Issue 8 - 2013
About UFM The Universal Film Magazine is a free magazine that delivers passionate and creative coverage about the global film and festival communities. The publication differs from the competition because it is totally free. It is the mission of the Universal Film Magazine to uphold our uncompromising high standards in professional journalism with compelling stories that are unbiased and fact-based. We are committed to the advancement of the industry by providing the very best in-depth features and coverage that will have a positive impact in the world. We aim to give our readers motivational and inspirational stories that embrace the spirit of independent film and festivals and give them a voice in the media.
Universal Film Magazine Editor Creative Director Proof Editors
Photographer Marketing Director
Contributors
Editor-in-Chief
Tyrone D Murphy
Letters & E Mails
TYRONE D MURPHY DOM MURICU TODD VOLZ MICHELLE GOODE KATE SPATOLA PAUL PASTOR PAUL WOODS LANNAH SAWYER-DIGGINS KEVIN A MURPHY EV JOHNSON
VALERIA BANDINO ROY BENSON DEREK WINNER LINDA ARONSON DAVID O RUSSELL CHRISTINE WILLIAMS CHRISTOPHER TEMPLETON JON PHILIPS LISA REZNIK
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Contents FEATURED STORIES:
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OSCAR NOMINATIONS Nominations for the 85th Academy Awards® were announced OSCAR NOMINATION LIST
Complete list of nominations for the 85th Academy Awards
Robert Deniro
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Steven Spielberg
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TIKI 11 KON Oscar Nominated “Kon Tiiki” Best Foreign lan-
guage film of the year UNCHAINED 17 DJANGO Nominated best motion picture of the year
and original screenplay THE HiSTORY OF THE OSCARS
19 The Oscar awards, from humble beginnings to one of the biggest ceremonies in the World MISERABLES 21 LES Nominated best motion picture of the year and
Anne Hathaway for Actress in supporting role MICHAEL HANEKE - AMOUR 23 Nominated best motion picture of the year
and original screenplay IMPOSSIBLE 25 THE Naomi Watts nominated for best performance
of an actress in a leading role
27 FLIGHT Denzel Washington nominated for best performance of an actor in a leading role INTERVIEW WITH RAMON AGIRRE - AMOUR 33 Valeria Bandino interviews the star of Amour about his role in the film TARANTINO GOES APE 35 The interview with the UK Channel 4 when
Tarantino states “I’m no Monkey”
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FILM FESTIVALS - HISTORY
Sally Field
P.15
A look at the history of film festivals and some notable festivals all over the world
PHILLIPS - TOOLS OF DIRECTING 45 SIMON An introduction to the “Tools Of Directing”
given by Simon Phillips
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Daniel Day-Lewis P.16
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Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners— the Academy presents a diverse yearround slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies. Nominations for the 85th Academy Awards® were announced today (Thursday, January 10) by this year’s Oscar host, Seth MacFarlane, and actress Emma Stone. MacFarlane and Stone announced the nominees at a 5:38 a.m. PT live news conference attended by more than 400 international media representatives. For a complete list of nominees, visit the official Academy Awards website, www.oscar.com.
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Official screenings of all motion pictures with one or more nominations will begin for members on Saturday, January 19, at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Screenings will also be held at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood and in London, New York and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK ROBERT DENIRO BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
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Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
Robert De Niro born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973. In 1974, he played the young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Academy Award Won: Best Supporting Actor, The Godfather Part II (1974) Nominated: Best Actor, Taxi Driver (1976) Nominated: Best Actor, The Deer Hunter (1978) Won: Best Actor, Raging Bull (1980) Nominated: Best Actor, Awakenings (1990) Nominated: Best Actor, Cape Fear (1991) Nominated: Best Supporting Actor, Silver Linings Playbook (2012) BAFTA Award
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Nominated: Best Newcomer, The Godfather Part II (1976) Nominated: Best Actor, Taxi Driver (1977) Nominated: Best Actor, The Deer Hunter (1979) Nominated: Best Actor, Raging Bull (1980) Nominated: Best Actor, The King of Comedy (1984)
Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
SPIELBERG ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING FOR LINCOLN
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Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
Steven Spielberg was born December 18, 1946, in Cincinnati, Ohio. An amateur filmmaker as a child, Spielberg went on to become the enormously successful Academy Award-winner Nominated Oscar Best Achievement in Directing for: Lincoln (2012). Best Motion Picture of the Year for: Lincoln (2012). Nominated Oscar Best Motion Picture of the Year for: War Horse (2011) Nominated Oscar Best Motion Picture of the Year for: Letters from Iwo Jima (2006). Nominated Oscar Best Achievement in Directing for: Munich (2005). Best Motion Picture of the Yearfor: Munich (2005). Won Oscar Best Director for: Saving Private Ryan (1998). Nominated Oscar Best Picture for: Saving Private Ryan (1998). Won Oscar Best Director for: Schindler’s List (1993). Best Picture for: Schindler’s List (1993). Won Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award Nominated Oscar Best Picture for: The Color Purple (1985). Nominated Oscar Best Director for: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Best Picture for: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Nominated Oscar Best Director for: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Nominated Oscar Best Director for: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).
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2013 2013 2012 2007 2006 2006 1999 1999 1994 1994 1987 1986 1983 1983 1982 1978
Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
KON TIKI BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
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Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
Directors: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg The story of legendary explorer Thor Heyerdal’s epic 4,300 miles crossing of the Pacific on a balsa wood raft in 1947, in an effort prove it was possible for South Americans to settle in Polynesia in pre-Columbian times. Director: Espen Sandberg 2012 Kon-Tiki 2008 Max Manus: Man of War 2006 Bandidas 1997 Dag 1 (short)
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Director Joachim Rønning 2012 Kon-Tiki 2008 Max Manus: Man of War 2007 Kubisten (short) 2006 Bandidas 1997 Dag 1 (short)
Universal Film
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Issue 8 - 2013
Universal Film
LINCOLN
Issue 8 - 2013
SALLY FIELD BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Sally Margaret Field was born in 1946 in Pasadena, California to actress Margaret Field and salesman Richard Dryden Field. Her parents divorced in 1950 and her mother remarried stuntman Jock Mahoney, and they had a daughter, Princess O’Mahoney. She also has a brother, Richard Field. Sally attended Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, California. 2013 Nominated Oscar Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for: Lincoln (2012) 1985 Won Oscar Best Actress in a Leading Role for: Places in the Heart (1984). 1980 Won Oscar Best Actress in a Leading Role for: Norma Rae (1979).
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Universal Film
BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
Issue 8 - 2013
DANIEL DAY LEWIS BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis was born in London, England, the second child of Cecil Day-Lewis (aka Nicholas Blake) (Poet Laureate of England) and his second wife, Jill Balcon. His maternal grandfather was Sir Michael Balcon, an important figure in the history of British cinema, head of the famous Ealing Studios. His older sister, Tamasin Day-Lewis, is a documentary filmmaker. Daniel was educated at Sevenoaks School in Kent, which he despised, and the more progressive Bedales in Petersfield, which he adored. He studied acting at the Bristol Old Vic School. Daniel made his film debut in Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971), but then acted on stage with the Bristol Old Vic and Royal Shakespeare Companies and did not appear on screen again until 1982, when he landed his first adult role, a bit part in Gandhi (1982). Nominated Won Oscar Nominated Nominated Won Oscar
Oscar Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for: Lincoln (2012). Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for: There Will Be Blood Oscar Best Actor in a Leading Role for: Gangs of New York (2002). Oscar Best Actor in a Leading Role for: In the Name of the Father (1993). Best Actor in a Leading Role for: My Left Foot (1989).
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2013 2008 2003 1994 1990
Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
DJANGO BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
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Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
In January of 1992, Reservoir Dogs (1992) appeared at the Sundance Film Festival, by first-time writer-director Quentin Tarantino. The film garnered critical acclaim and the director became a legend immediately. Two years later, he followed up Dogs success with Pulp Fiction (1994) which premiered at the Cannes film festival, winning the coveted Palme D’Or Award. At the 1995 Academy Awards, it was nominated for the best picture, best director and best original screenplay. Tarantino and writing partner Roger Avary came away with the award only for best original screenplay. In 1995, Tarantino directed one fourth of the anthology Four Rooms (1995) with friends and fellow auteurs Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez and Allison Anders. The film opened on December 25th in the United States to very weak reviews. Tarantino’s next film was From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), a vampire/crime story which he wrote and co-starred with George Clooney. The film did fairly well theatrically.
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2013 Nominated Oscar Best Screenplay Django Unchained (2012). 2010 Nominated Oscar Best Achievement in Directing for: Inglourious Basterds (2009). 2010 Nominated Best Writing, Original Screenplay for: Inglourious Basterds (2009). 1995 Won Oscar Best Screenplay Pulp Fiction (1994). 1995 Nominated Oscar Best Director for: Pulp Fiction (1994
Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
THE OSCARS 31st Academy Awards Presentations, Pantages Theater, Hollywood, 1959
by Tyrone
D Murphy
A BIT OF HISTORY! Headquarters building
Publication:Los Angeles Times
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
T
he Academy Awards, informally known as The OsAwards in 1930. Since then and during the first decade, the cars, are a set of awards given annually for excelresults were given to newspapers for publication at 11 pm on lence of cinematic achievements. The Oscar statuthe night of the awards. This method was used until the Los ette is officially named the Academy Award of Angeles Times announced the winners before the ceremony Merit and is one of nine types of Academy Awards. began; as a result, the Academy has since 1941 used a sealed Organized and overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture envelope to reveal the name of the winners. Arts and Sciences (AMPAS),the awards are given each year at a formal ceremony. The AMPAS was originally For the first six ceremonies, the eligibility period “AMPAS conceived by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio execuspanned two calendar years. For example, the 2nd tive Louis B. Mayer as a professional honorary organi- Formation was Academy Awards presented on April 3, 1930, recogin May 11, zation to help improve the film industry’s image and nized films that were released between August 1, 1927 help mediate labor disputes. The awards themselves 1928 and July 31, 1929. Starting with the 7th Acadwere later initiated by the Academy as awards “of merit emy Awards, held in 1935, the period of eligibility befor distinctive achievement” in the industry. came the full previous calendar year from January 1 to December 31. The awards were first given in 1929 at a ceremony created for the awards, at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood. Over the The first Best Actor awarded was Emil Jannings, for his peryears that the award has been given, the categories presentformances in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh. He ed have changed; currently Oscars are given in more than a had to return to Europe before the ceremony, so the Academy dozen categories, and include films of various types. As one agreed to give him the prize earlier; this made him the first of the most prominent award ceremonies in the world, the Academy Award winner in history. The honored professionAcademy Awards ceremony is televised live in more than 100 als were awarded for all the work done in a certain category countries annually. It is also the oldest award ceremony in for the qualifying period; for example, Jannings received the the media; its equivalents, the Grammy Awards (for music), award for two movies in which he starred during that period. the Emmy Awards (for television), and the Tony Awards (for Since the fourth ceremony, the system changed, and profestheater), are modeled after the Academy Awards. sionals were honored for a specific performance in a single film. As of the 83rd Academy Awards ceremony held in 2011, The first awards were presented on May 16, 1929, at a private a total of 2,809 Oscars have been given for 1,853 awards. A brunch at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with an audience of total of 302 actors have won Oscars in competitive acting catabout 270 people. The post Academy Awards party was held egories or have been awarded Honorary or Juvenile Awards. at the Mayfair Hotel. The cost of guest tickets for that night’s ceremony was $5. Fifteen statuettes were awarded, honorThe 1939 film Beau Geste is the only movie that features as ing artists, directors and other personalities of the filmmakmany as four Academy Award winners for Best Actor in a ing industry of the time for their works during the 1927–1928 Leading Role (Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Susan Hayward, period. Broderick Crawford) prior to any of the actors receiving the Best Actor Award. Winners had been announced three months earlier; however, that was changed in the second ceremony of the Academy At the 29th ceremony, held on March 27, 1957, the Best For-
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Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
Made of gold-plated britannium on a black metal base, it is 13.5 in (34 cm) tall, weighs 8.5 lb (3.85 kg) and depicts a knight rendered in Art Deco style holding a crusader’s sword standing on a reel of film with five spokes. The five spokes each represent the original branches of the Academy: Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers, and Technicians. In 1928, MGM’s art director Cedric Gibbons, one of the original Academy members, supervised the design of the award trophy by printing the design on a scroll. In need of a model for his statuette, Gibbons was introduced by his future wife Dolores del Río to Mexican film director and actor Emilio “El Indio” Fernández. Reluctant
tette’s reminding her of her “Uncle Oscar” (a nickname for her cousin Oscar Pierce). Since 1950, the statuettes have been legally encumbered by the requirement that neither winners nor their heirs may sell the statuettes without first offering to sell them back to the Academy for US$1. If a winner refuses to agree to this stipulation, then the Academy keeps the statuette. Academy membership is divided into different branches, with each representing a different discipline in film production. Actors constitute the largest voting bloc, numbering 1,311 members 22% of the Academy’s composition. Votes have been certified by the auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (and its predecessor Price Waterhouse) for the past 73 annual awards ceremonies.
