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14.12.09
'The Princess and the Frog' is a tune-filled fairy tale created by hand-drawn animation
For more than a decade now, animated films have been dominated by computer-generated images; but Disney takes a big step back with its new feature: a tune-filled fairy tale created by hand-drawn animation, in the style studio founder Walt Disney used to make. It also presents the first African-American princess in Disney history.
"The evening star is shining bright, so make a wish and hold on tight. There's magic in the air tonight …and anything can happen."
That wish upon a star brings unexpected adventure for Tiana, a hard-working young woman in 1920's New Orleans. By day she serves up her delicious "beignet" sweet fried dough in her boss's hash house; but by night she dreams of opening her own gourmet restaurant.
Tiana's road to her dream takes a strange turn, however, when a talking frog hops up and convinces her that if she kisses it he will become her handsome prince:
It seems a royal playboy visiting New Orleans wound up in the clutches of one of the Crescent City's shadowy street characters.
However, instead of her kiss breaking the spell, it transforms Tiana into a frog too and off the amphibian pair hops on an adventure into the bayou searching for a way to become human again.
Broadway stage star Anika Noni Rose is the voice of Tiana.
"This is something that I've always dreamed of doing. I didn't dream of being a princess. I could have been a dandelion and I would have been really happy. So this is like when your dreams take off and become bigger than what you had imagined. It's amazing," she says.
A devoted fan of the Disney animated musicals like "Snow White" and "Cinderella" when she was growing up, Rose is especially pleased that "The Princess and the Frog" brings back the tradition of those hand-drawn films.
"When you are watching a fairy tale you are not looking for reality. You are looking for softness and for an extension of your disbelief - something that takes you into your dreamland - and that's what hand-drawn does," she says.
"We wanted to make a Disney animated film: something that, on the one hand, feels like a very classic Disney animated film, yet is brand new," says executive producer John Lasseter, best known for his Pixar computer-animated hits like "Toy Story" and "Cars." However, he began his career in Disney animation and, when the studio purchased Pixar in 2006, Lasseter became Disney chief creative officer with a goal of reviving hand-drawn.
"When I was up at Pixar and all the studios down here (in Hollywood) decided that they were n-o-t going to do hand-drawn animation anymore it broke my heart because never in the history of cinema has a film been entertaining to an audience because of the technology; it's what you do with the technology. I really felt like they were blaming poor performance of their movies on (the fact) that it was hand-drawn as opposed to computer animation. So when the merger of Disney and Pixar happened and I returned to the Disney studios the very first decision we made was that we're going to bring back hand-drawn animation," he says.
"The Princess and the Frog" is also getting attention for elevating a black character to the "princess" role, joining a line that includes "Beauty and the Beast's "Belle," "The Little Mermaid" Ariel, "Cinderella" and, of course, "Snow White:"
"I do remember to myself wondering if there would ever be a 'Chocolate Brown' after seeing 'Snow White,'" says Rose.
Anika Noni Rose has given it a lot of thought and predicts a range of reactions to her Tiana.
"For my nephew, it will be the norm. He will think nothing of it. It will be his first princess, period. For my mother, it will be something she has been waiting for. For my grandmother, it will be something she thought never would have happened. Each person that sits in that theater will have a different journey that they are bringing to the story and it will make the story different for them. I think that's something really beautiful about what it is that's being made because Disney is Americana and we have simply opened a new chapter in Americana: something that has been here for a very long time, but hasn't necessarily been shared. In that respect it's just another step in the completion of the story of what America is in this fantasy world," she says.
"The Princess and the Frog" also features Keith David as voice of the villainous Dr. Facilier, Terrence Howard is Tiana's loving father with Oprah Winfrey as her mom; Bruno Campos does the charming Prince Naveen; and the characters include a trumpet-playing crocodile named Louis (that's Michael-Leon Wooley) and a love-struck Cajun firefly voiced by Jim Cummings. Disney animation veterans John Musker and Ron Clements directed the film; and the music is by Oscar-, Emmy- and Grammy-winning composer Randy Newman.
