There was a time not long ago when having John Woo’s name on a film would generate instant excitement, but after a string of mediocre American action films throughout the ’90s and early 2000s; it looked like his career was running out of steam for good. Then came the release of Red Cliff, which seemed to prove that the problem wasn’t with John Woo, but with Hollywood — big surprise. Now John Woo is co-directing and co-producing another action movie originating from his homeland of China called Reign of Assassins, and an early promo trailer has found its way online.

The movie stars Michelle Yeoh as a retired assassin who just can’t escape her former life. The film seems to take on a more traditional martial arts action with a slice of romance on the side. This is apparently quite different from the Hong Kong gangster flicks that Woo is best known for. Of course, he is serving primarily as a mentor to writer-director Chao-Bin Su (Silk), so it’s hard to say how much influence he will have on the film. The movie co-stars Woo-sung Jung (The Good, The Bad, The Weird), one of the most clever film I’ve seen in years. It also stars Barbie Hsu, Kelly Lin, and John Woo’s daughter Angeles. The film is expected to be released sometime this fall but there is a good chance that you may see it sooner at TIFF in September.

Check out the trailer and tell me what you think.

Telefilm Canada has announced that ZedCrew, a film directed by 26-year-old Canadian Noah Pink, will be presented in the 42nd Directors’ Fortnight at the 63rd edition of the Cannes Festival, held May 13 to May 23, 2010. Films invited in this program were unveiled by the prestigious Festival earlier today. This is the second director from Canada to be invited at Cannes this year; last week, Telefilm announced that Xavier Dolan’s film “Les amours imaginaires” will be presented at the Official Selection in the “Un certain regard” category.

“’It is both thrilling and humbling to have my work recognized by Cannes,” says Noah Pink, Director of ZedCrew.  “It is the very festival that put the first spotlight on so many of my favourite directors from around the world, those who inspired me to become a filmmaker. To say that I’m excited would be a gross understatement. I’m glowing!” he added.

ZedCrew, a Canada/Zambia co-venture, is a medium length film directed by 26-year-old Noah Pink from Halifax, Nova Scotia. The film gives a unique and raw insight into the contemporary lives of urban Zambian hip-hop musicians.

Of the 24 features announced, 10 hail from Europe while five are from Latin America, two from the U.S. and one Canadian short film. The Euro-heavy selection will spotlight works from a handful of other countries, several of which are multi-national co-prods, the likelihood of theatrical release in their respective countries.

With 21 world premieres among the 24 features to be screened, the Fortnight is positioning itself this year as a veritable launching pad for budding helmers and new discoveries.

“We want to attract a public that stretches beyond cinephiles and Fortnight regulars,” Boyer told Daily Variety. “And we’re trying this time to offer up movies that people are not used to seeing.”

Directors' Fortnight Poster

www.quinzaine-realisateurs.com

The Directors’ Fortnight runs from May 13-23.

DIRECTORS’ FORTNIGHT
“All Good Children,” U.K., Alicia Duffy
“Benda Bilili!,” France, Renaud Barret, Florent de la Tullaye (opening film)
“Cleveland vs. Wall Street,” Switzerland-France, Jean-Stephane Bron
“Des filles en noir,” France, Jean-Paul Civeyrac
“Everything Will Be Fine,” Denmark-Sweden-France, Christoffer Boe
“Illegal,” Belgium-Luxembourg-France, Olivier Masset-Depasse
“The Invisible Eye,” Argentina-France-Spain, Diego Lerman
“Joy,” Brazil, Marina Meliande, Felipe Braganca
“Le quattro volte,” Italy-Germany-Switzerland, Michelangelo Frammartino
“Leap Year,” Mexico, Michael Rowe
“The Light Thief,” Kyrgyzstan, Aktan Arym Kubat
“Lily Sometimes,” France, Fabienne Berthaud (closing film)
“Little Baby Jesus of Flanders,” Belgium, Gust Vandenberghe
“Love Like Poison,” France, Katell Quillevere
“Picco,” Germany, Philip Koch
“Shit Year,” U.S., Cam Archer
“The Silent House,” Uruguay, Gustavo Hernandez
“Tiger Factory,” Malaysia, Woo Ming-jin
“Todos vos sodes capitans,” Morocco-Spain, Oliver Laxe
“Two Gates of Sleep,” U.S., Alistair Banks Griffin
“The Wanderer,” Israel, Avishai Sivan
“We Are What We Are,” Mexico, Jorge Michel Grau

SPECIAL SCREENINGS
“Boxing Gym,” U.S., Frederick Wiseman
“Stones in Exile,” U.K., Stephen Kijak

SHORT FILM PROGRAM
“Licht,” Netherlands, Andre Schreuders
“Quest,” Romania, Ionut Piturescu
“Mary Last Seen,” U.S., Sean Durkin
“Petit tailleuer,” France, Louis Garrel
“Shadows of Silence,” France, Pradeepan Raveendra
“Shikasha,” Japan, Hirabayashi Isamu
“A Silent Child,” Sweden, Jesper Klevenas
“Tre ore,” Italy, Annarita Zambrano
“Zed Crew,” Canada-Zambia, Noah Pink

Source: Telefilm Canada/Variety

Brad & Angelina-Inglorious Bastards

The line-up for the 63 Festival de Cannes was announced in Paris this morning.

