CANNES - The Official Selection
The selection unveiled today has a distinctly European flavour with no fewer than 11 European films in competition announced so far. British director Andrea Arnold whose short film Wasp was an Academy Award Winner, is the only first time feature director to be featured in competition with Glasgow-set Red Road.
Films by Pedro Almodovar (Spain), Nanni Moretti and Paolo Sorrentino (Italy), Ken Loach and Andrea Arnold (UK), Aki Kaurismaki (Finland), Lucas Belvaux (Belgium), Pedro Costa (Portugal) and three films from French directors (Nicole Garcia, Bruno Dumont and Xavier Giannoli) have been chosen for official competition for the 59th Cannes Film Festival (May 17-28).
Festival Artistic Director Thierry Frémeaux promised surprises and has delivered, with the selection that includes seasoned directors at Cannes, as well as new, rising stars, such as Sofia Coppola, Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu and Guillermo del Toro. Among the 19 films in the running for the Golden Palm are three US films and one Asian title and Algeria makes its return to the Cannes with Days of Glory by Rachid Bouchareb.
Featuring out of competition is the highly anticipated United 93 by Paul Greengrass and Tony Gatlif’s Transylvania (also out of competition) will close the festival.
The official line-up.....
In competition
Pedro Almodovar - Volver (ES)
Nanni Moretti - The Caiman (IT)
Paolo Sorrentino - L'amico di famiglia (IT)
Ken Loach - The Wind That Shakes the Barley (GB)
Nicole Garcia - Charlie Said (FR)
Bruno Dumont - Flanders (FR)
Xavier Giannoli - I Did It My Way (FR)
Rachid Bouchareb - Days of Glory (DZ)
Lucas Belvaux - The Weakest Is Always Right (BE)
Sofia Coppola - Marie-Antoinette (US)
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - Babel (MX)
Nuri Bilge Ceylan - Iklimler (TR)
Pedro Costa - Juventude em Marcha (PT)
Guillermo del Toro - Pan's Labyrinth (MX)
Aki Kaurismaki - Lights in the Dusk (FI)
Andrea Arnold - Red Road (GB)
Richard Kelly - Southland Tales (US)
Richard Linklater - Fast Food Nation (US)
Lou Ye - Summer Palace (CN)
Out of competition
Opening: Ron Howard - The Da Vinci Code (US)
Closing: Tony Gatlif - Transylvania (FR)
Special screenings:
Brett Ratner - X-Men 3: The Last Stand (US)
Tim Johnson, Karey Kirkpatrick - Over the Hedge (US)
Paul Greengrass - United 93 (UK)
Midnight screenings:
John Cameron Mitchell - Shortbus (US)
Johnnie To - Election 2 (HK)
Su Chao-pin - Guisi (TW)
Cannes 2006 – Un Certain Regard
There is an international flavour with a few Easter European surprises to the 23 films selected in the Un Certain Regard section of the 59th Cannes Film Festival (May 17-28) announced this afternoon in Paris.
The programme line-up includes six debut features and will be opened, as expected, by the collective film Paris, je t'aime, accompanied by 11 European features with Italian filmmaker Marco Bellocchio’s Il Regista di matrimoni (lit. “The Wedding Director”) heading the bill.
But it is Eastern European cinema that takes pride of place, with Z Odzysku by Poland’s Slawomir Fabicki, Lithuanian film You Am I by Kristijonas Vildziunas and Taxidermia by Hungary’s György Palfy, and, last but not least, films from Tadjik Djamshed Usmonov, Romania’s Catalin Mitulescu and Russia’s Nikolay Khomeriki.
Also featured in the line-up is Uro by Norway’s Stefan Faldbakken, Spanish title Salvador Puig Antich by Manuel Huerga and four French features by Jacques Fieschi (La Californie), Denis Dercourt (La Tourneuse De Pages), Rabah Ameur-Zaimeche (Bled Number One) and Patrick Grandperret (Murderers).
