Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light and Dea Kulumbegashvili’s April head the nominations for the 17th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa), each securing nods in five categories.
Both will compete for best film, best director, best screenplay, best cinematography and best performance at the awards, which will be presented on November 30 at a ceremony on Australia’s Gold Coast.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
All We Imagine As Light, billed as an ode to nocturnal Mumbai, premiered in Competition at Cannes, where it won the festival’s grand prix. April, the story of a Georgian ob-gyn who faces accusations,...
Both will compete for best film, best director, best screenplay, best cinematography and best performance at the awards, which will be presented on November 30 at a ceremony on Australia’s Gold Coast.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
All We Imagine As Light, billed as an ode to nocturnal Mumbai, premiered in Competition at Cannes, where it won the festival’s grand prix. April, the story of a Georgian ob-gyn who faces accusations,...
- 10/16/2024
- ScreenDaily
Two films by women directors, Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine as Light’ and Dea Kulumbegashvili’s ‘April’ lead the nominations for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
Both films will compete in five categories – best film, best director, best screenplay, best cinematography and best performance – it was revealed Wednesday in a nominations announcement.
Also competing for best film are Yoko Yamanaka’s Tokyo-set story of a young woman’s mental illness, “Desert of Namibia” (Japan); Neo Sora’s future Tokyo tale of perilous social surveillance “Happyend”; and Jiang Xiaoxuan’s “To Kill a Mongolian Horse”, a portrait of a Mongolian horseman turned performer, based on a true story.
Four of the five films nominated for best film are from female directors, and in an Apsa first, all five best film contenders are first or second features.
In addition to Kapadia, Kulumbegashvili and Jiang, the nominees for best director include Tato Kotetishvili for “Holy Electricity,...
Both films will compete in five categories – best film, best director, best screenplay, best cinematography and best performance – it was revealed Wednesday in a nominations announcement.
Also competing for best film are Yoko Yamanaka’s Tokyo-set story of a young woman’s mental illness, “Desert of Namibia” (Japan); Neo Sora’s future Tokyo tale of perilous social surveillance “Happyend”; and Jiang Xiaoxuan’s “To Kill a Mongolian Horse”, a portrait of a Mongolian horseman turned performer, based on a true story.
Four of the five films nominated for best film are from female directors, and in an Apsa first, all five best film contenders are first or second features.
In addition to Kapadia, Kulumbegashvili and Jiang, the nominees for best director include Tato Kotetishvili for “Holy Electricity,...
- 10/16/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Although one of the oldest film festivals with significant focus on Asian cinema, here in Asian Movie Pulse, we had not exactly followed Hiff so intently. It was a rather pleasant occasion thus, that this year we started a rather closer collaboration, that was definitely fruitful, since the Asian selection was quite significant, including a number of world premieres. The Japanese and Taiwanese presence was the most significant, including Neo Sora‘s “HappyEnd“, one of the best films of the year, but the Filipinos were also here, headlined by Mikhail Red‘s newest work, “Friendly Fire“. Without further ado, here is the sum of our coverage, which is bound to become more significant next year.
1. Film Analysis: HappyEnd (2024) by Neo Sora
Neo Sora has shot a film that is rather multi-leveled, to the point that frequently it functions as parable/metaphor/allegory, with essentially all characters and events hiding some sort of symbolism.
1. Film Analysis: HappyEnd (2024) by Neo Sora
Neo Sora has shot a film that is rather multi-leveled, to the point that frequently it functions as parable/metaphor/allegory, with essentially all characters and events hiding some sort of symbolism.
- 10/15/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
While there’s a few more fall film festivals popping up in the next month, the major ones are behind us, which means we have a strong sense of the films to have on your radar in the coming months and even through 2025. We’ve asked our writers from across the globe to weigh in on their favorite world premieres from Locarno Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, and BFI London Film Festival.
Our coverage will continue with a few more reviews this week, and far beyond as we provide updates on the journey of these selections, so continue to explore all of our festival coverage here. In the meantime, check out top picks from our writers below and return soon for our extensive year-end coverage.
Soham Gadre (@SohamGadre)
1. April (Dea Kulumbegashvili)
2 and 3. Youth (Homecoming and Hard Times) (Wang Bing...
Our coverage will continue with a few more reviews this week, and far beyond as we provide updates on the journey of these selections, so continue to explore all of our festival coverage here. In the meantime, check out top picks from our writers below and return soon for our extensive year-end coverage.
Soham Gadre (@SohamGadre)
1. April (Dea Kulumbegashvili)
2 and 3. Youth (Homecoming and Hard Times) (Wang Bing...
- 10/15/2024
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Although he became instantly famous with his documentary about his father, “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus”, it seems that Neo Sora has a lot more to give, as his feature debut, “HappyEnd”, which has already made a significant festival run, is brilliant.
HappyEnd is screening at Hawai’i International Film Festival
In a slightly futuristic setting, where advertisements and news are being broadcasted on the sky and on buildings, and smartphones are used as tracking devices, with the police implementing face-recognition by snapping photos of people, we meet our two main protagonists. Yuta and Kou are best friends, running the music club in their highschool, and as the movie begins, they are trying to get into an underground Dj set, eventually tricking their way into it, since they are still underage. Soon, the police arrive and the difference between the two friends becomes painfully apparent. Since Kou is Zainichi Korean, the police ask for his papers,...
HappyEnd is screening at Hawai’i International Film Festival
In a slightly futuristic setting, where advertisements and news are being broadcasted on the sky and on buildings, and smartphones are used as tracking devices, with the police implementing face-recognition by snapping photos of people, we meet our two main protagonists. Yuta and Kou are best friends, running the music club in their highschool, and as the movie begins, they are trying to get into an underground Dj set, eventually tricking their way into it, since they are still underage. Soon, the police arrive and the difference between the two friends becomes painfully apparent. Since Kou is Zainichi Korean, the police ask for his papers,...
- 10/9/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The First Feature Competition at the 68th BFI London Film Festival 2024 is an exciting platform that celebrates bold, imaginative debuts from new directors. This year, the competition is as diverse as ever, showcasing fresh talent and unique stories from around the world, all vying for the prestigious Sutherland Award, which honors the most original and visionary directorial debut.
One of the standout entries is Crocodile Tears, a genre-blending film from writer-director Tumpal Tampubolon. This atmospheric and eerie debut is a testament to the thriving cinema culture in Southeast Asia, immersing viewers in a world where boundaries between genres and emotions blur effortlessly. Another notable contender is Hanami, Denise Fernandes’ stunning tribute to her homeland, Cape Verde. This coming-of-age drama beautifully captures the magic and rawness of life in the West African islands, a poignant exploration of identity and home.
Neo Sora’s Happyend brings a different flavor to the competition,...
One of the standout entries is Crocodile Tears, a genre-blending film from writer-director Tumpal Tampubolon. This atmospheric and eerie debut is a testament to the thriving cinema culture in Southeast Asia, immersing viewers in a world where boundaries between genres and emotions blur effortlessly. Another notable contender is Hanami, Denise Fernandes’ stunning tribute to her homeland, Cape Verde. This coming-of-age drama beautifully captures the magic and rawness of life in the West African islands, a poignant exploration of identity and home.
Neo Sora’s Happyend brings a different flavor to the competition,...
- 10/5/2024
- by Naveed Zahir
- High on Films
Neo Sora’s narrative debut “Happyend,” a dystopian portrait of rebellious youth fighting for a better future that first bowed in Venice’s Horizons section, has sold to multiple territories for Magnify, the international sales arm of Magnolia Pictures.
