Just Between Us awarded Best European Film award at Karlovy Vary

"Just Between Us" (Neka ostane medju nama) has been awarded the Europa Cinemas Label as Best European Film in the 45th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Written by Rajko Grlić and Ante Tomic and directed by Rajko Grlić, "Just Between Us" is a wicked, indiscreet contemporary story set in Zagreb about the whirling erotic passions that percolate beneath the dull, composed surface of everyday bourgeois life and manners. It is about things that happen in well-established families that are mainly kept secret, but that nevertheless remain painful.

The film had already won 8 awards at the Pula festival. Visit the official site.

RIP: Suso Cecchi D’Amico, writer of "The Bicycle Thief"

One of Europe's most successful screenwriters, Suso Cecchi D’Amico, has died in Rome at the age of 96. D'Amico is perhaps best known as the writer of Visconti's "Ladri di biciclette/The Bicycle Thief" - a key film in the history of cinema. But by the time she had written this, she had also written "Roma: Free City" in 1946, and went on to pen nearly 120 films, including co-writing "The Taming of the Shrew" with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, "The Leopard" with Burt Lancaster and Alain Delon, "Brother Sun, Sister Moon", Casanova 70" and "The Leopard". She worked with directors Michelangelo Antonioni, Francesco Rosi and Mario Monicelli but most notably Luchino Visconti. She is credited with releases as late as 2006, at the age of 92!

Toronto festival to feature European films

The Toronto International Film Festival (September 9-19) will feature an unprecedented number of European films this year. They include Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech (UK/Australia); Andy de Emmony’s East is East sequel West is West; Mike Leigh’s Another Year, Danis Tanovic’s Cirkus Columbia, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Biutiful and the premieres of Guillaume Canet's Little White Lies and Eric Lartigau’s The Big Picture.

For details, visit TIFF.

ScriptEast award to be announced at Cannes

The title of the winning script in the ScriptEast award will be announced Wednesday 19th May at 5 p.m. at a ceremony to take place at Plage des Palmes. Since September 2009, the experienced East European authors have been working on screenplays with the help and advice of Creative Advisors (see below).

For the past week, participants have been meeting producers and distributors, as well as having consultations with Heads of Studies. ScripTeasters have also got opportunities to attend the festivals' screenings, conferences and participate in all the festival events as well as meet with experienced sales agents, producers and members of international film industry to name a few: Simon Perry from Irish Film Board, sales agents: Gabor Greiner from The Match Factory, one of the most famous sales company in Europe, and Chris Nightingale from High Point. They also had an important pitching session with David Matamaros from Zentropa.

The advisers were Marc Caro, director of "Delicatessen", Chris Collins, producer of "My summer of love", Licia Eminenti, scrip expert, working for Media Fund, Eurimage and Arte, Robert Jones, producer of "Unusual Suspects" and "Gosford Park", Joelle Levie, long-term director of Quebec division of Telefilm, Canada, Udayan Prasad, director of "Opa!", "Yellow Handkerchief", Jason Resnick, fomer International Sales Director of Universal Pictures and Focus Film, Antonio Saura, producer of "Fados" and "Salome", Antonin Svoboda, producer of "Darwin's Nightmare" and "The Educators", director and scriptwriter. Visit ScriptEast.

Tales from the script

I just came across this tasty trailer on Twitter (don't forget to follow Cannes or Bust for movie and music biz news). Shane Black ("Lethal Weapon"), John Carpenter ("Halloween"), Frank Darabont ("The Shawshank Redemption"), William Goldman ("The Princess Bride"), Paul Schrader ("Taxi Driver"), and dozens of other Hollywood screenwriters share hilarious anecdotes and penetrating insights in Peter Hansons "Tales from the Script," which is billed as "the most comprehensive documentary ever made about screenwriting". By analyzing their triumphs and recalling their failures, the participants explain how successful writers develop the skills necessary for toughing out careers in one of the world's most competitive industries.

I don't know when it will be released, nor where.

Antichrist sweeps Danish awards

Lars von Trier’s "Antichrist" swept the boards at the Bodil Awards ceremony, organised by the Danish Film Critics Association. The film that caused such uproar at Cannes 2009 was also the most celebrated by the entire Danish film industry. It had already won seven Roberts awards from the Danish Film Academy last month.

"Antichrist" won five Bodils:
Best Danish Film
Best Actress (Charlotte Gainsbourg)
Best Actor (Willem Dafoe)
Best Cinematographer (Anthony Dod Mantle)
Best Sound Design (Kristian Eidne Andersen).

Mark Burton (Madagascar, Wallace & Gromit) to talk in Brussels

Last minute: The Belgian writers group ASA has invited scriptwriter Mark Burton to talk about his work on "Madagascar" on February 11 in Brussels. A screening of "Madagascar" at 1pm will be followed by a lengthy discussion about the characters and structure. Burton also wrote "Wallace & Gromit - The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" and dialogues for "Chicken Run".

Sounds like a fantastic opportunity to me.

