In terms of support, they got a taste for what the Sundance Institute had to offer in concretizing aspects of their respective screenplays and in terms of scenery, they’ll need to pack significantly less heavier suitcases. Nia DaCosta (Little Woods), Olivia Newman (First Match), Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre (pictured above) (Mustang) & Yung Chang (Eggplant), Christopher Makoto Yogi (I Was A Simple Man), Mark Kindred (Rogue) and trio Brent Green, Michael McGinley and Thyra Heder‘s untitled project are technically moving onto the next round working on the directing portion of their projects at the June Directors and Screenwriters Labs. they’ll be joined by The Imposter helmer Bart Layton‘s narrative debut, American Animals. The Screenwriters Lab attendees are Dan Krauss‘ docu-to-feature adaptation of The Kill Team, Boots Riley‘s Sorry to Bother You, Frances Bodomo, Mariam Bakacho Khatchvani and Irakli Solomanashvili‘s Afronauts, and finally Fernando Coimbra‘s The...
- 5/7/2015
- by admin
- IONCINEMA.com
Eliza Hittman (was love at first sight for her directorial debut It Felt Like Love) and Yung Chang (a docu-helmer best known for the award-winning portrait of modern China in Up the Yangtze) are just two of the dozen folks/projects invited to the upcoming Sundance Institute 2015 January Screenwriters Lab. The labs work as a testing ground of sorts, with Lab Director Ilyse McKimmie seeing to it that the screenwriters are mentored by filmmaking professionals. I’d wager that a good portion of these projects on paper eventually make it onto the big screen (say about 65 to 70 percent) and about 35-40 percent break into the actual Sundance Film Fest. Not unlike her debut picture, Hittman’s potential sophomore pic Beach Rats features NYC borough backdrop and via a teenage vantage point but is sure to stir the pot with tad bit more destruction. After Up the Yangtze, China Heavyweight, and The Fruit Hunters,...
- 12/16/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has revealed its 276-member-strong class of 2013.
The list, published by The Hollywood Reporter, includes actors, cinematographers, designers, directors, documentarians, executives, film editors, makeup artists and hairstylists, "members-at-large," musicians, producers, PR folks, short filmmakers and animators, sound technicians, visual effects artists, and writers.
Jason Bateman, Rosario Dawson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Milla Jovovich, Lucy Liu, Jennifer Lopez, Emily Mortimer, Sandra Oh, Jason Schwartzman, and Michael Peña are among the roster of actors, while "The Heat" and "Bridesmaids" helmer Paul Feig made the directors' cut.
"We did not change our criteria at all," says Academy president Hawk Koch of this year's larger-than-usual class. "Yes, this year there is a tremendous amount of women, a tremendous amount of people of color, people from all walks of life. This year, we asked the branches to look at everybody who wasn't in the Academy but who deserved to be.
The list, published by The Hollywood Reporter, includes actors, cinematographers, designers, directors, documentarians, executives, film editors, makeup artists and hairstylists, "members-at-large," musicians, producers, PR folks, short filmmakers and animators, sound technicians, visual effects artists, and writers.
Jason Bateman, Rosario Dawson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Milla Jovovich, Lucy Liu, Jennifer Lopez, Emily Mortimer, Sandra Oh, Jason Schwartzman, and Michael Peña are among the roster of actors, while "The Heat" and "Bridesmaids" helmer Paul Feig made the directors' cut.
"We did not change our criteria at all," says Academy president Hawk Koch of this year's larger-than-usual class. "Yes, this year there is a tremendous amount of women, a tremendous amount of people of color, people from all walks of life. This year, we asked the branches to look at everybody who wasn't in the Academy but who deserved to be.
- 7/4/2013
- by Laura Larson
- Moviefone
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today the 276 members of the entertainment industry invited to join organization. The list includes actors, directors, documentarians, executives, film editors, producers and more. Of those listed below, those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy's membership in 2013. "These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today," said Academy President Hawk Koch in a press release. "Their talent and creativity have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, and I am proud to welcome each of them to the Academy." Koch also told Variety, "In the past eight or nine years, each branch could only bring in X amount of members. There were people each branch would have liked to get in but couldn't. We asked them to be more inclusive of the best of the best, and each branch was excited, because they got...
- 6/28/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The Academy just added 276 Oscar voters.
That’s 100 more than last year, and part of an easing of a longstanding cap on the number of new members allowed to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences each year.
AMPAS usually adds between 130 and 180 new members, replacing those who have quit or passed away. The membership now stands around 6,000.
Jason Bateman, Jennifer Lopez, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emmanuelle Riva, and Chris Tucker are among the actors who have been invited to join, the organization announced today.
Other interesting additions: the musician Prince, Girls and Tiny Furniture writer/director/actress Lena Dunham,...
That’s 100 more than last year, and part of an easing of a longstanding cap on the number of new members allowed to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences each year.
AMPAS usually adds between 130 and 180 new members, replacing those who have quit or passed away. The membership now stands around 6,000.
Jason Bateman, Jennifer Lopez, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emmanuelle Riva, and Chris Tucker are among the actors who have been invited to join, the organization announced today.
Other interesting additions: the musician Prince, Girls and Tiny Furniture writer/director/actress Lena Dunham,...
- 6/28/2013
- by Anthony Breznican
- EW - Inside Movies
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 276 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2013.
“These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,” said Academy President Hawk Koch. “Their talent and creativity have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, and I am proud to welcome each of them to the Academy.”
The 2013 invitees are:
Actors
Jason Bateman – “Up in the Air,” “Juno”
Miriam Colon – “City of Hope,” “Scarface”
Rosario Dawson – “Rent,” “Frank Miller’s Sin City”
Kimberly Elise – “For Colored Girls,” “Beloved”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – “Lincoln,” “The Dark Knight Rises”
Charles Grodin – “Midnight Run,” “The Heartbreak Kid”
Rebecca Hall – “Iron Man 3,” “The Town”
Lance Henriksen – “Aliens,” “The Terminator”
Jack Huston – “Not Fade Away,” “Factory Girl”
Milla Jovovich – “Resident Evil,...
