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    @ AFM 2011
MARKET SCREENING
WARRIORS OF THE RAINBOW: SEEDIQ BALE
BY WEI TE-SHENG
PRODUCED BY JOHN WOO
 
 
Taiwan, 2011, 150', Seediq language & Japanese, Action Epic
Cast: LIN Ching-Tai, Umin Boya, ANDO Masanobu, Vivian HSU
 
”Taiwan’s entry for Best Foreign Language film for the Oscars”
48th Golden Horse Awards - 11 nominations

Set in 1930's Formosa - now Taiwan, WARRIORS OF THE RAINBOW tells the true story of the Wushe Incident in which aboriginal Seediq tribe warrior Mouna Rudo led his people to rebel against Japan then occupying the island. Rudo, assembling a Seediq force of 300 men and fighting with ancient guns, spears and minimal weaponry sought to reclaim their land, their dignity and their honor by taking on the incredible might of the Japanese army.


Screening:
Nov 03 (Thu) 01.00 pm AMC Santa Monica 3
Nov 07 (Mon) 01.00 pm AMC Santa Monica 2
 
WETLANDS (MARÉCAGES)
BY GUY ÉDOIN
 
 
Canada, 2011, 111’, French, Drama
Cast: Pascale Bussières, Gabriel Maillé, Luc Picard, François Papineau, 
Angèle Coutu, Denise Dubois  
 
 
 

Tragedy strikes a family in rural Canada struggling to keep their dairy farm from going under.  The man of the family is killed in a freak accident leaving his wife as the sole provider and caregiver looking after their rebellious teenage son who is dealing with his emerging sexuality.  The father's sudden death is not the first time this family suffers a loss. Now the bonds of family are being tested when the relationship between mother and son becomes strained as she seeks comfort in the arms of a stranger who arrives at the farm with questionable intent.


Screening:
Nov 06 (Sun) 09.00 am Laemmle Monica 2
TORMENTED
BY TAKASHI SHIMIZU
CINEMATOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER DOYLE
 
 
Japan, 2011, 83’, Japanese, 3D Horror/Thriller
Cast: Hikari Mitsushima, Teruyuki Kagawa, Takeru Shibuya
 
 
 

Director Takashi Shimizu's new film centers on a young boy whose family seems to be falling apart around him. The situation gets worse when he manifests a growing and dangerous friendship and reliance on a stuffed rabbit that comes to life. Is he crazy; is his sister alive or dead; is their illustrating father going insane or are they all delusional? Shimizu ventures once more into the terrifying corners of the mind.


Screening:
Nov 02 (Wed) 01.00 pm AMC Santa Monica 3
Nov 05 (Sat) 11.00 am AMC Santa Monica 3
 
GOODBYE
BY MOHAMMAD RASOULOF
 
 
Iran, 2011, 104’, Farsi, Drama
Cast: Leyla Zare, Hassan Pourshirazi, Behname Tashakor,
Sima Tirandaz, Roya Teymorian
 
Best Director - Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2011;
University Youth Jury Award, Antalya IFF 2011
 
 

In the desperate situation in today's Iran, a young female lawyer whose professional license has been revoked is several months pregnant. She lives alone, while her journalist husband is obliged to live in hiding. Pursued by the authorities, almost a stranger in her own country, she decides to flee.




Screening:
Nov 04 (Fri) 09.00 am Le  Merigot 1
 
LOST IN PARADISE

BY VU NGOC DANG

 
 
Vietnam, 2011, Vietnamese, Drama, Gay
Cast: Luong Manh Hai, Ho Vinh Khoa, Hieu Hien, Phuong Thanh
 
 

LOST IN PARADISE takes a provocative yet compassionate look at a group of people who live, love and exist on the fringes in modern Vietnam. Khoa, a naive, innocent 20 year old guy from the countryside arrives in Saigon to begin a new life. He is soon befriended by Dong, a handsome smooth talker who offers him a place to stay. But he discovers that there is another guy, Lam, living there too. The two guys who turn out to be boyfriends, steal all his cash and belongings and run away. Lam, who then in turn is abandoned by Dong, returns to the street as a prostitute, while Khoa, disillusioned and left penniless, takes on menial jobs to survive. Realizing that both are lonely, they begin a loving yet delicate relationship. Meanwhile, Cuoi, a mentally handicapped man befriends a female prostitute. Her pimps do not approve of the friendship fearing that he is scaring away customers...


