Latest news with #Fipresci
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
Japan's Seto Wins Int'l Critics Award at Cannes
News from Japan Society Culture May 25, 2025 14:03 (JST) Cannes, France, May 24 (Jiji Press)--Japanese director Momoko Seto's animated film "Dandelion's Odyssey" won the International Federation of Film Critics' award at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on Saturday. In the French-Belgian production, Seto from Tokyo presents the story of dandelion seeds that travel the universe after surviving a nuclear explosion. The dialogue-free film was the closing work of the Critics' Week, held in parallel with the film festival. "We chose this film for the great editing and the use of particular techniques of image that combine classic and modern animation forms," said the federation, known as Fipresci. The federation also awarded two other films. Meanwhile, this year's Palme d'Or went to Iranian dissident filmmaker Jafar Panahi's "Simple Accident." Director Chie Hayakawa's "Renoir," the only Japanese nominee, missed out on the top prize. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kleber Mendonça Filho's Brazilian Epic ‘The Secret Agent' Wins Fipresci Award at Cannes: ‘A Rich, Strange and Deeply Troubling Story'
Bearing out Brazil's place as country of honor at this year's Cannes Film Festival, Kleber Mendonça Filho's 'The Secret Agent' ('O Agente Secreto') won the Fipresci Prize in the Official Selection – Competition category, granted by the International Federation of Film Critics . Set in Brazil under military rule in 1977 and starring Wagner Moura ('Narcos,' 'Dope Thief') , the film delves into themes of political repression, morality and resistance. Known for his earlier films 'Aquarius' and 'Bacurau,' both of which played in main comoetition at Cannes, Mendonça Filho continues his exploration of Brazil's sociopolitical landscape with a narrative praised for its depth and ambition. More from Variety Cannes Film Festival Power Restored After 5-Hour Outage Across South of France With Foul Play Suspected, Closing Ceremony to 'Proceed as Planned' Josh O'Connor Says 'There's a Kindness' to Working With 'Mastermind' Director Kelly Reichardt and Responds to Paul Mescal Calling Him 'Silly': 'I Am' 'Caravan' Review: Tender Debut Feature Focuses on a Single Mom's Experience with Her Disabled Son 'The Secret Agent' was hailed by Variety's Peter Debruge as a 'terrific '70s thriller' and 'dazzling period drama.' In its assessment of the film, the Fipresci jury explained: 'We chose a film that has a novelistic, epic generosity; a film that allows for digression, diversion, humor and character to evoke a time and place and a rich, strange and deeply troubling story of corruption and oppression. A film that makes its own rules, that is personal yet universal, that takes its time and immerses you in a world – the world of military-ruled Brazil in 1977 and the world of good people in bad times.' 'The Secret Agent,' an epic tale which runs nearly three hours, is a multinational co-production involving Brazil, France, Germany and the Netherlands. MK2 Films is selling internationally, and Neon just picked up North American distribution rights. Further Fipresci recognition went to actor-turned-director Harris Dickinson's debut 'Urchin,' which screened in the Un Certain Regard section. A two-time BAFTA-nominated actor, Dickinson is known for his performances in 'Babygirl,' 'Beach Rats' and 'Triangle of Sadness.' A harrowing character study of a homeless man named Mike who struggles with addiction, 'Urchin' has drawn acclaim for its visceral realism and emotional depth. Variety's Guy Lodge praises lead actor Frank Dillane for 'imbuing Mike with both the kind of wily charisma that makes people want to rescue him and a self-destructive volatility that keeps repelling such efforts.' According to the jury, Dickinson's debut is 'a powerful first feature that works as a complex character study of a homeless man struggling with addiction. We dive deeply into a cycle of self-destruction portrayed with sincerity, authenticity and genuine empathy.' From this year's Critics' Week, Directors' Fortnight and other parallel selections, the Fipresci jury selected Momoko Seto's animated feature 'Dandelion's Odyssey' for special recognition. The French-Belgian production, distributed internationally by Indie Sales, blends experimental storytelling with animation. Seto, is known for her artistic short films including 2015 Berlin Audi Short Film Award-winner 'Planet Sigma.' Next up for 'Dandelion's Odyssey' is a competition screening at Annecy in June. 'In these strange and dangerous times, we believe the most important thing is to find meaning in our choices and to allow ourselves to feel deeply through films that restore cinema's emotional essence,' the Fipresci jury said. 'We reward this film for its unique use of animation techniques blending classical and modern styles, for the quality of its editing and for the power of its message – love, salvation and companionship in the harshest circumstances. A universal message of life's triumph over the forces of death.' This year's Fipresci jury at Cannes was chaired by Australian critic C.J. Johnson and included Mariana Hristova (Bulgaria), Laurent Delmas (France), Eva Novrup Redvall (Denmark), Michael Ghennam (France), Hosam Fahmy (Egypt), Ioannis Rouzaios (Greece), Olga Ruin (Sweden) and Freddy Wong (Hong Kong). Awards come just hours before the Cannes Film Festival's main prize ceremony where 'The Secret Agent' is in the running for Cannes' Palme d'Or. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Berlin: Fipresci International Film Critic Award Winners
Fipresci, the international film critics association, has announced its winners for the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival, with Norwegian filmmaker Dag Johan Haugerud's Drømmer (Dreams (Sex Love)) taking the top honor in the Competition section. The film, the concluding chapter of Haugerud's Sex, Love, Dreams trilogy on emotional and physical intimacy, follows 17-year-old Johanne (Ella Øverbye), who becomes infatuated with her new teacher, Johanna (Selome Emnetu). As Johanne navigates her romantic awakening, the lines between memory and fiction blur, culminating in a self-reflective literary account of first love. Infused with Haugerud's signature droll humor and sensitive observations, the film marks a shift in the trilogy's focus to queer first love. M-Appeal is handling world sales. More from The Hollywood Reporter Berlin: Dramas from Ireland, Belgium, Brazil, and the Philippines win Generation 14plus 'What Does That Nature Say to You' Review: Hong Sang-soo Is in Top Form With a Convivial Meet-the-Parents Occasion That Goes South Before Dessert Frédéric Hambalek on His Paranormal Parent Trap 'What Marielle Knows' In the newly introduced Perspectives competition, Slovenian director Urška Djukić was honored for her debut feature Kaj ti je deklica (Little Trouble Girls), a coming-of-age drama that follows the reserved Lucia (Jara Sofija Ostan) as she explores sexuality, friendship and the intersection of sin and desire. The film is being sold worldwide by Heretic. The Panorama prize went to Bajo las banderas, el sol (Under the Flags, the Sun), the feature documentary debut of Paraguayan filmmaker Juanjo Pereira. The film excavates lost audiovisual archives from Alfredo Stroessner's 35-year dictatorship, revealing how media was used to shape national identity and enforce authoritarian rule. Assembled from recovered propaganda films, newsreels and declassified documents, Pereira's work reconstructs a history long omitted from Paraguay's educational system. Cinephil is handling worldwide sales. Tatiana Fuentes Sadowski's La memoria de las mariposas (The Memory of Butterflies) won the Fipresci prize in the Forum section. Using grainy analog footage, the Peruvian documentary tells the forgotten story of two indigenous Peruvian boys forcibly taken to Europe, intertwining their history with that of Peru's during its brutal 35-year dictatorship. Miti Film produced the documentary together with Perpetua Cine and Oblaum Filmes. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The Best Anti-Fascist Films of All Time Dinosaurs, Zombies and More 'Wicked': The Most Anticipated Movies of 2025 From 'A Complete Unknown' to 'Selena' to 'Ray': 33 Notable Music Biopics