In addition to Metrograph Pictures, which grabbed North American rights last month and will be releasing theatrically in 2025, Magnify has secured deals in France (Eurozoom), South Korea (Jinjin), Taiwan (Hooray), Hong Kong (Edko), China (Wiseup), Indonesia (Falcon), Turkey (Filmarti), Ex-Yugoslavia (Five Star), Cee (HBO), with many other territories under negotiation. Giraffe Pictures will be releasing in Singapore and Bitters End is releasing theatrically in Japan on Oct. 4.
Following Venice, the film had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Centerpiece) and its Asian premiere in the Pingyao International Film Festival, where it won the Jury Award. The film recently screened at the New York Film Festival and next...
In addition to Metrograph Pictures, which grabbed North American rights last month and will be releasing theatrically in 2025, Magnify has secured deals in France (Eurozoom), South Korea (Jinjin), Taiwan (Hooray), Hong Kong (Edko), China (Wiseup), Indonesia (Falcon), Turkey (Filmarti), Ex-Yugoslavia (Five Star), Cee (HBO), with many other territories under negotiation. Giraffe Pictures will be releasing in Singapore and Bitters End is releasing theatrically in Japan on Oct. 4.
Following Venice, the film had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Centerpiece) and its Asian premiere in the Pingyao International Film Festival, where it won the Jury Award. The film recently screened at the New York Film Festival and next...
- 10/3/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Yang Suiyi’s Karst won best film in the Fei Mu Awards for up-and-coming Chinese filmmakers at this year’s Pingyao International Film Festival, while Swiss director Ramon Zurcher’s The Sparrow In The Chimney won best film in the Roberto Rossellini Awards for emerging international directors.
The Fei Mu jury praised Karst, about a woman reconnecting with her childhood in Guizhou Province, for “the great fullness, simplicity, subtlety and portrait of a region and a woman.” The award came with a $143,000 (RMB1m) cash prize, half of which is given to the film’s director to develop their next film, and half to the film’s Chinese distributor. Chinese actor Duan Yihong partly sponsored the award.
Also in the Fei Mu awards, Tang Yongkang won best director for Stars And The Moon, while Xu Lei’s Green Wave won the Jury Award and best actor for Xu Chaoying. Best...
The Fei Mu jury praised Karst, about a woman reconnecting with her childhood in Guizhou Province, for “the great fullness, simplicity, subtlety and portrait of a region and a woman.” The award came with a $143,000 (RMB1m) cash prize, half of which is given to the film’s director to develop their next film, and half to the film’s Chinese distributor. Chinese actor Duan Yihong partly sponsored the award.
Also in the Fei Mu awards, Tang Yongkang won best director for Stars And The Moon, while Xu Lei’s Green Wave won the Jury Award and best actor for Xu Chaoying. Best...
- 9/30/2024
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Yang Suiyi’s Karst and Ramon Zurcher’s The Sparrow In The Chimney took home the top awards at the eighth edition of the Pingyao International Film Festival (Pyiff) on Saturday (September 28).
Chinese drama Karst won best film in the festival’s Fei Mu Awards, selected from the Hidden Dragons competitive section that comprises features from emerging Chinese directors. Yang’s feature directorial debut follows a cattle breeder who travels to a nearby town to seek treatment for her cattle as memories begin to flood back. The prize includes $142,000 (RMB1m), half of which is given to the director to...
Chinese drama Karst won best film in the festival’s Fei Mu Awards, selected from the Hidden Dragons competitive section that comprises features from emerging Chinese directors. Yang’s feature directorial debut follows a cattle breeder who travels to a nearby town to seek treatment for her cattle as memories begin to flood back. The prize includes $142,000 (RMB1m), half of which is given to the director to...
- 9/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
Academy Awards® accredited and one of Asia’s largest international short film festivals, Short Shorts Film Festival (Ssff & Asia) starts annual “Screening in Autumn” today from Online Grand Theater (co-organized by Tokyo Metropolitan Government).
Tickets for screening & talk events in October are also on sale from today.
This year, in addition to the screening of 2024 award winning shorts, specially invited short films “Haunted by the Sound of the Wind” starring globally recognized actress who became the ambassador of Tokyo International Film Festival, Rinko Kikuchi and “The Chicken” by Neo Sora whose feature film was nominated Venice Film Festival will be showcased.
Furthermore, “Women in Focus program” (in cooperation with TIFF), commemorating the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Switzerland “Swiss Eyes on Japan” program, and “Korean Shorts” program are also screened.
As the Online Grand Theater limited program, “Craft Stories Around Japan” starts global streaming today. 6 short films...
Tickets for screening & talk events in October are also on sale from today.
This year, in addition to the screening of 2024 award winning shorts, specially invited short films “Haunted by the Sound of the Wind” starring globally recognized actress who became the ambassador of Tokyo International Film Festival, Rinko Kikuchi and “The Chicken” by Neo Sora whose feature film was nominated Venice Film Festival will be showcased.
Furthermore, “Women in Focus program” (in cooperation with TIFF), commemorating the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Switzerland “Swiss Eyes on Japan” program, and “Korean Shorts” program are also screened.
As the Online Grand Theater limited program, “Craft Stories Around Japan” starts global streaming today. 6 short films...
- 9/27/2024
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Set at a strictly monitored Japanese high school at some point in the near future, Neo Sora’s “Happyend” might be a low-key drama about a group of friends as they steel themselves (and each other) against tomorrow in the weeks before they graduate and scatter to the winds. Yet this coming-of-age story — however pensive and hushed the rest of it might be — begins with an ominous blast of text that wouldn’t be out of place at the start of a violent sci-fi epic like Katsuhiro Otomo’s “Akira.” “Weather buildings creak louder,” read the words on the screen. “The systems that define people are crumbling in Tokyo. Something big is about to change.”
With an intro like that, I half-expected the film’s opening shot to show the biggest city on the planet engulfed in a silent black dome of pent-up psychic energy. Instead, “Happyend” lights up on...
With an intro like that, I half-expected the film’s opening shot to show the biggest city on the planet engulfed in a silent black dome of pent-up psychic energy. Instead, “Happyend” lights up on...
- 9/27/2024
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
New York Film Festival, Thriving At 62 Thanks To Young Moviegoers, Offers Hope To Unsettled Industry
In 2021, when the New York Film Festival returned to in-person screenings, organizers noticed a surprising pattern in the ticketing and survey data.
Twentysomething moviegoers, they realized, had become the lifeblood of the festival. Their embrace of the beloved New York institution has since helped it make remarkable strides, surpassing pre-Covid attendance and sales levels. For more than six decades, the festival has occupied a key berth as the last big fest of the year, with a buzzy lineup of selections from Cannes, Sundance, Venice, Telluride and Toronto.
NYFF’s 62nd edition, which opens tonight with RaMell Ross’ Nickel Boys, is pretty much sold out. Uptake of passes for multiple films, or to gain the right to jump to the front of a wait list, jumped 14% vs. last year.
“I mean that’s the dream, right? Every cultural organization is worried about that. We really need to foster that next generation,...
Twentysomething moviegoers, they realized, had become the lifeblood of the festival. Their embrace of the beloved New York institution has since helped it make remarkable strides, surpassing pre-Covid attendance and sales levels. For more than six decades, the festival has occupied a key berth as the last big fest of the year, with a buzzy lineup of selections from Cannes, Sundance, Venice, Telluride and Toronto.
NYFF’s 62nd edition, which opens tonight with RaMell Ross’ Nickel Boys, is pretty much sold out. Uptake of passes for multiple films, or to gain the right to jump to the front of a wait list, jumped 14% vs. last year.
“I mean that’s the dream, right? Every cultural organization is worried about that. We really need to foster that next generation,...
