A rare glimpse into the hidden secrets of Toledo, Spain. A heartbreaking drama about a Tunisian Jewish family in Paris. A poignant portrait of Iraq’s Jewish society. An introduction to a small Jewish community in Mumbai that believe s itself descended from one of the lost tribes of Israel. The story of an Ethiopian Jewish boy who dreams of being the Spike Lee of Israel. These are but a few of the fifteen films from fourteen countries being screened at this year’s gala 13th Annual New York Se...

Nashwa Al Ruwaini aims to tackle Arab stereotypes through initiatives launched during MEIFF 2008Nashwa Al Ruwaini, recently returned from Los Angeles after launching MOST at the Paley Center for Media, aims to tackle Arab stereotypes in the Western media through several initiatives launched during the second Middle East International Film Festival. Among them is MOST, short for Muslims on Screen and Television, which aims to shed light on the image of Muslims in the Arab World, especially in the...

As the curtain falls on the landmark fifth edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), the foremost cultural event on Dubai's yearly calendar, organizers have released figures that indicate that the 2008 event was the most successful yet.   A total of 47 500 movie-goers streamed into DIFF's screenings as of Wednesday, December 17, representing a significant increase in festival attendance over 2007. Coveted seats went in a flash, particularly for the festival's Gala...

Raj Kapoor, a Bollywood-style Charlie Chaplin from the FiftiesThe 2008 River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival will hold a retrospective on the great director Raj Kapoor, on the occasion of his 20th death anniversary, and screen a rich selection of the latest Indian films, as well as new special sectionsThe eighth River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival, completely devoted to Indian cinema and directed by Selvaggia Velo, will take place in Florence, Italy, from 5 to 11 December 2008....

Two War Films, "Cold Tears", 2004, and "Night Bus", 2007. The war between Sadam Hussein's Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran lasted nearly a decade, from 1980 to 1988, and was treated as a kind of side-show in the western press, but it was the main event in that part of the world and has provided fodder for countless Iranian films ever since. Two of these were presented in the current survey. Dated 2004 and 2007 these films show that nearly 20 years down the line this war is still far from a ...

Ten films by nine directors, veterans and promising newcomers, most of them recent productions, give insight into contemporary Iran at this festival organized in collaboration with the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Hungarian National Film Archive. All films will be screened in the original version with English subtitles and simultaneous Hungarian translation through ear-phones. November 20, 6:30 p.m.So Close So FarThis irable film changes your ideas about God by showing the ...

In conjunction with the Iranian embassy the Örökmogó Filmmuseum, which is the outlet for the Hungarian Film Archive and presents a selection of international films all year round, is presenting a ten film survey here of recent Iranian film productions in what amounts to a mini Iranian film festival. The survey includes two slightly older films from the years 1992 and 1999, but the remainder are all films made after the turn of the millenium, primarily those released since 2004. Ever since t...

Qatar Museums Authority (QMA), the organization dedicated to developing the cultural resources of this Arabian Gulf state as a platform for international dialogue and understanding, has announced a groundbreaking agreement with New York’s world-renowned Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), to launch a world-class international film festival, Tribeca Film Festival Doha. The first festival will take place November 10 – 14, 2009 and be presented at Doha’s celebrated new Museum of Islamic Art and in ...

By Maria Esteves - November 22, 2008 The 23rd Israel Film Festival (IFF) in New York celebrating Israel's 60th Anniversary New York Premiere of THE LITTLE TRAITOR written/directed/produced by Lynn Roth was held at the Clearview Cinema, Saturday, November 1, 7:45 PM. 2008 IFF celebrating Israel's 60th Anniversary historical selection of THE LITTLE TRAITOR is an outstanding, heartfelt, and genuine family film based on the relationship between Proffi (Ido Port) a young Polish Jew and ...

The round-table discussion “Division and Unity: Cinema in the Middle East” took place on Tuesday, November 18th at Stavros Tornes theatre, as part of the 49th Thessaloniki’s International Film Festival spotlight on Middle Eastern cinema. According to Dr. Hassan Βadawy, professor of History and Archeology of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Middle East is a land of extremities, of faith in faithlessness, of being dogmatic about being non-dogmatic. ‘The major question for filmmakers ...

CAMBOFEST 2008 Siem Reap, Cambodia December 26th-28th Announcing Selection of Participating Movies, Music & Venues ~ 50+ Films to Screen During 3-Day Event Current edition introduces Live Music acts The 2nd annual CAMBOFEST: Film & Video Festival of Cambodia is the first dedicated, internationally recognized movie festival in Cambodia. This independent, private sector movie event, held this year on December 26th-28th in Siem Reap, Cambodia, will present a total o...

The second annual Cambofest, Cambodia's first internationally recognized film festival, will open under the stars on Dec. 26 in outdoor venues near the famed ancient Khmer temples of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap.The three-day festival will show 50 films from around the world including independent features, documentaries, shorts, animation and films dealing with social issues, organizers said Thursday.Festival director Jason Rosette said the event would be "extremely grass-roots and lo-fi" because of ...

Breaking with the antiquated rituals of the Oscars, the Asia Pacific Screen Awards produced a presentation that generated interest in the nominated films – many of which have not had much exposure outside their home countries – and put the filmmakers and their work the focus, while also delivering glamour and buzz, reports Andrew L. Urban from the Gold Coast.Double in size whichever you measure it since last year’s inaugural presentation, this year’s APSA event catered for almost 700 gue...

Video Art Beijing Prounly Introduce Silard China Tour CD at 2.3 million mark. The Voice of Love from the movie ' The Street's of Beijing "   ...

6th Zagreb Film Festival www.zagrebfilmfestival.com this year offered fantastic documentary program. Among 12 documentaries one of the documentary on Zagreb Film Festival 2008 especially attracted attention. It is a "Bomb Harvest" produced by Lemur Films Australia, established by the director/writer of film Kim Mordaunt and producer Sylvia Wilczyinski. Mourdaunt and Wilczynski have made award winning dramas and documentaries for ABC TV, SBS TV and Discovery. At the moment, they are d...

Raj Kapoor, a Bollywood-style Charlie Chaplin from the FiftiesThe 2008 River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival will hold a retrospective on the great director Raj Kapoor, on the occasion of his 20th death anniversary, and screen a rich selection of the latest Indian films.The eighth River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival, completely devoted to Indian cinema and directed by Selvaggia Velo, will take place in Florence, Italy, from 5 to 11 December 2008.ed by Mediateca Regionale...

The IsraFest Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization founded in 1982, created the Israel Film Festival to showcase Israel's thriving film and television industry. The annual event plays a vital educational role in today's world, providing an intercultural exchange that advances tolerance and understanding and enriches America's vision of Israel's impressive social and cultural diversity.Danny DeVito, Irwin Winkler and Edward Zwick will be honored at the 23rd edition of the festival at New Yo...