news – archive – index

2013

Istanbul. The traditional cinema Emek will be closed down and will be replaced by a theater in a new shopping mall. The world of cinema protests.
Budapest. Hungarian Filmmakers' Association will hold an extraordinary and public General Assembly Meeting on February 2nd, 2013.
New York. The National Society of Film Critics chose Michael Haneke's Amour as Best Picture of the Year 2012. All votes of the 47th Annual Awards.
Berlinale. In the framework of the "Berlinale Talent Campus # 11" again a "Talent Press" workshop for young critics will be organized. See the Call for Applications (deadline passed).
Rotterdam. The International Film Festival Rotterdam welcomes applications for the 15th IFFR Trainee Project for Young Film Critics taking place during its 42nd edition. See the Call for Application (deadline passed).

2012

Theo Angelopoulos, the Greek film-maker died in an accident in Athens in January 2012. He was 76. Dan Fainaru sees him as one of he greatest filmmakers of our times. Read his obituary

2011

European Film Awards 2011. Lars von Trier's Melancholia was selected best film of the year. The Discovery Award / Prix FIPRESCI went to Oxygen (Adem) by Hans Van Nuffel, Belgium/Netherlands.
Adana. At the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival, FIPRESCI presented a selection of four films from Arab countries which had won the Critics' Prize at various festivals.
Maria Kornatowska. The first lady of Polish film criticism died in Łódź on August 21st after a serious illness. She was a graduate of Polish Philology at the University of Łódź, who spent her whole professional life at the Film School in Łódź. Most of all, she was an eminent film critic. Tadeusz Szczepanski remembers her.
Natalia Bassina. "To say that Natalia Bassina had a great run as a Russian film critic is no small statement", writes Julia Khomiakova in her obituary on her passed away colleague.
Alex Leo Serban. Widely regarded as one of the best Romanian film critics, Alex Leo Serban died April 9th after a long illness. He was 51 years old. He was one of the most appreciated and refined Romanian film critics — an essayist, translator and visual artist who was close to the Romanian New Wave. Magda Mihailescu's obituary
Critics' Awards 2010. Film Critics and their organizations in a variety of countries voted for the best films of the previous year. American critics (The National Society of Film Critics) open the show.

2010

Jafar Panahi, the Iranian filmmaker, had been arrested by the police of his country. Over two months later, he was still in prison. We released a note of protestation. In December, 2010, he was sentenced to six years of prison. We released another statement
European Film Awards 2010, Discovery Award — Prix FIPRESCI. The Winners / Alin Tasciyan on Young European Cinema
Peter Brunette, the American film critic, died at the early age of 66. Jan Lumholdt remembers him.

2009

Tullio Kezich, the prominent Italian critic and writer, passed away in August, in Rome, aged 81. Irene Bignardi remembers him.
Romania on the Movie Map. Ronald Bergan reports about a conference on Romanian cinema which took place on April 4th, 2009, in Bucharest as part of the NexT Film Festival.
Turbulences in Moscow. Following an extraordinary meeting of the Russian Filmmakers Union, the critics assembled in the Union protested against the president Nikita Mikhalkov's new politics and in particular against the expulsion of critic Viktor Matizen.
Critics' Awards 2008. Film Critics and their organizations in a variety of countries voted for the best films of the previous year, among them the National Society of Film Critics (USA) and the associations, among others, in Hungary, Sweden, Poland, Brazil, Turkey and Germany. All awards
Milutin Colic. The known and influential Belgrade critic Milutin Colic passed away. He belonged in the forefront of top post-war film journalists and film industry professionals whose work penned the more recent history of Serbian and Yugoslav film.

2008

Peter W. Jansen. An obituary on the German critic, by Andrei Plakhov.
Grand Prix. Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood was voted, by 242 mebers of FIPRESCI, Best Film of 2008.
Alexander Troshin. The Russian critic died in April 2008. Naum Kleiman remembers him.
Cannes. In the framework of the Critics' Week, FIPRESCI presents its "Revelation of the Year": Mexican Fernando Eimbcke's Lake Tahoe, preceded by Andrea Hydake's short film The Runt.
Romanian Films Today. Ronald Bergan reports on a panel in Bucharest, in March, 2008.
Critics' Awards 2007. The Best Films of 2006, as seen by film critics in a variety of countries.

