As part of its introduction to the U.S. marketplace, Korean soju brand Hwayo is toasting creative excellence among the broader Asian creative community.
Hwayo Honors is a new event series that aims to convene artists from multiple disciplines – fine arts, film and television, fashion and more – in that most familial of settings: the dinner table. “We took inspiration from films like Eat Drink Man Woman,” says Hwayo global brand director Vy Le. “There are a lot of people who are like, ‘Oh, here’s sponsorship dollars.’ Let’s not do that. Let’s just call our friends and see how we can try to support each other.”
As a Los Angeles-based artist whose work frequently intersects with activism, Glenn Kaino was a natural partner to co-host, with Hwayo president Lucia Cho, the inaugural dinner in L.A. “I’ve spent a big portion of my career championing artists,” says Kaino,...
Hwayo Honors is a new event series that aims to convene artists from multiple disciplines – fine arts, film and television, fashion and more – in that most familial of settings: the dinner table. “We took inspiration from films like Eat Drink Man Woman,” says Hwayo global brand director Vy Le. “There are a lot of people who are like, ‘Oh, here’s sponsorship dollars.’ Let’s not do that. Let’s just call our friends and see how we can try to support each other.”
As a Los Angeles-based artist whose work frequently intersects with activism, Glenn Kaino was a natural partner to co-host, with Hwayo president Lucia Cho, the inaugural dinner in L.A. “I’ve spent a big portion of my career championing artists,” says Kaino,...
- 6/11/2024
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Pluto TV, Paramount’s free streaming service, has revealed its May highlights. The Pluto TV May 2024 schedule includes Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month programming, more anime content, new channels, and new film additions.
Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service, delivering hundreds of live linear channels and thousands of titles on-demand to a global audience.
The Emmy Award-winning service curates a diverse lineup of channels in partnership with hundreds of international media companies. It offers a wide array of genres, languages, and categories featuring movies, television series, sports, news, lifestyle, kids, and much more.
Pluto TV can be easily accessed and streamed across mobile, web, and connected TV devices. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Pluto TV’s growing international footprint extends across three continents and over 35 markets.
Pluto TV May 2024 Programming
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, And Pacific Islander Heritage Month
To pay tribute, Pluto TV...
Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service, delivering hundreds of live linear channels and thousands of titles on-demand to a global audience.
The Emmy Award-winning service curates a diverse lineup of channels in partnership with hundreds of international media companies. It offers a wide array of genres, languages, and categories featuring movies, television series, sports, news, lifestyle, kids, and much more.
Pluto TV can be easily accessed and streamed across mobile, web, and connected TV devices. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Pluto TV’s growing international footprint extends across three continents and over 35 markets.
Pluto TV May 2024 Programming
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, And Pacific Islander Heritage Month
To pay tribute, Pluto TV...
- 4/29/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
Tran Anh Hung’s simmering gastro-romance is the latest dish in a cinematic feast ranging from The Godfather to The Lunchbox
The term “gastroporn” got thrown around a lot when The Taste of Things was in cinemas recently, but I’m not sure it’s quite right for Tran Anh Hung’s sumptuous culinary romance, seductive as all the cookery on display is. Though it has many a languid, exquisitely lit pan over the finished dishes created by Benoît Magimel’s 19th-century gourmet – including a giant, glistening vol-au-vent that I’ve been thinking about for months – it’s less about money shots than it is about foodie foreplay. The film’s greatest pleasures are in its extended sequences of preparation and process; the silently, adoringly intuitive collaboration between Magimel and Juliette Binoche’s fellow cook; the thrill of watching experts at work. Ok, and there’s a near-seamless match-cut from...
The term “gastroporn” got thrown around a lot when The Taste of Things was in cinemas recently, but I’m not sure it’s quite right for Tran Anh Hung’s sumptuous culinary romance, seductive as all the cookery on display is. Though it has many a languid, exquisitely lit pan over the finished dishes created by Benoît Magimel’s 19th-century gourmet – including a giant, glistening vol-au-vent that I’ve been thinking about for months – it’s less about money shots than it is about foodie foreplay. The film’s greatest pleasures are in its extended sequences of preparation and process; the silently, adoringly intuitive collaboration between Magimel and Juliette Binoche’s fellow cook; the thrill of watching experts at work. Ok, and there’s a near-seamless match-cut from...
- 4/13/2024
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
Whereas his early films such as “Pushing Hands” and “The Wedding Banquet” often touch upon the crossroads between modernity and tradition, Taiwanese filmmaker Ang Lee found himself in a similar situation with his third film. As he reflects upon the production of his 1994 “Eat Drink Man Woman”, he describes how he felt the pressure between going mainstream with his movies or making an arthouse film, especially after winning the Golden Bear at Berlin International Film Festival for “The Wedding Banquet”. Considering this situation, it seems only fitting he would make a film which would not only pick up the thematic threads of his previous ones, but which would also discuss these issues within the circle of the family, their relationships and, of course, the world of cooking.
Eat Drink Man Woman is screening at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema
Even though he has been planning to settle down...
Eat Drink Man Woman is screening at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema
Even though he has been planning to settle down...
- 2/11/2024
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
The Vietnamese-born director’s new film is a sumptuous love letter to French food culture starring former real-life couple Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel. He talks about the formal appeal of haute cuisine and the poetry of an omelette
The current menu for film and TV stories about cuisine is all conflict and crisis – kitchens as battlefields, dishes forged in the white-hot skillet of raging tempers. But new French film The Taste of Things couldn’t be further from The Bear or Boiling Point. A controlled simmer is more the temperature of this piece by Vietnamese-born director Tran Anh Hung – the most rapturous hymn to culinary art since such beloved gourmet outings as Babette’s Feast or Eat Drink Man Woman.
Set in the 1880s, the film – which won Tran the best director award at Cannes last year – is about the relationship between cook Eugénie (Juliette Binoche) and her gourmet employer...
The current menu for film and TV stories about cuisine is all conflict and crisis – kitchens as battlefields, dishes forged in the white-hot skillet of raging tempers. But new French film The Taste of Things couldn’t be further from The Bear or Boiling Point. A controlled simmer is more the temperature of this piece by Vietnamese-born director Tran Anh Hung – the most rapturous hymn to culinary art since such beloved gourmet outings as Babette’s Feast or Eat Drink Man Woman.
Set in the 1880s, the film – which won Tran the best director award at Cannes last year – is about the relationship between cook Eugénie (Juliette Binoche) and her gourmet employer...
- 2/4/2024
- by Jonathan Romney
- The Guardian - Film News
After two short features, Taiwanese-born director Ang Lee made “Pushing Hands”, which not only marked the beginning of what would later be known as the “Father Knows Best”-trilogy, but also the foundation of what would define him as a filmmaker. It is also the first collaboration with esteemed actor Sihung Lung, who would revisit the role of the family father in “The Wedding Banquet” and “Eat Drink Man Woman”, as well as work with Lee on his “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. “Pushing Hands” refers to a tai chi-routine Lung's character goes through every morning and teaches to his students, which is supposed to be a defense against brute force, which you can see in some scenes in the movie. At the same time, we are introduced to what would be Lee's career-defining themes, most importantly the conflict of tradition and modernity as well as the differences between cultures, in...
- 12/11/2023
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Clockwise from bottom left: Julie & Julia (Photo: Columbia Pictures); Chef (Photo: Open Road Films); Hook (Photo: TriStar Pictures); Eat Drink Man Woman (Photo:vThe Samuel Goldwyn Company); Parallel Mothers (Photo: Sony Pictures Classics); Tampopo (Photo: Film Forum)Graphic: Libby McGuire
It’s time again to sit down to Thanksgiving dinner...
It’s time again to sit down to Thanksgiving dinner...
- 11/22/2023
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
Ang Lee is an Oscar-winning filmmaker who has worked in a variety of genres and styles to explore the lives of people around the globe. Let’s take a look back at 12 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in Taiwan in 1954, Lee’s interest in film brought him to NYU’s graduate program, where he worked as a crew member on classmate Spike Lee‘s thesis project, “Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads.” He directed his first feature, “Pushing Hands” (1991) at the age of 37.
Lee followed up his debut with back-to-back international successes, each one scoring Oscar nominations as Best Foreign Language Film: “The Wedding Banquet” (1993) and “Eat Drink Man Woman” (1994). In both films, the director explored the kinds of complex familial relationships that would animate many of his stories.
He was then drafted by Hollywood to helm the Jane Austin adaptation “Sense and Sensibility” (1995), which...
Born in Taiwan in 1954, Lee’s interest in film brought him to NYU’s graduate program, where he worked as a crew member on classmate Spike Lee‘s thesis project, “Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads.” He directed his first feature, “Pushing Hands” (1991) at the age of 37.
Lee followed up his debut with back-to-back international successes, each one scoring Oscar nominations as Best Foreign Language Film: “The Wedding Banquet” (1993) and “Eat Drink Man Woman” (1994). In both films, the director explored the kinds of complex familial relationships that would animate many of his stories.
He was then drafted by Hollywood to helm the Jane Austin adaptation “Sense and Sensibility” (1995), which...
- 10/21/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Headlined respectively by “Sound of Metal” lead Riz Ahmed and “Matrix” stars Jessica Henwick and Hugo Weaving, Christos Nikou’s “Fingernails” and Kitty Green’s “The Royal Hotel” figure among seven newly unveiled films which will play in main competition at September’s San Sebastian Film Festival.
Also in the running are buzz titles “A Journey in Spring,” from Taiwan’s Peng Tzu-Hui, Wang Ping-Wen, and “Kalak,” directed by Denmark’s Isabella Eklöf.
Announced Friday, the new additions are comprised by one debut (“Spring”) and five second features from emerging talent ranging from Japan’s Kei Chica-ura to France’s Xavier Legrand, nominated for an Academy Award for best live action short film for 2013’s “Just Before Losing Everything.”
The new titles confirm a 2023 main competition which, including previously announced titles, frames three feature debuts – Raven Jackson’s “All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt,” Isabel Herguera’s “Sultana’s Dream...
Also in the running are buzz titles “A Journey in Spring,” from Taiwan’s Peng Tzu-Hui, Wang Ping-Wen, and “Kalak,” directed by Denmark’s Isabella Eklöf.
Announced Friday, the new additions are comprised by one debut (“Spring”) and five second features from emerging talent ranging from Japan’s Kei Chica-ura to France’s Xavier Legrand, nominated for an Academy Award for best live action short film for 2013’s “Just Before Losing Everything.”
The new titles confirm a 2023 main competition which, including previously announced titles, frames three feature debuts – Raven Jackson’s “All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt,” Isabel Herguera’s “Sultana’s Dream...
- 8/25/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Former IFC Films president Arianna Bocco, Berlinale managing director Mariette Rissenbeek and the British Film Institute’s head of industry and international policy Agnieszka Moody are set as keynote speakers for the upcoming Locarno Film Festival’s StepIN think tank on the most pressing issues in the indie film industry.
The Swiss fest’s unique event, now at its 11th edition, will explore various aspects of this year’s timely theme, which is “What’s the Deal With Independent Cinema?”
A select group of European and international industry players — distributors, exhibitors, producers, sales agents, film institutions, financiers, streaming platforms, broadcasters and film festival and markets reps — will be participating in closed working sessions to exchange thoughts on practices and business models and propose new ideas and strategies.
The themes of this year’s four StepIN roundtables are: the theatrical battlefield between independents, majors and streamers; how to protect the “biodiversity...
The Swiss fest’s unique event, now at its 11th edition, will explore various aspects of this year’s timely theme, which is “What’s the Deal With Independent Cinema?”
A select group of European and international industry players — distributors, exhibitors, producers, sales agents, film institutions, financiers, streaming platforms, broadcasters and film festival and markets reps — will be participating in closed working sessions to exchange thoughts on practices and business models and propose new ideas and strategies.
The themes of this year’s four StepIN roundtables are: the theatrical battlefield between independents, majors and streamers; how to protect the “biodiversity...
