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If ever there was a film built for Twitch, Ola Simonsson and Johannes Stjärne Nilsson's Sound of Noise is definitely one. I don't throw that kind of praise around willy-nilly, in fact, the last film I gave such high marks was my number one film of 2011, Alex de la Iglesia's The Last Circus. Yes, Sound of Noise is that good. The combination of completely mental action and intricately designed musical set pieces is truly amazing to watch and gives a niche all its own.Unlike The Last Circus, which was relatively plot-heavy, Sound of Noise is entirely dependent upon action. There is some skeletal plot about a policeman, Amadeus, who was born tone deaf and a crew of six percussionists looking to wreak havoc...

In the Swedish film, Sound of Noise, directed by Ola Simonsson and Johannes Stjärne Nilsson, six rogue, experimental musicians coordinate four guerilla performances throughout their city in an attempt to free its inhabitants from the stodgy tyranny of classical music. These six drummers hijack four different locations, performing avant-garde movements from their revolutionary score, “Music for One City and Six Drummers.” In each location, the group of criminal composers utilize everyday objects—a heart monitor, a shredding machine and even power lines, for example—in order to create a musical performance like no other. They break a few laws along the way....

“This is a gig!” screams a gang of masked assailants as they enter a busy Swedish bank. The customers are pushed and prodded, forced into a corner, hiding behind their ruffled suits as the perpetrators begin to activate the shredders, printing cash and destroying it in front of them, an activity that involves the ruffling of dollars, the tapping of keyboards, the clang of coins against glass, and yes, maybe some added percussive activities. It’s music, and it’s only one of many “attacks” from this ambitious group.

A terrorist group by definition, these musicians, who won’t sing or dance, instead perform acts of disruption, seeking no material gain aside from bringing the sound of chaos to everyone’s doorstep. To them, the enemy is convention, and while they arrange their attacks as “movements,” each with its own separate attack point, their weapon of choice are endless looping drums.

A heist pic, a police procedural, a musical and comedy all rolled into -- you won't be surprised to learn this inventive blend of genres doesn't come from Hollywood, but instead is finding its way to U.S. theaters via Sweden.

Directed by Ola Simonsson and Johannes Stjärne Nilsson, "The Sound Of Noise" centers on Amadeus Warnebring, a police officer born into a musical family with a long history of famous musicians. Ironically, he hates music, but he finds his life is thrown into chaos when a band of crazy musicians decide to perform a musical apocalypse using the city as their orchestra. Reluctantly, Warnebring embarks on his first musical investigation. "The Sound Of Noise" has played festivals worldwide, and won a handful of awards including the Young Critics Awards at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010.

Now, it's finally making its way to theaters stateside. Magnolia Pictures will begin rolling...

The first musical cop movie! Or "Bonnie and Clyde on drums", which sounds pretty damn cool. Magnolia Pictures has debuted the official trailer via Apple for Sound of Noise, a film written and directed by Ola Simonsson and Johannes Stjärne Nilsson. This Swedish crime musical features percussion set pieces throughout and it looks like a cinematic spectacle, I'm honestly a bit sad I missed this at Fantastic Fest (in late 2010), where it won Best Picture. But thankfully it'll be in theaters very soon! The cast includes: Bengt Nilsson, Sanna Persson Halapi, Magnus Borjeson and Johannes Bjork. Check out the fun full trailer below. Watch the official Us trailer for Ola Simonsson & Johannes Stjarne Nilsson's Sound of Noise: You can also download the Sound of Noise official trailer in High Definition over on Apple Follows police officer Amadeus Warnebring, tone-deaf scion of a musical family, as he attempts to track...

After eight crazy days, Fantastic Fest 2010 is in the books. Here's an index to all of our coverage, reviews, features, interviews, videos, and podcasts.

Last Updated: 10/01/2010

Reviews

"Red," directed by Robert Schwentke

"Agnosia," directed by Eugenio Mira

"Bibliotheque Pascal," directed by Szabolcs Hajdu

"Corridor," directed by Johan Lundborg and Johan Storm

"Fatso," directed by Arild Fröhlich

"Fire of Conscience," directed by Dante Lam

"Ip Man 2," directed by Wilson Yip

"I Saw the Devil," directed by Kim Ji-woon

Kidnapped," directed by Miguel Angel Vivas

"Let Me In," directed by Matt Reeves

"The Man From Nowhere," directed by Lee Jung-beom

"Outrage," directed by Takeshi Kitano

"Red White and Blue," directed by Simon Rumley

"A Somewhat Gentle Man," directed by Hans Petter Moland

"Sound of Noise," directed by Ola Simonsson and Johannes Stjärne Nilsson

Interviews

Mark Hartley, "Machete Maidens Unleashed"

Ryan Kwanten and Patrick Hughes, "Red Hill"

Andrew Lau, "Legend of the Fist"

Ryan Reynolds and Rodrigo Cortés,...

