LFS News

This blog has moved

2010-04-19T14:41:00.001Z

This blog is now located at http://news.lfs.org.uk/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://news.lfs.org.uk/feeds/posts/default.

Pedro Gonzalez-Rubio wins Grand Jury Prize at Miami Film Festival for 'Alamar'

2010-03-15T16:09:00.000Z

Pedro Gonzalez-Rubio has picked up a prize at the Miami International Film Festival to add to his Tiger Award from the Rotterdam Film Festival. In the Ibero-American Competition presenting features by first, second and third-time directors from Spain, Portugal and Latin America, Pedro Gonzalez-Rubio’s To The Sea (Alamar) (Mexico) won the grand jury prize and the $25,000 award by the John S and James L Knight Foundation.

Grand Jury Prize:

To the Sea (Alamar) by Pedro González-Rubio (Mexico, 2009)

(A $25,000 USD cash prize awarded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation)

A straightforward account of a Mexican fisherman who romances an Italian tourist. When the relationship ends, she returns to Rome with their child. The son later reunites with his father and they embark upon a heart-warming journey at sea. This feature debut from Pedro González-Rubio balances delicately between documentary and fiction.

more details at www.miamifilmfestival.com

New feature from Panos H Koutras 'Stella' has UK premiere at LLGF

2010-03-12T12:35:00.005Z

Panos H Koutras (1983 graduate) has his new feature film Strella in official selection at 24th London Lesbian And Gay Film Festival - details below

A Woman's Way (Strella), a film by Panos H. Koutras.

After a long journey....

Berlin (Official Selection 59th Berlin International Film Festival - Panorama)

Tel Aviv (4th Tel-Aviv Gay And Lesbian Film Festival - Best Μovie)

Oslo (19th Oslo Gay And Lesbian Film Festival - Best Movie)

Lisbon (13th Lisbon Gay and Lesbian Film Festival- Best Actress)

the groundbreaking new film by Panos H. Koutras (The Attack Of The Giant Mousaka, Real Life) hits London as an official selection (section: Europe) in the 24th London Lesbian And Gay Film Festival.

Screening Times: Monday 22 March/18:20/NFT1 and Tuesday 23 March/ 14:00/NFT2

Α Woman's Way (Strella) is the kind of story told at dinner parties, a kind of urban legend. These stories usually capture an element of mass consciousness, making direct references to archetypical myths, most often Greek. Which is exactly what the film’s heroes are: Greeks, living in a country both ancient and contemporary, where the need for a new European identity and a new value system is more pressing than ever.

Barry Salt has just published the much expanded third edition of 'Film Style and Technology: History and Analysis'.

2010-03-03T14:37:00.003Z

Barry Salt, LFS Senior Lecturer, has just published the much expanded third edition of Film Style and Technology: History and Analysis.

'Shirley Adams' wins three SAFTAS - Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress

2010-02-23T12:58:00.002Z

'Shirley Adams', first feature of 2009 Associate Oliver Hermanus and co-written by 2008 Screenwriting Associate Stavros Pamballis, won all three top awards at the South African Film and TV awards on Saturday: Best Film, Best Director for Hermanus and Best Actress for Denise Newman. Shirley Adams was a very unusual LFS graduation project - a feature, shot in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town on a very tight budget and co-financed by Roland Emmerich. The film has been selected for many international festivals, including Locarno and Toronto, winning first prizes at Dubai and Amiens and two prizes at Durban. Hermanus has also been nominated for the Ingmar Bergman International Debut Awards 2009. Last week Hermanus was at the Berlinale speaking on a Talent Campus panel, while six other Associates attended the week as Talents. Hermanus said: "An LFS education is not limited to the technical skills that produce new filmmakers, it is an education that challenges you to find your voice and make it heard."

