Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Hashtag #OscarsSoFabulous

By José Alberto Hermosillo
Hashtag #OscarsSoFabulous www.FestivalinLA.com

With so many great LGBTQ films in competition for the upcoming 2018 Academy© Awards in consideration in multiple categories, we should start using the hashtag #OscarsSoFabulous.

The controversy continues on whether the nomination should be based on outstanding performance and not on gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation. But politics, especially those in recent days, have been darkening the spectrum of opportunities for all.

Hashtag #OscarsSoWhite

The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite continues, even after the Best Picture snafu of the Awards ceremony in 2016, as people of color still find themselves the second most unrepresented community in the Entertainment Industry.

The Academy continues addressing the gaps in race and gender equality and has increased its diversity invitations accordingly.

Hashtag #AcademysMembership

While the Academy® wisely and urgently opened its enrollment to more women and minorities - including the LGBTQ community - all members will have new responsibilities. 

The new Academy Members from the underrepresented communities could make a difference from here forward.

Each year new talented voices are rising.

The Academy has drafted new rules in the wake of the continuing rape, sexual assault, and harassment scandals that each day expose those who have made a life and lifestyle of predatorial sexual behavior. The members now understand that membership is a privilege with responsibilities.

The Hollywood Sex Scandal is also going to be a factor. Many contenders who may have been nominated are off the charts. The replacement of Kevin Spacey in “All the Money of the World” indicates that the ceremony will turn out differently.
 
The nominees and the winners may not go to be “The Usual Suspects.”

Hashtag #OscarSoControversial

Last year’s Best Picture controversial grand finale over which movie won the Oscar©, “La La Land” or “Moonlight,” generated change and created a year of commentary. The LGBTQ community claimed victory. Today, it is a light anecdote, as seen in the recorded ad promoting the Oscars© 2018.

Hashtag #OscarSoQueer

“Call Me by Your Name” is one of the front-runners for Best Picture and is expected to be well-represented come January. The LGBTQ community is facing its shake-up regarding an authentic representation.

Luca Guadagnino ("I Am Love / Sono il amore"), Italy.
Photo by Jose Hermosillo COPYRIGHTS FestivalinLA  2017

Is what’s good for the community suitable for all within the community? As more gay and transgender actors, actresses, directors, and producers represent themselves in their movies, will a gay film with non-gay actors fair well within the community, or will backlash derail the expected multiple nominations of this coming-of-age queer cinema?

This year, many excellent LGBTQ movies are up for nominations in almost every category - Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Documentary, and Foreign Language film. 

Even in the Animated Shorts category, the Academy pre-selected the viral sensation “In a Heartbeat,” written and directed by Esteban Bravo and Beth David. 

The story of a boy falling for another boy, masterfully told in four minutes, has reached more than 33 million views Worldwide. 
 

In recent years, the mainstream audience has been exposed to more diverse films, yet further work is needed to create a global audience that is open-minded, appreciative, and tolerant of alternative lifestyles in cinema.
Studios are now producing bolder and more “inclusive” films. 
Actor Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water.
Photo by Jose Hermosillo COPYRIGHTS FestivalinLA 2017
They include gay characters with positive images. This season, some of their films can land an Oscar© nomination in the acting categories - “Lady Bird,” “Battle of the Sexes,” “The Shape of Water,” and even Disney’s blockbuster “Beauty and the Beast.”

The Italian, French, Brazilian, and US co-production “Call Me by Your Name” draws thousands of filmgoers to the theaters. 

This romantic-gay-drama is expected to earn at least eight Oscar© nominations. 
Actor Timothée Chalament
Photo by Jose Hermosillo COPYRIGHTS FestivalinLA 2017
Timothée Chalament is exceptionally sublime - his natural performance evolves into a wide range of emotions. For playing Eliot so right, he has the strong possibility not only to be nominated but to win the Oscar for Best Actor - competing, neck to neck, with the great Gary Oldman, the lead actor of “The Darkest Hour.”
Actor Armie Hammer
Photo by Jose Hermosillo COPYRIGHTS FestivalinLA 2017
Armie Hammer is terrific in the supporting role-playing Chalament’s older counterpart, Oliver. Eliot’s intellectual Jewish father, Michael Stuhlbarg, is brilliant. 

Hashtag #OscarsSoForeign

More recently, foreign LGBTQ movies are captivated audiences around the world. Those films combine daring stories with controversial topics and arresting imagery. The Academy recognized the talent and efforts of global filmmakers. 

A record of 92 countries submitted their projects for consideration. The Academy already shortlisted 9 semifinalists to nominate five - January 23rd, 2018.
For the first time in Academy history, a transgender woman could be nominated for Best Actress. 

Daniela Vega’s spectacular breakthrough performance in “A Fantastic Woman” is worth an Oscar© nomination. 
Daniela Vega, A Fantastic Woman, Chile
Photo by Jose Hermosillo. COPYRIGHTS FestivalinLA 2017
This remarkable Chilean film, produced by Oscar© nominees Pablo and Juan De Dios Larrain (“No,” “Jackie,” and “Neruda”), is emotionally awe-inspiring.
The French submission “BPM (Beats per Minute)” exposes a “Youth in Revolt” and highlights the first ACT UP Paris group born out of the government’s lack of response to the AIDS/HIV crisis.