Date Feb 11 from 1pm. Maison des Auteurs, Rue du Prince Royal 87, 1050 Brussels

€20 for students and members of the ASA and Scenaristengilde, €40 for non-members. Bookings (obligatory): newsletter@associationscenaristes.be

Mia Hansen-Love wins Lumiere script award

Mia Hansen-Löve, writer-director of "Le père de mes enfants/Father of my Children" won the screenplay award at this year's Lumière awards in Paris, January 15 2010. The film, detailing the fall from grace of a film producer, was the surprise winner against multiple nominee "Un prophète/A Prophet".

The awards are given by the foreign press for French or French-speaking films. Other winners include "Welcome", "A Prophet" (director and actor), actress Isabelle Adjani and best Francophone film for "J'ai tué ma mère" by Canada's Xavier Dolan.

Read more about "Le père de mes enfants.

Avatar: which lesson for the industry?

Lots of people are coming to conclusions about "Avatar", and what it teaches us. Having seen it "flat", I can already understand that it is a huge hit as it delivers great entertainment. For me, I think the 3D and Imax versions are icing on the cake. In a good analysis, Mike Goodridge of "Screen International" quotes LOTR's Peter Jackson: “It’s not about technology,” he insists. “It’s about entertainment and stories.” Goodridge continues:

And he is right. The best stories will continue to attract talent to make them and audiences to see them. It sounds clichéd to say it all starts with the script, but perhaps that has never been so relevant as now. Avatar, after all, is a good story rich with detail and flourishes from Cameron’s imagination. The audience has responded.

This is both comforting for writers and a challenge. I personally know no-one that would have spent time writing an Avatar-type story - starting with me. Too much like Pocahontas, too mass market, characters that are just on the wrong side of corny; yet Cameron pulled it off very well. It's easy to get distracted by discussions about the budget. "Avatar" connects on a more basic level. And if it really is all about the script, it is up to us writers to write scripts that connect with larger audiences.

British indie awards salute Michael Cain and Danel Day-Lewis

In an upbeat event, the British Independent Film Awards announced its 2009 winners on December 6 in London. Johanna von Fischer and Tessa Collinson, BIFA co-directors say: "No single film dominates the Awards this year, reminding us of the high quality and variety of talent on offer in the UK. And if we can be celebrating so much good work in a year that is said to be difficult, there is a lot to shout about."

"Moon", the film by Duncan Jones (who also picked up the best debut director award), was awarded the best British independent film. Best screenplay went to "In the Loop", by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche.

The screenplay award was very tight, as "In the Loop" was up against "An Education" (Nick Hornby), "Fish Tank" (Andrea Arnold), "Moon"(Nathan Parker) and "Nowhere Boy" (Matt Greenhalgh).

Sir Michael Caine and Daniel Day-Lewis both gave impassioned acceptance speeches for their respective acting awards.

For the full list of winners, visit BIFA.

British Independent Film Award nominees announced

British cinema has an unusual structure, with most of the industry working as service suppliers for the American studios, and a promising but fragile "independent" section. The British Independent Film Awards obviously showcase the latter, and feature a very strong line-up of nominees this year, which have just been announced:

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM

An Education
Fish Tank
In The Loop
Moon
Nowhere Boy

BEST DIRECTOR

Sponsored by The Creative Partnership
Andrea Arnold – Fish Tank
Armando Iannucci – In The Loop
Duncan Jones – Moon
Jane Campion – Bright Star
Lone Scherfig – An Education

BEST SCREENPLAY

Sponsored by BBC Films
An Education – Nick Hornby
Fish Tank – Andrea Arnold
In The Loop – Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
Moon – Nathan Parker
Nowhere Boy – Matt Greenhalgh

70 members screened over 200 films to draw up the list of nominees. To get the complete list of nominees, visit Raindance.

"Journey to Algiers" picks up script award at Namur festival

Namur's French-speaking movie festival awarded the script prize to writer/director Abdelkrim Bahloul for "Le voyage à Alger/Journey to Algiers", the tale of an Algerian widow's struggle to hold on to her house and six orphans.

Bahloul was born in Algeria, studied in France and now works in both countries. His previous film, "Le soleil assassiné" picked up the audience award at Namur in 2003. For the full results (in French), visit FIFF.

MIPCOM kicks off in Cannes

The MIPCOM TV trade fair has kicked off in Cannes. Early news from the kids section is that short-formats are back in style, with a preference for live action. Established characters are being sought out (which is not such good news for people that want to try and create new ones). As scriptwriters it is important to keep an eye on these things, as I don't see the point in working for 18 months on a dead format.

Check for details on Cannes or Bust.

The Italian Job screenwriter dies at 77

Troy Kennedy Martin, the British screenwriter whose credits include "The Italian Job", died of cancer on September 15 at age 77. Martin first started writing plays at the BBC in 1958, later creating "Storyboard". His most famous TV creation was Liverpool-based police drama "Z-Cars", which subsequently ran for 15 years.

