Exclusive: The North Star Film Alliance (Nsfa), an organization set up by Finland, Estonia and Latvia to promote the countries’ film production opportunities, is opening an office in Japan in a bid to foster connections between the regions.
There has been growing cooperation between the Japanese film biz and Nsfa countries, following the 2017 Latvian-Japanese co-production Magic Kimono, currently streaming on Netflix, which was helmed by Latvian director Maris Martinsons and featured a primarily Japanese cast. Last year, Japanese director Kôjirô Hashimoto chose to shoot his feature Snow Flower in Finland, tapping into the cash rebate.
The office will be administered by Tokyo-based Ax-on, a member of the Nippon group, which is well known for international production services. It will host informational presentations at small-scale location industry events to communicate the production possibilities, locations, and various incentives the three countries offer.
The Baltic region has been growing in prominence as a...
There has been growing cooperation between the Japanese film biz and Nsfa countries, following the 2017 Latvian-Japanese co-production Magic Kimono, currently streaming on Netflix, which was helmed by Latvian director Maris Martinsons and featured a primarily Japanese cast. Last year, Japanese director Kôjirô Hashimoto chose to shoot his feature Snow Flower in Finland, tapping into the cash rebate.
The office will be administered by Tokyo-based Ax-on, a member of the Nippon group, which is well known for international production services. It will host informational presentations at small-scale location industry events to communicate the production possibilities, locations, and various incentives the three countries offer.
The Baltic region has been growing in prominence as a...
- 9/25/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Eight projects in production or post-production will compete at this year’s festival.
The 19th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Nov 13-29) has unveiled the eight projects that will be featured in its Works in Progress programme this year.
The titles selected represent a variety of countries deliberately chosen for being outside of the mainstream, including a project from Krygystan and co-productions from Latvia-Japan-Estonia and Egypt-France.
The Latvia-Japan-Estonia co-production Magic Kimono comes from director Maris Martinsons, whose 2008 film Loss was submitted by Lithuania to the Academy Award’s foreign language pool.
Freedom, the Germany-Slovakia co-pro, is produced by Sol Bondy, who was named by Screen as a future leader at Cannes 2013, and Jamila Wenske; the pair were both co-producers on Pan Nalin’s comedy drama Angry Indian Goddesses.
The film is directed by Jan Speckenbach, whose Reported Missing was nominated for a European Film Award in 2012.
Mohamed Hefzy, also a Screen future leader in 2013, produces Sherif Elbendary’s Ali...
The 19th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Nov 13-29) has unveiled the eight projects that will be featured in its Works in Progress programme this year.
The titles selected represent a variety of countries deliberately chosen for being outside of the mainstream, including a project from Krygystan and co-productions from Latvia-Japan-Estonia and Egypt-France.
The Latvia-Japan-Estonia co-production Magic Kimono comes from director Maris Martinsons, whose 2008 film Loss was submitted by Lithuania to the Academy Award’s foreign language pool.
Freedom, the Germany-Slovakia co-pro, is produced by Sol Bondy, who was named by Screen as a future leader at Cannes 2013, and Jamila Wenske; the pair were both co-producers on Pan Nalin’s comedy drama Angry Indian Goddesses.
The film is directed by Jan Speckenbach, whose Reported Missing was nominated for a European Film Award in 2012.
Mohamed Hefzy, also a Screen future leader in 2013, produces Sherif Elbendary’s Ali...
- 11/3/2015
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Issey Ogata has joined Kaori Momoi in the cast of the first ever Japanese-Latvian co-production, Magic Kimono, which has also received support from the Riga Film Fund and Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Scheduled to start shooting on August 15, the film follows a Japanese woman’s efforts to open a sushi restaurant in Riga whilst coming to terms with the sudden reappearance of a long-lost husband. Latvia’s Maris Martinsons will direct.
Ogata, who recently worked with Martin Scorsese on his Japan-set period drama Silence, will play the role of husband. Momoi, whose credits include Memoirs Of A Geisha, will play the lead character.
