FRED Film Radio - English Channel

At Focus London 2024, Fred Film Radio had the pleasure of speaking with Alessandra Gonnella, a writer, director and producer.

She shared with us some highlights of the year for her personally, having recently wrapped on a series for Paramount based on a short film, as well as having founded Nervosa Pictures, aiming to support female-led productions.

Alelessandra Gonnella further spoke about the events branch of her work and their partnership with the Italian Trade Agency at Focus London, aiming to bring fresh and young faces to networking and panel events.

She reflected on the long tradition of filmmaking in Italy and history of incredible filmmakers whose films have reached far beyond Italy’s borders, which allows the country to sell itself in terms of artistic appeal, but pointed out that UK and Italy co-productions for example are still quite rare.

Ending on a positive note, Gonnella pointed out that now seemed a better time than ever to be a young female director, with the TV industry in particular having helped to break some of those glass ceilings, as evidenced by her own career.

This interview was recorded during the Focus London, in partnership with the Italian Film Commissions Association and with the support of the Italian Trade Agency.

The post Alessandra Gonnella, interview with the director at Focus London 2024 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

At Focus London 2024, Fred Film Radio had the chance to speak with Emanuele Didu, the Production Manager for Sardinia Film Commission.

He shared some insights into his work, including supporting productions through every step of creating their movie or TV show, including location scouting activities. He also explained how they even help in the development of stories by connecting writers and filmmakers with communities.

Emanuele Didu went on to speak about the attributes of Sardinia as a location, particularly being an island with both towns and seaside, plays archaeological sites and historical architecture. Another unique aspect is access is unused prisons, something that has recently been popular.

A key highlight for 2024 has been the production of TV series “Iris“ and they look forward to a fantastic forthcoming year as well.

This interview was recorded during the Focus London, in partnership with the Italian Film Commissions Association and with the support of the Italian Trade Agency.

The post Emanuele Didu, interview with the Production Manager for Sardinia Film Commission at Focus London 2024 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

During Focus London 2024, Fred Film Radio heard from Nicola Fedrigoni, CEO of Kplus Film and on the board of APE, the Association of Executive Producers in Italy.

He shared his reflections on the event for this year, noting the turn out seemed to have doubled from last year, and also shared their achievements throughout 2024, including having recently finished an Amazon Studios production to be released next year.

Digging into the detail of the work being discussed at Focus, Fedrigoni spoke about the importance of incentive structures for film productions coming to Italy and also the code of conduct for producers.

He spoke highly of what the country has to offer in terms of the best locations as well as food: “We are the money shot” while also noting a shift toward more films and TV shows being in English despite being filmed and set in Italy.

This interview was recorded during the Focus London, in partnership with the Italian Film Commissions Association and with the support of the Italian Trade Agency.

The post Nicola Fedrigoni, interview with the CEO of Kplus Film at Focus London 2024 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

A very spirited Mamounia-set interview with actress Virginie Efira, member of the international jury of the 21st Marrakech International Film Festival.

After enthusing about the first and second feature competition and what she is sharing with her fellow-jury members discussing the films vying for the Golden Star (“An intimacy” that manifests “without sharing anything about your intimacy”), the Belgian thespian reveals a few details about a new movie reuniting her with Rebecca Zlotowski (“Vie privée“), also starring Jodie Foster.

Efira also discusses the recently increased presence of females voices in the French film industry, and then goes on to explain that it is not so much a character that represented a turning point in her career as it was an encounter – with Justine Triet when the acclaimed French director cast her in “Victoria“.

She reminisces about the time before she became a renowned actress, and about some of the films which opened her mind when she was young, from “Mary Poppins” to Zhang Yimou’s “Raise the Red Lantern“, her first encounter with that “something else that makes you realise that the world is bigger than you know” being owed to Martin Scorsese’s ability to make a teenage girl identify with a tormented boxer.

The post An interview with Virginie Efira, member of the international jury at the Marrakech IFF appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof is one of the prestigious guests of the “Conversations” section of the 21st Marrakech International Film Festival, where his latest film, the Cannes-premiered and -awarded “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Special Jury Prize), was also at the centre of a Gala Screening.

