If charming were a category at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, “The Pretty One” would be at the top of its list. The fact that the film could attain that term after overcoming an early, tragic event vital to the film's plot is a testament to the performances within. Any one genre is difficult to explore but “The Pretty One” manages to incorporate several. According to the film’s director, AFI graduate Jenee LaMarque, who

I recently caught up with Sharon Badal, Short Film Programmer of the Tribeca Festival, and what I learned in thirty minutes could land dozens of books on “How to Make Short Films” in the recycle bin. Sharon's information about this underrated and experimental format, which has long been a filmmaker’s stepping stone, both confirmed some festival dos and donts and disproved some long-held theories about the short film submission process. For instance, Tribeca loves comedies

Those who prefer their accidental-murderer-with-a-guilty-conscience stories to be brooding and inconclusive will get a kick out of “Whitewash,” the more-or-less one-man dark comedy from Canada, starring Thomas Haden Church, and the small-scale Irish drama “What Richard Did,” both currently showing at the Tribeca Film Festival. Set in remote stretches of wintry Northern Quebec, Emanuel Hoss-

Those expecting a traditional rock documentary on The National, mapping the heralded Brooklyn indie rock band’s trajectory from its shaky origins in 1999 to its gradual breakthrough as rock stars, will be sorely disappointed by “Mistaken for Strangers,” directed by National frontman Matt Berninger’s nine-years-younger brother, Tom Berninger. The film opened the Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday night. Not that there isn’t

This morning in Paris the official selection for the 66th edition of the Cannes Festival was announced during a press conference at the UGC theater. There's a strong French contingent this year, among others Francois Ozon and Roman Polanski, who will present "Venus in Fur" starring his spouse Emmanuelle Seigner as well as Matthieu Amalric. Actually Polanski claims the film to be Polish based on where the financing comes from. Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi ("A Separation") cast Berenice Bejo ("The Artist") and shot his latest film in Paris. That said, Americans have a strong showing this year, from the Coen Brothers who wil

With the unveiling of its 66th edition's official poster the Cannes Festival pays tribute to Hollywood's power to generate wonderment. This year's bill features a photograph of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman locked in a permanent kiss, as captured on set during the filming of "A new kind of love" (film was directed by Melville Shavelton; the year was 1963). The couple, who met during filming, would go on to perform in eleven

It's hard not to feel trepidations after our most successful film auteur has become designated to head the world's most beloved film festival. In a rare convergence of schedules, Steven Spielberg has been nominated to preside over the 66th Cannes Festival. “My admiration for the steadfast mission of the Festival to champion the international language of movies is second to none. The most prestigious of its kind, the festival has

The last of the snow around Potsdamer Platz has melted in time for the 63rd edition of the Berlin International Film Festival. This year’s opening film, from festival jury president Wong Kar-Wai (pictured at left), was the big-budget Kung Fu epic "The Grandmaster," shown here in its world premiere a month after opening in China. Expectations ran high for the arthouse auteur’s first martial arts outing, not to mention

Pieta, a shocking new work by Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-Duk about a small-time crook’s attempted redemption after he rediscovers his humane side in a society corrupt by money won the Golden Lion for Best Film at the 69th Mostra last night. “I wish to thank all those who contributed to this film as well as the Venice Festival and Italian audiences, and, finally, the members of the jury,” the filmmaker said upon accepting his prize. Next

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