Duncan Jones wins BAFTA for Outstanding Debut for 'Moon'

2010-02-23T12:55:00.002Z

Duncan Jones was awarded the BAFTA Award for Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer for his feature debut Moon. The BAFTA joins a full mantelpiece of prizes, including Best Film awards at Athens and Sitges Film Festivals, BIFAs for Best British Independent Film and Best Debut Director, and the Michael Powell Award for Best British Film at the Edinburgh Film Festival. Jones, who graduated in 2001 and went on to build a career directing commercials, commented on his experience at LFS, "The beauty of a good film school is that it invites you to make mistakes, but never dampens your enthusiasm. At LFS I made plenty, and ignited a passion."

LFS grads win 2 out of 3 Tiger Awards at Rotterdam Festival

2010-02-09T10:21:00.004Z

Two out of three prizes at the Rotterdam Film Festival Tiger Awards were awarded to LFS graduates - Paz Fabrega for her first feature AQUA FRIA DE MAR and Pedro Gonzalez-Rubio for his second feature ALAMAR.

From the Rotterdam website...

The VPRO Tiger Awards were given to Agua fria de mar by Paz Fabrega from Costa Rica, Mundane History by Anocha Suwichakornpong from Thailand and Alamar by Mexican director Pedro Gonzalez-Rubio.

Concerning Agua fria de mar, the jury said that the film 'succeeded in telling the story of a mysterious relationship between a woman and a young girl in a convincing and poetic manner. The film takes the audience on an unusual journey through a nature that interacts with people in a magical way. The superb editing ensures an organic flow of images, whilst the strong directing and disturbing atmosphere create tension.'

Alamar is a film that 'touches deeply without being too sentimental'. This film, about a father and son that go on a journey to the source of the open sea to find their old way of life, is 'true and honest to its subject and shows both the good fortune and tragedy of being a child with divorced parents', according to the jury.

Full story at http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/en/iffr-2010/news-2010/vpro-tiger-award-winners-announced-/

Oliver Hermanus nominated for Ingmar Bergman International Debut Awards

2010-02-01T20:40:00.003Z

Oliver Hermanus, 2009 MA Filmmaking graduate,has been nominated for the Ingmar Bergman International Debut Awards for the feature SHIRLEY ADAMS, his LFS graduation project. The film was co-written by MA Screenwriting graduate Stavros Pamballis.

TIBIDA was arranged for the first time in 2007 when Andrea Arnold, who recently made the highly praised Fish Tank, won with her debut feature film Red Road. In 2008 Spanish Jaime Rosales' Solitary Fragments and last year Enrique Rivero's Parque Via was awarded. Rivero is also part of the jury together with Bergman associate, filmmaker and author Jorn Donner and the actress Angela Kovacs, earlier awarded with the Ingmar Bergman award.

The nominated films are:
Lucia Puenzo, Argentina, for The Fish Child
Tom Ford, USA, for A Single Man
Shahram Alidi, Iraq, for Whisper With the Wind
Martin Zandvliet, Denmark, for Applause
Esther Rots, The Netherlands, for Can Go Through Skin
Maren Ade, Germany for Everyone Else
Lee Suk-Gyung, South Korea, for The Day After
Oliver Hermanus, South Africa, for Shirley Adams

The winner will be announced on February 6.

More info at www.ingmarbergman.se

Avantika Hari's 'LAND GOLD WOMEN' won India's National Film Award for Best Feature Film in the English language.

2010-01-28T12:30:00.006Z

LAND GOLD WOMEN, written and directed by LFS graduate Avantika Hari, won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in the English language. The National Film Awards are the most prominent film awards in India and the oldest in the country. Due to the national scale of the awards, the National Film Awards are considered the equivalent of the American Academy Awards. The Award Ceremony will be in March at the Presidential Palace (The Rashtrapati Bhavan). The Awards are conferred by the President of India. LAND GOLD WOMEN has also won the Asian First Film Festival Foreign Correspondents Association Award and the Swarovski Trophy for Best Screenplay. Five LFS graduates took key crew roles on the film.

www.aricherlens.com

Two BAFTA nominations for Duncan Jones's 'Moon'

2010-01-26T15:55:00.004Z

MOON, directed by 2001 graduate Duncan Jones, has received two BAFTA nominations, Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut for Duncan.

