Cinema takes place
in Arsenals

Jafar Panahi arrested /  Jafar Panahi arrested in Iran The film world is calling for the release of director Jafar Panahi, who was arrested on Monday evening in his house in Tehran by plainclothes officers of the Iranian regime. The following were also arrested: his wife and daughter, film directors Mohammad Rasulov, Mahnaz Mohammadi, Rokhsareh Ghaem-Maghami and cameraman Ebrahim Ghafari.

César Awards 2010 /  The 35th Annual César Awards ceremony was held by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma to honor its selection of the best films of 2009 on February 27, 2010. Marion Cotillard was chosen as the Hononary President of the ceremony. Harrison Ford was presented with an Honorary César by Sigourney Weaver.

Next “Arsenals” /  XX Riga International Film Forum Arsenals will be held from 17th to 26th of September 2010. Film submission fee: free Film submission amount: no limitation Film call for entry start day: 01.10. 2009 Film call for entry deadline: 15. 06. 2010 Here You can download the regulation and entry form of Arsenals 2010. Festival's website

White greetings /  Riga International Film Forum Arsenals sends  greetings  to all cinema friends, who are snowed in or allready have found a way out from the snowdrifts. Please find the greeting card in full size here ore by clicking on the picture.

Spirit Awards nominations /  Spirit Awards nominations Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced nominations for the 25th Film Independent Spirit Awards. Nominees for Best Feature include (500) Days Of  Summer, Amreeka, Precious, Sin Nombre and The Last Station. Selected from 240 submissions, this year's winners will be unveiled at a late-night celebration on Friday, March 5, 2010, at LA Live's panoramic event deck in downtown Los Angeles.

The winner of LUX Prize /  French film Welcome gets European Parliament 2009 LUX Prize This year's European Parliament LUX Film Prize goes to the film Welcome by the French director Philippe Lioret. This film won the majority of EP members' votes. The film takes place in Calais, France, and shows a swimming instructor who chooses to help out a young Kurdish refugee who necessarily wants to swim across the English Channel to join his girl friend who has already immigrated

NFD winners /  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

NFD Opening /  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

Comming soon /  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.

Pandora’s Box /  Arsenals recomends: Pandora's Box, dir. Yesim Ustaoglu, Turkey, France, Germany, Belgium, 2008 When three 40-something siblings who live in Istanbul get a phone call and hear that their aging mother has disappeared in northeastern Turkey (she was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease), they put aside – for a while – all their differences, and they go and search her. However, just like a Pandora box, old tension, animosities and unspoken family stories will resurface.