Full line-up for Un Certain Regard section
Opening: film collectif Paris, je t'aime
Jacques Fieschi - La Californie (FR)
Denis Dercourt - La Tourneuse De Pages (FR)
Rabah Ameur-Zaimeche - Bled Number One (FR)
Patrick Grandperret - Murderers (FR)
Marco Bellocchio - Il Regista di Matrimoni (IT)
György Palfy - Taxidermia (HU)
Slawomir Fabicki - Z Odzysku (PL)
Kristijonas Vildziunas - You Am (LT)
Manuel Huerga - Salvador (ES)
Stefan Faldbakken - Uro (NO)
Catalin Mitulescu - Cum Mi-Am Petrecut Sfarsiful Lumii (RO)
Nikolay Khomeriki - 977 (RU)
Djamshed Usmonov - To Get To Heaven First You Have To Die (TJ)
Israel Adrian Caetano - Free Pass (UY)
Paz Encina - Hamaca Paraguaya (PY)
Rolf De Heer - Ten Canoes (AU)
Paul Goldman - Suburban Mayhem (AU)
Garin Nugroho - Serambi (ID)
Oxide Pang Chun, Danny Pang - Recycle (HK)
Francisco Vargas - El Violin (MX)
Yoon Jong-bin - The Unforgiven (KR)
Wang Chao - Luxury Car (CN)
Cannes 2006 – UK
Pathe launches Paul Schrader’s The Walker
Following in the footsteps of Richard Gere in American Gigolo, Woody Harrelson is going to play an escort for rich society ladies in Paul Schrader’s new film, The Walker, the main new title to be offered to international buyers by the Pathe Pictures International (PPI) London office at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival (May 17-28).
It is a drama set in the opulent world of Washington’s political upper class. Harrelson’s passion for the good things in life will entrench him in a world of betrayal and murder. The cast includes Kristin Scott Thomas, Lauren Bacall and Willem Dafoe. Currently filming in the UK, the UK/US co-production is produced by Deepak Nayar (Bend it Like Beckham).
PPI headed by Mike Runagall, will have a total of eight titles on their Cannes slate, including two films screening for the first time - the hotly tipped competition entry The Wind That Shakes the Barley by Ken Loach, and Penny Woolcock’s White Mischief.
Loach’s new drama is set against Ireland’s battle for independence in 1920 and stars Cillian Murphy and Padraic Delaney. It is a UK/Irish/German/Spanish/Italian co-production and will be released by BIM in Italy, Diaphana in France, Prooptiki in Greece and the former Yugoslavia. Pathe will launch it on June 23rd in the UK and Ireland.
Penny Woolcock's (The Principles of Lust) new comedy drama about an Asian and a white family who come together unexpectedly on a local carnival night full of trickery and festivity. White Mischief, produced by Company Pictures in association with Film Four, has been sold to Prooptiki for Greece and the former Yugoslavia. It will be released in the UK by Pathe.
International buyers will also be able to see promo reels of two films currently in post-production: Jim Hickey’s Dirty Sanchez: The Movie, based on the highly successful and controversial MTV series, and Jerry Rothwell and Louise Osmond’s feature documentary Deep Water, produced by John Smithson (Touching the Void), Jonny Persey (Wondrous Oblivion) and Al Morrow.
British director Andrea Arnold holds the distinct position as this year's sole first-time feature filmmaker in the competition. Arnold, who won the 2005 Academy Award for best short film for Wasp, will travel to Cannes with her first feature, Red Road. Set in Glasgow, the film revolves around a closed-circuit television monitor Jackie, who is a remote person content with a low-key order she has built in light of past pain she has experienced. One day, however, while monitoring CCTV, she sees a man she expected never to see again, and is confronted with an opportunity to face him.
Red Road stars Kate Dickie, Martin Compston and Tony Curran and is the first in a triumvirate of films under the Zentropa’s Advance Party initiative, supported by Scottish Screen National Lottery funding and produced for Sigma films by Carrie Commerford.
Claire Chapman, head of Talent & Creativity at Scottish Screen is delighted the film has been chosen for Cannes.
“It is a remarkable achievement from Andrea, as a first time feature writer/director and Carrie as a first time feature producer to have their film chosen to compete in such a prestigious international festival. We at Scottish Screen could not be more pleased and we are sure that audiences will love the film, it has a wonderful script, sensitively directed with some outstanding performances from the young cast. I am really excited about Red Road competing in Cannes.”