LFS Film Festivals News

DUNCAN JONES WINS AT EDINBURGH

2009-06-29T14:41:00.002Z

Duncan Jones C. 135 first feature "Moon" has scooped the Michael Powell Award for the Best New British Feature at this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival, 17-28th June 2009.

AZHUR SALEEM HAS WON MONEY FOR HIS NEW FILM AT A FESTIVAL

2009-06-04T15:06:00.003Z

Azhur Saleem (C.153)
Just thought I'd let you know about some exciting news about my new short film that's in development. It's called The Marionette Unit (we have a website for it here) and we were just awarded €10,000 from the 5e Grand prix européen des premiers films / Images Festival!

Here's the link to their website with the film portion of the competition on the bottom half of the page. http://www.images.ch/2010/en/concours.php

Our plan is to now use this initial funding to find more funding and sponsorship for the film with the aim to shoot later this year.

Azhur Saleem
Director
+44 (0)7525 795 843
azhur.saleem@mac.com
http://www.azhursaleem.com/

SALIL FERNANDEZ'S GRAD FILM WINS AWARD

2009-06-02T12:59:00.002Z

Salil Fernandez C.158 graduation film "THE MOLE" has won Outstanding Producers/Directors - Student Project. Steven Fernandez, Producer and Salil Jason Fernandex, Director, The London Film School at the Global Art Film Festival Experience and Repertory of Sacramento (GAFFERS), USA , 11-31st May 2009

ANJALI MENON'S FIRST FEATURE WINS AWARDS

2009-05-28T16:13:00.003Z

Article about Anjali Menon (C155) and her first feature film "MANJADIKURU" - please see below

Express Buzz

Mistress of composure
Navamy Sudhish
First Published : 28 May 2009 11:39:00 PM IST
Last Updated : 28 May 2009 11:31:19 AM IST
She owns no cliched gimmickry you expect from a woman filmmaker. No prejudices, no reservations and absolutely no cynical understatements.
But Anjali Menon transforms to a soul possessed by the magic of cinema the moment she starts speaking about her films. She is equally passionate about her short films that took her to many a festival as well as her debut feature film ‘Manjadikuru’ that premiered at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) bagging awards in two coveted categories - FIPRESCI Award for Best Malayalam Film and Best Indian Debut Award.
Like the central character in her film she too had a childhood spent abroad looking forward to that ‘annual vacation which would be marked clearly on those Indian calendars hanging on foreign walls.’ “I was born in Kozhikode but grew up in Dubai and completed my studies in Kerala, Pune and London. Though settled in Mumbai for the past five years I visit Kerala very often. My family is in Kozhikode and I keep shuttling between the two places,” she says with a smile.
Anjali’s date with the arc lights was no accident.
It was a progression of her artistic inclinations that includes poetry, dance, music, drama and other art forms. “Cinema is a combo of them all. It was after MASCOM I joined London Film School. Being there was a great experience. There you need to have a practical orientation for everything.
It was during those days that I realised that writing and directing excited me more and that fiction was my stuff,” says Anjali who has been learning mohiniyattom and bharatanatyam for the past 14 years.
She started off with documentaries and short films and was resolute from the beginning to make her first feature film in Malayalam. “People told me it’s suicidal to make a film in Malayalam.
But I was adamant. I thought since I belong to Kerala, I should start from here.” ‘Manjadikuru’ is the story of 10-year-old Vicky who returns to his village to attend the funeral of his grandpa.
The film is set in the 1970s when the migration to the Gulf countries started. The boy stays in the village till the 16-day-long rituals are completed.
During his stay something happens that shatters his innocent world and the way he perceives things. “After some years the boy returns as a young man played by Prithvi Raj and he is the narrator. We used natural lighting and stuck to limited make-up among other things to create real life ambiance,” says Anjali.
She is the only lucky debutante who had many big names in the industry lining up behind her for her first film. Switzerland-based cinematographer Pietro Zuercher handled camera while Kavalam Narayana Panikkar wrote the lyrics and Ramesh Narayanan scored the music. “’Manjadikkuru’ was the synergy of so many creative minds.
I grew up watching legends like Kavalam and working with them was a different experience altogether.” The film had only one screening in Kerala so far as Anjali was busy taking it to a number of festivals after the IFFK. “I was overwhelmed by the response the film got at the IFFK.
We worked hard for the film and it has been a long ride not just for me but for the whole crew who invested their time and energy in it. We are planning to officially release the film in Kerala soon.” Presently Anjali is part of a project initiated by Capital Theatres. She is one of the ten directors who will make 15-minute-long short films that will be later integrated into one singular project. The theme of the film is travel and all the parts are reflections on journeys in contemporary Kerala. “When I made my first film everyone expected some potent feminist stuff. As a filmmaker I am not gender biased; but in this, I play up the male-female politics. Jagathy is the hero. The character will break his comic profile,” she says.
Lal Jose, Shaji Kailas, Anwar Rasheed, B Unnikrishnan, M Padmakumar, Shyama Prasad, Revathi, Uday Ananthan and Shankar Ramakrishnan are her co-directors for the film.
navamy@gmail.com