- 9/27/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
“Ah man, I could talk about it forever.” It is the day after Happyend’s Venice premiere and director Neo Sora is holding court for a parade of journos in the ballroom of an Art Nouveau hotel on the Lido. I’m the last in line, and we’ve been chatting for almost half an hour when his face suddenly lights up. The topic Sora could talk about forever and to which we devote the last few minutes of our allotted time is music, a connection that long predates his first feature-length foray into fiction. An eclectic audiovisual artist, Sora’s a member of […]
The post “I Really Wanted to Push Back Against This Illusion of Japanese-ness”: Neo Sora on Happyend first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Really Wanted to Push Back Against This Illusion of Japanese-ness”: Neo Sora on Happyend first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 9/25/2024
- by Leonardo Goi
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
“Ah man, I could talk about it forever.” It is the day after Happyend’s Venice premiere and director Neo Sora is holding court for a parade of journos in the ballroom of an Art Nouveau hotel on the Lido. I’m the last in line, and we’ve been chatting for almost half an hour when his face suddenly lights up. The topic Sora could talk about forever and to which we devote the last few minutes of our allotted time is music, a connection that long predates his first feature-length foray into fiction. An eclectic audiovisual artist, Sora’s a member of […]
The post “I Really Wanted to Push Back Against This Illusion of Japanese-ness”: Neo Sora on Happyend first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Really Wanted to Push Back Against This Illusion of Japanese-ness”: Neo Sora on Happyend first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 9/25/2024
- by Leonardo Goi
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Before Neo Sora’s Happyend introduces any of its characters, the film previews their social conditions. “The systems that define people are crumbling in Japan,” reads a title card at the outset, establishing stakes beyond just the individual circumstances of the characters. While alternately impressive as teen drama and political commentary, the film never satisfactorily synthesizes the two scales at which it analyzes Japanese society.
Happyend’s technological dystopia is a natural outgrowth of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that destabilized nuclear reactors—not to mention public trust—across Japan. Sora’s film envisions a not-too-distant future where climate change turns the threat of such shocks into an organizing principle of daily life. The country absorbs these constant threats into its security apparatus, which sends out apocalyptic cellphone alerts only to quickly retract its warnings of doom. Predatory enterprises always immediately follow suit, skywriting in the clouds “Emergency Sale: 20% Off Canned...
Happyend’s technological dystopia is a natural outgrowth of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that destabilized nuclear reactors—not to mention public trust—across Japan. Sora’s film envisions a not-too-distant future where climate change turns the threat of such shocks into an organizing principle of daily life. The country absorbs these constant threats into its security apparatus, which sends out apocalyptic cellphone alerts only to quickly retract its warnings of doom. Predatory enterprises always immediately follow suit, skywriting in the clouds “Emergency Sale: 20% Off Canned...
- 9/24/2024
- by Marshall Shaffer
- Slant Magazine
Japanese director Neo Sora is no catastrophist: the vision of dystopia he puts forth in his coolly compelling first fiction feature “Happyend” is chilling precisely because it won’t take some thunderous armageddon to bring it about. Instead, in a near future that’s barely a stone’s throw from now, beset by many of our present predicaments and a sense of impending but not quite imminent apocalypse, his teenage heroes come of age as kids have always done. It’s just that here, there is the added poignancy of experiencing the end of the beginning of life amid what might just be the beginning of the end of the world.
In tomorrow’s Tokyo, where the concrete curves and high-rise skylines have a slightly denatured air (perhaps because the film was largely shot in Kobe) a high-school principal (Shiro Sano) is distressed to discover his beloved sports car has...
In tomorrow’s Tokyo, where the concrete curves and high-rise skylines have a slightly denatured air (perhaps because the film was largely shot in Kobe) a high-school principal (Shiro Sano) is distressed to discover his beloved sports car has...
- 9/22/2024
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Pull out your copy of the latest septic tank health and safety regulations, because Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s masterfully unsettling and thought-provoking triumph “Evil Does Not Exist” will soon be streaming at home.
The Criterion Channel will exclusively premiere “Evil Does Not Exist” in a live streaming event this Sunday September 22 at 8:00 p.m. Et/5:00 p.m. Et. Then the film will live on the Criterion Channel as its exclusive streaming home starting October 1.
This is the latest of several live streaming events the Criterion Channel has hosted, with previous ones including Janus Films’ pickup “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus,” directed by Neo Sora, and Sideshow and Janus’s “The Beast,” directed by Bertrand Bonello. The live streams are a novel way of making a film’s streaming premiere an event unto itself and is one of several innovations the Criterion Channel has rolled out over the past year, such as...
The Criterion Channel will exclusively premiere “Evil Does Not Exist” in a live streaming event this Sunday September 22 at 8:00 p.m. Et/5:00 p.m. Et. Then the film will live on the Criterion Channel as its exclusive streaming home starting October 1.
This is the latest of several live streaming events the Criterion Channel has hosted, with previous ones including Janus Films’ pickup “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus,” directed by Neo Sora, and Sideshow and Janus’s “The Beast,” directed by Bertrand Bonello. The live streams are a novel way of making a film’s streaming premiere an event unto itself and is one of several innovations the Criterion Channel has rolled out over the past year, such as...
- 9/19/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Early on in “Happyend,” writer/director Neo Sora’s assured first narrative feature following his revelatory documentary about his late father, “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus,” we see a group of youths running into the silent streets of Tokyo after police shut down an underground party. Things could have been dire had it not been for two of them creating a distraction so they could all escape, yet they yell out in excitement as they hurl themselves into the darkness of the night before everything stops and they’re all frozen in time.
Accompanied by Lia Ouyang Rusli’s stellar score, the title card gently appears then quickly disappears. It’s as if we’re getting a fleeting snapshot of youthful joy we already feel is coming to an end. Their world is getting bigger just as it does smaller as they must face down adulthood while grappling with the growing repression all around them.
Accompanied by Lia Ouyang Rusli’s stellar score, the title card gently appears then quickly disappears. It’s as if we’re getting a fleeting snapshot of youthful joy we already feel is coming to an end. Their world is getting bigger just as it does smaller as they must face down adulthood while grappling with the growing repression all around them.
- 9/14/2024
- by Chase Hutchinson
- The Wrap
“Something big is about to change,” is surely one ominous beginning for a debut fiction feature, but director Neo Sora knows how to calibrate the fine balance between anticipation and inevitability. A story set in the near future, Happyend makes Tokyo a vast playground to high-school seniors gathered around childhood pals Yuta (Hayato Kurihara) and Kou (Yukito Hidaka). Life is blooming and the future is ripe for those teenagers, even if the whole city is constantly preparing itself for a catastrophic earthquake. Daily drills and false alarms interrupt an otherwise-smooth rhythm where Yuta and Kou gather their classmates at their Music Research Club, an extracurricular that’s more enjoyable than practical in purpose. With a fully equipped school room at their disposal at all times, the gang can build a secure microcosm for the shared love of electronic avant-garde and a generally good time.
But Happyend is far from a...
But Happyend is far from a...
- 9/9/2024
- by Savina Petkova
- The Film Stage
The world premiere of Liu Juan’s A River Without Tears is set to open this year’s Pingyao International Film Festival, which has revealed its full line-up.
The eighth edition of the festival, founded by acclaimed director Jia Zhangke, is scheduled to run from September 24-30 in the picturesque city of Pingyao, in China’s Shanxi province.
Sections include Crouching Tigers, made up of emerging international filmmakers; Hidden Dragons, featuring the first or second films of Chinese directors; gala films by renowned directors; and Made-in-Shanxi, comprising titles by local filmmakers or films shot in in the province.
Opening film...
The eighth edition of the festival, founded by acclaimed director Jia Zhangke, is scheduled to run from September 24-30 in the picturesque city of Pingyao, in China’s Shanxi province.
Sections include Crouching Tigers, made up of emerging international filmmakers; Hidden Dragons, featuring the first or second films of Chinese directors; gala films by renowned directors; and Made-in-Shanxi, comprising titles by local filmmakers or films shot in in the province.
Opening film...
