By The Global Film Initiative, on January 27th, 2012
Lust, Longing and Chuyen’s ADRIFT and Granaz Moussavi’s Controversial MY TEHRAN FOR SALE to release on DVD January 31st
We’re pleased to announce the DVD release of two new films from the Global Lens film series, featuring a charged performance by Vietnamese actress Hai Yen and Moussavi’s “hit and run” chronicle of Tehran’s underground art scene:
 ADRIFT (CHOI VOI), dir. Bui Thac Chuyen, Vietnam, 2009, 110 minutes, Vietnamese, with subtitles in English
A young wife, ignored by her immature spouse, is caught in a love triangle between her best friend and a handsome stranger during a languorous summer in Hanoi. FIPRESCI Prize, Venice International Film Festival; Official Selection of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Bright Future).
“A subtle, melancholy exploration of erotic angst and uncomfortable awakening…Adrift evokes a culture whose puritanical restraints have begun to loosen, allowing dangerous sparks to fly. Once desire has been unleashed, smugly settling for less is no longer a comfortable option.“ -The New York Times
“Beautiful, and tightly focused on the emotional, romantic, and sexual lives of men and women in Hanoi….This is new Vietnamese cinema.” -diaCRITICS
 MY TEHRAN FOR SALE, dir. Granaz Moussavi, Iran, 2009, 95 minutes, Farsi and English, with subtitles in English
An ailing actress fighting for political asylum, and waiting to clear Australian immigration, recounts her attempts to live, work, and love in Tehran’s thriving yet turbulent arts subculture. Official Selection of the Toronto International Film Festival (Discovery Programme); Independent Spirit IF Award, Adelaide Film Festival.
“Shot undercover in Iran’s teeming capital, this brave low-budget film speaks volumes….A passionate cry for international understanding and a stirring example of hit-and-run moviemaking.” -Screen Daily
“An ode to a city under cultural siege.” -At the Movies
ADRIFT‘s seductive portrait of adultery and sexual awakening in contemporary Hanoi created a buzz at the Toronto, Rotterdam, Pusan and Vancouver International Film Festivals, and was awarded the FIPRESCI Prize at the Venice International Film Festival in 2009. MY TEHRAN FOR SALE received widespread media attention in July 2011, when the Iranian government sentenced its lead actress, Marzieh Vafamehr, to one year in prison and 90 lashes for her role in the film. (NOTE: Following widespread protest, Vafamehr’s sentence was overturned and she was released after three months in custody, without any corporal punishment—click here for more information.)
Continue reading NEW ON DVD: Adrift and My Tehran For Sale!
By The Global Film Initiative, on January 23rd, 2012
Rob Avila and Iraqi director Oday Rasheed discuss the genesis of inspiration against a backdrop of war, politics and filmmaking
 Iraqi director Oday Rasheed talks to Rob Avila during the premiere of Global Lens 2012 at MoMA Oday Rasheed is one of only a small handful of filmmakers working and producing in Iraq today. His first feature, Underexposure (2005), captured the immediate aftermath of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in a fictional documentary-style story about a Baghdad filmmaker trying to make sense of the tumult of this period. Soon after its debut, Rasheed fled the growing sectarian violence in Baghdad for Berlin, where he immersed himself in film studies, gravitating to the works of Andrei Tarkovsky, among others, and eventually developed the script for his second feature, Qarantina. He returned to Baghdad in 2008 to make the film, which was completed in 2010.
Qarantina is one of ten awarding-winning films featured in the Global Lens 2012 series, premiering this January at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Oday was able to attend his Global Lens screening in New York as part of a short U.S. tour that includes multiple screenings at MoMA, and a presentation of the film at the Council on Foreign Relations on January 25th, and also at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service on January 30th.
Recently, during the premiere of Global Lens 2012 at MoMA, Rasheed sat down one Friday afternoon to talk with writer Rob Avila about his second feature and the dangers and possibilities for filmmakers in Iraq today. Also joining Rasheed were Santhosh Daniel, GFI Director of Programs and Ned Parker, Los Angeles Times Baghdad Bureau Chief and Edward R. Murrow Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, who wrote about Qarantina for the Times last spring, after meeting Oday in Baghdad.