The group became known for pushing the boundaries to embarrass, shock, and gain media attention, forcing the Mitterrand government and pharmaceutical companies to recognize their rights to health coverage.

The group fought to be accepted and treated with respect. They clashed with the power structure and other members of society. The story, set during the 1980s, fell into anarchy as the AIDS/HIV crisis ballooned worldwide.

“Tom of Finland” chronicles six decades of the life of the Iconic graphic designer. His work influenced and revolutionized the gay rights movement as they felt liberated from the brutal repression of the conservative governments. As Harvey Milk brought gay politics into the mainstream, Tom did the same with his daring drawings that empowered many in Finland, California, and worldwide.


“Thelma” is an exquisitely crafted psychological thriller from Norway. The intense coming-of-age story is about a young girl who falls in love with another girl while discovering her telekinetic powers.

Director Joachim Trier, "Thelma," Norway.
Photo by Jose Hermosillo. COPYRIGHTS FestivalinLA, 2017.

Thelma becomes unstable when she has to confront doctors, her parents, her passions, and her sexuality. Her conservative parents are holding an enormous amount of resentment for something terrible from their past. Her world falls apart as she tries to adjust her emotions and control her powers.

“The Wound,” winner of the OUTFEST 2017 for Best International Feature, is an emotionally poignant work of art. The arresting South African film vividly examines manhood initiation rituals in a marginalized tribe.

Director John Trengove “The Wound” South Africa.
Photo by Jose Hermosillo. Copyright FestivalinLA 2017.

Controversial and piercing, “The Wound” ignites the debate over male sexual identity in a millenarian culture where taboos and personal experiences are kept secret.


Hashtag the #OscarsSoFabulous for your consideration,

BEST PICTURE: “Call Me by Your Name”
BEST DIRECTOR: Luca Guadagnino, “Call Me by Your Name”
BEST ACTRESS: Daniela Vega, “A Fantastic Woman”
BEST ACTRESS: Emma Stone, “Battle of the Sexes”
BEST ACTOR: Timothée Chalament, “Call Me by Your Name”
BEST ACTOR: Harris Dickinson, “Beach Rats”
BEST ACTOR: Nahuel Perez Biscayart, “BPM (Beats Per Minute)”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Andrea Riseborough, “Battle of the Sexes”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Michael Stuhlbarg, “Call Me by Your Name”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Armie Hammer, “Call Me by Your Name”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Josh Gad, “Beauty and the Beast”
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: “Call Me by Your Name”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: “Call Me by Your Name”
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: “Call Me by Your Name”
BEST SONG: The Mystery of Love, “Call Me by Your Name”
BEST SONG: Visions of Gideon, “Call Me by Your Name”
BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM: “Strong Island”
BEST ANIMATED SHORT: “In a Heartbeat”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
“A Fantastic Woman,” Chile (Shortlisted),
“The Wound” from South Africa (Shortlisted),
Out of the competition:
“BPM (Beats Per Minute)” from France,
“Tom of Finland” from Finland,
“Thelma” from Norway.

Copyright © 2017 Festival in LA

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Open Letter to Guillermo Del Toro About His Beautiful Love Story 'The Shape of Water'

By Eve Holmes
Dear Guillermo,

Left my neighborhood theater in Palm Desert, California, in tears today. There were just 5 other people at the first showing at 10:15 AM. But this was not the reason.

The beautiful reason was that your film, “The Shape of Water,” touched me in so many ways, Guillermo Del Toro. Like you and I had collaborated together? 

First, I am a big fan of the Creature From “The Black Lagoon” 1950s films. I always thought it was a love story of the Creature and the girl. The girls in the movie felt his humanity, though sometimes they would scream. 

Even Marilyn Monroe says in “The Seven Year Itch” film that she felt sorry for the Creature. Wasn’t Marilyn saying, “Oh, that poor Creature, he just wants to be loved, when she and Tom Ewell walked out of the movie theater in New York City? Those Black Lagoon films are favorites of mine.

Second, how and why did you select 2 songs that I, as a professional singer, sing?

 The song “You’ll Never Know” was first heard Alice Faye sing in the film “Hello Frisco Hello” when shown on television. Then you knocked me out by having the lead actress play the Glen Miller LP record of “I Know Why, And So Do You,” which I first heard in “Sun Valley Serenade.” This film also was shown on television, plus I own the DVD film and have a CD of the Glen Miller Orchestra containing that song.  I learned the song then too.

Both these songs still bring tears to my eyes when I sing or hear them.

Your film was magnificent, and I am very selective in attending movies, as I do not often go, like I did in Los Angeles, Ca. 

After the credits, I immediately phoned my good friend, Jose Alberto Hermosillo, a great writer and film critic, to tell him of my enjoyment and where I could write and pass this on. 
 
I wish I could sit and talk about how you came up with this. It is some. 