ACADEMY AWARD at first, Fernández was finally convinced to pose nude to create what today is known as the “Oscar”. Then, sculptor George Stanley (who also did the Muse Fountain at the Hollywood Bowl) sculpted Gibbons’s design in clay and Sachin Smith cast the statuette in 92.5 percent tin and 7.5 percent copper and then gold-plated it.
All AMPAS members must be invited to join by the Board of Governors, on behalf of Academy Branch Executive Committees. Membership eligibility may be achieved by a competitive nomination or a member may submit a name based on other significant contribution to the field of motion pictures.
The original Oscar mold was cast in 1928 at the C.W. Shumway & Sons Foundry in Batavia, Illinois, which also contributed to casting the molds for the Vince Lombardi Trophy and Emmy Awards statuettes.
New membership proposals are considered annually. The Academy does not publicly disclose its membership, although as recently as 2007 press releases have announced the names of those who have been invited to join. The 2007 release also stated that it has just under 6,000 voting members. While the membership had been growing.
In support of the American effort in World War II, the statuettes were made of plaster and were traded in for gold ones after the war had ended. The root of the name Oscar is contested. One biography of Bette Davis claims that she named the Oscar after her first husband, band leader Harmon Oscar Nelson; one of the earliest mentions in print of the term Oscar dates back to a Time magazine article about the 1934 6th Academy Awards. Walt Disney is also quoted as thanking the Academy for his Oscar as early as 1932. Another claimed origin is that the Academy’s Executive Secretary, Margaret Herrick, first saw the award in 1931 and made reference to the sta-
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VENUE In 1929, the first Academy Awards were presented at a banquet dinner at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. From 1930–1943, the ceremony alternated between two venues: the Ambassador Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard and the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood then hosted the awards from 1944 to 1946, followed by the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles from 1947 to 1948. The 21st Academy Awards in 1949 were held at the Academy Award Theater at what was the Academy’s headquarters in Hollywood. From 1950 to 1960, the awards were presented at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre. With the advent of television, the 1953–1957 awards took place simultaneously in Hollywood and New York first at the NBC International Theatre (1953) and then at the NBC Century Theatre (1954–1957), after which the ceremony took place solely in Los Angeles. The Oscars moved to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California in 1961. By 1969, the Academy decided to move the ceremonies back to Los Angeles,
In May 2011, the Academy sent a letter advising its 6,000 or so voting members that an online system for Oscar voting will be implemented in 2013
AMPAS was originally conceived by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio executive Louis B. Mayer. He is generally cited as the creator of the “star system” within Metro-GoldwynMayer (MGM) in its golden years.
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eign Language Film category was introduced. Until then, foreign-language films were honored with the Special Achievement Award.
Universal Film Issue Issue88--2013 2013
LES MISERABLES BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
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Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
ANNE HATHAWAY BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries (2001). Over the next three years, Hathaway reprised that role for The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, and starred in family films, appearing as the title character in Ella Enchanted, both in 2004. Hathaway is also an Emmy winning actress for her voice-over performance in The Simpsons.
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2013 Nominated Oscar Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for: Les MisĂŠrables (2012). 2009 Nominated Oscar Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for: Rachel Getting Married (2008).
Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
AMOUR MICHAEL HANEKE ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
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Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
Michael Haneke (born 23 March 1942) is an Austrian filmmaker and screenwriter best known for his bleak and disturbing style. His films often document problems and failures in modern society. Haneke has worked in television‚ theatre and cinema. He is also known for raising social issues in his work. Besides working as a filmmaker he also teaches directing at the Filmacademy Vienna. At the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, his film The White Ribbon won the Palme d’Or for best film, and at the 67th Golden Globe Awards the film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2012, his film Amour premiered and competed at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. The film would go on to win the Palme d’Or, making it his second win of the prestigious award in three years and putting him in an elite club of only seven with the likes of Francis Ford Coppola. The film has also received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress in a Leading Role for Emmanuelle Riva. Haneke has made films in French, German and in English.
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2013 Nominated Oscar Best Achievement in Directing for: Amour (2012). 2013 Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for: Amour (2012).
Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
THE IMPOSSIBLE
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Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
NAOMI WATTS BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Naomi Ellen Watts (born 28 September 1968)[1] is a British-Australian actress who began her career in Australian television, where she appeared in series such as Hey Dad..! (1990), Brides of Christ (1991), E Street (1991) and Home and Away (1991). Her film debut was the 1986 drama For Love Alone. Watts gained critical acclaim following her work in David Lynch’s 2001 psychological thriller Mulholland Drive, starring alongside Justin Theroux and Laura Harring. The next year, she received public recognition for her participation in the box office hit horror film The Ring. In 2004, she received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress as well as for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for her portrayal of Cristina Peck in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s 2003 drama 21 Grams, alongside Sean Penn. Other film roles include the 2005 remake of King Kong, the 2007 thriller Eastern Promises, and the 2009 thriller The International. In 2010, Watts portrayed Valerie Plame Wilson, opposite Sean Penn as Joe Wilson, in Fair Game. Since then, she starred in the 2012 drama film The Impossible, for which she received a second nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
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2013 Nominated Oscar Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for: The Impossible 2004 Nominated Oscar Best Actress in a Leading Role for: 21 Grams (2003).
Universal Film
FLIGHT DENZEL WASHINGTON BEST PERFORMANCE OF AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
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Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
Denzel Washington was born in December 28,1954 in Mount Vernon, New York. He was the middle child of the 3 children of a Pentecostal minister father and a beautician mother. After graduating from high school, Denzel enrolled at Fordham University intent on a career in journalism. However, he caught the acting bug while appearing in student drama productions and, upon graduation, he moved to San Francisco and enrolled at the American Conservatory Theater. He left A.C.T. after only one year to seek work as an actor. With his acting versatility and powerful sexual presence, he had no difficulty finding work in numerous television productions. He made his first big screen appearance in Carbon Copy (1981) with George Segal. Through the 1980s, he worked in both movies and television and was chosen for the plum role of “Dr. Chandler” in NBC’s hit medical series “St. Elsewhere” (1982), a role that he would play for 6 years. In 1989, his film career began to take precedence when he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of “Tripp”, the runaway slave in Edward Zwick’s powerful historical masterpiece Glory (1989).
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2013 Nominated Oscar Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for: Flight (2012/I). 2002 Won Oscar Best Actor in a Leading Role for: Training Day (2001).
Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
LIFE OF PI
BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
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A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor ... a fearsome Bengal tiger. Director: Ang Lee
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2013 Nominated Oscar Best Achievement in Directing for: Life of Pi (2012). 2013 Best Motion Picture of the Year for: Life of Pi (2012). 2006 Won Oscar Best Achievement in Directing for: Brokeback Mountain (2005). 2001 Nominated Oscar Best Director for: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). 2001 Best Picture for: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000).
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KIM LOVE IS ALL JEE YOU NEED WOON
by Jon Philips Kim Jee Woon, the South Korean auteur, is about to export his creative vision to the West with his release of ‘The Last Stand’ scheduled for January 2013. it will be the directors much anticipated debut entry into the world of Hollywood cinema. What do we know? Currently, very little... The Guv’nor of Cali’ (arguably one of Schwarzneggers most brilliant method acting pieces) reprises his action hero status as an elderly sheriff of a small somnambulistic suburban town on the state border, where he and the rest of the local law enforcement become the last line of defence when a violent fugitive and his entourage begin their high paced journey towards the sanctuary of Mexico... What can you expect? Wild speculation... Jee Woon has slowly built quite a reputation for himself, a critically acclaimed director and winner of multiple film festivals, his movies playfully engage with many genres, from psychological horror to comedy. One of his last ‘action’ films shared another very simple plot-line. A Bittersweet Life centred around an enforcer, who innocuously disobeys his crime-lord boss and is disproportionately punished for his minor transgression which puts into motion the protagonists quest for revenge and, more importantly, reason. Scratch Below the surface of this action packed, sometimes brutally violent, saga sandwiched between two Zen proverbs and what you’ll find is actually a cautionary tale, deftly woven with visual irony, warning us to be very careful about the images we choose to identify with. A point made with devastating effect as the credits roll. Can we expect these kind of philosophical musings and original narrative techniques to underpin The Last Stand or will this just be another prototypical hollywood action-er? Scwarzneggers presence may be enough to disconcert some but there’s no doubt that his return to the screen after almost a decade away from playing a main role is certainly going to pull in an audience and may alone be enough to make it a commercial success. There’s also the almost ubiquitous presence of Johnny ‘Jackass’ Knoxville throughout the trailer to further increase ones trepidation... Will Jee-Woon be able to maintain his trademark artistic integrity in the western movie making complex? A luxury that he has previously enjoyed in his homeland with the only exception being his controversial ‘I saw the Devil’ which was met with the wrath of Koreas censorship board. In describing the subsequent re-edit of the movie, Jee-Woon explained it was like “eating sushi without wasabi” hopefully the ‘the last stand’ won’t leave an unpleasant taste in ones mouth like eating wasabi without sushi...
