AFI Fest...whimpers to a close! Rinky-dink film par-tay a joke!

At the end of last week, the AFI's circuit offering, limped to a sorry close in Los Angeles!

What was the general consensus of film-goers - who attended the much-anticipated red carpet previews - in the end scenario?

The annual oft-ballyhooed event lacked - oomphf! - in the final analysis.

And, it was in large part due to the hit-and-miss attitude of the organizers, who failed to recognize that the medium of film  is capable of - not only entertaining - but, uplifting the human spirit, as well.

In a nutshell, the AFI Fest staff didn't know "snuff" about the Hollywood film industry, its in's-and-out's, who the players were, or how to put on a quality show under the big top!

In fact, their idea of the Hollywood "Dream" factory was a nightmare, from the get-go!

For example - one piece of celluloid trash the AFI staff screened (which was conjured up by a demented first-time-out Danish filmmaker) - couldn't help but stir up a nasty controversy.

Post:  11/11/10

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2010/11/afi-festscreens-sick-debauched-danish.html

"Smut masquerading as Art," was the way I put it - and, believe me - most who attended the preview of the sick flick wholeheartedly agreed!

Bob Gazzale - "doesn't know his a** from a hole in the ground" - some loudly lamented about the current disreputable President & CEO (as I rubbed my hands with glee on the sidelines).

The assessment was bang on, if 'ya ask me!

And, the Fest suffered miserably as a result, in the final analysis.

Of course, the program was plagued with bad omens, from the very start.

At one panel discussion (focusing on young up-and-coming rising superstars in the film industry today) - mics persistently sputtered beneath washed out film clips - in the midst of incompetent staffers who attempted to steer the derailed program back-on-track with little success.

Post:  11/06/10

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2010/11/la-times-actors-panelcarrie-mulligan.html

Actually, the fest's problems first festered up, when film buffs attempted to book tickets on the AFI web site which was ill-equipped to handle ticket reservations for the ten-day event to be held at a handful of prestigious venues such as Manns Chinese, the Egyptian, and-so-forth-and-so-on.

I was personally taken aback when tickets I reserved for - "The Black Swan", "Love & Other Drugs", and "The King's Speech" - were not forthcoming.

In fact, the ticket reservations vanished into thin air.

What a fiasco!

In the end scenario, I ended up with four tickets to Circus Kids, in spite of the fact I just ordered one lone ticket for the early morning screening at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

And, there were other snafus to contend with, as well.

For instance, I was issued double the tickets I requested for Mon Oncle, Hour of the Wolf, Amigo, an Industry Panel Discussion featuring up-and-coming stars (aforementioned), a Sony Seminar on 3D filmmaking, etc. etc.

Whew!

Talk about a rinky-dink outfit, eh?

Film buffs who turned up later at the box office in person to sort out the snafus - like moi! - wondered aloud where the celebrated guest Artistic Director - David Lynch - was in their hour of need.

Certainly not at the helm, that's for sure!

Judging by the AFI promos that sputtered to life at a handful of screenings - then, off again - he was obviously off on a drunk somewhere!

Post: 11/06/10

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2010/11/david-lynchaudiences-laugh-washed-up.html


Next year I'll pass, thank you very much, Mr. Gazale!

http://www.thetattler.biz/

Mann's Chinese Theatre an AFI venue in 2010

AFI FEST 2010...David Lynch presents World Cinema! Midnight features! Breakthrough flicks! Stars galore!

 

AFI FEST 2010 (presented by Audi) issued a press release today to inform me that - in addition to the special presentations I penned a post on last week (8 Red Carpet Galas) - there will be an additional five (5) eclectic segments included in the Film Festival screening mix that runs Nov. 4th thru Nov. 11th.

Post:  10/13/2010

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2010/10/afi-fest-2010presented-by-audi.html

The exciting line-up includes World Cinema (new works by renowned filmmakers); Midnight (showcasing midnight screenings of comedy and horror films); Alt/Art (which presents films about art, artists and the artistic struggle for freedom of expression); Breakthrough (a new section to AFI FEST which highlights films discovered solely through the submission process); and Shorts (with films in this section eligible for Academy Award consideration).

