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From La Cinematheque to NYFilm and Video Festival
Last night was PCA’s second screening of their French film series: La Cinematheque, which included giving an Artistic Achievement Award to director, Costa-Gavras. The 76 year-old Oscar Award-winning director is gracious, very interested in conversing with his audience and still cuts quite a dashing figure. The evening produced a full-house of which 95% stayed for the Q&A after the screening of his new, comedic, road movie, Eden Is West. Right now I’m on the bus heading to NY for the New York Independent International Film & Video Festival (Oct 22-29) which had it’s opening last night. I was hoping to post my review of last night’s film, some highlights from…
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181/2 Philadelphia Film Festival Closing Night
So I’d like to commend The Philadelphia Film Festival on a great “half” festival, but more importantly on the fact that they opened and closed the festival with films from two African American Directors – F. Gary Gray and Lee Daniels. The African American community came out in droves to support these films. In fact, an additional screening was added for Precious at 5pm. I don’t know if their choice of directors was coincidental, but it was refreshing. I’m going to be covering the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival next week (Oct 23-Oct 29) and when I asked them about possible films that would fall into CineFest’s…
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18 1/2 Philadelphia Film Festival Day 2 and 3
My rainy day two of the festival (10/16) didn’t materialize until the screening of Good Hair at 7:30pm, long story. However, that meant I had to push The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee until day three- still raining. Which meant I missed The Men Who Stare at Goats. Although it does play again on Monday (10/19) at 7:15pm at the Prince, but I don’t think I’ll be able to make that screening. At any rate, the shows I have gotten to have been adequately attended, considering the festival is sorta new, in a way. I did hear some people behind me say they’d…
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18 1/2 Philadelphia Film Festival Opening Night
No Jamie or Gerard on the Red Carpet, but director, F. Gary Gray, Regina Hall and Bruce McGill from the Opening Night Film Law Abiding Citizen were in attendance and they showered Philly, the Phillies and Sharon Pinkenson and the Philadelphia Film Office with love! Law Abiding Citizen review will be posted later this afternoon, look for it below this post. And I’m so excited because it will be done from my new Netbook! You really can’t be an effective blogger without one. I went with the Samsung NC10 in pink. I’ve redefined the term “party animal” for myself – you know how you can’t put food for a week…
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Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival (PAAFF 2009)
Prior commitments prevented me from seeing the other venue – Asian Arts Initiative and from screenings of the shorts and documentaries. I liked the idea that PAAFF presented shorts Light and Dark. I also wanted to see Operation Babylift about President Ford’s initiative in 1975 to airlift over 2500 orphans out of Vietnam and the effects 30 years later. To my discredit, my coverage is very incomplete in the fact that I also didn’t see the Centerpiece Presentation – Formosa Betrayed featuring James Van Der Beek as an FBI agent who gets in over his head with the Chinese Mafia and the Nationalist Chinese Government. As always, I encourage attendees…