“These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,” said Academy President Hawk Koch. “Their talent and creativity have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, and I am proud to welcome each of them to the Academy.”
The 2013 invitees are:
Actors
Jason Bateman – “Up in the Air,” “Juno”
Miriam Colon – “City of Hope,” “Scarface”
Rosario Dawson – “Rent,” “Frank Miller’s Sin City”
Kimberly Elise – “For Colored Girls,” “Beloved”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – “Lincoln,” “The Dark Knight Rises”
Charles Grodin – “Midnight Run,” “The Heartbreak Kid”
Rebecca Hall – “Iron Man 3,” “The Town”
Lance Henriksen – “Aliens,” “The Terminator”
Jack Huston – “Not Fade Away,” “Factory Girl”
Milla Jovovich – “Resident Evil,...
- 6/28/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Finding The Forbidden: Chang Indulges In Produce
It seems that for some, the appetite for rare and exotic fruits extends far beyond mere curious fascination and well on into the realm of impassioned obsession. They’re appreciative of harvest heritage and community farming, craving unique local flavors home grown in the untapped wilderness or bought and sold via small provincial marketplaces. Exploring lighter, sweeter fare than his previous China focused efforts, Up The Yangtze and China Heavyweight, director Yung Chang follows the winding path to the gardens of Eden in his tangy exposé, The Fruit Hunters.
Following the pursuits of horticulturalists, pomologists, and backyard enthusiasts as they search for white fleshed mangoes and forgotten fruits preserved within Renaissance paintings, we travel the globe learning of fruits rarely tasted in the western world. As it turns out, actor Bill Pullman (of Independence Day and Lost Highway fame) is also a fruit fanatic.
It seems that for some, the appetite for rare and exotic fruits extends far beyond mere curious fascination and well on into the realm of impassioned obsession. They’re appreciative of harvest heritage and community farming, craving unique local flavors home grown in the untapped wilderness or bought and sold via small provincial marketplaces. Exploring lighter, sweeter fare than his previous China focused efforts, Up The Yangtze and China Heavyweight, director Yung Chang follows the winding path to the gardens of Eden in his tangy exposé, The Fruit Hunters.
Following the pursuits of horticulturalists, pomologists, and backyard enthusiasts as they search for white fleshed mangoes and forgotten fruits preserved within Renaissance paintings, we travel the globe learning of fruits rarely tasted in the western world. As it turns out, actor Bill Pullman (of Independence Day and Lost Highway fame) is also a fruit fanatic.
- 5/16/2013
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
It would be a stretch to say The Fruit Hunters is the weirdest movie Bill Pullman has ever been in, but it might feature the weirdest appearance by the actor. And yet he’s just himself, apparently a fruit-obsessed man with an orchard in the backyard of his Hollywood home and — this is credited as being revealed in this very documentary — no sense of smell (which is pretty noteworthy in a food doc given the link between smell and taste). Maybe “weird” is not the correct word. That sounds sort of negative. “Strange” is better, if only because it’s not well known that Pullman has such a hobby in rare tree-borne delicacies. Or that it’s a hobby at all. The unknown is typically a great subject for nonfiction films, and this is no exception. How often do we think about the endangerment of fruit varieties? We barely even think about fruit at all, and...
- 5/15/2013
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
DVD Release Date: Jan. 15, 2013
Price: DVD $29.99
Studio: Zeitgeist
Qi Moxiang puts up his dukes in China Heavyweight.
The Best Documentary Winner at the 2012 Taiwan Golden Horse Awards (the Chinese Oscars), China Heavyweight is the latest film from Yung Chang, the award-winning director/producer of the acclaimed documentaries Up the Yangtze and Last Train Home.
The2012 movie focuses in on the charismatic Qi Moxiang, a former boxing star and state coach who recruits young fighting talent from the impoverished farms and villages across the Sichuan province. A select few boys (and girls) are sent to national training centers, with the hope of discovering China’s next Olympic heroes. But will these potential boxing champions leave it all behind to be the next Mike Tyson? Their rigorous training, teenage trials and family tribulations are intertwined with Coach Qi’s own desire to get back in the ring for one more shot at victory.
Price: DVD $29.99
Studio: Zeitgeist
Qi Moxiang puts up his dukes in China Heavyweight.
The Best Documentary Winner at the 2012 Taiwan Golden Horse Awards (the Chinese Oscars), China Heavyweight is the latest film from Yung Chang, the award-winning director/producer of the acclaimed documentaries Up the Yangtze and Last Train Home.
The2012 movie focuses in on the charismatic Qi Moxiang, a former boxing star and state coach who recruits young fighting talent from the impoverished farms and villages across the Sichuan province. A select few boys (and girls) are sent to national training centers, with the hope of discovering China’s next Olympic heroes. But will these potential boxing champions leave it all behind to be the next Mike Tyson? Their rigorous training, teenage trials and family tribulations are intertwined with Coach Qi’s own desire to get back in the ring for one more shot at victory.
- 1/7/2013
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Actor Bill Pullman and director Yung Chang attended the Us premiere of the film The Fruit Hunters at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Environmental documentaries come in all shapes and sizes, but chances are you have not seen one as appetizing as this sensual and seductive tribute to nature’s sweetest bounty.
There is a reason that so many painters have turned to the bowl of fruit for inspiration, and if filmmakers have been slow to follow suit, Yung Chang (Up the Yangtze; China Heavyweight) is quick to make amends. Inspired by Adam Leith Gollner’s book of the same name, and accompanied by a motley group of fruit fanatics including the Hollywood actor Bill Pullman, Chang explores a wider, weirder world of fruit: stinky durians, cherimoyas, icecream beans.