For more than a decade now, animated films have been dominated by computer-generated images; but Disney takes a big step back with its new feature: a tune-filled fairy tale created by hand-drawn animation, in the style studio founder Walt Disney used to make. It also presents the first African-American princess in Disney history.
"The evening star is shining bright, so make a wish and hold on tight. There's magic in the air tonight …and anything can happen."
That wish upon a star brings unexpected adventure for Tiana, a hard-working young woman in 1920's New Orleans. By day she serves up her delicious "beignet" sweet fried dough in her boss's hash house; but by night she dreams of opening her own gourmet restaurant.
Tiana's road to her dream takes a strange turn, however, when a talking frog hops up and convinces her that if she kisses it he will become her handsome prince:
It seems a royal playboy visiting New Orleans wound up in the clutches of one of the Crescent City's shadowy street characters.
However, instead of her kiss breaking the spell, it transforms Tiana into a frog too and off the amphibian pair hops on an adventure into the bayou searching for a way to become human again.
Broadway stage star Anika Noni Rose is the voice of Tiana.
"This is something that I've always dreamed of doing. I didn't dream of being a princess. I could have been a dandelion and I would have been really happy. So this is like when your dreams take off and become bigger than what you had imagined. It's amazing," she says.
A devoted fan of the Disney animated musicals like "Snow White" and "Cinderella" when she was growing up, Rose is especially pleased that "The Princess and the Frog" brings back the tradition of those hand-drawn films.
"When you are watching a fairy tale you are not looking for reality. You are looking for softness and for an extension of your disbelief - something that takes you into your dreamland - and that's what hand-drawn does," she says.
"We wanted to make a Disney animated film: something that, on the one hand, feels like a very classic Disney animated film, yet is brand new," says executive producer John Lasseter, best known for his Pixar computer-animated hits like "Toy Story" and "Cars." However, he began his career in Disney animation and, when the studio purchased Pixar in 2006, Lasseter became Disney chief creative officer with a goal of reviving hand-drawn.
"When I was up at Pixar and all the studios down here (in Hollywood) decided that they were n-o-t going to do hand-drawn animation anymore it broke my heart because never in the history of cinema has a film been entertaining to an audience because of the technology; it's what you do with the technology. I really felt like they were blaming poor performance of their movies on (the fact) that it was hand-drawn as opposed to computer animation. So when the merger of Disney and Pixar happened and I returned to the Disney studios the very first decision we made was that we're going to bring back hand-drawn animation," he says.
"The Princess and the Frog" is also getting attention for elevating a black character to the "princess" role, joining a line that includes "Beauty and the Beast's "Belle," "The Little Mermaid" Ariel, "Cinderella" and, of course, "Snow White:"
"I do remember to myself wondering if there would ever be a 'Chocolate Brown' after seeing 'Snow White,'" says Rose.
Anika Noni Rose has given it a lot of thought and predicts a range of reactions to her Tiana.
"For my nephew, it will be the norm. He will think nothing of it. It will be his first princess, period. For my mother, it will be something she has been waiting for. For my grandmother, it will be something she thought never would have happened. Each person that sits in that theater will have a different journey that they are bringing to the story and it will make the story different for them. I think that's something really beautiful about what it is that's being made because Disney is Americana and we have simply opened a new chapter in Americana: something that has been here for a very long time, but hasn't necessarily been shared. In that respect it's just another step in the completion of the story of what America is in this fantasy world," she says.
"The Princess and the Frog" also features Keith David as voice of the villainous Dr. Facilier, Terrence Howard is Tiana's loving father with Oprah Winfrey as her mom; Bruno Campos does the charming Prince Naveen; and the characters include a trumpet-playing crocodile named Louis (that's Michael-Leon Wooley) and a love-struck Cajun firefly voiced by Jim Cummings. Disney animation veterans John Musker and Ron Clements directed the film; and the music is by Oscar-, Emmy- and Grammy-winning composer Randy Newman.