See also

From Anjali - 26.12.2008

I have some good news...My first feature - Manjadikuru (Lucky Red Seeds) had its World Premiere at the International Film Festival of Kerala. At the festival we won two awards:

1. BEST INDIAN DEBUT AWARD instituted by Mira Nair in memory of Hassan Kutty

2. FIPRESCI award for Best Malayalam Film.

Comments on FIPRESCI website about the film: "a classical narrative,describing universal situations and themes, is told with skill and restraint. The film manages to be emotionally powerful without making a crude appeal to the viewer's emotions. Instead of hammering herpoints home, director Anjali Menon lets her points reveal themselves gradually through subtle images and sounds."

For more info see:

There's a review of our film on the FIPRESCI website. the link is:
http://www.fipresci.org/festivals/archive/2008/kerala/lucky_red_seeds_chfujiwara.htm
A trailer, stills, interviews etc.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=42065796343&ref=ts
http://www.fipresci.org/awards/awards_ndx.htm)
http://www.luckyredseeds.blogspot.com/

ANOTHER AWARD FOR MIRI SHAPIRO "4 KILOMETERS"

2009-05-19T17:16:00.003Z

Miri Shapiro's graduation film (C. 156) has just won another award "Best UK University Film Award" at the End of Pier International Film Festival, Bognor Regis, UK 24th April - 2nd May 2009.

MURIEL D'ANSEMBOURG'S 4TH TERM FILM WINS A PRIZE

2009-05-18T13:25:00.000Z

Muriel D'Ansembourg's (C. 162) 4th term film "PLAY" won Best Director with a prize of 250 Euros at the Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival in Schull, West Cork, 14-17th May 2009.

PAUL ROBINSON'S NEW SHORT HAS JUST WON AT MILANO

2009-05-14T11:57:00.002Z

Paul Robinson's (C. 156) independent short "Fanatic" which he wrote, produced, directed and DOP'd has just won Best Short Film at the MIFF - Milano International Film Festival, 11-19th May 2009 which is the first festival it has been accepted at.

TWO ALUMNI ARE NOMINATED IN BAFTA 2009

2009-04-16T15:14:00.000Z

In this years BAFTA Nominations - Hefin Rees's Welsh Children's Programme HIP NEU SGIP? is nominated for Best Children's Programme and Janis Pugh's independent short "BUTTERFLY" was nominated for Best Short Film.

Update: 28.5.2009
Unfortunately, neither won a BAFTA. Hefin lost out to an international cartoon and Janis lost out to a project with a much bigger budget.

DEAN BAJRAMOVIC'S FIRST FEATURE WINS AN AWARD AT ITS PREMIERE

2009-04-07T12:00:00.000Z

Dear Bajramovic C. 149 first feature GANGSTER EXCHANGE has just had its world premiere at the Beverly Hills Film Festival, 3rd April 2009 and has won the Audience Choice Award for Best Picture. Ryan Andrews, also C.149 was Production Designer on it.

