International Critics’ Week
- Two Europeans, 4 Orientals, 1 each from Canada and Argentina. The 18th edition of First Film showcase runs from 28 Aug-5 Sept
This year’s edition of International Critics’ Week (ICW) turned to the East for inspiration with titles from Iran, India, Singapore and Korea. Organised by the Italian Film Critics’ Association, ICW will run from 28 August to 5 September as a sidebar to the Venice Film Festival. Not a single US title was selected, and only one each from Canada, Argentina and the United Kingdom and just two from Europe (Italy and France). The novelty of this edition lies in the decision to add an eighth film to the usual line up of seven. The 8th title has to be an “exceptional first film that is different from the other seven but worthy of inclusion”. The first film to receive this honour is Joy of Madness by Hana Makhmalbaf, Mohsen’s 15-year-old daughter and Samira’s little sister.
Each of the seven films selected was made by a director aged between 20 and 25 and they will compete for the CULT award ($10,000) and for the Lion of the Future - Venice First Film “Luigi De Laurentiis award (€100,000).
The lucky seven are: : Anna y los otros by Celina Murga (Argentina), Ballo a tre passi by Sardinia’s Salvatore Mereu (Italy), Fifteen by Royston Tan (Singapore), Matru Bhoomi by Manish Jhâ (India), Mr Butterfly by Kim Hyeon-Seong (Korea), Twist by Jacob Tierney (Canada), Variété Francaise by Frédéric Videau (Francia) and Joy of Madness by Hana Makhmalbaf.
Critics’ Week will pay tribute to Brazilian filmaker Glauber Rocha with the screening of the restored version of his 1960 directorial debut, Barravento.
Europe will be represented by two highly original films: Ballo a tre passi, produced by Gianluca Arcopinto and Andrea Occhipinti for Eyescreen - a blend of magical realism and an anthropological study of a rarely-explored region of Italy, and Variété Francaise, written, directed and starring Frédéric Videau, and produced by Film Oblige, is a pacy surreal tale of popular music hall songs.
This year’s jury includes director Ferzan Ozpetek and actress Valeria Golino and a hitherto unnamed film critic.
(Translated from Italian)
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