- 7/24/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Mia Hansen-Løve’s bittersweet 2022 release, starring Léa Seydoux as a woman coping with the failing mind of her father, joins a select group of films exploring this most tender of life role reversals, from The Savages to Eat Drink Man Woman
French director Mia Hansen-Løve has a knack for making unimpeachably delicate films about emotionally clobbering rites of passage. She has navigated death, divorce and traumatic adolescence with a softness that never quite turns to mush. Her most recent film, One Fine Morning – now available to stream on Mubi – takes the same approach to that strangest and most tender of life reversals, when children become their parents’ carers. Following a Parisian single mother (a never-better Léa Seydoux) as she reckons with the complications of steering her elderly, partially sighted father through the national care home system, from grappling with his dementia to redistributing his book collection, it’s quietly devastating,...
French director Mia Hansen-Løve has a knack for making unimpeachably delicate films about emotionally clobbering rites of passage. She has navigated death, divorce and traumatic adolescence with a softness that never quite turns to mush. Her most recent film, One Fine Morning – now available to stream on Mubi – takes the same approach to that strangest and most tender of life reversals, when children become their parents’ carers. Following a Parisian single mother (a never-better Léa Seydoux) as she reckons with the complications of steering her elderly, partially sighted father through the national care home system, from grappling with his dementia to redistributing his book collection, it’s quietly devastating,...
- 6/17/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
Cordon bleu is the warmest color in Tràn Anh Hùng’s long but surprisingly light soufflé of a movie The Pot-au-Feu (renamed The Taste of Things ahead of its U.S. release), a highly watchable Aga saga that’s so artful, charming and non-boat-rockingly old-school that it might make you wonder, even in a non-ironic way, what Lasse Hallström has been up to lately. In Cannes Film Festivals gone by, it could arguably have provoked the bidding war of the fortnight, given the track record of such foodie faves as Le Grand Bouffe, Babette’s Feast and Eat Drink Man Woman, which also debuted on the Croisette. But that’s faint praise for a story that, although it’s almost all about fillings, trimmings and toppings, doesn’t seem to have that much content or, more importantly, depth.
Set in late-19th century France, The Pot Au Feu is loosely based...
Set in late-19th century France, The Pot Au Feu is loosely based...
- 5/25/2023
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
This weekend's topic, currently streaming on HBOMax and Criterion Channel, was chosen by readers. This article contains spoilers so if you've never seen the film, correct that first.
for such a delicious movie, the first shot of people and food isn't very appetizing!by Nathaniel R
How far does the "foodie" movie subgenre stretch back? It's difficult to tell from the internet alone, which tends to think movies of all genres began in the 1980s; online "best of all time" lists are of little use when you're curious about film history. We know at least that the subgenre was in full swing by the 1990s with arthouse hits such as Like Water for Chocolate, Eat Drink Man Woman, and Big Night arriving semi-annually. Was the watershed moment, at least for US moviegoers, bout a half a year stretch between the fall of 1987 and the spring of 1988? In that time the...
for such a delicious movie, the first shot of people and food isn't very appetizing!by Nathaniel R
How far does the "foodie" movie subgenre stretch back? It's difficult to tell from the internet alone, which tends to think movies of all genres began in the 1980s; online "best of all time" lists are of little use when you're curious about film history. We know at least that the subgenre was in full swing by the 1990s with arthouse hits such as Like Water for Chocolate, Eat Drink Man Woman, and Big Night arriving semi-annually. Was the watershed moment, at least for US moviegoers, bout a half a year stretch between the fall of 1987 and the spring of 1988? In that time the...
- 3/25/2023
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Raquel Welch, the actor who became an icon and sex symbol thanks to films such as ‘One Million Years B.C.’ and ‘Three Musketeers’, died on Wednesday in Los Angeles after a brief illness, her manager confirmed to ‘Variety’. She was 82 and is survived by son Damon and daughter Tahnee.
She came onto the movie scene in 1966 with the sci-fi film ‘Fantastic Voyage’ and the prehistoric adventure ‘One Million Years B.C.’, the latter of which established Welch as a sex symbol.
The actor, notes ‘Variety’, went on to appear in the controversial adaptation of Gore Vidal’s ‘Myra Beckrinridge’, ‘Kansas City Bomber’ and Richard Lester’s delightful romps ‘The Three Musketeers’ (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe, and ‘The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge’ (1974).
She was one of the first women to play the lead role – not the romantic interest – in a Western, 1971 revenge tale ‘Hannie Caulder’ – an inspiration for Quentin Tarantino...
She came onto the movie scene in 1966 with the sci-fi film ‘Fantastic Voyage’ and the prehistoric adventure ‘One Million Years B.C.’, the latter of which established Welch as a sex symbol.
The actor, notes ‘Variety’, went on to appear in the controversial adaptation of Gore Vidal’s ‘Myra Beckrinridge’, ‘Kansas City Bomber’ and Richard Lester’s delightful romps ‘The Three Musketeers’ (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe, and ‘The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge’ (1974).
She was one of the first women to play the lead role – not the romantic interest – in a Western, 1971 revenge tale ‘Hannie Caulder’ – an inspiration for Quentin Tarantino...
- 2/16/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Raquel Welch, an international sex symbol and icon of the 1960s and 70s has died after a brief illness, according to her management company Media Four. Welch was 82.
Welch’s films included “Fantastic Voyage,” “The three Musketeers” and “Legally Blonde.”
Welch is best known for her breakout role in “Fantastic Voyage” (1966), after which she was signed to a talent contract with 20th Century Fox. She followed that with “One Million Years B.C.” in which she had only three lines. But her skimpy two-piece deerskin bikini became a best-selling poster and launched her into star status as an international sex symbol.
Raquel Welch publicity portrait for the film ‘One Million Years B.C.’, 1966. (Photo by 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images)
Welch would then go on to star with Dudley Moore and Peter Cook in “Bedazzled” (1967) and star in the Western “Bandolero!” (1968) opposite Dean Martin and James Stewart.
Also Read:
Hollywood’s Notable Deaths...
Welch’s films included “Fantastic Voyage,” “The three Musketeers” and “Legally Blonde.”
Welch is best known for her breakout role in “Fantastic Voyage” (1966), after which she was signed to a talent contract with 20th Century Fox. She followed that with “One Million Years B.C.” in which she had only three lines. But her skimpy two-piece deerskin bikini became a best-selling poster and launched her into star status as an international sex symbol.
Raquel Welch publicity portrait for the film ‘One Million Years B.C.’, 1966. (Photo by 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images)
Welch would then go on to star with Dudley Moore and Peter Cook in “Bedazzled” (1967) and star in the Western “Bandolero!” (1968) opposite Dean Martin and James Stewart.
Also Read:
Hollywood’s Notable Deaths...
- 2/15/2023
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Before "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," we thought we knew who Ang Lee was as a filmmaker. This was a man who made low-key dramas and comedies about repressed emotions, usually within the context of a family. Films like "Eat Drink Man Woman" and "The Ice Storm" were stories about people struggling to express their feelings and not being able to communicate with the people in their lives. He was making movies for grown-ups, and he spent his career firmly establishing himself as one of the finest filmmakers working within that space.
Then, in 1999, he makes "Ride with the Devil." Ang Lee made a Civil War-era Western...
The post Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Fulfilled Ang Lee's Childhood Dreams appeared first on /Film.
Then, in 1999, he makes "Ride with the Devil." Ang Lee made a Civil War-era Western...
The post Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Fulfilled Ang Lee's Childhood Dreams appeared first on /Film.
- 5/17/2022
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
For as much as Ang Lee's directorial efforts differ wildly from one another, you can sort the majority of them into two broad categories. There are his romantic films like "Eat Drink Man Woman," "Sense and Sensibility," and "Brokeback Mountain," where factors like class and prejudice conspire to keep the movies' lovers apart. Then there are the bravado technical exercises such as "Hulk," "Life of Pi," and "Gemini Man," which experiment with how to tell a story through cinema by employing cutting-edge tech or even playing with the medium's very form.
Sitting at the nexus of those two groups is "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," Lee's...
The post Filming Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Was a Constant Struggle Behind the Scenes appeared first on /Film.
Sitting at the nexus of those two groups is "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," Lee's...
The post Filming Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Was a Constant Struggle Behind the Scenes appeared first on /Film.
- 3/23/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Long before Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain, and his era of big-budget Hollywood spectacles, Ang Lee made his debut feature with the 1991 drama Pushing Hands. Co-written by James Schamus, whom Lee would go on to work with throughout his career, the film was a selection at the 1992 Berlin International Film Festival and won three Golden Horse Awards. It’s now undergone a 2K restoration and will be getting a theatrical release starting on April 1 courtesy of Film Movement. Ahead of the run, we’re pleased to debut the exclusive trailer.
Marking Lee’s first chapter of his “Father Knows Best” trilogy––followed by his subsequent dramas The Wedding Banquet (1993), and Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)––the film follows an elderly tai chi master Mr. Chu (Sihung Lung) from Beijing who struggles to adjust to life in New York, living with his Americanized son Alex (Ye-tong Wang). Chu immediately butts heads with his put-upon white daughter-in-law,...
Marking Lee’s first chapter of his “Father Knows Best” trilogy––followed by his subsequent dramas The Wedding Banquet (1993), and Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)––the film follows an elderly tai chi master Mr. Chu (Sihung Lung) from Beijing who struggles to adjust to life in New York, living with his Americanized son Alex (Ye-tong Wang). Chu immediately butts heads with his put-upon white daughter-in-law,...
- 3/4/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Photo: Cooking Movies Including ‘Chef’, ‘Burnt’, ‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’, ‘Eat Drink Man Woman’, and ‘Ratatouille’, this list will explore the films that put food on-screen. For those of us who love to cook, seeing the cinematic portrayals of cooking, fine dining, and cuisine are almost as good as having the foot itself. Food films can portray recipes audiences have never seen from places they’ve never been, and illustrate the way that good food - a feast - is not only one of the rawest human pleasures, but a deeply complex and beautiful craft. Related article: Oscar-nominated - Exclusive: 'Dune' Full Commentary, Reactions, Making Of - Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac Related article: Oscar-nominated - 'House of Gucci' Full Commentary & Behind the Scenes - Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Al Pacino Related article: Oscar-nominated - 'Belfast' Full Commentary & BTS - Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe,...
- 2/19/2022
- by Grace Smith
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
“Lost in Beijing” director Li Yu and star Fan Bingbing reunite in emotional drama about losses and reconnections after the 2008 Schechuan earthquake
Available in USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, and Ireland
on Amazon Prime Video, Vimeo on Demand, Hoopla, Viki and more at BuddhaMountainFilm.com
Synopsis:
At one point in this film, three youngsters lost in the countryside wait at a railway station called “Buddha Mountain” for a train without knowing if any will ever come. Alienated by society and their families, they move together into the home of a retired Peking opera performer. The carefree tenants and rigid landlady expose not only their conflicting lifestyles but also everyone’s painful past. They gradually learn to embrace and find strength in each other despite divisions. On a trip to a remote village, a monk asks for their help to rebuild a temple among ruins from the 2008 Schechuan earthquake. The...
Available in USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, and Ireland
on Amazon Prime Video, Vimeo on Demand, Hoopla, Viki and more at BuddhaMountainFilm.com
Synopsis:
At one point in this film, three youngsters lost in the countryside wait at a railway station called “Buddha Mountain” for a train without knowing if any will ever come. Alienated by society and their families, they move together into the home of a retired Peking opera performer. The carefree tenants and rigid landlady expose not only their conflicting lifestyles but also everyone’s painful past. They gradually learn to embrace and find strength in each other despite divisions. On a trip to a remote village, a monk asks for their help to rebuild a temple among ruins from the 2008 Schechuan earthquake. The...
- 8/11/2021
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
There’s nothing I love more than a film about food. I love almost everything about them. The mouth-watering shots. The ever-present nostalgia. The way they so easily lend themselves to philosophical ideas. It’s almost always a joy, even when the movie itself is mediocre. So, when I read the premise of Haruki Kadokawa final feature, “Mio’s Cookbook”, I had high hopes. A food film/period drama by a legendary producer and highly respected veteran director? On paper, it’s a perfect hybrid. Perhaps due to the fact that it was Kadokawa’s first big directorial effort since 1990 (“Heaven and Hell”), but against all odds, though, this adaptation of the popular series of novels by Kaoru Takada failed to stir the same feelings in me that so many other food films I’ve seen, and after an overlong runtime of two hours, whimpers its way to an unimpactful stop.
