film review: They Shot The Piano Player

 

Directed by Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal

Written by Fernando Trueba

Review by Allan Tong

ChinoKino score: B+

This is a stunning, but flawed animated docu-drama about legendary Brazilian jazz pianist, Francisco Tenório Jr. who disappeared in 1976 after a gig. He was 34. You probably never heard of him, but Tenório Jr. he played a role in elevating bossa nova to world status in the 1960s and 1970s.

Part detective story and part history lesson about this wonderful music but also the totalitarianism that strangled South America, They Shot The Piano Player is told from the point of view of a writer. New Yorker Jeff Harris is researching a book about boss nova when he stumbles upon Tenório Jr.s' masterful playing and is hooked. He proceeds to interview the pianist's close friends, bandmates and family in and around Rio de Janeiro as well as Buenos Aires where Tenório disappeared. 

These include bossa nova's godfather, João Gilberto, as well as Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Vincius de Moraes and Paulo Moura. Their music is liberally heard throughout the film in dazzling, colourful sequences. Pure pleasure. Altogether, they tell the story about boss nova's rise until it broke internationally through in 1964, even challenging the Beatles on the charts.

Harris spends equal time, if not more, learning about the U.S.-backed military regimes which terrorized Brazil and Argentina in the 1970s. Credit the film for not pulling any punches. A harrowing sequence finds Harris touring Buenos Aires' ESMA (Navy Mechanics School), a notorious place in the 1970s where political prisoners (mostly innocent) were tortured and execute. Appalling, ESMA had a ward for pregnant prisoners.

A sequence involving jazz great Ella Fitzgerald is a highlight

Eventually, Harris solves the mystery of Tenório Jr.'s disappearance. The problem is that this moment is not a revelation. The audience has a good idea of what happened long before the ending, which is a key flaw in this film. It lacks suspense. Perhaps the directors got too close to the subject, but the film could have been more powerful after another edit to shuffle scenes and gradually build to this reveal.

Another concern, though not a dealbreaker, is why the filmmakers created the Harris character to tell this story. Was it necessary?

That said, this is a highly enjoyable film of a worthy subject.

They Shot The Piano Player opens March 15 in Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City; March 22 in Ottawa, Saskatoon and Victoria; then throughout the spring in other cities.

film review: Eternal Spring

 

Directed by Jason Loftus

Review by Allan Tong

ChinoKino score: A

You've seen or heard of the Falun Gong, those folks who stand still on street corners with their hands raised and eyes closed as they meditate. This stunning animated doc explains who they are and why they are cruelly persecuted by China's government.

Acclaimed comic book artist Daxiong (Star Wars, Superman, Justice League of America) practised Falun Gong in the Chinese town of Changchun which gave birth to him and this spiritual movement numbering in the millions. In 1999, China's authoritarian government became alarmed with FG's popularity and started jailing and torturing practitioners as well as burning their books. However, Daxiong didn't flee China until something happened in March 2002.

What happened was a small band of FG practitioners climbed some telephone pulls, literally cut a live news broadcast and patched their own video. That video showed the Chinese public that Falun Gong is not evil as the state-owned news kept saying, but is healthy and harmless. Sadly, the police hunted down the rebels. Many were tortured, some recanted and others died.

Eternal Spring (English for Changchun) startles the viewer from the opening frame, portraying China c.2002 in startling immediacy through lifelike animation. The images just grab you. The film cuts back and forth between contemporary interviews on camera of Daxiong, now living in Toronto, and surviving members of the rebel group who now reside in South Korea and the New York City area. To hear them tell their stories is moving. To see them portrayed in 2002 via animation executing the hijacking is nerve-wracking. To witness their imprisonment, also animated, is harrowing. Shining through this horror are the memories, defiance and hope of Daxiong.

Eternal Spring will screen theatrically starting September 23 in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. Check local listings for details.

film review: Street Gang: How We Got To Sesame Street

 

Directed by Marilyn Agrelo

ChinoKino score: A

Review by Allan Tong

Chances are you grew up watching Sesame Street and/or your children watch it now. Its blend of entertainment and education charms pre-schoolers into teaching them the alphabet and counting, and yet is smart enough to entice grown-ups. Sesame Street deserves to be a global phenomenon for the last 52 years and 4,561 episodes (and counting), and this superb documentary explains how this happen.

Circle back to the late-1960s when a TV producer named Joan Ganz Cooney and a Carnegie Foundation exec and psychologist, Lloyd Morrisset, were alarmed that children, especially Black ghetto kids, knew how to sing beer commercials before they could recite the alphabet. Why not use the power of TV to educate? That was a revolutionary idea, but also a gamble. Ganz gave free reign to free-spirited creatives, who were riding the experimental vibe of the sixties. They were led by director Jon Stone and puppeteer Jim Henson.

