2007 Melbourne International Film Festival

[glen]

2007 Melbourne International Film Festival



The 2007 Melbourne International Film Festival will be held from 25 July - 12 August.



I will post more info as it comes in. You can sign up for the film festival newsletter here:



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[glen]

Here are some of the films that will be shown at the 2007 film festival:



[color="#ff0000"]International Panorama Section[/color]

* Rescue Dawn, by legendary German auteur Werner Herzog (Fitzcarraldo, Aguirre: Wrath of God), a dramatised retelling of his 1997 doco about a navy pilot who crashlanded in Laos during the Vietnam War (starring Christian Bale).



* The Boss of it All, which sees Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier (Dogville, Dancer in the Dark) take a break from more sombre subjects to create a low budget comedy.



* Lights in the Dusk, from prolific Finnish auteur Aki Kaurismäki; arguably his most touching film and the conclusion of his trilogy about outcasts that began with Drifting Clouds and Man Without a Past.



* Gardens in Autumn, written and directed by Georgian filmmaker Otar Iosseliani, who borrows from Frenchman Jacques Tati in the gag department to concoct this piece of "minimalist schtick".



* Once, conceived by Irish filmmaker John Carney as a "video album", this film could be classed as a musical about two people who come together through their rapport in song to record an album (featuring The Frames' lead singer, Glen Hansard).



[color="#ff0000"]Docos Section[/color]

* Manufacturing Dissent: Michael Moore and the Media – this time, Mike Moore is put to the test. A provocative and intelligent examination of the world famous documentary maker's methodologies.



* His Big White Self – Nick Broomfield revisits South Africa's white supremacist leader, Eugene Terreblanche, who was a primary target of his earlier film The Leader, the Driver & the Driver's Wife (1991).



* 4 Elements – the film that opened Amsterdam's International Documentary Festival is a poetic testament to our connection to fire, water, earth and air.



* Lake of Fire – fifteen years in the making, this epic film stands as the definitive work on the divisive issue of abortion, directed by Tony Kaye (American History X).



* A Walk into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory – one of the unheralded talents of Andy Warhol's Factory (and Warhol's lover), Danny Williams' disappearance prompted his niece to uncover his many secrets in this work.



[color="#ff0000"]Africa! Africa! Section[/color]

* Dry Season (France/Belgium/Chad/Austria) – a multiple award-winner at last year's Venice Film Festival about a 16 year-old boy's intended revenge for his father's killing, set in the aftermath of Chad's 40 year civil war.



* Bunny Chow (South Africa) – reminiscent of Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It, Bunny Chow takes a light-hearted look at South Africa's cultural mélange through the eyes of a bunch of local comedians.



* Return to Goree (Switzerland) – a musical road movie that documents African singer Youssou N'Dour's epic journey following the trail left by the blacks slaves and the jazz music they invented.



* Dreams of Dust (France/Canada) – the story of a Nigerian peasant who goes seeking work in a gold mine in northeastern Burkina Faso. In this prison where the bars are made of wind and dust, he hopes to forget the past that haunts him.



[color="#ff0000"]Magnum in Motion Section[/color]

Behind the Veil + Eve and Marilyn - UK

As the title suggests Eve Arnold offers a rare glimpse into the world of the harem. We witness the rituals of a young Sheikha as she prepares for marriage into the ruling family of Dubai. Behind the Veil begins with a traditional exclusion but ends with the bride facing a much more open life from that of previous generations.



In Eve and Marilyn, Arnold focuses on her relationship with Marilyn Monroe, of whom she possibly photographed more than any other photographer over a certain period. This film raises fascinating questions about the relationship between portrait photographer and sitter, especially when the sitter is one of the most admired screen goddesses of the 20th century.



Robert Capa – In Love and War USA

The charismatic Hungarian, Robert Capa – war photographer, bon viveur, gambler and legendary lover as well as co-founder of Magnum – is still remembered with great affection at the agency and could be said to be Magnum's talisman. Anne Makepeace's film shows why Capa was such a driving force behind Magnum in this fascinating portrait, in which she takes care to explore both the charm of the man and the significance of his work, and the ideals which continue to inspire the co-operative to this day.



[color="#ff0000"]Next Gen Section[/color]



* Animalia - Australia

Graeme Base's classic best-selling book adapted for the screen – 'where animals rule!'



