Variety has leaked the line-up for the 19th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival. With a nod to the upcoming Oscars, PSIFF's "Awards Buzz" program will screen 55 of the 63 official submissions to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for foreign-language film. This is my main incentive for attending PSIFF and I welcome any feedback from Twitch readers regarding the "Awards Buzz" selection.
In usual obsessive fashion, I've scoured the film review lists for Strictly Film School, Long Pauses, Film Journey, and (of course) my own Twitch teammates and have linked reviews when relevant. I've also linked all Wikipedia synopses, which usually include IMdb profiles; but, in those instances where they don't, I've linked in IMdb as well, particularly for their external reviews and user comments. In those instances where The Greencine Daily has crafted a film-specific critical overview, I have linked those in as well.
XXY (Argentina/Spain/France). Darren Hughes provides a capsule review from the Toronto International at Long Pauses. Wikipedia synopsis.
The Home Song Stories (Australia/Singapore). Wikipedia synopsis. Stefan at Twitch reviews this favorably.
The Counterfeiters (Austria/Germany). I reviewed The Counterfeiters at this year's Toronto International for The Evening Class. Wikipedia synopsis. Greencine critical overview.
On the Wings of Dreams (Bangladesh). IMdb profile.
Ben X (Belgium). Wikipedia synopsis. IMdb profile.
It's Hard to Be Nice (Bosnia). IMdb profile.
The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (Brazil). IMdb profile. Greencine critical overview. Pedro reported to Twitch on this film from the São Paulo International Film Festival.
Warden of the Dead (Bulgaria). IMdb profile.
Days of Darkness (Canada/France). Wikipedia synopsis. IMdb profile. Greencine critical overview.
Our Father (Chile).
The Knot (China). IMdb profile.
Satanas: Profile of a Killer (Colombia/Mexico).
Armin (Croatia/ Germany/Bosnia). IMdb profile.
The Silly Age (Cuba/Spain/Venezuela). IMdb profile.
The Art of Crying (Denmark). IMdb profile. Todd at Twitch, who caught the film in Toronto, feels it's a failure and that time could be better spent elsewhere.
In the Heliopolis Flat (Egypt). IMdb profile.
The Class (Estonia). IMdb profile.
A Man's Job (Finland). Todd at Twitch has some anticipatory remarks.
Persepolis (France). I've had morning coffee with Marjane Satrapi and interviewed her cohort Vincent Paronnaud. Doug Cummings offers insight at Film Journey, as does James McNally at Toronto Screenshots. Darren Hughes explores his favorite scene at Long Pauses. IMdb profile. Greencine critical overviews from Cannes, Toronto/NYFF, NYFF Pt. 2, and upon national distribution.
The Russian Triangle (Georgia). IMdb profile. Roystalin at Twitch has some anticipatory remarks and offers a YouTube clip.
The Edge of Heaven (Germany/Turkey). Wikipedia synopsis. Greencine critical overview.
Eduart (Greece). IMdb profile.
Exiled (Hong Kong). James McNally caught Exiled at Toronto and offers insight at Toronto Screenshots. Peter Nellhaus caught Exiled at the Aurora (Colorado) Asian Film Festival and wrote it up for Coffee, Coffee, and More Coffee. Exiled has been a popular favorite at the Twitch site, garnering much anticipatory copy and at least four reviews from the Twitch team; three from Toronto (Todd, Opus, Mack) and a second report from Todd from the Fantasia Festival. Wikipedia synopsis. IMdb profile. Greencine critical overview, parts one and two.
Jar City (Iceland/Germany). James McNally caught Jar City in Toronto and wrote it up for Toronto Screenshots, including an MP3 of the Q&A with director Baltasar Kormákur. Jar City is another favorite that's been well-monitored at Twitch, culminating in Todd's Toronto review. IMdb profile.
Eklavya: The Royal Guard (India). Wikipedia synopsis.
Denias, Singing on the Cloud (Indonesia). IMdb profile.
M for Mother (Iran). IMdb profile.