Adventurers Noris Ledesma and Richard Campbell scour the jungle for rare mangos, hoping to intervene before the plants are steamrolled by industrialization. Pioneering scientist Juan Aguilar races to breed bananas resistant to a deadly fungus that threatens the worldwide crop. And fruit detectives including Isabella Dalla Ragione investigate Renaissance-era paintings for clues, hoping to rediscover lost varietals. Pullman’s efforts to seed a community orchard in the Hollywood hills are interspersed with juicy historical titbits tracing cultivation across centuries and continents.
There is a reason that so many painters have turned to the bowl of fruit for inspiration, and if filmmakers have been slow to follow suit, Yung Chang (Up the Yangtze; China Heavyweight) is quick to make amends. Inspired by Adam Leith Gollner’s book of the same name, and accompanied by a motley group of fruit fanatics including the Hollywood actor Bill Pullman, Chang explores a wider, weirder world of fruit: stinky durians, cherimoyas, icecream beans.
Adventurers Noris Ledesma and Richard Campbell scour the jungle for rare mangos, hoping to intervene before the plants are steamrolled by industrialization. Pioneering scientist Juan Aguilar races to breed bananas resistant to a deadly fungus that threatens the worldwide crop. And fruit detectives including Isabella Dalla Ragione investigate Renaissance-era paintings for clues, hoping to rediscover lost varietals. Pullman’s efforts to seed a community orchard in the Hollywood hills are interspersed with juicy historical titbits tracing cultivation across centuries and continents.
- 1/7/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Sticking with the whole erotica theme that I think will play out at the fest this year, you can’t get more exotic with The Fruit Hunters – a doc about obscure, hard to find fruits and its select fans – which includes Bill Pullman. With a sneak preview screening at this year’s Tiff and debut at Ridm, filmmaker Yung Chang will likely be invited to Park City again – as it was the lieu for U.S premieres of his award-winning Up the Yangtze (Sundance ’08) and China Heavyweight (Sundance ’12). To the publicist: I definitely want an after-screening party invite for this one.
Gist: Co-written by Chang and Mark Slutsky, this is an adaptation of Adam Gollner’s bestselling nonfiction book of the same title. From Borneo to Hollywood, from Honduras to the monasteries of Umbria, the filmmaker follows these dogged fruit collectors (including actor Bill Pullman, among the most dogged of...
Gist: Co-written by Chang and Mark Slutsky, this is an adaptation of Adam Gollner’s bestselling nonfiction book of the same title. From Borneo to Hollywood, from Honduras to the monasteries of Umbria, the filmmaker follows these dogged fruit collectors (including actor Bill Pullman, among the most dogged of...
- 11/20/2012
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Title: China Heavyweight Director: Yung Chang Award-winning filmmaker Yung Chang drew praise for 2007′s “Up the Yangtze,” which focused on the many socioeconomically disadvantaged people impacted by the building of the massive Three Gorges Dam in Hubei. With his latest movie, he returns to China for another unexpectedly lyrical snapshot of that country’s rapidly changing economic landscape. A nonfiction look at the recruitment and training of young boxers for future hopeful Olympic glory, “China Heavyweight” is an unadorned, guileless work that starts slowly but accrues a deeper emotional hold and resonance as it winds on. In not dissimilar fashion from “Pelotero: Ballplayer,” the recent documentary which examined teenage baseball prospects in [ Read More ]...
- 7/20/2012
- by bsimon
- ShockYa
A mighty summer trio of "Beasts of the Southern Wild," "Moonrise Kingdom" and "To Rome With Love" continued to boost the summer indie box office, each finding very strong numbers in expansion. That overshadowed a generally uneventful batch of openers, which included "China Heavyweight," "The Do-Deca-Penathlon" and "The Magic of Belle Isle." A few days after we published an annual mid-year box office report that suggested things were coming along quite nicely so far this year, it seems the second half of 2012 is continuing that trend. Check out the full rundown below. The Debuts: "China Heavyweight" (Zeitgeist) Director Yung Chang ("Up The Yangtze") saw his latest film "China Heavyweight" open on a single screen care of Zeitgeist Films (which also released "Yangtze"). The film -- which looks at boxing in China -- took in $4,004 from its exclusive engagement. ...
- 7/8/2012
- by Peter Knegt
- Indiewire
Back in 2007, Montreal-based filmmaker Yung Chang examined the deleterious effects of grand-scale modernization in China on two cruise-ship employees in his celebrated documentary Up the Yangtze. Trailing his subjects as they minister to the needs of well-to-do passengers embarking on “goodbye tours” of river communities that will soon be flooded to make way for the Three Gorges Dam, Chang offered a moving account of the wealth divide as well as the impact of unprecedented change on common people. Up the Yangtze screened at numerous festivals including Sundance, Full Frame, Hot Docs, and Idfa, winning Best Documentary at the Vancouver International Film Festival, and earned the director an Independent Spirit Award nomination. Regrouping with his Canadian colleagues at EyeSteelFilm (the producers of Lixin Fan’s Last Train Home) for China Heavyweight, which debuted at Sundance in January, Chang turns his attention to the rise of amateur boxing in the hyperdeveloping Asian nation,...
- 7/4/2012
- by Damon Smith
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
I’m not the biggest fan of sports documentaries, but you throw Western boxing into the middle of nowheresville China, and a bunch of poor kids trying to make it, and suddenly it’s the most interesting thing in the world. Or at least, more interesting than if it didn’t have those two elements. Yung Chang’s “China Heavyweight” is opening in limited release this July, then continuing around the States throughout the year. Until then, check out the trailer. Award-winning filmmaker Yung Chang (Up the Yangtze) returns to China for another riveting documentary on that country’s ever-changing economic landscape—this time through the lens of sports. In China Heavyweight, Chang follows the charismatic Qi Moxiang, a former boxing star and state coach who recruits young fighting talent from the impoverished farms and villages across Sichuan province. A select few boys (and girls) are sent to national training centers,...
