrama, the pseudo-musical nature (as most Bollywood movies are) and a subject matter which certainly isn’t unique in its content, are some of the strong barriers in its path. And honestly speaking, even though it was a likable film, it hardly stands a chance against ‘realistic’ films from other major movie-making nations.
Loved the line, “The Academy loves issues – be it cultural or political (conditions apply!)”.
Wow, Informatics news. Thanks for sharing.
What an amazing year, and with so many excellent performances to choose from, a delight to see such amazing talents recognized. These projects covered such a wide spectrum, yet each told a very human story that touched minds and hearts around the globe.
All gone out of the race… Only Baader Meinhof Complex, The Class and Waltz with Bashir remain.
May be the Academy felt that Gomorra was still Cannes material!
I too have heard a lot about Gomorrah… apparently it was the strongest, or rather, the most popular contender for the award. So its not making the longlist indeed came as a shocker to me.
But then, on second thoughts, that’s the most defining differentiator where the Oscars is concerned vis-a-vis its popular contenders like Golden Globe and Bafta. The Academy jury has a habit of not, at times deliberately so, to go against the popular choice. And that is a reason why I have this feeling that Slumdog might not take the ‘lady’ home - for the simple reason that is so overwhelmingly favourite for the award. Golden Globes are usually easy to outguess; Oscars are far more unpredictable (in fact lot of research can be found on the net regarding Oscars’ trends), and perhaps therein lies the enormous craze and anticipation surrounding it.
As for Taare Zameen Par, it certainly doesn’t belong in that hallowed category. I was quite certain it would go nowhere as it was totally a popular and sentimental choice. Its a decent movie, but nothing of great importance.
I was so pleased to see Slumdog Millionaire get the rewards it deserves.