Category: Entertainment

Posted on

Al Jazeera Balkans film festival’s ‘Industry Days’ launched in Sarajevo

As part of the 5-day Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC), a platform called “Industry Days” was launched in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital Sarajevo on Saturday.
The event was attended by Adel Ksiksi, the Al Jazeera Documentary channel Manager of Planning and Scheduling, and Edhem Foco, the director of the AJB DOC.
Speaking at the event, Ksiksi said: “We are delighted to hear that we will receive project submissions from a diverse range of countries including Somalia, Germany, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Arab world. We are excited to collaborate with young talents who are presenting their inaugural projects.’
Industry Days will be organized in collaboration with the Al Jazeera Documentary channel and AJB DOC from Saturday to Monday.
The Industry Days platform is dedicated to bolstering and facilitating the global dissemination of documentary film productions.
The platform will allow documentary film writers and producers from the region and around the world to meet and exchange views.
This year, participants have the chance to compete for the prestigious “co-production prize” worth $70,000.
24 documentaries will be screened
The 5-day Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC), of which Anadolu is a global communication partner, began in the capital Sarajevo on Friday.
Among the jury members of the festival are Russian director Vitali Manski, Hungarian director Bernadett Tuza-Ritter, Bosnian director Nermin Hamzagic, Croatian producer Vanja Jambrovic, and producer Mohamed Elmongy.
The AJB DOC will present 24 documentaries from different parts of the world and regional countries to cinema enthusiasts.
In the competition section of AJB DOC, there will be three awards: “AJB Main Award,” “AJB Program Award,” and “Audience Award.”
The festival aims to promote writers and documentaries dealing with social issues by focusing on universal human values.
*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz

Source: Anadolu Agency

Posted on

‘Smartphone documentary’ training continues at Al Jazeera Balkans film festival

As part of the Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC), participants of the festival are receiving training on “smartphone documentary-making” in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital Sarajevo.
On the third day of the festival, media professionals and students from the region attended the training led by journalist Faris Bajric.
“With this training, our goal is to provide young writers, journalists, and producers with insights into creating content using smartphones for documentary filmmaking,” Bajric told Anadolu.
“Technology is advancing rapidly, and smartphones are now widely employed in documentary shooting and production, even in Hollywood,” he noted.
Following the training, a documentary film competition will be held within 30 days, with the most accomplished participant receiving a prize of 1,500 euros ($1,600).
24 documentaries will be screened
The 5-day Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC), of which Anadolu is a global communication partner, began in the capital Sarajevo on Friday.
Among the jury members of the festival are Russian director Vitali Manski, Hungarian director Bernadett Tuza-Ritter, Bosnian director Nermin Hamzagic, Croatian producer Vanja Jambrovic, and producer Mohamed Elmongy.
The AJB DOC will present 24 documentaries from different parts of the world and regional countries to cinema enthusiasts.
In the competition section of AJB DOC, there will be three awards: “AJB Main Award,” “AJB Program Award,” and “Audience Award.”
The festival aims to promote writers and documentaries dealing with social issues by focusing on universal human values.
*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz

Source: Anadolu Agency

Posted on

‘Tomorrow’s Freedom’ takes center stage at Al Jazeera Balkans Film Festival

The film Tomorrow’s Freedom was showcased to the audience on Sunday as part of the ongoing Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC) in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital Sarajevo.
Directed by British sisters Sophia and Georgia Scott, the film delves into the life of jailed Fatah commander Marwan Barghouti who is serving multiple life sentences in an Israeli jail.
Edhem Foco, the director of the AJB DOC, shared his thoughts with Anadolu on Barghouti’s situation, saying: ‘Barghouti stands as one of the most renowned Palestinian activists, politicians, and freedom fighters. He has endured 21 years of imprisonment, and uncertainty prevails over his release.”
Highlighting the unique perspective brought by the British directors, Foco said: “It’s a compelling narrative, crafted not by Arabs or Palestinians, but by British women.’
‘It’s imperative that we don’t lose sight of the enduring Palestine issue, which has persisted for decades,’ he said.
‘The film is exceptional, and I hold high hopes for its success both here and in future festivals,” Foco added.
24 documentaries will be screened
The 5-day Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC), of which Anadolu is a global communication partner, began in the capital Sarajevo on Friday.
Among the jury members of the festival are Russian director Vitali Manski, Hungarian director Bernadett Tuza-Ritter, Bosnian director Nermin Hamzagic, Croatian producer Vanja Jambrovic, and producer Mohamed Elmongy.
The AJB DOC will present 24 documentaries from different parts of the world and regional countries to cinema enthusiasts.
In the competition section of AJB DOC, there will be three awards: “AJB Main Award,” “AJB Program Award,” and “Audience Award.”
The festival aims to promote writers and documentaries dealing with social issues by focusing on universal human values.
*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz

Source: Anadolu Agency

Posted on

Five films compete for 2024 LUX Audience Award

Five films compete for the 2024 LUX Audience Award. The winning film will be announced in a ceremony at the European Parliament in March 2024.