The six films selected by AFI FEST 2010 Guest Artistic Director David Lynch will be announced by festival organizers in the near future.

This year, AFI FEST boasts 97 films presentations (66 features & 31 shorts) selected from 3,000 submissions across 31 countries with UK (11), France (9) and South Korea (7) topping the international selections.

The breakdown by section is:

*Gala/Tribute (8)
*Special Screening (4)
*Young Americans (6)
*New Auteurs (8)
*World Cinema (23)
*Midnight (3)
*Alt/Art (3)
*Breakthrough (5)
*Short Film (31)

The films in the Gala/Tribute, Special Screening, Young Americans and New Auteurs sections were previously announced in a prior post as aforementioned.

To refresh your memory they include the following features:

Post: 10/06/10

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2010/10/afi-festivaldavid-lynch-guest-artistic.html

AFI FEST runs Nov. 4th thru Nov. 11th (2010) due to the generous sponsorship of AUDI.

The plush theatrical venues chosen to screen the films include the historic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Mann Chinese 6 theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

WORLD CINEMA SELECTIONS

This section presents new work by many of the world’s most renowned filmmakers.

The films in competition for the World Cinema Audience Award are:

*13 ASSASSINS:
(DIR Takashi Miike)
SCR Daisuke Tengan. Japan

*BOY:
(DIR/SCR Taika Waititi. New Zealand)

*CARANCHO:
(DIR Pablo Trapero)
SCR Alejandro Fadel, Martín Mauregui. Argentina/France/Chile)

*CERTIFIED COPY (COPIE CONFORME):
(DIR/SCR Abbas Kiarostami. France/Italy/Iran)

*CHICO & RITA:
(DIR Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, Tono Errando)
SCR Fernando Trueba, Ignacio Martínez de Pisón. Spain/UK

*FILM SOCIALISM (FILM SOCIALISME):
(DIR/SCR Jean-Luc Goddard. Switzerland)

*HAHAHA:
(DIR/SCR Hong Sangsoo. South Korea)

*HIS & HERS:
(DIR Ken Wardrop. Ireland)

*THE HOUSEMAID (1960):
(DIR/SCR Kim Ki-young. South Korea)
THE HOUSEMAID (2010):

(DIR Im Sang-soo)
SCR Kim Ki-young, Im Sang-soo. South Korea

*THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER:
(DIR Eran Riklis)
 SCR Noah Stollman. Israel/Germany/France/Romania

*I SAW THE DEVIL:
(DIR Kim Jee-woon)
SCR Park Hoon-jung. South Korea

*KARAMAY:
(DIR Xu Xin. China)

*OKI’S MOVIE:
(DIR/SCR Hong Sangsoo. South Korea)

*OUTRAGE:
(DIR/SCR: Takeshi Kitano. Japan)

*PINK SARIS:
(DIR Kim Longinotto. UK)

*POETRY:
(DIR/SCR Lee Chang-dong. South Korea)

*PRECIOUS LIFE:
(Dir: Shlomi Eldar. Israel)

*THE PRINCESS OF MONTPENSIER:
( DIR Bertrand Tavernier)
SCR Jean Cosmos, François Olivier Rousseau, Bertrand Tavernier. France

*RUBBER:
(DIR/SCR Quentin Dupieux. USA).

*A SCREAMING MAN (HOMME QUE CRIE):
(DIR/SCR Mahamat-Saleh Haroun. France/Belgium/Chad)

*SUBMARINO:
(DIR/SCR Thomas Vinterberg. Denmark)

*UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES (LUNG BOONMEE RALUEK CHAT): (DIR/SCR Apichatpong Weerasethakul. UK/Thailand/France/Germany/Spain)

MIDNIGHT SELECTIONS

This new section showcases comedy & horror programming worthy of midnight viewings.