Reviewed at Fantastic Fest 2010.

For a fresh take on the heist movie, just add music. The inventive Swedish comedy "Sound of Noise" (directed by Ola Simonsson and Johannes Stjärne Nilsson) is about a band of musical malcontents who break into a hospital, a bank ("This is a gig! We're only here for the music!" they yell) and other public places to play compositions using the surroundings as their instruments. Led by Sanna (Sanna Persson), the sextet attempt to perform a piece called "Music for One City and Six Drummers" that composer Magnus (Magnus Börjeson) describes, in a mild understatement, as "conceptual."

But in a town where the major musical excitement surrounds a Haydn concert and speakers on the street pipe in saccharine muzak, a little sonic terrorism doesn't seem entirely out of the question. It's "Sound of Noise"'s central lark that instead of this rebellion arriving via the usual path of rock and roll,...

Fantastic Fest Logo 2010Fantastic Fest is moving into its sixth year and the 2010 event will take place in Austin, Texas September 23rd. This year's showings will include over fourty short films, each of which has been listed below. The horror short highlights include the creature feature "Culebra," the exorcist fueled "Deus Irae," the comical "The Legend of Beaver Dam," the dark "La Petit Mort" and undead characterizations in "Only Son." More details on the horror shorts are available below, along with the entire 2010 Fantastic Fest short film lineup.

"5 Minute Dating"

Canada

Director: Peter Hatch.

"A dating service where anyone can find their soul mate" (Fantastic).

"12 Years"

Germany

Director: Daniel Nocke.

"We're not the only species that needs to endure the wrenching pain of relationships gone sour" (Fantastic).

"The Astronomer's Sun"

Director: David Bunting.

"Lovely animated story about a boy and his bear and the secrets of the universe."

"Atomic Hubbub"

UK

Director: Stephen Irwin.

Hot diggity! Fantastic Fest is screening a whole lot of shorts and they're a whole lot of good. We've featured a number of these on Twitch in the past so get searching to turn up a fistful of happiness. Here's the full announcement!

Fantastic Fest 2010 Announces Full Short Films Slate

Over 40 Genre-Bending Shorts From Across The Globe

Set To Premiere At This Year's Festival

Austin, TX---Friday, September 3, 2010--- Fantastic Fest announces the full short films lineup, including over 40 genre-bending selections from around the world.  The festival has amassed the ultimate array of cool, twisted, beautiful, mind-bending, horrifying and hilarious short films. The best short films can pack in more emotion, laughs adrenaline, creativity and flat-out insanity than a million big-budget blockbusters. Or they can show you something so ambitiously horrendous that you beg for mercy. 

Fantastic Fest 2010 Short Film Lineup

5 Minute Dating

Canada, Director: Peter Hatch 

A dating service...

Fantastic Fest has announced its full 2010 short films lineup, including over 40 genre-bending selections from around the world. The festival has amassed the ultimate array of cool, twisted, beautiful, mind-bending, horrifying and hilarious short films. The best short films can pack in more emotion, laughs adrenaline, creativity and flat-out insanity than a million big-budget blockbusters. Or they can show you something so ambitiously horrendous that you beg for mercy.

Fantastic Fest 2010 Short Film Lineup

5 Minute Dating

Canada, Director: Peter Hatch

A dating service where anyone can find their soul mate.

12 Years

Germany, Director: Daniel Nocke

We’re not the only species that needs to endure the wrenching pain of relationships gone sour.

The Astronomer’s Sun

UK, Director: David Bunting

Lovely animated story about a boy and his bear and the secrets of the universe

Atomic Hubbub

UK, Director: Stephen Irwin

Here’s the newest way to enjoy mankind’s impending self-apocalypse.

There was enormous surprise Sunday evening at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival where the Palme d’Or was awarded to Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s captivating Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. This film was co-produced by the UK, France, Germany and Spain. At 39, the director confirms his original talent previously lauded at Cannes with the Un Certain Regard Prize in 2002 for Blissfully Yours and the Jury Prize in 2004 for Tropical Malady.

With triple success for France and honours for Italy and Spain, Europe is also well-represented in a prize list that was apparently the subject of intense discussions. The Grand Prize went to Of Gods and Men by French director Xavier Beauvois , while his compatriot Juliette Binoche scooped Best Actress for Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy. Mathieu Amalric completes the French haul with Best Director for On Tour (co-produced with Germany).

Best Actor was shared by Spain...

Three titles that should receive a lot of attention in this year's fest are: Jorge Michel Grau's contempo cannibal film to break out We Are What We Are (see pic), and Johannes Stjärne Nilsson's Sound of Noise – a high risk film because it mixes genres together like someone grabbing whole bunch of leftovers from the fridge. - The kings of the Croisette – Wild Bunch have got titles coming out of all orifices that they just supplied the fest with the last minute addition of Ken Loach's Route Irish. Earlier in the year they had one of the best comedies of the year in Four Lions play in Sundance (which has yet to be picked up for the North American market) and the steamy Rome in Room should fog up the Market Screenings. Three titles that should receive a lot of attention in this year's fest are:...