- 6/12/2021
- by Luke Georgiades
- AsianMoviePulse
In today’s Global Bulletin, Ang Lee will be honored with this year’s BAFTA Fellowship; Locarno Pro opens the call for its Alliance 4 Development project platform; and Dandelooo’s “The Upside Down River” gets a PR boost as its creator wins the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
Awards
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has selected two-time Oscar winner and multiple BAFTA-winning director Ang Lee with the Fellowship at this year’s 74th Ee British Academy Film Awards, which take place April 11.
Each year the BAFTA Fellowship is awarded as the Academy’s highest accolade that an individual can receive in recognition of an outstanding career in film, games or television. Lee joins a prestigious list of previous Fellowship honorees including the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Mel Brooks and Ridley Scott.
Lee broke onto the international scene in the...
Awards
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has selected two-time Oscar winner and multiple BAFTA-winning director Ang Lee with the Fellowship at this year’s 74th Ee British Academy Film Awards, which take place April 11.
Each year the BAFTA Fellowship is awarded as the Academy’s highest accolade that an individual can receive in recognition of an outstanding career in film, games or television. Lee joins a prestigious list of previous Fellowship honorees including the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Mel Brooks and Ridley Scott.
Lee broke onto the international scene in the...
- 4/6/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Bafta’s highest accolade will be presented to the director of ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ and ‘Brokeback Mountain’.
Taiwanese director Ang Lee is to be honoured with a Bafta Fellowship at the Bafta Film Awards on Sunday (April 11).
Lee is a four-time Bafta award-winner for Sense And Sensibility, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain. He also won best director at the Oscars for Brokeback Mountain and Life Of Pi.
The Fellowship is Bafta’s highest accolade, awarded in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, and has previously been given to Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick,...
Taiwanese director Ang Lee is to be honoured with a Bafta Fellowship at the Bafta Film Awards on Sunday (April 11).
Lee is a four-time Bafta award-winner for Sense And Sensibility, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain. He also won best director at the Oscars for Brokeback Mountain and Life Of Pi.
The Fellowship is Bafta’s highest accolade, awarded in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, and has previously been given to Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick,...
- 4/6/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Fox’s free streaming service, Tubi, offers over 30,000 movies and TV shows from nearly every major studio and is available on over 25 devices including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Comcast Xfinity, and more. The service offers free movies to residents of Canada and the USA with intermittent commercials when streaming content.
With a huge collection of foreign-language film Tubi has plenty to offer for those who want watch a movie in honor of the Lunar New Year. You can browse the their collection of foreign titles over at Tubi.tv. We have highlighted a few titles currently available below.
Ip Man: The Final Fight (2013) by Herman Yau
“Ip Man : The Final Fight” is a kung-fu melodrama following Ip Man’s move to Hong Kong in 1949. The story is told in a series of vignettes, sketching out incidents and dramas of Ip Man’s time in Hong Kong, entwined with the stories of his students.
With a huge collection of foreign-language film Tubi has plenty to offer for those who want watch a movie in honor of the Lunar New Year. You can browse the their collection of foreign titles over at Tubi.tv. We have highlighted a few titles currently available below.
Ip Man: The Final Fight (2013) by Herman Yau
“Ip Man : The Final Fight” is a kung-fu melodrama following Ip Man’s move to Hong Kong in 1949. The story is told in a series of vignettes, sketching out incidents and dramas of Ip Man’s time in Hong Kong, entwined with the stories of his students.
- 2/11/2021
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Netflix Has One of the Year’s Best Films With Taiwan’s ‘A Sun’ — Here’s Why You Didn’t Know About It
You may not have heard of the 2019 crime drama “A Sun,” the fifth fiction feature from acclaimed Taiwanese director and cinematographer Chung Mong-hong. You almost certainly haven’t seen it; after screening at festivals including Toronto 2019 and Palm Springs 2020, it arrived on Netflix in January without fanfare. After Variety named it the best film of 2020, it’s getting a lot more attention — but this film’s happy ending is also a cautionary tale.
This is what really sets “A Sun” apart: Not only had this film escaped the public’s eye, it eluded critics’ as well. “A Sun” has nine reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and none on Metacritic. Full disclosure: The unaware included IndieWire. Critic David Ehrlich acknowledged that the Variety selection was the first time the film landed on his radar, but after viewing it he agreed that this film demands serious Oscar consideration. “Movies have never been more accessible,...
This is what really sets “A Sun” apart: Not only had this film escaped the public’s eye, it eluded critics’ as well. “A Sun” has nine reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and none on Metacritic. Full disclosure: The unaware included IndieWire. Critic David Ehrlich acknowledged that the Variety selection was the first time the film landed on his radar, but after viewing it he agreed that this film demands serious Oscar consideration. “Movies have never been more accessible,...
- 12/18/2020
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Tencent Pictures, the film production arm of mainland Chinese tech giant Tencent, last week unveiled a slate of 43 new pictures.
A large chunk of the new titles is “main melody” or unabashedly patriotic works. But another category of Tencent’s projects fall under the heading “Eastern Stories.”
Among the more notable works are 2021 actioner “Raging Fire” starring Donnie Yen, the last film from Hong Kong director Benny Chan, who died of cancer in August; “The Eleventh Chapter,” a family comedy starring and directed by Chen Jianbin (“A Cool Fish”) set to release later this year; and “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” a romance starring “The Wandering Earth” lead Qu Chuxiao from first-time director Sha Mo.
There’s also “God Does Not Play Dice With the Universe,” an intriguing first feature from newcomer Wen Shipei billed by Tencent as “a Chinese version of ‘No Country for Old Men,’” starring two Taiwanese leads,...
A large chunk of the new titles is “main melody” or unabashedly patriotic works. But another category of Tencent’s projects fall under the heading “Eastern Stories.”
Among the more notable works are 2021 actioner “Raging Fire” starring Donnie Yen, the last film from Hong Kong director Benny Chan, who died of cancer in August; “The Eleventh Chapter,” a family comedy starring and directed by Chen Jianbin (“A Cool Fish”) set to release later this year; and “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” a romance starring “The Wandering Earth” lead Qu Chuxiao from first-time director Sha Mo.
There’s also “God Does Not Play Dice With the Universe,” an intriguing first feature from newcomer Wen Shipei billed by Tencent as “a Chinese version of ‘No Country for Old Men,’” starring two Taiwanese leads,...
- 10/27/2020
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Bookmark this page for all the latest international feature submissions.
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2021 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
The 93rd Academy Awards is set to take place on April 25, 2021. It was originally set to be held on February 28, before both the ceremony and eligibility period were postponed for two months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Submitted films must have been released in their respective countries between the expanded dates of October 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. (Last year it was October-September).
In another change to the eligibility rules,...
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2021 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
The 93rd Academy Awards is set to take place on April 25, 2021. It was originally set to be held on February 28, before both the ceremony and eligibility period were postponed for two months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Submitted films must have been released in their respective countries between the expanded dates of October 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. (Last year it was October-September).
In another change to the eligibility rules,...
- 10/13/2020
- by Ben Dalton¬Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Bookmark this page for all the latest international feature submissions.
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2021 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
The 93rd Academy Awards is set to take place on April 25, 2021. It was originally set to be held on February 28, before both the ceremony and eligibility period were postponed for two months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Submitted films must have been released in their respective countries between the expanded dates of October 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. (Last year it was October-September).
In another change to the eligibility rules,...
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2021 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
The 93rd Academy Awards is set to take place on April 25, 2021. It was originally set to be held on February 28, before both the ceremony and eligibility period were postponed for two months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Submitted films must have been released in their respective countries between the expanded dates of October 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. (Last year it was October-September).
In another change to the eligibility rules,...
- 10/13/2020
- by Ben Dalton¬Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Bookmark this page for all the latest international feature submissions.
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2021 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
The 93rd Academy Awards is set to take place on April 25, 2021. It was originally set to be held on February 28, before both the ceremony and eligibility period were postponed for two months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Submitted films must have been released in their respective countries between the expanded dates of October 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. (Last year it was October-September).
In another change to the eligibility rules,...
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2021 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
The 93rd Academy Awards is set to take place on April 25, 2021. It was originally set to be held on February 28, before both the ceremony and eligibility period were postponed for two months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Submitted films must have been released in their respective countries between the expanded dates of October 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. (Last year it was October-September).
In another change to the eligibility rules,...
- 10/12/2020
- by Ben Dalton¬Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Taiwan has selected Chung Mong-hong’s dark drama “A Sun” as its contender for the best international feature film section of the Academy Awards, previously referred to as the Oscar for the best foreign-language film.
The selection was announced by the Ministry of Culture, which said that its special panel at the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development had considered 18 candidate films. In a statement, the ministry praised the film for its “memorable and moving portrayal of parent-child relations.”
The film which details the pressures on a family of four that follow the younger son being sent to juvenile detention, had its premiere last year at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Shortly afterwards, it played at several of Asia’s leading festivals, Busan, Tokyo and the Golden Horse festival. In the 2019 Golden Horse awards it collected the best film best director, best film editing, best actor and supporting actor awards.
The selection was announced by the Ministry of Culture, which said that its special panel at the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development had considered 18 candidate films. In a statement, the ministry praised the film for its “memorable and moving portrayal of parent-child relations.”
The film which details the pressures on a family of four that follow the younger son being sent to juvenile detention, had its premiere last year at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Shortly afterwards, it played at several of Asia’s leading festivals, Busan, Tokyo and the Golden Horse festival. In the 2019 Golden Horse awards it collected the best film best director, best film editing, best actor and supporting actor awards.
- 9/29/2020
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Ted Hope, co-head of movies Amazon Studios, has decided to exit his post at the company to go back to producing and will enter a multi-year, first-look deal with Amazon, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap.
Amazon chief Jennifer Salke made the announcement in an internal memo on Thursday, saying that beginning June 2, Hope will enter the production deal. This was Hope’s decision, who expressed his feelings to Salke earlier this year.
Hope started at Amazon in 2015 as head of development, production and acquisitions. He was promoted to co-head of movies in July 2018 and has been running the film division alongside Julie Rapaport and Matt Newman. Newman and Rapaport will continue as co-heads of movies.
Also Read: WarnerMedia Signs Deal to Bring HBO Max to Comcast Customers
In a statement sent to staff on Thursday, Hope said, “Amazon and Jen have been generous in supporting the launch of my next venture,...
Amazon chief Jennifer Salke made the announcement in an internal memo on Thursday, saying that beginning June 2, Hope will enter the production deal. This was Hope’s decision, who expressed his feelings to Salke earlier this year.
Hope started at Amazon in 2015 as head of development, production and acquisitions. He was promoted to co-head of movies in July 2018 and has been running the film division alongside Julie Rapaport and Matt Newman. Newman and Rapaport will continue as co-heads of movies.
Also Read: WarnerMedia Signs Deal to Bring HBO Max to Comcast Customers
In a statement sent to staff on Thursday, Hope said, “Amazon and Jen have been generous in supporting the launch of my next venture,...
- 5/28/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
“Did you eat yet?”
It’s an all-too-common question — a greeting, a worry, a substitute for the words “I love you.” Food is incredibly personal. On one hand, it’s a sign of affection, of family, of community; on the other, it sets apart cliques, the poor, the exotic. From lunch breaks to late-night snacks, food proves time and time again that it is more than just sustenance. It structures our very lives.
So we too welcome you to sit down and take a breather from your day-to-day. Nourish yourself. Feast your eyes. Today’s menu includes ramen westerns and fried chicken ponzi schemes, irresistible dosa and roast duck wars. Just make sure to grab a bite first… you’ll thank us later after you get through this mouthwatering list!
1. Tampopo
“Tampopo” is a very entertaining film about the necessity of enjoyment in our lives, a celebration of the art...
It’s an all-too-common question — a greeting, a worry, a substitute for the words “I love you.” Food is incredibly personal. On one hand, it’s a sign of affection, of family, of community; on the other, it sets apart cliques, the poor, the exotic. From lunch breaks to late-night snacks, food proves time and time again that it is more than just sustenance. It structures our very lives.