*CARGO:
(DIR Ivan Engler, Ralph Etter)
SCR Arnold Bucher, Ivan Engler, Patrik Steinmann, Thilo Röscheisen. Switzerland

*JULIA’S EYES (LOS OJOS DE JULIA):
(DIR Guillem Morales)
SCR Guillem Morales, Oriol Paulo. Spain

*NORWEGIAN NINJA
(KOMMANDER TREHOLT & NINJATROPPEN):
(DIR/SCR Thomas Cappelen Malling. Norway)

ALT/ART SELECTIONS

This section presents films about art, artists &  artistic struggle for freedom of expression.

*BARBERSHOP PUNK:
(DIR Georgia Archer, Kristin Armfield. USA)

*BLANK CITY:
(DIR Celine Danhier. USA)

*FREE RADICALS:
(DIR Pip Chodorov. France . U.S. Premiere)

BREAKTHROUGH SELECTIONS

This section ¾ new to AFI FEST ¾ highlights films discovered solely through the submissions process.

The films in this section are in competition for the Breakthrough Audience Award and its accompanying $5,000 cash prize.

*HAMILL:
(DIR Oren Kaplan)
SCR Joseph McKelheer, Eben Kostbar. USA

*I WILL FOLLOW:
(DIR/SCR Ava DuVernay. USA)

*REMOVAL:
(DIR Nick Simon)
SCR Daniel Meersand, Nick Simon, Oz Perkins. USA . World Premiere

*THE WEATHER STATION (PRYACHSYA):
(DIR Johnny O’Reilly)
SCR Aleksei Kolmogorov, Johnny O'Reilly. Russia . World Premiere

*WIN/WIN:
(DIR/SCR Jaap van Heusden. Netherlands)

SHORT FILM SELECTIONS

The films in this section are in competition for the Grand Jury Prize for Live Action Short Film and Animated Short Film ¾ both recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as qualifiers for the annual Academy Awards®.

*52 TAKES OF THE SAME THING THEN BOOBS:
(DIR/SCR T. Arthur Cottam. USA)

*THE ABYSS BOYS:
(DIR/SCR Jan-Hendrik Beetge. South African)

*THE ACCORDION:
(DIR/SCR Jafar Panahi. Iran)
*BERIK:
(DIR/SCR Daniel Borgman. Denmark)

*BOTTLE:
(DIR/SCR Kirsten Lepore. USA)

*DELMER BUILDS A MACHINE:
( DIR/SCR Landon Zakheim. USA)

*EXCUSE ME:
(DIR/SCR Duncan Birmingham. USA)

*FEEDER:
(DIR Joseph Ernst)
SCR Joseph Ernst, Dean Wei. Netherlands/UK

*THE HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE:
(DIR/SCR Trevor Anderson. Canada)

*I LOVE LUCI:
(DIR/SCR Colin Kennedy. UK)

*I MISS:
(DIR/SCR Annie Dorsen. USA)

*IF YOU DRIVE AT NIGHT, TRY TO HAVE COMPANY:
(DIR/SCR Isabel Muñoz. Mexico)

*KIDS MIGHT FLY:
(DIR/SCR Alex Taylor. UK)

*LONG LIVE THE NEW FLESH:
(DIR Nicolas Provost. Belgium)

*MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON:
(DIR Dean Fleischer-Camp)
SCR Jenny Slate, Dean Fleischer-Camp. USA

*MARY LAST SEEN:
(DIR/SCR T. Sean Durkin. USA)

*ON LEAVE:
(DIR/SCR Asaf Saban. Israel)

*PHOTOGRAPH OF JESUS:
(DIR Laurie Hill. UK)
*PIXELS:

(DIR/SCR Paul Emile Boucher. France)

*QUADRANGLE:
( DIR Amy Grappell. USA)

*THE RESPONSE:
(DIR Andrew Spieler)
SCR Samantha Manahan. USA

*SACRAMENTO: A FAMILY FABLE:
(DIR/SCR Michael Bodie. USA)

*THE SANDPIT:
(DIR Sam O’Hare. USA)