Two LFS Graduates selected for Rotterdam Film Festival's Tiger Awards Competition

2010-01-12T12:52:00.006Z

Two LFS Graduates have been selected for the Tiger Awards Competition of The International Film Festival Rotterdam (27 January - 7 February 2010). Paz Fabrega for her debut feature "Agua fría de mar" (Cold water of the Sea), which has a World premiere, and Pedro Gonzalez-Rubio for "Alamar" (To the Sea), which has a European premiere. More info at http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/en/iffr-2010/news-2010/competition-lineup-announced/

Duncan Jones has 10 BAFTA longlist nominations for 'Moon'

2010-01-11T12:42:00.002Z

Duncan Jones, 2001 Associate, has received 10 long list nominations for the 2010 BAFTA Awards for his debut feature 'Moon', including Best Film and Best Director. Other nominations were for Production Design for '90s Associate Hidecki Arichi and Editing for '70s Associate Nicolas Gaster. More details at http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/film-awards-nominations,949,BA.html

RAZ DE LA TORRE WINS THIRD PRIZE WITH HIS 3RD TERM DOCUMENTARY

2009-12-15T17:04:00.004Z

Raz de la Torre, C. 166, recently had his second term film "TOUCH ME NOT"ONDON" screened at the 21st CCP Independent Film & Video Competition, CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde (Dream Theatre), Cultural Centre of the Philippines, 8-12 December 2009.

His documentary film "THE FILIPINO STUDENT'S GUIDE ON HOW TO BE INVISIBLE IN LONDON" won Third Prize in the Short Documentary Film Category, although was not screened as one the three girls in the documentary requested that it not be screened during the festival. The Gawad CCP Independent Film and Video Competition is the longest-running film and video competition in the Philippines. It is a competition for works in 16mm, 35mm for film and DVD and Mini-DV formats for video.

DUNCAN JONES WINS 2 AWARDS AT BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS

2009-12-08T19:42:00.000Z

Duncan Jones first feature "MOON" was up for 5 nominations at The British Independent Film Awards created by Raindance. He won Best British Independent Film and The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director). The award ceremony was Sunday, 6th December.

AVANTIKA HARI WINS TWO PRIZES IN SINGAPORE

2009-12-07T17:19:00.003Z

Avantika Hari's first feature wins two prestigious prizes - see below

Indian film wins prestigious Purple Orchid Best Film award in Singapore
“Land Gold Women”, the world’s first English feature to explore the issue of honour killings bagged the prestigious Foreign Correspondent Association’s (FCA) Purple Orchid award for Best Film and the Best Script/Screenplay award at a glittering ceremony held at the renowned Raffles Hotel organized by the Asian Festival of First Films in Singapore.

The festival which ran for a week from the 28th of November to the 5th of December showcased films made by emerging Asian talent. A total of 700 entries were received from 28 countries. A total of 22 nominated films and documentaries vied for 11 awards.

“Land Gold Women”, written and directed by Avantika Hari and produced by Vivek Agrawal premiered in the Indian Panorama section of the International Film Festival of India this year. The film received rave reviews for it’s “engaging and compelling story line which reaches out to an international audience, strong performance by the cast and a well crafted production.”

Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop, who headed the Foreign Correspondents Association (FCA) jury for the FCA Purple Orchid Award, commented, “I’ve been heading the FCA jury for 4 years and usually we have heated discussions about which film should win, but this year it was clear cut. The jury especially liked Land Gold Women because it dealt with a very controversial issue in a restrained and sensitive way, which made its message very powerful.” The winning film tells about the tough choice an immigrant Indian professor in Birmingham faces, between saving his family’s name or his teenage daughter when she is found to be in an illicit relationship.