- 9/9/2024
- ScreenDaily
The 68th BFI London Film Festival has just announced the line-up and – as always – a wide variety of Asian films is included in the vast Programme. Over 12 days, the Lff will showcase 255 works from 80 countries, featuring 64 languages and including 112 projects made by female and non-binary filmmakers.
The London Film Festival, officially called the BFI London Film Festival is organised annually by the British Film Institute (BFI) since 1953. It is the UK’s largest public Festival of its kind and is visited by thousands of film enthusiasts who have the the ability to see films, documentaries and shorts from all over the world. The festival will take place at London’s BFI Southbank and The Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, as well as cinemas and venues across central London, and will run from 9 to 20 October 2024.
All the info about tickets and booking are Here.
And now, let’s browse the...
The London Film Festival, officially called the BFI London Film Festival is organised annually by the British Film Institute (BFI) since 1953. It is the UK’s largest public Festival of its kind and is visited by thousands of film enthusiasts who have the the ability to see films, documentaries and shorts from all over the world. The festival will take place at London’s BFI Southbank and The Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, as well as cinemas and venues across central London, and will run from 9 to 20 October 2024.
All the info about tickets and booking are Here.
And now, let’s browse the...
- 9/7/2024
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Pingyao International Film Festival (Pyiff) has announced the line-up for its eighth edition, including its Crouching Tigers and Hidden Dragons sections, and opening film A River Without Tears.
The festival also announced that it is screening a restored version of Chen Kaige’s award-winning Yellow Earth, to mark the 40th anniversary of the film, one of the first major titles of China’s Fifth Generation movement, which won a Silver Leopard at Locarno as well as best cinematography for Zhang Yimou at Nantes Three Continents Film Festival.
Opening film A River Without Tears, the second feature of female director Liu Juan, is the story of a father who insists on finding out the truth of his daughter’s suicide. Executive produced by Chinese auteur and Pingyao festival founder Jia Zhangke, the film will also screen as one of 12 titles in the festival’s Hidden Dragons section for emerging Chinese filmmakers (see full list below).
Meanwhile,...
The festival also announced that it is screening a restored version of Chen Kaige’s award-winning Yellow Earth, to mark the 40th anniversary of the film, one of the first major titles of China’s Fifth Generation movement, which won a Silver Leopard at Locarno as well as best cinematography for Zhang Yimou at Nantes Three Continents Film Festival.
Opening film A River Without Tears, the second feature of female director Liu Juan, is the story of a father who insists on finding out the truth of his daughter’s suicide. Executive produced by Chinese auteur and Pingyao festival founder Jia Zhangke, the film will also screen as one of 12 titles in the festival’s Hidden Dragons section for emerging Chinese filmmakers (see full list below).
Meanwhile,...
- 9/7/2024
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
The 44th running of the Hawaii International Film Festival presented by Halekulani will open with “Tinā,” an uplifting drama film that marks the feature directorial debut of Miki Magasiva, and close with Sori Fumihiko’s “Hakkenden: Fiction and Reality.”
In between, the festival will pack in 92 features and 114 short films, major awards for guests including Jimmy O Yang, Hong Kong’s Sandra Ng and documentary filmmaking star Stanley Nelson.
“This year, we have the largest selection of Hawai`i films in competition in the festival’s history, are presenting multiple films that explore Indigenous perspectives, narrative sovereignty, and the nurturing of cultural identity, and additionally, we are launching a new spotlight showcasing the best in television,” said Beckie Stochetti, Hiff executive director.
Hailing from New Zealand, with dialog in English and Samoan, “Tinā” sees Anapela Polata’ivao (“Our Flag Means Death”) portray a well-respected and gifted vocal coach endure family tragedy...
In between, the festival will pack in 92 features and 114 short films, major awards for guests including Jimmy O Yang, Hong Kong’s Sandra Ng and documentary filmmaking star Stanley Nelson.
“This year, we have the largest selection of Hawai`i films in competition in the festival’s history, are presenting multiple films that explore Indigenous perspectives, narrative sovereignty, and the nurturing of cultural identity, and additionally, we are launching a new spotlight showcasing the best in television,” said Beckie Stochetti, Hiff executive director.
Hailing from New Zealand, with dialog in English and Samoan, “Tinā” sees Anapela Polata’ivao (“Our Flag Means Death”) portray a well-respected and gifted vocal coach endure family tragedy...
- 9/6/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
A restored edition of Chen Kaige’s “Yellow Earth” is one of the highlights of the selection for the 8th edition of China’s boutique Pingyao International Film Festival. The film, which helped put Chinese art-house cinema on the map overseas and signaled a new era of Chinese directors, now referred to the FIfth Generation, was originally released 40 years ago.
The festival, which runs Sept. 24-30, will open with the world premiere of Liu Juan’s “A River Without Tears.”
The festival’s Hidden Dragons section of Chinese-made films includes: the Asian premiere of Ma Lanhua’s “Hello, Spring”; the Asian premiere of Tang Yongkan’s “Stars and the Moon”; and world premieres of Wang Lina’s “Village Music”; Zhu Xin’s “A Song River”; Yang Suiyi’s “Karst”; Luka Yang Yuanyuan’s “Chinatown Cha-Cha”; Shen Tao’s “Floating Clouds Obscure the Sun”; Siu Koon-ho’s “True Love, For Once...
The festival, which runs Sept. 24-30, will open with the world premiere of Liu Juan’s “A River Without Tears.”
The festival’s Hidden Dragons section of Chinese-made films includes: the Asian premiere of Ma Lanhua’s “Hello, Spring”; the Asian premiere of Tang Yongkan’s “Stars and the Moon”; and world premieres of Wang Lina’s “Village Music”; Zhu Xin’s “A Song River”; Yang Suiyi’s “Karst”; Luka Yang Yuanyuan’s “Chinatown Cha-Cha”; Shen Tao’s “Floating Clouds Obscure the Sun”; Siu Koon-ho’s “True Love, For Once...
- 9/6/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
As the Toronto International Film Festival gets underway, The Hollywood Reporter’s critics weigh in on this year’s crop of titles, from biopics to documentaries, sweeping epics to intimate character studies, tear-jerking dramas to laugh-out-loud comedies.
Several of this year’s slate have already debuted at other festivals throughout the year. For those curious about the very best the TIFF calendar has to offer, a few — but not nearly all — of the highlights include the Steven Soderbergh ghost story Presence, which David Rooney hailed as “masterfully done” out of Sundance; the Icelandic grief drama When the Light Breaks, which Lovia Gyarkye described as “impossible to shake” at Cannes; and the literary adaptation Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, which Caryn James praised at Telluride for the “astonishing” child performance at its center.
In addition, the lineup includes a number of highly anticipated world premieres — we’re curious about David Gordon Green’s Nutcracker,...
Several of this year’s slate have already debuted at other festivals throughout the year. For those curious about the very best the TIFF calendar has to offer, a few — but not nearly all — of the highlights include the Steven Soderbergh ghost story Presence, which David Rooney hailed as “masterfully done” out of Sundance; the Icelandic grief drama When the Light Breaks, which Lovia Gyarkye described as “impossible to shake” at Cannes; and the literary adaptation Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, which Caryn James praised at Telluride for the “astonishing” child performance at its center.
In addition, the lineup includes a number of highly anticipated world premieres — we’re curious about David Gordon Green’s Nutcracker,...
- 9/5/2024
- by David Rooney, Lovia Gyarkye, Daniel Fienberg, Angie Han, Jon Frosch, Leslie Felperin, Jordan Mintzer, Caryn James and Stephen Farber
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Metrograph Pictures has snapped up North American distribution rights to Japanese director Neo Sora’s fictional feature debut Happyend, a high school delinquent drama with shades of political dystopia. The film has proved a hit with critics at the Venice Film Festival, where it premiered earlier this week in the event’s Horizons section.
