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Disability Belongs, a national disability-led nonprofit known for creating systemic change in how society views and values people with disabilities, has announced a new virtual cohort of participants for its 2025 Entertainment Lab.

This year, 25 Fellows and one duo have been selected to participate in the lab. The cohort — which includes writers, directors, producers, and those working in physical production — will engage in interactive presentations, roundtables, and skill-building workshops with top executives and talent from major studios, networks, and production companies.

The 2025 participants are Afia Serena Nathaniel, Alex Cottle, Ana Maria Defillo, Azure D. Osborne-Lee, Cat Youell & Brad Crowe, Chanthen Nene, Charlie T. Savage, Connor Roach, Dana Braziel-Solovy, James Caverly, Jeremy Andrew Davis, Kawan Glover, KeKe Williams, Lisa Hammer, Matthew Manson, Maxine Grossman, Miguel Martinez, Natalie Lomske, Rob Rufus, Sam Dunnewold, Sam Tracton, Stephani Victor, Vincent De Milo, and Zachary Brenner.

Among them, there are 10 writers, six writer/directors, four writer/producers,...

Chicago Med star Luke Mitchell recently revealed how he'd like one of the show's former stars to return. The two previously worked together on a short-lived television series.

Speaking with Cbr, Mitchell spoke about Ato Essandoh, the actor who portrayed Dr. Isidore Latham as a series regular in Seasons 2-5 of NBC's hit medical drama from Dick Wolf. Essandoh returned in Season 6 as a guest star, but hasn't shared any scenes with Mitchell, who joined the cast in Season 9. "He's got a headshot on one of the sets -- a framed headshot of his character -- and I've taken a selfie in front of it and sent it to him," Mitchell said of Essandoh. "I love Ato. I'd love for him to come back, but I think the guy is just, he's too good of an actor. He's always working. He's booked out."

Related'So Much Heart in the Show':...

For the first eight seasons of Chicago Med, Brian Tee appeared in the series regular role of Dr. Ethon Choi. While he hasn't played Dr. Choi again since Season 8, Tee has returned twice to the NBC medical drama, just in the role of director.

While they never got to share any scenes, Luke Mitchell, who joined Chicago Med during its ninth season, had nothing but kind words about Tee during a recent interview with Cbr. "I just worked with Brian Tee for the for the second time. I worked with him once last season and once this season. He just directed [Season 10, Episode 14, "Acid Test"], and that was a real, real pleasure. I think he really brings out the best in me," Mitchell remarked. "I didn't have a whole bunch to do in his episode, but whenever I work with him, I feel so at ease. I think he's a really great director. Being an actor himself,...

Rasa Film Group, based in New York, is about to greatly affect South Asian movies. The independent production collective said tech executive Rohit Bhayana has joined its leadership team. Along with this news, Rasa announced a wide range of bold projects for the next twelve months.

Established in 2024, Rasa Film Group quickly became known for its dedication to diverse storytelling, especially in promoting short films directed by women. The collective made four movies in its first year, giving it a strong base in the independent film industry.

“Witness,” an interesting short film, is one of Rasa’s planned releases. It will have its North American premiere at the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival. The movie Radha Mehta and Saif Jaan directed shows how hard it is for an imam to balance traditional values with helping a male congregation member on his spiritual path. The project has a lot of support; the Netflix...

The independent production banner Rasa Film Group is broadening its reach, welcoming tech and hospitality veteran Rohit Bhayana as the latest addition to its partnership ranks as the collective sets its sights on expanding its South Asian storytelling ventures.

The New York-based collective, which made its debut in 2024, has already established a track record of backing female-directed short films, with four productions completed in its inaugural year.

At the forefront of Rasa’s current slate, the short film “Witness” is preparing for its North American premiere at the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival. The project, helmed by directors Radha Mehta and Saif Jaan, explores the story of an imam facing a moral crossroads between upholding traditional mosque values and protecting a male congregant’s spiritual journey. The film has gained substantial support, securing funding from the Netflix Tasveer Film Fund and the InsideOut 2Slgbtq+ Re:Focus Fund.

The collective’s lineup also features “Don’t Be Late,...

Cape (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) and Janet Yang Productions today revealed the four grantees of the 2024 Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge for Asian and Pacific Islander Women and Non-Binary Filmmakers.

In its third consecutive year, the four filmmakers will each receive a $25,000 production grant to produce their short films.

Yang, who also serves as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said, “I love it when dreams become reality – I had a dream that I shared with Julia Gouw several years ago that I wanted to support emerging filmmakers who are Aapi and female or nonbinary, since we are still profoundly underrepresented.” She added, “With Julia’s support and in collaboration with Cape, this dream has been realized. Now we are able to help the dreams of many others come true with this short film competition.”

Michelle K. Sugihara, executive director of Cape, said,...

U.S.-based Rasa Film Group is launching a film collective at the Sundance Film Festival.

The collective is actively exploring projects featuring strong female protagonists, narratives centered around social justice and stories that portray Muslim characters in positive and empowering roles. Rasa is in talks for future projects involving Muslim or Pakistani women talent such as Aizzah Fatima (“Americanish”), Mehreen Jabbar (“Farar”), Afia Nathaniel (“Dukhtar”), Mahnoor Euceph (“Eid Mubarak”) and Rehana Lew Mirza (“Wishtree”).

Rasa is the brainchild of four partners of South Asian origin. Asad Butt is the founder and CEO of Rifelion Media, a film and podcast studio elevating diverse voices. He is the executive producer of the forthcoming “Ramadan America” film anthology and the “King of the World” podcast series. Butt is also a startup advisor and investor, primarily working with pet care and education founders and accelerator programs.

Sujit Chawla was a producer on the groundbreaking independent film “American Desi,...

Producer Shrihari Sathe of New York-based production company Dialectic is enjoying the best time of his life, with no less than three of his projects, each completely different in style, genre and tone, being selected at A-list festivals.

The latest career high for Sathe began with Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s continent-hopping, multilingual identity tale “No Land’s Man” being selected at Busan in October 2021, followed by Francisca Alegria’s Spanish-language magical realist drama “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future” premiering at this year’s Sundance. Now, “Stay Awake,” an expansion of Jamie Sisley’s 2015 short film of the same name that premiered at the Berlinale and won the Jury Prize at Slamdance, makes its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival’s Generation 14plus strand on Feb. 12.

The “Stay Awake” cast includes Wyatt Oleff, Fin Argus and Chrissy Metz. “Prescription drug and opioid addiction is a global problem.

NBCUniversal has selected the directed the 2020-2021 classes for the Female Forward and the Emerging Director Program. The scripted directing initiatives aim to increase representation of female and ethnically diverse male and non-binary directors, respectively, by creating a pipeline into scripted television. The announcement was made by Janine Jones-Clark as Executive Vice President, Inclusion – Talent & Content, NBCUniversal Film, Television and Streaming.

Both initiatives remain unique within the industry in that they are the only network programs to guarantee that participating directors will helm an episode of primetime television by the conclusion of the program. Program directors shadow on up to two episodes of their assigned NBC scripted series before receiving an in-season assignment to helm an episode of the same series.

Female Forward and the Emerging Director Program will become building blocks for a cross-functional directors initiative under the Global Talent Development & Inclusion team that will service the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group,...

Exclusive: The producers of Oscar winners Moonlight and Icarus, Oscar nominee Carol and Showtime series Billions, are among those bringing new projects to the Ifp Project Forum, which runs during the 40th Ifp Week in New York.

This year’s particularly buzzy Project Forum slate will comprise 150 U.S. and international films, series, digital and audio projects (for the first time) in different stages of development.

The co-production market will feature new narrative films and series from producers and Ep’s including Lamb On The Throne from Adele Romanski (Moonlight) and Sara Murphy (Land Ho!), Breezin’ from Amy Lo (Nancy), The Gymnast from Brian Koppelman and David Levien (Billions), The Fugitive Game from Ryan Cunningham (Broad City), Sleepwalkfrom Ryan Zacarias (A Ciambra), Bitterroot from Giulia Caruso & Ki Jin Kim (Columbus) and Nine Days from Jason Michael Berman (Amateur), Mette-Marie Kongsved (I Don’t Feel At Home In This World...

Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.

Lineup Announcements

– The Film Society of Lincoln Center and UniFrance announce the complete lineup for the 22nd edition of Rendez-Vous with French Cinema, the celebrated annual series showcasing the variety and vitality of contemporary French filmmaking, March 1 – 12.

The lineup features 23 diverse films, comprised of highlights from international festivals and works by both established favorites and talented newcomers, including François Ozon’s Lubitsch adaptation “Frantz,” set after World War I; Bertrand Bonello’s “Nocturama,” a provocative exploration of a Paris terrorist attack carried out by young activists; Bruno Dumont’s oddball slapstick detective story “Slack Bay,” starring Juliette Binoche; Rebecca Zlotowski’s visually arresting “Planetarium,” with Natalie Portman as a touring psychic who catches the eye of a movie producer in 1930s Paris; and Jean-Stéphane Bron’s “The Paris Opera,...

Afia Nathaniel's drama Dukhtar was Pakistan's official entry to the Academy Awards back in 2015. While the film didn't receive the nomination, it was clear that this is a feature that resonated with audiences far beyond Pakistan's traditional film audiences. The film, co-produced by no less than half a dozen companies, is a watershed in the depiction of the Pakistani tribal crisis that affects thousands of residents of the country's remote nothern regions. The tribal areas act very much as minor fiefdoms in which women are frequently traded as political collateral. In Dukhtar, one mother has finally had enough and she makes a decision that will change everything. I reviewed the film as a part of the South Asian International Film Festival in November of...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Exclusive: Label is designed to drive Asian cinema into Us.

Kino Lorber is launching a theatrical distribution label, Silk Road Cinema, dedicated to award-winning arthouse films from India, Pakistan and the rest of South Asia.

The Us distributor is partnering with New York and Mumbai-based independent director-producer Shrihari Sathe to curate the collection and collaborate on distribution strategy.

Silk Road Cinema will release around six titles a year throughout North America, in theatres and across all other platforms including DVD and VOD, starting with five titles acquired by Sathe and Alan McAlex’s 3 Monkeys.

The five titles include Afia Nathaniel’s Dukhtar and Geetu Mohandas’ Liar’s Dice, which were Pakistan and India’s submissions respectively to the 87th Academy Awards; 1000 Rupee Note [pictured], directed and produced by Sathe; Avinash Arun’s Killa, which won a Crystal Bear at Berlin in 2014; and award-winning drama Harud, directed by Aamir Bashir.

Sathe, who met Richard Lorber when he was a juror...

Exclusive: Film follows a young Tibetan woman living in exile in Delhi.

Shrihari Sathe’s Infinitum Productions has boarded Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam’s second narrative feature The Sweet Requiem.

Scripted by Sonam, the film follows a young Tibetan woman living in exile in Delhi, whose life is unexpectedly shattered when she runs into a man from her past. Sarin and Sonam will co-direct, while Sathe will produce alongside Sarin.

Sarin and Sonam’s first narrative feature, Dreaming Lhasa (2005), was executive produced by Jeremy Thomas and Richard Gere and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Their credits also include award-winning documentaries such as The Sun Behind The Clouds (2010) and When Hari Got Married (2012).

The Sweet Requiem was selected for the Drishyam-Sundance Institute Screenwriters’ Lab in 2015, as well as Busan’s Asian Project market and Film Bazaar in Goa. Cast and locations have been finalised and the film will shoot on location in India later this year...

A gripping story from a place where women are less than second-class citizens that insists that they are, in fact, people who deserve to live as they please. I’m “biast” (pro): I’m desperate for stories about women

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Dukhtar (“Daughter”) is an extraordinary film in lots of usual ways: it tells a fresh story that we haven’t seen before, performed by an enchanting and talented cast; it’s a gorgeously shot road movie that travels through some of the most remote and most starkly beautiful terrain on the planet and ends up in a vivacious city, both places we also haven’t seen much of onscreen before; it’s a challenging tale told in a suspenseful, riveting way by a first-time filmmaker.

But Dukhtar — Pakistan’s official entry for Best Foreign Language...

Released in Pakistan and set to open in New York and L.A. later this fall, Dukhtar tells the story of a mother and her ten-year-old daughter who flee from their home in the mountains of Pakistan. Below, first-time feature filmmaker, writer, co-producer and co-editor Afia Nathaniel speaks with me after the German premiere in Munich. Filmmaker: Did you always want to be a filmmaker? Nathaniel: I’m originally from a big city in Pakistan called Lahore, where I grew up and was educated. We didn’t have any film schools or film industry, but I always loved writing and storytelling. I never […]...

Released in Pakistan and set to open in New York and L.A. later this fall, Dukhtar tells the story of a mother and her ten-year-old daughter who flee from their home in the mountains of Pakistan. Below, first-time feature filmmaker, writer, co-producer and co-editor Afia Nathaniel speaks with me after the German premiere in Munich. Filmmaker: Did you always want to be a filmmaker? Nathaniel: I’m originally from a big city in Pakistan called Lahore, where I grew up and was educated. We didn’t have any film schools or film industry, but I always loved writing and storytelling. I never […]...

Kerem Sanga’s The Young Kieslowski earned Best American Independent Feature award as the 18th Sonoma International Film Festival came to a close.

Afia Nathaniel’s Dukhtar (pictured) was named Best World Feature and Galen Knowles’ Far From Home won best documentary.

Best Narrative Short went to God Has His Head In The Clouds by Gianluca Sodaro, Cindy Allen’s Fish Out of Water won Best Documentary Short and Best Animated Short was presented to Jack Anderson for Wirecutters.

The Stolman Audience Award of $1,000 for Best American Independent Feature went to The Week by John W Mann and Jon Gunn, while Jeffrey Brown’s Sold claimed the $1,000 A³ Audience Award for world cinema prize and Cowspiracy by Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn took the $1,000 A³ Audience Award for best documentary.

“We are already looking forward to our 19th,” said festival executive director Kevin W McNeely. “Our 18th reached a new high of films from around the world...

Dukhtar, Margarita With A Straw and Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain among outstanding schedule of independent South Asian films to be screened as part of 17th annual Laff.

Organizers have announced the full roster of films and special events for this year’s London Asian Film Festival (Laff) – Europe’s oldest showcase for South Asian cinema.

The Festival takes place across London from 19 March to 28 March and features a string of exciting and acclaimed independent feature films, master classes, special screenings, debates and the Festival’s celebrated short films competition.

This year’s Festival highlights include critically acclaimed films such as Margarita With A Straw, Bhopal – A Prayer for Rain, Dukhtar, Rang Rasiya, The World Before Her and Haider.

The 17th edition London Asian Film Festival is once again organized by Tongues on Fire, which has built an unparalleled reputation for promoting independent cinema as well as providing a showcase for female filmmakers.

The Athena Film Festival has pulled back the curtain on its 2015 lineup, revealing an array of notable narrative films, docs and shorts from 2014 as well as the new year. Running February 5 through February 8 on New York's Barnard College campus, the festival highlights women's leadership in cinema and in the film industry. The fest opens with the New York premiere of Kim Longinotto's "Dreamcatcher," a documentary about a former Chicago prostitute who battles to break the cycle of sex abuse and exploitation among young inner-city women. On Saturday, the little-seen backstage melodrama "Beyond the Lights" will screen along with a Q&A with writer/director Gina Prince-Bythewood.  Among the highly touted films in this year's lineup are: Gillian Robespierre's subversive abortion rom-com "Obvious Child" starring comedienne Jenny Slate, Lukas Moodysson's warm and wonderful punk band comedy "We Are the Best!", Afia Nathaniel's Pakistani...

