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At the Award Ceremony of the 27th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), awards were presented to the winners of the festival’s five competition programmes and PÖFF’s youth and children’s film sub-festival Just Film.

The jury of the Official Selection Competition, headed by Trine Dyrholm, selected Emma Dante’s drama Misericordia as their favourite, handing the film the Grand Prix for Best Film.

Dante adapted her own play of the same name, telling the story of three prostitutes who live in the wasteland by the sea, where a village of outcasts has emerged. Its star Simone Zambelli also scooped the Best Actor Award.

The jury commented on the film with the following statement: “A powerful film about how to stay supportive and, above all, exhibit humanity in a marginalised environment. Beautifully directed, shot and acted, the Best Film Award goes to Misericordia.”

The Best Director Award went toManuel Martín CuencaforAndrea’s Love.

Emma Dante’s film took the Grand Prix, plus best actor for Simone Zambelli.

Emma Dante’s Italian drama Misericordia won the award for best film in Official Selection Competition at the 27th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, at the awards ceremony held tonight.

Adapted from Dante’s own play of the same name, the film follows three sex workers living in a wasteland by the sea, where the only light in their lives is the young man they care for together.

Scroll down for the full list of winners

Simone Zambelli also received the best actor award in the section.

Italian writer-director Emma Dante’s “Misericordia” has won the top prize at the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, Estonia. Adapted from her own play, her third feature tells the story of a young man (Simone Zambelli) with learning difficulties, cared for by a group of sex workers on an island, protecting him from the cruelty of his abusive father. It’s a raw portrait of a marginalized group of people, mixing natural beauty of the locations with the grime of everyday existence.

Zambelli also took the award for best actor, for his role as the man-child at the center of the drama. The best actress prize was shared by Lubna Azabal, who plays a teacher in Jawad Rhalib’s “Amal,” and Kim Higelin, who stars in the controversial French drama “Consent,” directed by Vanessa Filho, as a teenager having an affair with a manipulative and exploitative 50-year-old writer.

The...

The line-up is made up of 11 world premieres at 5 international premieres.

Aylin Tezel’s romance Falling Into Place is among 16 titles selected for the First Features competition at Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.

The line-up comprises 11 world premieres and 5 international premieres.

German-Turkish actor Tezel, whose credits include 2019’s 7500, makes her directorial debut with the English-language Falling Into Place - a romance set between Scotland and London and starring Tezel, Chris Fulton and 2023 Screen Star of Tomorrow Rory Fleck Byrne. It recently world premiered at Filmfest Hamburg.

Also screening is Carolina Ingvarsson’s UK-produced drama Unmoored, fresh off its London premiere,...

Logies Load Up On ‘The Twelve’, ‘Colin From Accounts’

Australia’s annual celebration of TV this weekend named Sam Neill as the country’s most popular actor for his role in courtroom drama series “The Twelve.” The Foxtel and Binge show was the numerical winner on the evening in a tie with Binge’s “Colin From Accounts.” Both shows picked up a trio of awards. Sonia Kruger was named Australia’s most popular TV personality for her roles on “The Voice,” “Dancing With the Stars” and “The Masked Singer.”

2023 Logies Winners List

Gold Logie for most popular personality on Australian TV: Sonia Kruger, “The Voice,” “Dancing with the Star” and “Big Brother,” Seven Network

Bert Newton Award for most popular presenter: Tony Armstrong, “A Dog’s World” with Tony Armstrong, ABC

Silver Logie: Most popular Australian actor: Sam Neill, “The Twelve,” Foxtel & Binge

Silver Logie: Most popular Australian actress: Kitty Flanagan,...