STARRING PIERCE BROSNAN, TRINE DYRHOLM DIRECTED BY ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER SUSANNE BIER To open at UK cinemas on 19 April 2013 //// LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED is a warm, funny, heartfelt meditation on the birth pangs of starting a new life. Set at a picture-perfect summer wedding in Sorrento, the film stars Pierce Brosnan as Philip, a lonely, middle-aged English widower and estranged single father living in Denmark, and Trine Dyrholm as Ida, a Danish hairdresser recuperating from chemotherapy, who has just learned that her husband is leaving her for a woman half his age from his accounts department. The fates of these two bruised souls intertwine as they embark for Italy to attend the wedding of his son, Patrick, to her daughter, Astrid. The bumpy path towards the union of their children, and the clashes and faux pas of their wedding guests, force Philip and Ida to reevaluate all their notions of family, love and happiness. Filmed on beautiful locations in Italy and Denmark, LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED is an uplifting tale of love, loss, absurdity and humour that will leave only the hardest heart untouched. It is a film about the simple yet profound pains and joys of moving on - and forward - with your life. LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED reunites the Academy Award® and Golden Globe® winning team of director Susanne Bier and writer Anders Thomas Jensen for the fifth time, following Open Hearts (2002), Brothers (2004), Academy Award® nominee After the Wedding (2007) and Golden Globe® and Academy Award® winner In A Better World (2010). UK cinema release date: April 19 Certificate: tbc Running time: 112 mins
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EACH MONTH WE WILL BE PUBLISHING A SELECTION OF THE BEST SCAM LETTER EVERYONE GETS SENT From: Engr.Michael Anderson Procurement Department National Petroleum Agency SA Tel: +27 110 710528 Email:michaelandersonclaimoffice23@gmail.com Dear Sir, Having been delighted with your profile which I got from your country’s business/residents directory, I’m hereby extending a business proposition handshake to you. My name is Engr.Michael Anderson, a national of the Republic of South Africa attached to the procurement department of the National Petroleum Agency SA (NPA-SA). This is a government owned institution which manages the Petroleum & Mineral Resources of the Republic of South Africa. Our company issues oil lifting license allocations to companies and individuals seeking to act as our sales agents to assist us market our products to the buyers. We in return pay commissions to the license owner based on the quantity of the product sold to the end buyers. The work of the license operator/owner is to locate the buyers our products and negotiate a buy/sale transaction on behalf of the NPA-SA. The license operator earns a $4.00 commission on each barrel of crude oil/product sold to the buyer as commissions. I’m proposing that we secure a license allocation in your name/company name from the NPA-SA; while I use my insider connections to locate the buyers of the products (SINCE YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW THE BUYERS) and ensure that your allocated product is successfully sold to the buyers. The commissions from the sales will be paid to you being the license owner and thereafter shared between us 50:50 as equity partners.
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SCAM LETTERS OF THE MONTH
Dear God’s elect, I am Miss Doris Godwin; I am 20 years old, the only daughter of Mr. C Godwin. It’s my pleasure to contact you for a business venture; I have (7,500,000)) which my late Father Mr.C. Godwin a Coffee/Cocoa merchant deposited for me in commercial bank before He was assassinated by unknown persons in the political crises in our country. I have decided to invest this money in your country or anywhere safe enough outside this country for security purposes. The people that assassinated my late Father are now in plan to kill me to take away everything that belongs to my late Father. Area of investment, Telecommunication, International School, Five star hotels, Real Estate, Charity organization, If you can be of assistance to me I will be pleased to offer to you 15% of the total sum while 5% will be for miscellaneous expenses incurred during the transaction. Waiting for your Urgent Responds.
Kindly take note of the following points: (1) The NPA-SA issues license allocations with a monthly allocation of 500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand) barrels of the NPA-SA product to each approved license operator. This implies that a total quantity of 500,000 barrels of the product will be allocated to you for sale monthly once we successfully secure a license in your name/company name. Going by the $4.00 per barrel commission rate, we will be earning a gross monthly commission of US$2 million dollars monthly after the successful sale of your allocated product.
Kind regards Miss. Doris Godwin
(2) As a staff of NPA-SA, I’m not officially allowed to operate/own a license allocation under the same company. I’m not also allowed to engage in any out-of-office profit oriented sales deal under our organization. This best explains why I seek for a partner who will be the face of our partnership (owner of the oil license) while I work from the underground to facilitate the operations in our favor. Feel free to ask questions for clarification should need be and do get back to me at your earliest convenience. Yours Sincerely,
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Engr.Michael Anderson Procurement Department National Petroleum Agency SA
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Interview with “Ramon Agirre” star of AMOUR by Valeria Bandino
What brought you into acting? I was studying Architecture but I had to interrupt my studies to finish the military service. Before going back to Studies, I decided to spend a little time in Paris. The plan it was to stay there just a few weeks but I ended up staying 1 year during which I did many things, including study mime and theatre. In that moment I started thinking seriously in the possibility of being an actor. And when I returned to San Sebastian, I started to be an actor, until today.
person which treats actors very well and has a great sense of humour.
How did you get cast into the movie “Amour”? Michael Haneke was looking for an actor to play the role of the Concierge in the elegant building where lived the couple protagonist of “Amour”. I went for both castings in Madrid and Lisbon. I had sent him the recording of a part of the script which we were given for the audition. In the end, after a personal interview with Haneke, I was chosen for the role.
Which roles do you prefer to play? I like the surprising characters, those that go in a direction opposite to what the audience expects. And I like directors which take risks.
What you didn’t like in your role? Nothing. I would have preferred if the Concierge role were the lead role of the movie but I think that Haneke did well in telling the story of Georges, the 80 years old musician played by Jaen-Louis Trintignant. .. and what you liked on your role? Once I had been confirmed for playing this role, all was easy and the rehearsing very pleasant. And since the movie has been out, we have received many awards: the Palme d’ Oro in Cannes, the award Fipresci in the San Sebastian Film Festival, the award of the Cine Europeo… Your view of Michael Haneke? Although his movie is very particular and goes into the dark side of the human being, Michael Haneke is a very friendly
What are you working on at the moment? I’m working in a tv series in the Basque country, a comedy, and there is also a cinematographic project with a French director which last movie impressed me positively but of course I cannot tell you more now as although I’m not particular superstitious, I prefer not to disclose it.
Which advise would you give to someone that is starting a career in acting? I’m not the best person to give advises. I suppose everybody learns from its own experience. Of course mistakes will come too but I’d say, take every role as if it was a big role, a big opportunity. Even short roles bring big jobs. The cinema it’s full of examples of what I’m saying. I like the surprising characters, those that go in a direction opposite to what the audience expects. And I like directors which take risks. Which advise would you give to someone that is starting a career in acting? I’m not the best person to give advises. I suppose everybody learns from its own experience. Of course mistakes will come too but I’d say, take every role as if it was a big role, a big opportunity. Even short roles bring big jobs. The cinema it’s full of examples of what I’m saying.
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Un i lm l F 13 rsa - 20 iveIssue 8
Jaipur International Film Festival
Inject some celebrity into your life and take a magnified look at our public obsession with celebrity culture as ANTIVIRAL is released at select cinemas on 8 February and on DVD and digital download from 11 February 2013. ANTIVIRAL marks the directorial debut of Brandon Cronenberg, son of legendary filmmaker David Cronenberg and features two hot rising stars in Caleb Landry Jones (X-Men: First Class, Contraband), and Sarah Gadon (Cosmopolis, A Dangerous Method) alongside veteran of the screen, Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, The Artist). Having received positive reactions at Cannes, Toronto International and the London Film Festivals, ANTIVIRAL has steadily been infecting the minds of ‘Bodyshock’ fans. Prepare to be shocked by one of the most eye-opening and thought provoking films of the year. Syd March (Landry Jones) is an employee at The Lucas Clinic – a company that sells injections of live viruses harvested from sick celebrities to fans who wish to fulfil their obsessive desire
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for real intimacy with their idols. As well as working for them, Syd also supplements his income by smuggling viruses out of the clinic in his own body in order to sell them on the black market. Constantly ill and losing his edge, Syd becomes careless and infects himself with an unusual virus carried by superstar Hannah Geist (Gadon).When the news breaks that Hannah has died, Syd realises that the virus running rampant in his system will soon kill him too. Hallucinating and struggling to remain in control, Syd must race to solve the mystery surrounding Hannah’s death if he has any hopes to avoid suffering the same fate. As a first year film student Brandon Cronenberg developed a serious case of the flu. The illness proved to be the perfect Petri dish for the incubation of ANTIVIRAL. “During a feverish dream, I became obsessed with the physicality of illness, by the fact that what was infecting my body and my cells had come from someone else,” the director recalls. “It’s a weirdly intimate connection. I began to understand how someone like an ardent fan, might see this kind of connection to the object of their fascination as desirable. The intimacy of that link seemed like a good platform to explore celebrity obsession”.
Life Time Achievement Award Actress Sharmila Tagore, who has created an honourable space for herself through her extra ordinary acting talent, is being honoured this year with JIFF’s Third Life Time Achievement Award. Her best films would also be screened during the Festival. Previously Actress Asha Parekh and Actress Jaya Bachchan have been honoured with JIFF’s Life time Achievement Awards. Several noted film personalities from India like actress SharmilaTagore, Actor Prem Chopra, Director Gautam Ghose, Actress Dia Mirza, Documentary film maker Anand Patwardhan and several others from abroad will be in Jaipur to participate in the Festival. The New logo of JIFF and a poster were unveiled in a press conference.
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RELEASED AT SELECT CINEMAS ON 8 FEBRUARY AND ON DVD AND DIGITAL DOWNLOAD ON 11 FEBRUARY 2013
January 9, 2013: Best films of the world, Producers, Directors, Actors, Story writers and new comers. You’ll find all of them under one roof in the 5th Jaipur International Film Festival, soon to be held in the pink City of Jaipur. The festival which has made an identity of itself in the country as well as abroad is being organized in Jaipur from 30th January to 03rd February, 2013.