- 6/7/2012
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
Following the critical and commercial success of his 2007 documentary, Up the Yangtze, director Yung Chang once again turns his camera towards a rapidly-modernizing China in China Heavyweight. The day before his film is set to have its Canadian premier at Toronto's Hot Docs Film Festival, Chang and I meet in a park to talk about it. Having not yet seen the film, our conversation takes an immediate turn to one of common ground -- documentaries we'd seen at the festival so far. We joke about the after-effects of being inundated with documentaries, that suddenly anything and everything has revealed itself as potential fodder. He is warm yet animated, and listens with his chin resting on clasped hands whilst we compare notes, giving off the...
- 6/6/2012
- Screen Anarchy
China Heavyweight
Directed by Yung Chang
Canada, 2012
In 1959, Chairman Mao banned Western-style boxing for being too American and too violent. Thirty years later, the ban was lifted. Although symptomatic of China’s ameliorating progress, Canadian director Yung Chang, in his documentary, China Heavyweight, exhibits how the country has yet to purge itself of Mao’s irreparable social and economic legacies.
The film documents the story of two teenagers in rural Sichuan, China, hoping to become the next big thing in international boxing. Coached by the dedicated Qi Moxiang, they try to rise through the amateur level in order to become professional boxers, and to break out of their substandard social-economic situations.
The best way to describe China Heavyweight is to call it the boxing equivalent of Steve James’ basketball documentary, Hoop Dreams. Rife with dialectical feelings of both desperation and aspiration, Heavyweight is an essential social document on the hardships...
Directed by Yung Chang
Canada, 2012
In 1959, Chairman Mao banned Western-style boxing for being too American and too violent. Thirty years later, the ban was lifted. Although symptomatic of China’s ameliorating progress, Canadian director Yung Chang, in his documentary, China Heavyweight, exhibits how the country has yet to purge itself of Mao’s irreparable social and economic legacies.
The film documents the story of two teenagers in rural Sichuan, China, hoping to become the next big thing in international boxing. Coached by the dedicated Qi Moxiang, they try to rise through the amateur level in order to become professional boxers, and to break out of their substandard social-economic situations.
The best way to describe China Heavyweight is to call it the boxing equivalent of Steve James’ basketball documentary, Hoop Dreams. Rife with dialectical feelings of both desperation and aspiration, Heavyweight is an essential social document on the hardships...
- 4/19/2012
- by Justin Li
- SoundOnSight
Zeitgeist Films has acquired Us rights to Yung Chang's "China Heavyweight," the documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. The film is Chang's follow-up to the acclaimed "Up The Yangtze," which Zeitgeist also distributed. A Summer 2012 release in planned. Full press release below. Zeitgeist has announced today that they have acquired U. S. rights from EyeSteelFilms to Yung Chang's latest film 'China Heavyweight'. EyeSteel was also the producer of Yung Chang's 'Up the Yangtze' and Lixin Fan's 'Last Train Home', both of which Zeitgeist distributed in the U. S. In southwestern China, a Master coach recruits poor rural teenagers and turns them into Western-style boxing champions. Through hard work and discipline, these boys and girls come of age, trained in the art of boxing and the game of life. They are filled with Olympic...
- 4/4/2012
- by Peter Knegt
- Indiewire
Following two event-filled weekends, March 1-4 and 9-11, the third edition of the AmérAsia Film Festival has come to a close. This year the festival featured about 50 Asian and Asian-Canadian films including Cannes and Academy Award-winning productions from China, Kyroskistan, India, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam, as well a number of Quebec-origin films. Over 100 invited guests from as far as Japan and South Korea were in attendance at five different venues across Montreal, mixing with homegrown filmmakers and academics. Sound On Sight contributor Edgar Chaput was present for the majority of the event, providing some excellent coverage. Here is a quick break down of some of his reviews:
Pearls of the Far East
Directed by Cuong Ngo
Written by Minh Ngoc Nguyen and Matt Guerin
Vietnam, 2011
Any young director is faced with a steep challenge when shifting his or her focus from the realm of short films to that of the feature length.
Pearls of the Far East
Directed by Cuong Ngo
Written by Minh Ngoc Nguyen and Matt Guerin
Vietnam, 2011
Any young director is faced with a steep challenge when shifting his or her focus from the realm of short films to that of the feature length.
- 3/15/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
The Year of the Dragon calls for boldness, passion and power. What better way for Sundance to usher in the new year than a dragon dance up and down the aisles of the Yarrow Theatre? Cavorting to drums and cymbals, the dragons were introducing the world premiere of the documentary, China Heavyweight.
China Heavyweight is the second feature-length doc from Montreal’s Yung Chang, who helmed the award-winning Up The Yangtze. Chang follows coach Qi Moxiang and his two boxers, Zongli He and Yunfei Miao, in southwestern China as they train for the championships. The area they come from is poor, isolated and a breeding ground for kids looking for a way out. One way is boxing. These kids dream of being world stars like Mike Tyson, amazing given the fact that during his reign Chairman Mao Tse-tung banned pugilism for being violent and decadent.
Like Up The Yangtze, China Heavyweight...
China Heavyweight is the second feature-length doc from Montreal’s Yung Chang, who helmed the award-winning Up The Yangtze. Chang follows coach Qi Moxiang and his two boxers, Zongli He and Yunfei Miao, in southwestern China as they train for the championships. The area they come from is poor, isolated and a breeding ground for kids looking for a way out. One way is boxing. These kids dream of being world stars like Mike Tyson, amazing given the fact that during his reign Chairman Mao Tse-tung banned pugilism for being violent and decadent.
Like Up The Yangtze, China Heavyweight...
- 1/29/2012
- by Allan Tong
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
"China Heavyweight" (alternative title: 千錘百煉, screening in the World Documentary competition at Sundance) documents the industry of Chinese boxing coaches recruiting talent from remote rural areas of the country. Director Yung Chang ("Up the Yangtze") told Indiewire that the film was inspired by such films as "Raging Bull" and "Enter the Dragon," and he confessed to Indiewire that a Mike Tyson cameo never materialized. The up-and-coming doc director is now hard at work at a documentary called "The Fruit Hunters," a film about the fruit underground based on the book of the same name by Adam Gollner. What's it about? 千錘百煉 means "To be tried and tested a thousand times." This is a kung-fu meets boxing documentary about a coach & his 2 boxers in new China. Says director Yung Chang: "For someone like myself, who grew up in two worlds, it is inevitable that you love kung-fu movies (the...
