CinéFemme - Annakarinaland

Animated epic "Bilal A New Breed of Hero" premieres at Cannes Market Bilal learns that bravery is in the mind not the weapon.  Courtesy of Barajoun Entertainment, used with permission  Bilal - A New Breed of Hero  by Moira Jean Sullivan, accredited journalist at Festival de Cannes The world premiere of “Bilal”, an animated historical epic premiered at the Cannes Film Festival Market May 14, the first of its kind made with computer generated animated graphics. Sharing the task of directing are Hurram H. Alavi and Ayman Jamal from the United Arab Emirates. Jamal is also the producer of the film and was present at the premiere at the Cannes Film Festival that runs from May 11-22. The English language animation is a 1400-year story about Bilal, a young African boy who dreams of becoming a great warrior, is abducted with his sister, separated from her and taken to a distant land rampant with greed and corruption. Bilal’s choice to become a warrior is a childhood dream ...

Ingrid Bergman in her own words Ingrid Bergman on holiday with her children. Courtesy of Manteray Film Swedish filmmaker Stig Björkman’s new documentary - " Ingrid Bergman - In Her Own Words" (Jag är Ingrid, Sweden 2015) opens in San Francisco at the Landmark Theatres on Feb 12. The film highlights the work of a woman that dedicated her life to film. Stig Björkman co-wrote the documentary with Dominika Daubenbüchel, which is produced by Stina Gardell. Swedish vocalist Eva Dahlgren , who also sings the final ballad of the film, coordinated the Super 8 footage. Ingrid's letters to her friends and to her diary are read by actress Alicia Vikander. There are interviews with all of Bergman's children, and actresses Liv Ullmann, Isabella Rossellini and Sigourney Weaver. Ingrid Bergman - In Her Own Words debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May and won special mention for a new award- The Golden Eye (L’Oeil d’Or award). The film came about through Björkman...

"Sicario" is a female action thriller starring Emily Blunt  Courtesy of Festival de Cannes, reprinted with permission  "Sicario" features a brilliant role for Emily Blun t as an FBI agent who volunteers to catch the leaders of a drug cartel together with undercover agents. The "Alliance of Women Film Journalists" nominated her as "Best Female Action Star" of 2015. Directed by Dennis Villeneuve , "Sicario", which means hitman in Spanish, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May and was nominated for a Palme d' Or. The theme of the film - the pursuit of drug dealers by the means necessary to cut off 'the head of the dragon' is illustrated visually. As one head goes, violence erupts like firecrackers in Juarez, Mexico where Emily Blunt as agent Kate Macer is recruited for work. She is there to make the op legit in the unorthodox manner undercover agents go about trying to topple pushers and their regime. Two ...

Director Chantal Akerman with actress Delphine Seyrig on the set of "Jeanne Dielman" Festival de Cannes Jeanne Dielman 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles When Chantal Akerman made " Jeanne Dielman 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles " in 1975 she was only 24 years old. The road to making the film began with contacts and one of them was French filmmaker  Babette Mangolte  , currently a professor of visual arts at UC San Diego who wound up being the cinematographer on this film . Akerman and Mangolte met in New York, a city that would later become the young Belgian director's adopted home. Mangolte introduced Akerman to experimental filmmaking, a small and exclusive world she loved. Success came early to Akerman whose film was selected for the  Cannes Film Festival Directors Fortnight  in 1975. Suddenly 50 international festivals wanted to screen it. It starred the brilliant French actress  Delphine Seyrig  as a housewife and widow ...

Queen Kristina (Malin Buska) of Sweden with Lord Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna (Michael Nykvist) flanked by Count Johan Oxenstierna (Lucas Bryant and Karl Gustav Kasimir (François Arnaud) Courtesy of Festival de Cannes, used with permission The Girl King Mika Kaurismäki has made a quality and authentic study for modern audiences of Queen Kristina of Sweden in  “The Girl King” . It debuts on VOD on Dec 8 via YouTube, Vudu and Google Play and the film's distributor Wolfe Video.  Wolfe Video  bought the North American rights at the Cannes Film Festival where the film debuted in May and has also released a DVD. The 17th century regent of Sweden, daughter of the great king Gustav Vasa, has been the subject of several films including Rouben Mamoulian's 1933 epic " Queen Christina"  starring Greta Garbo. Kaurismäki presents a sober and realistic portrait of the queen. He has shown her as a commanding figure with a court that could not accept that she wan...

World debut of 'Heart of a Dog' by Laurie Anderson Courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia Heart of a Dog Star Star Star Star Star Performance artist and filmmaker  Laurie Anderson  was in San Francisco for a brief visit in conjunction with the theatrical release of her new film  “Heart of a Dog”  that opens in San Francisco November 13 at  Landmark Theatres.  The film debuted at the  Venice Film Festival  September 9 and is a thought provoking film about love stories and ghost stories, and how stories are relayed in our personal lives through art and media. Anderson relates stories about dreams and the possibilities for new ways of storytelling with new media. "Heart of a Dog" weaves story telling with films Anderson shot of her dog Lolabelle and 8mm films from her childhood. She uses iPhones, drone phones, and different textural backgrounds. She wrote the script and did the art work and composed the music. Th...