Dominated by the commercial trends of the region, which mostly align with India’s outlandish Bollywood, the Pakistani film industry rarely offers productions that tackle its society’s specific challenges from a progressive perspective. Under this system, creating a film that questions the ancient patriarchal structures and the way they hinder women’s ability to flourish as individuals was even a more unlikely reality. To highlight the torment that is brought upon women forced into a life of servitude and silence, director Afia Nathaniel, a Pakistani women herself who knows this world and its negative repercussions, focused her efforts on a singular quest to end the cycle. Her defiant debut feature “Dukhtar” or “Daughter” follows a mother and her young daughter traveling through rural landscapes to escape the predetermined future chosen by the men that claim to own them.

Accustomed to the only life she’s ever known, Allah Rakhi (Samiya Mumtaz), a young mother and wife living in a small mountain village, tries to channel all her unfilled hopes into her playful ten-year-old daughter Zainab (Saleha Aref). Still unaware of how her voice will be terribly silenced once she becomes someone’s property against her will, cheeky Zainab enjoys spending time with her mother and teaching her English. Her distant father Daulat Khan (Asif Khan) is much more concerned with finding a solution for an ongoing tribal dispute. Taking advantage of Daulat Khan’s desperation, Tor Gul (Abdullah Jan), the rival leader, demands Zainab’s hand in marriage in order to end the bloodshed. The girl’s father agrees. Jeopardizing her own life, Allah Rakhi runs off with her daughter without a plan. Her only objective is to safeguard her innocence and to offer her the one gift she was never given: a choice.

As expected, both Tor Gul’s and Daulat Khan’s henchmen are sent to find them at any cost. Their mission is to bring Zainab back alive regardless of what happens to her mother. Along the way Allah Rakhi befriends Sohail (Mohib Mirza), a kindhearted man who decides helping her get her daughter to safety is the right thing to do. Through such nerve-racking journey Allah Rakhi discovers what it means to be treated as whole and meaningful person and not just a silent spectator at the mercy of another’s wishes. Assertively, Nathaniel decides not to take the romantic path and reduce her protagonist into a woman falling into another man’s arms. Instead, she concentrates her efforts in exploring he broken bond between mothers and daughters due to an ideology in which their contributions are not appreciated and alienation is the deadliest weapon.

Allah Rakhi has not been allowed to see her mother ever since she got married, and the same was to be expected for Zainab’s life. Cut off from their own worlds women are reduced to be perpetual strangers in the homes of the men that don’t known beyond their role as a commodity. As Allah Rakhi, Samiya Mumtaz gives a topnotch performance that shines for its restraint. She is a woman driven by her love for her daughter, which allows her to confront the inherent fear implanted in her. Her work is a standout and crucial piece in “Dukhtar.” It’s evident that the film centers on the lack of freedom that women experience not only in Pakistan but in numerous traditional societies, yet, Afia Nathaniel manages to showcase her homeland’s beauty and makes it clear that this is not a story about gender confrontation, but about an securing and equal opportunity to find fulfillment.

With its evocative musical score and by cinematographer Armughan Hassan's gorgeous vistas that adorned the chaotic road, “Dukhtar” is a small gem forged out the director’s desire to craft a story which, tough small in scope, could connect with Pakistani people on a more profound level than the shiny musical tales in mainstream local cinema ever could. This is in its own right a groundbreaking film unlike anything done by a director from this particular part of the world. It's art and social change united in harmony via soulful storytelling. Nathaniel’s vision captures the heart of this broken bond that must be rebuilt, for mothers, for daughters, for all.

The Palm Springs International Film Festival has increasingly become an important stop on the awards calendar for foreign language films. While the desert fest hands out an international critics prize, it’s more about the filmmakers getting a chance to rub shoulders with Academy members just before nominations ballots are due. The upcoming 26th annual fest is running January 2-12 and has announced the movies that will compete for the Fipresci prize in its Awards Buzz section. Fifty of the 83 official submissions for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar are on the list with the titles chosen believed by festival programmers to be the strongest entries in this year’s Academy Awards race. A special jury of international film critics will screen the films and hand out a Fipresci for an individual title as well as Best Actor and Best Actress. While the fest doesn’t always match the eventual Oscar winner,...

The organisers of the 26th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will screen 50 of the 83 foreign-language Oscar submissions.

A jury of international film critics will be convened to bestow the Fipresci Award for best foreign language film of the year, as well as best actor and best actress in this category.

Further film programmes will be announced in the coming weeks. Psiff is set to run from January 2-12.

The Awards Buzz selections in alphabetical order of country are:

A Few Cubic Meters Of Love (Afghanistan), Jamshid Mahmoudi:

Wild Tales (Argentina), Damián Szifrón;

Charlie’s Country (Australia), Rolf de Heer;

The Dark Valley (Austria), Andreas Prochaska;

Nabat (Azerbaijan), Elchin Musaoglu;

Two Days, One Night (Belgium-France-Italy), Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne;

The Way He Looks (Brazil), Daniel Ribeiro;

Mommy (Canada), Xavier Dolan;

To Kill A Man (Chile), Alejandro Fernández Almendras;

The Nightingale (China), Philippe Muyl;

Mateo (Colombia), Maria Gamboa;

Cowboys (Croatia), Tomislav Mršić;

Behavior (Cuba), Director [link=nm...

The UK’s Mara Pictures has acquired Pakistani drama Dukhtar (Daughter), which it plans to release theatrically in the UK in April 2015.

The debut feature of Pakistani director Afia Nathaniel, who also wrote and produced, the film premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, screened at the London Film Festival, and won best director and the audience award at the South Asian International Film Festival in New York.

The film was also selected as Pakistan’s entry to the Best Foreign-Language Film category of the Academy Awards.

Shot in the mountains of northern Pakistan, Dukhtar tells the story of a mother and her ten-year-old daughter, who leave their home to save the girl from an arranged marriage to a tribal leader.

“Dukhtar is a beautifully shot, captivating film and a stunning debut by Afia Nathaniel. It fits well into our profile of unique cinematic explorations from South Asia. We are excited...

The UK’s Mara Pictures has acquired Pakistani drama Dukhtar (Daughter), which it plans to release theatrically in the UK in April 2015.

The debut feature of Pakistani director Afia Nathaniel, who also wrote and produced, the film premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, screened at the London Film Festival, and won best director and the audience award at the South Asian International Film Festival in New York.

The film was also selected as Pakistan’s entry to the best foreign-language film category of the Academy Awards.

Shot in the mountains of northern Pakistan, Dukhtar tells the story of a mother and her ten-year-old daughter, who leave their home to save the girl from an arranged marriage to a tribal leader.

“Dukhtar is a beautifully shot, captivating film and a stunning debut by Afia Nathaniel. It fits well into our profile of unique cinematic explorations from South Asia. We are excited...

A still from Titli

Kanu Behl’s Titli took home South Asian International Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature. Avinash Arun’s Killa was adjudged the second best film.

The Best Director Award was presented to first-time writer-director Afia Nathaniel for her film Dukhtar. The tense drama, Pakistan’s official entry to the 2014 Academy Awards, was also presented with the festival’s Audience Award.

The jury awarded their Short Grand Jury Prize to Gitanjali Rao’s True Love Story, a stunning animated short about a 17-year-old orphan who uses his love of Bollywood cinema to help him woo the girl of his dreams.

The Audience Award for Short Film was awarded to Veil by director Sreemoyee Bhattacharya.

The award ceremony took place at Manhattan’s Carlton Hotel on November 23rd, celebrating Saiff’s eleventh anniversary.

The Eleventh Annual South Asian International Film Festival ran from Tuesday, November 18th,...

Jigarthanda at Saiff 2014

X, by eleven directors, will kickstart HBO’s South Asian International Film Festival (Saiff) on Tuesday. The festival will be held from November 18-23 in Manhattan.

Shrihari Sathe’s Ek Hazarachi Note, Karthik Subbaraj’s Jigarthanda, Kanu Behl’s Titli, Avinash Arun’s Killa and Afia Serena Nathaniel’s Dukhtar are the feature films to be screened at the festival.

The short films at the festival include Gaurav Bakshi’s Enough, Rajesh Jala’s 23 Winters, Gitanjali Rao’s True Love Story (animation), Atanu Mukherjee’s The Gatekeeper and Sreemoyee Bhattacharya’s Veil.

