The new feature film of Academy Award nominated director Tanel Toom "Truth and Justice" has performed strongly in local theatres setting a new record for the opening week of any film shown in Estonia.

Romantic comedy ’Oh, Ramona!’, directed by Cristina Jacob, held on to the Romanian top spot in the second week since its release, thus becoming the highest grossing film in 2019, surpassing US blockbusters such as 'How to Train Your Dragon’, ’Ralph Breaks the Internet’, ’Glass’ and ’Alita: Battle Angel’.

During the 25th anniversary edition, the Sarajevo Film Festival will pay tribute to director Pawel Pawlikowski and honour him for his outstanding contribution to the art of film and his lasting friendship with the city of Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The acclaimed director will be presented with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award and honoured with a retrospective of his works - including documentaries he made for the BBC and his most recent feature films such as Ida and Cold War - in the Festival’s Tribute to programme. Pawlikowski will be returning to the Sarajevo Film Festival for the third time. In 2010 he presented Ida to the Festival audience and in 2018 Cold War opened the 24th edition of the Festival.

Pawlikowski was born in Warsaw in 1957 and left Poland at the age of fourteen first for the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, before finally settling in the UK in 1977. He studied literature and philosophy in London and Oxford. He started making documentary films for the BBC in the late 1980s. His documentaries, which include From Moscow to Pietushki: A Journey with Benedict Yerofeyev (1990), Dostoevsky’s Travels (1991), Serbian Epics (1992) and Tripping with Zhirinovsky (1995), won numerous international awards including an Emmy and the Prix Italia. In 1998, Pawlikowski moved into fiction with a low budget TV film, Twockers, which was followed by two full-length features, Last Resort (2000) and My Summer of Love (2004), both of which he wrote and directed. Both films won British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards, as well as many others at festivals around the world. After the 2011 film The Woman in the Fifth, Pawlikowski made highly acclaimed Ida which won the 2015 Foreign Language Academy Award, five European Film Academy Awards, a Bafta and a Goya, among many other prizes. Pawlikowski returned to Poland in 2013 while completing Ida. He currently lives in Warsaw and teaches film direction and writing at the Wajda School. Pawlikowski was born in Warsaw in 1957 and left Poland at the age of fourteen first for the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, before finally settling in the UK in 1977. He studied literature and philosophy in London and Oxford. He started making documentary films for the BBC in the late 1980s. His documentaries, which include From Moscow to Pietushki: A Journey with Benedict Yerofeyev (1990), Dostoevsky’s Travels (1991), Serbian Epics (1992) and Tripping with Zhirinovsky (1995), won numerous international awards including an Emmy and the Prix Italia. In 1998, Pawlikowski moved into fiction with a low budget TV film, Twockers, which was followed by two full-length features, Last Resort (2000) and My Summer of Love (2004), both of which he wrote and directed. Both films won British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards, as well as many others at festivals around the world. After the 2011 film The Woman in the Fifth, Pawlikowski made highly acclaimed Ida which won the 2015 Foreign Language Academy Award, five European Film Academy Awards, a Bafta and a Goya, among many other prizes. Pawlikowski returned to Poland in 2013 while completing Ida. He currently lives in Warsaw and teaches film direction and writing at the Wajda School. 
His latest film, Cold War, is a timeless historic romance (inspired by his own parents’ story). It won the Best Director award at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and was the big winner at the 2018 European Film Awards where it picked up the prizes for Best European Film, Director, Screenwriter and Actress (Joanna Kulig). Cold War was recently honored with three Academy Award nominations: in the best foreign-language film, best director and cinematography (Lukasz Zal) categories.
Praised by film critics and loved by audiences, Pawlikowski is an auteur whose films mirror his personal experiences, as well as his ethic values and artistic vision. His films reveal an immense talent, deep understating of historic changes and a strong sense of the interaction between personal and historical. In his own words, Pawlikowski is guided in his work by a desire to find new meaning in what is well-known and already seen.  “For me, that’s the essence of cinema: photographing reality and making it mean more. Not going with the flow as realism is supposed to do, but on the contrary looking at reality against the grain, discovering its strangeness.” (Vertigo, November 2007).
Pawlikowski will be presented with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo at the opening ceremony of the 25th Sarajevo Film Festival on August 16. ***
Previous honourees of the Sarajevo Film Festival’s Tribute to programme include: Nuri Bilge Ceylan (2018), Joshua Oppenheimer, Oliver Stone (2017), Amat Escalante (2016), Brillante Mendoza, Atom Egoyan (2015), Michael Winterbottom (2014), Cristi Puiu (2013), Todd Solondz (2012), Lucrecia Martel (2011), Bruno Dumont (2010), Jia Zhang-ke (2009), Todd Haynes (2008), Tsai Ming-Liang, Ulrich Seidl (2007), Abel Ferrara,  Béla Tarr (2006), Alexander Payne (2005), Dušan Makavejev, Gaspar Noé (2004), Peter Mullan (2003), Stephen Frears (2002), Mike Leigh (2001), and Steve Buscemi (2000)