Screening:
Nov 06 (Sun) 05.00 pm Le  Merigot 1
 
SEA SHADOW
BY NAWAF AL-JANAHI
 
 
United Arab Emirates, 2011, 98’, Arabic, Coming of Age/Drama
Cast: Omar Al Mulla, Neven Madi, Abrar Al Hamad,
Khadeeja Al Taie, Aisha Abdul Rahman, Ahmad Iraj
 
 

Set in a small seaside neighborhood in the United Arab Emirates, SEA SHADOW follows teenagers Mansoor and Kaltham as they struggle with tradition and convention in their journey towards adulthood. Bound by family and deeply-rooted values, the pair must find the courage to forge their own paths.




Screening:
Nov 04 (Fri) 03.00 pm AMC Santa Monica 3
Nov 05 (Sat) 09.00 am Fairmont 3
 
 
ISZTAMBUL

BY FERENC TÖRÖK

 
 
Hungary, 2011, Hungarian/English/Turkish, Drama
Cast: Johanna ter Steege, Lukáts Andor, Yavuz Bingöl, Varga Norbert
 
 

55 year-old Katalin flees her dysfunctional marriage and family and finds herself in. When JANOS, a popular 55 year old professor leaves home to have an affair with one of his students, nobody really bats an eye. But when his wife, KATALIN, first goes off the deep end and then hitchhikes out of the country to “find herself”, her family hits the roof and switches into high gear. First they call the police and file a missing person’s report, and then when she is found to be in Istanbul, teenage son (ZOLI) is sent to bring her back.  Meanwhile his sister ZSOFI is fully occupied giving birth to the family’s first grandchild.  It doesn’t occur to all of them that KATALIN may actually be doing very well without them in the exciting new environment of Istanbul. In this exotic city, KATALIN meets HAMIL, an out of town Muslim worker also away from his family. Both having something to share, they find an uneasy but touching relationship. When ZOLI finally catches up with his Mom, he discovers that she is a changed person.  She has no interest to return home with him.  Ultimately he comes to see her as someone who may be happier to start a new life.  Isn’t happiness what everyone in their family is seeking?


Screening:
Nov 05 (Sat) 05.00 pm Le Merigot 1
Nov 07 (Mon) 09.00 am Le Merigot 1
 
 
MICHAEL
BY RIBHU DAS GUPTA
 
 
India, 2011, 98’, Drama, Hindi
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Mahie Gill, Purav Bhandare,
Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Irawati Harshe Mayadev 
 
  

Set in Kolkata, this is a character-driven psychological drama in which MICHAEL (Naseeruddin Shah), a loyal, hard working police officer is ordered by his superiors to open fire on a peaceful crowd of protesters. He shoots away from the crowd but a bullet accidentally ricochets and kills a 12-year-old boy. Michael’s career, and whole life start to fall apart especially when he is fired from the force and he begins to receive threatening phone calls suggesting retribution on his own young son. As he struggles to care for his son, his eyesight starts to fail. Taking on odd jobs to survive he  works in a local cinema and starts making extra money by pirating movies. The story of a good man falling off the path and his struggle to hold his life and family together.