Universal Film Fiilm Issue ISSUE 8 - 82013 - 13 2013
TARANTINO
GOES APE Quentin Tarantino has refused to answer a question about why his films are so violent, telling an interviewer for the UK Channel 4 News: “I’m shutting your butt down.” You can’t make me dance to your tune. I’m not a monkey.” While the debate about the link between film violence and real-life atrocities rages in America, the man behind violent classics from Reservoir Dogs to Inglorious Basterds said: “I have explained this many times in the last 20 years. “I just refuse to repeat myself over and over again because you want me to for you and your show. And your ratings.” Here (courtesy of Channel 4) is the transcript in full: Krishnan Guru-Murthy: Let me ask you about violence. You said, you know, everyone knows you make violent movies, you like violent movies. Why do you like making violent movies? Quentin Tarantino: Erm… I don’t know. It’s like asking Judd Apatow: “Why do you like making comedies?” KGM: You just get a kick out of it? Or you just enjoy it? Or… QT: It’s… It’s… It’s a… I think… I think it’s good cinema. I consider it good cinema. You know, it’s… You sit there in a movie theatre when these cathartic, violent scenes happen… I’m talking about the cathartic violence scenes. ..Then there’s the cathartic violence of Django paying back blood for blood. KGM: Is that why you think people like watching violent movies – people who are not violent people or twisted people in any way, but why it’s OK to go into a movie and enjoy the violence? QT: Yeah, well, it’s a movie. It’s a fantasy. It’s a fantasy – it’s not real life. It’s a fantasy. You go and you watch. You know, you watch a kung-fu movie and one guy takes on 100 people in a restaurant. That’s fun! M: But why are you so sure that there’s no link between enjoying movie violence and enjoying real violence? QT: I don’t… I’m going to tell you why I’m so sure? Don’t ask me a question like that – I’m not biting. I refuse your question. KGM: Why? QT: Because I refuse your question. I’m not your slave and you’re not my master. You can’t make me dance to your tune. I’m not a monkey. KGM: I can’t make you answer anything. I’m asking you interesting questions. QT: And I’m saying… and I’m saying I refuse. KGM: OK. I was just asking you why. That’s fine. But you see, Jamie Foxx has said: “We can’t turn our back and say that violence in films, that anything that we do… QT: Then you should talk to Jamie Foxx about that. And I think he’s actually here, so you can! KGM: I’d love to, but, I mean, you know… It’s interesting that you have a different view, and I’m just trying to explore that. QT: And I don’t want to! ‘Cause I’m here to sell my movie. This is a commercial for the movie – make no mistake.
“I’m not a M
KGM: So you don’t want to talk about anything serious?
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Universal Unniversal Film Film ISSUE Issue ue 8 -82013 - 2013
QT: I don’t want to talk about what you want to talk about. I don’t want to talk about the implications of violence. I haven’t wanted… because… The reason I don’t want to talk about it: because I’ve said everything I have to say about it. If anyone cares what I have to say about it, they can Google me and they can look for 20 years what I have to say. But I haven’t changed my opinion one iota. KGM: No, but you haven’t fleshed it out. QT: It’s not my job to flesh it out. KGM: No, it’s my job to try and ask you to. QT: And I’m shutting your butt down! KGM: That’s entirely your… that’s entirely your right. QT: This is a commercial for my movie. KGM: No, but it’s my job to try and explore some serious themes as well. QT: Well, I… I invite you to explore some serious themes, but not things that I haven’t already been on the record for talking about. KGM: Well, violence is such a big part of all of your movies, and it’s, you know, it’s an enjoyable part of your movies for so many people. And that’s why I’m talking about this, because, as you know, it’s a very sensitive time at the moment. I mean, the vice-president is talking to people in the movie industry today about violence in response to… QT: And you know where I stand on it. KGM: Which is that there’s no relationship. QT: Yes. KGM: But you haven’t said why you think there’s no relationship. QT: It’s none of your damn business what I think about that! KGM: Well, it’s my job to ask you why you think that because… QT: And I’m saying no! And I’m shutting you down. KGM: But you have a responsibility as a filmmaker, surely, to explain a little bit about… QT: No, I don’t have any responsibility to you to explain anything I don’t want to. KGM: Not to me but to your viewers, to your fans. You know, to people who care about what it is that you’re doing. QT: They know, they know where I’m coming from. And I have explained it. And I have explained even what you’re talking about. I’m just not giving it to you. KGM: Why? QT: Because I don’t want to because I’ve done it already. I have explained this many times in the last 20 years. I just refuse to repeat myself over and over again because you want me to for you and your show. And your ratings. KGM: Well, no, it’s not about our ratings. It’s… QT: No, no, it is. It’s about you want me to say it for you, for your show – this show, right here, right now.
Monkey”
KGM: Well, look, this is a news programme, it’s not a film programme, so we explore serious themes. That’s the difference. QT: Exactly. But you want me to do what I’ve already done before and I am refusing.
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KGM: Fine. That’s your right.
Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
REAL MEN RECORD LIVE When Film and Television Were One
by
CHRISTOPHER TEMPLETON
Can you imagine shooting a film live? ...
T
hat you are placed in the position of making a give a fizz in the brain. Every offering had to delight in a feature that you painstakingly develop, but only way that the previous offering had delighted, but more as one-off experience? A film that is transmitted so. It was expected. The only way was up. and not effectively recorded? Imagine further, a production that is to be viewed by a single, This imperative stretched the minds of the writers superscheduled audience. A production that after all the efhumanly. It hyper-concentrated the minds of the actors forts of its authors is then lemming-like thrown into who had to deliver the drama live. The danger that a metaphysical void, never to be seen again, existthe idea of a live offering implies is only matched when film ing as a kind of kinetic excitement in the memoby the unimaginable creative rewards that came and television ries of its first and only audience? from embracing it. The experience, for writers and were one actors who had the confidence to work in this The ‘Golden Age of Television’ (1950s -1960) was way, was often described autobiographically, as at the same time a golden age for film. Risks taken a career highpoint. They knew that the gods had by early television dramatists were recouped as suca special place for those who take such risks and successes by the more established film producers. Taking ceed. The gods reward all earthly bravery as the fullest newly minted creative concepts and producing new film expression of the human experience. After all, it makes for coinage. the best kind of entertainment. The dawn of US television in the early 1950s. A primordial moment when the potential for every kind of creature was possible. Where if you were a writer, you became master of your own universe. You could write anything. Play with time, mix genres, invent new characters, new fictions, new unimagined dramatic scenarios. As experimental as you could get without the police coming to knock on your front door. Your only guiding remit? To create a mise en scène fascinating enough, to keep an audience long enough, to maybe buy a washing machine at the end of the show . Early American television drama was driven by volume. Crudely put, entertainment produced on an industrial level. Programmes shot out of the blocks at speed, with enough of them to prove that the new fangled TV medium was working and that these magical ‘wires and lights in a box would keep you coming back for more. We’re not talking about formulaic dramas here with established characters and dilemmas. Every feature offering had to
Thanks to the kinescope process some of these early, live dramatic productions were salvaged. They have lived too long in the cinematic shadow, waiting to be brought out of the moonlight as a contributing parent to the modern film experience. To understand the power of this declaration, indulge me a little by watching, back to back, the live Studio One version of ‘Twelve Angry Men’ (1954) and the cross-fertilized version of the film of the same name, produced in 1957. See how Sidney Lumet, the director of film version goes out of his way to recreate the visual grammar of the original by Franklin Shaffner, where the urgency of the performances generate a ‘nowness’ and a new kind of ‘visual reality’. Some of the power is of course lost in the migration, but it’s still clearly there to be enjoyed. Here, the producers of the film have analyzed the live version granularly and in an attempt to find patterns, have tried to distil the visual reality from it. Effectively mining a creative seam. For the actors, the live Studio One experience made men
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Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
out of boys. The list of actors who passed through the live, one-off drama experience into cinematic glory, is astonishing: Yul Brenner (‘Flowers from a Stranger’, 1949), Charlton Heston (‘Smoke’, 1949), Eva Marie Saint (‘June Moon’, 1949), Jack Lemmon (‘June Moon’ 1949), Grace Kelley (‘The Rockingham Tea Set’, 1950), Anne Bancroft (‘Torrents of Spring’, 1950), Burgess Meredith (‘The Horses Mouth’, 1950) to name just a few (to see the full list of early Studio One actors see: http://uk.imdb.com/title/ tt0040051/epcast). But the weight of this proposition to produce consistently striking and original work that could be performed live for a non-recording camera, fell on the shoulders of the writers. In the main, they took advantage of the moment to wipe the Vaseline off the lens to present gritty, ‘slice of life’ dramas that in their execution, existed as new creative forms. William Templeton was a regular Studio One writer along with a legion of other notable writers like Franklin Shaffner and Worthington Miner. Gore Vidal too contributed significantly to the live medium and wrote retrospectively that the period was undoubtedly: “…the age of the dramatist”. As the medium grew grew, Producers like Desi Arnaz went out of their way to tackle the classics, many of which were then immediately cross-wired into film features, often (like ‘Twelve Angry Men’) taking the animus of the original with it. William Templeton’s adaptation of George Orwell’s dystopian novel ‘1984’ proved the impossible: that you could take a great novel, reproduce it with respect and engineer it’s essential qualities into a one hour live performance. In this way, the live Studio One version, produced in 1953 with Eddie Albert in the title role as Winston Smith, gave its heart and soul to the film version produced in 1956 with Edmond O’Brien in the title role. It was at this point in time, that both the television and film medium had in effect, become one. There is no doubt that Studio One Playhouse was the well-spring for a newly inspired American Movie industry and helped to re-ignite its powerhouse presence globally. The distinctive hallmarks of the live drama experience are stamped across feature films produced throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Maybe it was because it was live and disposable to the heavens that filmmakers went out of their way to salvage even the smallest fraction of the live experience. It was second generation content, but then again, the original had shone so brightly...
Play On Film Festival Play On Film Festival, “The First Film Festival For Gamers!” was started in 2013 by, “Festival Director” Joseph Hardin and, “Festival Producer” Wes Wilson. Play On Film Festival is planned as a new feature for the, “6th Annual Play On Con”. Play On Con is a four day, “Family Friendly” event which will be held at the 4-H Hotel & Conference Center in Birmingham, Alabama and will host a number of gaming events. Festival Director, Joseph Hardin, is an Atlanta based filmmaker and effects artist as well as the, “Festival Director” for Play On Film Festival’s, “sister” festival, “HorrorQuest Film Festival”. HorrorQuest is the only 100% free horror film festival in the world and is held each year at the Cinefest Film Theatre in Atlanta Georgia. Festival Producer, Wes Wilson, is the, “Programing Director” for Play On Con, a member of the DeadWorkersParty, a popluar, “Let’s Play” and gaming channel on YouTube as well as a co-host on, “The Shaft”, “World of Wow” and “Control Point” Podcasts. As part of it’s line up Play On Film Festival plan to screen, “Gaming and Machinima” style videos in the following categories, “Let’s Play”, “Let’s Build”, “Game Reviews”, “Retro Gaming Videos”, “Gaming Themed Videos”, “Gaming Tutorials”, “Themed Animation” and others. Leaning towards open world and building games like Minecraft and Terraria. Play On Film Festival hopes to inspire creativity by giving gamers of all ages a place to show off their work. Submitted videos will be judged and selected by a group of popular YouTube Personalities and Let’s Players. Films and videos will be judged and prizes and awards will be giving out accordingly. As well as gaming videos, Play On Film Festival is also seeking Features and Shorts by Independent Filmmakers. While much of Play On Film Festival will be geared towards gaming, Play On Film Festival will be accepting submission in the following categories, “Horror”, “Sci-FI”, “Fantasy”, “Comdey”, “Animation” and Documentaries (especially those dealing with gaming or, “nerd” culture). As well as the Film Festival, Play On Con will feature a number of parties and events including gaming tournaments, video and custom map making classes and guest speakers and panels. For more information on Play On Film Festival please visit www.playonfilmfestival.com.