- 1/5/2012
- Indiewire
Watching True Legend, a wuxia film crossed with classic vaudeville, it's hard to figure out who's borrowing from whom anymore. The storybook set-up places us in the middle of the Qing dynasty, where a new warrior emerges "from the ashes of chaos." Soon that warrior is at the center of a battle that features camera and prop choreography that would make Busby Berkeley eat his porkpie hat, bloody spit-takes to shame all three Stooges, and a combination of sword work and breakdancing that could sell a studio on Breakin' 3: Up the Yangtze. When the late David Carradine shows up and the film suddenly enters a turn-of-the-century fight/jazz club, the cameo itself seems to have zig-zagged between Hong Kong, Hollywood, and back again before arriving on the screen.
- 5/12/2011
- Movieline
Reviewer: Jeffrey M. Anderson
Rating (out of 5): ***½
Filmmaker Lixin Fan served as a producer on the remarkable documentary Up the Yangtze, and he continues with much that same style with his directorial debut Last Train Home. It's a fascinating, heartbreaking attempt to capture both the overwhelming hugeness and harsh growing pains of China's exploding economy, by focusing on one family.
For over a decade, the Zhangs have worked in a big city factory and returned to their rural home only once a year, for Chinese New Year. According to the film, about 130 million Chinese in the same situation make a similar journey at the same time, making it the largest human migration in history. This, of course, makes for a nightmarish journey, including hard-to-get train tickets, cramped quarters and flared tempers.
Rating (out of 5): ***½
Filmmaker Lixin Fan served as a producer on the remarkable documentary Up the Yangtze, and he continues with much that same style with his directorial debut Last Train Home. It's a fascinating, heartbreaking attempt to capture both the overwhelming hugeness and harsh growing pains of China's exploding economy, by focusing on one family.
For over a decade, the Zhangs have worked in a big city factory and returned to their rural home only once a year, for Chinese New Year. According to the film, about 130 million Chinese in the same situation make a similar journey at the same time, making it the largest human migration in history. This, of course, makes for a nightmarish journey, including hard-to-get train tickets, cramped quarters and flared tempers.
- 2/22/2011
- by underdog
- GreenCine
This week's production column, 'In the Works', checks in with acclaimed producer Peter Wintonick ("Manufacturing Consent," "Earthkeepers") on his new project with "Up the Yangtze" director Yung Chang, “China Heavyweight,” then profiles a few upcoming films featured on crowd-funding website IndieGoGo and elsewhere. Editors Note: "In the Works" is a weekly column taking a look at upcoming films, in addition to projects in production. It spotlights films in development, as well ...
- 5/6/2010
- Indiewire
Zeitgeist Films are partnering once again with the folks that produced Up the Yangtze - returning to the same country but instead of the brown waters of the Yangtze, this journey takes place in and on the sides of the train tracks. - Zeitgeist Films are partnering once again with the folks that produced Up the Yangtze - returning to the same country but instead of the brown waters of the Yangtze, this journey takes place in and on the sides of the train tracks. Once again involving the personal sacrifice that many families most endure to survive in China's new economy, since it started showing at fests back in November (Idffa) Last Train Home has collected several awards and will be set as a Summer release -- personally, I'd have gone with a prior to December showing - you'll see why from...
- 3/11/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
From a media release
Montreal, Wednesday, September 30, 2009 – Attention, cinephiles of all stripes! Now in its 6th year, the Fnc’s Temps Ø program is seeing big, with 17 films and two major events. Temps Ø runs October 8th to 18th.
Starting things off on Thursday, October 8 at 9:30 p.m. at the Imperial (Sandra & Leo Kolber Centre, Salle Lucie & André Chagnon), the much anticipated Montreal premiere of Omar Majeed’s documentary Taqwacore: The Birth Of Punk Islam. Taqwacore (taqwa for piety, core as in hard) is unapologetic punk, cool and real, a joyously radical scene inspired by Michael Muhammad Knight’s The Taqwacores. His story of Sufis with mohawks, Riot Grrrls in burqas and Indonesian skaterboys was an instant hit with a generation of North American Muslims who began speaking out against extremism within their communities and stereotypes in the outside world. Featuring Boston’s The Kominas and author Michael Muhammad Knight,...
Montreal, Wednesday, September 30, 2009 – Attention, cinephiles of all stripes! Now in its 6th year, the Fnc’s Temps Ø program is seeing big, with 17 films and two major events. Temps Ø runs October 8th to 18th.
Starting things off on Thursday, October 8 at 9:30 p.m. at the Imperial (Sandra & Leo Kolber Centre, Salle Lucie & André Chagnon), the much anticipated Montreal premiere of Omar Majeed’s documentary Taqwacore: The Birth Of Punk Islam. Taqwacore (taqwa for piety, core as in hard) is unapologetic punk, cool and real, a joyously radical scene inspired by Michael Muhammad Knight’s The Taqwacores. His story of Sufis with mohawks, Riot Grrrls in burqas and Indonesian skaterboys was an instant hit with a generation of North American Muslims who began speaking out against extremism within their communities and stereotypes in the outside world. Featuring Boston’s The Kominas and author Michael Muhammad Knight,...
