Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Dallas International Film Festival

The Dallas International Film Festival runs March 31 – April 10 and features films from four of our Sister City countries -- Mexico, Indonesia, Japan and Germany. Check the schedule for locations and times.

Adiós Mundo Cruel (Goodbye Cruel World) (Mexico)
Director: Jack Zagha
When a hard-working accountant is let go from his job because of the economic slump, he finds a new way of earning a living: becoming part of a criminal gang. ADIÓS MUNDO CRUEL is a creative comedy from Mexico that finds humor in a series of unfortunate events. Starring Carlos Alberto Orozco, Mónica Bejarano, José Montini, Lourdes Villarreal, Sandra Sánchez Cantú, Carlos Aragón, Justo Martínez and Pedro Gámez.
http://www.adiosmundocruel.com

Blood of Eagles (Darah garuda – Merah putih II) (Indonesia) – US PREMIERE
Director: Yadi Sugandi, Conor Allyn
An epic, action-packed intrigue thriller set in Java during Indonesia's War of Independence in 1947, BLOOD OF EAGLES follows a heroic band of guerrilla soldiers recruited to halt the construction of an enemy’s key airfield. The cast includes Doni Alamsyah, Ario Bayu and Atiqah Hasiholan.
http://bloodofeagles.com

13 Assassins (Jûsan-nin no shikaku) World Cinema (Japan) 2010, 141 mins, 35mm)
Directed By: Takashi Miike
Cast: Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada and Yûsuke Iseya
In feudal Japan, a group of unemployed samurai are enjoined to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into war. 13 ASSASSINS is a gritty, old-school samurai film that pulls no punches and isn’t shy about spilling blood.
http://www.13assassins.com

She Deserved It (Sie hat es verdient)(Germany) 2010, 89 mins, Digital Betacam)
In German with English subtitles
Directed By: Thomas Stiller
Cast: Renate Delfs, Martin Feifel, Veronica Ferres
Susanne, a protected, spoiled girl, has a crush on one of her classmates. Linda, however, is jealous and comes up with a plan for revenge. Thomas Stiller’s film is based on the real story of young adults who, for no obvious reasons, turn into cold-blooded killers.

By Day and By Night (De dia y de noche) Latino Showcase (Mexico) 2010, 95 mins, 35mm)
In Spanish with English subtitles
Directed By: Alejandro Molina
Cast: Sandra Echeverria, Manuel Balbi, Marius Biegai, Richie Mestre
After kissing a stranger in a bar, Jenna wakes up the next day to discover a nasty lesion has appeared on her lip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxeR0v4S4JE

The Future (Germany) 2011, 91 mins)
Directed By: Miranda July
Cast: Miranda July, Hamish Linklater, David Warshofsky
Sophie and Jason live in a small apartment, have jobs they hate, and in one month they'll adopt a stray cat. He'll need around-the-clock care — he may die in six months, or it may take five years. Despite their good intentions, the couple is terrified of their looming loss of freedom, so they quit their jobs, and the internet, to pursue their dreams.

Royal Wedding

I'm taking a leap here and am assuming that actor and Swaziland native Richard E. Grant will be attending the wedding between Kate Middleton and Prince William on April 29. Grant was one of the few in attendance at the wedding between Camilla Parker-Bowles and Prince Charles in 2005.

Free Films for Fast Responders

The Global Film Initiative is offering films for schools to be shown during World Cinema Week 2011, April 11-15, but you must apply online by March 31.

The Chinese film "Dooman River" from Director Zhang Lu is one of the offerings. "Dooman River" takes us to rural China rural. GFI says, "The story revolves around 12-year-old Chang-ho, living with his grandfather and mute sister along the frozen river-border with North Korea. Although fraught with unemployment and other tensions, his community seems sympathetic toward the Korean refugees fleeing famine and misery; Chang-ho even bonds over soccer with one young border-crosser who comes scavenging food for a sibling. But he soon turns on his new friend as suspicions mount against the illegal immigrants and his sister reels from unexpected aggression, provoking a quandary over his loyalties in an exquisitely detailed story of compassion and strife across an uneasy geopolitical border."

Click here for full details and registration.