Continue reading Oday Rasheed on the Making of QARANTINA and Remaking Baghdad in Today’s Iraq
By The Global Film Initiative, on January 15th, 2012
2012 begins with a bang after news of numerous awards and screenings of Global Lens and GFI grant recipients!
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAM:
Several directors of Global Lens films and GFI grant recipients will screen their films and new projects at the International Film Festival Rotterdam—one of the largest film markets in the world and a prime place for GFI films to intersect! This year’s festival includes:
- The world premiere of GFI grantee VOICE OF MY FATHER (dir. Orhan Eskiköy and Ozgur Doğan, Turkey) in the festival’s Tiger Awards Competition.
- The Dutch premieres of Global Lens film GREY MATTER (dir. Kivu Ruhorahoza, Rwanda) and GFI grant recipients BEAUTY (dir. Oliver Hermanus, South Africa) and ON THE EDGE (dir. Leïla Kilani, Morocco) in the festival’s Bright Future section. Kivu Ruhorahoza will also be participating in CineMart with his new project, JOMO!
- Premieres of new films by Global Lens directors Cláudio Assis (MANGO YELLOW, Brazil) and Garin Nugroho (OF LOVE AND EGGS and OPERA JAWA, Indonesia), as well as by Raya Martin, director of GFI grantee INDEPENDENCIA (Philippines), in the festival’s Spectrum section.
- Participation in CineMart by Global Lens directors Aktan Arym Kubat (THE LIGHT THIEF, Kyrgyzstan) and Kivu Ruhorahoza (GREY MATTER, Rwanda).
- The screening of the trailer of 2010 grant recipient IN THE LAST DAYS OF THE CITY in the festival’s Egyptian Timelines program.
Continue reading FESTIVALS & AWARDS: Rotterdam, Dubai, Göteborg and more!
By Santhosh Daniel, on December 21st, 2011
Bucking convention and breaking new ground with our filmmakers…
 An indelible image from AMNESTY provides the backdrop for Global Lens 2012 Years ago, one of my grade school teachers said ‘if you do nothing at all in life, at least be original.’ Of course, nowadays, that sentiment is something of a cliché. But back in the days of psychedelia and Sesame Street, it had gravitas. And, truth be told, it has guided some of my ambitions, and is what eventually drew me to the Global Film Initiative…
There are only a few days left in this year, and as we look forward to 2012 and the Initiative’s tenth anniversary, we also look back at the preceding 3500+ days and some of the more original things we’ve done. Community programs, educational initiatives, and a very unique form of business and social enterprise–to name a few. And then, Global Lens, our sterling accomplishment.
But nothing occurs in a vacuum, and we can hardly take credit for all that has happened. And thus, rather than talking about our accomplishments, in the spirit of holiday we’d instead like to thank each of our directors, and friends in the industry, for their very original gifts that comprise the soon-to-be-launched new season of Global Lens:
- To Bujar Alimani, director of AMNESTY, and M-Appeal:
A beautiful portrait of a sometimes hidden nation deserves to be the lead title and iconic image for the series. Thank you, Maren, for bringing it to our attention and Bujar, for truly discovering a world unseen.
Continue reading SUPPORT: ‘Tis the Season of Change
By The Global Film Initiative, on December 15th, 2011
Programmers, curators and more–preview our 2012 lineup on Festival Scope!
