Festival In Focus: How The Sarajevo Film Festival’s Dramatic Origins Have Shaped It Into A Dynamic Launching Pad For Regional Talent

Outfest has announced the award winners of its 2021 Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorOscar-winner Tilda Swinton is the narrator of “Goliath: Playing With Reality,” a virtual reality experience about a schizophrenic man who finds human connection by playing video games, which is set to have its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival.Directed by Barry Gene Murphy and May Abdalla, “Goliath” is a 25-minute animated VR experience that “explores the limits of reality, demonstrates the weight of mental illness and lauds the

Christopher Vourlias Sebastian Meise’s “Great Freedom,” a prison drama about a gay man repeatedly incarcerated under a draconian law outlawing homosexuality in West Germany, won the award for best feature film at the Sarajevo Film Festival.The Austrian director took home the Heart of Sarajevo at Thursday night’s ceremony, while leading man Georg Friedrich won the award for best actor for a film that won the runner-up prize in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard sidebar.

Christopher Vourlias The premiere of Serbian drama series “Bad Blood” Wednesday night at the Sarajevo Film Festival was more than just the usual red-carpet event.

William Earl Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival has announced that it will extend its multi-year partnership with Variety for its 39th edition (March 4-13, 2022). The festival will partner with Variety’s Streaming Room on an International Feature Film Nominees Roundtable scheduled for next year before final voting begins on March 17, 2022.

K.J. Yossman Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog” will headline the 65th BFI London Film Festival’s gala this October.The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Imitation Game”), Kirsten Dunst (“Spider-Man”) and Jesse Plemons (“The Irishman”).

It is said that with age comes wisdom and that adage feels strikingly true when it comes to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The prominent Central European event is the one of the world’s oldest film festivals, founded in July 1946, a month before Locarno launched its first festival and few months before the Cannes Film Festival unveiled its first edition in September that same year.

Christopher Vourlias Serbian drama “The Family,” which swept the newly launched Heart of Sarajevo TV Awards at the Sarajevo Film Festival on Monday, has sold to North America, Variety can reveal.Directed by Bojan Vuletić (“Requiem for Mrs.

Christopher Vourlias U2 frontman Bono made a surprise appearance at the Sarajevo Film Festival on Sunday, where he introduced a digitally restored version of Wim Wenders’ “The Million Dollar Hotel” – a film the iconic rock star presented at the Bosnian fest more than 20 years ago.Addressing a full house at the Sarajevo National Theater – where fans had gathered outside for more than an hour in the blistering heat, clutching photos and singing along to U2’s hits as they waited for his arrival on

Gravitas Ventures has acquired U.S. rights to The Gig Is Up, Shannon Walsh’s feature documentary that explores the real costs of the controversial gig economy through the lives of workers from around the world for companies including Uber, Amazon and Deliveroo. The deal comes after London-based sales outfit Dogwoof acquired world rights at the European Film Market. Gravitas will now release the film October 8 in theaters and on-demand.

Christopher Vourlias For an industry struggling to regain its footing after the disruptions of the pandemic year, amid ongoing fears surrounding the lethal Delta variant and uncertainty about the months ahead, few sights this summer will be as welcome to festival regulars as the buzzy terrace of Sarajevo’s Hotel Europe, the de facto hub of industry events during the Sarajevo Film Festival.Having survived two World Wars and the shelling that devastated much of the city in the 1990s, the historic

Spain’s San Sebastian International Film Festival made the controversial decision to honour Johnny Depp with its Donostia Award.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentNew Locarno Film Festival artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro, who is the former head of the Venice Film Festival’s Critics’ Week, is starting to put his stamp on the Swiss fest dedicated to indie cinema with a lineup comprising comedies and genre films alongside more straightforward auteur cinema, driven by a desire to make the selection “more audience friendly,” as he puts it.

Jennifer Yuma editorThe Toronto International Film Festival has revealed that Jessica Chastain, star and producer of “The Eyes Of Tammy Faye,” will receive the Tribute Actor Award at the festival’s 46th edition this year.“Jessica has brought to life such strong and inspiring roles for women, from the films that have screened at TIFF such as ‘The Debt,’ ‘Take Shelter,’ ‘The Martian,’ ‘Crimson Peak’ and ‘Molly’s Game,’ to the upcoming world premiere of ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ at the Festival –

The 59th edition of New York Film Festival is taking shape and today Film at Lincoln Center announced Pedro Almodóvar’s latest drama “Parallel Mothers“ starring Penélope Cruz, as the Closing Night selection of the festival. “Parallel Mothers” will make its North American premiere on October 8 at Alice Tully Hall.

Manori Ravindran International EditorA whole lotta love is heading to the Venice Film Festival, which has just added the forthcoming Led Zeppelin feature documentary to its lineup.Bernard MacMahon’s “Becoming Led Zeppelin,” which was recently completed, will screen out of competition.More to come.

Manori Ravindran International EditorThe Jerusalem Film Festival is gearing up for a late August start, with celebrated Cannes title “Where is Anne Frank?” set to open the 38th edition of the fest.Directed by Ari Folman, the animated film centres on Kitty, Anne Frank’s imaginary friend whom her diary was addressed to, who magically comes to life at the family home in Amsterdam and sets out on a quest to find her.“Where is Anne Frank?” will kick off the festival at the Sultans Pool Amphitheatre,

Shalini Dore Features News EditorVariety will bestow its Intl. Achievement in Film Award on Alberto Barbera at a ceremony at the Venice Film Festival next month.Barbera, who has been the topper of the festival since 2012, extended his contract till 2024.

The 2021 San Sebastian Film Festival (September 17-25) has revealed the 13 features that will compete in its New Directors showcase.