STAVROS PAMBALLIS HAS WON THE STELLAR NETWORK PITCH UP WITH HIS DRAMA SERIES SCRIPT

2009-04-03T12:35:00.002Z

Another MA Screenwriting achievement to announce!

Stavros Pamballis is an MA Screenwriting Grad from 2007 and co-wrote the feature Shirley Adams with Oliver Hermanus.

He says:
"Just a quickie to let you know that my writing partner Patrick Myles and I where at The Stellar Network Pitch Up, at Channel 4 last night to pitch our series "Will - The Lost Years" and we won!

Of the three winning ptiches, ours was the only Drama series to win. The other two were a reality dating show and a sitcom.

Hopefully we'll get a couple of meetings at ITV and Channel 4 out of it!"

Let's get drinks soon!!

Stav

FLORA LAU'S GRADUATION FILM "DRY RAIN" HAS WON PRIZE IN HONG KONG

2009-03-31T17:14:00.003Z

Flora Lau's graduation film C.161 "DRY RAIN" has just won Best Film in the Open Division category of the 4th Fresh Wave Short Film Competition at the Hong Kong International Film Festival, April 2009.

The Festival say "DRY RAIN for its sensitive rendering of the very real issue of isolation of Filipino maids working in Hong Kong and its very polished filmmaking."

Written and directed by Flora Lau
DOP - Gabriela Palacios
Camera Operator - Yosuke Kato
Editor - Orsi Nagypal

MIRI SHAPIRO'S FILM "4 KILOMETERS" WINS TWO MORE PRIZES

2009-03-27T17:04:00.000Z

Miri Shapiro's graduation film c. 156 "4 KILOMETERS" has just won the following two awards:

Special Mention at the Early Melons International Student Film Festival, Bratislava, Slovakia, March 2009

Grand Award in the 14th IFVA Asian New Force Category (ANF-0395) at the Hong Kong
International Film Festival, April 2009.

MA SCREENWRITING GRADUATE UPDATE - FEBRUARY 2009

2009-03-03T15:45:00.002Z

GRADUATE UPDATE
MA SCREENWRITING
FEBRUARY 2009

GUY LODGE (2006)
His MA Feature screenplay "Exit 47" has been selected for the Berlinale Talent Project Market in 2009 as a potential directing project by a young German filmmaker, Theresa Von Eltz.

PIERRE LETHIER (2006)
His doctoral thesis on espionage in film, which is supervised by Professor Ginette Vincendeau at King's College London, is near to completion. Also has two books at the printer about to be published.

INES BRAGA (2007)
Feature film Commission from the UK Film Council the project is called 'Beatrice's Father' to be directed by Don Boyd - in development with the UK Film Council.
.'Fronteira' ,which is the LFS MA script, was selected for the Skillset ShortList -best 10 from all the UK screenwriting courses. (LFS had two scripts selected in the ten)
Her professional activity includes Power to the Pixel Coordinator @ the 52nd Times/ BFI London Film Festival.

STAVROS PAMBALLIS (2007)
Stavros Pamballis’s has writing credit on Shirley Adams directed by MA Filmmaking graduate Oliver Hermanus which is currently in post production.

His current projects include a commission to adapt the Graphic Novel, Quebrada for Filmmaker SRL(Italy) and an 80s Metal Biopic which is in development with Iron Box films. His latest feature project, Saving Abeo has been selected to the final round of the Channel 4, 4Talent/SWF 2009 Pitch In Time competition.

JIMMY RUZICKA (2007)
Working on feature screenplay with MA Filmmaking graduate Anu Menon called Click N Marry - a feature length romcom, the first of her three projects with new production company People Pictures. Due to shoot at end of March 2009.

GABRIEL VALLEJO (2007)
Best Comedic Short script at the BlueCat Screenplay competition in Los Angeles.