Stone was disillusioned with TV, but like Cooney was an activist and understood her vision for this show. Stone saw a PSA shot in the streets of Harlem and decided to set the series on those stoops, which gave the show an identity light years from any previous children's show. Going further, the show featured a multiracial cast of Blacks, Latinos and whites that was revolutionary for its time and (sadly) decades to come. Stone's masterstroke was inviting Henson to come on board. Actually, Henson had only done puppetry for adults on TV, but was game to adjust for children.

Throw in a mix of dazzling animation, Big Bird and hip musical guests from Stevie Wonder to Johnny Cash, and Sesame Street became an instant smash. Even folks like Muhammad Ali were signing its praises.

Call for submissions: NFB’s Hothouse 11 program

Apply by December 11 for the chance to be part of the NFB’s Hothouse program for emerging Canadian animators
NFB studios across Canada to take part in Hothouse’s 11th season

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is seeking submissions for its Hothouse apprenticeship program for emerging Canadian animators, now in its 11^th season.

Canadian filmmakers and artists can apply at http://films.nfb.ca/hothouse by December 11 for the chance to be one of six participants in a 12-week paid apprenticeship program with NFB animation professionals—a one-of-a-kind experience working with the NFB’s Oscar-winning Animation Studio.

10 animated shorts advance in 2015 Oscar race

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 88th Academy Awards.  Sixty pictures had originally qualified in the category.

Among the films shortlisted are two works produced by the National Film Board of Canada. They are Carface (Autos Portraits) by Claude Cloutier and If I Was God… by Cordell Barker.

Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting.

16 Animated Feature Films Submitted for 2015 Oscar Race

Sixteen features have been submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 88th Academy Awards.

Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles qualifying run. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules before they can advance in the voting process. At least eight eligible animated features must be theatrically released in Los Angeles County within the calendar year for this category to be activated. In any year in which 16 or more animated feature films are eligible, a maximum of five motion pictures may be nominated.

ICFF wrap-up: Edoardo Leo, awards and mocap

Story & photos by Allan Tong

The fourth Italian Contemporary Film Festival wrapped on Friday evening with a lavish red-carpet gala party at the Ritz-Carlton. Italian comedy star Edoardo Leo picked up The People’s Choice Award for his film, Noi e la Giulia, that he both directed and starred in. Leo also appeared at ICFF in the comedy, I Can Quit Whenever I Want.

Mischa Barton (Hope Lost) received an Award of Honour from the festival. Sergio Navaretta, an Italian-Canadian director, captured the Castlepoint Numa Award for his romantic-comedy, The Colossal Failure of the Modern Relationship, at the gala. (Full review here.)

2015 Montréal International Animation Film Festival (Le MIAFF) – awards

LE MIAFF 2015 CLOSING GALA AND AWARDS

4 days of animation feature films, shorts workshops, panel discussions, interactive performances and parties at The Montréal International Animation Film Festival, in association with Teletoon, www.filmfestivals.com and MTL Digital Spring (Printemps Numerique) has just wrapped up with its closing gala and award ceremony.

Festival director Laurie Gordon said, "with such a great line-up it was tough to pick out any winners. Every screening was a highlight and any number of films could have won their respective categories. Congratulations to all of our winners. The preparations for Le MIAFF 2016 are already underway – see you next year!"

Le MIAFF: Montreal International Animation Film Festival, April 16-19

Featuring 4 days of animation feature films, shorts workshops, panel discussions and interactive performances, The Montréal International Animation Film Festival, in association with www.filmfestivals.com and Animation World Network is all set to ANIMAZE and entertain Montreal!

At 7pm on Thursday 16th April, the festival will kick off with an exhilarating and groundbreaking live interactive music performance of Mozart’s Magic Flute produced by the German Interactive Media Foundation with music performed live by Montreal sound-artist Philippe Lambert.

Opening night continues with a celebration of the 40th anniversary of X-rated classic Tarzoon: Shame of the Jungle voiced by the pre-Saturday Night Live voices of John Belushi and Bill Murray, alongside Johnny Weissmuller JR, son of the original star of the Tarzan movies. This is the English language version of the original Tarzoon, la honte de la jungle, the French/Belgian animated film directed by cartoonist Picha and Boris Szulzinger.