So we too welcome you to sit down and take a breather from your day-to-day. Nourish yourself. Feast your eyes. Today’s menu includes ramen westerns and fried chicken ponzi schemes, irresistible dosa and roast duck wars. Just make sure to grab a bite first… you’ll thank us later after you get through this mouthwatering list!
1. Tampopo
“Tampopo” is a very entertaining film about the necessity of enjoyment in our lives, a celebration of the art...
- 5/28/2020
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
Whereas his early films such as “Pushing Hands” and “The Wedding Banquet” often touch upon the crossroads between modernity and tradition, Taiwanese filmmaker Ang Lee found himself in a similar situation with his third film. As he reflects upon the production of his 1994 “Eat Drink Man Woman”, he describes how he felt the pressure between going mainstream with his movies or making an arthouse film, especially after winning the Golden Bear at Berlin International Film Festival for “The Wedding Banquet”. Considering this situation, it seems only fitting he would make a film which would not only pick up the thematic threads of his previous ones, but which would also discuss these issues within the circle of the family, their relationships and, of course, the world of cooking.
“Eat Drink Man Woman” is screening at New York Asian Film Festival – Winter Showcase 2020
Even though he has been planning to settle down...
“Eat Drink Man Woman” is screening at New York Asian Film Festival – Winter Showcase 2020
Even though he has been planning to settle down...
- 2/15/2020
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Full Lineup For 2nd New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff) Winter Showcase February 14th to 16th, 2020
The New York Asian Film Festival ushers in the new decade with the second annual edition of its Winter Showcase. Held at Chelsea’s Sva Theatre over Valentine’s weekend, this year’s showcase celebrates our love of Asian films by turning the spotlight on food cultures through cinema. At a juncture when America still obsesses over Bong Joon-ho’s award-winning Parasite, and some of its more minute plot points such as the wonders of Ram-Don (jjapaguri), it is timely to show that when it comes to putting food front and center, Asian movies do it best.
To celebrate a time-honored tradition of storytelling and the romantic holiday, this year’s lineup brings together trends-and-time-transcending classics as well as some remarkable foodie films of recent years, spanning several decades and different strands of filmmaking: regardless of where and when they are from, these stories pack in full plates of heart and soul,...
To celebrate a time-honored tradition of storytelling and the romantic holiday, this year’s lineup brings together trends-and-time-transcending classics as well as some remarkable foodie films of recent years, spanning several decades and different strands of filmmaking: regardless of where and when they are from, these stories pack in full plates of heart and soul,...
- 1/26/2020
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
On Dec. 8, 2000, Sony Pictures Classics unveiled Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in theaters, where it would eventually gross $213 million globally. It went on to be nominated for 10 Oscars at the 73rd Academy Awards, picking up four honors including best foreign language film. The Hollywood Reporter's original review, from its Cannes debut, is below:
For his first Chinese-language assignment since 1994's Eat Drink Man Woman, Ang Lee tries a little martial arts on for size — with jaw-droppingly exhilarating results.
A sweeping romantic epic with a strong feminist backbone, the thoroughly entertaining Crouching Tiger,...
For his first Chinese-language assignment since 1994's Eat Drink Man Woman, Ang Lee tries a little martial arts on for size — with jaw-droppingly exhilarating results.
A sweeping romantic epic with a strong feminist backbone, the thoroughly entertaining Crouching Tiger,...
- 12/8/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
On Dec. 8, 2000, Sony Pictures Classics unveiled Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in theaters, where it would eventually gross $213 million globally. It went on to be nominated for 10 Oscars at the 73rd Academy Awards, picking up four honors including best foreign language film. The Hollywood Reporter's original review, from its Cannes debut, is below.
For his first Chinese-language assignment since 1994's Eat Drink Man Woman, Ang Lee tries a little martial arts on for size — with jaw-droppingly exhilarating results.
A sweeping romantic epic with a strong feminist backbone, the thoroughly entertaining Crouching Tiger,...
For his first Chinese-language assignment since 1994's Eat Drink Man Woman, Ang Lee tries a little martial arts on for size — with jaw-droppingly exhilarating results.
A sweeping romantic epic with a strong feminist backbone, the thoroughly entertaining Crouching Tiger,...
- 12/8/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
If only Oscar-winning Taiwanese film master Ang Lee would get past his obsession with digital gimmicks and return to the soulful humanism he lavished on classics like Eat Drink Man Woman, The Ice Storm and Brokeback Mountain.
Unfortunately, he has instead given us Gemini Man, a substandard action movie any hack could have directed for producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Lee’s interest was presumably piqued by a technology that would allow A-lister Will Smith, 51, to do battle with his 23-year-old self through a digital de-aging process. It’s a neat trick for a few scenes.
Unfortunately, he has instead given us Gemini Man, a substandard action movie any hack could have directed for producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Lee’s interest was presumably piqued by a technology that would allow A-lister Will Smith, 51, to do battle with his 23-year-old self through a digital de-aging process. It’s a neat trick for a few scenes.
- 10/9/2019
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
The social and economic pressures felt by China’s “leftover women” — referring to those older than 26 and unmarried — are examined in “Send Me to the Clouds,” a rewarding dramedy about a 30-ish journalist seeking financial reward and sexual fulfillment after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Bold by mainland standards for presenting a positive portrayal of a woman who’s chosen neither motherhood nor marriage, “Clouds” marks an impressive feature debut for female writer-director Teng Congcong, whose editing credits include “Reign of Assassins.” Starring and co-produced by popular actress Yao Chen (“Journey to the West: The Demon Strikes Back”), this timely pro-feminist tale grossed a respectable $4 million in limited domestic release in August, and has the warm heart and wry humor to attract art-house audiences when it opens theatrically in North America on Sept. 20.
Following similarly themed documentaries such as “Leftover Women” and 2019 Sundance prize winner “One Child Nation,” From the...
Following similarly themed documentaries such as “Leftover Women” and 2019 Sundance prize winner “One Child Nation,” From the...
- 9/17/2019
- by Richard Kuipers
- Variety Film + TV
Paul Auster on the beginning of ending up directing Lulu On The Bridge: "My good friend Wim Wenders, who gets a credit here, he said he had been working with Juliette Binoche, talking for years about a project to do Lulu, somehow." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Paul Auster's Lulu On The Bridge, shot by Alik Sakharov (The Sopranos), edited by Tim Squyres, and costumes by Adelle Lutz, stars Harvey Keitel and Mira Sorvino with Willem Dafoe, Gina Gershon, Mandy Patinkin, Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Edson, Don Byron, Victor Argo, Kevin Corrigan, Sophie Auster (Paul and Siri Hustvedt's daughter), and has scene stealing cameos by Lou Reed and David Byrne.
Lulu On The Bridge and The Inner Life Of Martin Frost in Paul Auster x 2
At Metrograph's screening of a 35mm print on loan from MoMA, attended by Tim Squyres, who is also Ang Lee's incredibly longtime editor, Paul Auster...
Paul Auster's Lulu On The Bridge, shot by Alik Sakharov (The Sopranos), edited by Tim Squyres, and costumes by Adelle Lutz, stars Harvey Keitel and Mira Sorvino with Willem Dafoe, Gina Gershon, Mandy Patinkin, Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Edson, Don Byron, Victor Argo, Kevin Corrigan, Sophie Auster (Paul and Siri Hustvedt's daughter), and has scene stealing cameos by Lou Reed and David Byrne.
Lulu On The Bridge and The Inner Life Of Martin Frost in Paul Auster x 2
At Metrograph's screening of a 35mm print on loan from MoMA, attended by Tim Squyres, who is also Ang Lee's incredibly longtime editor, Paul Auster...
- 10/28/2018
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Ang Lee celebrates his 64th birthday on October 23, 2018. The Oscar-winning filmmaker has worked in a variety of genres and styles to explore the lives of people around the globe. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 12 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in Taiwan in 1954, Lee’s interest in film brought him to NYU’s graduate program, where he worked as a crew member on classmate Spike Lee‘s thesis project, “Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads.” He directed his first feature, “Pushing Hands” (1991) at the age of 37.
Lee followed up his debut with back-to-back international successes, each one scoring Oscar nominations as Best Foreign Language Film: “The Wedding Banquet” (1993) and “Eat Drink Man Woman” (1994). In both films, the director explored the kinds of complex familial relationships that would animate many of his stories.
He was then drafted by Hollywood to...
Born in Taiwan in 1954, Lee’s interest in film brought him to NYU’s graduate program, where he worked as a crew member on classmate Spike Lee‘s thesis project, “Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads.” He directed his first feature, “Pushing Hands” (1991) at the age of 37.
Lee followed up his debut with back-to-back international successes, each one scoring Oscar nominations as Best Foreign Language Film: “The Wedding Banquet” (1993) and “Eat Drink Man Woman” (1994). In both films, the director explored the kinds of complex familial relationships that would animate many of his stories.
He was then drafted by Hollywood to...
- 10/23/2018
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Screen’s regularly updated list of foreign language Oscar submissions.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards are not until Tuesday January 22, but the first submissions for best foreign-language film are now being announced.
Last year saw a record 92 submissions for the award, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine. This was cut to five nominees, with Sebastián Lelio’s transgender drama A Fantastic Woman ultimately taking home the gold statue.
Screen’s interview with Mark Johnson, chair of the Academy’s foreign-language film committee, explains the shortlisting process from submission to voting.
Submitted films must be released theatrically...
- 9/15/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Taiwan has selected “The Great Buddha+” as its contender in the foreign-language category of the Oscars. The film is a dark comedy that marks the feature directing debut of Huang Hsin-yao.
The film, about a night security guard at a Buddha statue factory and his recyclable-collecting friend who witness dark secrets of the factory owner via some dashcam videos, was a firm favorite on the 2017 festival circuit and collected numerous awards.
The picture debuted at its native Taipei Film Festival, where it won six prizes. It won the Netpac award in Toronto last year and collected five Golden Horse awards. The Hong Kong Film Awards named it the best film from mainland China and Taiwan.
Variety reviewer, Maggie Lee said: “this ballad of sad losers mixed with satire on parochial politics is convulsively funny yet uncompromisingly bleak, bridging art with entertainment. Arguably the best film to emerge from a year of exciting resurgence in Taiwan.
The film, about a night security guard at a Buddha statue factory and his recyclable-collecting friend who witness dark secrets of the factory owner via some dashcam videos, was a firm favorite on the 2017 festival circuit and collected numerous awards.
The picture debuted at its native Taipei Film Festival, where it won six prizes. It won the Netpac award in Toronto last year and collected five Golden Horse awards. The Hong Kong Film Awards named it the best film from mainland China and Taiwan.
Variety reviewer, Maggie Lee said: “this ballad of sad losers mixed with satire on parochial politics is convulsively funny yet uncompromisingly bleak, bridging art with entertainment. Arguably the best film to emerge from a year of exciting resurgence in Taiwan.
- 9/14/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Amazon Studios Head of Motion Picture Production Ted Hope will be honored by the Locarno Film Festival with its Raimondo Rezzonico price for producers who best epitomize the indie ethos.
Hope (pictured left) whose career spans over 35 years, has been selected to receive the prize given by prominent the Swiss fest dedicated to indie cinema in recognition of his ability to “bring new and unexpected voices into the spotlight.”
The prize is named after former Locarno fest president Raimondo Rezzonico.
Previous recipients of the Rezzonico award include Mike Medavoy, Jeremy Thomas, Christine Vachon, and David Linde.
After studying film at NYU Hope in 1990 founded production company Good Machine in New York, with James Schamus and produced the first Ang Lee films including “The Wedding Banquet” (1993) and “Eat Drink Man Woman” (1994), which both earned Oscar nominations.
Lee’s “The Ice Storm” (1997) followed and screened that year on Locarno 8,000-seat outdoor Piazza Grande.
Hope (pictured left) whose career spans over 35 years, has been selected to receive the prize given by prominent the Swiss fest dedicated to indie cinema in recognition of his ability to “bring new and unexpected voices into the spotlight.”
The prize is named after former Locarno fest president Raimondo Rezzonico.
Previous recipients of the Rezzonico award include Mike Medavoy, Jeremy Thomas, Christine Vachon, and David Linde.
