Indonesia’s KawanKawan Media has boarded Singaporean filmmaker Nelson Yeo’s sophomore feature “The Drought,” it was announced at the Cannes Film Festival.
Yeo’s debut feature “Dreaming & Dying” debuted at last year’s Locarno Film Festival where it won the Golden Leopard – Filmmakers of the Present and Best First Feature awards.
A dystopian horror-dark comedy set in a time of an uninhabitable drought, “The Drought” follows Kai as he struggles with his retracting genitals and his wife, Ling, who demeans him for this impotency. Their widowed neighbor, Daming, grieves over the death of the last of his three sons, while his mother devises a secret plan for another grandson.
The project participated at the Philippines QCinema project market last year, where it won a prize.
Lead producers are Singapore’s Momo Film Co.’s Tan Si En and Sophia Sim who produced “Dreaming & Dying,” and Yeo’s award-winning shorts “Dreaming,...
Yeo’s debut feature “Dreaming & Dying” debuted at last year’s Locarno Film Festival where it won the Golden Leopard – Filmmakers of the Present and Best First Feature awards.
A dystopian horror-dark comedy set in a time of an uninhabitable drought, “The Drought” follows Kai as he struggles with his retracting genitals and his wife, Ling, who demeans him for this impotency. Their widowed neighbor, Daming, grieves over the death of the last of his three sons, while his mother devises a secret plan for another grandson.
The project participated at the Philippines QCinema project market last year, where it won a prize.
Lead producers are Singapore’s Momo Film Co.’s Tan Si En and Sophia Sim who produced “Dreaming & Dying,” and Yeo’s award-winning shorts “Dreaming,...
- 5/22/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Philippines’ Nathan Studio has struck a deal with Singapore’s Momo Film Co to invest strategically in Momo’s slate of upcoming projects.
The initial projects under this partnership include Locarno winner Nelson Yeo’s dystopian horror project The Drought, Wregas Bhutenaja’s third feature Levitating, and the unannounced next feature project by Singapore’s Kirsten Tan, who made Sundance Special Jury Prize-winner Pop Aye.
Nathan Studio is a production company owned by the Atayde family in the Philippines.
“I’m honored and extremely excited with the partnership between Momo Film Co and Nathan Studios,” actress-comedian Sylvia Sanchez-Atayde said. “I am looking forward to all the amazing content that we will create and produce together. With the support of Momo, this partnership definitely brings Nathan a step closer in fulfilling our vision to showcase Pinoy talent globally.”
Tan Si En, managing director of Momo Film Co, added: “We look...
The initial projects under this partnership include Locarno winner Nelson Yeo’s dystopian horror project The Drought, Wregas Bhutenaja’s third feature Levitating, and the unannounced next feature project by Singapore’s Kirsten Tan, who made Sundance Special Jury Prize-winner Pop Aye.
Nathan Studio is a production company owned by the Atayde family in the Philippines.
“I’m honored and extremely excited with the partnership between Momo Film Co and Nathan Studios,” actress-comedian Sylvia Sanchez-Atayde said. “I am looking forward to all the amazing content that we will create and produce together. With the support of Momo, this partnership definitely brings Nathan a step closer in fulfilling our vision to showcase Pinoy talent globally.”
Tan Si En, managing director of Momo Film Co, added: “We look...
- 5/15/2024
- by Sara Merican
- Deadline Film + TV
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Christopher Nolan, Spike Lee, Chantal Akerman, Theo Angelopoulos, Lynne Ramsay, Tsai Ming-liang, Michael Haneke, Lee Chang-dong, Terence Davies, Shōhei Imamura, Bi Gan, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Jia Zhangke, Wong Kar-wai, Yorgos Lanthimos, Denis Villleneuve, Céline Sciamma, Guillermo del Toro, Kelly Reichardt. Those are just a few of the filmmakers introduced to New York audiences at New Directors/New Films over the last half-century across over 1,100 premieres.
Now returning for its 53rd edition at Film at Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art from April 3-14, this year’s lineup features 35 new films, presenting prizewinners from Berlin, Cannes, Locarno, Sarajevo, and Sundance film festivals. Ahead of the festival kicking off next week, we’ve gathered fourteen films to see, and one can explore the full lineup and schedule here.
All, or Nothing at All (Jiajun “Oscar” Zhang)
In All, or Nothing at all, director Jiajun “Oscar” Zhang employs an experimental...
Now returning for its 53rd edition at Film at Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art from April 3-14, this year’s lineup features 35 new films, presenting prizewinners from Berlin, Cannes, Locarno, Sarajevo, and Sundance film festivals. Ahead of the festival kicking off next week, we’ve gathered fourteen films to see, and one can explore the full lineup and schedule here.
All, or Nothing at All (Jiajun “Oscar” Zhang)
In All, or Nothing at all, director Jiajun “Oscar” Zhang employs an experimental...
- 4/1/2024
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
The inaugural Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival (Hiff) in Vietnam has unveiled its line-up of about 100 films, including 12 each for the Southeast Asia competition and for the first or second film competition, with directors Anne Fontaine and Hirokazu Kore-eda among its guests.
Scroll down for line-up
The Asian premiere of French biopic Bolero will open the festival on April 6. Director Fontaine and leading actor Raphaël Personnaz will be present for the film’s Asian premiere, which will take place at the city’s historic Opera House.
Further notable festival guests include acclaimed Japanese director Kore-eda who will receive...
Scroll down for line-up
The Asian premiere of French biopic Bolero will open the festival on April 6. Director Fontaine and leading actor Raphaël Personnaz will be present for the film’s Asian premiere, which will take place at the city’s historic Opera House.
Further notable festival guests include acclaimed Japanese director Kore-eda who will receive...
- 3/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
The New Directors/New Films lineup boasts a slew of 2024 festival breakout features.
The annual festival, presented by Film at Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art, will take place from April 3 to April 14 at Film at Lincoln Center. Sundance premiere “A Different Man,” Berlinale best first feature winner “Cu Li Never Cries,” and Locarno Film Festival winner “A Good Place” are among this year’s standout titles.
The 53rd annual festival celebrates rising filmmakers who redefine the state of cinema. The 2024 lineup includes 25 features and 10 short films, including one world premiere. “A Different Man,” directed by Aaron Schimberg and co-starring Berlinale best actor winner Sebastian Stan, will open the festival April 3. Theda Hammel’s “Stress Positions,” which also premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, will close New Directors/New Films April 14. Both features were directed by New York City-based filmmakers.
“It just feels right for us to bookend...
The annual festival, presented by Film at Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art, will take place from April 3 to April 14 at Film at Lincoln Center. Sundance premiere “A Different Man,” Berlinale best first feature winner “Cu Li Never Cries,” and Locarno Film Festival winner “A Good Place” are among this year’s standout titles.
The 53rd annual festival celebrates rising filmmakers who redefine the state of cinema. The 2024 lineup includes 25 features and 10 short films, including one world premiere. “A Different Man,” directed by Aaron Schimberg and co-starring Berlinale best actor winner Sebastian Stan, will open the festival April 3. Theda Hammel’s “Stress Positions,” which also premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, will close New Directors/New Films April 14. Both features were directed by New York City-based filmmakers.