The kings of the Croisette – Wild Bunch have got titles coming out of all orifices that they just supplied the fest with the last minute addition of Ken Loach's Route Irish. Earlier in the year they had one of the best comedies of the year in Four Lions play in Sundance (which has yet to be picked up for the North American market) and the steamy Rome in Room should fog up the Market Screenings. Three titles that should receive a lot of attention in this year's fest are: Jorge Michel Grau's contempo cannibal film to break out We Are What We Are (see pic), and Johannes Stjärne Nilsson's Sound of Noise – a high risk film because it mixes genres together like someone grabbing whole bunch of leftovers from the fridge. Already causing a stir is the social commentary docu film by agitator Sabina Guzzanti – Italian politicians beware.

Among the more interesting picks in the titles mentioned above, we have scribe Rebecca Zlotowski's directing debut with the pairing of some hot French thesps in Léa Seydoux and Anaïs Demoustier, there is David Robert Mitchell's SXSW entry that gets a second life via this section and another Swedish-French production is hitting the section this year, with what appears to be an awfully unique project from Ola Simonsson & Johannes Stjärne Nilsson. - Armadillo - Janus Metz (Denmark) Bedevilled - Cheol So Jang (South Korea)Belle épine - Rebecca Zlotowski (France) Bi, dung so ! - Phan Dang Di (Vietnam - France - Germany) The Myth of the American Sleepover - David Robert Mitchell (U.S.A.)Sandcastle - Boo Junfeng (Singapore) Sound of Noise - Ola Simonsson & Johannes Stjärne Nilsson (Sweden - France) A heavy focus on French films and a trio of Asian filmmakers...

Following is the Critics Week lineup for the 63rd Festival de Cannes:

Competition

Feature films

“Armadillo,” Janus Metz (Denmark)

“Bedevilled,” Jang Cheol So (South Korea)

“Belle épine,” Rebecca Zlotowski (France)

“Bi, dung so!,” Phang Dang Di (Vietnam, France, Germany)

“The Myth of the American Sleepover,” David Robert Mitchell (U.S.)

“Sandcastle,” Boo Junfeng (Singapore)

“Sound of Noise,” Ola Simonsson & Johannes Stjärne Nilsson (Sweden, France)

Short films

“A distração de Ivan,” Cavi Borges & Gustavo Melo (Brazil)

“Berik,” Daniel Joseph Borgman (Denmark)

“The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Lion,” Alois Di Leo (U.K.)

“Deeper Than Yesterday,” Ariel Kleiman (Australia)

“Love Patate,” Gilles Cuvelier (France)

“Native Son,” Scott Graham (U.K.)

“Vasco,” Sébastien Laudenbach (France)

Special Screenings

Feature films

Opening Night

“Le Nom des gens,” Michel Leclerc (France)

Others

“Copacabana,” Marc Fitoussi (France, Belgium)

“Rubber,” Quentin Dupieux (France)

Short and medium length films

Closing Night

Tba

Others

“L’Amour-propre,” Nicolas Silhol...

Armadillo - Janus Metz (Denmark) Bedevilled - Cheol So Jang (South Korea)Belle épine - Rebecca Zlotowski (France) Bi, dung so ! - Phan Dang Di (Vietnam - France - Germany) The Myth of the American Sleepover - David Robert Mitchell (U.S.A.)Sandcastle - Boo Junfeng (Singapore) Sound of Noise - Ola Simonsson & Johannes Stjärne Nilsson (Sweden - France) A heavy focus on French films and a trio of Asian filmmakers are amongst the regions selected for this year's Semaine de la Critique (a.k.a Critics’ Week). Their initial release of a firm ten films selected may eventually include one more in the "Godfathers" screening (which see a chosen director with plenty of clout present a new film from a newbie filmmaker). As I previously mentioned here and here, Marc Fitoussi's Copacabana with Isabelle Huppert and Quentin Dupieux's unique road movie Rubber will receive Special screening...

• France-based Wild Bunch are the masters of their domain – we can forget about the horrible way Che fell victim to a bad market by remembering the success story of The Wrestler. They come to Cannes as usual with a ton of items in competition and a slate of films that gives buyers way too many options. I'll be checking out Cristian Mungiu's Tales From the Golden Age, Gabe Ibanez's Hierro, Looking for Eric by Ken Loach, the probably banned from filmmaking in China again director Lou Ye's Spring Fever, the already controversial (will it be ready on time?) Enter the Void by Gasper Noe and I will hope to fit in Marina De Van's thriller Don't Look Back and Un Certain Regard selected No One Knows About Persan Cats from Iranian filmmaker Bahmann Ghobadi. Wild Bunch also have some savoury titles in post production which I expect

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