Film Supporters

Last year when we began talking about launching Filmies, we did so for two reasons. We figured there was a group of film buffs out there that would be interested in getting together regularly, and we figured film was a good way for people to learn about the cultures in and around Fort Worth’s seven international Sister Cities.
I was reading some articles last week on Reuters and the BBC online and it made me think maybe there’s another more important reason we should support the Filmies group and film in general.
Film is an incredible vehicle for freedom of speech and perhaps an even more important spark for debate and discussion.
Reuters reported Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, launched its second film festival. That might be hum drum news in many places. But in Saudi Arabia there are no operating movie theaters due to governmental and religious restrictions. In fact at the festival launch announcement the Jeddah mayor carefully referred to it as the “Festival of Visual Art,” because a “film festival” sounds too risqué.
Meanwhile, the BBC reported that South Africa’s broadcasting entity, SABC, is attempting to block broadcast of a documentary that apparently reflects the South African president in a bad light. SABC is using copyright law as the foundation for the injunction, but critics say it’s because the broadcaster is soft on the administration.
We in the United States are much more used to freedom of speech. That’s not to say there can’t be abuses and rampant propaganda distributed. Many people dislike Michael Moore and view his films, such as “Sicko,” as nothing more than liberal propaganda. It has, however, caused the media and average people to talk about the state of healthcare and insurance in the United States.
Aside from being entertaining, film can be life changing and affirming.
And without the ability to view, educate, learn and discuss, how can we gain other viewpoints and understand other cultures. How can we become better citizens, leaders, families and friends?
How can we become better people?

This Just In: New DVDs

Yo-Yo Girl Cop, 2006, directed by Kenta Fukasaku, Japan
Aya Matsuura stars as K, a teenage delinquent from New York who's recruited by Japan's National Police Agency to thwart a terrorist plot by a group of anarchist private school students. When a credible threat traced back to the school appears on an underground Web site, K has 72 hours to save the day. Directed by Kenta Fukasaku, this action thriller also stars Rika Ishikawa, Shunsuke Kubozuka and Erika Miyoshi.

47 Ronin (Shijushichinin No Shikaku) 1994, directed by Kon Ichikawa, Japan
When their leader commits ritual suicide for dishonoring nobleman Kira (Kô Nishimura), 47 samurai warriors band together, vowing to avenge him. After spending a year preparing themselves for battle, they launch a massive attack against Kira and his army. Ken Takakura and Hisaya Morishige star in director Kon Ichikawa's sweeping version of the classic Japanese tale, inspired by true events.

Basic Tsukamoto, 2003, Japan
Filmmaker and actor Shinya Tsukamoto is one of the most celebrated cult figures in Japanese cinema. Creator of landmark films such as Tetsuo: The Iron Man and Gemini, Tsukamoto is revered not only in his home country, but around the globe as well. Join the renowned director as he recounts the evolution of his impressive career with archival footage of unreleased films, TV commercials and rarely seen recordings of his live shows.

Ciudad Juarez: Tan Infinito Como el Desierto, 2004, Mexico
Over the past decade, hundreds of women have been brutally murdered in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico -- deaths that for the most part remain unsolved. This miniseries dramatizes the tragedy, presenting it through the eyes of a young reporter. Searching the city for her nanny's missing daughter, the journalist and her boyfriend slowly begin to realize the magnitude of the crimes as they're drawn deeper and deeper into the mystery.

Demon Hunting, 2006, Japan
Miho Yabe heads the cast in this spine-chilling Japanese horror flick that follows a private school student whose disturbing visions of satanic activities on campus are blithely dismissed as figments of her imagination. But after one of her dreams gives rise to a gruesome death, she finds herself in a race against the clock -- can she stop the murderous demons before they claim another innocent victim?

Ghost Gate, 2006, Japan
A weekend outing in an old castle turns into a harrowing ordeal for six adventurous students when they unwittingly release a wicked quiescent presence in this hair-raising chiller starring Miho Yabe and Noko Ninomiya. After a succession of bizarre events, the horrifying truth about the spirit's past emerges -- and the petrified youngsters soon come face to face with their biggest fears and nastiest nightmares.

Ghost Train (Otoshimono), 2006, directed by Takeshi Furusawa, Japan
Erika Sawajiri, Chinatsu Wakatsuki and Shun Oguri co-star in this spooky sci-fi thriller based on the urban legend of the haunted train. High schooler Nana has plenty on her plate already -- including a sick mother and a looming graduation -- when her younger sister disappears. Desperate to find her, Nana and her friend Kanae encounter a series of bizarre phenomena during their search -- including a female spirit who inhabits the train platform.

