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Award-winning filmmaker Valerie Buhagiar has commenced principal photography on “The Dogs,” an adaptation of Allan Stratton’s bestselling novel.

“The Dogs” revolves around a 13-year-old boy named Cameron and his mother, who have spent years escaping Cameron’s mentally ill father. Although sometimes, Cameron suspects his mother may have kidnapped him. Eventually the pair settle into a dilapidated farmhouse near Wolf Hollow, a property whose previous owner, Frank McTavish, was killed by his guard dogs after his wife ran off with their son, Jacky, and her lover.

The film is currently shooting in Northern Ontario. It is produced by Wild Media Entertainment in association with 2ofaMind Productions and funded in part by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund. Producers include James Milligan, Anthony Artibello, Sheila Rogerson and Jason Jallet. Paul Flint, Kevin C. Bjerkness, Perry Dellelce and Brad Pelman serve as executive producers.

The cast includes Donovan Colan (“Spirit Halloween”), Kathleen Munroe...

Chicago – According to multiple reports from the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, Oliver Schmitz’s artfully lensed, sensitively acted film received one of the warmest receptions. Set in a modern South African village, “Life, Above All” is one of several recent pictures aiming to illustrate that an HIV-positive diagnosis is no longer a death sentence. It’s a film of grand statements delivered with quiet power.

Like Ramin Bahrani, Schmitz is extraordinarily gifted at eliciting naturalistic performances from untrained actors. At the heart of “Life” is Khomotso Manyaka, a child actress devoid of any self-conscious mannerisms to indicate that she is, in fact, acting. Manyaka’s work is beautiful, but Schmitz’s direction is the key to her success. By allowing his young star to freely inhabit her character, he avoids the usual pitfalls that occur when an overly ambitious director is paired with a blank slate. Schmitz seems to know precisely...

We have an exclusive featurette for Life, Above All, which will be released in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack December 6. Click on the video player below to go behind-the-scenes with director Oliver Schmitz on this South African drama.

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Just after the death of her newly-born sister, Chanda, 12 years old, learns of a rumor that spreads like wildfire through her small, dust-ridden village near Johannesburg. It destroys her family and forces her mother to flee. Sensing that the gossip stems from prejudice and superstition, Chanda leaves home and school in search of her mother and the truth. Directed by Oliver Schmitz (Paris, je t'aime) and based on the award-winning novel "Chanda's Secrets" by Allan Stratton.

Special Features:

The Making of Life, Above All

Life, Above All was released July 15th, 2011 and stars Khomotso Manyaka, Keaobaka Makanyane, Lerato Mvelase, Harriet Lenabe, Aubrey Poolo, Tinah Mnumzana,...

Chicago – The spectre of AIDS seems to have diminished, but the continent of Africa still has a huge problem fighting the disease. Director Oliver Schmitz (”Paris, Je T’Aime”) focuses his lens on this physical and cultural crisis in “Life, Above All.”

The film is a fictional story based on the novel, “Chanda’s Secret,” about a young South African girl (portrayed in the film by Khomotso Manyaka) whose mother is ostracized from their village because she contracts AIDS. Chanda is determined to find where her mother has gone, and sets out on a journey that reveals the truth of the cultural attitude toward the deathly disease.

Khomotso Manyaka as Chanda and Lerato Mvelase as Chanda’s Mother in ‘Life, Above All’

Photo credit: Sony Pictures Classic

HollywoodChicago interviewed director Oliver Schmitz and the young teenage actress who portrayed Chanda, Khomotso Manyaka, during a promotional visit for their new film.

Title: Life, Above All Director: Oliver Schmitz Starring: Khomotso Manyaka, Lerato Mvelase, Aubrey Poolo, Keaobaka Makanyane, Harriet Lenabe A debut at last year’s Cannes Film Festival and the closing night gala presentation at the recent Human Rights Watch Film Festival, Oliver Schmitz’s “Life, Above All” is a well constructed, emotionally rich, issues-oriented drama that unfolds through the perspective of a determined young South African girl. Based on Allan Stratton’s respected novel “Chanda’s Secrets”, the movie should receive modest embrace in arthouse and specialty markets drawn to foreign films, especially given the gravity and unfortunately enduring topicality of the tough circumstances with which its grown-up-too-soon protagonist grapples. In a dust-ridden village on the outskirts...

One of the year’s most striking and memorable performances is given by a 12-year-old girl who never set foot in front of a camera before she was chosen to play the leading role in Life, Above All. This moving adaptation of Allan Stratton’s award-winning novel Chanda’s Secrets was directed by Oliver Shmitz, who was raised by German parents in South Africa, where the story takes place. Using natural locations instead of sets, and professional actors as well as locals, he provides a tangible portrait of— —a rural village where ignorance, prejudice, and superstition go hand in hand. Chanda (so well…...