His film credits include "The Italian Job", which starred Noel Coward and Michael Caine, "Kelly’s Heroes", "The Jerusalem File" and "Sweeney 2", from the TV series, "The Sweeney, created by his brother Ian Kennedy Martin". He also co-wrote the screenplay for "Red Heat" with director Walter Hill in 1988 and "Red Dust", directed by Tom Hooper, in 2004.

Kathyrn Bigelow and Mark Boal in London

Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" is picking up pretty breathless reviews. She'll be in London with her screenwriter Mark Boal to talk about it, courtesy of The Script Factory and The Screen on the Green.

A preview plus conversation with Kathryn Bigelow & screenwriter Mark Boal August 18
Screen on the Green
83 Upper Street
London N1 0NP

Details at The Script Factory.

Brussels festival showcases new European directors

Every year at the same time, the Brussels Film Festival competes with hot weather while hosting a selection of first and second films from European directors. This year, there are some 60 films being premiered, with free open-air screenings and concerts.

The official competition consists of:

• AWAYDAYS, Pat Holden (UK, 2009, 105')
• LA CASA SULLE NUVOLE, Claudio Giovannesi (Italy, 2008, 96')
• COUNTRY WEDDING, Valdis Oskarsdottir (Iceland, 2008, 95')
• DONNE-MOI LA MAIN, Pascal-Alex Vincent (France, 2009, 80')
• THE HIGHER FORCE, Olaf de Fleur Johannesson (Iceland, 2008, 80')
• IN YOUR VEINS, Beata Garderler (Sweden, 2009, 92')
• JOUEUSE, Caroline Bottaro (France, 2009, 101')
• KATALIN VARGA, Peter Strickland (Romania, 2009, 82')
• MACHAN, Uberto Pasolini (Italy, 2008, 105')
• NORTH, Rune Denstadt Langlo (Norway, 2009, 90')
• SOMEWHERE BETWEEN HERE AND NOW, Olivier Boonjing (Belgium, 2009, 74')
• UNMADE BEDS, Alexis Dos Santos (UK, 2009, 93')
• LA VERGUENZA, David Planell (Spain, 2009, 107')
• WRONG ROSARY, Mahmut Fazil Coskun (Turkey, 2009, 89')

There is also a selection of recent Belgian films, European award-winners and the Cinematek's Age d'Or sidebar featuring recent world cinema releases.

Amongst the events are talks by the various directors, and Eliot Grove presenting his No-to-Lo Budget Film-making Masterclass.

Check out the full programme here.

L'Aquila movie festival to go ahead

Despite the huge damage caused by the recent earthquake there, the Italian town of L'Aquila has decided to go ahead with its annual festival. This third edition has been made possible by the support of hte festival of Salerno. The competition is open to short, medium and feature films, with a deadline on July 15, 2009.

For details, visit Idea de Cleves.

ScriptBase launches European script competition

ScriptBase, the online screenwriting community that was set up by writers from the Fade In group in Hungary, is launching a free online screenwriting competition. The site acts basically as a writers' group, with people reading and commenting on each others' work. As they are now adding a rating system, they are also starting a competition with a €1,000 prize. The basic idea is simple: post your project, get people to read it and hope that it gets a great rating. ScriptBase and Fade In are both writer-driven initiatives.

A quick glance revealed a strong number of entrants from Eastern Europe - which has a vibrant writing scene for the moment. If you have sometimes wondered who could read your script and give some sort of feedback, ScriptBase is definitely worth checking. I my opinion, the prize money is like icing on someone's cake.

For full details, check ScriptBase.

Stephen Fry: UK TV writers "treated like dirt"

Celebrated British actor and writer Stephen Fry has spoken out against the British TV production system, claiming the writers are "treated like dirt". He particularly points to the fact that writers are generally dispossessed of their work when production starts. In a report in The Stage, he is quoted as saying, “Occasionally, if there’s a good relationship, a writer can come and visit the set, but their job - if they know anything about the etiquette of a set - is to sit very quietly in a corner and is certainly not to talk to an actor about anything but gossip and it is certainly not to talk about the part [they have written], because that undermines the relationship of the actor and director,” he said.

In addition to his high-profile acting, Fry has written for TV and is the writer of "Bright Young Things". For the full story, visit The Stage.

Screenwriting conference in Dublin in June

The Jameson Dublin Film Festival is organising a major scriptwriting conference in June, that will bring together four very different writers: Shane Black (Lethal Weapon), Shane Meadows and Paul Fraser (A Room for Romeo Brass, SomersTown), Eran Kolirin (The Band's Visit) and Conor McPherson (The Eclipse). Other guests are planned. Dates June 4 & 5. "Give Me Direction" will be an opportunity to champion great and original writing for the screen and to deepen the Irish Film Board’s engagement in addressing industry concerns. The conference will follow an informal, mixed format of sessions and interviews: plus a rehearsed read-through and a preview screening.

For more details, visit the JDIFF.