After studying film at NYU Hope in 1990 founded production company Good Machine in New York, with James Schamus and produced the first Ang Lee films including “The Wedding Banquet” (1993) and “Eat Drink Man Woman” (1994), which both earned Oscar nominations.
Lee’s “The Ice Storm” (1997) followed and screened that year on Locarno 8,000-seat outdoor Piazza Grande.
- 7/17/2018
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Film history is home to dozens of space movies, from “2001: A Space Odyssey” to “Interstellar,” but which happens to be the most accurate? If you were to ask a real astronaut, say former Nasa administrator Charles F. Bolden, the answer would not be Kubrick’s magnum opus but “The Martian,” the Matt Damon-starring survival film directed by Ridley Scott. Bolden is one of 24 professionals asked by The Washington Post to name the most accurate film in his line of work, and it appears “The Martian” does space better than any film of its kind.
Read More:The 100 Best Reviewed Movies of 2017, According to Rotten Tomatoes
“Most people think about astronaut movies and they want to talk about ‘The Right Stuff,'” Bolden tells The Post. “But ‘The Martian’ is just so scientifically accurate, and it tells this story of what we’re on the cusp of — not just Americans,...
Read More:The 100 Best Reviewed Movies of 2017, According to Rotten Tomatoes
“Most people think about astronaut movies and they want to talk about ‘The Right Stuff,'” Bolden tells The Post. “But ‘The Martian’ is just so scientifically accurate, and it tells this story of what we’re on the cusp of — not just Americans,...
- 12/28/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Linda Emond, Logan Lerman, James Schamus, Sarah Gadon and Danny Burstein Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - Brokeback Mountain - The Ice Storm - Eat Drink Man Woman and Lust, Caution producer, James Schamus, becomes a director to take on Philip Roth's Indignation, starring Logan Lerman and Sarah Gadon with Linda Emond and Danny Burstein (Justin Bateman's The Family Fang), Ben Rosenfield and Pico Alexander (Jc Chandor's A Most Violent Year), Noah Robbins, Philip Ettinger, and August: Osage County playwright Tracy Letts.
James Schamus and Ang Lee share a laugh with Roadside Attractions founders Howard Cohen and Eric D'Arbeloff Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Lyrics to Jay Wadley's Is It Love, sung by Jane Monheit, Jacques Demy's Umbrellas Of Cherbourg wallpaper, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and a Caspar David Friedrich image appeared in my conversation with James Schamus.
Producer Anthony Bregman, Rebecca Luker, Annette Insdorf,...
Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - Brokeback Mountain - The Ice Storm - Eat Drink Man Woman and Lust, Caution producer, James Schamus, becomes a director to take on Philip Roth's Indignation, starring Logan Lerman and Sarah Gadon with Linda Emond and Danny Burstein (Justin Bateman's The Family Fang), Ben Rosenfield and Pico Alexander (Jc Chandor's A Most Violent Year), Noah Robbins, Philip Ettinger, and August: Osage County playwright Tracy Letts.
James Schamus and Ang Lee share a laugh with Roadside Attractions founders Howard Cohen and Eric D'Arbeloff Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Lyrics to Jay Wadley's Is It Love, sung by Jane Monheit, Jacques Demy's Umbrellas Of Cherbourg wallpaper, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and a Caspar David Friedrich image appeared in my conversation with James Schamus.
Producer Anthony Bregman, Rebecca Luker, Annette Insdorf,...
- 7/26/2016
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
In the Qumra Master Class 2016 where James Schamus and Richard Peña, former long-time head of Lincoln Film Society in NYC, carried on an informal and open-ended discussion, James gave a personal view of himself before going into the professional ins and outs of his film production and distribution life.
I was surprised to hear that James, who seems like a quintessential New Yorker, is not a native New Yorker but is an Angeleno and attended Hollywood High in Los Angeles.
When I spoke with him afterward, he said that he actually was from North Hollywood but had attended Jd Melton at Hollywood High. On looking the school up for this article, I was even more pleasantly surprised to see that their branding is serendipitously, “Home of the Sheiks”.
James grew up in L.A. in the 70s and Hollywood High was equivalent to Jodie Foster’s school in “Taxi Driver” only it was in L.A. It was a working class and poor school where only half of the student body took the SATs (College qualifying exams), and he was definitely the nerd in the herd. He would spend his Friday nights watching a little known TV show on the local Channel 13 moderated by the L.A. Times critic Charles Champlin. The show was of silent films and there he saw “Birth of a Nation” and the German Expressionist movies among others. Later he wrote his PhD dissertation Carl Theodor Dreyer's ‘Gertrud’: The Moving Word, and it was published by the University of Washington Press. He moved to New York to write it after completing his Bachelors, Masters and PhD studies at Uc Berkeley.
He said he does not remember much about his high school days, but recently as he was unpacking some old boxes, he came across his high school yearbook.
You know how people signed with little paragraphs? One of these said ‘Thanks for persuading me to skip school with you and going on the 93 bus to see movies’ and it was signed ‘Frank’. I had no idea who Frank was but as I tried to remember, I recalled skipping school to go to L.A.’s only film festival which was new and called ‘Filmex’.
(Editor’s note: Filmex was the creation of ‘The two Garys’, Gary Essert and Gary Abrahams, both of whom died of Aids during the Aids epidemic. Gary Essert was a UCLA Film School student in the 60s where he started Filmex with marathon screenings in the Quonset hut which was the film school. The two Garys are both vividly remembered today by the American Cinematheque crews and others of us from L.A. because the Cinematheque was their creation.)
It was at Filmex that I saw a film made by a film student from USC. It was a sci-fi film and there was a Q&A afterward. The film was called ‘Thx-1138’ and it was by George Lucas. Then I remembered! Frank was Frank Darabont! And we were now sharing the same agent, so I gave him a call and yes, he went to Hollywood High too.
James combines his acclaimed filmmaking career with other roles within the industry: he is a revered film historian and academic. He is also a multi award-winning screenwriter, director and leading U.S. indie producer, best known for his long creative collaboration with Taiwanese director Ang Lee. He has worked with Lee on nine films, including “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), which won four Academy Awards, including Best Foreign Language Film and Best Cinematography, and remains the highest-grossing non-English-language film in the U.S. He was the screenwriter for Lee's “The Ice Storm”, for which he won the award for Best Screenplay at the Festival de Cannes in 1997 and co-wrote “Eat Drink Man Woman” (1994), the first of Lee’s films to achieve both critical and commercial success.
As producers, Schamus and Ted Hope (today head of production at Amazon) co-founded the U.S. low- to no-budget production company Good Machine in the early 1990s.
It was macho to brag about how we made films with no money. ‘I made my movie for $5,000.’ ‘Well, I made mine for $4,000.’
Ted also loves lists and he made a list of all the short films made in the past 10 years by filmmakers who had yet to make feature films. We got the VHS tapes and one of the films we saw was by Ang Lee when he was studying at Nyu. It was called “Fine Line” and was Chazz Palminteri’s first film.
“Fine Line” was about an Italian guy on the run from the mob. It takes place in New York’s Little Italy and Chinatown. Ang Lee had an agent and we called him. He said Ang Lee was working on three great films before hanging up on us…
To hear James tell this story, watch him speaking here with Richard Peña.
What was cut out of the above online story was that at the time of “Pushing Hands”
Ang had no idea we had just contacted his agent and he also thought we would steal all his money. He was 38 years old, an unemployed stay-at-home parent with a working wife and two kids living in a little apartment in New York. In his spare time he had become a great cook. He came in and pitched a comedy for one hour. It was awful. We were such no-money producers; our office was upstairs from a strip club and the music would blast into our offices starting at 2:00 every day. With this pounding beat, he pitched the worst pitch we ever heard. But there was a $5,000 fee for us. I then said that though his pitch was poor he had actually described the entire movie in his head to us scene by scene. He was not trying to sell the film.
So we made the film and then made his second film “Wedding Banquet” which shared a first prize in Berlin. The third film was “Eat Drink Man Woman” from an original idea with a Taiwanese writer, very TV in the open-endedness of all the characters feeling the push and pull of letting it happen. But in this was a Hollywood 40s style screwball comedy that could be imposed.
Again, when James and I spoke together, I challenged him on the claim that “Dim Lake” was Chazz’s first film because my own partner in life and business, Peter Belsito, claims to have produced Chazz’s first film, “Home Free All” at which time Chazz took Peter aside and said, 'I am not just a dumb guinea hoodlum, I am a real actor destined for better roles. I can act serious.' So James and I checked IMDb to see and sure enough, “Dim Lake” was his first film and “Home Free All” was his second, but it was Chazz’ first feature film. We then looked at the rest of his 68 film credits and in every single one, he is playing the Italian.
Doing this with James gave me a momentary feel of his love for research.
“For my first time writing with Ang I needed to research food in Taiwan for ‘Pushing Hands’, the position and placement of food, families and food….The script would be translated from English to Chinese, but Ang was not satisfied with it. I was having trouble tapping into the mentality of the Chinese family so I took all the characters’ names and changed them to Jewish names and rewrote the script totally as a Jewish family. Then I changed the names back to their Chinese names. Ang read the script and said ‘This is really Chinese!’ And so I got ‘the cross-cultural idea’ -- not really…I still don’t get that.
The first day in Taiwan we were shooting the film in a fast food restaurant and I as I watched the rushes, one of the character’s name was Rachel and I realized I had forgotten to change the name back. I asked if we needed to reshoot, but at that time it was a fad to change Chinese names to Anglo names and no one thought it was out of place, and so it stayed.
The most difficult part of the film was shooting the opening title sequence of the father cooking a meal. It went over schedule because it had to be perfect. We used the food so many times it was held together by glue by the end.
Preparing a shot list is very important for Ang and he constantly reduces the list and his vision jells as he does this. By his third film, the process was very internalized. Next he had to communicate it. The plan is always the result of the overall idea. That’s why his style always changes.
As he shoots, the relationship with the editor is very close. He has a long-time relationship with his editor Tim Squyres.
The “Wedding Banquet” was the first film edited on Avid. Before “Wedding Banquet”, four minutes was the full length of films edited on Avid which is now ancient technology.
Tim cuts several versions and talks them through with Ang. They have spent more time in the dark together than most married people. Ang is in the editing room from the beginning to the end. Tim talks very directly, like he might say Ang should have spent more time on a scene or should have shot a scene from a different angle. I used to watch Ang’s face tense up as he listened to Tim’s criticism and often they would fight, but they have spent 25+ years together.
On the transnational global reach of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”:
Critics said it was not an authentic chop-socky movie. But the Hong Kong chop-socky genre itself was a regional hybrid. The origins of chop-socky were from Shanghai and Singapore. It was not so “Cantonese” as critics claimed. Bruce Lee himself was U.S. based. So the transnational aspect was already there.
From 2002 to 2014 Schamus was CEO of Focus Features, the motion picture production, financing and worldwide distribution company whose films during his tenure included Wes Anderson's “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012), Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Roman Polanski's “The Pianist “ (2002), Henry Selick's “Coraline” (2009) and Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation” (2003).
On actors:
Character is secondary to the action. You only have action and words in a script. Working with good actors, you need images.
Actors are at such high risk, they are very vulnerable. They need respect. Sometimes they act out.
On casting and directors:
During the casting process, the director must direct the actor, set the tone for the part. Most of the film’s directing can be done during the casting process.
On storyboarding:
“Ride with the Devil” was the first film Ang Lee storyboarded. He also storyboarded “Life of Pi”. Storyboarding could take the life out of a movie.
On production design:
It takes lots of research. It includes the worldview of the film and everything ties in to that. It first starts with costumes. Research is not done only by the department but by everyone.
On film distribution and Focus:
Where is distribution now for specialized films? Focus was everything, attached to the studio system as its specialized film division, Focus’ model was not Fox Searchlght’s which is locked into the domestic U.S. market. Seachlight bought global rights and produced by way of its international TV deals. Focus didn’t have that. It had to presell theatrical rights to independent distributors worldwide. Driven primarily by the international marketplace, it could not be driven by U.S. Its primary focus for production was London. It was all international but also driven by flagship releases in the U.S.
In 2014, Schamus turned his hand to directing with the short documentary “That Film About Money” (2014).
Paul Allen of Microsoft started Vulcan with a commitment to shorts. I did a doc with a crew of people I had never worked with before. And it was about people like Paul.