- 10/1/2009
- by anhkhoido@hotmail.com (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
2009 Genie Awards 2009 Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television’s Genie Award nominations: Feb. 10, 2009 2009 Genie Award winners: Ottawa, April 4, 2009 ("*" denotes the winner in each category) Best Motion Picture / Meilleur Film Amal - David Miller, Steven Bray Ce qu’il faut pour vivre / The Necessities of Life - Bernadette Payeur, René Chénier Normal - Andrew Boutilier, Carl Bessai * Passchendaele - Niv Fichman, Francis Damberger, Paul Gross, Frank Siracusa Tout est Parfait / Everything is Fine - Nicole Robert Best Documentary / Meilleur Documentaire Infiniment QUÉBEC - Jean-Claude Labrecque, Yves Fortin, Christian Medawar My Winnipeg - Guy Maddin, Phyllis Laing, Jody Shapiro * Up The Yangtze - Yung Chang, Mila Aung-Thwin, John Christou, Germaine Ying-Gee Wong Best Direction / Meilleure RÉALISATION Richie Mehta - Amal Lyne Charlebois - Borderline * Benoit Pilon - Ce qu’il faut pour vivre / The Necessities of Life Carl Bessai - Normal Yves-Christian Fournier - Tout est Parfait / Everything is Fine Performance By...
- 4/5/2009
- by Deborah Arthur
- Alt Film Guide
- Many would say that at this year's Academy Awards got the documentary film category "right". The "right" doc film won and even the final nominees were worthy mentions. But all this doesn't make the Cinema Eye Honors mission less "important". Now in their second year and with eleven categories, a quirky film such as Guy Maddin's My Winnipeg receives a little bit more acknowledgement before disappearing on shelves, those who edit and photograph doc films have any evening reserved all to themselves and newbies to docu filmmaking world have a shot at getting some cred and mingle with the right crowd. The ceremonies take place on Sunday, we'll be reporting on who the winners are from the categories below. Make sure to check out their newly designed website. Outstanding Achievement In Production Henry Kaiser - Encounters At The End Of The World Simon Chinn - Man On Wire
- 3/24/2009
- IONCINEMA.com
Glenn here again. I don't leave quietly.
I know Nathaniel isn't quite as big of a documentary watcher as some others out there, so I thought I'd give the genre a bit of a spruik (apparently that's an Australian slang word so don't worry about not knowing what it means). I've made an effort this past year to see more documentaries - theatrically and otherwise - and while the number may only be hovering around the ten mark, considering I barely see more than four a year I think I have reason to be chuffed with myself.
It is, however, incredibly disappointing to realise that of the fifteen documentary titles shortlisted by the Academy only three have received a theatrical release here in Australia. How is it that even a Werner Herzog film - that'd be Encounters at the End of the World doesn't warrant a release? I can't imagine...
I know Nathaniel isn't quite as big of a documentary watcher as some others out there, so I thought I'd give the genre a bit of a spruik (apparently that's an Australian slang word so don't worry about not knowing what it means). I've made an effort this past year to see more documentaries - theatrically and otherwise - and while the number may only be hovering around the ten mark, considering I barely see more than four a year I think I have reason to be chuffed with myself.
It is, however, incredibly disappointing to realise that of the fifteen documentary titles shortlisted by the Academy only three have received a theatrical release here in Australia. How is it that even a Werner Herzog film - that'd be Encounters at the End of the World doesn't warrant a release? I can't imagine...
- 12/20/2008
- by Kamikaze Camel
- FilmExperience
by indieWIRE (December 6, 2008) Editor's Note: This is part of a daily December series that will feature new or previously published interviews and profiles of some of the year's best filmmakers, writers, actors and actresses.
Yung Chang's "Up The Yangtze" examines the effects of the construction of the massive Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River. The dam is to become the largest hydroelectric power station in the world, but with this comes the displacement of millions of residents and the destruction of landmarks. Yang follows two young people effected by the project, and the result provides "a final snapshot of a rapidly disappearing cultural landscape," said Sundance's Rosie Wong when the film screened there in January. "Yangtze" was nominated for a Spirit Award last week for best documentary.
Yung Chang's "Up The Yangtze" examines the effects of the construction of the massive Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River. The dam is to become the largest hydroelectric power station in the world, but with this comes the displacement of millions of residents and the destruction of landmarks. Yang follows two young people effected by the project, and the result provides "a final snapshot of a rapidly disappearing cultural landscape," said Sundance's Rosie Wong when the film screened there in January. "Yangtze" was nominated for a Spirit Award last week for best documentary.
- 12/6/2008
- by peter
- indieWIRE - People
By Stephen Saito
Jason Bateman and Sandra Oh braved the early call time this morning in Los Angeles to announce this year's nominees for the Spirit Awards. The awards will take place on February 21st, and will be broadcast live and uncut on IFC at 5pm Et/2pm PT. Here are the nominees:
Best Feature
"Ballast"
Producers: Lance Hammer, Nina Parikh
"Frozen River"
Producers: Chip Hourihan, Heather Rae
"Rachel Getting Married"
Producers: Neda Armian, Jonathan Demme, Marc Platt
"Wendy and Lucy"
Producers: Larry Fessenden, Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani
"The Wrestler"
Producers: Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin
Best Director
Ramin Bahrani, "Chop Shop"
Jonathan Demme, "Rachel Getting Married"
Lance Hammer, "Ballast"
Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"
Thomas McCarthy, "The Visitor"
Best First Feature
"Afterschool"
Director: Antonio Campos
Producers: Sean Durkin, Josh Mond
"Medicine for Melancholy"
Director: Barry Jenkins
Producer: Justin Barber
"Sangre de Mi Sangre"
Director: Christopher Zalla
Producers: Per Melita, Benjamin Odell
"Sleep Dealer"
Director: Alex Rivera
Producer: Anthony Bregman
"Synechdoce, New York"
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Producers: Anthony Bregman, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Sidney Kimmel
John Cassavetes Award (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000)
"In Search of a Midnight Kiss"
Writer/Director: Alex Holdridge
Producers: Seth Caplan and Scoot McNairy
"Prince of Broadway"
Director: Sean Baker
Writers: Sean Baker, Darren Dean
Producer: Darren Dean
"The Signal"
Writer/Directors: David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry
Producers: Jacob Gentry and Alexander Motiagh
"Take Out"
Writer/Directors/Producers: Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou
"Turn the River"
Writer/Director: Chris Eigeman
Producer: Ami Armstrong
Best First Screenplay
Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"
Lance Hammer, "Ballast"
Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"