42nd Annual Annie Awards – winners

DreamWorks Animations How to Train Your Dragon 2 took Best Animated Feature top honors at the 42nd Annual Annie Awards held Saturday, January 31 at UCLAs Royce Hall. The Best Animated Special Production was awarded to Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (Voyager Pictures LLC); Best Animated Short Subject Feast (Walt Disney Animation Studios); Best Animated TV/Broadcast Commercial Flight of the Stories (Aardman Animations); Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children Tumble Leaf (Amazon Studios); Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production for Childrens Audience Gravity Falls (Disney Television Animation); Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production The Simpsons (Gracie Films in association with 20th Century Fox Television); Best Animated Video Game Valiant Hearts: The Great War (Ubisoft); and Best Student Film My Big Brother (Savannah College of Art and Design, Jason Rayner).

The 6th Annual 3D Creative Arts Awards – winners

Guardians of the Galaxy Wins Top Live Action 3D Feature
The Lego Movie Wins Animated Feature of the Year
House of Cards Wins for Best 4K Productions

The International 3D & Advanced Imaging Society bestowed 23 honors for “distinguished achievement” at the 3D Creative Arts Awards on Wednesday night, at Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood.

“Directors and creative teams are pushing the emotional and technical capabilities of 3D to new heights, from China, Japan, the UK, throughout the EU, Russia, and India”

Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel Studios/Stereo D) won for Best Live Action 3D Feature while Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (Prime Focus World/Weinstein) won for Stereography – Live Action. 300: Rise of an Empire (Warner Bros./Gener8) won for Best 2D to 3D Conversion and X-Men: Days of Future Past (20^th Century Fox/Stereo D) was awarded Best 3D Sequence/Scene of the Year.

International 3D and Advanced Imaging Society Announces Top Nominees for 3D Awards

Sky, Atlantic Productions & David Attenborough to Be Awarded With Society's Sir Charles Wheatstone Award; Harold Lloyd Award for Filmmaking to Be Awarded to Academy Award Nominee & French Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet

The International 3D and Advanced Imaging Society today announced its top nominated 3D features - Live Action and Animation, as well as the 2D to 3D Conversion categories were voted on by the International 3D Society's members for the 2015 Creative Arts Awards Ceremony to be held January 28th at Warner Bros. Studios.

The top live action nominees include Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Marvel/Disney), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Fox), Exodus: Gods and Kings (20th Century Fox), Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel/Disney), Maleficent, (The Walt Disney Studios), Noah (Fox/Paramount), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Paramount Pictures), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Sony Pictures Entertainment), The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies (Warner Bros./New Line), Transformers: Age of Extinction (Paramount Pictures), and X-Men: Days of Future Past, (20th Century Fox).

42nd Annual Annie Awards – nominations announced

The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, announced nominations today for its 42nd Annual Annie Awards™ recognizing the year's best in the field of animation. For a complete list of nominations, please visit www.annieawards.org.

The Annie Awards cover 36 categories and include Best Animated Feature, Best Animated Special Production, Commercials, Short Subjects and Outstanding Individual Achievements. The winners will be announced at a black tie ceremony on Saturday, January 31, 2015 at UCLA's Royce Hall. A pre-reception and press line begins at 5:00 pm with the awards ceremony following at 7:00 pm. A post-show celebration immediately follows the ceremony. All events will be held at Royce Hall.

Best Animated Features nominations include: Big Hero 6 (Walt Disney Animation Studios), Cheatin' (Plymptoons Studio), How to Train Your Dragon 2 (DreamWorks Animation SKG), Song of the Sea (GKIDS/Cartoon Saloon), The Book of Life (Reel FX), The Boxtrolls (Focus Features/Laika), The LEGO Movie (Warner Bros. Pictures), and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (GKIDS/Studio Ghibli).

Shortlist of 10 animated shorts announced for 2014 Oscars

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 87th Academy Awards. Fifty-eight pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The Academy’s Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting at screenings held in New York and Los Angeles.

Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select three to five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December.

20 Animated Features submitted to 2014 Oscars

Twenty features have been submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 87th Academy Awards®.

Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles qualifying run. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules before they can advance in the voting process. At least eight eligible animated features must be theatrically released in Los Angeles County within the calendar year for this category to be activated.

2014 TIFF and NFB celebrate Norman McLaren's 100th Birthday

TIFF AND NFB MARK ANIMATION LEGEND NORMAN MCLAREN’S 100TH BIRTHDAY ON FESTIVAL STREET

On the evening of Sunday, September 7, 2014, the centenary of the birth of National Film Board of Canada (NFB) film and animation legend Norman McLaren will be celebrated with a free program of outdoor screenings, accompanied by live music, as part of the Toronto International Film Festival’s pedestrian walk on King Street West, “Festival Street.”

