Discovering Latin America Film Festival in London

From the Visit London blog, London film festival season is on:

“London’s 8th Latin American film festival kicks off next week. The festival will show films from South American countries including Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Venezuela that often wouldn’t make it to the big screen in the UK. Special guests include awarding winning Argentine director Amat Escalante, the world-renowned Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón, and new Colombian sensation Jorge Navas. Screenings will take place at London venues including Tate Modern and the Institute of Contemporary Arts.”

Read more or visit the official site. The festival takes place from 26 November to 6 December.

Cuarón to offer master class in Marrakech

EFE reports: Alfonso Cuarón will offer a master class in cinema at this year’s International Film Festival of Marrakech.  Now in its ninth edition, the Festival International du Film de Marrakech will take place between 4 and 12 December. Also offering workshops are American director Jim Jarmusch and Australian cinematographer Christopher Doyle (best known for his work in Hong Kong cinema).  Jaramusch, Doyle, and Cuarón’s workshops will take place 8th, 9th, and 11th December respectively.  Read more.

HR also reveals that Cuarón has shown interest in directing upcoming thriller Hanna.  In development since 2007, the film “centers on a 14-year-old Eastern European girl who has been raised by her father to be a cold-blooded killing machine.”  Atonement-director Joe Wright is currently in talks to direct.  Read more.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000464/

Catching up (I)

Since September, Cuarón made the news not only by signing a controversial petition by the Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques’ (SACD) protesting the extradition of Roman Polanski from Switzerland for an outstanding warrant dating back to his 1977 rape conviction but also for his participation in  Autism Speaks‘ “I am Autism” campaign (details below the cut).

More recently, HR reported that the director was in early stage talks to direct the remake of Jérôme Salle’s The Tourist (original title: Anthony Zimmer) , replacing Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (The Lives of Others), originally attached to the project.  Variety reports that the production is to finally begin in February after a number of cast and crew changes since 2005.  However, as recently as last week, von Donnersmarck asserted that he was still attached to the project.  “In the trades, everything they say…I think you can discount a lot of it.  It’s just a way of talking about the business, and sometimes things get out about heated points of discussion. We’ll see how it plays out with that one.”

In October, the finalists for the AXN Film Festival were announced.  Jury members – including Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, and Carlos Cuarón, among others – selected ten short films from across South America which will air on AXN from 15th November to to 6th December in Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, Argentina, and Venezuela.  The winner will be announced Sunday, 13th December.  Read more.  The Sunday Times carried an interview with Carlos and Alfonso Cuarón by Beverley D’Silva ahead of of the DVD release of Rudo y Cursi in the UK mid-November.  The brothers discussed their relationship growing up and making films, “Writing [Y tu mamá también], we were laughing like crazy and getting very excited. We learnt that the only way to make things happen is to take control of your material from the get-go. And it all happened from there.”

Apologies for the great delay!

A Boy and his Shoe expected mid-2010

Milenio reports: Expect to see A Boy and his Shoe hit the big screens in mid-2010.

The story, written by the director and his son Jonás Cuarón, relates the experiences of a French employee who moves to Scotland with her two children who encounter a series of problems from the time they arrive culminating in great drama.

In addition to previously mentioned Charlotte Gainsbourg and Daniel Auteuil,  actors Guillaume Canet and Pam Ferris are now attached to the project, which should begin to film shortly (although it is not known whether it will film on location or in studio). Read more.

In other news, IndieWire reports that IFC has signed with Criterion to distribute a special Criterion edition of Y tu mamá también, among other films, for 2010 release.  “Criterion has always presented a mix of international classics and director-approved editions of important contemporary films, so this new slate of releases fits our mission perfectly. These films are future classics, and we’re very excited about the opportunity to work with the filmmakers to present them in great editions right from the start,” said Criterion’s Peter Becker.    Read more.

Also, Women & Hollywood (from a feminist perspective) have pointed out a recent Newsweek article profiling female directors from Mexico.  Says Melissa Silverstein from Women & Hollywood, “It’s interesting to note that the movies by the women described in the piece are more gritty and realistic and about life in Mexico whereas most of the film made by the prominent Mexican men and more fantasy and action drive.”

A few notes before going on hiatus

I will be leaving this week for a gap year behind the Great Firewall of China, where unfortunately, wordpress is blocked.  This fanblog will therefore be on hold for a while, unless I find a reliable proxy, but even then my internet access will not be as consistent as at home in Canada while I travel.  I hope to continue reporting blogging when I can, and most definitely when I return.  Cheers.

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El Economista and El Mercurio report: In ten short films, ten Mexican filmmakers will be putting together a film in the style of Paris, je t’aime to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the Mexican Revolution.  Produced by IMCINE, Canana, and Mantarraya Producciones, each film will discuss the significance of the Revolution today.  “Imagine the potential for controversey,” said Gerardo Naranjo (Voy a explotar) who begins work on his contributiont next month, “I’m going to make something dynamic and violent that reflects what I think about the country.”  Other names attached include Spanish director Isabel Coixet, Alfonso Cuarón, the American Coen brothers, Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Carlos Reygadas, Amat Escalante, and Fernando Eimbcke.

Monsters & Critics reports that Alfonso Cuarón, as well as John Woo, among others, has expressed interest in an 80 million USD Hollywood adaptation of Hong Kong fantasy graphic novel series DevaShard.  Subsidiary of NBC Universal, CastleBright Studios bought the rights to the fantasty series feeling that a storyline based on Asian mythology would be the next big thing.  DevaShard is inspired by the Sanscrit epic, the Mahabharata, an important part of Hindu mythology.

Noticine reveals that Cha Cha Cha production Mother and Child, directed by Rodrigo García, will make its world premiere with a gala screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, which runs from 10 to 19 September.  Budgeted at 7 million USD, it was filmed in Los Angeles and concerns three women played by Annette Benning, Naomi Watts, and Kerry Washington, whose character is looking to adopt.

Mexican coverage for the Year of the Nail

There was a great deal of coverage in the Mexican press upon the domestic premiere of Año uña that I haven’t gotten to yet – some snippets and links in rougly chronlogical order follow:

Asked, “What’s next?” (El Universal), director Jonás Cuarón responded:

That is what we always talk about, my girlfriend and I, because what follows is no longer with snapshots, you write the script first, but I am interested in looking for ways to create an honest story, in an interesting way, but fun.

I want to continue in film, she wants to continue with photography and when she speaks of photography projects and concept talk, I believe that working together should not be forced [...] we are not working together right now, we will always share opinions.

Salim Kury (Quién) caught up with both Cuarón and actress, co-producer, and editor Eireann Harper in a hotel suite around the premiere, and while the only news is that Cuarón is working on a script for his next feature and Harper is workign on her photography, Luis Ortiz Vargas took some new photos of the couple:

Año uña in Mexico, Rudo y Cursi on DVD, and more

After screening at international festivals for the last two years,  Año uña finally premiered today in Mexico (after a delay due to the H1N1 epidemic).   Speaking to Reuters, director Jonás Cuarón shared his belief in the film’s universal appeal overcoming any linguistic barriers.  “Adolescent guarrada* is universal, whether in Japan, Mexico, or England; all thirteen year olds are filthy,” he remarked.  Read more.

Also, Rudo y Cursi comes out on DVD and Blu-ray on 25th August: