For the second straight year, a record eight African films were submitted to the Academy for consideration, vying for a chance to bring home just the third statue for the continent in the nearly 50 years since Costa-Gavras won for the Algerian-French political thriller “Z.”
This year’s submissions aren’t likely to get the buzz of 2017 hopefuls “Felicité,” which won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize in Berlin for Franco-Senegalese helmer Alain Gomis, or fest darling “The Wound,” by South Africa’s John Trengove. Both were shortlisted for the Oscar but failed to make the final cut.
Related Content Critical Analysis: Prior Nominees Canada and Australia
Even as recent years have showcased a wealth of burgeoning talent in sub-Saharan Africa, moviemaking on the continent remains a challenge, and few countries find the resources to produce Oscar-worthy candidates year after year. Tellingly, it took funding from five countries to power “Felicité...
This year’s submissions aren’t likely to get the buzz of 2017 hopefuls “Felicité,” which won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize in Berlin for Franco-Senegalese helmer Alain Gomis, or fest darling “The Wound,” by South Africa’s John Trengove. Both were shortlisted for the Oscar but failed to make the final cut.
Related Content Critical Analysis: Prior Nominees Canada and Australia
Even as recent years have showcased a wealth of burgeoning talent in sub-Saharan Africa, moviemaking on the continent remains a challenge, and few countries find the resources to produce Oscar-worthy candidates year after year. Tellingly, it took funding from five countries to power “Felicité...
- 11/8/2018
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
London -- The South African Academy Award selection committee and the National Film and Video Foundation (Nfvf) have picked "Life, Above All" as the country's official candidate for Best Foreign Language Film.
Directed by Oliver Schmitz, the film stars Lerato Mvelase, Harriet Manamela and Khomotso Manyaka and is based on the novel "Chanda's Secret" by Allan Stratton.
It details the story of a young girl who fights the fear and shame that has poisoned her community predominantly in Northern Sotho. It bowed during this year's Festival de Cannes.
Directed by Oliver Schmitz, the film stars Lerato Mvelase, Harriet Manamela and Khomotso Manyaka and is based on the novel "Chanda's Secret" by Allan Stratton.
It details the story of a young girl who fights the fear and shame that has poisoned her community predominantly in Northern Sotho. It bowed during this year's Festival de Cannes.
- 9/10/2010
- by By Stuart Kemp
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
While everybody wonders when a domestic distribution deal will be locked for Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Javier Bardem-starrer Biutiful, another film that premiered at Cannes has gotten a deal. Sony Pictures Classics bought North American rights to Life, Above All, the Oliver Schmitz-directed film that was awarded the Francois Chalais Prize for films dedicated to the values of life affirmation and journalism. An adaptation of the 2005 Allan Stratton novel Chanda's Secrets, the film focuses on a young South African girl who fights to rescue the people she loves. Spc chiefs Michael Barker and Tom Bernard made the deal with Munich-based [...]...
- 6/28/2010
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
Sony Pictures Classics has announced that they have acquired all North American rights to Oliver Schmitz's official Cannes selection "Life, Above All" from Munich based world sales company Bavaria Film International. The film - which screened in the Un Certain Regard section - won the "Francois Chalais Prize" in Cannes, awarded to those films dedicated to the values of life affirmation and journalism. The film was previously sold to Arp for ...
- 6/28/2010
- Indiewire
Cologne, Germany -- Sony Pictures Classics has picked up North American rights to "Life, Above All," Oliver Schmitz' family drama about AIDS orphans in South Africa, from German sales outfit Bavaria Film International.
Spc will handle domestic distribution itself and will likely set up "Life" for a late year release, tying it to a possible Oscar campaign. The indie has used the strategy successfully several times in the past, most recently with 2010 Oscar nominees "The White Ribbon" and "A Prophet."
"Life, Above All" was produced by Dreamer Joint Venture together with Enigma Pictures, Niama Film and Senator Film. The film premiered in Cannes in May.
Spc will handle domestic distribution itself and will likely set up "Life" for a late year release, tying it to a possible Oscar campaign. The indie has used the strategy successfully several times in the past, most recently with 2010 Oscar nominees "The White Ribbon" and "A Prophet."
"Life, Above All" was produced by Dreamer Joint Venture together with Enigma Pictures, Niama Film and Senator Film. The film premiered in Cannes in May.
- 6/28/2010
- by By Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By Steve Pond
In today’s roundup of Cannes news ‘n’ notes from around the web, Roger Ebert has his heart warmed and “Blue Valentine” stirs Oscar talk.
The sixth installment of Roger Ebert’s Cannes journal tackles two wildly different films: the “heart-warmer and tear-jerker” (and he means that as a compliment) “Life, Above All,” an Oliver Schmitz drama about AIDS in an South African township, and the obscure, cerebral Jean-Luc Godard exercise “Film Socialisme,” which he addressed before but returns to in order to explain furth...
In today’s roundup of Cannes news ‘n’ notes from around the web, Roger Ebert has his heart warmed and “Blue Valentine” stirs Oscar talk.
The sixth installment of Roger Ebert’s Cannes journal tackles two wildly different films: the “heart-warmer and tear-jerker” (and he means that as a compliment) “Life, Above All,” an Oliver Schmitz drama about AIDS in an South African township, and the obscure, cerebral Jean-Luc Godard exercise “Film Socialisme,” which he addressed before but returns to in order to explain furth...
- 5/19/2010
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Yesterday, The Cultural Post received an e-mail from Canadian screenwriter Dennis Foon (A Shine of Rainbows). In this announced e-mail, he announced that Life, Above All will have its world premiere at the Cannes International Film Festival on May 18.
First of all, the film was directed by Oliver Schmitz (Paris, je t'aime), produced by Oliver Stoltz (Lost Children) and scripted by Dennis Foon (A Shine of Rainbows). It was included in the festival's official selection in the category "Un certain regard". Obviously, Foon won't be the only Canadian competing in this category, for he'll be accompanied by director Xavier Dolan, who directed Les amours imaginaires, and Noah Pink, who directed ZedCrew.
Furthermore, the film is based on a novel of Canadian author Allan Stratton. The story addresses the knotty question of HIV/AIDS through the eyes of a 16-year-old girl living in a small African city.
As for the screening date,...
First of all, the film was directed by Oliver Schmitz (Paris, je t'aime), produced by Oliver Stoltz (Lost Children) and scripted by Dennis Foon (A Shine of Rainbows). It was included in the festival's official selection in the category "Un certain regard". Obviously, Foon won't be the only Canadian competing in this category, for he'll be accompanied by director Xavier Dolan, who directed Les amours imaginaires, and Noah Pink, who directed ZedCrew.
Furthermore, the film is based on a novel of Canadian author Allan Stratton. The story addresses the knotty question of HIV/AIDS through the eyes of a 16-year-old girl living in a small African city.
As for the screening date,...
- 5/6/2010
- by anhkhoido@hotmail.com (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
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