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The creative goldmine that was live television has served the film industry well to this day. After watching Daniel Day Lewis in Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’, you may want to reach back and watch the 1952 Studio One version with an impossibly young, Jimmy Dean. And it won’t surprise you then to reveal that the bud of a drama titled, ‘Mary Poppins’ was first originally produced in 1950 as a live, Studio One Westinghouse production.
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THE HOOLIGAN FACTORY’ London, 14 January, 2013 … Shooting has commenced in London on football hooligan spoof THE HOOLIGAN FACTORY. Nick Nevern directs and has co-written the film with Michael Lindley, with Jason Maza taking the lead role and producing alongside Altitude Film Entertainment. British rising stars Tom Burke (soon to be seen in ONLY GOD FORGIVES and THE INVISIBLE WOMAN) and Josef Altin (“Game of Thrones”, EASTERN PROMISES) star alongside Maza with a host of high-profile cameo appearances also confirmed including: Leo Gregory (GREEN STREET), Tony Denham (THE FOOTBALL FACTORY), Dexter Fletcher (WILD BILL, LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS), and famous reformed football hooligan Cass Pennant. Danny (Jason Maza) wants something more. Expelled from school and living in his grandfather’s flat, he longs to live up to the image of his estranged father Danny Senior. Meanwhile legendary football hooligan Bex (Nick Nevern) is about to be released from prison and is on a quest of his own, one of vengeance against his nemesis and rival firm leader Yeti. But when Danny and Bex’s paths cross they embark on a journey as old as hooliganism itself. Nevern has previously written, directed and starred in TERRY, which he produced with Maza; he has also appeared in cult British films including THE SWEENEY and G.B.H. Maza’s acting credits include ANUVAHOOD and SHIFTY with previous production credits including DEMONS NEVER DIE and THE KNOT. For THE HOOLIGAN FACTORY they are joined by several previous collaborators including Director Of Photography Ali Assad (RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER) and Production Designer Paul Burns (THE FOOTBALL FACTORY). The Costume Designer is Lisa Mitton (MY BROTHER THE DEVIL) and Lewis Albrow (FAST GIRLS) is Editor.
Derek Winner’s review of “Les Misérables In this brilliantly produced, visually stunning, astonishingly lavish movie of the incredibly long-running stage hit, a hugely impressive Hugh Jackman sings his big Aussie heart out as a saintly French sinner, Jean Valjean, jailed for donkey’s years after nicking a loaf of bread. Finally out of that hellhole on parole, he breaks his deal and starts a comfy new life as a rich factory owner, but someone’s after him and won’t stop till he’s back in jail. This is Jackman’s show, no doubt about it, and he way outclasses a rather dull, one-note Russell Crowe both on the singing and acting fronts. Though, to be fair, stuck in a much less showy role, Russ gets on with it efficiently and is impressively grim as god-fearing Javert, the obsessed, dogged copper forever on Jackman’s case. Not specially well cast though working her little butt off, a worryingly skinny, grungy Anne Hathaway also stars as Jackman’s factory worker Fantine, whose daughter Cosette (a sweet-looking, tuneful Amanda Seyfried) he agrees to look after as his own. Did I say this is a musical, well actually an opera, with only a handful of spoken words throughout? It works brilliantly in the theatre of course, but this is tricky to pull off on screen, and yet Tom Hooper, the director of The King’s Speech, manages it very nicely. They could have thought of providing some
dialogue to break up the singing on screen. That would have provided some much needed relief from the relentless singing and made a much more enjoyable movie, bit of course it would also have betrayed the purity of the vision of the stage show. The one really mega-hit tune, I Dreamed a Dream, will have the whole audience singing along if we’re unlucky! - and it certainly provides Anne Hathaway’s big moment - and how she milks it! Much better is posh Brit actor Eddie Redmayne, who pumps up the volume on a regulation juvenile lead part with some sterling acting and surprises everybody with his lovely singing voice as Marius, the boy who falls for Cosette. Meanwhile, Helena Bonham Carter and Sasha Baron Cohen try to raise some silly laughs as a greedy married couple. Slack though this is, it’s welcome comedy relief, for otherwise this is generally relentlessly downbeat stuff. I thought musicals were supposed to be fun, but here it’s almost suicidally depressing as the whole swathe of grim deaths afflicts almost the entire cast. Les Mis isn’t called The Glums for nothing, that’s for sure. You’ll love this movie or hate it. With Oscar nominations for Best Film, Jackman and Hathaway, plus nine Bafta nominations, I guess a lot of people are going to love it.
Producing are Jason Maza and for Altitude, Will Clarke (THIS IS ENGLAND, ATTACK THE BLOCK), Andy Mayson (LET ME IN) and Mike Runagall (LAST PASSENGER). The Fyzz Facility is co-financing the project. Think Big Productions and Marshall Leviten (Ginger and Rosa) are co-producing partners. Nick Nevern and Michael Lindley will be executive producers.
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Un i lm l F 13 rsa - 20 iveIssue 8
Derek Winner’s review of “Flight”
Cheerful Weather For The Wedding Review by Derek Winner
The first 45 minutes of this movie’s a bit of a blast, with the crash brilliantly staged, with a horrific realism that only a Hollywood big budget can achieve. But then things get bogged down in endless, samey conversations and the movie only finally picks up again as the legal inquiry starts at the climax. This simple, straightforward story is told at far, far too long-winded a rate. Whole scenes and characters could be profitably cut out and a 138-minute running time easily cut to an effective 100 mins.
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Keeping the movie in the air, Denzel is generally very good, and especially excellent at the sweaty hand-wringing, but he’s not at all convincing as a drunk or a drug-taker. It’s always hard to accept this actor as a bad, or desperately flawed guy, maybe just because he’s played so many heroes, but also because he isn’t that good at it. John Goodman jollies the movie up enormously as Denzel’s drug provider, getting a lot of laughs, while Greenwood and Cheadle’s earnest, concerned turns help him out nicely too, but Nadine Velasquez is stuck in a thankless role as Denzel’s love interest, a fellow druggie whom he befriends, a role that simply stops suddenly and seems pointlessly tacked on. This is an honourable, interesting, intelligent film, but Robert Zemeckis makes a real dull job of the direction and, as a frequent flier, I felt I’d prefer not to see the highlight plane crash at all, thank you very much. A case of too much realism but despite all its words not enough to say, the movie never soars or blows you away as it’s clearly supposed to. DW
With a very nice little script to work on, the actors are more or less perfect. Wholly credible as ex-lovers and inhabitants of a long-lost world, Jones and Treadaway really capture the old style of speaking and feeling, McGovern is deliciously overwrought and Ellie Kendrick is strong in support as Dolly’s younger sister Kitty. Fenella Woolgar and Mackenzie Crook raise solid laughs as a bickering married couple whose young son is letting off stink bombs, Barbara Flynn’s a bit of a hoot as a silly but sexy old auntie and Joanna Hole is funny as an old maid. This is a minor, low-budget Brit effort directed and co-written by Donald Rice (son of Tim), but, with the settings, costumes, score and photography so lovingly achieved, it’s surprisingly classy and even memorable. Fans of wedding films and stories of English eccentrics won’t feel short changed. There’s even a little hint of Brief Encounter about it as Treadaway manages his final speech beautifully.
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Denzel Washington’s a brilliant pilot, but a drug and booze-obsessed messup as a human being. Hung over and sleep-deprived, he arrives in a terrible state for a passenger flight, chucks three vodka miniatures in his OJ, and joins his shocked co-pilot and small crew of stewardesses in the captain’s seat and takes off. Soon the flight’s in dire danger, but Denzel turns the aircraft upside down and lands it in a field, saving almost all lives as only he could. But then the investigation into the plane’s malfunction starts to find him out and uncover the truth. Still, his old airline pal Bruce Greenwood and a slick lawyer (Don Cheadle) might be able to keep him out of jail...
It’s England one winter day between the wars and a lovely, posh young woman is about to be married -- but something or rather somebody from her past is going to get in the way in this Downtonstyle romantic comedy drama. Felicity Jones plays Dolly Thatcham, who’s sitting upstairs in a right old state at her comfortably-off family’s country house. Downstairs with the rest of the amusingly oddball family, her rich, handsome but boring fiancé Owen (James Norton) and her ex-lover Joseph (Luke Treadaway) are getting more and more steamed up, while her constantly pained-looking mother Mrs Thatcham (Elizabeth McGovern) finally looks ready to burst a boiler as it turns out Joseph’s old flame is still burning bright for Dolly. This is fine, cosy old-style entertainment, warm, humorous and gentle but with just the smallest touch of edge.
Universal Film
FILM SPRING OPEN
A NEW GAME by Kevin
Murphy
Issue 8 - 2013
CALL FOR PROJECTS IN A COMPETITION FOR A FEATURE FILM PREVIS
D
o you have an idea for a feature fiction film? A script that you wrote was rejected? Make a previsualization (Previs), shoot a draft version of your future film. The best project will have a possibility to be professionally produced in a new economic model of film production.