Following its debut in Venice, Happyend is next headed to the Toronto International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, and New York Film Festival. Monograph says it will release the film in U.S. cinemas sometime next year. The title is represented globally by sales outfit Magnify.
Happyend is Sora’s first fictional feature but he was in Venice last year with the documentary, Opus, which captured the final performance of his late father, Japanese musical icon Ryuichi Sakamoto.
The Hollywood Reporter‘s lead critic David Rooney reviewed Happyend earlier this week, writing: “Sora strikes an...
Following its debut in Venice, Happyend is next headed to the Toronto International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, and New York Film Festival. Monograph says it will release the film in U.S. cinemas sometime next year. The title is represented globally by sales outfit Magnify.
Happyend is Sora’s first fictional feature but he was in Venice last year with the documentary, Opus, which captured the final performance of his late father, Japanese musical icon Ryuichi Sakamoto.
The Hollywood Reporter‘s lead critic David Rooney reviewed Happyend earlier this week, writing: “Sora strikes an...
- 9/4/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 68th BFI London Film Festival has unveiled its star-studded 2024 lineup, featuring Angelina Jolie, Elton John, Daniel Craig, Florence Pugh, Andrew Garfield, Saoirse Ronan, and more in a program boasting 39 world premieres and 12 international premieres among its 253 feature, short, series and immersive works.
The festival’s headline gala screenings will showcase a range of high-profile films. The world premiere of Steve McQueen’s “Blitz” starring Ronan opens the festival, while Morgan Neville’s “Piece by Piece” closes it.
Other gala screenings include R.J. Cutler and David Furnish’s “Elton John: Never Too Late,” Sean Baker’s “Anora,” Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice” starring Sebastian Stan, Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Edward Berger’s “Conclave” with Ralph Fiennes, Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez,” Mike Leigh’s “Hard Truths,” Ben Taylor’s “Joy,” Pablo Larraín’s “Maria” featuring Jolie, Marielle Heller’s “Nightbitch” starring Amy Adams, Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Room Next Door...
The festival’s headline gala screenings will showcase a range of high-profile films. The world premiere of Steve McQueen’s “Blitz” starring Ronan opens the festival, while Morgan Neville’s “Piece by Piece” closes it.
Other gala screenings include R.J. Cutler and David Furnish’s “Elton John: Never Too Late,” Sean Baker’s “Anora,” Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice” starring Sebastian Stan, Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Edward Berger’s “Conclave” with Ralph Fiennes, Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez,” Mike Leigh’s “Hard Truths,” Ben Taylor’s “Joy,” Pablo Larraín’s “Maria” featuring Jolie, Marielle Heller’s “Nightbitch” starring Amy Adams, Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Room Next Door...
- 9/4/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The BFI London Film Festival (Lff) 2024 will screen documentaries about “witches,” and zoos and animal rescue centers in Argentina, first features from directors of varied backgrounds, and Ali Abbas’ Donald Trump film The Apprentice in its gala lineup organizers said on Wednesday as they unveiled the full program for this year’s event.
Overall, Lff will screen 253 titles, including features films, shorts, series, and immersive works, that hail from 79 countries and feature 64 languages. Of the total, 112 works are made by female and non-binary filmmakers, or 44 percent of the program, the fest said.
The London doc lineup includes the likes of Elizabeth Sankey’s 90-minute goth-y Witches, which posits a connection between historical witchery and post-partum psychological suffering and debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Meanwhile, the first feature program at Lff includes Denise Fernandes’ Hanami, which recently world-premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, and Neo Sora’s Happyend, which debuted...
Overall, Lff will screen 253 titles, including features films, shorts, series, and immersive works, that hail from 79 countries and feature 64 languages. Of the total, 112 works are made by female and non-binary filmmakers, or 44 percent of the program, the fest said.
The London doc lineup includes the likes of Elizabeth Sankey’s 90-minute goth-y Witches, which posits a connection between historical witchery and post-partum psychological suffering and debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Meanwhile, the first feature program at Lff includes Denise Fernandes’ Hanami, which recently world-premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, and Neo Sora’s Happyend, which debuted...
- 9/4/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Metrograph Pictures has acquired North American rights for Neo Sora’s surveillance drama Happyend from Magnify, following its world premiere at Venice Film Festival.
Set in a near-future Tokyo, the film centres on two high-schoolers who pull a prank that leads to increased surveillance at their school. The cast is led by Hayato Kurihara and Yukito Hidaka.
Following its premiere in the Horizons section of Venice, the feature will play Toronto, Busan and New York Film Festival. Metrograph Pictures will release the film theatrically in 2025.
The Japan-us co-production marks the feature fiction debut of Sora, who was at Venice in 2023 with documentary Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus,...
Set in a near-future Tokyo, the film centres on two high-schoolers who pull a prank that leads to increased surveillance at their school. The cast is led by Hayato Kurihara and Yukito Hidaka.
Following its premiere in the Horizons section of Venice, the feature will play Toronto, Busan and New York Film Festival. Metrograph Pictures will release the film theatrically in 2025.
The Japan-us co-production marks the feature fiction debut of Sora, who was at Venice in 2023 with documentary Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus,...
- 9/3/2024
- ScreenDaily
Metrograph Pictures has acquired North American rights to Neo Sora’s narrative debut “Happyend,” a dystopian portrait of rebellious youth fighting for a better future.
Sora’s fiction feature debut, “Happyend” had its world premiere at Venice Film Festival in the Horizons section and will go on to play at Toronto, Busan and New York Film Festival. Metrograph Pictures will release the film in theaters next year. “Happyend” is represented globally (outside of Japan and Singapore) by Magnify.
Set in a near-future Tokyo, “Happyend” revolves around two best friends who are about to graduate high school while threats of a catastrophic earthquake looms. One night, they pull a prank on their principal, which leads to a surveillance system being installed in their school. Stuck between the oppressive security system and a darkening national political situation, the two respond in contrasting ways.
Sora previously directed “Ryuichi Sakamoto/Opus” which premiered at...
Sora’s fiction feature debut, “Happyend” had its world premiere at Venice Film Festival in the Horizons section and will go on to play at Toronto, Busan and New York Film Festival. Metrograph Pictures will release the film in theaters next year. “Happyend” is represented globally (outside of Japan and Singapore) by Magnify.
Set in a near-future Tokyo, “Happyend” revolves around two best friends who are about to graduate high school while threats of a catastrophic earthquake looms. One night, they pull a prank on their principal, which leads to a surveillance system being installed in their school. Stuck between the oppressive security system and a darkening national political situation, the two respond in contrasting ways.
Sora previously directed “Ryuichi Sakamoto/Opus” which premiered at...
- 9/3/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Now halfway through the lineup, enthusiasm for the competition titles at the Venice Film Festival has only increased, with La Biennale all stars like Brady Corbet and Pedro Almodóvar earning what keeps being reported as record-breakingly long standing ovations.
To be fair, IndieWire was at both the premiere of “The Brutalist” the previous day, where there was even an exuberant round of applause during the intermission for the 215-minute film, and at the first public screening of “The Room Next Door,” where fans stood so long embracing the Spanish auteur’s English language feature debut that he stayed at the foot of the Sala Grande theater stairs to sign some autographs.
In terms of which film is most contention for the Golden Lion, “The Brutalist” likely still has the edge for how it aligns with the perceived criteria this year’s competition jury is bringing. Corbet’s film is more ambitious,...
To be fair, IndieWire was at both the premiere of “The Brutalist” the previous day, where there was even an exuberant round of applause during the intermission for the 215-minute film, and at the first public screening of “The Room Next Door,” where fans stood so long embracing the Spanish auteur’s English language feature debut that he stayed at the foot of the Sala Grande theater stairs to sign some autographs.