Raj and Dk’s Happy Ending, starring Saif Ali Khan, Ileana D’Cruz, Kalki Koechlin, Ranvir Shorey and Govinda, will be screened as the Centerpiece Film of the festival.

The festival will close with the screening of Nabeel Qureshi’s Na Maloom Afraad.

The 11th South Asian International Film Festival presented by HBO set to run from November 18-23 will open with the world premiere of Indian anthology X.

The festival – now under the guidance of new executive director Joya Dass – will close with the North American Premiere of Pakistani hit Na Maloom Afraad!

The roster includes Afia Serena Nathaniel’s Dukhtar, Karthik Subbaraj’s Jigarthanda and Killa, directed by Avinash Arun Dhaware.

The Centerpiece World Premiere is Raj Nidimoru and Krishna Dk’s Happy Ending (pictured).

For further details click here.

Every year Hollywood gets a curated batch of films from dozens of countries seeking an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. One film per nation is chosen to represent the best of its cinematic production during the previous year. Certainly the chosen film is not always the ideal candidate, but the reasoning behind the selection usually follows two patterns: there are countries that go with the best film even if this is not the most appealing choice and there are countries that go with the most ambitious, industry-friendly, and financially successful work. This year the astonishing number of submissions – a total of 83 – makes for an incredible list of films that range from those that sport festival pedigree of the highest caliber, unknown gems looking for an audience, expensive visual achievements, and obscure art house hopefuls.

This year more than most, there are a great number of films with serious possibilities. There is no unshakable front-runner, but there are numerous favorites. Yet, looking at last year’s 9 shortlisted films and eventual 5 nominees, nothing is written in stone. Critics and audience favorites like “ The Past” (Iran), “Gloria” (Chile), “Heli” (Mexico), and “Wadjda” (Saudi Arabia) were left out to include surprises like “The Missing Picture“ (Cambodia), “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker” (Bosnia & Herzegovina) or “The Notebook” (Hungary).

With Awards Season now in full swing and knowing that this is one of the most difficult races to follow, here is a comprehensive list that includes information for each of the 83 submissions. Below each poster you will find the title of the film linked to its page on IMDb Pro followed by the title in the original language; the director’s name also linked to his/her IMDb Page; the language the film is primarily in; the name of the U.S. distributor if there is one; the name of the film’s International Sales Agent (Isa) or Production Company (PC) linked to the film’s page on Cinando; and a link to the film’s trailer (most of them have English subtitles, others are only in the original language, and a few are videos related to the film because a trailer wasn't available). In addition, reviews and interviews with many of these filmmakers will be added regularly.

Before getting into the list, let’s take a look at some of the statistics and patterns among these 83 foreign language features.

Period Dramas/Biopics

Several countries selected films based on the lives of prominent local figures or great period pieces, both showcase the level of films being produced across the globe in terms of production value and scope. Mexico’s “Cantinflas,” Venezuela’s “The Liberator,” Kyrgyzstan “Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains,” Bolivia’s “Forgotten,” Indonesia’s “Soekarno,” Greece’s “Little England,” Macedonia’s “To the Hilt,” Hong Kong’s “The Golden Era,” Austria’s “The Dark Valley,” Switzerland’s “The Circle,” Bulgaria’s “Bulgarian Rhapsody,” Serbia’s “ See You in Montevideo,” Slovakia’s “A Step Into the Dark” and New Zealand’s “The Dead Lands” are some of the most expensive films ever made in their respective territories. All of them are epic productions that highlight an important historical period using impressive cinematography, a great number of extras, intricate costumes, lavish locations, detailed production design, as well as great battle sequences in several of them. Other more traditional biopics/period pieces on the list include France’s “Saint Laurent,” The Netherlands “ Accused,” Germany’s “Beloved Sisters,” Spain’s “Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed” and the Czech Republic’s “Fair Play”

Masters and Festival Winners

Not surprisingly many of the films on the list come into this race after winning important awards at international festivals. Furthermore, a handful of them are from master filmmakers, masters in the making, or unique new voices. These films include Belgium’s “Two Days, One Night” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, Nyff, AFI Fest) by the Dardenne Brothers, Canada’s “Mommy” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, AFI Fest) by prodigy Xavier Dolan, Chile’s “To Kill a Man” (Sundance, Rotterdam, Cartagena) by Alejandro Fernandez Almendras, Hungary's "White God" (Cannes) by Kornél Mundruczó, Norway’s “1001 Grams” (Tiff) by Bent Hamer, Poland’s “Ida”(Tiff, Sundance) by Pawel Pawlikowski, Russia’s “Leviathan” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, AFI Fest) by Andrey Zvyagintsev, Sweden’s “Force Majeure” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff) by Ruben Östlund, and Turkey’s “ Winter Sleep” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. All of these films have played at renowned international festivals and most have earned important recognition there.

Out of the Box

Whether they are aware of their actual possibilities at a nomination or not, each year a few countries take the risk of sending a film that defies convention despite having more safe choices. But that is not say they are entirely out of the race, films like “The Missing Picture” and “Dogtooth” prove that sometimes there is room for daring and unique filmmaking. With “Rocks in My Pockets” Latvia is the only country to submit an animated film this year. The film is an inventive and colorful look at depression. Then there is the almost-silent and highly poetic Ecuadorian entry “Silence in Dreamland” and Singapore’s musically driven drama “Sayang Disayang.” However, the boldest selection has to be the Philippines’ “Norte, the End of History” by acclaimed auteur Lav Diaz, which runs over four hours and is inspired by Dostoyevsky Crime and Punishment.

Documentaries

Only two countries chose to go with non-fiction entries. One of them is Panama’s “Invasion,” which deals with the aftermath of the U.S. intervention in that country in 1989. This is the Central American nation’s first ever Oscar submission. The other documentary contending is Portugal’s “ What Now? Remind Me,“ a self-portrait by filmmaker Joaquim Pinto exploring his struggles living with HIV. One should note that Portugal is one of the few countries in Western Europe to have never obtained a nomination in the category despite entering films consecutively for several decades.

Lgbt

Films with stories that highlight sexual diversity occasionally make their way into this list. Last year the only Lgbt title submitted was “ Soongava: Dance of the Orchids,” which surprisingly came from Nepal and dealt with the relationship between two young women in the traditional Asian society. This time around two countries selected films with similar themes. Brazil’s festival darling “ The Way He Looks” – a sweet coming-of-age tale- was an audacious choice among the many other films the South American country produces every year. Then there is Switzerland’s “The Circle” about a pioneering gay publication during the 1940s/1950s in Zurich and the real life relationship between two of its prominent members.

Surprising Choices

As it usually happens, some countries go against what the industry expects and decide to send films that weren’t on most people’s radars. Bulgaria for example selected “Bulgarian Rhapsody” by veteran director Ivan Nitchev over Sundance’s “Viktoria” by young female director Maya Vitkova. Similarly, Ukraine overlooked Cannes favorite “The Tribe”- a powerful drama entirely in sign language - and decided to go with “The Guide” by Oles Sanin. Nevertheless, the most shocking decision came from China. Instead of selecting a Chinese-directed film like Berlin’s Golden Bear winner “Black Coal, Thin Ice” or Zhang Yimou’s “Coming Home,” the Chinese selection committee chose “The Nightingale” by French director Philippe Muyl. Despite having a European helmer the film is authentically Chinese in terms of language and story, but it was still an unexpected move from the traditionally patriotic country.

First Timers

The unprecedented number of entries is in part due to the addition of countries submitting for the first time. Besides aforementioned Panama, there are three other debutant nations in the mix. Kosovo- a tiny Balkan state often associated with the rampart war that afflicted the region a few decades ago - is finally showcasing its film production. Their entry titled “Three Windows and a Hanging” is said to be a high quality, affecting drama. Malta - a European island nation near Italy - is often used as astonishing location for big budget studio films. This year, however, “ Simshar,” a great immigration drama will represent the country. Lastly, Mauritania – a prominently Muslim nation in Sub-Saharan Africa – selected Abderrahmane Sissako’s “Timbuktu,”which played in competition at Cannes,as their inaugural submission. Although Sissako has had several successful films at international festivals, this is the first time his country decides to participate.