The project is supported by the following partners that will join the members of the Jury:
Polish Film Institute, Polish Filmmakers Association, National Audiovisual Institute, Krakow Film Commission, Media Desk Poland, Film Agency TVP (Polish Public Television Broadcaster), Orange Polska, CD Projekt (cdp.pl), Platige ImThe New Year 2013 Film Spring Open* dedicates to age, and Katowice Film School (WRiTV) – the Krzysztof “Sławomir the implementation of a future-oriented model of Kieślowski Faculty of Radio and Television at Univerfilm production. Our objective is to facilitate the ca- Idziak, with 40 sity of Silesia. years of reer of talented filmmakers, by giving them a chance to professionally produce their feature fiction films. experience” The Jury will keep in mind that they are not judging a The first element of significant changes in the system completed film but only a draft and will decide which of film production is a new form of project selection. one will be professionally produced in the new economic model of film production. Together with our partners we are announcing a competition “Film Spring Open Previs” for the best feature film project. InDates: the deadline for submission is March 31st. stead of scripts we would like to encourage you to send us a Award: The best project will have the possibility to be profesprevisualisation (Previs) meaning a draft of your future film. sionally produced in the new model of film production. The shooting is aimed to start at Film Spring Open-Air (filmmakWhy PREVIS? - There are hundreds of competitions for scripts ing workshops) in May 2013. all over the world as well as organizations that choose the More information can be found on Film Spring Open portal best texts. Great number of scripts and decreasing producat: http://www.filmspringopen.eu/previs.html tion possibilities that we face today, not only in Poland but also in Europe, make it even more difficult to pass the selec*Film Spring Open has been organizing interactive filmmaktion of various groups that choose future projects. As a result ing workshops focused on the future cinema for 8 years now. many valuable texts are being rejected. In addition, the ones In times of the dynamic technological changes in audiovisual that are rewarded are usually the texts of famous artists. industry our goal is to provide further and continuous training of professionals and talented filmmakers. Instead of scripts the authors can send a previsualization of their future projects. Using consumer cameras, in any locaFilm Spring Open is owned and managed by Sławomir Idtion (not necessarily the ones from your script i.e. shooting ziak, a cinematographer with 40 years of professional expea scene set in a café in Paris can in fact be made in an apartrience both as a filmmakers and lecturer in many European ment in Warsaw), engaging actors from acting/film schools or film schools. He created a great place not only for discussion non-professional actors (family and friends) to make a draft of about the future of audiovisual industry but for making film the future professional project, the so-called Previs. projects using new technologies based on practical tests of newest equipment and software, hands-on workshops and lectures of outstanding professionals.
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FILM FESTIVALS
A BIT OF HISTORY!
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues - From Wikipedia.
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robably the best-known and most noteworthy film festival in the world is the Cannes Film Festival. Other important and prestigious film festivals include that held in Berlin and Venice (oldest film festival).
arrival of the world’s first online film festival, the GreenCine Online Film Festival, sponsored by DivX.
Most film festivals require filmmakers to pay an entry fee to have their works considered for screening. This is especially commonplace among larger film festivals, such as the The first major film festival was held in Venice in 1932; Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, the other major and oldest film festivals of the world Sundance Film Festival, South by Southwest and even are: Cannes Film Festival (1946), Festival del film Lo- The first major smaller “boutique” festivals such as the Miami Interfilm festival carno (1946), Karlovy Vary International Film Festival national Film Festival and the British Urban Film Feswas held in (1946), Edinburgh International Film Festival (1947), tival in London. Venice in Melbourne International Film Festival (1951), Berlin 1932 International Film Festival (1951) and Toronto InternaHowever, not all film festivals require an entry fee. Rottional Film Festival (1976). terdam Film Festival and Mumbai Film Festival (www. mumbaifilmfest.com) in India, for example, does not charge The Edinburgh International Film Festival in the UK was esan entry fee to submit work. There are also many smaller film tablished in 1947 and is the longest continually running film festivals in the United States, such as the Stony Brook Film festival in the world. The first North American high film festiFestival in Long Island, New York, the Northwest Filmmakers’ val was the Columbus International Film & Video Festival, also Festival, or the Sicilian Film Festival in Miami, Florida, which known as The Chris Awards, held in 1953. According to the do not charge entry fees; however, acceptance of films is usuFilm Arts Foundation in San Francisco, “The Chris Awards (is) ally more limited, and such film festivals do not necessarily one of the most prestigious documentary, educational, busiattract big names in their audiences like Sundance and Telness and informational competitions in the U.S; (it is) the oldluride do. est of its kind in North America and celebrating its 54th year.” In some cases, such as the Portland International Film FestiIt was followed four years later by the San Francisco Internaval, there is an entry fee, but it is waived for filmmakers within tional Film Festival held in March 1957 whose emphasis was a certain region, such as the Northwestern United States. on feature-length dramatic films. The festival played a major role in introducing foreign films to American audiences. The three most prestigious film festivals are commonly reAmong the films shown in its founding year were Akira Kurogarded to be that of Cannes, Berlin and Venice; these festivals sawa’s Throne of Blood and Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali. are sometimes called the “Big Three.” Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski’s The Three Colors Trilogy were each made for Today there are thousands of film festivals around the world, these festivals, with Blue for Venice, White for Berlin, and Red ranging from high profile festivals such as Sundance Film Fesfor Cannes. tival and Slamdance Film Festival (Park City, UT) to horror festivals such as Terror Film Festival, Philadelphia, PA The Toronto International Film Festival is North America’s most popular festival. Time wrote it had “grown from its place Digital feature film distribution began in 2005, along with the as the most influential fall film festival to the most influen-
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Competitive feature film: The festivals in Berlin, Cairo, Cannes, Goa, Karlovy Vary, Locarno, Mar del Plata, Montreal, Moscow, San Sebastián, Shanghai, Tokyo, Venice, and Warsaw are accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) in the category of competitive feature films. In the US, Telluride Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Austin’s South by Southwest, New York City’s Tribeca Film Festival and Slamdance Film Festival are all considered significant festivals for independent film. The Zero Film Festival is significant as the first and only festival exclusive to self-financed filmmakers. North American: The San Francisco International Film Festival, started in 1957, is the oldest continuously running film festival in the Americas. It highlights current trends in international filmmaking and video production with an emphasis on work that has not yet secured U.S. distribution. The Toronto International Film Festival, begun in 1976, Toronto’s Hot Docs is the
leading North American documentary film festival. Toronto also has the largest amount of film festivals in the world, ranging from cultural, independent, and historic films. The largest festival, in terms of the number of features shown, is the Seattle International Film Festival, screening 270 features, and approximately 150 short films. The Sundance film festival is a major festival for independent film. The Vail Film Festival in Vail, Colorado, is one of the “Top 10 destination film festivals in the world” (MovieMaker magazine), screens over 90 films, features mostly new filmmakers. For short film enthusiasts and cinema professionals, Sagunenay International Short film Festival (REGARD sur le court métrage au Saguenay, in French) is now a “must-go event” (Francois Levesque, Le Devoir). The Slamdance Film Festival is self-governed “by filmmakers for filmmakers”. Latin American significance: The Cartagena Film Festival, founded by Victor Nieto in 1960, is the oldest film festival in Latin America. The Festival de Gramado (or Gramado Film Festival) Gramado, Brazil along with the Guadalajara International Film Festival in Guadalajara, Mexico are considered to be the most important film festivals of Latin America. It was first held in 1973, awarding Latin American films.
The Huelva Ibero-American Film Festival has been held since 1975 in that Spanish city. While the Expresión en Corto International Film Festival is the largest competitive film festival in Mexico, specializing in emerging talents, and is held each year during the last week of July in the two colonial cities of San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato. Oaxaca Film Fest Rapidly emerging as one of the most important of Southern Mexico’s. Among Spanish speaking countries the Dominican International Film Festival is held annually in Puerto Plata, DR, the Valdivia International Film Festival is held annually in the city of Valdivia. Most notable amongst the Asian Film Festivals are the Annual Mumbai Film Festival in India, with its 200,000 USD cash prize (www.mumbaifilmfest.com), Osian’s-Cinefan Film Festival, which was recently expanded to include Arab Cinema as well, and the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) and Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). Significant African festivals based on the continent include the biannual Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou FESPACO in Burkina Faso, the annual Durban International Film Festival which has grown in importance for industry with the addition of a co-production forum and Talent Campus.
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tial film festival, period.” Seattle International Film Festival is credited as being the largest film festival in the USA, regularly showing over 400 films in a month across the city. The Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Montreal World Film Festival, and Vancouver International Film Festival are also major festivals in North America.
UniversalFilm Film Universal Issue Issue88--2013 2013
THE TOOLS OF DIRECTING The tools of Directing Introductory Seminar will be delivered in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2013 by the Directors Guild of Great Britain and sponsored by Creative Skillset. This will be followed by a Bursary Scheme for attendees of these seminars that will bring the most talented applicants to London in June for The Tools of Directing Master Workshop - a full week’s training in the Tools of Directing Actors, Casting, Script Development and Directing Camera. All events are at greatly reduced costs thanks to Creative Skillset and venue sponsors. Saturday 9th March (1-5pm) - Sherman Theatre Cardiff Saturday 6th April (1-5pm) - Queens Film Theatre (QFT), Belfast Saturday 13th April (1-5pm) - Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh Saturday 27th April (1-5pm) - Mitchell Theatre, Glasgow There are also two London Tools of Directing Weekend Masterclasses scheduled: Friday-Sunday 22-24 March - Tools of Directing Camera Friday-Sunday 31 May - 2 June - Tools of Directing Actors
Introducing Simon Phillips ’ Tools of Directing”
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’ve been a script writer in film, TV and stage for many years, latterly also a script consultant. I’ve watched directors of all kinds work on my scripts and had the usual fun of playing an extra. So I thought I knew what I’d get when I went to Simon Phillips’ Introduction to the Tools of Directing on a chilly Sunday in London last November.
with the actor laying on the tissue of gender, class, race, psyche, neurosis, personal history and the rest. It’s surprisingly easy to think you’re writing Dr Tim’s journey from co-dependency to independence when your storyline is actually just a sequence of medical crises with Tim inexplicably changing at the end.