 Every January, just around the time we launch a new season of Global Lens, we get hit with multiple requests from curators and programmers for screening copies of our films. And we love it. The only problem: we can’t always keep up with the demand, especially when those films are making news (i.e. MOURNING, THE PRIZE, PEGASUS, AMNESTY…)
 MOURNING (dir. Morteza Farshbaf, Iran) now available on Festival Scope So, woe is us, such an exquisite difficulty and what’s a boutique nonprofit film organization supposed to do. Or rather, how do we keep the promise made to our filmmakers, of promoting their films to the widest and most geographically diverse audience possible? And how do you get to see Global Lens in your city, festival and theater…
Well, our longtime friend, Alessandro Raja, has an answer: Festival Scope
Festival Scope is our newest promotional partner for Global Lens. Launched in 2010 by Alessandro (formerly of Celluloid Dreams), it’s an online film viewing resource created exclusively for industry professionals who want to review films, immediately, from the wonderful world of festivals. Dubai, Busan, Torino, Toronto–name it and you’ll likely find it on Festival Scope.
Continue reading NOW PLAYING: Global Lens on Festival Scope
By The Global Film Initiative, on December 8th, 2011
Our ninth season opens January 12th in New York with the director, cast and crew of TOLL BOOTH
The new year is just a few weeks away, and with it comes launch of Global Lens 2012 at the Museum of Modern Art, January 12th-28th! The presentation, as many of you know, is part of our annual and ongoing collaboration with the Museum, and is organized by Jytte Jensen, Senior Curator in MoMA’s Department of Film. And what can we say except…
It’s one of our best series yet. Global Lens 2012 includes GREY MATTER, the first narrative feature film produced in Rwanda by a native Rwandan filmmaker; the oh-so-lovable Farfan, star of FAT, BALD SHORT MAN (the first-ever rotoscope feature for Global Lens); and top picks from Pusan, FESPACO, Morelia and Guadalajara international film festivals (and, not to mention, Albania’s official submission to the Oscars: AMNESTY).
Continue reading Global Lens 2012 @ MoMA!
By The Global Film Initiative, on December 2nd, 2011
THE FINGER points the way to success, OCTOBER has another great month, and WHEN I SAW YOU’s audience likes what it sees…
GLOBAL LENS FILMS:
THE FINGER (dir. Sergio Teubal, Argentina) was awarded Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Score at the Malatya International Film Festival in Ankara, Turkey! THE FINGER will premiere as part of the Global Lens 2012 film series in January at MoMA—watch the film trailer here!
GFI GRANT RECIPIENTS:
 ON THE EDGE (2011 GFI grant recipient), directed by Leila Kilani of Morocco, received the following awards:
- FIPRESCI Prize, Films from the South Festival (Oslo, Norway)
- Best International Feature-Length Film, International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival (Antalya, Turkey)
- Film Critics’ Jury Prize, Most Innovative Film, Tübingen-Stuttgart International French-language Film Festival (Tubingen, Germany)
- Special Jury Prize and Best Actress, Brussels International Independent Film Festival (Brussels, Belgium)
- Grand Prize, Arte Mare Festival du Film et des Cultures Mediterraneennes (Bastia, France)
- Special Mention, Umbria International Film Festival (Umbria, Italy)
OCTOBER (2008 GFI grant recipient) received Best Feature Film at the Cinema Tropical AWARDS, held at The New York Times headquarters in New York City. Watch the trailer here!
WHEN I SAW YOU (2011 GFI grant recipient) received the Graal S.A. and Kodak Cinelabs Greece award at the 52nd Thessaloniki International Film Festival. The film’s director Annemarie Jacir recently wrapped up a year with The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative working with director Zhang Yimou. Read her interview with Rolex here!
Continue reading FESTIVALS & AWARDS: Malatya IFF, Cinema Tropical Awards, Thessaloniki IFF and more!
By The Global Film Initiative, on December 1st, 2011
 It's the most, wonderful, time of the year. Global Lens Series Manager Jeremy Quist and Marketing & Publicity Manager Hilary Lawson share their experiences on the road, while a special guest weighs in on American cinema from an international perspective…
Traveling. Around this time of year, it tends to get a bad rap. Everyone can relate to long lines, the affects of jet lag and the questionable quality of airplane food. However, in all the groaning and moaning, the bigger picture of why we travel in the first place can get lost. After all, what’s a bit of a stiff neck in comparison to the joy of visiting friends and family, getting a change of scenery, and adding new people and experiences to your life?
