Festivals

The 32nd Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles opened on the night of the midterm elections, November 6, mirroring the high-strung climate and divisiveness that characterize current politics. When the festival’s honoree Jason Blum, Founder of Blumhouse Productions, took the opportunity to publicly express his anti-Trump sentiment, several audience members began to walk out in protest.

The 4th edition of the Asian World Film Festival opened at the Arclight in Culver City, boasting a collection of new films from over 50 Asian countries. The unique feature of the festival is that all films are official Oscar and/or Golden Globe entries.

The HFPA is partnering with France's Institut Lumière on the restoration of world's earliest films. The project seeks to preserve the world's cinema heritage as well as promote classic films with younger generations.

The movie that the New Orleans Film Festival picked for their opening night could not have been better: director Peter Farrelly's Green Book is based on the true story of African American concert pianist Don Shirley, who decides to tour the Deep South. A great idea except it is 1962 and he needs protection, so the record company hires Italian-American New Yorker Tony “Lip” Vallelonga to drive him around and run interference in dicey situations.

As Chairman of the Foreign Language Film Committee of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, I had the honor to be invited to be the Chairman of the Jury of the 13th Edition of the Batumi International Art House Film Festival (BIAFF) in Batumi, Georgia. A Black Sea resort and port city close to the border of Turkey is the capital of the Georgian Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Batumi is currently experiencing a tourist boom, nicknamed “Little Dubai” thanks to its tall high-rises popping everywhere, with plenty of restaurants with a great inexpensive food and friendly service.

The Festival Lumière is celebrating its tenth anniversary as the world's premiere festival devoted to classic films. Held in Lyon every October, the festival is an homage to films as art as well as cherished objects or collective memory.

The 24th edition of the Recent Spanish Cinema Series opened at the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, with Javier Fesser’s comedy Champions (Campeones, 2018). The theater was filled with a mostly Spanish-speaking audience and Spanish natives.

 Tuva Novotny’s debut feature Blind Spot won the New Talent Grand Prix award - at Copenhagen’s CHP PIX festival. Shot in a single take the film details the real-time effect of tragedy on its characters.

CPH PIX ('Copenhagen Pix') is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year and is emerging as a major film festival, in Scandinavia and beyond. CPH PIX was born from the merger of the city’s previous festivals, Natfilm Festival, and Copenhagen International Film Festival, and celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

For more on the HFPA Residency, read The HFPA Celebrates the 75th Venice Film Festival.