The joy for the writer is that all of this is based in the I went because I might have to direct an experimental “Simon script. Whatever changes the script goes through, the short film I’ve written. I thought I’d get technical stuff about camera angles and actors hitting their marks. Phillips is an film is tethered to what you originally wrote. WritingInstead, I got an introduction to a quite extraordinary expert in his wise, it reminds you that character IS what character field” DOES and that your storylines must provide the vismethod of working with actors to create a specific ible change points that take the characters on the arc emotional road map of the script and give them a way you want them to travel. to strip characters back not just to the bones but even further, to their raw responses, so they can genuinely build up a From this core idea of stripping back to raw sensory expecharacter from the inside, cliché-free. rience, Simon proceeds to a whole range of other direction tools. I haven’t covered the half of it. The bottom line is, There’s not room to describe the whole Tools of Directing whether you’re a writer, producer or director, the Tools of Dimasterclass here. I’ll just address this core direction techrecting is very useful stuff indeed. Go! nique. In a nutshell, you take the actor through the script moment by moment identifying each sensory change the Biographical info character experiences and to which it must physically reLinda Aronson is widely regarded as the world expert on nonact. The result is that the actor doesn’t create a stereotype linear and ensemble script structure. – Jodie, the hard-bitten journalist or Tim, the idealistic doctor - a role your actor takes from memory banks, dusts down and The Tools of Directing Seminar will be delivered in four cities puts on like a coat, something which will always be external, across the UK by the Directors Guild of Great Britain in 2013. second-hand, an act. This will be followed by a Bursary Scheme that brings the most talented applicants to London for The Tools of DirectInstead, identifying these ‘change points’ makes the actor iging Master Workshop - A full week’s training in the Tools of nore trappings like gender, class, job, marital status and the Directing Actors, Casting, Script Development and Directing like to identify only the character’s raw sensory responses. Camera. See the website at www.toolsofdirecting.com The effect is to create something akin to an anonymous brain scan, the character’s central nervous system if you like, a seFull details and booking for all these events at quence of responses, reflexes, visceral and elemental. The acwww.dggb.org/training.php. tor can then build on this raw sensory experience from the Also see: www.toolsofdirecting.com inside out to create the individual identity of the character free of cliché - in the same way that those forensic sculptors build up a vividly original human face from a broken skull,
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Film Directors and their trademarks by Cristine Williams
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One of the features I always associate with a film director is their trademarks. What you associate with them and their films, the connection. It could be anything from: the tone of the film, frequent use of the same actors, reoccurring themes, narrative layout, camera angles and shots. There are so many film directors out there who have their own style and trademarks but I’ve managed to pick 5 who I believe have had a big influence on up and coming film directors. Park Chan-Wook was born 23/8/63 in Seoul, South Korea. He is also a screenwriter, producer and film critic. He is one of the most acclaimed and popular filmmakers in his home country. He is mostly known for his “Vengeance Trilogy” consisting of Sympathy for Mr Vengeance (2002), Oldboy (2003) and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005). Despite the extreme violence in his films, Park is highly regarded as one of the most popular film directors in South Korea. Park decided to become a filmmaker after seeing the film vertigo. He list William Shakespeare, Alfred Hitchcock, Roman Polanski, among others, as big influences on his career. Quentin Tarantino is an avowed fan of Park’s. Park’s trademarks include themes of revenge. His films are about the utter futility of vengeance and how it wreaks havoc on the lives of everyone involved. Park likes to tell big stories through small, artificially created worlds. His films are often noted for their immaculate framing and often brutal subject matter. Park openly
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uses sex, as well as using the same actors in many of his films. Zhang Yimou was born 14/11/51 in Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi province, China. He is also a producer, writer, actor and former cinematographer and photographer. Zhang is counted amongst the “Fifth Generation” of Chinese filmmakers (an artistic re-emergence in China, after the end of the Cultural Revolution). Some Zhang’s successful films include: Red Sorghum (1987), Ju Dou (1989), Raise the Red Lantern (1991), Hero (2002), House of Flying Daggers (2004) and Curse of the Golden Flower (2006). He is often described as “a genius with camera and choreography”. Zhang faced difficulties in his early life and some of his trademarks include showing the resilience of Chinese people in the face of hardship and adversity. He often explores the dark side of life in small Chinese rural communities. He has a neorealist habit of employing non-professional actors and location shooting. Most of his films begin with the title displayed in Chinese calligraphy style and his films are particularly noted for their rich use of colour. Another trademark is working with the actress Gong Li. She was considered his “muse” and was his leading lady in 8 of his films. They had a romantic, as well as a professional relationship. This ended during production of Shanghai Triad (1995). They would not work together again until Curse of the Golden Flower (2006). Martin Scorsese was born 17/11/42 in Little Italy, New York City. He is also a screenwriter, producer, actor and film historian. He is of Sicilian decent and was raised in a devoutly catholic environment. Scorsese’s films address themes of Italian American identity, Roman Catholic concepts of guilt and redemption, machismo, modern crime, macho posturing, bloody violence, violence as culturally endemic and sub-cultural divisions down eth-
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hose are the famous words spoken by who I believe is the most important person on a movie set. A director is judged by their creative talent and ability to run a production. They have to have complete control “on the floor”, as they have many responsibilities: working closely with the cast and crew and making many important decisions.
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nic lines. Scorsese is hailed as 1 of the most significant and influential directors of all time. His most successful films include: Mean Streets (1973), Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990), The Aviator (2004), The Departed (2006) and Hugo (2011). He also directed Michael Jackson’s music video Bad (1987). Scorsese is influenced by: French New Wave, Satyajit Ray, Ingmar Bergman, Michelangelo Antonioni, Alfred Hitchcock, amongst others.
nals, drugs and violence, in reality he detests those elements. Music plays an important part of his style. He would listen to music and create scenes that correlated to the music. There is an astute, bold use of music and his soundtracks have the Spanish classical guitar. Tarantino was inspired to get into movies by paying close attention to the types of films people liked to rent. He was quoted saying “When people ask me if I went to film school I tell them, no, I went to films”.
His trademarks include: using New York City as the main setting in his films. Some of his films are based on true stories. He has a quick cameo in his films or contributes his voice without showing his face on screen. Characters have a choice of worshipping organised religion or organised crime. His lead characters are often morally ambiguous, prone to violence, and/or want to be accepted in society or a society and aren’t infrequently sociopaths. In most of his films the main character often falls in love and has a wife, and often has a turning point between the main character and the wife. His blonde leading ladies are usually seen through the eyes of the protagonist as angelic and ethereal. They wear white in their 1st scene and are photographed in slow motion.
He cites Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, Brian de Palma, Sergio Leone, amongst others as influences. Tarantino frequently collaborates with his friend and fellow director Robert Rodriguez. He directed a car scene in Rodriguez’s Sin City (2005) and was credited as “Special Guest Director”. Tarantino uses his Hollywood power to give smaller and foreign films more attention than they might have received otherwise. The films are usually labelled “Presented by Quentin Tarantino” or “Quentin Tarantino Presents”. Iron Monkey (2001) and Hero (2004) were massive successes in America because of his labelling. His many trademarks include: references to his home state Tennessee and setting his films in LA. He often makes a directors cameo in his films and he crates fictional brands of objects due to his dislike of product placement.
He sometimes highlights characters in a scene with an iris. Often the supporting actor will betray the protagonist. Guilt is a prominent theme in many of his films, as is the role of Catholicism in creating and dealing with guilt. More recently, his films have featured corrupt authority figures. His doesn’t shy away from unflinching, graphic and realistic violence. Scorsese often casts the same actors in his films, most notably his close friend Robert De Niro. More recently, Scorsese has found a new “muse” with Leonardo DiCaprio. The song “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones is used in many Scorsese films. He uses diagdic music (source of music is visible on screen) and his movies are “cut” to the music. He begins his films with segments taken from the middle or end of the story. He uses slow motion technique, freeze framing, virtuoso steadicam shots, slow motion flashbulbs and accented camera/flash/shutter sounds. The use of MOS sequences set to popular music or voice over, often involving aggressive camera movement and/or rapid editing. He often uses long tracking shots. This is a notoriously difficult shot to perfect and he is often dubbed “king of the tracking shot”. Quentin Tarantino was born 27/3/63 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. He is also a screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. He is of Italian, Irish and Cherokee decent. His most successful films include: Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill Vol 1 and Vol 2 (2003/4) and Inglorious Bastards (2009). His movies are generally characterized by stylistic influences from grindhouse, kung fu, spaghetti westerns, wuxia, Jidaigeki, manga and Italian horror. Despite his films featuring crimi-
All his female characters are portrayed as strong, capable, powerful and independent women. This is a reference to his mother who raised him alone. He often has a female character who wears a black and white trouser suit. Although he likes to deny it, he has a major foot fetish. All his characters have their feet shown on camera at least once and his characters often use the phrase “bingo”. Tarantino regularly uses the same actors and is known for giving comebacks to “forgotten” actors and/or cult actors by giving them important roles in his movies. His lead characters usually drive General Motors vehicles, particularly Chevrolet and Cadillac and his films usually have a shot from inside a car trunk. He likes his actors to speak in their native languages or the language of where the character originates from. He always has a Dutch element in his films and uses aliases or codenames in nearly all his films. His characters often utilize sharp, bladed Melee weapons such as the samurai sword. All his films feature scenes in a restaurant. Briefcases and suitcases play an important role in his films. Quentin makes references to cult movies and TV and his characters often discuss their favourite films or shows while carrying out their activities. All his movies use the Mexican Standoff and feature a scene in which 3 or more characters are pointing guns at each other at the same time. Although there is a tone of extreme violence in his films, much of which is suggested offscreen, it’s played for laughs as much as for shocks. A recurring hallmark in all his movies
is that there is a different sense of humour which gets the audience to laugh at things that aren’t funny. His many visual trademarks include: 1 long, unbroken take where a character is followed around somewhere, widely imitated quick cuts of characters hands performing actions in extreme close-up, long close-up of a person’s face while someone else speaks off-screen, frames characters with doorways and shows them opening and closing doors and minor character dialogue is off-screen. Incidental dialogue is pushed centre stage. A character would coolly talk through an intense situation, either delaying the occurrence of violence or avoiding it through resolution. Tarantino prefers to start most of his films with a scene before the main titles are shown and interject scenes with introduction of a characters background or titles to tell the audience of a new portion of the story. As can be immediately seen, novelistic narrative techniques bear a strong influence on his distinct style. It’s an unconventional storytelling device using retrospect, nonlinear or chapter format. They are fractured, chronologically reshuffled narratives. Generally all his movies are about trust, mostly between an older experienced character and a younger character. The betrayal of which, is the worst thing 1 can do to the other. Sir Alfred Hitchcock, KBE was born 13/8/1899 in Leytonstone, England and died 29/4/1980. He is also a producer. He described his childhood as being very lonely and sheltered, a situation compounded by his obesity. Over a career spanning more than ½ century, Hitchcock fashioned for himself a distinctive and recognisable directorial style. He pioneered many techniques in suspense and psychological thriller genres. He was known as “Master of Suspense”. His films also borrow many themes from psychoanalysis and feature strong sexual undertones. His most famous and successful films include: The Man Who Knew too Much (1934), The 39 Steps (1935), Suspicion (1941), Spellbound (1945), Notorious (1946), Dial M for Murder (1954), Rear Window (1954), To Catch a Thief (1955), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), Psycho (1960), The Birds (1963) and Marnie (1964). Many of his films have twist endings and thrilling plots of depictions of violence, murder, crime and the extremely complex psychological examinations of the characters. His real skill was making silly, often implausible stories engaging and compulsive. Hitchcock is often regarded as the greatest British director ever and a cultural icon. He did more than any director to shape modern cinema, which would be utterly different without him. His innovations and vision have influenced many directors, producers and actors. His influence helped start a trend for directors to control artistic aspects of their movies without answering to the producer.
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by Chris
Encounters
O Dell BSC
2013 CALL FOR ENTRIES
Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival...
