Homepage November 2023
Fallen Leaves, directed by Aki Kaurismäki, has won the FIPRESCI Grand Prix – Best Film of 2023. 669 critics from all over the world participated in the poll. More
FIPRESCI at Cannes
Our jury at the 77th edition of this major event will present three prizes: to a film in (or out of) competition; to a film in the “Un Certain Regard” section; and to a film in the parallel sections of “Directors Fortnight” or “Critics Week”. The Brazilian critic Marcelo Janot will head the jury as its president. Members: Barbara Gasser (Austria), Chih-Yuan Liang (France), Laura Pertuy, (France), Max Oliver Borg (Switzerland), Sadia Khalid (Bangladesh), Patrick Fey (Germany), Hossein Eidizadeh (Iran), Han Tien (Taiwan). The award ceremony is scheduled on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at 3:30 pm, Festival Palace, Les Ambassadeurs.
Berlinale 2024. Our jury awarded the Film Critics’ Prize in the international competition to the Iranian film My Favourite Cake by Maryam Moghaddam & Behtash Sanaeeha. The jury argued: “It’s a disarming love story between two lonely elderly people, set in a melancholic atmosphere in today’s Iranian society, told in a beautiful and touching way with humor and empathy.” (Photo: Mohammed Haddadi)
Mohammad Rasoulof, the Iranian filmmaker, who is expected at the Cannes Film Festival 2024, has been sentenced to eight years in prison. Details.
Wim Wenders, the German director and screenwriter, held a sold-out masterclass at the Istanbul Film Festival. More
Juliette Binoche, the French actress, has been elected president of the European Film Academy. She takes over from Agnieszka Holland who steps down to dedicate time to new films.
News
Malgorzata Szumowska (photo), the Polish filmmaker, has been honored: At the occasion of the Sofia International Film Festival the FIRESCI Platinum Award has been presented to her. In her portrait of the filmmaker, Savina Petkova writes: “In the last decade or so, Małgorzata Szumowska has proven herself as one of European cinema’s most pronounced names. She is one of the examples of how national cinema can become a vital part of world cinema and its transnational canon.” More See also the partial record of her Sofia Masterclass.