Twenty years after Animalia was first published, Melbourne author Graeme Base's magical world of walking and talking animals has finally leapt from the page into animation. The first three episodes of this international, 40-part television series will make their premiere at MIFF.



Alex and Zoe stumble across a paranormal portal and cross the threshold into a troubled placed called Animalia. Can they unravel the mysteries of this unusual land and save the day? Stay tuned for some amazing adventures…



* Azur and Asmar - France

A hit at last year's Cannes Film Festival, Azur and Asmar is a modern-day fable about two contrasting young men – one dark, the other fair – who go from best buddies to rivals in love and conquest. Contending with magic spells and danger, they embark on their individual journeys to rescue the Djinn Fairy and the possibility of loving each other again.



Universally accepted as a masterpiece, every frame of this animated marvel pops with colour and enchantment but, more than just an aesthetic delight, it serves as an elegant plea for racial and religious tolerance. From the imaginative mind of animator Michel Ocelot (Kirikou and the Sorceress).



* Hänsel and Gretel (Germany) - the Brothers Grimm fairytale gets a completely faithful re-imagining in this lush and atmospheric film version.



* Island of Lost Souls - Denmark

Life was meant to be boring when 14 year-old Lulu and her family moved to a sleepy seaside town. However, after the spirit of a 19th century man possesses her brother, the siblings are catapulted into a fevered adventure taking a disillusioned inventor/clairvoyant and the town's rich kid along for the ride.



Filmmaker Nicolaj Arcel's admiration for Steven Spielberg (he is a self-confessed Star Wars fan) is recognisable in this film, right down to the Wagnerian-like film score. The battling of supernatural forces and all-encompassing evil is taken to unsurpassed heights in this effects-heavy (623 effects in total) extravaganza.



* Kidz in da Hood - Sweden

Peppered with spontaneous musical moments, Kidz in da Hood is an uplifting drama that centres around nine year-old, African refugee Amina. Having lived on the sly in Sweden without a resident permit for three years, Amina faces a shaky future when her only relative, her grandfather, dies suddenly. She has her sights set on a tattooed rock guitarist as her new guardian but will social services accept this unlikely pairing?



Moving from rap to pop and from rock to tango, this film literally bursts with songs and oozes a feel-good ethos that will have both adults and children tapping their toes.



* Little Red Flowers - China

"One of the best films from China within the past few years." – The Guardian



Seen through the eyes of a four year-old boy, Little Red Flowers vividly realises the struggles of fitting into a post-revolutionary Chinese society. Moreover, the pint-sized cast offers unforced performances that never pander to cheap laughs.



Even though kindergarten seems bright and cheerful to Qiang, it's difficult for him adapting to such a scrutinised life. A fierce individualist in miniature, he tries but fails to conform to the model his teachers enforce, which sees him gain momentum as a hero among his classmates.



* Tekkonkinkreet - Japan

Adapted from the popular work of manga artist Taiyo Matsumoto, Tekkonkinkreet - a pun on the words 'concrete', 'iron' and 'muscles' - sees two (literally) high-flying urchins struggling against the cruelty of their surreal-looking metropolis. These orphans are forced to engage in a war to protect the soul of their city, as well as themselves.



From a pedigree of visual effects in films such as Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke and Hollywood blockbuster The Abyss, Michael Arias takes out the auspicious honour of being the first foreigner to direct a feature-length anime film in Japan. In this, he combines the latest in 3G CGI technology with more traditional Japanese anime techniques to awe-inspiring effect.



* The Ugly Duckling and Me - Denmark

Taking cues from the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale of a similar name, this 3D animated comedy goes about updating the premise of an ugly duckling turning into a swan in an unorthodox fashion.



* Triple Dare - Denmark

Sick and tired of being treated as juniors at their high school, Rebekka, Claudia and Sofie devise their own means of gaining respect. They challenge each other to complete a series of sexual dares that will take them step by step closer to adulthood. Despite their willingness to risk it all to 'grow up', the three soon realise the responsibility that comes with being a woman can take the shine off any 'achievements'.



Christina Rosendahl's debut feature film is a humorous yet mature examination of real issues facing teenagers today. An intriguing insight into crossing the bridge from adolescence to young adulthood.



