Thursday, March 26, 2015

The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles 2015 Is Here

By Jose Alberto Hermosillo

The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles 2015 is back from April 8 to the 12th with a line-up of great Indian, Indian-American, and South East Asian films, from traditional drama, shorts, documentaries, and the crown-pleaser Bollywood movies.  

All the shows are at the Arclight in Hollywood where filmmakers, Indian Celebrities, and a friendly crowd will be waiting to share their millenarian culture and cinema with us.

Films:

HARAAMKHOR
(Opening Night)
Director: Shlok Sharma
Talent: Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Talent: Shweta Tripathi (actress from JOURNEY (SAFAR))
Producer: Guneet Monga

miss_india_america
MISS INDIA AMERICA
Director: Ravi Kapoor
Co-writer/Lead Talent: Meera Simhan

TITLI
Director: Kanu Behl

four_colors
FOUR COLORS (CHAURANGA)
Director: Bikas Mishra

labour_of_love 
LABOUR OF LOVE
Sound Designer: Anish John

ELIZABETH EKADASHI
Director: Paresh Mokashi (IFFLA alum with India’s Oscar Entry HARISHCHANDRACHI FACTORY)
Producer: Madhugandha Kulkarni

ONE CRAZY THING (Centerpiece film)
Director: Amit Gupta (IFFLA alum, director of JADOO)
Talent: Ray Panthaki (BAFTA Breakthrough Brit of 2014)

BOLLYWOOD NIGHTS:
taal
TAAL
April 11, 2015. 9:30PM
CLOSING NIGHT GALA:
 dhanak
RAINBOW (DHANAK)
Director: Nagesh Kukunoor
Talent: Vipin Sharma (actor from GANGS OF WASSEYPUR)
Producer: Elahé Hiptoola
APRIL 12, 2015 6:00pm

SHORTS:
DANDEKAR MAKES A SANDWICHDirector: Leena Pendharkar (IFFLA alum, RASPBERRY MAGIC)Producer: Jane Kosek
JOURNEY (SAFAR)
Director: Pratyusha Gupta
Talent: Shweta Tripathi (actress from HARAMMKHOR)
Talent: Vipin Sharma (actor from DHANAK and GANGS OF WASSEYPUR)

RABBIT, THE (KHARGOSH) 
Director: Sudarshan Suresh
Producer: Sean Dunn
Writer: Shakti Bhagchandani
SPACE BETWEEN, THE
Director: Will Sankhla

Arclight Theaters Hollywood, Sunset/Vine.
For more information: www.indianfilmfestival.org 

Copyright © 2015 Festival in LA

Thursday, March 19, 2015

The New Bond Girl Is Mexican and Ready for Action in Spectre

By José Alberto Hermosillo,

Photo by: Jose Alberto Hermosillo © 2015 Festival in LA

Stephanie Sigman, after her success in the acclaimed film “Miss Bala,” which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section in the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and represented Mexico at the 84th Academy Awards, is playing Estrella in “Spectre,” becoming the first Mexican actress in a James Bond movie adding her name to the long list of the famous “Bond Girls.”

Photo by Jose Alberto Hermosillo © 2015 Festival in LA

The new Bond Girl, born in the northern state of Sonora, participated in the TV series “The Bridge.” 

We will also see her in the upcoming films “Alicia en el país de María/Alice in Mary-land” and “El Cielo es Azul/The Sky is Blue.” 

In Europe, she acted in the 2013 Norwegian Oscar® submission “Pioneer” directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg (“Insomnia,” “Prozac Nation”).

Spectre Facebook page.

Stephanie confessed to feeling excited and a little nervous during a press conference. This is her first significant role in a big-budget action movie.

This new chapter of Agent 007 has three new Bond Girls from different nationalities: Monica Bellucci (“Maléna,” “Irreversible”) from Italy, Léa Seydoux (“Blue is the Warmest Color,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Grand Central”) from France, and Completing the trio Stephanie Sigman from Mexico.


After Rome, the Bond production directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes landed in Mexico City two weeks ago and has already started shooting in the historic center. They closed to the public some important streets and rented two soundstages of the Churubusco Studios, one for wardrobe and the other for make-up.

“Spectre” will be in theaters worldwide on November 6, 2015.

Copyright © 2015 Festival in LA

México Bárbaro Wins the Fan-Base Award in Greece

By José Alberto Hermosillo,


"México Bárbaro" takes one of the top prizes, the Fan-Base Award, at the Horrarant Film Festival "Fright Nights" in Athens, Greece.

The Mexican horror anthology, "México Bárbaro," with a cult influence, is directed by Isaac Ezban, Laurette Flores, Jorge Michel Grau, Ulises Guzmán, Edgard Nieto, Lex Ortega, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Aarón Soto.

People said about the 8 horror stories: "This film is ferocious, every story is more frightening than the other, it never loses the tension. Excellent production value and great special effects."

Congratulations to the winners. We hope to see México Bárbaro in the U.S. very soon.


Copyright © 2015 Festival in LA

Thursday, March 12, 2015

The Tales of Hoffmann: The Operatic Masterpiece of British Cinema Restored

By José Alberto Hermosillo

“The Tales of Hoffmann” is the most beautiful, elegant, harmonious, and breathtaking opera ever made for the silver screen.
The Tales of Hoffmann, Japanese poster. Courtesy of Rialto Pictures/Studio Canal.

The allegory in Technicolor was directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (“The Red Shoes,” “Black Narcissus”). Now, it gets a new life after a further 4K restoration by Warner Brothers, Martin Scorsese, and London Films.

The narrative resembles Shakespearian dramaturgy with some surrealist elements that were very characteristic in the 1950s. The story is told from Mr. Hoffmann’s (Robert Rounseville) perspective.

The prolog is a magnificent overture with the stunning performance of the Dragonfly ballet, where Stella, the prima ballerina, before her number, sends a message.

Hoffmann, infatuated, watches among the audience. 

Backstage, the message gets intercepted by Lindorf’s evil force.

Inside the surreal Luther’s Tavern, with melancholia, Hoffmann drowns his sorrows and sings the three tales of the women he loved.

The first tale is about Olympia, the doll from Paris. The puppeteers want to sell Olympia to Hoffmann, who falls deeply in love with her, mostly when she sings the “Doll Song.” The dark forces get ready to destroy the doll and true love. The decors and the artwork are from the modernist movement before the Eiffel Tower was built, creating a sophisticated and obscure atmosphere and setting the mood for tragedy.

The second tale is about his relationship with Giulietta, the Venetian courtesan manipulated by Daperdutto; she’s taking possession of Hoffmann’s soul with a mirror. He has to regain his identity and love for her, but it won’t be easy. Jealousy, madness, and revenge are significant factors in this unbelievable episode.

The third tale is about Antonia, the poet from a Greek Island. Her mother died of tuberculosis, and the father is mad and keeps his daughter in seclusion. She is ill and cannot sing anymore. Her mother’s spirit and doctor persuaded her to follow her heart, but it was too
 late for the tragic outcome.

The Epilogue, or the grand finale, is set inside the Opera House, the Stella’s Ballet intercuts with the tavern where Hoffmann had captivated the audience who understands the meaning of the three stories.

The non-intrusive camera by the master of the British Technicolor cinematographer Christopher Challis covers as many different angles as possible - from the audience's point-of-view, backstage, to the balcony. The camera is everywhere, so the viewer doesn’t miss any detail of the artistic composition.

“The Tales of Hoffmann” is a jewel of British cinema, now rescued for film and opera lovers worldwide. A must-see!




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Copyright © 2015 Festival in LA