Magic Kimono is one of four projects that will receive a 20% cash rebate on qualifying spend from the Riga Film Fund in its latest round of approvals. The project has also secured funding of $234,000 (Y27.9m) from Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunka-cho), which supports international co-productions.
The film is...
Scheduled to start shooting on August 15, the film follows a Japanese woman’s efforts to open a sushi restaurant in Riga whilst coming to terms with the sudden reappearance of a long-lost husband. Latvia’s Maris Martinsons will direct.
Ogata, who recently worked with Martin Scorsese on his Japan-set period drama Silence, will play the role of husband. Momoi, whose credits include Memoirs Of A Geisha, will play the lead character.
Magic Kimono is one of four projects that will receive a 20% cash rebate on qualifying spend from the Riga Film Fund in its latest round of approvals. The project has also secured funding of $234,000 (Y27.9m) from Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunka-cho), which supports international co-productions.
The film is...
- 5/16/2015
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Maris Martinsons [pictured] to direct Magic Kimono, starring Kaori Momoi.
Latvian filmmaker Maris Martinsons will direct the first ever co-production between Japan and the Baltics, Magic Kimono, with Japanese actress Kaori Momoi (Memoirs Of A Geisha) heading the cast.
Scheduled to shoot in Riga, Latvia and Kobe, Japan from August 15, the tragicomedy is co-produced by Linda Krukle for Latvia’s KrukFilms, Eiko and Jason Gray for Japan’s Loaded Films and Sten Saluveer for Estonia’s Oree Films.
The story follows a Japanese woman’s efforts to open a sushi restaurant in Riga whilst coming to terms with the rich food culture of Northern Europe and the sudden reappearance of a long-lost husband. Latvian celebrity chef Martins Sirmais will also serve as food consultant on the film.
The €1.3m project, which recently passed the UniJapan Co-Production Certificate, will also be backed by Latvian investor Boris Teterev, who recently invested in Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez’ Sin City: A Dame To Kill For.
Martinsons...
Latvian filmmaker Maris Martinsons will direct the first ever co-production between Japan and the Baltics, Magic Kimono, with Japanese actress Kaori Momoi (Memoirs Of A Geisha) heading the cast.
Scheduled to shoot in Riga, Latvia and Kobe, Japan from August 15, the tragicomedy is co-produced by Linda Krukle for Latvia’s KrukFilms, Eiko and Jason Gray for Japan’s Loaded Films and Sten Saluveer for Estonia’s Oree Films.
The story follows a Japanese woman’s efforts to open a sushi restaurant in Riga whilst coming to terms with the rich food culture of Northern Europe and the sudden reappearance of a long-lost husband. Latvian celebrity chef Martins Sirmais will also serve as food consultant on the film.
The €1.3m project, which recently passed the UniJapan Co-Production Certificate, will also be backed by Latvian investor Boris Teterev, who recently invested in Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez’ Sin City: A Dame To Kill For.
Martinsons...
- 2/9/2015
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Latvia’s Official entry for the Academy Awards Gulf Stream Under The Iceberg will have its North American premiere this month at the Scandinavian Film Festival of Los Angeles - www.Ssfla.net.
The Sffla is leading the industry by extending its program to include its Baltic neighbors from Latvia and Lithuania. Ahead of the curve, the 14 year old festival has carved out a loyal and dedicated audience during the last lobbying weeks of a busy award season over the two weekends in January 12&13 and 19&20 at the Writer’s Guild in Beverly Hills.
“Northern European countries have often taken to the seas with a cargo of culture, commerce and collaboration,” says festival founder/director James Koenig. “We have an exciting program that follows old routes to new worlds and now we are journeying around to our Baltic neighborhood where cultural cross-currents have been a reality since even before Hanseatic ‘happenings’!”