*THE SAVAGE CANVAS:
( DIR Tim Hope)
SCR Tim Hope, Susanna Kleeman. UK

*SOME BOYS DON’T LEAVE:
(DIR Maggie Kiley)
SCR Maggie Kiley, Matthew Mullen. USA

*STRIPS:
(DIR Felix Dufour-Laperriere. Canada)

*SUCCESSFUL ALCOHOLICS:
(DIR Jordan Vogt-Roberts)
SCR T.J. Miller, Jordan Vogt-Roberts. USA

*TELEPHONEME:
(DIR/SCR MK12. USA)

*TIME FREAK:
(DIR/SCR Andrew Bowler. USA)

*TUB:
(DIR/SCR Bobby Miller. USA)

*VOICE ON THE LINE:
(DIR Kelly Sears. USA)

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

*3D BOOTCAMP

PRESENTED BY THE SONY 3D TECHNOLOGY CENTER:

A special seminar led by Buzz Hays, Senior Vice President of the Sony 3D Technology Center, on the making of 3D entertainment, with an emphasis on the importance of storytelling in the third dimension.

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES YOUNG HOLLYWOOD ROUNDTABLE:

A conversation with some of Hollywood ’s brightest young talent including Academy Award nominee Carey Mulligan (NEVER LET ME GO), Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield (THE SOCIAL NETWORK).
http://www.thetattler.biz

 

AFI Festival...David Lynch guest Artistic Director! "Love & Other Drugs" premieres!

Celebrated film director David Lynch (myspace friend) is taking the reins as guest Artistic Director at the prestigious AFI Festival this year slated to run November 4th thru November 11th.

Festival organizers announced this past week that the much-anticipated feature film - “Love and Other Drugs” (a film by Edward Zwick) starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway - will premiere at the opening night Gala.

Darren Aronofsky’s intriguing Ballet Drama - Black Swan - is scheduled to close-out the Hollywood-based Festival sponsored by AUDI.

Curiously - Lynch, Zwick, and Aronofsky - are all alumni of the AFI Film Conservatory.

As usual, I expect to be reporting on all the gala events, red carpet blow-outs, behind-the-scenes scuttlebutt, featured films, and so much more!

See ‘ya there!

http://www.thetattler.biz

Defiance...Jews who fought back! Acting tour de force...

The premiere for DEFIANCE at the AFI Film Festival in November was probably the highlight of the season.

Non-stop, the press were treated to up-close and personal interviews with a handful of the stars who wafted down the red carpet a stone's throw away from excited fans who strained curbside for a glimpse of their screen idols.

Vanessa Redgrave and Matt Dillon put in unexpected appearances, too.

Even, high profile behind-the-scenes power brokers turned out to tout the release.

Post: 11/10/2008

http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2008/11/afi-festvanessa-redgrave-surprise-at.html

When Ed Zwick alighted for a chat, he was beaming with pride.

"The story may have been lost because Tuvia Bielski was such a humble man. Although he was considered a hero, he downplayed it."

Of course, he was referring to the man who inspired a community of Jews in a concentration camp, to steal away from the clutches of the Germans and seek their freedom in the wilds beyond the death camps.

Yes, Defiance is based on a true-life story about Jews who actually fought back against the Nazis in World War II.

There is quite a bit of action on screen - and likewise - no-holds barred violence on the heels of it.

Even still - the producers managed to weave a tale not only about the horrors of war - but the human condition, as well.

Unexpected twists-and-turns have been delighting rapt audiences.

A romantic wedding scene - shot under a canopy of grand old trees deep in a mystical forest - touches the heart and resonates, for instance.

The acting throughout is superb, with special kudos going to Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell, in particular.

In contrast, I found Daniel Craig's acting style a bit too minimalist in approach.

For the most part, he was stone-faced - with little expression on his face - throughout.

And, his accent (?) was as fleeing as the wind.

In spite of those annoyances, I'm sure a shot of Craig shirtless in a romantic scene by an open fire, must have curried favor with his devout fan base.

The film was a tad long, but worth the price of admission, nonetheless.

http://www.julianayrs.com