He wrote the screenplay for Survivor, which won Best Script Award at the BFM Film Festival and recently won a commission to develop a feature length screenplay with BBC Writer’s Room in 2009.

LUCIA LOPEZ (2007)
Development Executive with Matador Films.

AMOS SOFFIAN (2007)
“Breaking Bollywood" in development with Parkville Pictures (along with LFS producer grad Olivier Kaempfer).

Film London Freelance Script Analyst - reported on submitted screenplays for the Microwave Low Budget Feature Scheme.

NINA MITROVIC (2007)
Play commissioned by the National Theatre in Rijeka (Croatia) and in rehearsal for another one "Zagrebacki Pentagram" (a project of 5 writers)

MISHA DE CLERCQ (2008)
Writing a feature treatment for Warp X .

Script Reader for Trademark Films.

NINA GERSTENBERGER (2008)
Working as a Production Assistant to Paul Raphael, Starfield Productions through the Skillset Trainee scheme

ORPHEUS PERETZIS (2008)
Working as a Writer/Producer with promo company On Demand.

FELICITY CARPENTER (2008)
Shortlisted for Channel 4's New Comedy Writing award 2008.

Writer's Assistant for BBC sitcom My Family.

Writer on a new children's series for Helion Pictures, with development money from The Cartoon Network.

Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting award at the International Emmys 2007.

Bd/2.09

FUJIFILM SHORTS COMPETITION FINALISTS UP FOR "BEST FILM" AND "BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY"

2009-02-26T10:31:00.001Z

Out of the 10 finalists in the Fujifilm Shorts Competition up for "Best Film" and "Best Cinematography", two are LFS graduate films and one is an independent short by a graduate. The titles are:

A ROAD APART - 156/6
Writer/Producer/Director: Olivier Kaempfer
Director of Photography: Ji Hwan Park
Camera Operator: Robert Wilton
Sound Recordist: Nicolas Little
Editor: Juan Miguel Caro

LES MOUCHES - 155/6
Writer/Co-Producer/Director: Leon Yan
Directors of Photography: Brian Udoff; Paul Robinson (French Exteriors)
Camera Operator: Claudio Rietti
Editor: Chiara Menage

RALPH
Producer: Olivier Kaempfer

BEN GIBSON AND LFS AT BERLINALE FEBRUARY 2009

2009-02-16T12:48:00.003Z

Every year at the Berlinale in February, Ben Gibson invites LFS graduates and students participating in the festival to a Berlin dinner. Ben says: "In 2007 and 2008 we had a good number, but this year six graduates were accepted to the talent campus, including Najaf Bilgrami C. 145 (not in the picture) who was co-director of the award winning film WAGAH in the Berlin Today Award, plus two 2005 graduates who are now independent distributors in London and Dan Simmons, Marketing Head at Skillset, who is on the LFS Fast Forward Feature Production Programme".

PATER SPARROW'S FILM "1" WINS 3 AWARDS AT FESTIVAL

2009-02-06T15:21:00.000Z

Pater Sparrow (Zoltan Verebes) C. 143 film "1", based on a Stanislav Lem short story, for which he was Director/Production Designer won three awards at the Hungarian Film Week, 27th January - 3 February. The awards were:

Best Cinematography
Best Visual Design
Best Editor "Golden Scissors Prize"

Synopsis: "1" is set in a bookshop mysteriously filled with only copies of a book called "1" that contains the fate of humanity in one minute.

OLIVIER KAEMPFER (C. 156) FILM "RALPH" HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR BEST SHORT AT BAFTA

2009-01-15T18:02:00.003Z

Olivier Kaempfer (C. 156) short film "RALPH" made by his production company PARKVILLE PICTURES, with funding help from the UK Film Council and lottery, has been nominated for Best Short at this years BAFTA AWARDS. Olivier was producer and director was Alex Winckler.