Jonathan Levine, "The Wackness"
Jenny Lumet, "Rachel Getting Married"
Best Screenplay
Woody Allen, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, "Sugar"
Charlie Kaufman, "Synecdoche, New York"
Howard A. Rodman, "Savage Grace"
Christopher Zalla, "Sangre de Mi Sangre"
Best Female Lead
Summer Bishil, "Towelhead"
Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"
Tarra Riggs, "Ballast"
Michelle Williams, "Wendy and Lucy"
Best Male Lead
Javier Bardem, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"
Sean Penn, "Milk"
Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"
Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"
Best Supporting Female
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Rosemarie DeWitt, "Rachel Getting Married"
Rosie Perez, "The Take"
Misty Upham, "Frozen River"
Debra Winger, "Rachel Getting Married"
Best Supporting Male
James Franco, "Milk"
Anthony Mackie, "The Hurt Locker"
Charlie McDermott, "Frozen River"
JimMyron Ross, "Ballast"
Haaz Sleiman, "The Visitor"
Best Cinematography
Maryse Alberti, "The Wrestler"
Lol Crowley, "Ballast"
James Laxton, "Medicine for Melancholy"
Harris Savides, "Milk"
Michael Simmonds, "Chop Shop"
Best Documentary
"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)"
Director: Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
"Encounters at the End of the World"
Director: Werner Herzog
"Man on Wire"
Director: James Marsh
"The Order of Myths"
Director: Margaret Brown
"Up the Yangtze"
Director: Yung Chang
Best Foreign Film
"The Class" (France)
Director: Laurent Cantet
"Gomorrah" (Italy)
Director: Matteo Garrone
"Hunger" (UK/Ireland)
Director: Steve McQueen
"Secret of the Grain" (France)
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
"Silent Light" (Mexico/France/Netherlands/Germany)
Director: Carlos Reygadas
Robert Altman Award (Given to one film's director, casting director and ensemble cast)
"Synecdoche, New York"
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Casting Director: Jeanne McCarthy
Ensemble Cast: Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Tom Noonan, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Williams
Someone to Watch Award
Barry Jenkins, "Medicine for Melancholy"
Nina Paley, "Sita Sings the Blues"
Lynn Shelton, "My Effortless Brilliance"
Truer Than Fiction Award
Margaret Brown, "The Order of Myths"
Sacha Gervasi, "Anvil! The Story of Anvil"
Darius Marder, "Loot"
Producers Award
Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy, "Treeless Mountain" and "I'll Come Running"
Jason Orans, "Goodbye Solo" and "Year of the Fish"
Heather Rae, "Frozen River" and "Ibid"...
Jason Bateman and Sandra Oh braved the early call time this morning in Los Angeles to announce this year's nominees for the Spirit Awards. The awards will take place on February 21st, and will be broadcast live and uncut on IFC at 5pm Et/2pm PT. Here are the nominees:
Best Feature
"Ballast"
Producers: Lance Hammer, Nina Parikh
"Frozen River"
Producers: Chip Hourihan, Heather Rae
"Rachel Getting Married"
Producers: Neda Armian, Jonathan Demme, Marc Platt
"Wendy and Lucy"
Producers: Larry Fessenden, Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani
"The Wrestler"
Producers: Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin
Best Director
Ramin Bahrani, "Chop Shop"
Jonathan Demme, "Rachel Getting Married"
Lance Hammer, "Ballast"
Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"
Thomas McCarthy, "The Visitor"
Best First Feature
"Afterschool"
Director: Antonio Campos
Producers: Sean Durkin, Josh Mond
"Medicine for Melancholy"
Director: Barry Jenkins
Producer: Justin Barber
"Sangre de Mi Sangre"
Director: Christopher Zalla
Producers: Per Melita, Benjamin Odell
"Sleep Dealer"
Director: Alex Rivera
Producer: Anthony Bregman
"Synechdoce, New York"
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Producers: Anthony Bregman, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Sidney Kimmel
John Cassavetes Award (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000)
"In Search of a Midnight Kiss"
Writer/Director: Alex Holdridge
Producers: Seth Caplan and Scoot McNairy
"Prince of Broadway"
Director: Sean Baker
Writers: Sean Baker, Darren Dean
Producer: Darren Dean
"The Signal"
Writer/Directors: David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry
Producers: Jacob Gentry and Alexander Motiagh
"Take Out"
Writer/Directors/Producers: Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou
"Turn the River"
Writer/Director: Chris Eigeman
Producer: Ami Armstrong
Best First Screenplay
Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"
Lance Hammer, "Ballast"
Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"
Jonathan Levine, "The Wackness"
Jenny Lumet, "Rachel Getting Married"
Best Screenplay
Woody Allen, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, "Sugar"
Charlie Kaufman, "Synecdoche, New York"
Howard A. Rodman, "Savage Grace"
Christopher Zalla, "Sangre de Mi Sangre"
Best Female Lead
Summer Bishil, "Towelhead"
Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"
Tarra Riggs, "Ballast"
Michelle Williams, "Wendy and Lucy"
Best Male Lead
Javier Bardem, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"
Sean Penn, "Milk"
Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"
Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"
Best Supporting Female
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Rosemarie DeWitt, "Rachel Getting Married"
Rosie Perez, "The Take"
Misty Upham, "Frozen River"
Debra Winger, "Rachel Getting Married"
Best Supporting Male
James Franco, "Milk"
Anthony Mackie, "The Hurt Locker"
Charlie McDermott, "Frozen River"
JimMyron Ross, "Ballast"
Haaz Sleiman, "The Visitor"
Best Cinematography
Maryse Alberti, "The Wrestler"
Lol Crowley, "Ballast"
James Laxton, "Medicine for Melancholy"
Harris Savides, "Milk"
Michael Simmonds, "Chop Shop"
Best Documentary
"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)"
Director: Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
"Encounters at the End of the World"
Director: Werner Herzog
"Man on Wire"
Director: James Marsh
"The Order of Myths"
Director: Margaret Brown
"Up the Yangtze"
Director: Yung Chang
Best Foreign Film
"The Class" (France)
Director: Laurent Cantet
"Gomorrah" (Italy)
Director: Matteo Garrone
"Hunger" (UK/Ireland)
Director: Steve McQueen
"Secret of the Grain" (France)
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
"Silent Light" (Mexico/France/Netherlands/Germany)
Director: Carlos Reygadas
Robert Altman Award (Given to one film's director, casting director and ensemble cast)
"Synecdoche, New York"
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Casting Director: Jeanne McCarthy
Ensemble Cast: Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Tom Noonan, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Williams
Someone to Watch Award
Barry Jenkins, "Medicine for Melancholy"
Nina Paley, "Sita Sings the Blues"
Lynn Shelton, "My Effortless Brilliance"
Truer Than Fiction Award
Margaret Brown, "The Order of Myths"
Sacha Gervasi, "Anvil! The Story of Anvil"
Darius Marder, "Loot"
Producers Award
Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy, "Treeless Mountain" and "I'll Come Running"
Jason Orans, "Goodbye Solo" and "Year of the Fish"
Heather Rae, "Frozen River" and "Ibid"...