The big news: Canada’s award winning director Xavier Dolan will make a return to Cannes with “Les Amours imaginaires”- three close friends who are involved in a love-triangle.  Xavier was selected in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival. Xavier is best known for his film “J’ai tué ma mere”(a story about the turbulent relationship between mother and son) which won Director’s Fortnight in Cannes last year. The film was selected to represent Canada in the foreign film category in considerations for the Academy Awards nomination jury but sadly did not make the nominee list and to a greater extent it was also shut out at the Genies.

Other names that top the list for the festival’s In Competition, Out of Competition and Un Certain Regard are Mike Leigh, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Jean Luc Goddard, Stephen Fears, Oliver Stone and Woody Allan.  However on the list of directors that didn’t make it this year were some surprises. For example Terrence Malick’s “Tree of Life”is not among the films that will play on the Croisette. This may not be a huge surprise, as many know that the film is still in the editing room and we can only hope that the films get a special last minute inclusion. And what about Peter Weir, “The Way Back”, Darren Aronofsky “Black Swan” and the remarkable Johnnie To “Death of A Hostage” -perhaps only to been seen at TIFF 2010.  We can only hope that there is something magical in the selection this year because the list isn’t much to speak of, and in general this isn’t as exciting a lineup as last year’s. The full list of films can be reviewed below.

And finally the festival wasn’t without its latest controversy: It signed exclusive video contracts with sponsors Canal Plus and Orange, causing a boycott at the press conference by the Associated Press, Reuters, Getty Images and other video/photography outlets – quel dommage! 

IN COMPETITION

“Another Year,” U.K., Mike Leigh                                                                                                                  
“Biutiful,” Spain-Mexico, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
“Burnt by the Sun 2,” Germany-France-Russia, Nikita Mikhalkov
“Certified Copy,” France-Italy-Iran, Abbas Kiarostami
“Fair Game,” U.S., Doug Liman
“Hors-la-loi,” France-Belgium-Algeria, Rachid Bouchareb
“The Housemaid,” South Korea, Im Sang-soo
“La nostra vita,” Italy-France, Daniele Luchetti
“La Princesse de Montpensier,” France, Bertrand Tavernier
“Of Gods and Men,” France, Xavier Beauvois
“Outrage,” Japan, Takeshi Kitano
“Poetry,” South Korea, Lee Chang-dong
“A Screaming Man,” France-Belgium-Chad, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
“Tournee,” France, Mathieu Amalric
“Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives,” Spain-Thailand-Germany-U.K.-France, Apichatpong Weerasethakul
“You, My Joy,” Ukraine-Germany, Sergey Loznitsa

 UN CERTAIN REGARD

“Adrienn Pal,” Hungary-Netherlands-France-Austria, Agnes Kocsis
“Aurora,” Romania, Cristi Puiu
“Blue Valentine,” U.S., Derek Cianfrance
“Chatroom,” U.K., Hideo Nakata
“Chongqing Blues,” China, Wang Xiaoshuai
“The City Below,” Germany-France, Christoph Hochhausler
“Film Socialisme,” Switzerland-France, Jean-Luc Godard
“Ha Ha Ha,” South Korea, Hong Sang-soo
“Les Amours imaginaires,” Canada, Xavier Dolan
“Life Above All,” France, Oliver Schmitz
“Los labios,” Argentina, Ivan Fund, Santiago Loza
“Octubre,” Peru, Daniel Vega
“Qu’est-il arrive a Simon Werner?,” France, Fabrice Gobert
“Rebecca H.,” France, Lodge Kerrigan
“R U There,” Taiwan, David Verbeek
“The Strange Case of Angelica,” Portugal, Manoel de Oliveira
“Tuesday, After Christmas,” Romania, Radu Muntean
“Udaan,” India, Vikramaditya Motwane

 OUT OF COMPETITION

“Robin Hood,” U.S.-U.K., Ridley Scott - Opening Film
“Tamara Drewe,” U.K., Stephen Frears
“Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps,” U.S., Oliver Stone  & “You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger,” U.K.-Spain, Woody Allen

Source: Kirk Cooper/film consultant

The Toronto International Film Festival – Sales & Industry Office is pleased to announce that the Hyatt Regency on King St will be the host hotel of the film festival in September. Located beside TIFF.Bell Lightbox in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment District, the Hyatt Regency on King will house Festival offices, including: the Sales & Industry Registration Office and Pass Pick-Up Desk, Press Office, Programme Administration Office, the Industry Box Office and the TIFF Screening Library, as well as a number of Press and Industry lounges.

The Press and Industry Screening venues will also increase their presence in the new festival village. The festival is pleased to announce that the Scotiabank Theatre, located at the corner of Richmond and John streets, is also a Press and Industry screening venue. The Scotiabank Theatre is less than a five-minute walk from the Hyatt Regency and Bell Lightbox.

The actress Kristin Scott Thomas  will open the 63^rd edition of the Festival on May 12^th by inviting the President Tim Burton and his Jury on stage at the Palais des Festivals. She will equally animate the closing ceremony when the Awards will be announced, Sunday May 23^rd.

Kristin Scott Thomas is re-cast in the role she played in 1999, succeeding Edouard Baer who held the position for two years running in 2008 and 2009.