In 2016 James made his feature directorial debut with an adaptation of Philip Roth's “Indignation”. It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016 and screened at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival in the Panorama section.
Schamus is also Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University’s School of the Arts, where he teaches film history and theory.
On Doha’s newest foray into Hollywood:
Doha-based beIN Media Group’s acquiring Miramax could be a great deal depending on the price paid.
Much of the 600-plus films in the Miramax library is probably locked into licensing deals already around the globe, but depending on when those deals are up for renewal and what other rights can be exploited, if the price point was right, it’s a great way to get into the game because they are sitting on top of so much intellectual property.
Just integrating into the deal structures and understanding the economics, from the end point where the money is coming from to the rights holder, is a good idea.
Miramax, under the leadership of Zanne Devine, has also co-acquired with Roadside Attractions, the 2016 Sundance premiering feature, “Southside with You”, the narrative feature of Barak Obama and Michelle’s first date. That will bring beIN into the Roadside Attraction/ Lionsgate sphere of distribution and international sales.
On Hollywood interest in territories like China, India and the Middle East:
The less successful pattern is to find a Hollywood producer who flies in on his private jet and give him hundreds of millions (ed: Stx?) to make movies. This is a very different version, this is owning intellectual property - it’s a good first step.
On moviegoing in the Gulf:
The next step is to build a cinema culture that makes movie-going a practice in the region far more than it is now - movie exhibition and movie-going as a power lever.
On TV in the Middle East:
My intuition says new media, television in particular, is going to be a space that is very dynamic once it breaks open, here in the Gulf or elsewhere.
During this week at Qumra, James is also mentoring 10 filmmakers working on five Dfi-backed projects: Mohamed Al Ibrahim’s “Bull Shark”; Hamida Issa’s “To The Ends Of The Earth”; Sherif Elbendary’s “Ali, The Goat And Ibrahim”; Mohanad Hayal’s “Haifa Street” aka “Death Street”; and Karim Moussaoui’s “Till The Swallows Return”.
Elia Suleiman, the Artistic Advisor to Doha Film Institute, recalls how he and James “grew up together” in New York as long-time friends. James introduced him to the Chilean master filmmaker Raul Ruiz. While at Good Machine, Schamus helped him with his short film. He helped edit the script and was his guardian angel helping with his first contract. They even had a code for “urgent”. When Elia was in Jerusalem and James in London, they used the code whenever Elia was overwhelmed by the paperwork needed. James would answer within 15 minutes. Now James has come full circle on his own, from being one of the most important producers of the decade to directing his own film.
When asked by Qumra what was most important, he said “first time filmmakers are the most important”. And he has always been able to spot the most talented of emerging filmmakers.
I was surprised to hear that James, who seems like a quintessential New Yorker, is not a native New Yorker but is an Angeleno and attended Hollywood High in Los Angeles.
When I spoke with him afterward, he said that he actually was from North Hollywood but had attended Jd Melton at Hollywood High. On looking the school up for this article, I was even more pleasantly surprised to see that their branding is serendipitously, “Home of the Sheiks”.
James grew up in L.A. in the 70s and Hollywood High was equivalent to Jodie Foster’s school in “Taxi Driver” only it was in L.A. It was a working class and poor school where only half of the student body took the SATs (College qualifying exams), and he was definitely the nerd in the herd. He would spend his Friday nights watching a little known TV show on the local Channel 13 moderated by the L.A. Times critic Charles Champlin. The show was of silent films and there he saw “Birth of a Nation” and the German Expressionist movies among others. Later he wrote his PhD dissertation Carl Theodor Dreyer's ‘Gertrud’: The Moving Word, and it was published by the University of Washington Press. He moved to New York to write it after completing his Bachelors, Masters and PhD studies at Uc Berkeley.
He said he does not remember much about his high school days, but recently as he was unpacking some old boxes, he came across his high school yearbook.
You know how people signed with little paragraphs? One of these said ‘Thanks for persuading me to skip school with you and going on the 93 bus to see movies’ and it was signed ‘Frank’. I had no idea who Frank was but as I tried to remember, I recalled skipping school to go to L.A.’s only film festival which was new and called ‘Filmex’.
(Editor’s note: Filmex was the creation of ‘The two Garys’, Gary Essert and Gary Abrahams, both of whom died of Aids during the Aids epidemic. Gary Essert was a UCLA Film School student in the 60s where he started Filmex with marathon screenings in the Quonset hut which was the film school. The two Garys are both vividly remembered today by the American Cinematheque crews and others of us from L.A. because the Cinematheque was their creation.)
It was at Filmex that I saw a film made by a film student from USC. It was a sci-fi film and there was a Q&A afterward. The film was called ‘Thx-1138’ and it was by George Lucas. Then I remembered! Frank was Frank Darabont! And we were now sharing the same agent, so I gave him a call and yes, he went to Hollywood High too.
James combines his acclaimed filmmaking career with other roles within the industry: he is a revered film historian and academic. He is also a multi award-winning screenwriter, director and leading U.S. indie producer, best known for his long creative collaboration with Taiwanese director Ang Lee. He has worked with Lee on nine films, including “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), which won four Academy Awards, including Best Foreign Language Film and Best Cinematography, and remains the highest-grossing non-English-language film in the U.S. He was the screenwriter for Lee's “The Ice Storm”, for which he won the award for Best Screenplay at the Festival de Cannes in 1997 and co-wrote “Eat Drink Man Woman” (1994), the first of Lee’s films to achieve both critical and commercial success.
As producers, Schamus and Ted Hope (today head of production at Amazon) co-founded the U.S. low- to no-budget production company Good Machine in the early 1990s.
It was macho to brag about how we made films with no money. ‘I made my movie for $5,000.’ ‘Well, I made mine for $4,000.’
Ted also loves lists and he made a list of all the short films made in the past 10 years by filmmakers who had yet to make feature films. We got the VHS tapes and one of the films we saw was by Ang Lee when he was studying at Nyu. It was called “Fine Line” and was Chazz Palminteri’s first film.
“Fine Line” was about an Italian guy on the run from the mob. It takes place in New York’s Little Italy and Chinatown. Ang Lee had an agent and we called him. He said Ang Lee was working on three great films before hanging up on us…
To hear James tell this story, watch him speaking here with Richard Peña.
What was cut out of the above online story was that at the time of “Pushing Hands”
Ang had no idea we had just contacted his agent and he also thought we would steal all his money. He was 38 years old, an unemployed stay-at-home parent with a working wife and two kids living in a little apartment in New York. In his spare time he had become a great cook. He came in and pitched a comedy for one hour. It was awful. We were such no-money producers; our office was upstairs from a strip club and the music would blast into our offices starting at 2:00 every day. With this pounding beat, he pitched the worst pitch we ever heard. But there was a $5,000 fee for us. I then said that though his pitch was poor he had actually described the entire movie in his head to us scene by scene. He was not trying to sell the film.
So we made the film and then made his second film “Wedding Banquet” which shared a first prize in Berlin. The third film was “Eat Drink Man Woman” from an original idea with a Taiwanese writer, very TV in the open-endedness of all the characters feeling the push and pull of letting it happen. But in this was a Hollywood 40s style screwball comedy that could be imposed.
Again, when James and I spoke together, I challenged him on the claim that “Dim Lake” was Chazz’s first film because my own partner in life and business, Peter Belsito, claims to have produced Chazz’s first film, “Home Free All” at which time Chazz took Peter aside and said, 'I am not just a dumb guinea hoodlum, I am a real actor destined for better roles. I can act serious.' So James and I checked IMDb to see and sure enough, “Dim Lake” was his first film and “Home Free All” was his second, but it was Chazz’ first feature film. We then looked at the rest of his 68 film credits and in every single one, he is playing the Italian.
Doing this with James gave me a momentary feel of his love for research.
“For my first time writing with Ang I needed to research food in Taiwan for ‘Pushing Hands’, the position and placement of food, families and food….The script would be translated from English to Chinese, but Ang was not satisfied with it. I was having trouble tapping into the mentality of the Chinese family so I took all the characters’ names and changed them to Jewish names and rewrote the script totally as a Jewish family. Then I changed the names back to their Chinese names. Ang read the script and said ‘This is really Chinese!’ And so I got ‘the cross-cultural idea’ -- not really…I still don’t get that.
The first day in Taiwan we were shooting the film in a fast food restaurant and I as I watched the rushes, one of the character’s name was Rachel and I realized I had forgotten to change the name back. I asked if we needed to reshoot, but at that time it was a fad to change Chinese names to Anglo names and no one thought it was out of place, and so it stayed.
The most difficult part of the film was shooting the opening title sequence of the father cooking a meal. It went over schedule because it had to be perfect. We used the food so many times it was held together by glue by the end.
Preparing a shot list is very important for Ang and he constantly reduces the list and his vision jells as he does this. By his third film, the process was very internalized. Next he had to communicate it. The plan is always the result of the overall idea. That’s why his style always changes.
As he shoots, the relationship with the editor is very close. He has a long-time relationship with his editor Tim Squyres.
The “Wedding Banquet” was the first film edited on Avid. Before “Wedding Banquet”, four minutes was the full length of films edited on Avid which is now ancient technology.
Tim cuts several versions and talks them through with Ang. They have spent more time in the dark together than most married people. Ang is in the editing room from the beginning to the end. Tim talks very directly, like he might say Ang should have spent more time on a scene or should have shot a scene from a different angle. I used to watch Ang’s face tense up as he listened to Tim’s criticism and often they would fight, but they have spent 25+ years together.
On the transnational global reach of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”:
Critics said it was not an authentic chop-socky movie. But the Hong Kong chop-socky genre itself was a regional hybrid. The origins of chop-socky were from Shanghai and Singapore. It was not so “Cantonese” as critics claimed. Bruce Lee himself was U.S. based. So the transnational aspect was already there.
From 2002 to 2014 Schamus was CEO of Focus Features, the motion picture production, financing and worldwide distribution company whose films during his tenure included Wes Anderson's “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012), Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Roman Polanski's “The Pianist “ (2002), Henry Selick's “Coraline” (2009) and Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation” (2003).
On actors:
Character is secondary to the action. You only have action and words in a script. Working with good actors, you need images.
Actors are at such high risk, they are very vulnerable. They need respect. Sometimes they act out.
On casting and directors:
During the casting process, the director must direct the actor, set the tone for the part. Most of the film’s directing can be done during the casting process.
On storyboarding:
“Ride with the Devil” was the first film Ang Lee storyboarded. He also storyboarded “Life of Pi”. Storyboarding could take the life out of a movie.
On production design:
It takes lots of research. It includes the worldview of the film and everything ties in to that. It first starts with costumes. Research is not done only by the department but by everyone.
On film distribution and Focus:
Where is distribution now for specialized films? Focus was everything, attached to the studio system as its specialized film division, Focus’ model was not Fox Searchlght’s which is locked into the domestic U.S. market. Seachlight bought global rights and produced by way of its international TV deals. Focus didn’t have that. It had to presell theatrical rights to independent distributors worldwide. Driven primarily by the international marketplace, it could not be driven by U.S. Its primary focus for production was London. It was all international but also driven by flagship releases in the U.S.
In 2014, Schamus turned his hand to directing with the short documentary “That Film About Money” (2014).
Paul Allen of Microsoft started Vulcan with a commitment to shorts. I did a doc with a crew of people I had never worked with before. And it was about people like Paul.
In 2016 James made his feature directorial debut with an adaptation of Philip Roth's “Indignation”. It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016 and screened at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival in the Panorama section.
Schamus is also Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University’s School of the Arts, where he teaches film history and theory.
On Doha’s newest foray into Hollywood:
Doha-based beIN Media Group’s acquiring Miramax could be a great deal depending on the price paid.
Much of the 600-plus films in the Miramax library is probably locked into licensing deals already around the globe, but depending on when those deals are up for renewal and what other rights can be exploited, if the price point was right, it’s a great way to get into the game because they are sitting on top of so much intellectual property.
Just integrating into the deal structures and understanding the economics, from the end point where the money is coming from to the rights holder, is a good idea.