Female Directors

Out of the 83 films, 14 were directed by women. That’s 17% of all entries. What’s more interesting is the fact that some of these films come from countries that are often seen as traditionally patriarchal societies. 3 Latin American entries were created by female directors: Colombia’s “Mateo,” Costa Rica’s “Red Princesses” and the Dominican Republic’s “Cristo Rey.” 4 from Asia: Hong Kong’s “ The Golden Era,” India’s “Liar’s Dice,” Japan’s “The Light Shines Only There,” and Pakistan’s “Dukhtar.” 2 from the Middle East: Israel’s “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem” (Co-directed) and Palestine’s “Eyes of a Thief.” Lastly, 5 films from Europe: The Czech Republic’s “Fair Play,” Finland’s “Concrete Night,” Latvia’s “ Rocks in My Pockets,” Malta’s “Simshar” and the Netherlands’ “Accused.”

U.S. Distribution

Another interesting fact is the number of these films that already have U.S. distribution. Several of them have actually already opened theatrically here, and others are set to open early next year. Out 83 films, 24 already have U.S. distribution. That’s 29% of all films. Hopefully that number increases by the end of the season. The films are: Argentina’s “Wild Tales,” Austria’s “The Dark Valley,” Belgium’s “Two Days, One Night,” Brazil’s “The Way He Looks,” Canada’s “Mommy,” Chile’s “To Kill a Man,” France’s “Saint Laurent,” Germany’s “Beloved Sisters,” Hungary’s “White God,” Israel’s “ Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem,” Italy’s “Human Capital,” Latvia’s “Rocks in My Pockets,” Mauritania’s “Timbuktu,” Mexico’s “Cantinflas,” Norway’s “1001 Grams,” The Philippines “Norte, the End of History,” Poland’s “Ida,” Portugal's "What Now? Remind Me," Russia’s “Leviathan,” Spain’s “Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed,” Sweden’s “Force Majeure,” Switzerland’s “The Circle,” Turkey’s “Winter Sleep,” and Venezuela’s “ The Liberator.”

To see which distribution company has each of these films please refer to the list below.

Afghanistan

"A Few Cubic Meters of Love" (چند متر مکعب عشق)

Dir: Jamshid Mahmoudi

Language: Persian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Dreamlab Films

Trailer

Argentina

"Wild Tales" (Relatos Salvajes)

Dir: Damián Szifrón

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics

Isa: Film Factory Entertainment

Trailer

Austria

"The Dark Valley" (Das finstere Tal)

Dir: Andreas Prochaska

Language: German

U.S Distribution: Film Movement

Isa: Films Distribution

Trailer

Australia

"Charlie's Country"

Dir: Rolf de Heer

Language: Yolŋu Matha/English

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Visit Films

Trailer

Azerbaijan

"Nabat"

Dir: Elcin Musaoglu

Language: Azerbaijani

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Dreamlab Films

Trailer

Bangladesh

"Glow of the Firefly" (Jonakir Alo)

Dir: Khalid Mahmood Mithu

Language: Bengali

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Impress Telefilm

Trailer

Belgium

"Two Days, One Night" (Deux jours, une nuit)

Dir: Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne

Language: French/Arabic

U.S Distribution: Sundance Selects

Isa: Wild Bunch

Trailer

Bolivia

"Forgotten" (Olvidados)

Dir: Carlos Bolado

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Flor de Loto Pictures

Trailer

Bosnia & Herzegovina

"With Mom" (Sa mamom)

Dir: Faruk Loncarevic

Language: Bosnian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Scca/pro.ba

TraileR

Brazil

"The Way He Looks" (Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho)

Dir: Daniel Ribeiro

Language: Portuguese

U.S Distribution: Strand Releasing

Isa: Films Boutique Trailer

Bulgaria

"Bulgarian Rhapsody" (българска рапсодия)

Dir: Ivan Nitchev

Language: Bulgarian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Cinepaz Eood

Trailer

Canada

"Mommy"

Dir: Xavier Dolan

Language: French/English

U.S Distribution: Roadside Attractions

Isa: Seville International

Trailer

Chile

"To Kill a Man" (Matar a un Hombre)

Dir: Alejandro Fernández Almendras

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: Film Movement

Isa: Film Factory Entertainment

Trailer

China

"The Nightingale" (夜莺/Le promeneur d'oiseau)

Dir: Philippe Muyl

Language: Mandarin

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Kinology

Trailer

Colombia

"Mateo"

Dir: Maria Gamboa ♀

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Alpha Violet

Trailer

Costa Rica

"Red Princesses" (Princesas Rojas)

Dir: Laura Astorga ♀

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Latido Films Trailer

Croatia

"Cowboys" (Kauboji)

Dir: Tomislav Mrsic

Language: Croatian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Wide

Trailer

Cuba

"Behavior" (Conducta)

Dir: Ernesto Daranas

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Latido Films

Trailer

Czech Republic

"Fair Play"

Dir: Andrea Sedlácková Andrea Sedlácková

Language: Czech

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: IntraMovies

Trailer

Denmark

"Sorrow and Joy" (Sorg og glæde)

Dir: Nils Malmros

Language: Danish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Nordisk Film Production

Trailer

Dominican Republic

"Cristo Rey"

Dir: Leticia Tonos ♀

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: The Little Film Company

Trailer

Ecuador

"Silence in Dreamland" (El Silencio en la Tierra de los Sueños)

Dir: Tito Molina

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: La Facultad

Trailer

Egypt

"Factory Girl" (فتاة المصنع )

Dir: Mohamed Khan

Language: Arabic

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: DayDream Art Production

Trailer

Estonia

"Tangerines" (Mandariinid)

Dir: Zaza Urushadze

Language: Estonian/Russian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Cinemavault

Trailer

Ethiopia

"Difret"

Dir: Zeresenay Mehari

Language: Amharic

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Films Boutique Trailer

Finland

"Concrete Night" (Betoniyö)

Dir: Pirjo Honkasalo ♀

Language: Finnish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Film Republic Trailer

France

"Saint Laurent"

Dir: Bertrand Bonello

Language: French

U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics

Isa: Europacorp

Trailer

Georgia

"Corn Island" (სიმინდის კუნძული)

Dir: George Ovashvili

Language: Georgian/Abkhazian/Russian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Arizona Productions

Trailer

Germany

"Beloved Sisters" (Die geliebten Schwestern)

Dir: Dominik Graf

Language: German /French

U.S Distribution: Music Box Films

Isa: Global Screen

Trailer

Greece

"Little England" (Μικρά Αγγλία)

Dir: Pantelis Voulgaris

Language: Greek

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Black Orange

Trailer

Hong Kong

"The Golden Era" (黄金时代)

Dir: Ann Hui ♀

Language: Mandarin

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Edko Films

Trailer

Hungary

"White God" (Fehér isten)

Dir: Kornél Mundruczó

Language: Hungarian/English

U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures

Isa: The Match Factory

Trailer

Iceland

"Life in a Fishbowl" (Vonarstræti)

Dir: Baldvin Zophoníasson

Language: None Yet

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Films Boutique Trailer

India

"Liar's Dice" (लायर्स डाइस)

Dir: Geethu Mohandas ♀

Language: Hindi

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Jar Pictures Trailer

Indonesia

"Soekarno"

Dir: Hanung Bramantyo

Language: Indonesian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Mvp Pictures

Trailer

Iran

"Today" (امروز )

Dir: Reza Mirkarimi

Language: Persian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Dreamlab Films

Trailer

Iraq

"Mardan"

Dir: Batin Ghobadi

Language: Kurdish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Versatile Trailer

Ireland

"The Gift" (An Bronntanas)

Dir: Tom Collins

Language: Irish/English

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Rosg/De Facto Films

Trailer

Israel

"Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem" (Gett: Le Procès de Viviane Amsalem)