Vilnius IFF Kino Pavasaris pays tribute to Claire Denis and Djibril Diop Mambéty

Touki Bouki an adventure drama by Djibril Diop Mambety

The biggest film festival in Lithuania finally revealed its entire line up of 170 films that will be screened over two weeks starting March 21. Vilnius IFF has also turned its attention to one of the greatest modern French cinema directors Claire Denis and Senegalese film director Djibril Diop Mambéty. 

The festival’s renewed team of programmers have introduced the complete programme of the 24^th Vilnius IFF Kino Pavasaris. It is packed with films that stand out in their style and professional skill, have won prizes at Berlin, Sundance, Toronto, Locarno and many more international festivals, as well as those that might have been unjustly overlooked. Selected features will be screened across 5 sections: Festivals’ Favourites, Discoveries, Critics’ Choice, Masters and European Debut Competition.

The festival will screen Hirokazu Koreeda‘s latest audacious drama and winner of the Palme d’Or Shoplifters, Nadine Labaki’s compelling story about anger and neglect Capernaum, Marie Kreutzer's Berlinale Golden Bear contender The Ground Beneath My Feet and Safy Nebbou’s romantic drama starring the brilliant Juliette Binoche Who You Think I Am. Also in this year’s programme is May el-Toukhy’s provocative Queen of Hearts, which examines female passion that’s rarely seen onscreen and was named audience favourite at Sundance, Goteborg and more.

13 films have been selected for the European Debut Competition. It will include two contenders from Lithuanian directors – Marija Kavtaradzė’s Summer Survivors, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, and Aistė Žegulytė’s documentary Animus Animalis (A Story About People, Animals and Things). Also competing for the title of Best European Debut at Vilnius IFF will be last year’s Golden Bear winner by Adina Pintilie Touch Me Not, Richard Billingham’s award-winning Ray & Liz, Cannes Critics’ Week winner Diamantino by Gabriel Abrantes and Daniel Schmidt, and more debut features from Europe. Find the complete European Debut Competition programme here.

This year, the festival is introducing Screen 9 – a special place dedicated to filmgoers wishing to expand their understanding of cinema. Its line-up includes the psychedelic Quantification Trilogy by Berlin-based artist Jeremy Shaw, who will attend the unveiling of Screen 9. The retrospectives of Claire Denis and Djibril Diop Mambéty will also be shown here, as well as films shot on 35mm and various experimental works.

Nine films, including her autobiographical feature debut Chocolat (1988) and her most recent High Life, starring Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche, will be screened in the Claire Denis retrospective. The Djibril Diop Mambéty retrospective will include the only two feature films created by the innovative and daring Senegalese director: Touki Bouki (1973) and Hyenas (1992).

The festival will also honour the recently departed Lithuanian-American avant-garde filmmaker Jonas Mekas with a special screening of his experimental documentary As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty.

Kirill Serebrennikov’s Summer, a nostalgic ode to the Soviet underground rock scene will open Vilnius IFF.

Find the complete 24^th Vilnius IFF programme here https://kinopavasaris.lt/en/programa

About the festival:

The 24^th Vilnius International Film Festival “Kino Pavasaris” will take place March 21–April 4, 2019. Last year’s festival was visited by 116 551 filmgoers, becoming the largest cinema event in Lithuania and one of the most notable film festivals in Eastern Europe. For more information, visit www.kinopavasaris.lt

The ceremonial gala evening of the Czech Lion Awards will take place on 23rd March 2019 and it will be hosted by the actor Václav Kopta

The 26th Czech Lion, the annual awards of the Czech Film and Television Academy (CFTA), will take place in the Dvořák’s Hall of Rudolfinum in Prague on Saturday 23rd March 2019 and the Czech Television will broadcast the gala evening live at 8 o’clock on CT1 channel. The ceremonial event will be newly hosted by the actor Václav Kopta and the creative supervisor of the evening will be the director Marek Najbrt. The nominations for the 26th annual awards will be announced at a press conference of the CFTA on 22ndJanuary 2019.