Below are some of the festivals it has already been screened at:
Edinburgh International Film Festival 2008
San Paulo International Short Film Festival 2008
Time BFI London Film Festival 2008
New York Film Festival 2008
Leeds International Film Festival 2008 - Won 'Best British Short'

for information please see the website for Parkville Pictures - www.parkvillepictures.com/457/499.html

SHU-HAO CHU, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY - HIS FEATURE FILMS HAVE WON AWARDS

2009-01-02T19:35:00.000Z

SHU-HAO CHOU, C. 138, has been Director of Photography now on quite a few features shot in Taiwan, London, Barcelona and Berlin. The following have won awards:

"SOLO" - Learning on Lighting Award 2005
"Asylum Night" Best UK Feature Film, Tromafling Independent Film Festival, Edinburgh 2005 and 1st Prize Dubai Film Festival 2008.

His latest feature "THE ROBBERS" Directed by Yang Shupeng (The Cold Flame) and staring Hu Jun (Red Chili) and Jiang Wu (Shower) about to be released in March in UK. See Kodak - In Camera magazine for full write-up.

Contact for more information: www.shuchoudop.com or MSN zuckerazucar@hotmail.com or email: 66chouchou@gmail.com

RAFAEL KAPELINSKI C.151 IS OUR NEXT ALUMNI FOR CANNES CINEFONDATION RESIDENCY

2008-12-12T16:54:00.000Z

Rafael Kapelinski who was on C. 151, is keeping up the Schools new tradation, as through the films made in the School and his independent docudrama feature has been accepted for the next Cannes Cinefondation Residency which starts on March 1st.

We have had graduating students in at least 1 residency per year for the last 5.

LFS FILMS WINS 3 AWARDS AT EXPOSURES UK STUDENT FESTIVAL

2008-11-28T17:28:00.000Z

Out of 10 films Chrissy sent up for pre-selection to Exposures UK Student Film Festival, Manchester, November 2008, 6 were chosen for screening and 3 have won awards including the "biggy" they are as follows:

4 KILOMETERS, Writer/Director, Miri Shapiro - Won Best Post-production Award

CAPTURING SPACE, Director, Eric Bostedt - Won Channel M's Urban Life Award

CAMILLE E MARIUCCIA, Writer/Director, Samuele Romano - Won (biggest award) The Grand Jury Award

Grant Louche, Programme Administer of the Festival says that they have never had one School win so many awards at one festival before. He also said that the jury included Paul Abbott and Danny Boyle who voted for Camille E Mariuccia exclusively for the Grand Jury Award. Erik Bostedt is representing the School at the Awards Ceremony tonight as unfortunately neither Miri or Samuele can attend and will be collecting all three Awards.

The other films selected for screening were:

Les Mouches, Writer/Director, Leon Yan
Ravi Goes to School, Writer/Director, Anu Menon
Survivor, Writer/Director, Nicole Volavka

"BLUE COLLARS & BUTTERCUPS" WINS ANOTHER AWARD

2008-11-27T13:43:00.004Z

Janis Pugh's graduation film (C. 154) "BLUE COLLARS AND BUTTERCUPS" is the winner of The Kodak/Nahemi Creative Filmmaking Special Commendation at the Encounters Film Festival, November 2008.

"UN RIFF PARA LAZARO" WINS AT CORTOPOTERE

2008-11-26T13:58:00.003Z

"UN RIFF PARA LAZARO" - Remi Borgeaud's graduation film (C. 154) has won a Special Mention by the Jury at Cortopotere Short Film Festival, Bergamo, Italy 3-9 November.

MIRI SHAPIRO'S GRAD FILM WINS IN HUNGARY

2008-11-22T15:19:00.000Z

Miri Shapiro graduation film (C. 156) "4 KILOMETERS" has just won the Special Prize of the Film University Section of the "Trust" - Faludi International Youth Film Festival and Photo Competition held in Budapest, Hungary - 14/15th November 2008.