The film was shot in Birmingham UK, and stars newcomers Narinder Samra, Neelam Parmar, Ali Zahoor and Renu Brindle in key roles. They are supported by Hassani Shapi (The World is Not Enough, Star Wars) and Christopher Villiers (Sliding Doors, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Bloody Sunday, Kidulthood)

Avantika HariWriter/Director/Co Producer "Land Gold Women " http://www.aricherlens.comDubai: +971 50 101 6096
Mumbai: +91 983 399 4093London: +44 755 199 6753Avantika is currently in Mumbai_
_______________________________________________________

JUAN PABLO OSMAN FLORES GRAD FILM WINS AT ENCOUNTERS

2009-11-23T10:04:00.002Z

Juan Pablo Osman Flores C.156 graduation film TWO TO SALSA has won the NAHEMI/KODAK Cinematography Award - The Silver Flame at Encounters Short Film Festival in Bristol, UK 17-22nd November 2009.

NICOLE VOLAVKA'S COMMERCIAL FOR BARNARDO'S HAS WON THE PORSCHE AWARD

2009-11-20T11:24:00.005Z

Nicole Volavka C. 159 won the special prize at the Porsche International Student Film Awards 2009 for her commercial for Barnardo's called "RUBBISH". The ceremony is held annually at the Baden-Wurttemberg Film Academy. The DOP was LFS graduate Aaron Reid.

Here's the write up: Special Prize"Rubbish", Nicole Volavka (The London Film School/England).
The clear message - children feel they are treated as rubbish - is conveyed in a straight line, thus achieving a high credibility and a direct emotional appeal without a false sense of pathos. Pictures with enormous symbolic strength elevate this spot to a form of art, not in spite of but because of their artificiality and their lack of naturalism.

Nicole is now represented in the Czech Republic and Germany by Saward Graf Kurle Management.

AVANTIKA HARI'S FIRST FEATURE "LAND GOLD WOMEN" NOW DOING WELL AT FESTIVALS

2009-11-16T15:40:00.004Z

Avantika Hari (C. 155) first feature, having had its European premiere in Birmingham earlier this year year, which is where it was shot, has finally been premiered in India.

Avantika says:
"I've got some really good news regarding the film. Land Gold Women premiered in India at the Mumbai Film Festival under the New Faces section last month. We are in the prestigious Indian Panorama section of the International Film Festival of India in Goa this November and we've just got official word that the film has been nominated in the categories of "Best Film" and "Best Producer" at the Asian Festival of First Film in Singapore!

So now hopefully, the festival ball will start rolling and we can get a distributor."

Avantika HariWriter/Director/Co Producer
"Land Gold Women" http://www.aricherlens.com/
Dubai: +971 50 101 6096 Mumbai: +91 983 399 4093 London: +44 755 199 6753
Avantika is currently in Mumbai

DUNCAN JONES NOMINATED IN FIVE CATEGORIES AT THE BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS

2009-10-29T17:52:00.000Z

Duncan Jones's first feature "Moon" is up for seven awards in five categories - Best British Independent Film (7 nominations), Best Director, Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director), Best Screenplay - Nathan Parker,
Best Actor - Sam Rockwell, Best Technical Achievement - Original Score and Production Design at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA's) which is sponsored by Raindance. Award night Sunday 6th December.

HENRY DARKE'S GRADUATION FILM "THE LOBSTER TRAP" WINS AT "MEDIASCHOOL" POLAND

2009-10-28T18:18:00.000Z

Henry Darke's (C. 159) graduation film "THE LOBSTER TRAP" has won 3rd Prize 3,000 PLN (before tax) at PWSFTviT "Mediaschool" Film Festival, Lodz, Poland 20-24th October 2009.

MURIEL D'ANSEMBOURG'S 4TH TERM FILM "PLAY" WON A SPECIAL MENTION FOR DIRECTING

2009-10-27T17:42:00.000Z

Muriel D'Ansembourg's "PLAY" has won a SPECIAL MENTION FOR DIRECTING at the International Student Film Festival Pisek, Czech Republic, 8-10 October 2009.

DEAN BAJRAMOVIC'S FIRST FEATURE HAS WON TWO MORE AWARDS

2009-10-26T10:30:00.002Z

Dean Bajramovic's first feature "Gangster Exchange" had a great weekend. It won Best Film at 2 more festivals - The Moving Image Festival in Toronto and the Royal Flush Film Festival in New York City. This brings the total to 5 Best Film awards so far!