This year the program will begin with Yevgeny Pashkevich’s mythical fairy tale Gulf Stream Under the Iceberg, a kaleidoscopic and hypnotic affair inspired by the works of Anatole France and influenced by Talmud and the medieval books of Cabala. It is the self-absorbing story about Adam´s first wife, Lilith – how humanity tries to run away from Eden and strives to become sinless, yet ultimately ends up trapped in its own unconsciousness.A
Written & Directed by Yevgeny Pahskevich, Gulf Stream Under the Iceberg is produced by Yevgeny Pashkevich, Natalia Ivanova and stars Olga Shepitskaya, Ville Haapasalo, Danila Kozlovsky, Liubomiras Lauciavicius, and Yuriy Tsurilo. Executive producers are Kristians Luhaers, Antra Cilinska and Maria Ksinopulo. Wide Management is handling worldwide sales.
Sffla 2013 will continue its strong line-up of showcasing Scandinavian films - premiering features, documentaries, shorts from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and which will include this year’s Academy’s short-list of Foreign Language films from Iceland Baltasar Kormakur’s The Deep, and Norway’s Golden Globe nominee Joachim Rønning & Espen Sandberg’s Kon-tiki; with Sweden’s Nikolaj Arcel’s A Royal Affair closing the festival. Other Academy submissions include Finland’s entry Antti Joinen’s Purge, Latvia’s Yevgeny Pashkevich’s Gulf Stream Under the Iceberg and Lithuania’s Loss from Maris Martinsons.
The shorts program will also include two Academy short-listed films: Anders Walter’s 9 Meter (Denmark) and Goran Kapetanovic’s Kiruna-Kigali (Sweden)
Gulf Stream Under the Iceberg Premieres Saturday, January 12 at 11am
WGA
135 S. Doheny Drive, Beverly Hills - www.nidafilma.lv
Ticket sales: www.Sffla.net
Sales enquiries: www.widemanagement.com...
The Sffla is leading the industry by extending its program to include its Baltic neighbors from Latvia and Lithuania. Ahead of the curve, the 14 year old festival has carved out a loyal and dedicated audience during the last lobbying weeks of a busy award season over the two weekends in January 12&13 and 19&20 at the Writer’s Guild in Beverly Hills.
“Northern European countries have often taken to the seas with a cargo of culture, commerce and collaboration,” says festival founder/director James Koenig. “We have an exciting program that follows old routes to new worlds and now we are journeying around to our Baltic neighborhood where cultural cross-currents have been a reality since even before Hanseatic ‘happenings’!”
This year the program will begin with Yevgeny Pashkevich’s mythical fairy tale Gulf Stream Under the Iceberg, a kaleidoscopic and hypnotic affair inspired by the works of Anatole France and influenced by Talmud and the medieval books of Cabala. It is the self-absorbing story about Adam´s first wife, Lilith – how humanity tries to run away from Eden and strives to become sinless, yet ultimately ends up trapped in its own unconsciousness.A
Written & Directed by Yevgeny Pahskevich, Gulf Stream Under the Iceberg is produced by Yevgeny Pashkevich, Natalia Ivanova and stars Olga Shepitskaya, Ville Haapasalo, Danila Kozlovsky, Liubomiras Lauciavicius, and Yuriy Tsurilo. Executive producers are Kristians Luhaers, Antra Cilinska and Maria Ksinopulo. Wide Management is handling worldwide sales.
Sffla 2013 will continue its strong line-up of showcasing Scandinavian films - premiering features, documentaries, shorts from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and which will include this year’s Academy’s short-list of Foreign Language films from Iceland Baltasar Kormakur’s The Deep, and Norway’s Golden Globe nominee Joachim Rønning & Espen Sandberg’s Kon-tiki; with Sweden’s Nikolaj Arcel’s A Royal Affair closing the festival. Other Academy submissions include Finland’s entry Antti Joinen’s Purge, Latvia’s Yevgeny Pashkevich’s Gulf Stream Under the Iceberg and Lithuania’s Loss from Maris Martinsons.
