There are over 11 million of unauthorised immigrants in the United States, including 5.6 million Mexicans who labour in fields, restaurant kitchens and factories. When not caught and sent to detention centres and courts, they try to survive under the radar, away from immigration officers while chasing their “American Dream”. The Founding Fathers may have…
Category: Film events and festivals
The 2nd London East Asia Film Festival Programme Announced
Here it is, here it is, hear me jump with joy! The 2nd London East Asia Film Festival has announced its programme and it looks amazing! LEAFF’s successful previous edition has led to its second year, and the festival is getting more and more attention. The 2nd LEAFF will run from 19th to 29th of…
The 74th Venice International Film Festival – Hunting Season Review
Argentinian film director Natalia Garagiola wrote and directed 3 short films between 2011 and 2014, two of which (Mares and Parakeets, 2012 and Sundays, 2014) premiered at Festival de Cannes. Her debut feature, Hunting Season (Temporada de Caza, 2017), premiered during the International Critics’ Week of the 74th Venice International Film Festival – and promptly won…
The 74 Venice International Film Festival: In Conversation with Francois Troukens, Director of ‘Above the Law’
Imagine how hard your life can get sometimes… Can you imagine just how much more difficult it can get for ex-criminals? They face insurmountable challenges if they want to get their lives back on track. Even so, Francois Troukens managed to defy the odds and proved that nothing is impossible. He is now a reformed ex-convict-turned-writer-director…
The 74th Venice International Film Festival: Strange Colours Review
Born in Russia and based in Australia, Alena Lodkina has started her filmmaking odyssey by directing documentaries and short productions which were screened at festivals around the globe, including at Melbourne International Film Festival, Antenna Documentary Festival and Belo Horizonte International Short Film Festival. Her feature debut project Strange Colours, alongside with Mazen Khaled’s Martyr, premiered in Biennale…
The 74th Venice International Film Festival: Martyr Review
Mazen Khaled, with two features and four shorts under his belt, has already impressed critics with his promising film-making; seen as an art-house type of a director, his style undoubtedly aims at the niche market rather then at the mainstream audience. His new work, Martyr, was recognised by the Venice International Film Festival and presented…
The 74th Venice International Film Festival: Above the Law Review
The atmosphere of gangster films has always resonated with darkness, violence and drugs, and more often than not involved bank robberies. In conjunction with a number of excellent directors, it is no wonder that the history of this genre is rich with outstanding films, and Above the Law (French: Tueurs) is one of those explosive,…
Santiago Paladines’ The Fare: Short Film Review
Somewhere in the USA, the police comes into “a drop house” – a hideaway where illegal immigrants are being kept by traffickers before transporting them deeper into the country – and what they witness is a plastic rubbish bag, filled with human waste. In it, there is a man who is barely alive, and next…
The 25th Raindance Film Festival Programme Announced
Raindance Film Festival, the largest independent film festival in Europe, is returning for its 25th anniversary edition this year; it is slotted from September 20th to October 1st 2017, with its venue in Central London – and just yesterday, on August 15th 2017, the festival announced its 25th line-up of over 200 feature and short films. For…
Okja Review
There is no doubt that Bong Joon-ho is a visionary filmmaker. And with six features under his belt (Snowpiercer, Mother, The Host, Memory of Murder, Barking Dogs Never Bite), including his newest production, the Netflix original Okja, there is no sign of him slowing down. Okja premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival; it connects drama, family…
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