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ncounters Short Film and Animation Festival, the had to close their doors recently - Worldwide Shorts Festival leading UK showcase of short film and animation, is in Canada and the London based Rushes Soho Shorts. Both now accepting entries for its 19th edition. 2013 will were long-term partners of Encounters, and their work in the see the festival settling into its new September slot landscape of short film support will be greatly missed. We feel (from 17 – 22) at Bristol’s harbourside and across the that now more than ever it’s crucial to continue working hard city. Expectations for this year’s event are high, with the oron showcasing, celebrating and inspiring short filmmakers.” ganisers hoping to build on a record audience of over The call for entries is now open, and has two separate 11,000 attracted in 2012. Last year 1,889 film submisdeadlines. sions were received from 79 countries (notably, 85% “Encounters call for of the films were European), confirming the festival’s Films completed in 2012 must be entered by 29 strong international profile and reputation. 188 short March, whereas 2013 productions have until 3 June. entries films and animations were selected in competition Films of any genre with a maximum duration of 30 2013” across the main festival strands Brief Encounters (live minutes, completed after January 2012, are eligiaction) and Animated Encounters (animation). ble. For the second year running, submissions are made through the Reelport website, which will host the Encounters The festival is an important UK gateway for upcoming talent, Digital Viewing Library, making all films available online for giving selected filmmakers the chance to qualify for a whole delegates. Watershed’s 90-second film competition DepicT!, host of major awards nominations - the Academy Awards®, which is part of the festival, will close its call for entries on 8 the BAFTAs, the European Film Awards and the Cartoon d’Or. July. Full submission guidelines, awards and online submis2012 Encounters alumni are already making a mark, with sion at www.encounters-festival.org. Timothy Reckart’s animated short Head Over Heels (an NFTS Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival Encounters graduation project) up for an Oscar® and Irish animator EaShort Film and Animation Festival is the umbrella festival for monn O’Neill BAFTA nominated for I’m Fine Thanks (Royal College of Art). Animated Encounters and Brief Encounters which together presents one of the world’s best-known showcases and meetThe Animated Encounters jury also selected Reckart’s aniing points for new and established international short and mation as the festival’s nomination for the Cartoon d’Or. Enanimated film talent. counters is celebrating awards season from 10 - 24 February with its Nominated Shorts Season, a series of showcases of Encounters is the longest running competitive short film and the live-action and animated short films nominated for the animation festival in the UK. Encounters seeks to promote the 2012/2013 Oscars® and European Film Awards. The festiimportance of short film as a means to develop and progress val is proud to bring the stars of tomorrow to Watershed in the next generation of creative talent. The 19th edition will partnership with Shorts International and the European Film be held in Bristol, UK, from 17th to 22nd September 2013. EnAcademy. Managing Director Liz Harkman said, “2012 was a counters is a qualifying UK festival for the Oscars®, BAFTAs, European Film Awards and Cartoon d’Or. challenging year for the festival, but we’ve been delighted by positive reactions to the new September dates from delFor more details log on to: www.encounters-festival.org.uk egates and audiences, and are brimming with new ideas for org.uk - Festival Office: +44 (0) 117 929 9188 our 19th edition. Sadly several key short film festivals have
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SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK Winner – People’s Choice Award Toronto International Film Festival
ife doesn’t always go according to plan…Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) has lost everything — his house, his job, and his wife. He now finds himself living back with his mother (Jacki Weaver) and father (Robert DeNiro) after spending eight months in a state institution on a plea bargain. Pat is determined to rebuild his life, remain positive and reunite with his wife, despite the challenging circumstances of their separation. When Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a mysterious girl with problems of her own, things get complicated. Tiffany offers to help Pat reconnect with his wife, but only if he’ll do something very important for her in return. As their deal plays out, an unexpected bond begins to form between them, and silver linings appear in both of their lives.
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The Weinstein Company presents Silver Linings Playbook, a family drama, comedy and love story based on the bestselling novel by Matthew Quick, written and directed by David O. Russell (The Fighter, Flirting with Disaster). Starring Bradley Cooper (Hangover; Limitless), Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games, X-Men First Class), Robert De Niro (Limitless, Meet The Parents), Jackie Weaver (Animal Kingdom), Anupam Kher (Bend It Like Beckam), and Chris Tucker (Rush Hour, Jackie Brown). Rounding out the cast are Julia Stiles, John Ortiz, Shea Whigham, and Dash Mihok. Masanobu Takayanagi is the director of photography, Judy Becker is the production designer. Mark Bridges is the costume designer, and Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers are the editors. Silver Linings Playbook is produced by Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen and Jonathan Gordon. Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, George Para, Michelle Raimo and Bradley Cooper are the Executive Producers. The film is set for release in late 2012.
it with Harvey Weinstein. This was before THE FIGHTER. Although SILVER LININGS was fiction, it was likewise filled with very intense authentic people in a very specific local world the author knew well: emotional homes, people under great pressure, surprising drama, and unintended comedy. I am very drawn to these worlds, I find them fascinating. A certain place, a certain time, certain foods, certain rituals, unlike anything else, yet all the emotions and yearnings for love and respect and livelihood are deeply universal. I found that Bradley Cooper had, as we spoke, so much of the perceptive directness, fierceness, and vulnerability the Pat Solatano character has; and he was very hungry to play an intense unexpected character for him, which is the best timing for a director. Jennifer Lawrence and I had not met, but she knocked me out on her Skyped audition, and Harvey’s “Oh my God” upon viewing expressed his complete agreement. I love romance as much as I love authentic neighborhood worlds; the chemistry of Bradley and Jennifer was palpably combustible as the two very particular people, a gift. In another gift, I was fortunate to find Mr. De Niro with his own strong desire to be authentic in an emotional role of the kind we had discussed over the years that had personal ties for both of us as fathers. The rest of the neighborhood family constellated around the remarkable Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Anupam Kher, John Ortiz, Julia Stiles, Shea Whigham, Paulie Herman, and Dash Mihok. At the end of the day I love to peer into the lives of these people trying to overcome what they face, often themselves, in their own particular house on their own particular block, in ways that are heartbreaking and unbearable before somehow they pull through. For now. -David O. Russell
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT I was shown the book by Sidney Pollack who had acquired
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Issue 8 - 2013
Universal Film
Universal Film & Festival Organization
Issue 8 - 2013
UFFO “ promoting best
business practices” for film festivals” ince the launch of Maureen O’Hara
THE BLACKLIST
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly LIBRA This is fascinating expose book that spills the beans on the scammers and the conmen operating dubious festivals all over the world that arescamming filmmakers, sponsors, governmental organizations, the BFI and the Academy. Some of the Subjects addressed in the book are: How some festivals operate and barter and bargain filmmakers films in a marketplace that is strictly forbidden for film makers. The unfair practice by many festivals of cherry-picking films while portraying a fair and transparent selection and judging process. The blacklisting of film-makers by some festivals, which is a practice that can destroy the careers of the entire cast and crew of a film, distributors and funders. Festival groups where film-makers are not at all welcome and do they share in any of the income generated by their own films Others topics include, film festival business model, the submission and judging process, sponsors, grannts and running a ransparent festival. This is a must read for any filmmaker and festival director.
Keep an eye out for this one!
“Every once in a while there is something that stands out and compels us to notice it; I think that is what struck me most about UFFO when it was first brought to my attention. I am so tremendously honoured and proud to be the President of such an international organisation that promotes ethics in an industry I love so much”.
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UFFO on the 1st July 2011 and the organization’s best business practices for film festivals it has been adopted by over 170 international film festivals and has gathered strong support from organizations all over the world With stories being published on almost a daily basis about fraudlent film festivals something had to be done to protect filmmakers from fraud and to assure that honest festival organizers’ hard-earned reputations were protected. At this stage it was just an ideal. Sometime later I attended an international Film Festival in the UK. I discovered that the festival organizer and his partner, a film director, had a film in
Tyrone D Murphy is the founder and CEO of UFFO, he was responsible for creating and implementing “best business practices”. Through his hard work it has been adopted by over 170 international film festivals around the World. He is an award winning film producer and director, a festival director and now dedicated his time to benefit the filmmaking and film festival communities through UFFO. Tyrone Power JR, is the Chairman of the UFFO committee USA. He is an acclaimed actor in his own right and follows in the footsteps of his famous father Tyrone Power Senior. “The promotion of ethics and standards is a noble and worthwhile goal in any walk of life. To be able to help do so in an industry I love and admire is truly a gift and an honour. I am proud to be a part of the UFFO organization which fosters and promotes the dedicated, passionate work of filmmakers and film festivals around the world.” Tyrone Power.
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UFFO “Best Business Practices” adopted by 185 International Film Festivals competition in their own festival. Nothing illegal about that; a number of festival organizers regularly promote their own and even their friends’ films. The screening programme was set up with their own film taking prime position in the whole lineup. In addition the film was nominated in 7 of the 10 categories. Although the film was slated by many of the UK critics it managed to win an award in every category. Almost 400 other filmmakers who submitted their films to this festival paid $50 for the privilege of their film being chucked in the trash. What was very apparent was that there needed to be something in place to stop this from happening. There was no code of practice anywhere in the world that was fair to both filmmakers and film festival organizers. We wrote a very basic set of best business practices and published it on the social networking sites LinkedIn and Facebook to judge the reaction. The response from both communities was phenomenal. We were inundated with e-mail from all corners of the globe, telling us horror stories, and why the code of practice is needed. The whole idea behind a code of practice was to improve the relationship between industry professionals and acknowledg the importance of enhanced cooperation between filmmakers and film festivals. It led to a heated debate over many months by festival directors and filmmakers. Both communities had very strong opinions about what should and should not be included.
ity of festival directors run legitimate operations, provide a great service and want to play fair; on the other hand the filmmaking community had a gut full of the fraudulent activity that was taking their hard-earned dollars. The few bad apples in the barrel were blighting the entire film industry. The UFFO best business practices has ten simple guiding principles. The successful implementation of this code was largely dependent on its acceptance by the film festival and filmmaking community as a whole. It is completely voluntary and has helped define the obligations and responsibilities that film festival organizers have towards the filmmaking community It has a pragmatic approach to implementation that is based on rational and transparent working methods. It promotes good business practices and assists in the development of relationships between film festival organisers and the filmmaking community. The Universal Film and Festival Organization was later formed to monitor the database of accredited film festivals. Membership to UFFO is completely free and is open to all creative individuals, filmmakers and film festivals. It is completely voluntary and easy to implement, in addition it’s also a blueprint for filmmakers in
Best Business Practice for Film Festivals No 1: Film Festival organizers should operate a transparent selection process and publish details of the selection process and the names of the Jury/selection committee (publication can be after a festival concludes) No 2: Film festivals organizers should provide full contact details for the festival offices including address and telephone numbers and the names of the festival directors and or committee No 3: A Film Festival should publish its legal status as a company, charity or non-profit (this only applies to a registered entity) No 4: Film festival organizers should not share filmmakers’ financial data with any third parties No 5: Film Festivals should publish a year by year history of festival winners and films officially selected No 6: Film festival organizers, committee and or jury should not show or demonstrate any favouritism to any film submitted to the festival or attempt to influence other members of the jury or selection committee No 7: Film Festivals should declare the number of films sought and/or invited by the festival organizers to participate in the festival prior to and before the general call for submissions is sent out No 8: Film Festivals should provide the names of the selection committee and/ or jury members who viewed the submitted film screeners to the festival (this could be after the festival has concluded) No 9: Film festival organizers should view at least 5 minutes of all submitted films No 10: All Festival organizers should declare any conflict of interest that may arise from any film submitted to or invited to participate in the festival
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On the one hand the major-
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Normski Anderson
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Universal Film Issue 8 - 2013
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