“It just feels right for us to bookend...
- 2/29/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For regular updates, sign up for our weekly email newsletter and follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSGoodbye, Dragon Inn.It’s getting harder to go to the movies. IndieWire surveys the state of cinemagoing in the US region by region as multiplexes continue to shutter. From downtown Detroit, the closest first-run theater is now in Canada.More than 500 pro-Palestinian demonstrators staged a sit-in at MoMA on Saturday, protesting the museum trustees’ alleged investments in weapons used by the Israeli military in Gaza. The museum closed its doors to the public and rescheduled planned programming.After confirming that three sitting representatives of the far-right AfD party had been invited to tomorrow night’s Berlinale opening ceremony, amid public outcry, the festival has now disinvited them.REMEMBERINGRocky II.The tributes to Carl Weathers continue to roll in after his death last week at the...
- 2/28/2024
- MUBI
The 28th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival is calling for mentees in the ‘Fantastic Film School' until midnight on Tuesday, April 30, 2024(GMT+9). Entries can be made through the Bifan online submission site (https://vp.eventival.com/bifan/2024). All aspiring filmmakers, including directors, writers, and producers, who are currently working as filmmakers or have participated in filmmaking are eligible to apply.
The finalists will be announced on the website and notified individually on Friday, May 31. Detailed information can be found on the website (https://www.bifan.kr) under “Submission”. For inquiries, contact the Industry Program Team via email (naff.ffs@bifan.kr).
The Fantastic Film School is a genre filmmaking training and networking program for emerging Asian filmmakers. Participants can learn directly from experts in various fields of the global film business, including ▲ Scenario Development ▲ Film Scene Analysis ▲ International Co-Production ▲ Alternative Film Distribution and Screening ▲ Forum on Current Issues in the Film Industry.
The finalists will be announced on the website and notified individually on Friday, May 31. Detailed information can be found on the website (https://www.bifan.kr) under “Submission”. For inquiries, contact the Industry Program Team via email (naff.ffs@bifan.kr).
The Fantastic Film School is a genre filmmaking training and networking program for emerging Asian filmmakers. Participants can learn directly from experts in various fields of the global film business, including ▲ Scenario Development ▲ Film Scene Analysis ▲ International Co-Production ▲ Alternative Film Distribution and Screening ▲ Forum on Current Issues in the Film Industry.
- 1/16/2024
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Singapore producer Jeremy Chua, who produced this year’s Cannes Camera d’Or winner Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell, has been appointed general manager of the Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff).
Chua takes up the post on January 1, 2024, and will jointly lead the festival with Programme Director Thong Kay Wee. Emily J Hoe is stepping down after delivering four editions of the festival, including two that were severely impacted by the pandemic.
Founder of Singapore-based production outfit Potocol, Chua also produced or co-produced Nicole Midori Woodford’s Last Shadow At First Light, Jow Zhi Wei’s Tomorrow Is A Long Time, Makbul Mubarak’s Autobiography and Bui Thac Chuyen’s Glorious Ashes.
He was presented with the Fiapf Award for outstanding contribution to Asia Pacific Cinema at this year’s Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Australia.
Sgiff wrapped on December 10 with Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell, directed by Vietnam’s Pham Thien An,...
Chua takes up the post on January 1, 2024, and will jointly lead the festival with Programme Director Thong Kay Wee. Emily J Hoe is stepping down after delivering four editions of the festival, including two that were severely impacted by the pandemic.
Founder of Singapore-based production outfit Potocol, Chua also produced or co-produced Nicole Midori Woodford’s Last Shadow At First Light, Jow Zhi Wei’s Tomorrow Is A Long Time, Makbul Mubarak’s Autobiography and Bui Thac Chuyen’s Glorious Ashes.
He was presented with the Fiapf Award for outstanding contribution to Asia Pacific Cinema at this year’s Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Australia.
Sgiff wrapped on December 10 with Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell, directed by Vietnam’s Pham Thien An,...
- 12/13/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Chua was lead producer on ‘Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell’.
Jeremy Chua, producer of Cannes award-winning feature Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell, has been appointed general manager of the Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff).
The announcement coincided with the closing of a bumper edition of Sgiff, where Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell was named best Asian feature film at the Silver Screen Awards.
Chua will assume the role on January 1 and jointly lead the festival with Thong Kay Wee, who has been programme director since 2021. Emily J Hoe is stepping down as executive director after delivering four editions since 2020.
Chua...
Jeremy Chua, producer of Cannes award-winning feature Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell, has been appointed general manager of the Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff).
The announcement coincided with the closing of a bumper edition of Sgiff, where Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell was named best Asian feature film at the Silver Screen Awards.
Chua will assume the role on January 1 and jointly lead the festival with Thong Kay Wee, who has been programme director since 2021. Emily J Hoe is stepping down as executive director after delivering four editions since 2020.
Chua...
- 12/12/2023
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Pham Thien An’s “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell,” which previously won the Golden Camera at Cannes, has won the Asian Feature Film Competition at the 34th Singapore International Film Festival.
Yoon Eun-Kyung won best director for “The Tenants,” which also won the Fipresci award. “Dreaming & Dying,” by Singaporean director Nelson Yeo earned a special mention. Yu Yi-Hsun won best screenplay for “A Journey in Spring” and the film also won best performance for Yang Kuei-Mei.
The Audience Choice Award went to “Goodbye Julia” by Mohamed Kordofani.
In the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition, the best Southeast Asian short film was awarded to “The River That Never Ends” by J.T. Trinidad, which also scored a special mention for actor Emerald Romero. “I Look Into the Mirror and Repeat to Myself” by Giselle Lin won best Singapore short film. Best director went to Sam Manacsa for “Cross My Heart and...
Yoon Eun-Kyung won best director for “The Tenants,” which also won the Fipresci award. “Dreaming & Dying,” by Singaporean director Nelson Yeo earned a special mention. Yu Yi-Hsun won best screenplay for “A Journey in Spring” and the film also won best performance for Yang Kuei-Mei.
The Audience Choice Award went to “Goodbye Julia” by Mohamed Kordofani.
In the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition, the best Southeast Asian short film was awarded to “The River That Never Ends” by J.T. Trinidad, which also scored a special mention for actor Emerald Romero. “I Look Into the Mirror and Repeat to Myself” by Giselle Lin won best Singapore short film. Best director went to Sam Manacsa for “Cross My Heart and...
- 12/11/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
One of the most popular events at the 34th Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff) was a panorama event where six of the country’s leading indie film lights shared a panel to discuss opportunities and challenges.
Opportunities are plentiful, with the festival world embracing Singaporean films and filmmakers warmly. Hong Kong-based Anthony Chen has had a stellar year with his directorial efforts “Drift” and “The Breaking Ice” which premiered at Sundance and Cannes, respectively. The latter was selected as Singapore’s entry to the 2024 Oscars.
Among Chen’s fellow panelists, Jow Zhi Wei’s “Tomorrow is a Long Time” premiered at the Berlinale this year; Nicole Midori Woodford’s “Last Shadow at First Light” at San Sebastian; and Nelson Yeo’s “Dreaming & Dying” won two major awards at Locarno.