The shorts program will also include two Academy short-listed films: Anders Walter’s 9 Meter (Denmark) and Goran Kapetanovic’s Kiruna-Kigali (Sweden)
Gulf Stream Under the Iceberg Premieres Saturday, January 12 at 11am
WGA
135 S. Doheny Drive, Beverly Hills - www.nidafilma.lv
Ticket sales: www.Sffla.net
Sales enquiries: www.widemanagement.com...
- 1/6/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
While I do not think that something as edgy or unusual as Giorgos Lanthimos' Dogtooth (pictured above) will make the 'final five' short list, but kudos to Greece for throwing it out there. Perhaps something like Tetsuya Nakashima's Confessions will make the cut despite its similarly unsettling subject matter. Either way, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did put out a big release yesterday with all of their Foreign Language film submissions, 65 of them in total even Greenland, from various countries. Many of these films have reviews in our archives.
Albania, East West East, Gjergj Xhuvani
Algeria, Hors la Loi ("Outside the Law"), Rachid Bouchareb
Argentina, Carancho, Pablo Trapero
Austria, La Pivellina, Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel
Azerbaijan, The Precinct, Ilgar Safat
Bangladesh, Third Person Singular Number, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Belgium, Illegal, Olivier Masset-Depasse
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Circus Columbia, Danis Tanovic
Brazil, Lula the Son of Brazil,...
Albania, East West East, Gjergj Xhuvani
Algeria, Hors la Loi ("Outside the Law"), Rachid Bouchareb
Argentina, Carancho, Pablo Trapero
Austria, La Pivellina, Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel
Azerbaijan, The Precinct, Ilgar Safat
Bangladesh, Third Person Singular Number, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Belgium, Illegal, Olivier Masset-Depasse
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Circus Columbia, Danis Tanovic
Brazil, Lula the Son of Brazil,...
- 10/14/2010
- Screen Anarchy
65 Countries Enter Race for 2010 Foreign Language Film Oscar®
Beverly Hills, CA: Sixty-five countries, including first-time entrants Ethiopia and Greenland, have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 83rd Academy Awards®.
The 2010 submissions are:
.Albania, .East, West, East,. Gjergj Xhuvani, director;
.Algeria, .Hors la Loi. (.Outside the Law.), Rachid Bouchareb, director;
.Argentina, .Carancho,. Pablo Trapero, director;
.Austria, .La Pivellina,. Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel, directors;
.Azerbaijan, .The Precinct,. Ilgar Safat, director;
.Bangladesh, .Third Person Singular Number,. Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director;
.Belgium, .Illegal,. Olivier Masset-Depasse, director;
.Bosnia and Herzegovina, .Circus Columbia,. Danis Tanovic, director;
.Brazil, .Lula, the Son of Brazil,. Fabio Barreto, director;
.Bulgaria, .Eastern Plays,. Kamen Kalev, director;
.Canada, .Incendies,. Denis Villeneuve, director;
.Chile, .The Life of Fish,. Matias Bize, director;
.China, .Aftershock,. Feng Xiaogang, director;
.Colombia, .Crab Trap,. Oscar Ruiz Navia, director;
.Costa Rica, .Of Love and Other Demons,. Hilda Hidalgo, director;
.Croatia, .The Blacks,...
Beverly Hills, CA: Sixty-five countries, including first-time entrants Ethiopia and Greenland, have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 83rd Academy Awards®.
The 2010 submissions are:
.Albania, .East, West, East,. Gjergj Xhuvani, director;
.Algeria, .Hors la Loi. (.Outside the Law.), Rachid Bouchareb, director;
.Argentina, .Carancho,. Pablo Trapero, director;
.Austria, .La Pivellina,. Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel, directors;
.Azerbaijan, .The Precinct,. Ilgar Safat, director;
.Bangladesh, .Third Person Singular Number,. Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director;
.Belgium, .Illegal,. Olivier Masset-Depasse, director;
.Bosnia and Herzegovina, .Circus Columbia,. Danis Tanovic, director;
.Brazil, .Lula, the Son of Brazil,. Fabio Barreto, director;
.Bulgaria, .Eastern Plays,. Kamen Kalev, director;
.Canada, .Incendies,. Denis Villeneuve, director;
.Chile, .The Life of Fish,. Matias Bize, director;
.China, .Aftershock,. Feng Xiaogang, director;
.Colombia, .Crab Trap,. Oscar Ruiz Navia, director;
.Costa Rica, .Of Love and Other Demons,. Hilda Hidalgo, director;
.Croatia, .The Blacks,...