25.11.09
LONDON.- The original armature used to film the final, climactic scenes of the 1933 epic King Kong sold today at Christie’s South Kensington for £121,250 / $200,305 / €134,224. Measuring 22 inches in height, the metal armature was used in the film to show the giant ape as he terrorized New York and as he scaled the Empire State Building; some of the most memorable scenes from one of Hollywood’s most famous films. The armature was bought by an anonymous client who was bidding in the room.
Neil Roberts, Head of Popular Memorabilia, Christie’s London: “This King Kong armature was instrumental in filming one of the most recognisable sequences in cinema history, and as such it is an exceptional relic of film memorabilia. We are thrilled to have seen such excitement leading up to the auction and to have been able to exhibit the model to the public for the first time, and we are pleased to have realised a notable price which reflects its importance. The results throughout today’s sale illustrate that collectors continue to be drawn to items which resonate with their passions for popular culture; be it the golden age of cinema, Marilyn Monroe or James Bond.”
The auction realised a total of £519,463 / $858,153 / €575,046.. Other highlights included a very rare original puppet of Father Stanley Unwin from the Gerry Anderson T.V. series The Secret Service which realised £18,750 / $30,975 / €20,756; a black silk evening dress previously owned by Marilyn Monroe which sold for £9,375 / $15,488 / €10,378; and a pair of sunglasses worn by Daniel Craig as James Bond in Quantum of Solace which realised £1,187 / $1,961 / €1,314.
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Neil Roberts, Head of Popular Memorabilia, Christie’s London: “This King Kong armature was instrumental in filming one of the most recognisable sequences in cinema history, and as such it is an exceptional relic of film memorabilia. We are thrilled to have seen such excitement leading up to the auction and to have been able to exhibit the model to the public for the first time, and we are pleased to have realised a notable price which reflects its importance. The results throughout today’s sale illustrate that collectors continue to be drawn to items which resonate with their passions for popular culture; be it the golden age of cinema, Marilyn Monroe or James Bond.”
The auction realised a total of £519,463 / $858,153 / €575,046.. Other highlights included a very rare original puppet of Father Stanley Unwin from the Gerry Anderson T.V. series The Secret Service which realised £18,750 / $30,975 / €20,756; a black silk evening dress previously owned by Marilyn Monroe which sold for £9,375 / $15,488 / €10,378; and a pair of sunglasses worn by Daniel Craig as James Bond in Quantum of Solace which realised £1,187 / $1,961 / €1,314.
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7.11.09
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25.10.09
In its 13th Year, Arab Film Festival Hosts the 3rd Noor Awards Ceremony: Filmmakers Recognized for their Outstanding Work
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - On October 15th, 2009 at the Opening Night of the 13th annual Arab Film Festival, juried awards were given to Arab filmmakers who have been recognized for their contributions to cinematography. The Noor Awards were given at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. A jury composed of distinguished members of the film and academic communities selected the winning films. Cash prizes were given to the director in four categories: Outstanding Long Fiction, Outstanding Long Non-Fiction, Outstanding Short Fiction and Outstanding Short Non-Fiction.
"Each year the festival offers inspiring stories and images through films that illuminate Arab lives and present authentic narratives as well as provide insights into the beauty, talent and diversity of Arab culture," said Michel Shehadeh, executive director of the Arab Film Festival. "The Noor Awards shine a special light on filmmakers from the Arab world and from the Arab diaspora who break new artistic and cultural grounds. This award recognizes their artistic excellence and their work at building cultural, artistic and human bridges. These are filmmakers who receive little visibility in the United States." He said
Eye of the Sun (full length fiction, Egypt 2008) by Ibrahim El Batout was selected as the Noor Award winner for outstanding fiction feature.
CasaNegra (Morocco, 2008) by Nour-Eddine Lakhmari received an honorable mention for fiction feature.
In the best short fiction category Fatenah (Palestine, 2009) directed by Ahmad Habash was selected.
The honorable mention was presented to This Palestinian Life (Palestine, 2008) directed by Philip Rizk.
Tea on the Axis of Evil (Syria, 2009) by Jean Marie Offenbacher, was selected as the Noor Award winner for outstanding documentary.
Tunnel Trade (Palestine, UK, 2007) directed by Laila El-Haddad & Saeed Taji Farouky was selected as the oustanding short documentary.