Also on the panel were Kelvin Tong and Chai Yee Wei whose “A Year of No Significance” and “Wonderland,” respectively,...
Opportunities are plentiful, with the festival world embracing Singaporean films and filmmakers warmly. Hong Kong-based Anthony Chen has had a stellar year with his directorial efforts “Drift” and “The Breaking Ice” which premiered at Sundance and Cannes, respectively. The latter was selected as Singapore’s entry to the 2024 Oscars.
Among Chen’s fellow panelists, Jow Zhi Wei’s “Tomorrow is a Long Time” premiered at the Berlinale this year; Nicole Midori Woodford’s “Last Shadow at First Light” at San Sebastian; and Nelson Yeo’s “Dreaming & Dying” won two major awards at Locarno.
Also on the panel were Kelvin Tong and Chai Yee Wei whose “A Year of No Significance” and “Wonderland,” respectively,...
- 12/10/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
“Tiger Stripes”, the opening film of this year’s Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff), was “kind of a joke that became something very, very close to me and ended up being this film,” Malaysian filmmaker, Amanda Nell Eu, said during Thursday night’s opening ceremony.
Speaking to a packed theatre before the screening, Eu said her inspiration had been puberty mixed with her sense of humor.
“I love playing with horror. I love playing with comedy and I was like, I want to make a film about a girl who literally turns into a monster because I felt like a monster as a kid,” she said. “ ‘Tiger Stripes’ is really a story that fights for the people who feel like they don’t fit in society.”
Opening the festival, Singapore filmmaker and Sgiff chairperson, Boo Junfeng, talked about the event’s “sense of community” and a “collective sense of purpose.
Speaking to a packed theatre before the screening, Eu said her inspiration had been puberty mixed with her sense of humor.
“I love playing with horror. I love playing with comedy and I was like, I want to make a film about a girl who literally turns into a monster because I felt like a monster as a kid,” she said. “ ‘Tiger Stripes’ is really a story that fights for the people who feel like they don’t fit in society.”
Opening the festival, Singapore filmmaker and Sgiff chairperson, Boo Junfeng, talked about the event’s “sense of community” and a “collective sense of purpose.
- 11/30/2023
- by Janine Stein
- Variety Film + TV
Project Market Awards Winners
The QCinema Project Market, the industry initiative that accompanies The Philippines’ QCinema International Film Festival, revealed its winners list on Tuesday delivering almost $500,000 of grants and in-kind support.
The prizes followed a two-day networking and pitching event on Nov. 18 and 19 for 19 feature-length fiction film projects from Southeast Asia.
Two projects received the QCinema Project Market – Philippines Co-production Grant, with both collecting $55,000 (PHP3 million). They were: “The Remotes” from director-producer John Torres; and “Filipiñana,” by director Rafael Manuel. “Filipinana,” a black comedy set on a golf course, won a second prize on the night worth another $18,000. At the recent Asian Project Market in Busan it had also been a multiple prize winner.
Two film projects also received the QCinema Project Market – Philippines Co-production Grant worth $27,000 (PHP1.5 million) each: “The Boy and the Fight of Spiders (Diwalwal)” by director Jarell Serencio and “Ella Arcangel: Ballad of Tooth and...
The QCinema Project Market, the industry initiative that accompanies The Philippines’ QCinema International Film Festival, revealed its winners list on Tuesday delivering almost $500,000 of grants and in-kind support.
The prizes followed a two-day networking and pitching event on Nov. 18 and 19 for 19 feature-length fiction film projects from Southeast Asia.
Two projects received the QCinema Project Market – Philippines Co-production Grant, with both collecting $55,000 (PHP3 million). They were: “The Remotes” from director-producer John Torres; and “Filipiñana,” by director Rafael Manuel. “Filipinana,” a black comedy set on a golf course, won a second prize on the night worth another $18,000. At the recent Asian Project Market in Busan it had also been a multiple prize winner.
Two film projects also received the QCinema Project Market – Philippines Co-production Grant worth $27,000 (PHP1.5 million) each: “The Boy and the Fight of Spiders (Diwalwal)” by director Jarell Serencio and “Ella Arcangel: Ballad of Tooth and...
- 11/22/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
“Auto-bio Pamphlet,” a Marathi-language film that is both a love story and a rage against class divisions, will open the 18th edition of the Jogja-netpac Asian Film Festival later this month. The festival will close with the world premiere of spy thriller “13 Bombs in Jakarta.”
Jaff run Nov. 25 – Dec. 2 and include 205 films from 25 countries and territories across Asia-Pacific.
Directed by Angga Dwimas Sasongko, “13 Bombs in Jakarta” (aka “13 Bom di Jakarta”) tells of a group of terrorists who launch their attack with the threat of bombs scattered throughout the Indonesian capital. Sasongko is also the founder of local studio Visenema, which has four films at the festival.
“As the opening film for this year’s edition, we choose something light-hearted, which is ‘Autobio Pamphlet’ from India. Its coming-of-age story will be perfect to set the festival’s spirited and entertaining mood,” said Alexander Matius, Jaff program director. The film had...
Jaff run Nov. 25 – Dec. 2 and include 205 films from 25 countries and territories across Asia-Pacific.
Directed by Angga Dwimas Sasongko, “13 Bombs in Jakarta” (aka “13 Bom di Jakarta”) tells of a group of terrorists who launch their attack with the threat of bombs scattered throughout the Indonesian capital. Sasongko is also the founder of local studio Visenema, which has four films at the festival.
“As the opening film for this year’s edition, we choose something light-hearted, which is ‘Autobio Pamphlet’ from India. Its coming-of-age story will be perfect to set the festival’s spirited and entertaining mood,” said Alexander Matius, Jaff program director. The film had...
- 11/11/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Chinese superstar actor and producer Fan Bingbing will be the 2023 recipient of the Singapore International Film Festival’s (Sgiff) Cinema Icon Award.
The festival will screen three of Fan’s films, curated by her – the recent “Green Night,” “Buddha Mountain” and “Double Xposure” – and the star will walk the red carpet on opening night, Nov. 30. As previously announced, Malaysian Cannes winner and Oscar contender “Tiger Stripes” will open Sgiff.
The Cinema Icon Award and the International Federation of Film Critics (Fipresci) Award are being reintroduced. They were last part of the Sgiff Silver Screen Awards in 2019 and 2006 respectively. Past winners of the Icon Award include Michelle Yeoh (Malaysia), Simon Yam (Hong Kong), Koji Yakusho (Japan), Joan Chen (U.S./China) and Yao Chen (China).
This year, the outstanding contribution to Southeast Asian cinema award is awarded to White Light Post in recognition of its award-winning achievements in post-production work.
The...
The festival will screen three of Fan’s films, curated by her – the recent “Green Night,” “Buddha Mountain” and “Double Xposure” – and the star will walk the red carpet on opening night, Nov. 30. As previously announced, Malaysian Cannes winner and Oscar contender “Tiger Stripes” will open Sgiff.