Dir: Ronit Elkabetz ♀ & Shlomi Elkabetz

Language: Hebrew/French/Arabic

U.S Distribution: Music Box Films

Isa: Films Distribution

Trailer

Italy

"Human Capital" (Il Capitale Umano)

Dir: Paolo Virzì

Language: Italian

U.S Distribution: Film Movement

PC: Indiana Production Company

Trailer

Japan

"The Light Shines Only There" (そこのみにて光輝く)

Dir: Mipo Oh ♀

Language: Japanese

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Open Sesame

Trailer

Kosovo

"Three Windows and a Hanging" (Tri Dritare dhe një Varje)

Dir: Isa Qosja

Language: Albanian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: CMb Productions

Trailer

Kyrgyzstan

"Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains" (Курманжан Датка)

Dir: Sadyk Sher-Niyaz

Language: Kirghiz

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Aitysh Film

Trailer

Latvia

"Rocks in My Pockets" (Akmeņi manās kabatās)

Dir: Signe Baumane ♀

Language: Latvian

U.S Distribution: Zeitgeist Films

Isa: New Europe Film Sales

Trailer

Lebanon

"Ghadi" (غدي)

Dir: Amin Dora

Language: Arabic

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Fortissimo Films

Trailer

Lithuania

"The Gambler" (Lošėjas)

Dir: Ignas Jonynas

Language: Lithuanian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Wide

Trailer

Luxembourg

"Never Die Young"

Dir: Pol Cruchten

Language: French

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: EastWest Distribution

Trailer

MacEdonia

"To the Hilt" (До балчак)

Dir: Stole Popov

Language: Macedonian/French/English/ Turkish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Triangle Film- Skopje

Trailer

Malta

"Simshar"

Dir: Rebecca Cremona ♀

Language: Maltese

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Kukumajsa Productions

Trailer

Mauritania

"Timbuktu"

Dir: Abderrahmane Sissako

Language: French/Arabic/Bambara/English/Songhay/Tamasheq

U.S Distribution: Cohen Media Group

Isa: Le Pacte

Trailer

Mexico

"Cantinflas"

Dir: Sebastian del Amo

Language: Spanish/English

U.S Distribution: Pantelion Films

Isa: 6 Sales

Trailer

Moldova

"The Unsaved" (La Limita de Jos a Cerului)

Dir: Igor Cobileanski

Language: Romanian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Insomnia World Sales Trailer

Montenegro

"The Boys from Marx and Engels Street" (Djecaci iz ulice Marksa i Engelsa)

Dir: Nikola Vukcevic

Language: Serbian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Artikulacija Production

Trailer

Morocco

"The Red Moon" (القمر الأحمر)

Dir: Hassan Benjelloun

Language: Arabic

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Bentaqerla

Trailer

Nepal

"Jhola" (झोला)

Dir: Yadav Kumar Bhattarai

Language: Nepali

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Media for Culture

Trailer

The Netherlands

"Accused" (Lucia de B.)

Dir: Paula van der Oest ♀

Language: Dutch

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Fortissimo Films

Trailer

New Zealand

"The Dead Lands"

Dir: Toa Fraser

Language: Maori

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Xyz Films

Trailer

Norway

"1001 Grams" (1001 Gram)

Dir: Bent Hamer

Language: Norwegian/French/ English

U.S Distribution: Kino Lorber

Isa: Les Films du Losange

Trailer

Pakistan

"Dukhtar" (دختر، بیٹی)

Dir: Afia Nathaniel ♀

Language: Urdu

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Zambeel Films

Trailer

Palestine

"Eyes of a Thief" (عيون الحراميه)

Dir: Najwa Najjar ♀

Language: Arabic

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Ustura Films Trailer

Panama

"Invasion" (Invasión)

Dir: Abner Benaim

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Apertura Films Trailer

Peru

"The Gospel of the Flesh" (El Evangelio de la Carne)

Dir: Eduardo Mendoza de Echave

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: La Soga Producciones

Trailer

The Philippines

"Norte, the End of History" (Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan)

Dir: Lav Diaz

Language: Tagalog/English

U.S Distribution: The Cinema Guild

Isa: M-Appeal World Sales

Trailer

Poland

"Ida"

Dir: Pawel Pawlikowski

Language: Polish

U.S Distribution: Music Box Films

Isa: Portobello Film Sales

Trailer

Portugal

"What Now? Remind Me" (E Agora? Lembra-me)

Dir: Joaquim Pinto

Language: Portuguese

U.S Distribution: The Cinema Guild

PC: C.R.I.M Productions

Trailer

Romania

"The Japanese Dog" (Câinele Japonez)

Dir: Tudor Cristian Jurgiu

Language: Romanian/Japanese

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: M-Appeal World Sales

Trailer

Russia

"Leviathan" (Левиафан)

Dir: Andrey Zvyagintsev

Language: Russian

U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics

Isa: Pyramide International

Trailer

Serbia

"See You in Montevideo" (Montevideo, vidimo se!)

Dir: Dragan Bjelogrlic

Language: Serbian/Spanish/ English

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Intermedia Network

Trailer

Singapore

"Sayang Disayang"

Dir: Sanif Olek

Language: Malay/Indonesian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: ReelJuice

Trailer

Slovakia

"A Step Into the Dark" (Krok do tmy)

Dir: Miloslav Luther

Language: Slovak

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Trigon Production Trailer

Slovenia

"Seduce Me" (Zapelji me)

Dir: Marko Santic

Language: Slovenian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Radio-Television Slovenia

Trailer

South Africa

"Elelwani"

Dir: Ntshaveni Wa Luruli

Language: Venda

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: EastWest FilmDistribution

Trailer

South Korea

"Haemoo" (해무)

Dir: Sung Bo Shim

Language: Korean

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Finecut

Trailer

Spain

"Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed" (Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados)

Dir: David Trueba

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: Outsider Pictures

Isa: 6 Sales

Trailer

Sweden

"Force Majeure" (Turist)

Dir: Ruben Östlund

Language: Swedish/English

U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures

Isa: Coproduction Office (Paris)

Trailer

Switzerland

"The Circle" (Der Kreis)

Dir: Stefan Haupt

Language: Swiss German/ German/ French

U.S Distribution: Wolfe Video

Isa: Wide House

Trailer

Taiwan

"Ice Poison" (冰毒)

Dir: Midi Z.

Language: Burmese/Chinese

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Flash Forward Enterteinment

Trailer

Thailand

"The Teacher's Diary" (คิดถึงวิทยา)

Dir: Nithiwat Tharathorn

Language: Thai

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Gth

Trailer

Turkey

"Winter Sleep" (Kis uykusu)

Dir: Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Language: Turkish/English

U.S Distribution: Adopt Films

Isa: Memento Films International

Trailer

Ukraine

"The Guide" (Поводир)

Dir: Oles Sanin

Language: Ukrainian/Russia/English

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Pronto Film

Trailer

United Kingdom

"Little Happiness" (Uzun Yol)

Dir: Nihat Seven

Language: Turkish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: 7&7 Producers' Sales Services

Trailer

Uruguay

"Mr. Kaplan"

Dir: Álvaro Brechner

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Memento Films International

Trailer

Venezuela

"The Liberator" (Libertador)

Dir: Alberto Arvelo

Language: Spanish/English/ French

U.S Distribution: Cohen Media Group

Isa: Mundial

Trailer...

The festival’s 25th edition will feature a contribution from Ai Weiwei and competition titles including Whiplash, Nightcrawler and Foxcatcher.

The Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 5-16) is to present its Achievement Award to Us actress Uma Thurman.

The Kill Bill star will will visit Stockholm to receive the prestigious Bronze Horse and meet the audience during an exclusive “Face2Face”.

Thurman will also take part in the inauguration ceremony, which will include the unveiling of an ice sculpture by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.

Weiwei was a Stockholm jury member last year but since he wasn’t allowed to leave China, he sent an empty chair named ”The Chair for Non-attendance” as symbol of his absence.

He is still not allowed to leave China so will send a design that will be portrayed in the form of a large ice sculpture symbolising this years’ Spotlight theme - Hope.