- 10/13/2010
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
I have been keeping track of all of the Foreign Language Oscar submissions in my "The Contenders" section of the site and today the official list of sixty-five films from sixty-five countries was unveiled by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for consideration for the 83rd Academy Awards. On January 20, 2011 a shortlist of nine contenders will be announced prior to the naming of the nominees on January 25, 2011.
I have included the complete list directly below, which includes first-time entrants Ethiopia and Greenland. The only film that was originally thought to be under consideration, but didn't show up on the Academy's final list was Afghanistan's entry, Black Tulip, directed by Sonia Nassery Cole. IMDb doesn't list a release date for the film, which means it may not have met the release requirements in time.
I have linked each film to their corresponding IMDb page for those films not included...
I have included the complete list directly below, which includes first-time entrants Ethiopia and Greenland. The only film that was originally thought to be under consideration, but didn't show up on the Academy's final list was Afghanistan's entry, Black Tulip, directed by Sonia Nassery Cole. IMDb doesn't list a release date for the film, which means it may not have met the release requirements in time.
I have linked each film to their corresponding IMDb page for those films not included...
- 10/13/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
A record 67 countries have submitted films for consideration for best foreign-language film for the 81st Academy Awards, Academy president Sid Ganis said Friday. Nominations will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 22, and the awards will be presented on Sunday, Feb. 22.
The complete list of foreign-language submissions follows. For more details on some of the films, visit THR.com/foreignoscars.
Afghanistan, "Opium War," Siddiq Barmak
Albania, "The Sorrow of Mrs. Schneider," Piro Milkani and Eno Milkani
Algeria, "Masquerades," Lyes Salem
Argentina, "Lion's Den," Pablo Trapero
Austria, "Revanche," Gotz Spielmann
Azerbaijan, "Fortress," Shamil Nacafzada
Bangladesh, "Aha!," Enamul Karim Nirjhar
Belgium, "Eldorado," Bouli Lanners
Bosnia and Herzegovina, "Snow," Aida Begic
Brazil, "Last Stop 174," Bruno Barreto
Bulgaria, "Zift," Javor Gardev
Canada, "The Necessities of Life," Benoit Pilon
Chile, "Tony Manero," Pablo Larrain
China, "Dream Weavers," Jun Gu
Colombia, "Dog Eat Dog," Carlos Moreno
Croatia, "No One's Son," Arsen Anton Ostojic
Czech Republic, "The Karamazovs," Petr Zelenka
Denmark,...
The complete list of foreign-language submissions follows. For more details on some of the films, visit THR.com/foreignoscars.
Afghanistan, "Opium War," Siddiq Barmak
Albania, "The Sorrow of Mrs. Schneider," Piro Milkani and Eno Milkani
Algeria, "Masquerades," Lyes Salem
Argentina, "Lion's Den," Pablo Trapero
Austria, "Revanche," Gotz Spielmann
Azerbaijan, "Fortress," Shamil Nacafzada
Bangladesh, "Aha!," Enamul Karim Nirjhar
Belgium, "Eldorado," Bouli Lanners
Bosnia and Herzegovina, "Snow," Aida Begic
Brazil, "Last Stop 174," Bruno Barreto
Bulgaria, "Zift," Javor Gardev
Canada, "The Necessities of Life," Benoit Pilon
Chile, "Tony Manero," Pablo Larrain
China, "Dream Weavers," Jun Gu
Colombia, "Dog Eat Dog," Carlos Moreno
Croatia, "No One's Son," Arsen Anton Ostojic
Czech Republic, "The Karamazovs," Petr Zelenka
Denmark,...
- 10/17/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.