In terms of which film is most contention for the Golden Lion, “The Brutalist” likely still has the edge for how it aligns with the perceived criteria this year’s competition jury is bringing. Corbet’s film is more ambitious,...
- 9/3/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
Speculative fiction as cautionary sociopolitical commentary, Happyend marks a confident first step into narrative features for Neo Sora, who made last year’s stirring documentary tribute to his late father, Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus. The Japanese writer-director offsets the film’s depth of feeling with understatement and gentle humor, working with an appealing young cast as graduation-year high school classmates facing — or refusing to face — a bleak outlook for their future. Capturing that transitional moment when seemingly permanent adolescent ties suddenly appear uncertain, this is a melancholy drama laced with notes of anger and disquiet, but also resilience.
Sora opens with onscreen text about the traditional enforcers of crumbling systems growing weary in the near future, ushering in a time of change. That change is represented by youthful rebellion.
Keeping his focus tight on five inseparable friends plus one influential outsider to the group, the filmmaker effectively views their acts of individual and collective resistance,...
Sora opens with onscreen text about the traditional enforcers of crumbling systems growing weary in the near future, ushering in a time of change. That change is represented by youthful rebellion.
Keeping his focus tight on five inseparable friends plus one influential outsider to the group, the filmmaker effectively views their acts of individual and collective resistance,...
- 9/2/2024
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"If we're going to die, let's have fun." NYFF has revealed the first look teaser for a Japanese film arriving soon called Happyend, the first feature film directed by filmmaker Neo Sora, best known for his many Ryuichi Sakamoto docs. Happyend is premiering at the 2024 Venice Film Festival this weekend, before it goes on to play at both TIFF and NYFF later this fall, with an October release in Japan. Set in near-future Tokyo, the threat of a catastrophic earthquake looms. Two friends prank their principal before graduation, leading to school surveillance installation, which eventually leads to a rift between the high schooler boys. Happyend "amplifies the sociopolitical dynamics already present in Japan today." It's another fascinating surveillance thriller, with commentary on contemporary society, much like the other one Stranger Eyes also premiering in Venice. With Hayato Kurihara, Yukito Hidaka, Yuta Hayashi, Shina Peng, Arazi, Kilala Inori, Pushim, and Makiko Watanabe.
- 8/29/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Around 300 filmmakers have signed an open letter opposing two Israeli films set to screen at the Venice Film Festival.
The protest by filmmakers and artists amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict is aimed at Dani Rosenberg’s Hebrew-language film Al Klavim Veanashim (Of Dogs and Men), which is set against the backdrop of the Oct. 7 terror attacks in southern Israel, and Amos Gitai’s Why War. The latter stars Irène Jacob, Mathieu Amalric, Micha Lescot and Jérôme Kircher and is set for a world premiere on Aug. 31 out of competition.
“Of Dogs and Men, shot in the midst of Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza, whitewashes the genocide. Like Of Dogs and Men, Why War was created by complicit Israeli production companies that contribute to apartheid, occupation and now genocide through their silence or active participation in artwashing,” the letter, published by Artists for Palestine Italia, states.
The artists are represented...
The protest by filmmakers and artists amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict is aimed at Dani Rosenberg’s Hebrew-language film Al Klavim Veanashim (Of Dogs and Men), which is set against the backdrop of the Oct. 7 terror attacks in southern Israel, and Amos Gitai’s Why War. The latter stars Irène Jacob, Mathieu Amalric, Micha Lescot and Jérôme Kircher and is set for a world premiere on Aug. 31 out of competition.
“Of Dogs and Men, shot in the midst of Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza, whitewashes the genocide. Like Of Dogs and Men, Why War was created by complicit Israeli production companies that contribute to apartheid, occupation and now genocide through their silence or active participation in artwashing,” the letter, published by Artists for Palestine Italia, states.
The artists are represented...
- 8/28/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: The trailer for Neo Sora’s debut fiction feature Happyend has been unveiled, ahead of its world premiere in the Venice Film Festival’s Orizzonti competition.
Magnify, formerly known as Magnolia Pictures International, is handling global sales for the Japanese-language title, excluding Japan and Singapore. Japanese distributor Bitters End, which previously repped Parasite and Drive My Car, will release the film in Japan on October 4.
Happyend follows best friends Yuta and Kou, who are about to graduate high school in a near-future Tokyo where the threat of a catastrophic earthquake pervades daily life. One night, they pull a prank on their principal, which leads to a surveillance system being installed in the school. Between the oppressive security system and a darkening national political situation, Kou feels increasingly frustrated with the world while Yuta seems completely unaware, testing the resilience of their friendship.
The trailer opens with an earthquake warning ringing through the streets,...
Magnify, formerly known as Magnolia Pictures International, is handling global sales for the Japanese-language title, excluding Japan and Singapore. Japanese distributor Bitters End, which previously repped Parasite and Drive My Car, will release the film in Japan on October 4.
Happyend follows best friends Yuta and Kou, who are about to graduate high school in a near-future Tokyo where the threat of a catastrophic earthquake pervades daily life. One night, they pull a prank on their principal, which leads to a surveillance system being installed in the school. Between the oppressive security system and a darkening national political situation, Kou feels increasingly frustrated with the world while Yuta seems completely unaware, testing the resilience of their friendship.
The trailer opens with an earthquake warning ringing through the streets,...
- 8/28/2024
- by Sara Merican
- Deadline Film + TV
The best-curated film festival of the year has unveiled its first complete section. The 62nd New York Film Festival has dropped its Main Slate lineup, featuring surprise world premieres from Julia Loktev and Robinson Devor, along with the latest from Pedro Almodóvar, Sean Baker, Brady Corbet, David Cronenberg, Nelson Carlos de los Santos Arias, Mati Diop, Miguel Gomes, Alain Guiraudie, Hong Sangsoo, Jia Zhangke, Payal Kapadia, Dea Kulumbegashvili, Mike Leigh, Philippe Lesage, Julia Loktev, Carson Lund, Pia Marais, Steve McQueen, Roberto Minervini, Rungano Nyoni, Mohammad Rasoulof, RaMell Ross, Paul Schrader, Neo Sora, Trương Minh Quý, Athina Rachel Tsangari, Wang Bing, Yeo Siew Hua, and Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor.
“The festival’s ambition is to reflect the state of cinema in a given year, which often means also reflecting the state of the world,” said Dennis Lim, Artistic Director, New York Film Festival. “The most notable...
“The festival’s ambition is to reflect the state of cinema in a given year, which often means also reflecting the state of the world,” said Dennis Lim, Artistic Director, New York Film Festival. “The most notable...
- 8/6/2024
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
New York Film Festival (NYFF) has announced a varied Main Slate featuring anticipated Venice world premiere The Brutalist from Brady Corbet as well as a raft of Cannes and Berlin winners including Sean Baker’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner Anora.
The line-up of 33 films announced on Tuesday morning includes Payal Kapadia’s Cannes grand prize winner All We Imagine As Light, Miguel Gomes’s best director winner Grand Tour, and Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed Of The Sacred Fig, recipient of the special prize.
Mati Diop’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Dahomey takes its place in the selection, as...
The line-up of 33 films announced on Tuesday morning includes Payal Kapadia’s Cannes grand prize winner All We Imagine As Light, Miguel Gomes’s best director winner Grand Tour, and Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed Of The Sacred Fig, recipient of the special prize.
Mati Diop’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Dahomey takes its place in the selection, as...
- 8/6/2024
- ScreenDaily
Thirty-three films will make up the Main Slate of the 62nd New York Film Festival, including the latest from David Cronenberg, Sean Baker, Payal Kapadia, Mike Leigh, Mati Diop, Hong Sang-soo and Julia Loktev. The festival will take place Sept. 27 — Oct. 14, 2024.