* U (France) – a visually delicious, animated tale full of kooky imagery and many beasties about a forlorn princess and the unicorn that brings her happiness.



* Vitus - Switzerland



A multiple award-winner, as well as short-listed for the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.



Vitus not only plays the piano like a virtuoso, he possesses ultra-sonic hearing and a propensity for reading the encyclopaedia. In other words, he is an extraordinary boy. Everyone anticipates a brilliant future for him but Vitus dreams of flying and a normal childhood.



Starring real-life, musical prodigy Teo Gheorghiu and Bruno Ganz as his grandfather, "Vitus is first and foremost a declaration of love to the inspiring and healing power of music - furthermore, a declaration of love to life's longing for itself, which is at its purest, liveliest and most individual in childhood." (filmmaker Fredi M. Murer)



* Yamamura Shorts - Japan

The free-spirited and surreal animation work of Koji Yamamura has garnered much acclaim throughout the world, including a number of retrospective screenings and a nomination for an Oscar. This collection of shorts represents a vivid slice of Yamamura's world where alligators need haircuts and books give birth to real-life things:



Karo & Piyobupt – A House (4 mins 20 secs)

Karo & Piyobupt – The Sandwiches (4 min 20 secs)

Karo & Piyobupt – Imagination (4 min 20 secs)

Kipling Junior (15 mins)

Kid's Castle (5 mins)

Bavel's Book (5 mins 15 secs)

Your Choice! (10 mins)

[glen]

Here are some more films that will be shown in 2007:



[color="#ff0000"]World Stories Section[/color]



# Indigènes (Days of Glory) (France/Morocco/Algeria/Belgium) - the forgotten story of soldiers known as Indigènes (natives) who were recruited from Africa and instrumental in the liberation of France during World War II.



# Journals of Knud Rasmussen (Canada/Denmark/Greenland) – claims to be the first film to visualise the Christianisation of Indigenous people from their own point of view, by the makers of Atanarjuat – The Fast Runner.



# Khadak (Belgium/Germany/The Netherlands) – a film that has been called “unclassifiable” about a boy in remote Mongolia who can hear distressed animals over long distances and is considered to be a shaman.



# Paraguayan Hammock (Paraguay/Argentina/The Netherlands/France/Austria/Germany) – extremely unconventional in every aspect of its presentation, this film ruminates on a Paraguayan couple’s loss of their son during the Chaco War in Bolivia.



[color="#ff0000"]Stars of David Section[/color]



# The Bubble – taboo-busting filmmaker Eytan Fox sets his latest work in the bubble of Tel Aviv. Can you live life as a contemporary Israeli and avoid the maelstrom of Middle Eastern politics?



# No Exit – a gripping and thoroughly modern take on the phenomena of reality TV and the legitimacy of what is seen that took out best film and best actor awards at the Jerusalem Film Festival, directed by Dror Sabo.



# A Hebrew Lesson – a heart-warming documentary by David Ofek and Ron Rotem that teases out the demands on immigrants attempting to assimilate into a new culture.



# 9 Star Hotel – filmmaker Ido Haar charts the trials and tribulations of two illegal Palestinian construction workers in Israel’s occupied territories sharing friendship, nostalgia and the uncompromising urge to survive.





[color="#ff0000"]Backbeat Section[/color]



* John Peel’s Record Box lifts the lid on the most precious collection of 142 vinyl, seven-inch singles of this renowned DJ and broadcaster a year after his death.

* Scott Walker – 30th Century Man unravels some of the mysteries of one of pop music’s most talked-about disappearing acts, and includes a rare interview with Walker himself.



Mirrorball is a series of showcases that present the most inventive examples of music videomaking in the world today:



* Fresh Tracks highlights work from the US and the UK, and performers such as Deerhoof, Cat Power and Stephen Malkmus.

* Animation, as the name suggests, delves into some creative yet twisted animated clips from the likes of The Go! Team, The Presets and They Might Be Giants.

* Made in Japan looks at the current mini-boom of clips from Japan, many of which are rarely seen outside their homeland, including Polysics’ wee robo-schoolgirl, Strong Machine2.

[glen]

There will also be around 100 short films shown but I don't have the names of these films as yet. I know some of them:

- Dugong

- Spider

- Catch Fish.