2007

Prix FIPRESCI 2007. The "European Film Award of the Critics 2007" has been presented to Alain Resnais and his film Coeurs — Private Fears in Public Places, at the ceremony of the European Film Awards on 1st of December, 2007, in Berlin. Review
All European Film Awards 2007
Angela Baldassarre, the Toronto-based critic, founding member of the Toronto Film Critics Association, passed away in November, after a long illness. Norman Wilner remembers her
European Film Awards — Discovery. As part of the European Film Awards, the category "European Discovery" is presented to a young and upcoming director for a first full-length feature film. The nominations were determined by a committee comprised of FIPRESCI members and EFA Board members. The selection 2007
Fernanda Montenegro, the Brazilan actress, received FIPRESCI's Lifetime Achievement Award 2007 at the occasion of the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival.
Grand Prix 2007. 248 members of FIPRESCI, worldwide, voted for the Best Film of the Year and selected, with a clear preference, Cristian Mungiu, the Romanian filmmaker's 4 Month, 3 Weeks and 2 Days as winner of the Grand Prix. Details / Review
Revelation of the Year (2006/7). In the framework of the Cannes "International Critics' Week", FIPRESCI presented a first or second film awarded during the previous year, in the belief that it deserves another chance. This year's winner is "yo - me", the first feature film by Spanish director Rafa Cortés.
Critics' Awards 2006. The Best Films of 2006, as seen by film critics in a variety of countries.

2006

European Film Awards 2006. All awards
Nelson Pereira dos Santos, the Brazilian filmmaker, received FIPRESCI's Lifetime Achievement Award at the Rio de Janeiro Film Festival. José Carlos Avellar on Nelson
Pedro Almodóvar won a poll among all members or FIPRESCI as Best Film of the Year, for Volver. Violeta Kovacsics on Volver
Sven Nykvist, the Swedish cinematographer, died in September, aged 83. He helped bring about the birth of a number of masterpieces, most of them with Ingmar Bergman, his most intimate collaborator. Ronald Bergan honors him.
Portugal. Two film festival directors died within a few weeks: Mário Ventura (FesTroia), and José Vieira Marques (Figueira da Foz). Joao Antunes remembers them.
György Illés, cinematographer; born November 2, 1914; died June 12, 2006. Ronald Bergan honors the influential Hungarian director of photography. More
Fabián Bielinsky. Argentinean filmmaker Fabián Bielinsky died in June, from a heart attack. He was 47 years old. He leaves only two films, Nine Queens and El auro. Diego Lerer's obituary
Critics' Awards 2005. The Best Films of 2005, as seen by film critics in a variety of countries. Read more

2005

Deadline: December 2005. The Moscow Film Museum has to leave its home, by the end of the year. Andrei Plakhov sums up the chronicle of a scandal. More
Michael Haneke was honored, at the European Film Awards Ceremony, as best European Director of 2005, his film Hidden was chosen Best Film. All Prizes / Hidden was also chosen, by FIPRESCI, as best film of 2005, and was awarded the Prix FIPRESCI. Read more
Fernando Solanas, the Argentinean filmmaker, receives FIPRESCI's Lifetime Achievement Award 2005 at the occasion of the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival.
3-Iron (Bin-jip) by Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk has been voted, by the members of FIPRESCI, Best Film of 2004/2005 and won our Grand Prix. Details / Pamela Biénzobas reviews the film
German Film Critics protest against the way they are treated by the American company UIP, at the occasion of the release of Steven Spielbergs War of the Worlds.
Thessaloniki. Michel Demopoulos has been removed from his post of artistic director, Theo Angelopoulos has been dismissed as president of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
Béla Tarr, the Hungarian filmmaker, faced problems to shoot and finish his new film The Man From London. His German colleague Fred Kelemen initiated a "Declaration of Solidarity".
Moscow Film Museum. A Note of protestation against the planned eviction of the Museum from its home, the Kino Center in Moscow, a controvery between Nikita Mikhalkov and Kaus Eder / Erika and Ulrich Gregor, and a lot of documents.
Humbert Balsan. Ronald Bergan on the French producer, chairman of the European Film Academy, who died on February 10, 2005.
Critics' Awards 2004. The Best Films of 2004, as seen by film critics in a variety of countries.
The Buenos Aires Incident. Eduardo Antin (Quintin) was fired as director of the International Festival of Independent Cinema.