Trippy Spice

Paprika is one trippy movie.
Filmies attended a showing last night at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
The entire movie is a series of crazy dream sequences. It’s a swashbuckling, stream-of-consciousness trippy movie.
Most of us really enjoyed it. It’s not a particularly deep movie, just fun.
Directed by Satoshi Kon, Paprika is based on a book by Yasutaka Tsutsui who also published a collection of short stories called "Salmonella Men on the Planet Porno" – what’s not to like about that title?
The plot summary on Wikipedia goes like this, “In the very near future, a revolutionary new psychotherapy treatment called PT has been invented. A device called the "DC Mini" allows the user to act as a "dream detective" and view inside people's dreams, exploring their unconscious thoughts. The head of the team working on this treatment, Dr. Atsuko Chiba who begins using the machine illegally to help psychiatric patients outside of the research facility, using her alter-ego "Paprika," a persona she assumes in the dream world. Paprika is literally a "dream girl," with her cute face and red hair, she is the more playful half of the serious, though attractive, Chiba. It also seems that Paprika is the most expert of these "dream detectives."
That description is a bit tedious. Check out the Paprika site on MySpace to learn more and hook up with Paprika obsessed fans.

Ekskul Awards Revoked

Following months of protest by the Indonesian film community, the Indonesian National Film Advisory Board (BP2N) has withdrawn the Best Film and Best Director awards given to Ekskul and Nayato Fio Nuala.
The board announced its decision to revoke the awards at a June 28 news conference because the musical score was apparently lifted from several Hollywood movies.
The film was generally panned by critics “mainly due to its many plot holes, unrealistic settings and characterizations, overly-flashy editing style.” Still the film won the 2006 Indonesian Film Festival’s Citra Award for Best Picture.
The awards outraged many in the Indonesian film industry leading to protests and past winners returning their trophies.
The movie is about a high school student who is bullied by day and abused by his parents at home. He lashes back by taking students hostage. A 10-minute chunk is available on YouTube.
Nuala’s most recent film is Nagabonar Jadi 2, in which he starred as well as directed.

Reggio Film Festival Last Call for Entries

The Reggio Film Festival has announced the theme for the sixth annual fest: Women.
The deadline for entries to the short film festival is July 28. The festival runs Sept. 27-29 held in Reggio, Italy. Reggio Emilia is one of Fort Worth’s seven international Sister Cities.

OFFICIAL RULES
1. The 6th Reggio Film Festival is dedicated to the theme of Women

2. The competition is open to all short film filmmakers and includes the following sections:

Women - open to short-movies of 8.00' or less

Open Category - not limited to the theme, open to short-movies of 20.00’ or less

3. Movies must be sent in DVD format and will not be returned

4. There is no cost for applying and submit works

5. It's mandatory to send a copy with english or italian subtitles if the movie is not in italian

6. The DVD must be sent along with the application and (optional) a few photos from the movie, no later than the 28th of July (the postal print is a proof) to the following address:

CONCORSO REGGIO FILM FESTIVAL

c/o Vincenzo Campi

Centro Postale Operativo

via Piccard 14

42100 Reggio Emilia

Italy

7. The festival organizing committee will select the movies that will be shown at the September 2007 Festival, chosing the right section for each movie.

8. The committee reserves the right to use the films for other non-profit and cultural purposes although the copyrights belong to the authors.

9. The movies sent to the committee will not be returned and will be included in the video file of Reggio Film Festival and University of Modena and Reggio. The organizers are committed not to use the works for commercial purposes.

10. The following prizes will be given:

First Prize of 2000 euro for the best short-film about the theme of Women

Zavattini award offered by ARCI-UCCA to the best short-movies made in the style of Cesare Zavattini

People's choice award for the best short-movie in the Open Category section voted by the Reggio Film Festival audience

11. All filmmakers entering the Film Festival will receive the festival program and the awards-winners will be contacted by phone or e-mail. For info about your entry please contact the artistic direction or check the official website.

The acceptance of the whole regulations is mandatory to enter the competition; the final judgment on any controversy is up the Reggio Film Festival direction.