“The festival’s ambition is to reflect the state of cinema in a given year, which often means also reflecting the state of the world,” the festival’s artistic director Dennis Lim said in a statement. “The most notable thing about the films in the Main Slate — and in the other sections that we will announce in the coming weeks— is the degree to which they emphasize cinema’s relationship to reality. They are reminders that, in the hands of its most vital practitioners, film has the capacity to reckon with, intervene in, and reimagine the world.”
The movies in this year’s Main Slate come from 24 different countries.
“The festival’s ambition is to reflect the state of cinema in a given year, which often means also reflecting the state of the world,” the festival’s artistic director Dennis Lim said in a statement. “The most notable thing about the films in the Main Slate — and in the other sections that we will announce in the coming weeks— is the degree to which they emphasize cinema’s relationship to reality. They are reminders that, in the hands of its most vital practitioners, film has the capacity to reckon with, intervene in, and reimagine the world.”
The movies in this year’s Main Slate come from 24 different countries.
- 8/6/2024
- by Missy Schwartz
- The Wrap
New York Film Festival has revealed the Main Slate titles for its 62nd edition, which runs September 27 through October 14. The selection includes feature films from 24 countries, with 18 directors making their NYFF Main Slate debut, and two world, five North American, and 16 U.S. premieres. As previously announced, the festival will open with RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys” and close with Steve McQueen’s “Blitz” and will feature Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Room Next Door” as its Centerpiece.
The Main Slate includes celebrated films from festivals worldwide including Cannes prize winners: Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light” (Grand Prize), Sean Baker’s “Anora” (Palme d’Or), Roberto Minervini’s “The Damned”, Miguel Gomes’s “Grand Tour” (Best Director), Rungano Nyoni’s “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl”, and Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Special Prize). At this year’s Berlinale, Mati Diop’s “Dahomey” received the Golden...
The Main Slate includes celebrated films from festivals worldwide including Cannes prize winners: Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light” (Grand Prize), Sean Baker’s “Anora” (Palme d’Or), Roberto Minervini’s “The Damned”, Miguel Gomes’s “Grand Tour” (Best Director), Rungano Nyoni’s “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl”, and Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Special Prize). At this year’s Berlinale, Mati Diop’s “Dahomey” received the Golden...
- 8/6/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Magnify has acquired global and U.S. sales rights to Neo Sora’s near-futuristic film “Happyend” ahead of its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The movie will play in the Horizons section and is being handled by Magnify outside of Japan and Singapore.
Set in a near-future Tokyo, “Happyend” revolves around two rabble-rousing best friends who are about to graduate high school while threats of a catastrophic earthquake looms. One night, they pull a prank on their principal, which leads to a surveillance system being installed in their school. Stuck between the oppressive security system and a darkening national political situation, the two respond in contrasting ways.
The movie marks Neo Sora’s fictionh feature debut. His previous credits include “Ryuichi Sakamoto/Opus” which premiered at Venice and was picked by Janus for North America, and short films, such as “The Chicken” which premiered in Locarno, among others.
Set in a near-future Tokyo, “Happyend” revolves around two rabble-rousing best friends who are about to graduate high school while threats of a catastrophic earthquake looms. One night, they pull a prank on their principal, which leads to a surveillance system being installed in their school. Stuck between the oppressive security system and a darkening national political situation, the two respond in contrasting ways.
The movie marks Neo Sora’s fictionh feature debut. His previous credits include “Ryuichi Sakamoto/Opus” which premiered at Venice and was picked by Janus for North America, and short films, such as “The Chicken” which premiered in Locarno, among others.
- 7/23/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Just a day after New York Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival made major announcements, Venice Film Festival is here with their full lineup ahead of the festival taking place August 28 through September 7.
Highlights include Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door, Luca Guadagnino’s Queer, Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cloud, Alex Ross Perry’s Pavements, Harmony Korine’s Baby Invasion, Pablo Larraín’s Maria, Takeshi Kitano’s Broken Rage, Errol Morris’ Separated, Lav Diaz’s Phantosmia, Thomas Vinterberg’s Families Like Ours, Dea Kulumbegashvili’s April, and more.
Check out the lineup below with a hat tip to Cineuropa.
Competition
The Room Next Door – Pedro Almodóvar
Campo di battaglia – Gianni Amelio
Leurs enfants après eux – Ludovic & Zoran Boukherma
The Brutalist – Brady Corbet
Jouer avec le feu – Delphine & Muriel Coulin
Vermiglio – Maura Delpero
Iddu (Sicilian Letters) – Fabio Grassadonia & Antonio Piazza
Queer – Luca Guadagnino
Love – Dag Johan Haugerud...
Highlights include Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door, Luca Guadagnino’s Queer, Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cloud, Alex Ross Perry’s Pavements, Harmony Korine’s Baby Invasion, Pablo Larraín’s Maria, Takeshi Kitano’s Broken Rage, Errol Morris’ Separated, Lav Diaz’s Phantosmia, Thomas Vinterberg’s Families Like Ours, Dea Kulumbegashvili’s April, and more.
Check out the lineup below with a hat tip to Cineuropa.
Competition
The Room Next Door – Pedro Almodóvar
Campo di battaglia – Gianni Amelio
Leurs enfants après eux – Ludovic & Zoran Boukherma
The Brutalist – Brady Corbet
Jouer avec le feu – Delphine & Muriel Coulin
Vermiglio – Maura Delpero
Iddu (Sicilian Letters) – Fabio Grassadonia & Antonio Piazza
Queer – Luca Guadagnino
Love – Dag Johan Haugerud...
- 7/23/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Venice Film Festival has revealed the programme for its 81st edition, featuring a 21-strong Competition that includes new films from Todd Phillips, Pedro Almodovar, Luca Guadagino, Pablo Larrain, Brady Corbet and Justin Kurzel.
Scroll down for full line-up
The selection was unveiled by festival president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco and artistic director Alberto Barbera. It marked Buttafuoco’s first time at the annual press conference, after replacing Roberto Cicutto in October 2023.
Further filmmakers in Competition include Wang Bing, Luis Ortega, Dea Kulumbegashvili, Dag Johan Haugerud, Athina Rachel Tsangari and Walter Salles.
The line-up also includes Jon Watt’s Wolfs, starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney,...
Scroll down for full line-up
The selection was unveiled by festival president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco and artistic director Alberto Barbera. It marked Buttafuoco’s first time at the annual press conference, after replacing Roberto Cicutto in October 2023.
Further filmmakers in Competition include Wang Bing, Luis Ortega, Dea Kulumbegashvili, Dag Johan Haugerud, Athina Rachel Tsangari and Walter Salles.
The line-up also includes Jon Watt’s Wolfs, starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney,...
- 7/23/2024
- ScreenDaily
The estate of Ryuichi Sakamoto, the Oscar-winning Japanese composer and Yellow Magic Orchestra member who died in 2023, has announced the posthumous album Opus, a document of Sakamoto’s final performances.
The recording was filmed over a series of private studio sessions at Tokyo’s legendary Nhk 509 Studio in the fall of 2022, as he was too ill to perform the entire set at once; Sakamoto died in March 2023 at the age of 71 following a battle with cancer.
Opus, recorded on solo piano and captured on film by Sakamoto’s son Neo Sora,...
The recording was filmed over a series of private studio sessions at Tokyo’s legendary Nhk 509 Studio in the fall of 2022, as he was too ill to perform the entire set at once; Sakamoto died in March 2023 at the age of 71 following a battle with cancer.
Opus, recorded on solo piano and captured on film by Sakamoto’s son Neo Sora,...
- 6/27/2024
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
It’s been over a year since the passing of Ryuichi Sakamoto, but new music from the legendary composer is on the way. Today, his estate and Milan Records have announced a posthumous album titled Opus (due on August 9th), and released the lead single, a meditative new rendition of “Tong Poo.”