After the Noor Awards ceremony the festival's Opening Night film Pomegranates and Myrrh by Najwa Najjar, a U.S. premiere, was shown to a packed house, and a Q&A with the director afterwards.
From the Arabic word for "light," the Noor Awards was established to celebrate filmmakers whose enlightened and original works outshine others in their category
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - On October 15th, 2009 at the Opening Night of the 13th annual Arab Film Festival, juried awards were given to Arab filmmakers who have been recognized for their contributions to cinematography. The Noor Awards were given at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. A jury composed of distinguished members of the film and academic communities selected the winning films. Cash prizes were given to the director in four categories: Outstanding Long Fiction, Outstanding Long Non-Fiction, Outstanding Short Fiction and Outstanding Short Non-Fiction.
"Each year the festival offers inspiring stories and images through films that illuminate Arab lives and present authentic narratives as well as provide insights into the beauty, talent and diversity of Arab culture," said Michel Shehadeh, executive director of the Arab Film Festival. "The Noor Awards shine a special light on filmmakers from the Arab world and from the Arab diaspora who break new artistic and cultural grounds. This award recognizes their artistic excellence and their work at building cultural, artistic and human bridges. These are filmmakers who receive little visibility in the United States." He said
Eye of the Sun (full length fiction, Egypt 2008) by Ibrahim El Batout was selected as the Noor Award winner for outstanding fiction feature.
CasaNegra (Morocco, 2008) by Nour-Eddine Lakhmari received an honorable mention for fiction feature.
In the best short fiction category Fatenah (Palestine, 2009) directed by Ahmad Habash was selected.
The honorable mention was presented to This Palestinian Life (Palestine, 2008) directed by Philip Rizk.
Tea on the Axis of Evil (Syria, 2009) by Jean Marie Offenbacher, was selected as the Noor Award winner for outstanding documentary.
Tunnel Trade (Palestine, UK, 2007) directed by Laila El-Haddad & Saeed Taji Farouky was selected as the oustanding short documentary.
After the Noor Awards ceremony the festival's Opening Night film Pomegranates and Myrrh by Najwa Najjar, a U.S. premiere, was shown to a packed house, and a Q&A with the director afterwards.
From the Arabic word for "light," the Noor Awards was established to celebrate filmmakers whose enlightened and original works outshine others in their category
24.10.09
This year, for the first time, The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival will host a dedicated Awards ceremony, on the evening of 28 October, at which it will present an enhanced range of awards, unlike in previous years, when the Festival presented a small number of awards to film and documentary makers on Closing Night. These awards will recognize and reward emerging young filmmakers who have made their debut in the Festival, as well as established feature-film and documentary makers. In addition, the highest accolade the British Film Institute bestows - The Fellowship - will be presented to two figures of international standing from the worlds of directing and acting. Full details of the juries for each Award are available on the Festival’s website.
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10.9.09
Image via Wikipedia
Hundreds of fans clapped and chanted as Hugo Chavez walked the red carpet at the film festival. Some fans held up a banner that read "Bienvenido Presidente".
Security was tight and a large group of bodyguards escorted the Venezuelan President, who said, "I have Italy in my heart."
Mr. Chavez said he loves Italian cinema and that he remembers actresses like Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren and Claudia Cardinale. He said he has been in love with all of them since he was a young boy.
Alongside Mr. Chavez was American filmmaker Oliver Stone. The Venezuelan president called the director "a great worker, a great teller of true stories."
Addressing the media, Stone called the Venezuelan president "a big phenomenon" and said his 75-minute documentary shows very clearly the level of "stupidity" in the broad statements that are made about Mr. Chavez. Stone said his film is meant to show the changes that are taking place in South America.
For his movie, Stone also interviewed the leaders of Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Cuba and Paraguay, whom he said "are on the same page" as Mr. Chavez.
Stone's documentary South of the Border is showing out of competition at the Venice Film Festival. Twenty-four films from 32 countries are competing for the Golden Lion Award, which will be announced on Saturday - the final day of the film festival.
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