Dean, Writer/Director and Ryan Andrews, Production Designer both C.149

Dean Bajramovic, Gothic Raygun Pictures
436 Wellington St. WestSuite 202Toronto, OntarioM5V 1E3Canadacell: 416-454-2468
http://www.gothicraygun.com/

"PLAY" AND "IMAGINARY FRIENDS" BOTH WIN AT NEXTFRAME FILM FESTIVAL

2009-10-19T10:19:00.001Z

Sasha Collington's 3rd term documentary "Imaginary Friends" and Muriel D'Ansembourg's 4th term film "Play" have both won awards at NextFrame UFVA's Touring Festival of International Student Film & Video.

"Imaginary Friends" - 2nd Prize in Documentary Category
"Play" - Director's Choice Award

Internationally recognized as one of the world's premiere touring festival for showcasing student work, the NextFrame Film Festival dedicates itself to connecting student filmmakers from all backgrounds, providing these makers with a chance to share their unique vision to audiences around the world. Once each year's batch of finalists are selected, the festival embarks on a year-long international tour visiting university campuses, museums, media art centers, and independent theaters throughout the US and around the globe.

The festival's comments: Congratulations to all Award Winners. These are wonderful films that deserve recognition and exposure.

Two LFS graduates have been selected for the prestigious Cannes Residence - Paz Fabrega and Oliver Hermanus

2009-10-14T12:08:00.001Z

Two LFS graduates have been selected for the 19^th session of the prestigious Cannes Residence Paz Fabrega (c 151) and Oliver Hermanus (c 161). LFS graduates have been selected every year for the past five years.

from screendaily

The Cannes Residence has announced participants for its autumn session, which runs from October 1 to February 15.

The six film-makers will go to Paris to develop their scripts and meet with industry executives and fellow film-makers for guidance. They were selected from 170 candidates by Cannes Film Festival president Gilles Jacob and his jury. The participants are: Costa Rica’s Paz Fabrega, Ioana Uricaru from Romania, Bani Khosnoudi of Iran, China’s Zhang Yue, Oliver Hermanus from South Africa and Andrew Legge of Ireland.

The Cannes Cinefondation Residence has seen 64 of the projects it has shepherded since 2000 completed and, for the most part, released theatrically. In total, 89% of the films taking part in scheme have been made including those currently in pre-production.

- Paz Fabrega (Costa Rican, 30 ) observes in Todos Nosotros (2nd feature) the behaviour of a middle class when faced with social inequality.

- Oliver Hermanus (South African, 26) looks closely in Two Lovers (2nd feature) at the current-day relationship between Amina (20), from a devout Muslim family, and Raf (41), an Afrikaner whose baby she is expecting.

More info at http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/theResidence/theResidenceNewsRead/56859.html

Moon, the feature debut of LFS graduate Duncan Jones, scoops main prizes at Sitges

2009-10-13T11:44:00.001Z

Moon sweeps up at Sitges

UK production Moon, by Duncan Jones, son of legendary singer David Bowie, was the major winner at the 42nd Sitges International Fantasy Film Festival, where it scooped all the main prizes, including Best Film, Best Actor (Sam Rockwell), Best Screenplay (Nathan Parker) and Best Production Design (Hideki Arichi - ex-student also). This decision met with unprecedented approval from the critics in attendance.

Full story at http://cineuropa.org/newsdetail.aspx?lang=en&documentID=113954

Duncan Jones, who graduated from LFS in 2001, has segued from a highly successful career in advertising to direct his debut feature MOON, which won the Michael Powell Award at Edinburgh and also played to great acclaim at Sundance, Philadelphia, Cleveland, San Francisco, Tribeca and Seattle. Starring Sam Rockwell, MOON was released theatrically in the US on 12 June and in the UK on 17 July. Other LFS associates involved with the film include editor Nicolas Gaster and art director Hideki Arichi. http://www.moonthemovie.com/