Everybody’s already talking about Sundance, which opens in just nine days, but the vast majority of international films to premiere Stateside in the next few months will come out of festivals in Europe. Both Rotterdam and Berlin open within the next month and both have started leaking this year’s line-ups. I’m fortunate enough to represent NWFF at these festivals and promise to report back about what I see.
In the meantime, Rotterdam announced their films in competition today.
The 14 films in IFFR 2009′s VPRO Tiger Awards Competition:
“At West of Pluto” (A l’ouest de Pluton) by Henri Bernadet & Myriam Verreault
(Canada, 2009), World premiere
“Be Calm and Count to Seven” (Aram bash va ta haft beshmar) by Ramtin Lavafipour
(Iran, 2008), European premiere, Hubert Bals Fund supported film
“Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly” (Babi buta yang ingin terbang) by Edwin
(Indonesia, 2008), European premiere, Hubert Bals Fund supported film
“Breathless” (Ddongpari) by Yang Ik-June
(South Korea, 2008), International premiere
“Dark Harbour” (Futoko) by Naito Takatsugu
(Japan, 2008), International premiere
“Dogging: A Love Story” by Simon Ellis
(United Kingdom, 2009), World premiere
“Floating in Memory” (Liu li) by Peng Tao
(China, 2009), World premiere, Hubert Bals Fund supported film
“The Hungry Ghosts” by Michael Imperioli
(USA, 2009), World premiere and IFFR 2009 Opening Film
“No puedo vivir sin ti” by Leon Dai
(Taiwan, 2008), International premiere
“Schottentor” by Caspar Pfaundler
(Austria, 2009), World premiere
“Sois sage” (Be Good) by Juliette Garcias
(France, Denmark, 2008), European premiere
“The Strength of Water” by Armagan Ballantyne
(New Zealand, Germany, 2008), World premiere
“Turistas” (Tourists) by Alicia Scherson
(Chile, 2009), World premiere, Hubert Bals Fund supported film
“Wrong Rosary” (Uzak ihtimal) by Mahmut Fazil Coskun
(Turkey, 2009), World premiere
[For more information including the festival's shorts competition line up, visit their website.]
And from Berlin via THR.com:
Berlinale unveils first Panorama titles
‘Garapa,’ ‘Countess,’ ‘Absolute Evil,’ among premieres
Jan 7, 2009, 10:30 AM ET
COLOGNE, Germany — Julie Delpy, whose directorial debut, “2 Days In Paris” lit up the 2007 Berlinale, returns this year with her period thriller “The Countess,” which will have its world premiere at Berlin’s Panorama sidebar.
Jose Padilha, whose corrupt cops drama “The Elite Squad” was last year’s surprise winner of the Berlinale Golden Bear, has also booked a return flight, for the Panorama premiere of “Garapa,” his documentary examining poverty in Brazil.
Other highlights of 2009 Panorama lineup include “Absolute Evil,” a crime thriller which teams up cult director Ulli Lommel (“The Boogeyman”) with star David Carradine; the documentary “Coyote” from Chema Rodriquez (“The Railroad All-Stars”) which looks at the issue of human trafficking and “Der Knochenmann” (The Bone Man) from veteran Austrian director Wolfgang Murnberger (“Silentium”).
Actress Rie Rasmussen (“Angel-A”) will unspool her directorial debut, “Human Zoo,” which focuses on the trauma of a woman living in Paris who escaped the horrors of the Balkan war. “When You’re Strange,” Tom DiCillio’s documentary on The Doors, will screen in Panorama’s Dokumente section following its Sundance debut.
The full Panorama lineup will be announced later this month.
So far the following films have been confirmed for the Main Programme, Panorama Special, and Panorama Dokumente:
“Absolute Evil” by Ulli Lommel, USA (world premiere) With David Carradine, Carolyn Neff, Ulli Lommel, Chris Kiesa
“Ander” by Roberto Caston, Spain (directorial debut and world premiere) With Josean Bengoetxea, Cristhian Esquivel, Mamen Rivera, Pilar Rodriguez, Leire Ucha
“At Stake” by Iwan Setiawan, Muhammad Ichsan, Lucky Kuswandi, Ucu Agustin, Ani Ema Susanti, Indonesia PANORAMA DOKUMENTE
“Coyote” by Chema Rodriguez, Spain (world premiere) PANORAMA DOKUMENTE
“Der Knochenmann” (The Bone Man) by Wolfgang Murnberger, Austria (world premiere) With Josef Hader, Josef Bierbichler, Birgit Minichmayr, Simon Schwarz, Christoph Luser, Stipe Erceg
“Fig Trees” by John Greyson, Canada (world premiere) With Van Abrahams, David Wall, Alexander Chapman
“Fucking Different Tel Aviv” by Yair Hochner, Avital Barak, Stephanie Abramovic, Elad Zakai, Eran Koblik Kedar, Ricardo Rojstaczer, Nir Ne’Eman, Hila Ben Baruch, Yossi Brauman, Sivan Levy, Eyal Bromberg, Anat Salomon, Sie Gal, November Wanderin, Yasmin Max, Germany/Israel
“Garapa” by Jose Padilha, Brazil (world premiere) PANORAMA DOKUMENTE
“Ghosted” by Monika Treut, Germany/Taiwan (world premiere) With Inga Busch, Huan-Ru Ke, Ting-Ting Hu, Jack Kao, Marek Harloff
“Gururi No Koto” (All Around Us) by Hashigushi Ryosuke, Japan With Kimura Tae, Lily Franky, Baisyo Mitsuko
“High Life” by Gary Yates, Canada (world premiere) With Timothy Olyphant, Stephen Eric McIntyre, Joe Anderson, Rossif Sutherland
“Human Zoo” by Rie Rasmussen, France (directorial debut and world premiere) With Rie Rasmussen, Nikola Djuricko, Nick Corey, Vojin Cetkovic, Hiam Abbass, Said Amadis
“La journee de la jupe” (Skirt Day) by Jean-Paul Lilienfeld, France/Belgium With Isabelle Adjani, Denis Podalydes, Yann Collette
“Laskar Pelangi” (The Rainbow Troops) by Riri Riza, Indonesia With Cut Mini, Zulfani, Ferdian, Veris Yamarno, Ikranagara
“Pedro” by Nick Oceano, USA (directorial debut) With Alex Loynaz,Justina Machado, Hale Appleman, DaJuan Johnson
“Rueckenwind” (Light Gradient) by Jan Krueger, Germany (world premiere) With Sebastian Schlecht, Eric Golub, Iris Minich, Denis Avevi
“Solo quiero caminar” (Just Walking) by Augustin Diaz Yanes, Spain/Mexico With Diego Luna, Victoria Abril, Ariadna Gil, Pilar Lopez de Ayala, Elena Anaya
“The Countess” by Julie Delpy, Germany/France (world premiere) With Julie Delpy, William Hurt, Daniel Bruehl
“Unmistaken Child” by Nati Baratz, Israel (directorial debut) With Tenzin Zopa PANORAMA DOKUMENTE
“When You’re Strange” by Tom DiCillo, USA With Kevin Krasny PANORAMA DOKUMENTE
“White Lightnin’” by Dominic Murphy, Great Britain/USA (directorial debut) With Edward Hogg, Carrie Fisher, Muse Watson
