It’s not only filmmakers with officially selected films that have a chance to come to Cannes; many make their way to the Cote d’Azur to market their films for international distributors and gain advice from their industry compatriots. I talked with Australian Daniel Tenni, writer/producer of Restare Uniti about the help Cannes can provide, Heath Ledger and Africa.
Nicolas Winding Refn quoted the filming of his latest effort as “the best Hollywood experience I could ever have” at the Cannes post-screening conference. For the Danish man who’s had previous European arthouse success, it seems the ultimate dream’s finally reared its head. And for his first US effort he hasn’t wasted the opportunity, blending a cocktail of noir and action with a pinch of romance to deliver a violent [...]
I’ve had a relatively uninteresting few days viewing-wise. To be honest, I haven’t actually seen anything. Friday brought about the press conference of the wonderful Drive, where I got to ask Nicolas Winding Refn a question. (Watch from 31:40; and apologies in advance for my bad camera angle.) I must say, it was pretty surreal later on looking up at the TV in the wifi room while working to [...]
Competing for the Short Palme d’Or at Cannes alongside Aussie Nash Edgerton’s Bear, Sam Holst is flying the flag for New Zealand with Meathead. Cut Print Review caught up with Holst after the initial press screening to discuss his sentiments on the festival, TV commercials and the fact that he’s from Melbourne.
It’s hard to determine what to make of Lars von Trier and the way his mind works. He’s a filmmaker like no other, oozing intrigue and always leaving a trail of controversy in his wake. At this year’s Cannes film festival, von Trier’s ill-conceived comments regarding Adolf Hitler have caused a bigger stir than his apocalyptic feature Melancholia, a film that doesn’t quite match the explosive sentiment of his [...]
Alongside the films in Official Selection, Cannes provides numerous initiatives to promote up-and-coming film-makers in both professional and amateur worlds. Village International and Marche du Film run alongside the festival for industry professionals to network and new film-makers to gain crucial contacts. The Short Film Corner also falls into this, with films in and out of Official Competition gaining critical exposure.
The Cinefondation Selection program looks towards promoting the work of [...]
Naomi Kawase, a Cannes Film Festival darling, won the Camera d’Or in 1997 with her debut feature Moe no suzaku and has since been a regular presence in Official Competition, winning the Grand Prix in 2007 for Mogari no Mori. With that in mind, you would presume there’s strong hope for her latest entry, Hanezu (Hanezu no tsuki). But despite her best intentions, Kawase’s latest falls short of creating a [...]
Since Cannes is on the home stretch for another year, many festival-goers remain baffled as screenings of films within the Official Selection deliver mixed reactions. The biggest head-scratcher is why certain films are in certain areas; what differentiates films in Official Competition from those in Un Certain Regard? Do the powers that be view films different to the press and then differently again to the public?
The Festival de Cannes website [...]