For more information please see the website:
http://www.faludiakademia.hu/

TAMAR YAROM'S 2007 DOCUMENTARY WINS MANY AWARDS

2008-11-21T11:34:00.006Z

Tamar Yarom C. 129's documentary " TO SEE IF I AM SMILING" wins lots of awards, see below:

TO SEE IF I'M SMILING
Documentary, 59 min. 2007

English Title: To See if I'm Smiling

Hebrew Title: Lir'ot Im ANi Mehayechet

Directed & Produced by: Tamar Yarom

Language: Hebrew with English subtitles

Made with the assistance of Noga Communications Channel 8 & The Makor Foundation for Israeli Cinema & TV

Synopsis:
Six Israeli women give a personal account about their life in the Israeli Army, in the Occupied Territories. A female point of view on the drama of an unending war, on the moral challenges the soldiers faced at the encounter with the Palestinian population. The women look back critically at the way they handled the power that was placed in their hands at the young age of eighteen. Questions that were not dealt with during the service are raised today with great pain - and courage.

PRIZES & AWARDS:

Silver Wolf Award - IDFA, International Documentary Festival Amsterdam,
The Netherlands, 2007;

Audi Audience Award - IDFA, International Documentary Festival Amsterdam,
The Netherlands, 2007;

Best Documentary Award - Haifa International Film Festival, Israel, 2007;

Special Jury Award - Sarasota Film Festival, Florida, USA, 2008;

Special Jury Award - Hot Docs International Documentary Festival, Toronto, Canada, 2008;

First Prize "The Magic Hour" Award - Planete Doc Review, Poland 2008;

Best Documentary Award - Dokufest , Kosovo 2008

Best One hour Documentary Award - The Annual Israeli Documentary Forum Awards,
Israel 2008

Ulysses Award - Montpellier film Festival France 2008

From the Jury's statements:
"The Special Jury Prize is given to a film that makes all of us face the question: could this be me? Would I behave this way? The director and protagonists share memories of a different and painful existence in a way that touches and challenges us and is relevant everywhere in the world."
(Jury Statement, Hot Docs- Hot Docs, Toronto, Canada 2008).

"a brave and powerful testimony to the corrosive effect of power."
(Jury Statement, IDFA –International DocumentaryFilm Festival, The Netherlands, 2007)

"….An unusual cinematic experience, courageous, piercing and sharp, the film raises complicated ethical questions…"

"…The women tell their stories openly, honestly, with sincerely and anguish that are painful to watch…"

…Tamar Yarom created a precise, unique, sharp and insightful cinematic language that honors its protagonists and their story…"

(Jury Statement Haifa International Film Festival, Israel, 2007)

FILM FESTIVALS (partial List):
Haifa International Film Festival, Israel, 2007; Best Documentary
IDFA – International documentary Festival Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2007;
Winner of "Silver Wolf" Award & Audience Award
FICCO – Cinemex International Film Festival, Mexico, 2008;
ZagrebDox – International Documentary Film Festival, Croatia, 2008;
One World Film Festival, Prague, Czech Republic, 2008;
KMD International Film Festival, Belgrade, Serbia, 2008;
Sarasota Film Festival, Florida, USA, 2008; Winner of the Jury Award
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, North Carolina, USA, 2008;
San Francisco International Film Festival, California, Usa, 2008;
HOTDOCs – International Documentary Film Festival, Toronto, Canada, 2008;
Winner of the Jury Award
Documenta Madrid – International Documentary Film Festival, Spain, 2008;
TekFestival Rome, Italy, 2008;
INPUT TV – International Television Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2008;
Planete Doc Film Festival, Warsaw, Poland 2008; Winner of the "Magic Hour" Award
Edinburgh International Film Festival, UK, 2008 (Invited):
Guth Gafa Documentary Film Festival, Donegal, Ireland, 2008;
Sydney International Film Festival, Australia, 2008 (Invited);
Melbourne International Film Festival, Australia, 2008 (Invited);

"SURVIVOR" WINS TWO AWARDS

2008-11-13T17:20:00.002Z

Nicole Volavka's 5th term (C. 159) film "SURVIVOR" has just won Best Script and Best Actor at the BFM International Film Festival, London, 7-17th November.