Festivals

Karlovy Vary. Belgium filmmaker Frédéric Sojcher won the critics' appreciation with his film Hitler in Hollywood (photo). Judd Law, Nikita Mikhalkov, Juraj Herz, Karel Vachek and Michel Ciment were guests of honor. More
Moscow. Czech filmmaker Irena Pavlásková won the Critics' Prize for her film An Earthly Paradise for the Eyes (Zemský ráj to na pohled). More
Locarno. Chinese filmmaker Li Hongqi's film Winter Vacation plays innovatively with duration inside an impeccable mise-en-scene, and uses a deadpan comedy style to frame deeper issues about Chinese society. More

News

Asian Filmmaker of the Year. The 15th Pusan International Film Festival has selected TSAI Ming Liang for the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award. This award has been presented to Asian filmmakers who undertake outstanding activities to improve and develop the Asian film industry and culture. The festival writes: Tsai's "30-year long devotion to filmmaking has greatly influenced Asian Cinema and made considerable contributions to enhance the global status of Asian Cinema."
European Film Awards — People's Choice. The People’s Choice Award allows film fans across Europe to elect their favorite film and win a trip to the European Film Awards Ceremony (on December 4 in the Estonian capital of Tallinn). Winners in the past have included films like Pedro Almodóvar's Volver, Roberto Benigni's La vita e bella, Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amélie, Fatih Akin's Head-On, and Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire. Votes can be casted at www.europeanfilmawards.eu

Undercurrent #6

The sixth issue of Undercurrent, FIPRESCI's magazine of film criticism, is a special issue on film festivals, with reflections on the current situation and history of an institution that has made itself vital to cinema. undercurrent
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Peter Brunette

Peter Brunette, the wellknown American film writer, died unexpectedly while attending the Taormina Film Festival in Italy. He reviewed films for the British trade journal "Screen International" and for "The Hollywood Reporter". He was professor for film studies at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. His books include studies of Roberto Rossellini, Michelangelo Antonioni, Wong Kar-wai. Peter Brunette was 66. The last lines he posted from Taormina were: "Luxuriating in the view over the Sicilian coast, the Mt. Etna volcano, and the Mediterranean sea here at the Taormina Film Festival. Oh yeah, and seeing some good films too!" Jan Lumholdt quotes this in his obituary