The Cinema Icon Award and the International Federation of Film Critics (Fipresci) Award are being reintroduced. They were last part of the Sgiff Silver Screen Awards in 2019 and 2006 respectively. Past winners of the Icon Award include Michelle Yeoh (Malaysia), Simon Yam (Hong Kong), Koji Yakusho (Japan), Joan Chen (U.S./China) and Yao Chen (China).
This year, the outstanding contribution to Southeast Asian cinema award is awarded to White Light Post in recognition of its award-winning achievements in post-production work.
The...
- 10/25/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Malaysian Tiger To Roar In Singapore
“Tiger Stripes,” the Malaysian coming-of-age, body horror film that debuted in Cannes’ Critics Week section has been set as the opening title for this year’s Singapore International Film Festival (Nov. 30 – Dec. 10). Directed by Amanda Nell Eu, the film is a multinational coproduction that involved Singapore-based Fran Borgia and Akanga Film.
A handful of other Singaporean titles have also been teased by the festival, which will not make its full lineup announcement until Oct. 25. Three will play in competition: “Tomorrow Is a Long Time,” directed by Jow Zhi Wei; “Dreaming & Dying,” directed by Nelson Yeo; and “Last Shadow at First Light,” directed by Nicole Midori Woodford.
Veteran local director Kelvin Tong will also launch his “A Year of No Significance.” The film takes audiences back more than 50 years to Singapore in the 1970s, when a Chinese-educated architect is forced to navigate the cross-roads...
“Tiger Stripes,” the Malaysian coming-of-age, body horror film that debuted in Cannes’ Critics Week section has been set as the opening title for this year’s Singapore International Film Festival (Nov. 30 – Dec. 10). Directed by Amanda Nell Eu, the film is a multinational coproduction that involved Singapore-based Fran Borgia and Akanga Film.
A handful of other Singaporean titles have also been teased by the festival, which will not make its full lineup announcement until Oct. 25. Three will play in competition: “Tomorrow Is a Long Time,” directed by Jow Zhi Wei; “Dreaming & Dying,” directed by Nelson Yeo; and “Last Shadow at First Light,” directed by Nicole Midori Woodford.
Veteran local director Kelvin Tong will also launch his “A Year of No Significance.” The film takes audiences back more than 50 years to Singapore in the 1970s, when a Chinese-educated architect is forced to navigate the cross-roads...
- 10/12/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Some twenty aspiring film projects have been selected to participate in the inaugural edition of the Qcinema Project Market (Nov. 18-19) that this year represents and expansion of the QCinema Film Festival in The Philippines’ Quezon City.
The selected titles include development projects by several of East Asia’s better known independent and art-house directors and projects. Among them is “Filipinana,” which on Tuesday collected three prizes at Busan’s Asian Project Market. Another is “Fox King,” by well-established Malaysian filmmaker Woo Ming Jing, which will also travel to the Tokyo Gap Financing Market. Also lining up is established Singapore filmmaker Boo Junfeng and producer partner Raymond Phathanavirangoon with “Medium.”
The 20 selected projects are vying for over $400,000 in grants and prizes, including a $35,000 co-production grants for Southeast Asian projects and $50,000 for Filipino projects.
“From an impressive submission of sixty five projects from all over the region, these selected projects really...
The selected titles include development projects by several of East Asia’s better known independent and art-house directors and projects. Among them is “Filipinana,” which on Tuesday collected three prizes at Busan’s Asian Project Market. Another is “Fox King,” by well-established Malaysian filmmaker Woo Ming Jing, which will also travel to the Tokyo Gap Financing Market. Also lining up is established Singapore filmmaker Boo Junfeng and producer partner Raymond Phathanavirangoon with “Medium.”
The 20 selected projects are vying for over $400,000 in grants and prizes, including a $35,000 co-production grants for Southeast Asian projects and $50,000 for Filipino projects.
“From an impressive submission of sixty five projects from all over the region, these selected projects really...
- 10/11/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
After a one-year hiatus, the much-missed El Gouna Film Festival (Oct. 13 – 20) is back and poised to make an increased impact. Joining beloved festival director Intishal Al-Timimi this time around is esteemed Egyptian producer-director Marianne Khoury in the artistic director position.
Khoury’s long-time championship of female filmmakers and themes finds an echo in the impressive first wave of programming just announced. Of the 19 features, 10 boast a distaff helmer or co-director.
The kudo-laden titles include “Anatomy of a Fall” from Justine Triet, “On the Adamant” from Nicolas Philibert, “Scrapper” by Charlotte Regan, “Stepne” from Maryna Vroda and “The Strange Path” from Guto Parente, which claimed every prize in Tribeca’s international competition.
Among the other buzzed-about auteur titles are Todd Haynes’ “May December” and Wang Bing’s epic documentary “Youth.” Emerging talents Tibor Bánóczki and Sarolta Szabó offer dystopian hybrid-animation “White Plastic Sky,” while a robust documentary selection includes Tatiana Huezo...
Khoury’s long-time championship of female filmmakers and themes finds an echo in the impressive first wave of programming just announced. Of the 19 features, 10 boast a distaff helmer or co-director.
The kudo-laden titles include “Anatomy of a Fall” from Justine Triet, “On the Adamant” from Nicolas Philibert, “Scrapper” by Charlotte Regan, “Stepne” from Maryna Vroda and “The Strange Path” from Guto Parente, which claimed every prize in Tribeca’s international competition.
Among the other buzzed-about auteur titles are Todd Haynes’ “May December” and Wang Bing’s epic documentary “Youth.” Emerging talents Tibor Bánóczki and Sarolta Szabó offer dystopian hybrid-animation “White Plastic Sky,” while a robust documentary selection includes Tatiana Huezo...
- 8/24/2023
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival (Gff) has unveiled a first wave of international titles due to play at its upcoming comeback sixth edition, unfolding from October 13 to 20 after a one-year hiatus.
The selection features a number of high-profile festival titles including Justine Triet’s Cannes 2023 Palme d’Or winner Anatomy Of A Fall, Berlinale 2023 Golden Bear winning documentary On the Adamant by Nicolas Philibert and Guto Parente’s Tribeca Film Festival break-out The Strange Path.
The line-up also showcases a host of buzzy first and second films including UK director Charlotte Regan’s Sundance 2023 Grand Jury Prize winner Scrapper and French filmmaker Delphine Deloget’s Cannes Un Certain Regard social drama All To Play For, starring Virginie Efira.
Respected Egyptian distributor and producer Marianne Khoury is overseeing the selection for the first time, following her appointment as artistic director earlier this year, working alongside long-time festival director Intishal Al Timimi.
The selection features a number of high-profile festival titles including Justine Triet’s Cannes 2023 Palme d’Or winner Anatomy Of A Fall, Berlinale 2023 Golden Bear winning documentary On the Adamant by Nicolas Philibert and Guto Parente’s Tribeca Film Festival break-out The Strange Path.
The line-up also showcases a host of buzzy first and second films including UK director Charlotte Regan’s Sundance 2023 Grand Jury Prize winner Scrapper and French filmmaker Delphine Deloget’s Cannes Un Certain Regard social drama All To Play For, starring Virginie Efira.
Respected Egyptian distributor and producer Marianne Khoury is overseeing the selection for the first time, following her appointment as artistic director earlier this year, working alongside long-time festival director Intishal Al Timimi.