According to a press release issued by the European Parliament, the five films – unveiled during a ceremony at the Venice Film Festival on 1 September – are ‘20,000 Species of Bees’, ‘Fallen Leaves’, ‘On the Adamant’, ‘Smoke Sauna Sisterhood’ and ‘The Teachers’ Lounge’.

The finalists were chosen by the LUX selection panel, which includes film experts from across Europe.

The finalists

The film ‘20,000 Species of Bees’, by Spanish director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren, tells the story of an eight-year-old child confused by the way people address her. During a summer in a village house linked to beekeeping, she explores her gender identity alongside the women of her family who at the same time reflect on their own femininity.

In ‘Fallen Leaves’ by Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki, two lonely souls searching for love meet by chance one night in Helsinki. Their encounter is hampered by alcoholism, lost phone numbers, misunderstandings and life in general, which has a knack of not always being “just like in the films”.

‘On the Adamant’, by French director Nicolas Philibert, is a documentary about a unique day care centre: a floating structure on the Seine in the heart of Paris. While floating, this place is an anchor in time and space for adults living with mental disorders. The film invites us to get on board and meet the patients and caregivers who bring the centre to life day to day.

‘Smoke Sauna Sisterhood’ by Estonian director Anna Hints tells the story of a group of women that gather in the safe darkness of a smoke sauna to share their innermost thoughts and secrets. Enveloped by a warm, dense heat, they bare all to expel fears and shame and regain their strength.

‘The Teachers’ Lounge’ directed by Ilker Çatak and produced in Germany, follows Carla, a young and idealistic teacher who decides to investigate a series of unsolved thefts in her school. With the help of a hidden camera, she exposes the thief, but her revelation surprises everyone and confronts Carla with an unsolvable dilemma.

The films were unveiled by MEPs Laurence Farreng (Renew, France), Ibán García del Blanco (S and D, Spain), Emmanuel Maurel (The Left, France), Salima Yenbou (Renew, France) and Željana Zovko (EPP, Croatia), the press release notes.

It is further added that the five nominated films will be screened in cinemas across Europe with subtitles in the EU’s 24 official languages. Those watching the films may evaluate them on the LUX Award’s rating platform. The winning film will be announced during a ceremony at the European Parliament in March 2024.

Organised by the European Parliament and the European Film Academy in partnership with the European Commission and Europa Cinema since 2020, the LUX Audience Award combines the ratings of the European public with the ratings of MEPs, each accounting for 50% of the final result.

The Parliament established the LUX Film Prize in 2007 to help distribute EU films with high artistic quality that reflect cultural diversity in Europe and beyond, and that touch on issues of common concern, such as human dignity, equality, non-discrimination, inclusion, tolerance, justice and solidarity.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Posted on

Costanzo film centres on Wilma Montesi, Hollywood On Tiber

Saverio Costanzo’s new film ‘Finalmente l’alba’ (At Last The Dawn), presented in competitin in Venice Friday, centres on the story of Wilma Montesi, an aspiring actress whose grisly murder on a Rome beach in 1953 sparked a media feeding frenzy on alleged drug-fuelled orgies in the Roman upper classes, and on the roaring years of ‘Hollywood on the Tiber’ which climaxed with the 1963 movie Cleopatra starring real-life lovers Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

“I tell the story of the cinema-dream and the actors, our heroes,” said Costanzo, known for his 2014 film Hungry Hearts and for adapting and directing for TV Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend.

Also conquering the scene on the Lido Friday was an almost always naked Emma Stone as Bella Baxter, a sort of female Frankenstein brought back to life with a child’s brain that makes her “a very cute retard, the actress said in describing the sex-discovering protagonist of Poor Creatures! by The Lobster and Poor Things helmer Yorgos Lanthimos, also in the running for the Golden Lion.

Source: Ansa News Agency (ANA)

Posted on

Hollywood movie to feature true story of Saudi oil giant

A new Hollywood movie, “Sands of Fortune,” will tell the story of Saudi Arabia’s oil discovery and the beginning of the nation’s state-owned energy company, Aramco.

Initiated by Israeli producer and businessman Uri Singer, the movie will tell the true story of US geologists Max Steineke and Khamis Bin Rimthan, who together discovered the country’s first oil well in 1938, today known as Dammam No. 7, according to reports by regional news outlets.

Steineke was a renowned petroleum geologist in the US, having served as the head geologist of the California-Arabian Standard Oil Co. from 1936 to 1950, during which the company’s name was changed to Aramco.

Saudi Aramco’s oil production hit 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 1949, and the company currently produces around 9 million bpd, making it one of the world’s largest oil producers.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Posted on

Kassianidou new Deputy Minister of Culture following Hadjiyiannis’ resignation

President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides has appointed Dr Vasiliki Kassianidou as new Deputy Minister of Culture, following a letter of resignation he received from former Deputy Minister Michalis Hadjiyiannis.

A press release by the Presidency says that the President thanked Hadjiyiannis for their long friendship and the excellent cooperation between them as well as for his contribution during the short time he served as Deputy Minister of Culture.