The annual CFTA awards will again be presented in the Neorenaissance building of Prague’s Rudolfinum, which is the headquarters of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, on 23rd March 2019.  “Just like in the last years the director of the gala evening will be Michael Čech and the scenographer will be Martin Chocholoušek,” adds the managing director of CFTA Tereza Rychnovská.

“Of course I was really delighted when I was offered to become the host. I have enjoyed Czech films all my life and it will be exciting to be so close to the filmmakers. At the same time it will be a challenge for me. Any live broadcast is a great challenge and with the Czech Lion it is twice as much,” explains Václav Kopta. When asked the question about his preparations he cannot help himself and answers in a funny way: “I will prepare myself so that after the broadcast I won’t have to wait for everybody to leave.”

Apart from the host the CFTA would also like to present the visual representation of the 26th prestigious awards which originates from the scenic design. “The red and white geometric graphics is together with the glass statuette quite noticeable and it will stand out outdoor as well as in the other media,” says Libor Jelínek, the creative director of the studio Dynamo Design, which has prepared the visual style of the Czech Lion this year.

The general partner of the Czech Lion is the mineral water Magnesia of the company Karlsbad Mineral Water. The main partner is innogy, the reliable and long lasting energy of Czech film.

The main media partner is the Czech Television. This year the Czech Lion will again cooperate with the partners Mary Kay and Rückl.

“As a Czech company with a history of over a hundred and forty years we are glad that we can support Czech film. The mineral water Magnesia has been accompanying the Czech Lion awards for sixteen years. I believe that again this year it will help young filmmakers to develop their talent,” explains Alessandro Pasquale, the general director of Karlsbad Mineral Water, which co-organizes the Magnesia Award for the best student film awarded at the Czech Lion gala evening.

“The innogy group has given energy to some tens of Czech films – comedies, detectives stories, fairy tales, historical dramas or documentary features. We do not focus on films only. We also have our FILM FOUNDATION, in which we award outstanding screenplays. We also support the organization of Czech film festivals. And for the fifth time we are the energy of the Czech Lion Awards. We are already curious about the January nominations and looking forward to the March gala evening,” said Martin Chalupský, the director of communication in innogy in the Czech Republic.

“The films that the Czech Television has coproduced this year have been awarded more than ten times not only at the Czech film festivals but also at the biggest international festivals. These successes confirm that our way of trying new formats in the actors’ films and providing space for the time-proven as well as starting authors is the right one,” says the general director of the Czech Television Petr Dvořák and he adds: “Apart from the coproduction films our television formats, such as the miniseries Marie Terezie or Dukla 61, also aroused interest in the world and thus have been entered into the television category, which has been part and parcel of Czech Lions for four years now.”

BRUSSELS, NEW YORK – 1 February 2019: Peter Fornstam, Founder & Managing Director of Svenska Bio and Chairman of the Swedish Exhibitors’ Association, has been announced as the recipient of the 2019 UNIC Achievement Award, given each year to recognise outstanding dedication and service to the European cinema industry. The Award will be presented as part of the CineEurope Awards Ceremony on Thursday 20 June at the Centre de Convencions Internacional de Barcelona (CCIB) in Barcelona, Spain.

A third-generation cinema exhibitor whose family have been dedicated to the film industry for over a century, Peter Fornstam founded Svenska Bio together with the Bonnier Group (now Filmstaden) in 1987. Now operating 200 screens, Svenska Bio is today the second-largest cinema chain in Sweden and Finland (Bio Rex), alongside its operations in Denmark under the Biografkompaniet umbrella.

Svenska Bio’s efforts towards providing audiences with the best possible cinematic experience reflect not only Peter’s own passion for the industry but also his visionary leadership, wealth of experience and immeasurable commitment to the big screen.

Peter is a well-known and highly-respected leader in the European cinema sector who, in his capacity as Chairman of the Swedish Exhibitors Association, has played a key role in enabling the industry to flourish in the face of challenges such as unanticipated VAT increases on cinema tickets in Sweden. His broad involvement in the film industry stretches beyond exhibition, serving as he does on the board of SF Studios, the largest production and distribution company in the Nordic region.

Welcoming the announcement of the Award, Phil Clapp, President of UNIC said:

“We are delighted to recognise Peter’s extraordinary career in European exhibition, as well as his key role in making Svenska Bio a pioneer in enhancing the cinema-going experience.