- 8/23/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Critical Zone, an Iranian drama shot in secret by dissident director Ali Ahmadzadeh, has won the Golden Leopard honor for best film at the 2023 Locarno Film Festival.
Ahmadzadeh, who has been banned from leaving Iran, was unable to attend the awards ceremony, held at the Swiss city Saturday night. The Iranian government pressured the director to pull the film from competition. Through its story of a man and his dog, who navigate Tehran’s underworld, selling drugs and talking to troubled souls, Critical Zone depicts a nation rebelling against an oppressive regime in any way it can. Produced by Germany’s Counter Intuitive Film, Critical Zone is being sold worldwide by Luxbox.
Another proudly political filmmaker, British legend Ken Loach, won the audience award, the Ubs Prix du Public, at Locarno’s 76th annual festival for his latest (and perhaps last) feature film: The Old Oak. The drama, which premiered in Cannes,...
Ahmadzadeh, who has been banned from leaving Iran, was unable to attend the awards ceremony, held at the Swiss city Saturday night. The Iranian government pressured the director to pull the film from competition. Through its story of a man and his dog, who navigate Tehran’s underworld, selling drugs and talking to troubled souls, Critical Zone depicts a nation rebelling against an oppressive regime in any way it can. Produced by Germany’s Counter Intuitive Film, Critical Zone is being sold worldwide by Luxbox.
Another proudly political filmmaker, British legend Ken Loach, won the audience award, the Ubs Prix du Public, at Locarno’s 76th annual festival for his latest (and perhaps last) feature film: The Old Oak. The drama, which premiered in Cannes,...
- 8/13/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Critical Zone.International Competition(Jury: Lambert Wilson, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Lesli Klainberg, Charlotte Wells, Matthijs Wouter Knol)Golden Leopard: Critical Zone (Ali Ahmadzadeh)Special Jury Prize: Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World (Radu Jude)Best Direction: Stepne (Maryna Vroda)Best Performance: Dimitra Vlagopoulou (Animal)Best Performance: Renée Soutendijk (Sweet Dreams)Special Mention: Nuit Obscure - Au Revoir Ici, N'importe Où (Sylvain George)Filmmakers Of The PresentGolden Leopard: Dreaming & Dying (Nelson Yeo)Best Emerging Director: Katharina Huber (A Good Place)Special Jury Prize: Camping Du Lac (Éléonore Saintagnan)Best Performance: Clara Schwinning (A Good Place)Best Performance: Isold Halldórudóttir and Stavros Zafeiris (Touched)Special Mentions: Excursions (Una Gunjak), Negu Hurbilak (Colective Negu)First Feature(Jury: Omar El Zohairy, Devika Girish, Isabel Sandoval)First Feature Award: Dreaming & Dying (Nelson Yeo)Pardi Di Domani(Jury: Ewa Puszczyńska, Matthew Rankin, Amos Sussigan)Best...
- 8/12/2023
- MUBI
Director was prevented from travelling to the festival in person by Iranian authorities.
Iranian director Ali Ahmadzadeh‘s Critical Zone has won the Locarno Film Festival top prize, the Golden Leopard.
The Iranian-German co-production, secretly shot on the streets of Tehran without official permission, follows a man driving through Tehran’s underworld with his dog, dealing drugs, healing troubled souls and discovering seeds of resistance.
Director Ahmadezadeh, who was prevented from travelling to Locarno to present his film in person, had faced pressure from the Iranian authorities ahead of the festival to withdraw his film from the competition and was...
Iranian director Ali Ahmadzadeh‘s Critical Zone has won the Locarno Film Festival top prize, the Golden Leopard.
The Iranian-German co-production, secretly shot on the streets of Tehran without official permission, follows a man driving through Tehran’s underworld with his dog, dealing drugs, healing troubled souls and discovering seeds of resistance.
Director Ahmadezadeh, who was prevented from travelling to Locarno to present his film in person, had faced pressure from the Iranian authorities ahead of the festival to withdraw his film from the competition and was...
- 8/12/2023
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
The hype is real: Ali Ahmadzadeh’s “Critical Zone” (“Mantagheye bohrani”) has picked up the top Golden Leopard at Locarno.
It has been a bumpy ride for the film, set in Tehran over the course of one lonely night and described by the fest as “a hymn to freedom and resistance.”
As reported by Variety, Iranian authorities have been pressuring Ahmadzadeh to pull it from the Swiss festival – arguing it was shot without permission – and with the director himself banned from leaving the country.
“Instead of actors, I worked with real people. In most situations, we had to hide the camera or find complicated tricks to work around the limitations. Making this film was a big rebellion. Showing it means an even bigger victory for us,” said Ahmadzadeh in a statement, with Locarno’s artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro calling for his release.
“It means a lot. Not only for Ali,...
It has been a bumpy ride for the film, set in Tehran over the course of one lonely night and described by the fest as “a hymn to freedom and resistance.”
As reported by Variety, Iranian authorities have been pressuring Ahmadzadeh to pull it from the Swiss festival – arguing it was shot without permission – and with the director himself banned from leaving the country.
“Instead of actors, I worked with real people. In most situations, we had to hide the camera or find complicated tricks to work around the limitations. Making this film was a big rebellion. Showing it means an even bigger victory for us,” said Ahmadzadeh in a statement, with Locarno’s artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro calling for his release.
“It means a lot. Not only for Ali,...
- 8/12/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Iranian filmmaker Ali Ahmadzadeh clinched the Golden Leopard in the main international competition of the 76th Locarno Film Festival with his latest feature Critical Zone (Mantagheye Bohrani).
Ahmadzadeh was not in attendance to receive the award as he is currently banned from leaving his native Iran. Last month, the country’s authorities summoned Ahmadzadeh to the Ministry of Security, where he was pressured to pull Critical Zone from Locarno’s official competition. The film’s international sales agent Luxbox Paris and the producer, Sina Ataeian Dena, also said they had received threatening emails and messages demanding the film be pulled from the fest.
The pic, described as “a hymn to freedom and resistance in Iran,” was shot without permission from authorities before recent protests started. The plot follows a man who drives through Tehran’s underworld with his dog, dealing drugs and healing troubled souls. Born in Tehran in 1986, Critical Zone...
Ahmadzadeh was not in attendance to receive the award as he is currently banned from leaving his native Iran. Last month, the country’s authorities summoned Ahmadzadeh to the Ministry of Security, where he was pressured to pull Critical Zone from Locarno’s official competition. The film’s international sales agent Luxbox Paris and the producer, Sina Ataeian Dena, also said they had received threatening emails and messages demanding the film be pulled from the fest.
The pic, described as “a hymn to freedom and resistance in Iran,” was shot without permission from authorities before recent protests started. The plot follows a man who drives through Tehran’s underworld with his dog, dealing drugs and healing troubled souls. Born in Tehran in 1986, Critical Zone...