Jani Gal (Iraq). IMdb profile.
Kings (Ireland/U.K.). Wikipedia synopsis.
Beaufort (Israel). Wikipedia synopsis. IMdb profile. Greencine critical overview.
I Just Didn't Do It (Japan). Acquarello offers insight at Strictly Film School. IMdb profile.
Mongol (Kazakhstan/Germany). Here's another highly-anticipated film at Twitch that has been monitored from the get-go and which Todd reviewed at Toronto. IMdb profile.
Caramel (Lebanon/France). IMdb profile.
Small Secrets (Luxembourg).
Shadows (Macedonia). IMdb profile.
Duska (Netherlands). IMdb profile.
Gone With the Woman (Norway). Todd reviewed the film for Twitch from Toronto. IMdb profile.
Crossing a Shadow (Peru). IMdb profile.
Donsol (Philippines). IMdb profile.
Belle toujours (Portugal). Acquarello offers insight at Strictly Film School. IMdb profile.
Lovesickness (Puerto Rico). IMdb profile.
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Romania). Acquarello offers insight at Strictly Film School. As does Robert Koehler at Film Journey. Wikipedia synopsis. Greencine critical overview.
12 (Russia). IMdb profile.
The Trap (Serbia/Germany/Hungary). IMdb profile.
881 (Singapore). Stefan reviewed 881 for Twitch. Wikipedia synopsis. IMdb profile.
Return of the Storks (Slovakia/Germany/Czech Republic). IMdb profile.
Short Circuits (Slovenia). IMdb profile.
Secret Sunshine (South Korea). Every year at the Toronto International there's a film that I miss that everyone else seems to catch which, invariably, ends up being everybody's favorite film from the festival. Last year it was Still Life. This year, Secret Sunshine. While I'm at Palm Springs, Lee Chang-dong will actually be attending a benefit screening of Secret Sunshine for the San Francisco Film Society. I'm hoping, since he's on the West Coast, that he'll stop by Palm Springs as well. Darren Hughes is one of those lucky ones who caught Secret Sunshine in Toronto and he drafted a capsule review for Long Pauses. James McNally likewise wrote it up for Toronto Screenshots. There's been moderate interest in the film at Twitch where teammate Jon Pais has offered up a review. Wikipedia synopsis. IMdb profile. Greencine critical overviews for Cannes, Toronto, and NYFF.
The Orphanage (Spain/Mexico). I reviewed The Orphanage at the Toronto International for The Evening Class. I've also interviewed both director Juan Antonio Bayona and screenwriter Sergio Sanchez for both Greencine and movieScope, forthcoming. There's been lots of coverage at Twitch as well, with reviews by Todd and guest author Grady Hendrix. Wikipedia synopsis. Greencine critical overviews for Cannes, Toronto, and NYFF.
You, the Living (Sweden). Wikipedia synopsis. Greencine critical overviews for Cannes and Toronto.
Late Bloomers (Switzerland). IMdb profile.
King of Fire (Thailand). Peter Nellhaus has reviewed King Of Fire (under it's original title King Naresuan II) at Coffee, Coffee and More Coffee. Wikipedia synopsis.
Takva—A Man's Fear of God (Turkey/Germany). IMdb profile.
The Pope's Toilet (Uruguay/Brazil/France). IMdb profile.
The White Silk Dress (Vietnam). Wikipedia synopsis.
12/20/07 UPDATE: PSIFF allows some folks to play "catch-up", whereas others are way ahead of the pack already. Case in point, Ken Rudolph, he's already seen 49 of the 63 Academy foreign language films!! He's worked them up into capsule reviews at his blog.
As much as I love Exiled, it was a terrible decision for Hong Kong to use that as their entry. A genre film won't win you shit at the Oscars.
That's exactly what I was wondering; the chances of a genre film. I wouldn't think it'd have much chance either. I'll probably check it out at PSIFF notwithstanding.
It probably doesn't have much of a chance since they usually pick "serious" films, but it would still be great to see it up there...