AFI Fest 2011 Preview: 10 to Watch - World Cinema
Yesterday we brought you a look at 10 films from the Galas & Specials programs ahead of Thursday's kick off of Hollywood's AFI Fest 2011. Today we've got a preview of a few highlights from the extensive World Cinema program. Don't forget to check out our interview with programming brass Jacqueline Lyanga & Lane Kneedler and stay tuned for plenty more from AFI Fest soon.
CARRE BLANC
One of the big hits from this year's Fantastic Fest, Jean-Baptiste Léonetti's French dystopian science fiction tale is weird, poetic and wonderful. Bring along your best croquet gear.
Trailer | Clips & Clips | Trailer
KINYARWANDA
Alrick Brown's film set during the Rwandan genocide has found fans everywhere it has played - not to mention winning the World Cinema Audience Prize at Sundance. Having missed it there, this is one of my top picks for AFI Fest.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA
Turkey's entry for the Foreign Language Oscar is Nuri Bilge Ceylan's landscape heavy slow burn police mystery.
Trailer
A SEPARATION
Asghar Farhadi's Iranian family drama took home the top prize at Berlin and is a heavy fave for a Foreign Language Oscar nomination.
ALPS
From the director of last year's Dogtooth, Giorgos Lanthimos, comes this modern Greek tale of death and grief.
Review | Clip | Teaser
EXTRATERRESTRIAL
Spanish wild man Nacho Vigalondo follows up Timecrimes with this sci-fi romance about a potential alien invasion of Madrid.
Special Review | Regular Review | Teaser
THE FORGIVENESS OF BLOOD
Joshua Marston grew up in Beverly Hills, went to college in New York, made his first film about Colombia (Maria Full of Grace), and now comes to AFI Fest with this intense family drama about obscure Albanian retribution rituals. What a long, strange trip it's been.
THE INVADER
Completing a triumvirate of strong Belgian cinema at this year's fest (along with THE KID WITH THE BIKE and BULLHEAD), Nicolas Provost uses great artistry to tell his story of an African immigrant who washes up on European shores.
Review | Clip
THE TURIN HORSE
Hungarian epic filmmaker Bela Tarr's Foreign Language Oscar submission (and supposed final film) is this rural black and white period piece inspired by Nietzsche.
Review
JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI
David Gelb implements contemplative camera work and a minimalist score by Philip Glass to tell the story of 85 year-old sushi sensei Jiro Ono in one of the fest's few documentaries.
Trailer
Other notable films in the World Cinema program include Chantal Akerman's (another Belgian!) Joseph Conrad adaptation ALMAYER'S FOLLY, Kim Ki-duk's semi-autobiographical semi-documentary ARIRANG, and Canadian Jean-Marc Vallée's C.R.A.Z.Y. follow-up CAFÉ DE FLORE.
Check back tomorrow for the final part of our AFI Fest preview where we'll take a look at the festival's New Auteurs, Young Americans, and Midnight sections.