This Award recognises in particular Peter’s considerable contribution to developing both the Swedish and wider European cinema sectors through his work as Chairman of the Swedish Exhibitors’ Association. On behalf of the entire UNIC Board, I thank him for his tremendous support as UNIC has evolved in recent years.”

About CineEurope

CineEurope 2019 will take place from 17-20 June at the Centre Convencions Internacional Barcelona (CCIB) in Barcelona, Spain. CineEurope is the longest-running and most successful European convention and trade show for Major, Regional, and Independent cinema professionals. CineEurope will feature exclusive screenings and product presentations of upcoming films, sponsored events, timely and informative seminars and the CineEurope Trade Show. CineEurope is the Official Convention of the Union Internationale des Cinémas/International Union of Cinemas (UNIC).

About UNIC

The Union Internationale des Cinémas/International Union of Cinemas (UNIC) represents the interests of cinema trade associations and cinema operators covering 37 countries in Europe and neighbouring regions.

About Film Expo Group

The Film Expo Group is the premier organizer of events in the motion picture industry. The Film Expo Group produces CineEurope, held in Barcelona; ShowEast, held in Miami; and CineAsia, held in Hong Kong.

People in Need to present the prestigious Homo Homini Award for 2018 to Nicaraguan farmer Francisca Ramírez 

“It’s an honor for us, our families, and our country,” says Francisca Ramírez – leader of a Nicaraguan democratic movement whose determination to stand up against land appropriation and an authoritarian regime has inspired human rights defenders throughout her country – of the Homo Homini Award. “I feel a responsibility to continue what we have started.” Ramírez will be presented the Homo Homini Award on 6 March at the opening ceremony of the One World Festival in Prague by Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, President of the Central Tibetan Administration and political successor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.  

From the difficult position of a poor farmer, Francisca Ramírez has managed to mobilize hundreds of thousands of people to demand the chance to influence decisions that affect their lives in one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, where the iron rule of President Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo is now in its thirteenth year. Because of her activities, Ramírez has been repeatedly detained, harasses, and threatened with death. Last August, she was forced to flee the country.

Like more than 50,000 others, she left Nicaragua for neighboring Costa Rica after a serious crisis erupted in her country in April 2018. The countrywide nonviolent protests against authoritarian President Ortega, which brought together people from various social classes, were violently suppressed by the government. At least 350 people lost their loves.

 

“My dream is a Nicaragua that will be built on equality, with a guarantee of freedom, justice, democracy, and the rule of law,” says Ramírez, who continues to support and organize Nicaragua’s democratic movement from outside the country. She first became interested in politics in 2013, when Nicaragua’s government signed a contract with Chinese company HKND Group for construction of the Nicaragua canal through the area. The contract gave HKND exclusive rights not only for the construction and subsequent operation of the canal, but also to build, operate, and administer numerous other related projects, including ports, railways, an oil pipeline, and an airport. Although construction has not begun, the contract enabled extensive land appropriations that affected the local inhabitants, including small-scale farmers, who have lived in the area for generations. 

“We believe that such decisions must include the people who are the most affected, says Ramírez. “Citizen participation is important. You can’t let people decide about you without you.” 

“Francisca Ramírez sets an inspiring example, because she showed that if ordinary individuals without power or money are able to unite, they become powerful in their efforts to protect their own homes, the environment and human rights,” says Sylva Horáková, director of People in Need’s Centre for Human Rights and Democracy. “She organized and stood on the front lines of more than 180 nonviolent protest marches attended by students, farmers, businessmen, activities, and journalists, giving them the strength to stand up for what they believe in.” 

Francisca Ramírez, known at home as “Doña Chica,” will personally accept the award at the opening ceremony of the One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival at Prague Crossroads. The award will be presented by Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, whose opening speech will touch on China’s growing international influence and the impacts of Chinese foreign policy on human rights. Since 2011, Dr. Sangay holds the highest political position of Sikyong, which has been handed over to him by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He advocates for a "Middle Way Approach" based on equality and mutual cooperation between Tibet and China and strives for a peaceful resolution of the Tibetan question.

Since the 1990s, People in Need has presented the Homo Homini Award to people and groups who have significantly contributed to the defense of human rights, democracy, and the nonviolent resolution of political conflicts. Past laureates include Chinese literary critic and dissident Liu Xiaobo, Azerbaijani lawyer Intiqam Aliyev, and Russia’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture.

  

For more information or if you are interested in arranging an interview with Francisca Ramírez or Lobsang Sangay, please contact: 

Zuzana Gruberová, media coordinator, Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +420 770 101 144