NEWS AND FESTIVAL REPORTS
-
A NEW EUROPEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN FESTIVAL IN KOPER
It could be said that there are too many people in the world, just as there are too many film festivals. However, the birth of a baby is generally a cause for celebration, and so is a new film festival. The youngest film festival in the world was born on October 14th in Koper, a pleasant Slovenian seaside resort on the Adriatic not far from Trieste. The Fedeora jury, made up of me, Dejan Duric, a film critic from Croatia; and Tomislav Sakic, the executive editor of the only Croatian film magazine, Hrvatski Filmski Ljetopis, decided on Gainsbourg, a first feature by the graphic artist Joann Sfar, for ‘its original and imaginative approach to the biographical picture genre, and its brilliant casting and atmospheric recreation of an era.’ Read the article written by Ronald Bergan
The only actual Mediterranean film screened in Koper was the Italian Baarìa – La porta del vento by Giuseppe Tornatore of Cinema Paradiso fame. Baarìa is a pleasant movie (more movie, than a film, we could say), despite its duration (150 minutes) and consequential failures in the rhythm. Although there is a feeling that it is no more than an old-fashioned composite of already seen motifs and pictures from Cinema Paradiso, Bernardo Bertolucci’s Novecento /1900/, and similar films, the story of a family and its protagonist’s travails through Italy’s political history of 20th century adds a feel-good, sentimental side to it, but it also gives a strong impression that it belongs to the kind of cinema we seem to have lost. Read the article written by Tomislav Sakic
FEDEORA AWARD AT HAIFA FILM FESTIVAL
The Fedeora Award in the Filmmakers of Tomorrow section of the 26th Haifa International Film Festival went to A Somewhat Gentle Man (En Ganske Snill Mann) by Hans Petter Moland. It is a touching story about an ex-convict who tries to open a new and optimistic page in his life, not a simple task in modern Norwegian society. The film works on many levels and succeeds in drawing the hero’s character in a rich, deep and loving way without losing the sharp social-satiric context. The jury enjoyed the dry humor and the original and accurate carving of its caricatures.
The Award for Outstanding Artistic Contribution in The Israeli Feature Film Competition went to the young actor Yoav Rotman for his excellent performance in the film Mabul by Guy Nativ. In spite of his young age, Rotman manages to portray, with rare talent, the fragile character of Yoni, a Bar-Mitzva boy who has to struggle for his place in a chaotic and sometimes hostile environment.
Members of the Fedeora jury at the 26th Haifa International Film Festival
were Gidi Orsher and Yehuda Stav from Israel and Goran Ivanisevic from Croatia.
Reports will follow soon.
FEDEORA FIRST AWARDS GIVEN AT PULA FILM FESTIVAL
The first FEDEORA jury was established at 57th Pula Film Festival in Croatia, that was held from 10 till 24th July 2010. Pula Film Festival, established in 1954., is the oldest national film festival in the world, with screening attended by up to 7000 visitors every evening in the antient Roman Arena.
The members of this first jury were: Ronald Bergan, Eva Zaoralova and Dubravka Lakic.
On July 24th 2010, Fedeora presented their first ever awards at the closing ceremony.
The Fedeora jury awarded Just Between Us (Neka ostane medu nama) by Rajko Grlic as best film in the Main Section of National Programme, while The Abandoned (Ostavljeni) was awarded in Minority Coproductions section. Fedeora’s short film award was given to Irena Skoric’s March 9th (9. ozujak).
Please read the full report from Pula by the FEDEORA president Ronald Bergan.
Dubravka Lakic writes about the awarded film Just Between Us and about the film Besa by Srdan Karanovic, shown Out of Competition.
Film festivals in Europe and the Mediterranean wanting to have a FEDEORA jury should contact the FEDEORA temporary Executive Board (eb@fedeora.eu).