- 12/2/2008
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
With six nominations each, "Ballast," a drama about survival in the Mississippi Delta, "Frozen River," a portrait of two single moms on the Canadian border, and "Rachel Getting Married," the account of a dysfunctional family wedding, led the nominees for Film Independent's Spirit Awards, announced Tuesday morning.
All three films were nominated for best feature along "Wendy and Lucy" and "The Wrestler."
Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York," a twisty, M.C. Escher-like film, was singled out as the winner of the group's Robert Altman Award, give to one film's director, casting director and ensemble cast. Kaufman will share the award with casting director Jeanne McCarthy and his actors Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Tom Noonan, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, and Michelle Williams when the Spirit Awards are handed out Feb. 21.
"Synecdoche" also figure in the best first feature lineup, along with Antonio Campos' "Afterschool,...
All three films were nominated for best feature along "Wendy and Lucy" and "The Wrestler."
Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York," a twisty, M.C. Escher-like film, was singled out as the winner of the group's Robert Altman Award, give to one film's director, casting director and ensemble cast. Kaufman will share the award with casting director Jeanne McCarthy and his actors Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Tom Noonan, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, and Michelle Williams when the Spirit Awards are handed out Feb. 21.
"Synecdoche" also figure in the best first feature lineup, along with Antonio Campos' "Afterschool,...
- 12/2/2008
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It feels like Yung Chang set out to make one film about the Three Gorges dam spanning China's Yangtze River, and wound up making another one entirely. His documentary Up The Yangtze begins as a personal essay, with long, thoughtful shots of the river and its surroundings alternating with narration about how he's on a "farewell tour," aboard one of a series of cruise ships sailing up the river to see towns and areas that will be underwater when the dam is complete, the water has risen hundreds of feet, and two million people have been displaced. Then Yung sets his sights on two young people who gain employment on one of those ships, and his focus shifts as a new storyline emerges. One of the employees, cocky, handsome Bo Yu Chen ("Jerry," to the cruise ship's largely foreign passengers), brags about his ambitions and future, and how he...
- 6/19/2008
- by Tasha Robinson
- avclub.com
- The Toronto International Film Festival Group (Tiffg) announced this year's top ten Canadian feature films including higher-profile pics and items from a set of new-comers. In addition, this year's group of 10 is actually a group of 20 - they've included a ten-list of short films as well. Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski's Madame Tutli-putli (whom we featured here on Ioncinema.com - read our Q and A with the pair of filmmakers here) is the short film that has fairly great chances at making an appearance at this year's Acamdey Awards. The top ten list is part of a series of Q&As by filmmakers and panel discussions to be held in Canada's cap - from January 25 to February 5 at Cinematheque Ontario in Toronto. In alphabetical order:l’ÂGE Des TÉNÈBRES – Denys Arcand (Alliance Odeon Films)Amal – Richie Mehta (Seville Pictures)Continental, Un Film Sans Fusil – Stéphane Lafleur (Christal Films
- 12/12/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
TORONTO -- Denys Arcand's The Age of Darkness and David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises on Tuesday landed on the Toronto International Film Festival's top 10 list of Canadian films for 2007.
Other titles making the Toronto festival cut include Peter Raymont's A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman, Richie Mehta's Amal, Martin Gero's Young People Fucking and Yung Chang's Up the Yangtze.
Also turning up on the annual list, which is chosen by a 10-member panel of industry professionals, is Stephane Lafleur's Continental, Un Film Sans Fusil, Jeremy Podeswa's Fugitive Pieces, Guy Maddin's My Winnipeg and Bruce McDonald's The Tracey Fragments.
The Toronto festival list encompasses home-grown films that opened in 2007, or appeared in a Canadian festival.
Toronto also released for the first time a top 10 list of home-grown short films, which includes works by Canadian directors Chris Lavis and Maciek Szcerzerbowski, Jeff Barnaby and Cam Christiansen.
"Both the top 10 features and shorts demonstrate the exceptional vitality and the cinematic achievements of our industry," said Piers Handling, director and CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival Group.
Other titles making the Toronto festival cut include Peter Raymont's A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman, Richie Mehta's Amal, Martin Gero's Young People Fucking and Yung Chang's Up the Yangtze.
Also turning up on the annual list, which is chosen by a 10-member panel of industry professionals, is Stephane Lafleur's Continental, Un Film Sans Fusil, Jeremy Podeswa's Fugitive Pieces, Guy Maddin's My Winnipeg and Bruce McDonald's The Tracey Fragments.
The Toronto festival list encompasses home-grown films that opened in 2007, or appeared in a Canadian festival.
Toronto also released for the first time a top 10 list of home-grown short films, which includes works by Canadian directors Chris Lavis and Maciek Szcerzerbowski, Jeff Barnaby and Cam Christiansen.
"Both the top 10 features and shorts demonstrate the exceptional vitality and the cinematic achievements of our industry," said Piers Handling, director and CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival Group.
- 12/12/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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