Like many (most?) feature film directorial debuts, Taika Waititi's 2007 rom-com "Eagle vs Shark" is rough around the edges. The movie centers on Lily (co-writer Loren Horsley), a lonely, soft-spoken fast food worker and wannabe songwriter who develops a crush on Jarrodd, a far-from-lovable video game store employee played by Jemaine Clement. At the time of its release, many critics felt "Eagle vs Shark" hewed a little too closely to Jared Hess' similarly quirky, deadpan indie comedy "Napoleon Dynamite." Looking back at it 15 years later, however, the film's blend of off-beat humor and melancholy gives it what is now widely recognized as a distinctly...

The post Joining The Marvel Machine Had Some Downsides For Taika Waititi appeared first on /Film.

Actor-writer-director Taika Waititi has graduated in recent years from being New Zealand’s indie wunderkind to a box-office blockbuster filmmaker whose celebrated comedy style transcends fandom and genre. You’d be hard-pressed to find a genuinely bad film in his filmography, so as we explore his six efforts behind the camera, take into consideration that, for the most part, we’re splitting hairs. He’s a singular talent who blends hard-hitting emotional storylines with whimsical gags so meticulously, it’s hard to believe he got away with it.

6. “Eagle vs. Shark” (2007)

Taika Waititi’s debut film is a low-key comedy about outcasts combating depression, but although Waititi seems sensitive to their plight, “Eagle vs. Shark” is frustratingly off balance. Loren Taylor stars as an introverted young woman with a crush on a socially awkward Jemaine Clement; she follows him to his hometown, where he plans to finally beat up his old high-school bully.

Andrew Blair Oct 27, 2017

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Each week within this column we strive to pair the latest in theatrical releases to worthwhile titles currently streaming on Netflix Instant Watch. This week we offer alternatives to This Means War, The Secret World of Arrietty and Undefeated.

Tomorrow in theaters it’s spy versus spy when two secret agents become romantic rivals, a scrappy underdog team fights their way to football glory and a teeny teen discovers a grand new world. But if you want more action-romance-comedies, more heartwarming sports tales, and more spirited adventures with pint-sized protagonists , we’ve got you covered with the best titles Now Streaming.

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#13 – “Eagle vs. Shark” (2007)

Directed by Taika Waititi

At first glance the Antipodean comedy “Eagle vs. Shark” appears very much cut from the same comedic cloth as Jared Hess’ 2004 ode to geekdom “Napoleon Dynamite” with its socially inept lead characters, quirky soundtrack and offbeat comic sensibilities. On closer inspection, however, Taika Waititi’s debut feature reveals itself to be something altogether different; a charming romantic comedy fuelled by a witty script, a great cast, a gorgeous soundtrack and a great deal of heart.

Fans of cult TV series “Flight of the Conchords” will already recognize lead actor Jemaine Clement who, as Jarrod, most closely resembles the inimitable Mr. Dynamite with his underdeveloped social skills, lack of sexual expertise and penchant for videogames, kung fu and dressing up as his favourite animal (“I almost came as a shark actually, but then I...

To continue my review of my epic journey to watch all my films from A-z, this is the Fifth part.

For those that don’t know I am watching all 700+ Dvd/Bluray films from A-z which has so far taken me 2.5 years to get to the end of H’s!

I thought I should retrospectively review each letter and give my top 5 films from each alpha block and maybe bring your attention to some films you may not have seen, films you’ve not seen in ages or films you should give another try. Click A, B, C and D to read previous parts.

The E’s are a long time coming but here it is. Firstly some films beginning with E that let down alpha group for me personally, I’m not a big fan of Easy Rider, nor the English Patient, also couldn’t care for Erin Brockovich,...

• When they first walked in the room it was apparent that Jemaine Clement, Loren Horsley and Taika Waititi go way back. They hang on each other, finish the others sentences and seem to communicate on their own wavelength. It was this close bond that enabled them to overcome the obstacles of filming Eagle vs. Shark, a film that was brought up through the Sundance labs and shot in their native New Zealand. Director Taika Waititi has already been nominated for an Academy Award for his short Two Cars, One Night and is known throughout New Zealand as one of the best stand-up comedians. A few years ago he hooked up with college-bud Jemaine Clement to form the comedy duo “Humorbeast.” Since then, the two have gone on to perform many venues in New Zealand and abroad. Waititi’s first feature length film is a quirky, ironic comedy about geek love.