Some words are more taboo than the usual four-letter designations, particularly since the movies have made the latter commonplace. Think of these terms: death, died, cancer, AIDS. More often than not, a person has not died but "passed away" or "passed" or "is with Jesus" or "is an angel." Even worse, kids are sometimes told that their deceased father is "asleep." As for cancer, this term was verboten to a greater extent in the past than now. The term AIDS is not uttered in some afflicted households even today. Why? There is still the belief in the evil eye, even in developed countries like ours, that the mere mention of a term will conjure up Satan. Such is the case with Oliver Schmitz's film "Life, Above All," a generic title that would have improved had Allan Stratton's novel, "Chandra's Secrets," stuck in the cinematic version.

Title: Live, Above All Directed By: Oliver Schmitz Written By: Dennis Foon, from Allan Stratton’s novel, ‘Chandra’s Secrets’ Cast: Khomotso Manyaka, Keaobaka Makanyane, Harriet Lenabe, Lerato Mvelase, Tinah Mnumzana Screened at: Sony, NYC, 6/23/11 Opens: July 15, 2011 Some words are more taboo than the usual four-letter designations, particularly since the movies have made the latter commonplace. Think of these terms: death, died, cancer, AIDS. More often than not, a person has not died but ‘passed away’ or ‘passed’ or ‘is with Jesus’ or ‘is an angel.’ Even worse, kids are sometimes told that their deceased father is ‘asleep.’ As for cancer, this term was verboten to a greater extent...

HeyUGuys brings you the latest in World Cinema film trailers in association with Film Dates UK.

Each week we’ll be showcasing some of most anticipated foreign releases as well as highlighting a few hidden gems which may have fallen off your radar. It’s no surprise that Hollywood has turned to World Cinema for inspiration in recent years with the number of remakes getting more and more popular.

Whilst it remains to be seen how many of these remakes go on to succeed or stay true to their original story counterparts, we decided it was high-time we turned the spotlight onto the next wave of foreign films to grace our screens.

This week we have 3 new trailers for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Angels Of Evil (Vallanzasca – Gli angeli del male) UK Cinema Release Date: Friday 27th May 2011

Synopsis: A biography of Milanese mobster Renato Vallanzasca.

Iframe Embed for Youtube...

See new Life, Above All clips; the South African drama directed by Iliver Schmitz and the countries Oscar contender for Best Foreign Language Film. We have three clips from the drama starring Khomotso Manyaka, Keaobaka Makanyane and Lerato Mvelase. Life Above All is written by Dennis Foon based on the international award winning novel "Chanda's Secrets" by Allan Stratton. Also in Life, Above All are Tina Mnumzana, Audrey Poolo and Mapaseka Mathebe. Just after the death of her newly-born sister, Chanda, 12 years old, learns of a rumor that spreads like wildfire through her small, dust-ridden village near Johannesburg. It destroys her family and forces her mother to flee...

London -- The South African Academy Award selection committee and the National Film and Video Foundation (Nfvf) have picked "Life, Above All" as the country's official candidate for Best Foreign Language Film.

Directed by Oliver Schmitz, the film stars Lerato Mvelase, Harriet Manamela and Khomotso Manyaka and is based on the novel "Chanda's Secret" by Allan Stratton.

It details the story of a young girl who fights the fear and shame that has poisoned her community predominantly in Northern Sotho. It bowed during this year's Festival de Cannes.

Updated through 5/25.

"A commanding performance from screen newcomer Khomotso Manyaka lights up Life, Above All, a moving adaptation of Allan Stratton's bestselling 2004 novel Chanda's Secrets." Allan Hunter for Screen: "A classic coming of age story is given added dramatic heft by placing it in a South Africa where so many children are obliged to assume adult responsibilities as the AIDS pandemic leaves hundreds of thousands of orphans in its wake."...

Here’s a film that screened out of competition, in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival, which just ended over the weekend. It’s called Life, Above All, and is directed by white South African, Oliver Schmitz.

The story goes… Just after the death of her newly-born baby sister, Chanda, 12 years old, learns of a rumor that spreads like wildfire through her small, dust-ridden village near Johannesburg. It destroys her family and forces her mother to flee. Sensing that the gossip stems from prejudice and superstition, Chanda leaves home and school in search of her mother and the truth.

Take a wild guess at what that “rumor” about her family is… but don’t let that spoil your appetite for the film, suggests Guy Lodge of In Contention, who was present for the screening. In his review he states that the film, “largely avoids pedantic moralizing...

Yesterday, The Cultural Post received an e-mail from Canadian screenwriter Dennis Foon (A Shine of Rainbows). In this announced e-mail, he announced that Life, Above All will have its world premiere at the Cannes International Film Festival on May 18.

First of all, the film was directed by Oliver Schmitz (Paris, je t'aime), produced by Oliver Stoltz (Lost Children) and scripted by Dennis Foon (A Shine of Rainbows). It was included in the festival's official selection in the category "Un certain regard". Obviously, Foon won't be the only Canadian competing in this category, for he'll be accompanied by director Xavier Dolan, who directed Les amours imaginaires, and Noah Pink, who directed ZedCrew.

Furthermore, the film is based on a novel of Canadian author Allan Stratton. The story addresses the knotty question of HIV/AIDS through the eyes of a 16-year-old girl living in a small African city.

As for the screening date,...