- 8/12/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Nelson Yeo is a Singaporean filmmaker. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in digital filmmaking from Nanyang Technological University, he participated in Berlinale Talents Tokyo in 2014 and took part at the Locarno Filmmakers Academy in 2018. His film, Mary, Mary, So Contrary (2019), won Best Experimental Short at Golden Ger International Film Festival. Here is Not There (2020) was awarded Best Asean Short Film at Bangkok Asean Film Festival and Best Singapore Short Film at Sgiff. Recently, Plastic Sonata (2022) won CathayPlay Best Chinese Short Film at SeaShorts Film Festival. “Dreaming and Dying” is his feature debut, a Singaporean-Indonesian co-production.
Dreaming and Dying is screening in Locarno Film Festival
The title derives from zuì shēng mèng sǐ, a Chinese idiom which means leading a befuddled life as if drunk or in a dream and the overall aesthetics of the movie definitely mirror the phrase. The story begins with three middle aged friends,...
Dreaming and Dying is screening in Locarno Film Festival
The title derives from zuì shēng mèng sǐ, a Chinese idiom which means leading a befuddled life as if drunk or in a dream and the overall aesthetics of the movie definitely mirror the phrase. The story begins with three middle aged friends,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
As the title may suggest, Nelson Yeo’s Locarno title “Dreaming & Dying” is driven by multiple transgressions and surprises. Identities, between humans, fish, and frogs, fluctuate and morph. Dreams and nightmares come together – to blend harmoniously or combust.
Singapore’s landscape proves a fertile ground for plumbing the depths of fantasies and repressed desires, which is just what Yeo offers in his 77-minute debut.
Screening in Locarno’s Cineasti del Presente, the film loosely revolves around the story of three friends in their fifties, played by Peter Yu, Kelvin Ho, and Doreen Toh, who reunite after years apart. Sparks ignite and the three find themselves in a conflicting love triangle. As they wrestle with their feelings and come to terms with the choices they’ve made, supernatural occurrences start to take place around them. The boundaries between dream-states and wakefulness blur as the characters’ surroundings shift to reflect their psychic states.
Singapore’s landscape proves a fertile ground for plumbing the depths of fantasies and repressed desires, which is just what Yeo offers in his 77-minute debut.
Screening in Locarno’s Cineasti del Presente, the film loosely revolves around the story of three friends in their fifties, played by Peter Yu, Kelvin Ho, and Doreen Toh, who reunite after years apart. Sparks ignite and the three find themselves in a conflicting love triangle. As they wrestle with their feelings and come to terms with the choices they’ve made, supernatural occurrences start to take place around them. The boundaries between dream-states and wakefulness blur as the characters’ surroundings shift to reflect their psychic states.
- 8/7/2023
- by Maja Korbecka and Minh Nguyen
- Variety Film + TV
Do Not Expect Too Much Of The End Of The World (Radu Jude).The lineup for the 76th edition of the festival has been announced, including new films by Eduardo Williams, Leonor Teles, Lav Diaz, Radu Jude, and others.Concorso INTERNAZIONALEAnimal (Sofia Exarchou)Critical Zone (Ali Ahmadzadeh)Essential Truths of the Lake (Lav Diaz)Home (Leonor Teles)The Human Surge 3 (Eduardo Williams)The Invisible Fight (Rainer Sarnet)Do Not Expect Too Much Of The End Of The World (Radu Jude)Lousy Carter (Bob Byington)Manga D’Terra (Basil Da Cunha)Nuit Obscure – Au Revoir Ici, N’Importe Où (Sylvain George)Patagonia (Simone Bozzelli)The Permanent Picture (Laura Ferrés)Rossosperanza (Annarita Zambrano)Stepne (Maryna Vroda)Sweet Dreams (Ena Sendijarević)The Vanishing Soldier (Dani Rosenberg)Yannick (Quentin Dupieux)Excursion (Una Gunjak).Concorso Cineasti Del PRESENTECamping du Lac (Eléonore Saintagnan)Ein Schöner Ort (Katharina Huber)Excursion (Una Gunjak)Family Portrait (Lucy Kerr)Dreaming...
- 7/6/2023
- MUBI
A stellar precursor to the busy fall film festival season, Locarno Film Festival annually premieres some of the year’s most exciting cinema and 2023 looks to be no different. Taking place from August 2-12 in the Swiss town, the festival has now unveiled its lineup for the 76th edition. Highlights include Eduardo Williams’ The Human Surge 3 (brilliantly forgoing a second film), Radu Jude’s Do Not Expect Too Much Of The End Of The World, Lav Diaz’s Essential Truths of the Lake, Sylvain George’s Nuit Obscure – Au Revoir Ici, N’Importe Où, and Quentin Dupieux’s Yannick.
Speaking to its main section, Giona A. Nazzaro, artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival, said, “From Quentin Dupieux and his edgy surrealism to Lav Diaz. From the sarcastic humor of Radu Jude to the night poetry of Sylvain Georges. From the mad inventions of Rainer Sarnet to the abstract psychedelia of Eduardo Williams.
Speaking to its main section, Giona A. Nazzaro, artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival, said, “From Quentin Dupieux and his edgy surrealism to Lav Diaz. From the sarcastic humor of Radu Jude to the night poetry of Sylvain Georges. From the mad inventions of Rainer Sarnet to the abstract psychedelia of Eduardo Williams.
- 7/5/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Marks the feature directorial debut of Singapore’s Nelson Yeo.
Italian sales agent Lights On has picked up world rights for Singapore director Nelson Yeo’s feature debut Dreaming And Dying and US filmmaker Lucy Kerr’s Family Portrait, which will receive their world premieres in competition at Locarno Film Festival (August 2-12).
Both are set to play in Locarno’s competitive Cinema of the Present section, which spotlights new talent.
Fantasy drama Dreaming And Dying revolves around three middle-aged friends who reunite after years apart. But their vacation takes a surprising turn when the undercurrent of their past lives...
Italian sales agent Lights On has picked up world rights for Singapore director Nelson Yeo’s feature debut Dreaming And Dying and US filmmaker Lucy Kerr’s Family Portrait, which will receive their world premieres in competition at Locarno Film Festival (August 2-12).
Both are set to play in Locarno’s competitive Cinema of the Present section, which spotlights new talent.
Fantasy drama Dreaming And Dying revolves around three middle-aged friends who reunite after years apart. But their vacation takes a surprising turn when the undercurrent of their past lives...
- 7/5/2023
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Marks the feature directorial debut of Singapore’s Nelson Yeo.
Italian sales agent Lights On has picked up world rights for Singapore director Nelson Yeo’s feature debut Dreaming And Dying, which is set to receive its world premiere in competition at Locarno Film Festival (August 2-12).
The fantasy drama will screen in Locarno’s competitive Cinema of the Present section and revolves around three middle-aged friends who reunite after years apart. But their vacation takes a surprising turn when the undercurrent of their past lives threatens to resurface and each of them sets out to confess unexpressed feelings.
The...
Italian sales agent Lights On has picked up world rights for Singapore director Nelson Yeo’s feature debut Dreaming And Dying, which is set to receive its world premiere in competition at Locarno Film Festival (August 2-12).
The fantasy drama will screen in Locarno’s competitive Cinema of the Present section and revolves around three middle-aged friends who reunite after years apart. But their vacation takes a surprising turn when the undercurrent of their past lives threatens to resurface and each of them sets out to confess unexpressed feelings.
The...
- 7/5/2023
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Lights On, the Turin-based world sales company, has made a double swoop on Locarno titles, taking international sales rights to Lucy Kerr’s “Family Portrait” and “Dreaming & Dying” (“Hao Jiu Bu Jian”), written and directed by Singapore’s Nelson Yeo.
Both play in Locarno’s Cineasti del Presenti Sierra, focused on new talent. Locarno’s 2023 lineup was announced July 5.
‘Family Portrait’
The first feature from Kerr, a Texas-born filmmaker and video and installation artist, “Family Portrait” turns on a sprawling Texas family that gets together on a morning to take a group picture.
The mother disappears; the rest of the family seem reluctant to take the photos; one of the daughters, Katy, sets off to find her. Doing so, the synopsis says, she loses herself and her family.
Written by Kerr, “Family Portrait’s” key cast includes Deragh Campbell, Chris Galust “Give Me Liberty”), Rachel Alig (“Girl Next”) and Katie Folger (“Day 5”). Insufficient Funds,...
Both play in Locarno’s Cineasti del Presenti Sierra, focused on new talent. Locarno’s 2023 lineup was announced July 5.
‘Family Portrait’
The first feature from Kerr, a Texas-born filmmaker and video and installation artist, “Family Portrait” turns on a sprawling Texas family that gets together on a morning to take a group picture.
The mother disappears; the rest of the family seem reluctant to take the photos; one of the daughters, Katy, sets off to find her. Doing so, the synopsis says, she loses herself and her family.
Written by Kerr, “Family Portrait’s” key cast includes Deragh Campbell, Chris Galust “Give Me Liberty”), Rachel Alig (“Girl Next”) and Katie Folger (“Day 5”). Insufficient Funds,...
- 7/5/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
International competition features 16 world premieres.
The Locarno Film Festival (August 2-12) has revealed the line-up for its 76th edition, which includes the world premiere of Romanian director Radu Jude’s Do Not Expect Too Much Of The End Of The World.
Locarno’s international competition will comprise 17 films, including 16 world premieres, which will vie for the coveted Golden Leopard awards.
Scroll down for full list of titles
These titles include Jude’s Do Not Expect Too Much Of The End Of The World, his first feature since winning the Berlinale Golden Bear for Bad Luck Banging Or Loony Porn in...
The Locarno Film Festival (August 2-12) has revealed the line-up for its 76th edition, which includes the world premiere of Romanian director Radu Jude’s Do Not Expect Too Much Of The End Of The World.
Locarno’s international competition will comprise 17 films, including 16 world premieres, which will vie for the coveted Golden Leopard awards.
Scroll down for full list of titles
These titles include Jude’s Do Not Expect Too Much Of The End Of The World, his first feature since winning the Berlinale Golden Bear for Bad Luck Banging Or Loony Porn in...
- 7/5/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
The Locarno International Film Festival unveiled the full program for 2023 on Wednesday, with dozens of world premieres set to screen in the 76th edition of the Swiss festival.
Locarno’s main Piazza Grande section will include several of this season’s festival favorites, among them Cannes Palme d’Or winner Anatomy of a Fall from French director Justine Triet starring Sandra Hüller; Ken Loach’s latest (and possibly last) feature, The Old Oak; Noora Niasari’s Sundance audience award winner Shayda, featuring Holy Spider star Zar Amir Ebrahimi; and Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman’s comedy Theater Camp, which won a special jury prize at Sundance. Other highlights include U.S. horror feature Falling Stars by directors Richard Karpala and Gabriel Bienczycki; Dammi from 71′ and White Boy Rick-helmer Yann Demange; and Magnetic Continent, the new nature documentary from March of the Penguins‘ filmmaker Luc Jacquet about the continent of Antarctica.
Locarno’s main Piazza Grande section will include several of this season’s festival favorites, among them Cannes Palme d’Or winner Anatomy of a Fall from French director Justine Triet starring Sandra Hüller; Ken Loach’s latest (and possibly last) feature, The Old Oak; Noora Niasari’s Sundance audience award winner Shayda, featuring Holy Spider star Zar Amir Ebrahimi; and Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman’s comedy Theater Camp, which won a special jury prize at Sundance. Other highlights include U.S. horror feature Falling Stars by directors Richard Karpala and Gabriel Bienczycki; Dammi from 71′ and White Boy Rick-helmer Yann Demange; and Magnetic Continent, the new nature documentary from March of the Penguins‘ filmmaker Luc Jacquet about the continent of Antarctica.
- 7/5/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Italy-based sales agent Lights On has acquired world rights for Dreaming & Dying, directed by Singaporean filmmaker Nelson Yeo, ahead of its world premiere in Locarno Film Festival’s Concorso Cineasti del presente.
Co-produced by Singapore’s Momo Film Co and Indonesia’s Kawankawan Media, the film is a drama fantasy about three middle-aged friends reuniting for the first time in many years. Each of them sets out to confess unexpressed feelings but their vacation takes a surprising turn when the undercurrent of their past lives threatens to resurface.
The film marks the feature directorial debut of Yeo and is produced by Tan Si En and Sophia Sim who previously worked with the filmmaker on award-winning shorts Dreaming, Plastic Sonata and Mary, Mary So Contrary.
Tan previously produced Anthony Chen’s Wet Season, which played at the Toronto International Film Festival, and co-produced Arnold Is A Model Student, which premiered in Locarno last year.
Co-produced by Singapore’s Momo Film Co and Indonesia’s Kawankawan Media, the film is a drama fantasy about three middle-aged friends reuniting for the first time in many years. Each of them sets out to confess unexpressed feelings but their vacation takes a surprising turn when the undercurrent of their past lives threatens to resurface.
The film marks the feature directorial debut of Yeo and is produced by Tan Si En and Sophia Sim who previously worked with the filmmaker on award-winning shorts Dreaming, Plastic Sonata and Mary, Mary So Contrary.
Tan previously produced Anthony Chen’s Wet Season, which played at the Toronto International Film Festival, and co-produced Arnold Is A Model Student, which premiered in Locarno last year.
- 7/5/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
The 15th Psarokokalo International Short Film Festival continues faithful to the path it has set until today and, from July 2 to 14, opens its eyes to a cinema worth discovering!! This year's Psarokokalo returns with a multitude of tributes, events, and surprises, aspiring to arouse the interest of cinephiles in Greece for another year.
In its established international competition section, which this year includes 94 selected short films from 34 countries, Psarokokalo turns its attention to new creators as well as to those familiar to the Greek public such as Efira Virginie, Niels Schneider, Joseph Wilson, Nadav Lapid. While in the national competition section, it offers a selection of new emerging talents from Greece and Cyprus and is the main program that promotes the festival around the world.
Of particular interest is the dedication to the environment and architecture, innovative, ambitious, diverse, and impressive focus on channeling constructive collective action and providing a cross-cutting analysis of politics,...
In its established international competition section, which this year includes 94 selected short films from 34 countries, Psarokokalo turns its attention to new creators as well as to those familiar to the Greek public such as Efira Virginie, Niels Schneider, Joseph Wilson, Nadav Lapid. While in the national competition section, it offers a selection of new emerging talents from Greece and Cyprus and is the main program that promotes the festival around the world.