Miramax, under the leadership of Zanne Devine, has also co-acquired with Roadside Attractions, the 2016 Sundance premiering feature, “Southside with You”, the narrative feature of Barak Obama and Michelle’s first date. That will bring beIN into the Roadside Attraction/ Lionsgate sphere of distribution and international sales.
On Hollywood interest in territories like China, India and the Middle East:
The less successful pattern is to find a Hollywood producer who flies in on his private jet and give him hundreds of millions (ed: Stx?) to make movies. This is a very different version, this is owning intellectual property - it’s a good first step.
On moviegoing in the Gulf:
The next step is to build a cinema culture that makes movie-going a practice in the region far more than it is now - movie exhibition and movie-going as a power lever.
On TV in the Middle East:
My intuition says new media, television in particular, is going to be a space that is very dynamic once it breaks open, here in the Gulf or elsewhere.
During this week at Qumra, James is also mentoring 10 filmmakers working on five Dfi-backed projects: Mohamed Al Ibrahim’s “Bull Shark”; Hamida Issa’s “To The Ends Of The Earth”; Sherif Elbendary’s “Ali, The Goat And Ibrahim”; Mohanad Hayal’s “Haifa Street” aka “Death Street”; and Karim Moussaoui’s “Till The Swallows Return”.
Elia Suleiman, the Artistic Advisor to Doha Film Institute, recalls how he and James “grew up together” in New York as long-time friends. James introduced him to the Chilean master filmmaker Raul Ruiz. While at Good Machine, Schamus helped him with his short film. He helped edit the script and was his guardian angel helping with his first contract. They even had a code for “urgent”. When Elia was in Jerusalem and James in London, they used the code whenever Elia was overwhelmed by the paperwork needed. James would answer within 15 minutes. Now James has come full circle on his own, from being one of the most important producers of the decade to directing his own film.
When asked by Qumra what was most important, he said “first time filmmakers are the most important”. And he has always been able to spot the most talented of emerging filmmakers.
- 4/3/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
James Schamus delivers masterclass in Doha, touching on the need to build a movie-going culture in the Gulf and how Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon established the modern international blockbuster.
James Schamus said the Gulf region could learn from China’s theatrical growth, during his masterclass at the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra festival on Saturday.
The American producer, writer, distribution executive and director was asked about last week’s deal for Doha-based beIN Media Group to acquire Miramax and said it “could be a great deal” depending on the price paid.
He noted that much of the 600-plus films in the Miramax library would be locked into licensing deals already around the globe, but depending on when those deals are up for renewal and what other rights can be exploited, “if the price point was right, it’s a great way to get into the game because you are sitting on top of so much intellectual property...
James Schamus said the Gulf region could learn from China’s theatrical growth, during his masterclass at the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra festival on Saturday.
The American producer, writer, distribution executive and director was asked about last week’s deal for Doha-based beIN Media Group to acquire Miramax and said it “could be a great deal” depending on the price paid.
He noted that much of the 600-plus films in the Miramax library would be locked into licensing deals already around the globe, but depending on when those deals are up for renewal and what other rights can be exploited, “if the price point was right, it’s a great way to get into the game because you are sitting on top of so much intellectual property...
- 3/6/2016
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
James Schamus delivers masterclass in Doha, touching on the need to build a movie-going culture in the Gulf and how Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon established the modern international blockbuster.
James Schamus said the Gulf region could learn from China’s theatrical growth, during his masterclass at the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra festival on Saturday.
The American producer, writer, distribution executive and director was asked about last week’s deal for Doha-based beIN Media Group to acquire Miramax and said it “could be a great deal” depending on the price paid.
He noted that much of the 600-plus films in the Miramax library would be locked into licensing deals already around the globe, but depending on when those deals are up for renewal and what other rights can be exploited, “if the price point was right, it’s a great way to get into the game because you are sitting on top of so much intellectual property...
James Schamus said the Gulf region could learn from China’s theatrical growth, during his masterclass at the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra festival on Saturday.
The American producer, writer, distribution executive and director was asked about last week’s deal for Doha-based beIN Media Group to acquire Miramax and said it “could be a great deal” depending on the price paid.
He noted that much of the 600-plus films in the Miramax library would be locked into licensing deals already around the globe, but depending on when those deals are up for renewal and what other rights can be exploited, “if the price point was right, it’s a great way to get into the game because you are sitting on top of so much intellectual property...
- 3/6/2016
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
There’s no need to look hard for your favorite Asian movies online these days. The rise of streaming services is a boon to movie-lovers worldwide, especially for those who love hard-to-find Asian art-house films.
You’ll find these gems and more at sites such as Archive.org, Mubi.com, and Fandor.com among others, here’s a list of some of our favourite award winning movies you can watch online right now.
Raise the Red Lantern (1991)
This Zhang Yimou film is one of the director’s many collaboration with the lovely Gong Li. Based on the novel Wives and Concubines by Su Tong, it tells the story of a young woman who agreed to be a wealthy man’s fourth wife. Complications ensue as bitter rivalries rise between the man’s four wives. Gong Li’s acting in this movie is superb and the movie captures the atmosphere of 1920s China.
You’ll find these gems and more at sites such as Archive.org, Mubi.com, and Fandor.com among others, here’s a list of some of our favourite award winning movies you can watch online right now.
Raise the Red Lantern (1991)
This Zhang Yimou film is one of the director’s many collaboration with the lovely Gong Li. Based on the novel Wives and Concubines by Su Tong, it tells the story of a young woman who agreed to be a wealthy man’s fourth wife. Complications ensue as bitter rivalries rise between the man’s four wives. Gong Li’s acting in this movie is superb and the movie captures the atmosphere of 1920s China.
- 2/27/2016
- by Kat Meneses
- AsianMoviePulse
The second edition of Qumra, March 4 - 9, the industry development event organized by the Doha Film Institute to nurture emerging voices in cinema with a focus on first and second-time filmmakers, will include as Masters, James Schamus and Joshua Oppenheimer along with Naomi Kawase, Aleksandr Sokurov and Nuri Bilge Ceylan participating in a series of master classes and one-on-one sessions with selected Qumra filmmakers and their projects along with screenings and Q&A sessions for Doha audiences throughout the week.
Read about previously announced Qumra Masters.
Held at the incredibly beautiful Museum of Islamic Art, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect I.M. Pei, and a cultural partner of the Doha Film Institute, Qumra supports the development of emerging filmmakers from Qatar, the Arab region and around the world. Dfi has arranged a “rainbow of colors in a bouquet of participants and masters”. Elia Suleiman, Artistic Advisor for the Doha Film Institute says, “each master is very different and the event looks like an edition of poetry.”
Due to unforeseen circumstances, previously announced Qumra Master Lucrecia Martel is no longer able to participate this year.
Directors and producers attached to up to thirty three projects in development or post-production are invited to participate in Qumra, named from the Arabic term ‘qumra’ popularly said to be the origin of the word ‘camera’ and used by the scientist, astronomer and mathematician Alhazen (Ibn al-Haytham, 965-c.1040 Ce), whose work in optics laid out the principles of the camera obscura.
Qumra includes a number of emerging filmmakers from Qatar, as well as recipients of funding from the Institute’s Grants Program. The robust program features industry meetings designed to assist with propelling projects to their next stages of development, master classes, work-in-progress screenings, matchmaking sessions and tailored workshops with industry experts. This creative exchange takes place alongside a program of public screenings curated with input from the Qumra Masters.
Especially appealing about this event, seen in light of mega-events as Berlin, Cannes, Tiff and Sundance is the intimacy of everyone sharing meals, attending the same party, staying at the same hotel within the famed souk and in walking distance to the museum. Only 150 people, all working hard and all meeting every day as they work with 23 features, 11 of which are in development and 12 in post whose program has been guided by Elia Suleiman and Qumra Deputy Director Hanaa Issa. The Qumra team will also help us navigate the souk to find the best bargains in spices like saffron and sumac and tumeric, textiles and other middle eastern treasures from the silk road!
Qumra has come a long way in one year; where last year there was only one documentary, this year there are eight documentary features – four in development and four works-in-progress - and four short documentaries in development. Five of them are Qatari, five are from the Mena region and two international. There are 23 features of which five are from Qatar and 10 shorts, all from Qatar. Each Master will meet with four to five filmmakers formally but the collaboration among mentors and emerging filmmakers will extend far beyond such formal meetings.
There are also three great moderators of panels: Richard Pena, the longtime chief for the Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York, Jean Michel Poignet and Paolo Bertolini of the Venice Film Festival.
Also included is a highly engaging selection of movies by the five Qumra Masters and from a selection of emerging talent during daily screenings and Q&A sessions. The selection includes Academy Award, Cannes Film Festival and Ajyal Youth Film Festival award winners.
Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Al Remaihi said: “This year, the Qumra Screenings will showcase the work of five esteemed masters of cinema alongside some tremendously talented emerging filmmakers. By presenting these two spectrums of cinematic works, Qumra will offer audiences highly engaging film experiences that will present new insights into the language of cinema and the process behind the creation of compelling films. They will also be educational and inspirational, underlining our commitment to strengthening film culture in Qatar by promoting access to and appreciation of world cinema.”
The Masters screenings, accompanied by Q&A sessions with the visiting Qumra Masters linked to each film are “The Look of Silence” (Denmark, Indonesia, Finland, Norway, UK / Indonesian, Javanese /2014) by Qumra Master Joshua Oppenheimer, “Once Upon a Time in Anatolia” (Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina / Turkish / 2011) by Qumra Master Nuri Bilge Ceylan; “The Russian Ark” (Russian Federation, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan / Russian / 2002) by Qumra Master Aleksandr Sokurov; “The Mourning Forest” (Japan, France / Japanese / 2007) by Qumra Master Naomi Kawase; and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (Taiwan, Hong Kong, USA, China / Mandarin / 2001) by Ang Lee, co-written and produced by Lee’s longtime collaborator and Qumra Master, James Schamus.
The ‘New Voices in Cinema’ screenings include two feature films granted by the Doha Film Institute: “ Mediterranea” (Italy, France, Germany, Qatar/ Arabic, English, French, Italian; 2015) by Jonas Carpignano being sold internationally by Ndm and Wme; “Roundabout in my Head”/ “Fi rassi roun-point” (Algeria, France, Qatar/Arabic/2015); and two award-winning short films “Waves 98” by Ely Dagher (Lebanon, Qatar / Arabic / 2015), winner of the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and “The Palm Tree ” (Qatar, No Dialogue, 2015) by Jasim Al Rumaihi, winner of the 2015 Ajyal Youth Film Festival Made in Qatar Award for Best Documentary.
“We are privileged to have James Schamus and Joshua Oppenheimer participate as Qumra Masters this year,” said Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Al Remaihi. “Both filmmakers, while very different in style, are truly ground-breaking in their fields and bring a wealth of experience to Qumra that will be invaluable for the young filmmakers participating.”
“We look forward to welcoming James and Joshua to the Gulf region for the first time and enabling our Qumra 2016 participants to establish a connection with these two leaders of independent filmmaking in the Us.”
Both Schamus and Oppenheimer were born in the Us and combine their acclaimed filmmaking careers with other roles within the industry: Schamus as a revered film historian and academic; and Oppenheimer as Artistic Director of the Centre for Documentary and Experimental Film at the University of Westminster in London.
Schamus, a multi award-winning screenwriter, director and leading Us indie producer, is best known for his long creative collaboration with Taiwanese director Ang Lee. He has worked with Lee on nine films, including “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), which won four Academy Awards, including Best Foreign Language Film and Best Cinematography, and remains the highest-grossing non-English-language film in the Us. He was the screenwriter for Lee's “The Ice Storm”, for which he won the award for Best Screenplay at the Festival de Cannes in 1997 and co-wrote “Eat Drink Man Woman” (1994), the first of Lee’s films to achieve both critical and commercial success.
As a producer, Schamus co-founded the Us powerhouse production company Good Machine in the early 1990s, and then from 2002 to 2014 was CEO of Focus Features, the motion picture production, financing and worldwide distribution company whose films during his tenure included Wes Anderson's “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012), Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Roman Polanski's “The Pianist “(2002), Henry Selick's Coraline (2009) and Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation” (2003).
In 2014, Schamus turned his hand to directing with the short documentary “That Film About Money” (2014), and in 2016 made his feature directorial debut with an adaptation of Philip Roth's “Indignation," which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016 and is screening at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival in the Panorama section.