Admittedly, this might be easier for us to say, as the GFI staff has recently returned from some unforgettable trips. Santhosh Daniel (Director of Programs) attended the 16th Busan International Film Festival, Hilary Lawson (Marketing & Publicity Manager) traveled to the 52nd Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Jeremy Quist (Global Lens Series Manager) was invited as an honorary special guest for the premiere of Global Lens 2011 at the University of Texas Pan-American, and Angelica Dongallo (Distribution & Granting Coordinator) just returned from the International Film Festival of India!
Traveling allows us to meet people we might never come in contact with and expand our close-knit network of like-minded people. (We also meet people who aren’t as like-minded, which we can appreciate as well—after all, looking at the world through a global lens means that some views are opposing, and that’s what makes the picture complete!)
For this month’s 3 on 1 column, Hilary and Jeremy share their experiences on the road, and in an exciting new spin, we’ve added a video from a special guest to round out the conversation. We hope you enjoy, and during this busy travel season, let’s try to remember Henry Miller’s motto: “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
Continue reading FEATURE: 3 on 1: Frequent Flyer Benefits
By The Global Film Initiative, on November 30th, 2011
From dodging debt to clearing censorship, SOUL OF SAND director, Sidharth Srinivasan, discusses the genesis of a film fueled by “passion, persistence, patience–and pig headedness!”
 (Image courtesy of Sidharth Srinivasan) It’s been three achingly long years from script to screen. We shot PAIRON TALLE (SOUL OF SAND) as an utter indie, sans any form of corporate funding let alone guarantee of completion, on love, not-so-fresh air and foolhardiness, in the fall of 2008. To embark on such a venture one has to contend with a veritable host of naysayers—aghast outsiders, concerned family members and frowning well-wishers, and during pre-production I could almost smell the cast and crew clandestinely questioning the folly of my endeavors behind my back, but supporting me nonetheless for my very personal Waterloo (bless their souls). I say stick to your guns if the project has stuck with you for as long as it has—independent filmmaking is the exclusive domain of masochists who revel in the pleasure/pain principle…
Once principal photography began in earnest everyone was disbelievingly stunned into action, as it were, and spirits ran alarmingly high – the joy of a successful shoot is akin to chasing that ubiquitous dragon. But the low that came post-shooting hit like a ton of bricks – case in point, our film was in the proverbial can but we were over-budget (despite having completed well before schedule thanks to an amazing DoP by the name of Nalla Muthu), money was owed all over the joint, and we didn’t have a clue as to how to finish the film – the realization sank in that I was in this up to my scruffy indie neck (please bear in mind here that in India film equipment and services cannot be paid for by credit card overdrafts)! Wallowing in the thick of this slough of despond, providence intervened in the shape of the Hubert Bals Fund, who selected PAIRON TALLE for Digital Production Funding, enabling me to clear all debts and plunge in to the post-production of my film with renewed gusto.
Continue reading FOCUS: An Indian Indie
By The Global Film Initiative, on November 29th, 2011
Films from the Global Lens 2011 film series are now playing at the following venues and festivals across the U.S. and Canada:
Memphis Public Library (Memphis, TN):
Presenting the complete Global Lens 2011 film series
Check the film calendar for screening information
 Click on the map above to find a Global Lens screening near you! Palm Springs Art Museum (Palm Springs, CA):
Presenting the complete Global Lens 2011 film series
Check the film calendar for screening information
Tampa Museum of Art/Gasparilla International Film Festival (Tampa, FL):
Presenting the complete Global Lens 2011 film series
Check the film calendar for screening information
Kent State University (Kent, OH):
Presenting the complete Global Lens 2011 film series
Check the film calendar for screening information
The University of Texas-Pan American (Edinburg, TX):
Presenting the complete Global Lens 2011 film series
Check the film calendar for screening information
Middle East Studies Association FilmFest (Washington, DC):
THE WHITE MEADOWS (dir. Mohammad Rasoulof, Iran)
December 1st-4th
Continue reading NOW PLAYING: Memphis Public Library, Palm Springs Art Museum and more!
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