President Christodoulides wishes him every “personal and professional success in his brilliant artistic career, which he served with much success for a number of years”.

In a written statement, Hadjiyiannis thanks the President of the Republic for the trust he showed him in assigning him the portfolio of the Deputy Ministry of Culture.

The new Deputy Minister of Culture, Professor Vasiliki Kassianidou, has taught Environmental Archaeology and Archaeometry at the University of Cyprus since 1994. In May 2023, she was elected Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Cyprus.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Posted on

Yusuf Can Zeybek wins golden belt at Trkiye’s annual Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival

Yusuf Can Zeybek won the golden belt after beating Ismail Balaban in the final of the 662nd Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival on Sunday.

Zeybek, 29, got a whopping 1 million Turkish liras, or almost $40,000, in prize money after claiming victory, Runner-up Balaban bagged 250,000 liras ($9,500).

The festival gave out a total of 3 million liras ($115,000) to wrestlers who ranked in all categories, with travel and tour fees included.

Zeybek who hails from Trkiye’s southern Antalya province, defeated Riza Yildirim, Mustafa Tas, Fatih Atli, and Mehmet Yesil before moving on to the final.

Balaban, who is also from Antalya, advanced to the final after beating Sahali Kurt, Mecit Yildirim, Cengizhan Simsek, Ozkan Yildirim, and Huseyin Gumusalan.

On Twitter, Youth and Sports Minister Osman Askin Bak congratulated Zeybek on winning the title baspehlivan (chief wrestler).

Police officer claims his pistol accidentally fired while chasing victim, says local media

Held annually since 1362

According to the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Kirkpinar festival has its roots in 14th-century Rumeli, a region in the Balkans then held by the budding Ottoman Empire.

As one of the oldest wrestling festivals in the world, Kirkpinar has a long and celebrated history.

Oil wrestlers are lathered in olive oil before clashing on the grass, wearing leather pants tied with a rope at the waist and cuffs.

The three-day event was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010 on behalf of Trkiye.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Posted on

Turkish artist Ozkan Ugur passes away at 69

Turkish musician and actor Ozkan Ugur died on Saturday, a top official in the country confirmed.

“We lost (our) beloved Ozkan Ugur. We will not forget this voice that came from the heart, befriending whomever listened,” Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced on Twitter.

“We are filled with sorrow. I wish Allah’s mercy on him and my condolences to his family and fans,” Koca concluded.

Ugur was 69 years old and had been receiving treatment in Istanbul.

He was a member of Turkish pop and rock trio MFO along with bandmates Mazhar Alanson and Fuat Guner.

Ugur also played roles in several movies, including Yavuz Turgul’s “The Bandit,” and Cem Yilmaz’s “G.O.R.A.,” “A.R.O.G.” and “Mild West (Yahsi Bati).”

President Erdogan extends condolences

The country’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also issued a statement on Ugur’s death, extending condolences to his loved ones, fans, and fellow artists.

“I wish Allah’s mercy on Ozkan Ugur, the beloved voice and cinema artist of our country, winner of the Presidential Culture and Art Grand Award in the field of music,” the president said.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Posted on

Cypriot film competes and wins awards in international festivals

The Cypriot film “IMAN”, written and directed by Corinna Avraamidou and Kyriakos Tofarides, continues to win awards in various competitive sections of international film festivals, according to a press release issued by the Deputy Ministry of Culture.

Starting with the Panhellenic Screenplay Award from the Screenwriters Union of Greece in 2018, the film IMAN premiered at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival in November 2022 and began its journey at International Film Festivals, winning various awards.

Specifically, the film participated in the following Film Festivals in 2023: Sofia International Film Festival-Balkan Competition, Beirut International Women Film Festival-Official Selection, San Antonio Independent Film Festival (Ecuador), Inca Imperial International Film Festival (Peru), Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, London Greek Film Festival, Cyprus Film Days International Film Festival, Official Selection.

It is noted that next July the film will participate in the Competition Section of the Tofifest International Film Festival in Poland.

The film won Best Feature Film, San Antonio Independent Film Festival (Ecuador), Best Narrative Feature, Inca Imperial International Film Festival (Lima, Peru), Special Jury Award For Best Film, Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (USA), Honorable Mention For Best Actress, Stephanie Atala, Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, Best Feature Film, London Greek Film Festival (UK), Best Director, For Kyriacos Tofarides And Corinna Avraamidou, London Greek Film Festival (UK), Best Actresses For Rita Hayek And Stephanie Atala, London Greek Film Festival (UK).

The script and direction are signed by Corinna Avraamidou and Kyriakos Tofarides. Actors Stephanie Atala, Rita Hayek, Andreas Tselepos, Margarita Zachariou, Pambina Georgiou, Prokopis Agathokleous and Varnavas Kyriazis are playing.

The film is a co-production with the Deputy Ministry of Culture – Department of Newer and Contemporary Culture and has the support of the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC).

Source: Cyprus News Agency