Schamus is also Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University’s School of the Arts, where he teaches film history and theory, and is the author of 'Carl Theodor Dreyer's Gertrud: The Moving Word', published by the University of Washington Press.
Elia Suleiman , the Artistic Advisor to Doha Film Institute, recalls how he and James grew up together in New York as long-time friends. James introduced him to the Chilean master filmmaker Raul Ruiz. Schamus helped him with his short film while at Good Machine. He helped edit the script and was his guardian angel helping with his first contract. They even had a code for “urgent”. When Elia was in Jerusalem and James in London they used the code whenever Elia was overwhelmed by the paperwork needed. James would answer within 15 minutes. Now James has come full circle on his own, from being one of the most important producers of the decade to directing his own film. When asked by Qumra what was most important, he said first time filmmakers were the most important. And he has always been able to spot the most talented of emerging filmmakers.
Two-time Academy Award nominee Joshua Oppenheimer’s debut feature-length film, “The Act of Killing” (2012) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film, named Film of the Year by The Guardian and the Sight and Sound Film Poll, and won 72 international awards, including a European Film Award, a BAFTA, an Asia Pacific Screen Award, a Berlin International Film Festival Audience Award, and the Guardian Film Award for Best Film.
His second film, “The Look of Silence” (2014) had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it won five awards including the Grand Jury Prize, the Fipresci Prize and the Fedeora Prize. It was nominated for the 2016 Oscar for Best Documentary Film, and has received 66 international awards, including an International Documentary Association Award for Best Documentary, a Gotham Award for Best Documentary, and three Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking.
Oppenheimer is a partner at the Final Cut for Real production company in Copenhagen, and Artistic Director of the Centre for Documentary and Experimental Film at the University of Westminster, London.
Many of the industry guests include returnees as well as the new guests which count Bero Beyer, Rotterdam; Tine Fisher, Cph Dox; Christophe Le Parc, Director’s Fortnight, Cannes; Vincenzo Bugno, World Cinema Fund, Berlinale; Cameron Bailey, Tiff and Carlo Chatrian, Locarno here for their second time; Sundance for its first year; Matthijs Wouter Knol, European Film Market; Mike Goodridge, Protagonist; Memento Films, Arte; Michael Werner, Fortissimo; Alaa Karkouti, Mad Solutions and Selim El Azar, Gulf Films.
Also attending for the first time will be Netflix who picked up “Under the Shadow” an elevated horror/ thriller partially funded by the Doha Film Institute, Film Movement and the Ford Foundation.
Previous Qumra Masters include Mexican actor, director and producer Gael Garcia Bernal (“Amores Perros”; “No”; “Deficit”), Mauritanian director Abderrahmane Sissako (Timbuktu - nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2015 Academy Awards); Romanian auteur and Palme d’Or winner Cristian Mungiu (“4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days”; “Beyond the Hills”); and Bosnian writer/director Danis Tanović (“An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker”; “Tigers”, “No Man’s Land” - winner of Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001).
Read about previously announced Qumra Masters.
Held at the incredibly beautiful Museum of Islamic Art, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect I.M. Pei, and a cultural partner of the Doha Film Institute, Qumra supports the development of emerging filmmakers from Qatar, the Arab region and around the world. Dfi has arranged a “rainbow of colors in a bouquet of participants and masters”. Elia Suleiman, Artistic Advisor for the Doha Film Institute says, “each master is very different and the event looks like an edition of poetry.”
Due to unforeseen circumstances, previously announced Qumra Master Lucrecia Martel is no longer able to participate this year.
Directors and producers attached to up to thirty three projects in development or post-production are invited to participate in Qumra, named from the Arabic term ‘qumra’ popularly said to be the origin of the word ‘camera’ and used by the scientist, astronomer and mathematician Alhazen (Ibn al-Haytham, 965-c.1040 Ce), whose work in optics laid out the principles of the camera obscura.
Qumra includes a number of emerging filmmakers from Qatar, as well as recipients of funding from the Institute’s Grants Program. The robust program features industry meetings designed to assist with propelling projects to their next stages of development, master classes, work-in-progress screenings, matchmaking sessions and tailored workshops with industry experts. This creative exchange takes place alongside a program of public screenings curated with input from the Qumra Masters.
Especially appealing about this event, seen in light of mega-events as Berlin, Cannes, Tiff and Sundance is the intimacy of everyone sharing meals, attending the same party, staying at the same hotel within the famed souk and in walking distance to the museum. Only 150 people, all working hard and all meeting every day as they work with 23 features, 11 of which are in development and 12 in post whose program has been guided by Elia Suleiman and Qumra Deputy Director Hanaa Issa. The Qumra team will also help us navigate the souk to find the best bargains in spices like saffron and sumac and tumeric, textiles and other middle eastern treasures from the silk road!
Qumra has come a long way in one year; where last year there was only one documentary, this year there are eight documentary features – four in development and four works-in-progress - and four short documentaries in development. Five of them are Qatari, five are from the Mena region and two international. There are 23 features of which five are from Qatar and 10 shorts, all from Qatar. Each Master will meet with four to five filmmakers formally but the collaboration among mentors and emerging filmmakers will extend far beyond such formal meetings.
There are also three great moderators of panels: Richard Pena, the longtime chief for the Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York, Jean Michel Poignet and Paolo Bertolini of the Venice Film Festival.
Also included is a highly engaging selection of movies by the five Qumra Masters and from a selection of emerging talent during daily screenings and Q&A sessions. The selection includes Academy Award, Cannes Film Festival and Ajyal Youth Film Festival award winners.
Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Al Remaihi said: “This year, the Qumra Screenings will showcase the work of five esteemed masters of cinema alongside some tremendously talented emerging filmmakers. By presenting these two spectrums of cinematic works, Qumra will offer audiences highly engaging film experiences that will present new insights into the language of cinema and the process behind the creation of compelling films. They will also be educational and inspirational, underlining our commitment to strengthening film culture in Qatar by promoting access to and appreciation of world cinema.”
The Masters screenings, accompanied by Q&A sessions with the visiting Qumra Masters linked to each film are “The Look of Silence” (Denmark, Indonesia, Finland, Norway, UK / Indonesian, Javanese /2014) by Qumra Master Joshua Oppenheimer, “Once Upon a Time in Anatolia” (Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina / Turkish / 2011) by Qumra Master Nuri Bilge Ceylan; “The Russian Ark” (Russian Federation, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan / Russian / 2002) by Qumra Master Aleksandr Sokurov; “The Mourning Forest” (Japan, France / Japanese / 2007) by Qumra Master Naomi Kawase; and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (Taiwan, Hong Kong, USA, China / Mandarin / 2001) by Ang Lee, co-written and produced by Lee’s longtime collaborator and Qumra Master, James Schamus.
The ‘New Voices in Cinema’ screenings include two feature films granted by the Doha Film Institute: “ Mediterranea” (Italy, France, Germany, Qatar/ Arabic, English, French, Italian; 2015) by Jonas Carpignano being sold internationally by Ndm and Wme; “Roundabout in my Head”/ “Fi rassi roun-point” (Algeria, France, Qatar/Arabic/2015); and two award-winning short films “Waves 98” by Ely Dagher (Lebanon, Qatar / Arabic / 2015), winner of the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and “The Palm Tree ” (Qatar, No Dialogue, 2015) by Jasim Al Rumaihi, winner of the 2015 Ajyal Youth Film Festival Made in Qatar Award for Best Documentary.
“We are privileged to have James Schamus and Joshua Oppenheimer participate as Qumra Masters this year,” said Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Al Remaihi. “Both filmmakers, while very different in style, are truly ground-breaking in their fields and bring a wealth of experience to Qumra that will be invaluable for the young filmmakers participating.”
“We look forward to welcoming James and Joshua to the Gulf region for the first time and enabling our Qumra 2016 participants to establish a connection with these two leaders of independent filmmaking in the Us.”
Both Schamus and Oppenheimer were born in the Us and combine their acclaimed filmmaking careers with other roles within the industry: Schamus as a revered film historian and academic; and Oppenheimer as Artistic Director of the Centre for Documentary and Experimental Film at the University of Westminster in London.
Schamus, a multi award-winning screenwriter, director and leading Us indie producer, is best known for his long creative collaboration with Taiwanese director Ang Lee. He has worked with Lee on nine films, including “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), which won four Academy Awards, including Best Foreign Language Film and Best Cinematography, and remains the highest-grossing non-English-language film in the Us. He was the screenwriter for Lee's “The Ice Storm”, for which he won the award for Best Screenplay at the Festival de Cannes in 1997 and co-wrote “Eat Drink Man Woman” (1994), the first of Lee’s films to achieve both critical and commercial success.
As a producer, Schamus co-founded the Us powerhouse production company Good Machine in the early 1990s, and then from 2002 to 2014 was CEO of Focus Features, the motion picture production, financing and worldwide distribution company whose films during his tenure included Wes Anderson's “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012), Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Roman Polanski's “The Pianist “(2002), Henry Selick's Coraline (2009) and Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation” (2003).
In 2014, Schamus turned his hand to directing with the short documentary “That Film About Money” (2014), and in 2016 made his feature directorial debut with an adaptation of Philip Roth's “Indignation," which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016 and is screening at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival in the Panorama section.
Schamus is also Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University’s School of the Arts, where he teaches film history and theory, and is the author of 'Carl Theodor Dreyer's Gertrud: The Moving Word', published by the University of Washington Press.
Elia Suleiman , the Artistic Advisor to Doha Film Institute, recalls how he and James grew up together in New York as long-time friends. James introduced him to the Chilean master filmmaker Raul Ruiz. Schamus helped him with his short film while at Good Machine. He helped edit the script and was his guardian angel helping with his first contract. They even had a code for “urgent”. When Elia was in Jerusalem and James in London they used the code whenever Elia was overwhelmed by the paperwork needed. James would answer within 15 minutes. Now James has come full circle on his own, from being one of the most important producers of the decade to directing his own film. When asked by Qumra what was most important, he said first time filmmakers were the most important. And he has always been able to spot the most talented of emerging filmmakers.
Two-time Academy Award nominee Joshua Oppenheimer’s debut feature-length film, “The Act of Killing” (2012) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film, named Film of the Year by The Guardian and the Sight and Sound Film Poll, and won 72 international awards, including a European Film Award, a BAFTA, an Asia Pacific Screen Award, a Berlin International Film Festival Audience Award, and the Guardian Film Award for Best Film.
His second film, “The Look of Silence” (2014) had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it won five awards including the Grand Jury Prize, the Fipresci Prize and the Fedeora Prize. It was nominated for the 2016 Oscar for Best Documentary Film, and has received 66 international awards, including an International Documentary Association Award for Best Documentary, a Gotham Award for Best Documentary, and three Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking.
Oppenheimer is a partner at the Final Cut for Real production company in Copenhagen, and Artistic Director of the Centre for Documentary and Experimental Film at the University of Westminster, London.
Many of the industry guests include returnees as well as the new guests which count Bero Beyer, Rotterdam; Tine Fisher, Cph Dox; Christophe Le Parc, Director’s Fortnight, Cannes; Vincenzo Bugno, World Cinema Fund, Berlinale; Cameron Bailey, Tiff and Carlo Chatrian, Locarno here for their second time; Sundance for its first year; Matthijs Wouter Knol, European Film Market; Mike Goodridge, Protagonist; Memento Films, Arte; Michael Werner, Fortissimo; Alaa Karkouti, Mad Solutions and Selim El Azar, Gulf Films.
Also attending for the first time will be Netflix who picked up “Under the Shadow” an elevated horror/ thriller partially funded by the Doha Film Institute, Film Movement and the Ford Foundation.
Previous Qumra Masters include Mexican actor, director and producer Gael Garcia Bernal (“Amores Perros”; “No”; “Deficit”), Mauritanian director Abderrahmane Sissako (Timbuktu - nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2015 Academy Awards); Romanian auteur and Palme d’Or winner Cristian Mungiu (“4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days”; “Beyond the Hills”); and Bosnian writer/director Danis Tanović (“An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker”; “Tigers”, “No Man’s Land” - winner of Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001).
- 2/24/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
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