...

PARK CITY -- "Eagle vs. Shark", from Kiwi director Taika Waititi, is like the romantic version of "Napoleon Dynamite". Story of a misfit couple sort of getting together features goofy characters doing not very much in painfully oddball situations. Miramax picked up the film hoping a young audience will find this funny and original, but don't bank on it.

In this sub-genre of Gen Y comedies, quirky has somehow come to mean dumb. Perhaps teens, especially guys, enjoy seeing people on screen who are not as smart as they are. It's the real revenge of the nerds.

In "Eagle vs. Shark", Lily (Loren Horsley) works behind the counter at Meaty Boy, a cheesy hamburger joint in a Wellington, New Zealand, where she waits for her Mr. Right to come in. Unfortunately, Jarrod (Jemaine Clement) possesses, as Waititi freely admits, "all the worst traits of every male you've ever known." He's egotistical, self-absorbed, macho, obnoxious, immature and not that interesting. But for Lily, love is blind.

Their romance, such as it is, takes off when he invites her to a come-as-your-favorite-animal party. She dresses up as a sad shark and he's a preening eagle. They come together over a match of Fight Man, where Jarrod says she's the best female video game player he's ever seen. Obviously, it's a deep bond.

Pretty soon they're off to his hometown where he's on a mission to extract revenge from the guy who tormented him in high school. Jarrod goes into heavy training for the event and soon loses interest in Lily, who hangs around with his family anyway. It turns out his nemesis is now confined to a wheelchair but kicks Jarrod's butt anyway. Very funny. But despite being dumped, Lily is there for him, and together they learn something or other about each other and themselves.

Presumably, these characters are meant to be appealing in their ordinariness, but just seem inane. The Farrelly Brothers can get away with it because their writing is smart, even if their characters aren't. For Waititi, who developed the screenplay at the Sundance Lab, wisdom consists of lines like, "life is full of hard bits but in between there are lovely bits."

The film cultivates a hyper-real look, nicely shot by Adam Clark, and also features some animated flights of fancy with an apple and insects devouring it. That must mean it's a cruel world out there, redeemed only by love. A nice idea, if only it seemed remotely real.

EAGLE VS. SHARK

Icon, Miramax Films, Whenua Films, in association with NZ Film Commission and Unison Films

Credits:

Director: Taika Waititi

Writer: Waititi

Producers: Ainsley Gardiner, Cliff Curtis

Executive producer: Emanuel Michael

Director of photography: Adam Clark

Production designer: Joe Bleakley

Music: The Phoenix Foundation

Costume designer: Amanda Neale

Editor: Jono Woodford-Robinson

Cast:

Lily: Loren Horsley

Jarrod: Jemaine Clement

Doug: Craig Hall

Nancy: Rachel House

Jonah: Brian Sergent

Damon: Joel Tobeck

Running time -- 87 minutes

No MPAA rating...

As business begun at the Festival de Cannes wraps up, Miramax Films has acquired North American rights to the comedy Eagle vs. Shark, the debut feature from New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi. Palm Pictures has acquired North American rights to Ten Canoes, an Australian feature directed by Rolf de Heer and co-directed by Peter Djigirr. Waititi's short film Two Cars, One Night was nominated for an Oscar as best live-action short in 2005, and his second short Tamu tu received the Special Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival that same year. His first feature Eagle, a comic account of two misfits searching for acceptance, was developed at the Directors and Screenwriters Lab at the Sundance Institute. Currently in postproduction after shooting in and around Wellington, N.Z., it stars New Zealanders Loren Horsley and Jemaine Clement. Horsley developed the character while collaborating with Waititi on the script. Ainsley Gardiner and Cliff Curtis of Whenua Films are producers.