This Just In: New DVD Releases Ziyi Zhang

Princess Raccoon (Operetta tanuki gotten), 2005, directed by Seijun Suzuki, Japan
Love blooms in Seijun Suzuki's dreamlike musical, which chronicles the romance between Prince Amechiyo (Jô Odagiri) and a raccoon spirit (Ziyi Zhang) who's transformed herself into a beautiful woman. Banished by his jealous father, Prince Amechiyo wanders the forest until Princess Raccoon finds the handsome royal and takes him back to her magical castle. Hiroko Yakushimaru and Mikijiro Hira co-star in this joyfully extravagant production.

The Face of Another (Tanin No Kao), 1966, by Hiroshi Teshigahara, Japan
A commentary on plastic surgery and self-image, Hiroshi Teshigahara's sci-fi drama centers on a man (Tatsuya Nakadai) who gets a new face after a horrible accident. But he soon learns that the lifelike mask he's donned comes with a terrible price. Meanwhile on the other side of town, a scarred young woman finds her own way of coping with facial disfigurement. Machiko Kyô, Miki Irie and Mikijiro Hira co-star.

Woman in the Dunes (Suna No Onna), 1964, directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara, Japan
Hiroshi Teshigahara's award-winning drama centers on a bug expert (Eiji Okada) conducting research who's captured by locals. Held captive in a sandpit with a young widow, he struggles with his imprisonment -- and his growing attraction to the woman (Kyôko Kishida). Based on Kobo Abe's novel, the provocatively erotic allegorical film earned the Cannes Special Jury Prize and two Oscar nominations.

Pitfall (Otoshiana), 1962, directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara, Japan
Hiroshi Teshigahara's crime drama mixes murder, the supernatural and postwar commentary into an eerie tale about a Japanese miner (Hisashi Igawa) who's stalked by a ghostly man in white (Kunie Tanaka) with one intent: to imprison the down-and-out laborer in a ghost town. The plot moves deeper into sociopolitical realms as rival union leaders try to solve a mystery surrounding the miner. Kazou Miyahara co-stars as the miner's son.

Amor Xtremo (Extreme Love) 2006, directed by Chava Cartas, Mexico
Two brothers embark on a life-changing course when Sebastián (Aarón Díaz) persuades his older brother -- who quit bike racing after an accident -- to join him in his quest to become a professional racer. The siblings soon set off for Sin City for a motocross event, where they push themselves to the limit. Irán Castillo, Plutarco Haza and Ximena Sariáana also star in director Chava Cartas' adrenaline-fueled action adventure.

Bodyguard Kiba 2: Combat Apocalypse, 1993, directed by Takashi Mike, Japan
Prolific director Takashi Miike (Audition, Dead or Alive) helms this bloody martial arts thriller. When Naoto Kiba (Hisao Maki) takes on a new security job to earn money for the upkeep of his dojo, he unwittingly finds himself matched up against the Soryu-kai -- the most dangerous gang in all of Okinawa. And to make matters worse, Kiba finds himself falling for his client's beautiful girlfriend, Yoko -- also a target of the Soryu-kai.

Hana & Alice (Hana to Arisu), 2004, directed by Shunji Iwai, Japan
A seemingly innocent scheme to trick a cute boy into believing he has amnesia causes a rift between 15-year-old schoolgirls Hana (Anne Suzuki) and Alice (Yû Aoi). After the boy suffers a bump on the head, the more unconventional-looking Hana succeeds in convincing their confused target that she's his longtime girlfriend. But when he begins to show a preference for the prettier and more popular Alice, the girls' friendship starts to sour.

Mujer Coqueta, 2007, Mexico
A greedy beauty who manipulates men for their money sees her luck run out when she's kidnapped by a rival gang bent on destroying her father's drug ring. The femme fatale's flirty ways won't help this time, and it's up to her husband to rescue her. But the task won't be easy as the husband -- a simple rancher -- must pose as a drug dealer to save his wife. This crime thriller stars Oscar Traven and Abraham Ramos.

Von Donnersmarck Supports Cruise Film

Academy Award-winning director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck has joined the chorus of protests against the German government blocking filming of a film about an attempted assassination of Adolph Hitler.

Von Donnersmarck slammed the government in an ad in the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

The film, Valkyrie, directed by Bryan Singer, would star Tom Cruise as Count Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg who was involved in a failed assassination of Hitler.

According to the Deutsche Welle, “While some German politicians have said that Cruise, 44, is unwelcome because of his involvement with the Church of Scientology, officials have said that the decision to prevent filming at the Bendlerblock, now part of the defense ministry, was unconnected with the star's beliefs and was based purely on the disruption it would cause.”

Von Donnersmarck countered that the government for wasting "a golden opportunity," and that the film would promote Germany's image "more than 10 soccer World Cups."