Entitled Re-Sounding the Films of Norman McLaren, and created especially for TIFF, this program features seven short films from McLaren’s legendary oeuvre, with original scores written and performed live by Toronto pop/psychedelic/experimental group Absolutely Free. McLaren’s films will be projected onto a wall especially painted for this event, which is presented by TIFF in collaboration with the NFB.

ASIFA-Hollywood's 41st annual Annie Awards – winners

Walt Disney Animation's 'Frozen' took top honors as Best Animated Feature at the 41st Annual Annie Awards held Saturday, February 1 at UCLA's Royce Hall. The Best Animated Special Production was awarded to 'Chipotle Scarecrow' (Chipotle Creative Department, Moonbot Studios); Best Animated Short Subject 'Get A Horse!' (Walt Disney Animation Studios); Best Animated TV/Broadcast Commercial 'Despicable Me 2' (Cinemark-Illumination Entertainment/Universal); Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children 'Disney Sofia the First' (Disney Television Animation); Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production for Children's Audience 'Adventure Time'(Cartoon Network Studios); Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production 'Futurama' (20^th Century Fox Television); Best Animated Video Game 'The Last of Us' (Naughty Dog); and Best Student Film 'Wedding Cake' (Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg - Viola Baier, Iris Frisch).

Often a predictor of the annual Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the Annie Awards honor overall excellence as well as individual achievement in a total of 30 categories ranging from best feature, production design, character animation, and effects animation to storyboarding, writing, music, editing and voice acting.

2013 Annie Awards – nominations

The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, announced nominations today for its 41st Annual Annie Awards recognizing the year's best in the field of animation. The Annie Awards cover 30 categories and include Best Animated Feature, Best Animated Special Production, Commercials, Short and Outstanding Individual Achievements.

The slate of nominations for Best Animated Features this year include: A Letter to Momo (GKIDS), Despicable Me 2 (Universal Pictures), Ernest & Celestine (GKIDS), Frozen (Walt Disney Animation Studios), Monsters University (Pixar Animation Studios), The Croods (DreamWorks Animations), and The Wind Rises (Studio Ghibli and The Walt Disney Studios).

"I am very excited about this year's slate of nominees!" remarked ASIFA-Hollywood president,Frank Gladstone. "We had more submissions to choose from this year running the gamut from big studio features to indie films, television series to internet shows, games, shorts and student films, as well as a wonderful group of juried award recipients, all showcasing the huge variety of venues, creativity, technical innovation and story-telling that our art form has to offer."

2013 Sommets du cinéma d’animation, Nov 27–Dec 1

ARE YOU READY TO REACH THE 12TH SOMMETS DU CINÉMA D’ANIMATION?

The 12th edition of the Sommets du cinéma d’animation- Festival international de Montréal et de Québec promises to impress!

From November 27th to December 1st, the Montreal component of the Sommets, held at the Cinémathèque québécoise, will present almost 120 animated films from around the world, including world premieres, as well as Canadian and Quebec premieres. This 12th edition, more substantial than ever, confirms the position the Sommets in the international circuit of animation, in addition to being the largest festival of its kind in the province. The Sommets now play a key role in bringing together artisans and professionals of animation cinema, as well the general public.

Spirited Away: The Films of Studio Ghibli, Dec 13-Jan 3

SPIRITED AWAY: THE FILMS OF STUDIO GHIBLI
Featuring the rarely-screened Grave of the Fireflies
December 13 to January 3 at TIFF Bell Lightbox

This holiday season, TIFF Cinematheque presents a retrospective devoted to Japan’s Studio Ghibli — one of the most influential film studios in the world. Following its spectacularly popular run in the spring of 2012, Spirited Away: The Films of Studio Ghibli returns from December 13 to January 3 to delight TIFF Bell Lightbox audiences with a near-exhaustive 18-film collection that includes a blend of new 35-mm and digital prints. The showcase pays homage to the studio’s legendary Japanese animation team led by Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, its trademark animation style, powerful storytelling, and deeply felt humanism.

TIFF is honoured to finally feature the rarely-screened masterpiece Grave of the Fireflies, one of Ghibli's supreme accomplishments and regarded by many as the greatest animated film of all time. The lineup also includes From Up On Poppy Hill, a father-son collaboration between studio co-founder Miyazaki and his son Goro; beloved classics such as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke and Kiki’s Delivery Service; rarely seen titles Only Yesterday and The Ocean Waves; and Hayao Miyazaki's Academy Award®-winning Spirited Away.