Brazil

The festival will focus this year on Brazil...

x

A record 83 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 87th Academy Awards. Kosovo, Malta, Mauritania and Panama are first-time entrants.

The 2014 submissions are:

Afghanistan, “A Few Cubic Meters of Love,” Jamshid Mahmoudi, director;

Argentina, “Wild Tales,” Damián Szifrón, director;

Australia, “Charlie’s Country,” Rolf de Heer, director;

Austria, “The Dark Valley,” Andreas Prochaska, director;

Azerbaijan, “Nabat,” Elchin Musaoglu, director;

Bangladesh, “Glow of the Firefly,” Khalid Mahmood Mithu, director;

Belgium, “Two Days, One Night,” Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, directors;

Bolivia, “Forgotten,” Carlos Bolado, director;

Bosnia and Herzegovina, “With Mom,” Faruk Lončarevič, director;

Brazil, “The Way He Looks,” Daniel Ribeiro, director;

Bulgaria, “Bulgarian Rhapsody,” Ivan Nitchev, director;

Canada, “Mommy,” Xavier Dolan, director;

Chile, “To Kill a Man,” Alejandro Fernández Almendras, director;

China, “The Nightingale,” Philippe Muyl, director;

Colombia, “Mateo,” María Gamboa, director;

Costa Rica, “Red Princesses,” Laura Astorga Carrera, director;

Croatia, “Cowboys,” Tomislav Mršić,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Thursday the final submissions for the Foreign Language Film category for the 87th annual Academy Awards. A record 83 countries have entered a film for consideration, including Kosovo, Malta, Mauritania, and Panama for the first time. Notable selections include Xavier Dolan's Canadian drama Mommy, a favorite at this year's Cannes, Sweden's Force Majeure, and the Russian retelling of the Book of Job, Leviathan, winner of the Best Screenplay award at Cannes. Nominations will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 15, ahead of the live telecast on ABC Sunday, Feb. 22, from Hollywood. Last...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released the list of submissions for the 2015 Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. According to the Academy's press release, a record 83 countries have submitted films for consideration, including first-timers Kosovo, Malta, Mauritania, and Panama. Now, if only all those movies were made available for online viewing — or at least on DVD (outside of their respective countries). The 2015 Oscar nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 15, at 5:30 a.m. Pt in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The 2015 Oscar ceremony will be held on Sunday, February 22, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood. In the United States, the Oscarcast will be televised live by ABC; additionally, the Oscars will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide. See below the full list of 2015 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar submissions. Afghanistan, A Few Cubic Meters of Love,...

The Academy has announced the complete list of 2015 Foreign Language Oscar contenders for the 2015 Oscar awards and again its a new record, topping last year's record 76 submissions, this year the list reaches 83 total submissions. Kosovo, Malta, Mauritania and Panama are first-time entrants. I've seen a few more on the list than I did last year and I actually have to assume with the buzz from those I've seen they may end up being major players. I'm particularly happy to see Xavier Dolan's Mommy in the field from Canada and it's great seeing the hilarious Wild Tales submitted by Argentina. The Russian submission of Leviathan (Leviafan) came, I think, as a bit of a surprise to everyone considering its subject matter, which could be looked at as critical of its native country. The Dardennes' Two Days, One Night has received a lot of acclaim everywhere it has played and we...

The Academy has received a record 83 submissions for the Best Foreign-Language Film Oscar.

Last year, a record 76 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Italian entry The Great Beauty, directed by Paolo Sorrentino.

Nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 15, 2015.

The awards ceremony will be held on Feb 22, 2015 in the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood.

The 2014 submissions are (in alphabetical order of country):

Afghanistan, A Few Cubic Meters Of Love, Jamshid Mahmoudi

Argentina, Wild Tales, Damián Szifrón

Australia, Charlie’s Country, Rolf de Heer

Austria, The Dark Valley, Andreas Prochaska

Azerbaijan, Nabat, Elchin Musaoglu

Bangladesh, Glow Of The Firefly, Khalid Mahmood Mithu

Belgium, Two Days, One Night, Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne

Bolivia, Forgotten, Carlos Bolado

Bosnia and Herzegovina, With Mom, Faruk Lončarevič

Brazil, The Way He Looks, Daniel Ribeiro

Bulgaria, Bulgarian Rhapsody, Ivan Nitchev

Canada, Mommy, Xavier Dolan

Chile, To Kill A...

Keeping track of the Foreign Language submissions for the Oscars each year is something I constantly forget to keep on top of, but I have just done a full update as we are now up to 56 total submissions, only 20 shy of last year's record-breaking 76 submissions with only eight days to go before the October 1 submission deadline. Notable new entries on the list include Belguim's submission of Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's festival favorite Two Days, One Night as well as Canada submitting Xavier Dolan's Mommy, which knocked the socks of Cannes audiences and did the same to me in Toronto this year (read my review here). It should also be noted France has submitted Bertrand Bonello's Saint Laurent instead of last year's buzzy title Blue is the Warmest Color, which missed the release date cut off date last year, making it eligible for this year's Oscars, but the...

Entries for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the Academy Awards 2015.

Submissions for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards are coming in and will continue until October, when the full list of eligible submissions will be revealed.

Last year, a record 76 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Italian entry The Great Beauty, directed by Paolo Sorrentino.

This year’s nominations must be submitted by Oct 1.

Nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 15, 2015.

The awards ceremony will be held on Feb 22, 2015 in the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood.

Afghanistan, A Few Cubic Meters of Love, Jamshid Mahmoudi

Austria, The Dark Valley, Andreas Prochaska

Bolivia, Olvidados, Carlos Bolado

Brazil, The Way He Looks, Daniel Ribeiro

Bulgaria, Bulgarian Rhapsody, Ivan Nitchev

Chile, To Kill a Man, Alejandro Fernández Almendras

Colombia, Mateo, Maria Gamboa

Croatia, Cowboys, Tomislav Mršić

Czech Republic, Fair Play, Andrea...

Not Without My Dukhtar: Nathaniel’s Debut a Sobering Drama

On paper, the premise of director Afia Nathaniel’s debut, Dukhtar (Daughter), sounds like it has the potential to be emotionally exhausting. And while the situation it’s depicting is certainly unsettling and upsetting, Nathaniel chooses to place the film in a more hopeful dwelling, something that works for and against the film. As concerns a woman striking out against her culture’s repression of women in Pakistan, a community and country not often depicted in film, Nathaniel recalls Haifaa Al-Mansour’s 2012 film Wadjda, about a young girl in Saudi Arabia. While we’re not as emotionally engaged with the women at the center of this tale as in Al-Mansour’s more light-treading film, the specific locale is what lends this otherwise slight tale some weight, crafted quite similarly to American women-in-trouble pictures showcasing women fleeing from abusive spouses.

The lineups for the Mavericks, Discovery, and Tiff Kids parts of the Toronto Film Festival were announced, wrapping up a series of lineup announcements for the Toronto International Film Festival.

With the added films, the festival’s entire slate is now a whopping 393 movies. Two hundred eighty-five of those movies are feature films, of which 143 are world premieres.

The Mavericks portion of the festival includes onstage discussions following the screening of each film. Do I Sound Gay? will be followed by a talk between director David Thorpe and sex-advice guru Dan Savage. Also premiering in that space is The 50 Year Argument,...

Bill Murray is coming to Toronto folks. Actually, the film he stars in (Theodore Melfi’s St. Vincent) is having its official World Premiere launch at the jaw-dropping 285 feature film 2014 Tiff line-up. In the final batch of items we finally get the confirmation that 2014′s Palme d’Or Winner Winter Sleep (which gets added along with a trio of others to the Masters Programme) will show, and Tomm Moore’s highly anticipated Song of the Sea (among the four item line-up for Tiff Kids) also lands. Worth mentioning are the sprinkling of add-ons to the various other sections (Marjane Satrapi’s Sundance preemed The Voices, Matt Shakman’s Cut Bank and the world preem of Danis Tanovic’s Tigers) with a Studio Ghibli docu item being fitted into the Tiff Docs, but it is the Discovery Programme that finally takes shape.

