October 27th, 2009 festival news, news

NFD winners

nosl ars_web The winner announced In  Saturday’s afternoon of 24th of October during the Closing ceremony the decision of Media Jury of 10th Riga’s Nordic Film Days was announced and the winner awarded with the symbolic NorthernTable, which became incarnated into a chamomile ornamented cup. Film Days’ jury - satori.lv journalist Irbe Treile, DJ of Radio SWH Toms Grevins and magazine’s Klubs chief

October 17th, 2009 festival news, news

NFD Opening

zfd atkl ars_web The 10th Nordic Film Days were ceremoniously opened with huge ice cubes from the North, Scandinavian ice - fishermen, presentation of Medium Jury and Icelandic comedy Back Soon. Could there be a better proof of proper opening than the snow this morning, an affectionate greeting for organizers of the film days? While waiting for the evening films and your herbal tea to infuse, you are welcome to have a glance into off-stage of

September 23rd, 2009 festival news, news

Comming soon

ZFD_09_web The 10th Nordic Film Days are approaching From 16th to 24th of October the International Centre of Cinema in collaboration with Nordea Bank and the Nordic Council of Ministers, presents the 10th Nordic Film Days (NFD) which have become a regular event in Latvia’s cinema life since the beginning of 90ties. The most recent films from Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Finland and Norway will be screened during nine days.

May 28th, 2009 festival news

Art of Cannes

It has finally happened – the 62nd Cannes International Film Festival. In addition to new made films – mostly the world premiers which during the next year will be screened in different film festivals, Cannes offer the unique possibility to everybody being a spectator who has arrived to the cinema without any preconceptions, without having read reviews (because they are not available yet) and as much as possible (taking into account the factor of certain directors) free of conceptions about the specific cinema work. Professionally it is just like a drug which stimulates an addiction. Step by step everything falls into place – there is disillusionment, joy, possibly – incomprehension, but eventually everyone is waiting for HIS film. Beside the Competition festival also offers special sessions (the greatest hit of this edition was Martin Scorsese’s restored Michael Powell’s The Red Shoes), Out of Competition films, films in beach (free of charge event in the beach with Ziggy Stardust or Pink Floyd The Wall on the screen), not to mention the film market of Cannes. There also are parallel festivals like Quinzaine des Realisateurs and Semaine de la Critique, but for Arsenals the most significant is the second programme of competition Un Certain Regard frequented by already familiar director works (Pavel Lungin, Hirokazu Kore-eda) as well as debut works with an unifying element – qualitative author cinema. These are the films which eventually become the discoveries of festivals. I also discovered some. I recommend: Tzar, director Pavel Lungin, Russia, 2009 The last cinema role of Oleg Yankovskiy. Samson and Delilah, director Warwick Thornton, Australia, 2009 The winner of Camera d'Or. It gives an insight into Central Australia aborigine village life. The tragedy sneaks up quietly. Interaction with the surrounding world out there for two youngsters becomes irreversible. Nang Mai, director Pen- Ek Ratanaruang, Thailand, 2009 The new film of Arsenal’s favored director. A meditative story about a young couple which reveals the importance of their relationship during a trip to the forest where one of them disappears. Silence, directorž. Laila Pakalniņa, Latvia, 2009 A film of Laila Pakalnina which has passed a competition between more than 3000 short films to become one of the 9 which were selected for Festival de Cannes Short Films selection. Sarlote Photos from Cannes:

April 12th, 2009 festival news, news

Berimor’s Closing ceremony

The 8th International Children’s Film festival Berimor’s Cinema has concluded! The festival’s main prize „Berimor’s Big Pillow” was given to Latvian director’s Armands Zvirbulis film „Mazie Laupītāji”. The winner of audience prize „Berimor’s Small Pillow” is Finnish director’s Kaisa Rastimo film „Stormheart”.

April 5th, 2009 festival news, news

Berimor’s Opening ceremony

CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL “BERIMOR’S CINEMA” – OPENED ON SATURDAY The opening of the 8th Riga International Children’s film festival “Berimor’s Cinema” took place on Saturday, April 4, at the small screening hall of cinema “Rīga” and offered the Finnish family musical “Rikky Rapper” as the evening’s film.

March 8th, 2009 festival news, news

FFF’09 winners

Winners of the Fantasy Film Festival The IV Riga International Fantasy Film Festival was closed on March 7, when a cheerful and fruity dedication to Nikolai Gogol – the great Russian literature classic – was offered to the audience and guests at cinema “K.Suns”. The competition included 12 feature films, which were evaluated by an international jury: Magnus Paulsson, founder of the Fantasy Film Festival in Lund (Sweden), Kata Anna Varo, journalist and programmer of the

February 28th, 2009 festival news, news

FFF’09 has begun!

On Friday, 27th of February Canadian director Guy Maddin’s film “Brand Upon the Brain!”opened the 4th Riga Fantasy Film Festival. Festival is being hold in cinemas “K.Suns” and “Cinamon” from 27th of February till 8th of March. Festival’s programme offers 12 competition films which will be evaluated by international jury. The jury represented by Magnus Paulsson - founder of Lund IFFF (Sweden) and also producer of vampire-film “Frostbite” already screened in previous edition of

October 17th, 2008 festival news

Zombies Walk

Zombies Walk on the Mediterranean Coast From 2nd to 12th of October, Sitges, Spanish resort which is widely known as sun&sand holiday destination had turned into a refuge for vampires, zombies and admirers of horror who celebrated the 41st edition of world’s biggest fantasy film festival. The amount of selected films was immense – every year around 300 films are being screened

October 15th, 2008 festival news

Meanwhile in San Sebastian…

While Riga was overtaken by passions of Arsenals, San Sebastian welcomed admirers of cinema to celebrate the 56th edition of San Sebastian International Film Festival from 18th to 27th of September. The Official Competition and Horizontes Latinos were complimented by different special programmes and retrospectives. One of the most visited sections was Japanese Film Noir changing the overall impression