 

Screening:
Nov 02 (Wed) 03.00 pm Criterion 3
Nov 06 (Sun) 11.00 am Criterion 1
 
 
CORMAN'S WORLD:
EXPLOITS OF A HOLLYWOOD REBEL 

BY ALEX STAPLETON

 
 
USA, 2011, 95’ English, Documentary
Featuring: Roger Corman, Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Jonathan Demme, Bruce Dern, Quentin Tarantino, Paul W. S. Anderson, Peter Fonda, Todd McCarthy and many others  
 

CORMAN'S WORLD: EXPLOITS OF A HOLLYWOOD REBEL tracks the triumphant rise of Hollywood's most prolific writer-director producer, the true "godfather" of independent filmmaking. While known for working fast and wallowing in the cult movie world of monsters, bad special effects, schlocky acting, and plentiful nudity, Corman is also a respected rebel of cinema. And he taught the next generation of film greats, including Scorsese, Demme, Coppola, Cameron, even Ron Howard. From Corman's first feature in 1955 to the set of his new film, DINOSHARK, this entertaining documentary has all the blood and guts of Corman's lurid and fascinating career, with essential insights from contemporaries and students. Learn the roots of indie filmmaking, laced with boobs, violence, guns and creatures!

 

Screening: 
Nov 03 (Thu) 05.00 pm Criterion 6
Nov 07 (Mon) 11.00 am Le Merigot 1
 
AFI FESTIVAL – SECTION: WORLD
JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI

BY DAVID GELB

 
 
USA / Japan 2011, 83’, Japanese
Featuring: Jiro Ono, Yoshikazu Ono, Takashi Ono, Masuhiro Yamamoto
 
 
 

In the basement of a Tokyo office building, 85 year old sushi master Jiro Ono works tirelessly in his world renowned restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro. As his son Yoshikazu faces the pressures of stepping into his father’s shoes and taking over the legendary restaurant, Jiro-san relentlessly pursues his lifelong quest to create the perfect piece of sushi.

 
 
 
 
Screening: 
Nov 08 (Tue) 04.30 pm Egyptian
Nov 09 (Wed) 07.15 pm Chinese 6
UPCOMING TITLES
DJINN
BY TOBE HOOPER
UAE, Arabic/English, Supernatural Horror Thriller
Cast: Khalid Laith (THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE), Razane Jammal (CARLOS)
Status: Post Production
 
HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES
BY JOHN CAMERON MITCHELL
USA, English, Romance/Sci-Fi/Music
Status: In Development 
 
 
 
MARLEY
BY KEVIN MACDONALD
USA, English, Music/Documentary
Executive Producer: Ziggy Marley
Status: Post Production
 
 
 
WHAT MAISIE KNEW
BY SCOTT MCGEHEE and DAVID SIEGEL
USA, English, Drama Comedy
Cast: Julianne Moore, Alexander Skarsgård, Steve Coogan, Onata Aprile
Status: In Production
 
 
WHITE FROG
BY QUENTIN LEE
USA, English, Coming of Age/Drama
Cast: Joan Chen, BD Wong, Kelly Hu, Harry Shum Jr., Booboo Stewart
Status: Post Production
 
 
 
 
 
CURRENT TITLES
CAIRO 678 
BY MOHAMED DIAB
Egypt, 2010, 100’, Arabic, Drama
Cast: Nelly Karim, Bushra, Maged El Kedwany
 
Best Actor (Maged El Kedwany) and Best Actress (Bushra), Dubai International Film Festival
ON THE EDGE (SUR LA PLANCHE)
BY LEÏLA KILANI
Morocco / France / Germany, 2011, 35mm, 106 min, Arabic, Drama
Cast: Mouna Bahmad, Nouzha Akel, Sara Betioui, Soufia Issami
 
 
Official Selection: Directors' Fortnight - Cannes 2011; 
San Sebastian IFF 2011; 
Best Film, Antalya IFF 2011 
 
SILENT SONATA
BY JANEZ BURGER
Slovenia, 2010, 75’, 35mm, Colour, Drama
Leon Lučev, Rene Bazinet, Pauliina Räsänen, Ravil Sultanov
 

“Slovenia’s entry for Best Foreign Language film for the Oscars”

 
Winner of 8 awards at the Slovenian Film Festival 2010, including Best Film and Best Director 
 
AVAILABLE NOW!
FORTISSIMO PROMO REEL
 
 Screening: 
Nov 05 (Sat) 03.00 pm Le  Merigot 1
 
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