2004

European Film Awards, presented on December 11, 2004, in Barcelona, all awards / The European Film Academy Critics Award 2004 — Prix FIPRESCI went to Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow by Greek direktor Theo Angelopoulos. Michel Ciment on the film and its director
S.O.S. Berlin Babylon. The traditional arthouse cinema (in former Eat Berlin) is endangered, an essential part of Berlin's film culture is threatened to disappear.
"Trans-Europa Express — The Changing Face of European Cinema". At a conference in the Hungarian city of Szolnok, critics discussed the recent challenges of cinema in particular in Middle and Eastern European countries.
"Notre musique" by Jean-Luc Godard was voted, by the members of FIPRESCI, Best Film of the Year and won our Grand Prix 2004. Details Ronald Bergan reviews the film
Mohsen Makhmalbaf has been stopped by Iranian authorities from making his latest film.
Cannes 2004. In the framework of the Critics Week, FIPRESCI presented as "Revelation of the Year 2003" the Russian film "Kokzebel". Derek Malcolm introduces the film
Britain's Film Heritage is under imminent threat of irreparable devastation from ill-considered reconception and re-structuring. See details and add your name in protest against the planned abuses.
Critics Awards 2003. The National Society of Film Critics (USA) awarded "American Splendor" best film of the year 2003. The Toronto Critics selected "Lost in Translation", while for the Uruguayan critics "Mystic River" is best of last year. The critics of Rio de Janeiro decided as well for "Mystic River", together with the doc "Bowling for Columbine". More awards and details
Obituaries:
Sandor Köröspataki / Maria Racheva / Angel Fernández-Santos (English) / (Spanish) / Lino Micciché / Karel Kachyna / Jean Rouch / Ingrid Thulin

2003

Grand Prix 2003. Created by the Donostia-San Sebastian Film Festival and FIPRESCI in 1999, the Grand Prix for Best Film of the Year has been awarded to Uzak by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Christoffer Boe received for Reconstruction the Grand Prix for Best New Director of the Year.
Critics Awards. Critics in a variety of countries award the best films of the previous year. (January 2003)
Daniel Toscan du Plantier, 1941-2003. By Ronald Bergan. (February 2003)
San Francisco. The San Francisco Film Society announced that FIPRESCI president Michel Ciment has been appointed Guest Programmer of the San Francisco International Film Festival for the year 2003. (March 2003)
Valentina Kolodyazhnaya, who lectured foreign film history at VGIK, the Russian Film School, passed away. Filmmakers like Andrei Tarkovski and Vassili Shukshin and critics like Andrei Plakhov were her students. Julia Khomiakova on the death of her teacher. (March 2003)
Iranian Film Journalists have been arrested, because, as the police stated, "of having a collection of foreign novies". The series of arrests started in February, but continues obviously. Only recently, Sina Motallebi, film critic, editor of a web magazine (www.rooznegar.com, the site appears actually as empty) has been arrested. Subject of the charges against him: the contents of his website, interviews with foreign press and his writings in general.(April 2003)
Wang Bing, the Chinese filmmaker, was not allowed to attend the Los Angeles Film Festival, earlier this June. FIPRESCI members Robert Koehler and Bérénice Reynaud inform about the incident.
Janine Bazin, producer and wife of the late André Bazin, died aged 80. Read Ronald Bergan's obituary, published by kind permission of The Guardian.
Serge Silberman. The French producer died at the age of 86 in Paris. Ronald Bergan on Serge Silberman
Alexander Walker. He was the most widely known and respected British film critic. His books on Vivien Leigh, Audrey Hepburn, Stanley Kubrick are masterpieces of writing on cinema. At the age of 73, Alexander Walker died in London. Derek Malcolm on his colleague
Elem Klimov. The Russian director of Come and See has died aged 70. Ronald Bergan on Klimov.
US: Ban of Screeners. Allegedly to dam up piracy, the Motion Pictures Association of America (headed by Mr. Jack Valenti) has prohibited socalled "screeners" (dvds or videos) to be sent to members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Oscar voters) and to the members of critics' organizations. In reality, this is a heavy attack on independent films. Henry Sheehan tells and comments the incident and explains why the Los Angeles film critics cancel this year's voting on awards.

2002

Rio de Janeiro. A jury of international and national critics awarded the documentary Ônibus 174 (Bus 174) by José Padilha as best Brazilian film of the Rio Film Festival. (October 2002)
Moscow. The renown Moscow Film Museum has been endangered by another attack from the company Kinozentr which tries to claim the space for its own commercial purposes. (December 2002)

top