The “up-and-comers” include Berlin Film Fest (and future Nyff...

The 2014 Toronto International Film Festival lineup is complete! With the event now just a little over two weeks away, the Discovery Program, the Kids Program and additional selections for other festival sections have been announced. James Franco’s The Sound and the Fury will have its North American premiere and the Bill Murray-starrer, St. Vincent, will get a world premiere in the Special Presentations section, ’71 featuring Jack O’Connell will play in the Discovery Program and Martin Scorsese’s The 50 Year Argument will screen in the Mavericks Program, just to name a few. On top of that, Mavericks is now also loaded with iconic talent set to take part in discussions including Denzel Washington, Antoine Fuqua, Juliette Binoche, Robert Duvall and more. Hit the jump to check out all of the new additions to the Tiff lineup. Mavericks Program Mavericks Conversation With… Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua Mavericks Conversation With…...

The 2014 Toronto Film Festival lineup got a lot stronger this morning by adding several new titles to the Special Presentations, Masters, Documentaries, Vanguard and Contemporary World Cinema selection as well as announcing the Mavericks and Discovery Programme picks. Most notable selections begin with Special Presentations additions of The Weinstein's St. Vincent starring Bill Murray and Melissa McCarty and James Franco's The Sound and the Fury. The St. Vincent screening will be a world premiere and suggest Murray will be walking the Tiff red carpet... now that's a get for the fest I'm sure brings a smile to their face. In the Masters selection we have Studio Ghibli's The Tale of Princess Kaguya as well as the Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winner, Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Winter Sleep. The Vanguard selection has added The Voice, the lastest film from Persepolis helmer Marjane Satrapi and in the Mavericks selection...

Bill Murray starrer St. Vincent will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival as part of this week’s wave of programming that includes Discovery.

The Discovery section includes the upcoming world premiere of Stories Of Our Lives, a portmanteau of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex testimonies by anonymous filmmakers from Kenya.

Selections include first-looks of Ross Katz’s Us comedy Adult Beginners, Sarah Leonor’s French Legion drama The Great Man, Isidora Marras’ Chile-Argentinian psychothriller I Am Not Lorena and UK drama X + Y.

“Christopher Nolan, Steve McQueen, Lynne Ramsay and David Gordon Green all presented their first features in our Discovery section,” said Tiff artistic director Cameron Bailey. “It’s a great place to spot new talent first.”

Besides St. Vincent, Festival Additions includes concert film cum road movie Roger Waters The Wall, while the world premiere of Krzysztof Zanussi’s Foreign Body takes its place among the Masters strand.

Tiff Docs arrivals...

While technically this was Forest Whitaker’s big night (Actor Tribute plus the weight he threw behind as a producer accolades for a small San Fran based film), if tonite’s Gothams awards informs us on how future noms might pan out for the “bigger” award shows, it’s that there are no tapering off signs for Fruitvale Station, that a Coen bros. film Inside Llewyn Davis has just become a partner alongside 12 Years a Slave as the front-runner for Best Picture slots for the Indie Spirits and Oscars, and that Joshua Oppenheimer should get the ultimate speech ready for The Act of Killing. Ryan Coogler’s big Sundance winner went 2 for 2 in the Breakthrough Director and Actor categories, while the heart, soul and spirit of Short Term 12 in Brie Larson rightly beat out her group of peers to win the Best Actress award. Here’s hoping that it picks up steam elsewhere.

2013 Gotham Awards 2013: Nominations (photo: Best Actress nominee Cate Blanchett in ’Blue Jasmine,’ directed by Woody Allen) See previous post: “Gotham Awards Nominations: No Oscar Guarantee (or Even Likelihood)?“ Best Feature 12 Years A Slave. Steve McQueen, director; Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas, producers. (Fox Searchlight Pictures) Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, David Lowery, director; Tony Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Amy Kaufman, Cassian Elwes, producers (IFC Films) Before Midnight, Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Sara Woodhatch, producers (Sony Pictures Classics) Inside Llewyn Davis, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, directors; Scott Rudin, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, producers (CBS Films) Upstream Color, Shane Carruth, director; Shane Carruth, Casey Gooden, Ben LeClair, producers. Best Documentary The Act Of Killing, Joshua Oppenheimer, director; Signe Byrge, Joshua Oppenheimer, producers (Drafthouse Films) The Crash Reel, Lucy Walker, director; Julian Cautherly,...

Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave leads this years Gothams award noms with three, but well-received Sundance items in Blue Caprice, Concussion, Fruitvale Station, Upstream Color and the Cannes preemed Inside Llewyn Davis find themselves all in the hunt for trophy-ware with a pair of nominations each. In the heavyweight Best Feature category, David Lowery’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight (oddly no mention in the acting categories) and Shane Carruth’s Upstream Color go up against the Coens and McQueen. The 23rd Gotham Independent Film Awards will take place on December 2nd. Here are the categories:

Best Feature

12 Years a Slave – Steve McQueen, director; Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Anthony Katagas, producers. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints – David Lowery, director; Tony Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Amy Kaufman, Cassian Elwes,...

12 Years A Slave has earned three nods in the 23rd annual Gotham Independent Film Awards, while Blue Caprice, Concussion, Fruitvale Station, Inside Llewyn Davis and Upstream Color earned two apiece.

For the first year awards for the best actor and actress will be handed out on Dec 2 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York.

To be eligible, submissions must be independent American feature-length films from Us-based or Us-born directors and producers made with “a point of view and with an economy of means.”

Gotham Award Tributes will be given to Forest Whitaker, director Richard Linklater and NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment’s Katherine Oliver.

“The Gotham Awards celebrate and showcase the very best of the vibrant, entertaining, challenging, and innovative films presented by our community, and help new audiences discover this vital work,” said Joana Vicente, executive director at Ifp and the Made in NY Media Center.

“We congratulate...

12 Years A Slave has earned three nods in the 23rd annual Gotham Independent Film Awards, while Blue Caprice, Concussion, Fruitvale Station, Inside Llewyn Davis and Upstream Color earned two apiece.

For the first year awards for the best actor and actress will be handed out on Dec 2 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York.

To be eligible, submissions must be independent American feature-length films from Us-based or Us-born directors and producers made with “a point of view and with an economy of means.”

Gotham Award Tributes will be given to Forest Whitaker, director Richard Linklater and NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment’s Katherine Oliver.

“The Gotham Awards celebrate and showcase the very best of the vibrant, entertaining, challenging, and innovative films presented by our community, and help new audiences discover this vital work,” said Joana Vicente, executive director at Ifp and the Made in NY Media Center.

“We congratulate...

There aren't exactly a ton of categories at the Gotham Awards so to say one film led all others isn't exactly saying much, but numbers are numbers and 12 Years a Slave is your leader as the nominees for the 2013 Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) Gotham Awards were announced this morning and leading the way was Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave with three nominees. The Fox Searchlight release was nominated for Best Actor (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Best Supporting Actor (Lupita Nyong'o) and Best Feature. Also among the Best Feature nominees you have Ain't Them Bodies Saints, Before Midnight, Inside Llewyn Davis and Upstream Color, the latter two also saw nominations elsewhere, Amy Seimetz (Upstream Color) for Best Actress and Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis) for Best Actor. Also nominated for two awards was Blue Caprice, the film based on the Beltway shooters, with both Isaiah Washington and Alexandre Moors scoring nominations and...

The Women In Film Foundation’s Film Finishing Fund has announced the recipients of their 28th annual grant program, which provides cash grants and in-kind production services to the winners, among them two narrative features, one short and four documentaries. The seven winners, listed below, were selected from over 113 submissions. For the fifth year running, funding support is provided by Netflix. Narrative Feature Films "Dukhtar" - Afia Nathaniel (Writer/Director/Producer) A Pakistani mother goes on an extraordinary journey to save her ten year old daughter from an arranged marriage. Based on a true story. "The Factory Girl" - Mohamed Samir (Producer) A factory worker in a low middle class area has feelings for her supervisor despite class differences, but must deal with societal pressures when a pregnancy test is found at work. An examination of life in Cairo for a working young woman with hopes,...