Another tidbit is that one of my close friends teaches sign language here, where I reside. I told him about your film and that it’s a must-see. Thank you, thank you.
Eve Holmes



“A Fantastic Woman” Love, Grief, and Compassion in Santiago 
“Colossal” Not Your Typical “Godzilla” Movie


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Copyright © 2017 Festival in LA

Friday, December 15, 2017

9 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS ADVANCE IN THE OSCAR® RACE 2018

By Jose Alberto Hermosillo
A new record of 92 hopefull countries submitted a film for the 90th Academy Awards consideration in the Foreign Language Film category - including six nations presenting a movie for the first time, Honduras, Haiti, Laos, Mozambique, Senegal, and Syria. 

From the long list of Foreign Language submissions announced last month, only nine films advance in the Oscar® race, the five films will be nominated later next month.
***

Chile, “A Fantastic Woman,” Sebastián Lelio, director.

Germany, “In the Fade,” Fatih Akin, director.

Hungary, “On Body and Soul,” Ildikó Enyedi, director.

Israel, “Foxtrot,” Samuel Maoz, director.

Lebanon, “The Insult,” Ziad Doueiri, director.

Russia, “Loveless,” Andrey Zvyagintsev, director.

Senegal, “Félicité,” Alain Gomis, director.

South Africa, “The Wound,” John Trengove, director.

Sweden, “The Square,” Ruben Östlund, director.

The nominations for the 90th Academy Awards® will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018. And the Awards are going to be on March 4th, 2018 at 3:30 M. Watch the Oscars.
Director Sebastián Lelio, “A Fantastic Woman.” Chile.
Director Andrey Zvyagintsev,  “Loveless,” Russia.
Director John Trengove, “The Wound,” South Africa.
Director Ruben Östlund, “The Square,” Sweden.

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Sunday, December 10, 2017

THE BEST FILM FESTIVAL POSTERS OF 2017

By José Alberto Hermosillo
The Best Film Festival Posters of 2017 www.FestivalinLA.com

Festival in LA has selected the 2017 best Film Festival Posters worldwide. 

Those posters reflect the festival’s theme and energy and communicate the message with movement, action, forms, shapes, and colors.

This year, the prestigious French Riviera festival took slot number one with the extraordinary image of Claudia Cardinale dancing during one of her visits there. Cannes is back to the classics, and we love that.

The other posters are diverse, from film festivals around the globe, Moscow, Shanghai, Sitges, Durango, San Diego Latino, Morbido CDMX, Berlin, and the Israel Film Festival of Los Angeles. Locarno, the world’s most miniature film festival poster, has been downsized to a gorgeous postal stamp. 

Congratulations to all the creative artists behind the making of all of those fantastic posters of the film festivals from around the World.


 70TH FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DU FILM
CANNES 2017
FRANCE
Claudia Cardinale © Archivio Cameraphoto Epoche/Getty Images
39 MOSCOW 
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
MOSCOW, RUSSIA
LA FETE DU CINEMA 2017
QUEBEC, CANADA
50 SITGES
FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE CINE
FANTASTIC,
 CATALUNYA, SPAIN
20TH SHANGHAI
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
SHANGHAI, CHINA
BERLINALE 2017
BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL,
BERLIN, GERMANY

10th LAS VEGAS
FESTIVAL 2017,
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
ANIMA
THE BRUSSELS ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL 2017
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
ANNECY
INTERNATIONAL 
FILM ESTIVAL 2017,
FRANCE
MORBIDO
FILM FEST 2017
CDMX, MEXICO
HORIZONTES LATINOS
FILM FESTIVAL 2017
SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN
14o. FESTIVAL DE CINE
TODOS SANTOS 2017
LA PAZ, MEXICO 
31ST ISRAEL
FILM FESTIVAL 2017
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
31st Israel Film Festival in Los Angles
18e FĔTE
DU CINÉMA D'ANIMATION
PARIS, FRANCE

18e FĔTE DU CINÉMA D'ANIMATION, FRANCE

SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2017
 SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPEAN
CINEMA SCHOOLS 
ISTANBUL, TURKEY
LOFT FILM FEST
TUCSON, ARIZONA.

18 IZMIR KISA
INTERNATIONAL
 SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
ISTAMBUL, TURKEY
3dr ANNUAL TULSA
AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL 2017
OKLAHOMA, USA
15TH VANCOUVER 
LATIN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL 2017
VANCOUVER, CANADA
24TH SAN DIEGO
LATINO FESTIVAL 2017
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
24TH MIAMI DADE COLLEGE’S
FESTIVAL 2017
MIAMI, FLORIDA
EKADESHMA
INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2017,
NEPAL
THE 53RD CHICAGO
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, 2017
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
CHICAGO FILM FESTIVAL, ARTIST DAVID DE BECK SPITZER, PORTUGAL
INTERNATIONAL
SHORT FESTIVAL 2017,
CLERMONT-FERRAND, FRANCE

The World’s Smallest Film Festival Poster
LOCARNO
FESTIVAL 2017,
SWITZERLAND
FESTIVAL DEL FILM LOCARNO 2017

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Copyright © 2017 Festival in LA