Taken from a “final, private piano concert” Sakamoto performed in 2022 at his Nhk 509 Studio in Tokyo, Opus features reimaginings of songs from throughout his career, including film scores, Yellow Magic Orchestra hits, and more. Due to his ailing health, the performance was completed across multiple sessions, which were all filmed by Sakamoto’s son Neo Sora; the resulting concert film/documentary will premiere on June 30th on The Criterion Channel with the title Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus.
In a statement written before his death, Sakamoto explained that Opus was “conceived as a way to record my performances — while I...
Taken from a “final, private piano concert” Sakamoto performed in 2022 at his Nhk 509 Studio in Tokyo, Opus features reimaginings of songs from throughout his career, including film scores, Yellow Magic Orchestra hits, and more. Due to his ailing health, the performance was completed across multiple sessions, which were all filmed by Sakamoto’s son Neo Sora; the resulting concert film/documentary will premiere on June 30th on The Criterion Channel with the title Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus.
In a statement written before his death, Sakamoto explained that Opus was “conceived as a way to record my performances — while I...
- 6/27/2024
- by Jo Vito
- Consequence - Music
“Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus,” director Neo Sora’s posthumous documentary about Japanese musical luminary Ryuichi Sakamoto, will premiere online as a live event on The Criterion Channel.
On Sunday, June 30 at 5 p.m. Pt/ 8 p.m. Est, Criterion will broadcast the film live via its streaming service. Following the premiere, the concert doc will stream exclusively on the Criterion Channel beginning July 1.
Featuring Sakamoto’s final recorded concert before his death in March 2023, “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus” first premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2023. Sora, Sakamoto’s son, shot the film in black and white, capturing 20 selections personally selected by his father from across his 45-year musical career, from “Tong Poo” (from Yellow Magic Orchestra’s 1978 debut album) to his themes for the films “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” and “The Last Emperor” to “20220302 – Sarabande” from his final solo studio album “12.”
“A document of Sakamoto’s final performance before his death from cancer last March,...
On Sunday, June 30 at 5 p.m. Pt/ 8 p.m. Est, Criterion will broadcast the film live via its streaming service. Following the premiere, the concert doc will stream exclusively on the Criterion Channel beginning July 1.
Featuring Sakamoto’s final recorded concert before his death in March 2023, “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus” first premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2023. Sora, Sakamoto’s son, shot the film in black and white, capturing 20 selections personally selected by his father from across his 45-year musical career, from “Tong Poo” (from Yellow Magic Orchestra’s 1978 debut album) to his themes for the films “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” and “The Last Emperor” to “20220302 – Sarabande” from his final solo studio album “12.”
“A document of Sakamoto’s final performance before his death from cancer last March,...
- 6/21/2024
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
In his last weeks of life, the Oscar-winning composer is filmed at the piano by his son. It is an almost wordless paean to a remarkable career
Short of presenting nothing more than music and a blank screen, this documentary about the late Japanese composer-performer Ryuichi Sakamoto’s last appearances is as stark and minimal as a concert film can get. And yet it’s a work suffused with emotional tones and shades, surprisingly not all of them sad even though the subject knew at the time of filming he had mere weeks left before he’d die of cancer.
There are moments when director Neo Sora, Sakamoto’s son, turns up the lighting for the more upbeat songs and we can see the master smile, pleased with his own performance, or the composition, or … we know not what, as there is almost no dialogue, no nattering about the life.
Short of presenting nothing more than music and a blank screen, this documentary about the late Japanese composer-performer Ryuichi Sakamoto’s last appearances is as stark and minimal as a concert film can get. And yet it’s a work suffused with emotional tones and shades, surprisingly not all of them sad even though the subject knew at the time of filming he had mere weeks left before he’d die of cancer.
There are moments when director Neo Sora, Sakamoto’s son, turns up the lighting for the more upbeat songs and we can see the master smile, pleased with his own performance, or the composition, or … we know not what, as there is almost no dialogue, no nattering about the life.
- 3/28/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
To call Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus a concert film would be correct and also drastically inadequate. What unfolds onscreen is no mere performance, no mere gesture, but a face-to-face between presence and absence. Beginning its theatrical run just before the one-year anniversary of Sakamoto’s death from cancer, at 71, the handsome film is a testament to the artistic spirit and, above all, an act of love — by the performer, who was facing mortality and thinking of legacy, and by the director, Neo Sora, who is Ryuichi Sakamoto’s son.
The performances captured in Opus were filmed over a week in September 2022, at a studio in Tokyo’s Nhk Broadcasting Center that Sakamoto believed offers the finest acoustics in Japan. He and Sora embarked on this project while Sakamoto was still well enough to perform. Other than the unseen filmmakers, there is no audience. Alone at a Yamaha grand, a bright...
The performances captured in Opus were filmed over a week in September 2022, at a studio in Tokyo’s Nhk Broadcasting Center that Sakamoto believed offers the finest acoustics in Japan. He and Sora embarked on this project while Sakamoto was still well enough to perform. Other than the unseen filmmakers, there is no audience. Alone at a Yamaha grand, a bright...
- 3/16/2024
- by Sheri Linden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Directed by Neo Sora, “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus” records the final performance of its namesake composer and musician prior to his death from cancer in March 2023. Per Sora, Sakamoto’s son, “Opus” is less a documentary than a concert film, capturing 20 tracks — electronic, orchestral, and everything in between — from his multifaceted career as they’re played on the piano in crisp black and white, in lighting that transitions from night to day and back to night.
As he explains, it was no small task to chronicle what he knew could be his father’s last artistic gift to the world. But when speaking about the film, Sora maintains a studied objectivity that focuses more on the process of making it than the feelings behind it — much less about his father in general. Even as a fan of Sakamoto’s since the days of Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor,” it’s...
As he explains, it was no small task to chronicle what he knew could be his father’s last artistic gift to the world. But when speaking about the film, Sora maintains a studied objectivity that focuses more on the process of making it than the feelings behind it — much less about his father in general. Even as a fan of Sakamoto’s since the days of Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor,” it’s...
- 3/15/2024
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
Legendary composer Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away after a bout with cancer in 2023, but his legacy and presence are still being felt and celebrated. The new concert film, “Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus,” which features his final Performance, is directed by his son, Neo Sora, and is coming out in March. The movie was executive produced by Jeremy Thomas, who worked on arguably two of the most important films in Sakmoto’s film-scoring career.
Continue reading ‘Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus’ Trailer: The Legendary Composer’s Final Performance Film Opens In March at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus’ Trailer: The Legendary Composer’s Final Performance Film Opens In March at The Playlist.
- 2/15/2024
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
There’s last will and testaments, and then there’s Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus, for which the musician and composer (for whom adjectives are sometimes adequate) enlisted his son, Neo Sora, to put on film one final performance: a 20-song symposium that would “wordlessly narrate his life through his music.” Ahead of its March 15 release from Janus Films, we have the first trailer.
As Jordan Raup said in our rundown of the best 2024 films we’ve already seen, “In a heartbreaking work that feels like a private personal home movie that the world is being graced with, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s son, filmmaker Neo Sora, captured one of his father’s final performances. Shot in beautifully austere black-and-white, Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus focuses solely on the music, capturing a man contending with his physical limitations in what amounts to one of the final offerings of his astounding talent. It’s a treasure.”
Find...
As Jordan Raup said in our rundown of the best 2024 films we’ve already seen, “In a heartbreaking work that feels like a private personal home movie that the world is being graced with, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s son, filmmaker Neo Sora, captured one of his father’s final performances. Shot in beautifully austere black-and-white, Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus focuses solely on the music, capturing a man contending with his physical limitations in what amounts to one of the final offerings of his astounding talent. It’s a treasure.”
Find...
- 2/15/2024
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
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