Of particular interest is the dedication to the environment and architecture, innovative, ambitious, diverse, and impressive focus on channeling constructive collective action and providing a cross-cutting analysis of politics,...
- 6/24/2023
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Indonesia’s KawanKawan Media has partnered with Singapore’s Momo Film Co on Nelson Yeo’s “Dreaming & Dying” and Duong Dieu Linh’s “Don’t Cry Butterfly,” it was revealed at this week’s Asian Contents & Film Market, held on the sidelines of the Busan International Film Festival.
“Dreaming & Dying,” about three middle aged individuals who are forced to confront their inner demons as a long-buried love triangle between them resurfaces, is currently in production.
Yeo said: “ ‘Dreaming & Dying’ is the accumulation of my obsession with dreams and memories. Primarily, it is about how we choose to remember things in our own ways, and as time passes, that fantasy becomes the reality.”
The Hanoi-set “Don’t Cry, Butterfly” follows housewife Tam who finds out that her husband is cheating on her. Instead of confronting him, she voodoos her husband back into love. KawanKawan joins Momo and An Nam Productions, which recently secured coin from U.
“Dreaming & Dying,” about three middle aged individuals who are forced to confront their inner demons as a long-buried love triangle between them resurfaces, is currently in production.
Yeo said: “ ‘Dreaming & Dying’ is the accumulation of my obsession with dreams and memories. Primarily, it is about how we choose to remember things in our own ways, and as time passes, that fantasy becomes the reality.”
The Hanoi-set “Don’t Cry, Butterfly” follows housewife Tam who finds out that her husband is cheating on her. Instead of confronting him, she voodoos her husband back into love. KawanKawan joins Momo and An Nam Productions, which recently secured coin from U.
- 10/14/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Singapore’s Momo Film Co has boarded a raft of projects, it was revealed on the opening day of the Busan Asian Contents & Film Market on Saturday.
Momo, in which Blue Ant Media’s Beach House Pictures has a majority stake, was founded in 2018 by writer-director Kris Ong (“Sunday”) and Tan Si En, who is a co-producer on Busan and Locarno title “Arnold is a Model Student.”
Tan has boarded “Andragogy” by Wregas Bhanuteja as a co-producer. The film will follow Prani, a middle-aged schoolteacher, whose angry video goes viral and she gets trolled online. Adi Ekatama is producing for Indonesia’s Rekata Studio (“Photocopier”).
“Our partnership with Wregas and Rekata Studio emphasise Momo’s commitment to work with like-minded Southeast Asian talents and push boundaries through compelling and edgy stories. This is the first of many upcoming projects and we look forward to sharing it with audience around the world,...
Momo, in which Blue Ant Media’s Beach House Pictures has a majority stake, was founded in 2018 by writer-director Kris Ong (“Sunday”) and Tan Si En, who is a co-producer on Busan and Locarno title “Arnold is a Model Student.”
Tan has boarded “Andragogy” by Wregas Bhanuteja as a co-producer. The film will follow Prani, a middle-aged schoolteacher, whose angry video goes viral and she gets trolled online. Adi Ekatama is producing for Indonesia’s Rekata Studio (“Photocopier”).
“Our partnership with Wregas and Rekata Studio emphasise Momo’s commitment to work with like-minded Southeast Asian talents and push boundaries through compelling and edgy stories. This is the first of many upcoming projects and we look forward to sharing it with audience around the world,...
- 10/8/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The 32nd Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff) officially opened on November 25, 2021, with leading names in independent cinema gracing the red carpet at Shaw Theatres Lido, including award-winning Indonesian director Edwin whose critically acclaimed film Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash made its Southeast Asian premiere. This was screened alongside the world premiere of the Festival’s commissioned short film Dreaming by Singaporean director, Nelson Yeo.
“It is a tremendous feeling to be back at Sgiff alongside so many members of the film community,” shares Edwin, who goes by one name. “The Festival is a key marker on my annual calendar, and it is my honour to have Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash make its regional debut here – the same Festival where I showed my first short film almost two decades ago. To witness the growth of Southeast Asian cinema throughout this time has been heartening and I...
“It is a tremendous feeling to be back at Sgiff alongside so many members of the film community,” shares Edwin, who goes by one name. “The Festival is a key marker on my annual calendar, and it is my honour to have Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash make its regional debut here – the same Festival where I showed my first short film almost two decades ago. To witness the growth of Southeast Asian cinema throughout this time has been heartening and I...
- 11/28/2021
- by Suzie Cho
- AsianMoviePulse
Other winners included Georgian director Dea Kulumbegashvili for ’Beginning’.
Ivan Ayr’s Milestone was named best film at the Silver Screen Awards, which closed the 31st Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff) on Sunday (December 6).
The Indian drama, which premiered in Venice Horizons in September, also won the best performance award for Suvinder Vicky’s turn as an ageing Punjabi trucker who must keep his life’s work from falling apart.
It marks Ayr’s second feature after Delhi crime drama Soni, which also debuted in Horizons in 2018. Milestone has also played Pingyao and Stockholm film festivals.
The jury included filmmakers João Pedro Rodrigues,...
Ivan Ayr’s Milestone was named best film at the Silver Screen Awards, which closed the 31st Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff) on Sunday (December 6).
The Indian drama, which premiered in Venice Horizons in September, also won the best performance award for Suvinder Vicky’s turn as an ageing Punjabi trucker who must keep his life’s work from falling apart.
It marks Ayr’s second feature after Delhi crime drama Soni, which also debuted in Horizons in 2018. Milestone has also played Pingyao and Stockholm film festivals.
The jury included filmmakers João Pedro Rodrigues,...
- 12/7/2020
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Indian drama film “Milestone” (aka “Meel Patthar”) was named the best film at the Silver Screen Awards, the closing event of the Singapore International Film Festival. The festival is a cornerstone of the Singapore Media Festival consumer and industry event.
Directed by Ivan Ayr, “Milestone” recounts the foretaste of doom that follows a veteran truck driver when his vehicle passes half a million kilometers and he is asked to train a younger operator. The film also earned lead actor Suvinder Vicky, the Silver Screen award for best performer.
It premiered at the Venice festival in September, in its Horizons section, before going on to play at the Pingyao and Stockholm festivals. In Singapore it played in the competition that is reserved for first and second features hailing from the Asia region. Ayr made his feature debut with the 2018 Delhi crime drama “Soni.”
The prize for best director went to Dea Kulumbegashvili...
Directed by Ivan Ayr, “Milestone” recounts the foretaste of doom that follows a veteran truck driver when his vehicle passes half a million kilometers and he is asked to train a younger operator. The film also earned lead actor Suvinder Vicky, the Silver Screen award for best performer.
It premiered at the Venice festival in September, in its Horizons section, before going on to play at the Pingyao and Stockholm festivals. In Singapore it played in the competition that is reserved for first and second features hailing from the Asia region. Ayr made his feature debut with the 2018 Delhi crime drama “Soni.”
The prize for best director went to Dea Kulumbegashvili...
- 12/6/2020
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
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