Ahead of his masterclass at the Moroccan event, asked about his switch, in “The Seed of the Sacred Fig“ , from more allegorical stories to a more direct representation of the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement – which is the crucial backdrop of the story – and about his choice to investigate, this time, a figure that directly represents the Iranian regime, the filmmaker in exile explains that it comes from his own experience of repression and persecution, and gives more details about the situation in his native country, in general and specifically for all artists, underlining that change is a slow process.

The post “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”, an interview with director, screenwriter, and producer Mohammad Rasoulof appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

A very interesting conversation with Danish-Iranian director and scriptwriter Ali Abbasi, who is a member of the international jury who will bestow the Golden Star of the 21st Marrakech International Film Festival.

The post Ali Abbasi, interview with the director and screenwriter in Marrakech appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

Oscar winner and three-time Golden Globe winner actress-recently-turned-director Patricia Arquette, a member of the international jury presided over by Luca Guadagnino which will decide upon the winner of the Golden Star of the 21st Marrakech International Film Festival, talks about bestowing and winning awards, and discovering films by fledgling directors – especially in light of the fact that she herself made her debut as a director last year, with “Gonzo Girl” (starring Camila Morrone and Willem Dafoe).

The “True Romance” revelation, known to be a fervent activist for women’s rights, talks about healthy anger, and how every one has a part to play in the world.

Arquette also mentions the many incredible directors she has worked with – from David Lynch to Tim Burton, John Boorman and Richard Linklater, to name but a few –, reveals she is working on a memoir, and tells us how she is embracing Moroccan culture, and taking her role as a juror very seriously.

The post Patricia Arquette, interview with actress and director at Marrakech IFF appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

The post Marrakech IFF, Conversations – An interview with director, scriptwriter and stage director Kirill Serebrennikov appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

Australian director Justin Kurzel, famed for the 2015 Palme d’Or contender “Macbeth and True History of the Kelly Gang” (2018), amongst others, most recently saluted in competition in Cannes for “Nitram” (2021), which owed his actor Caleb Landry Jones an interpretation prize in Cannes, tells us more “The Order“, premiered in competition in Venice, which just opened the 21st edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival, where the director is also a guest of the masterclass section Conversations.

The Jude Law-starrer, based on the non-fiction book “The Silent Brotherhood“ by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt (1989), also produced by the British actor, is Kurzel’s first U.S.-set feature, and this time, rather than depict retrospectively the genealogy of a rampage, it deals with a neo-nazi organisation with an implacable plan of action which follows, as a blueprint, William Luther Pierce‘s infamous novel “The Turner Diaries“, which also inspired the invasion of the Capitol after the 2020 election.

The Aussie filmmaker reveals how he encountered this story and explains why he likes working from real events and/or books exploring said events. He also breaks down the dynamics between the FBI agent played by Jude Law and the frighteningly determined white supremacist embodied by Nicholas Hoult.

We also talk about the role of women in this film and his work in general, the muted, claustrophobic cinematography he chose to depict this story, and the omnipresence of blood on his male characters not as a genre ingredient, but as an indicator of tragedy.

The post “The Order”, an interview with director Justin Kurzel appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

“The Summer Book” by Charles McDowell was presented, out of competition, at the 42° Torino Film Festival. 

The film, starring Glenn Close, is the big screen adaptation of Tove Jansson’s novel and sees the actress in the role of a very affectionate grandmother to Sophia, a nine-year-old girl played by newcomer Emily Matthews. 

As the book it was based on, the film is full of silences, looks, gestures more than words. McDowell describes his directing process according to these elements: “a big part of making this film was to slow people down and remind them of a simpler time with meditative shots”. 

“The Summer Book” is McDowell’s 4th feature film. He previously directed Windfall (2022), distributed by Netflix, starring his wife Lily Collins, with whom he founded the production company Case Study Film, also with the participation of Alex Orlovsky.

Charles McDowell also comments on the film being an ode to nature and embracing themes like getting old, processing grief. The director talks about a specific comment Glenn Close’s character makes in the film, looking back at her life: “The things I did when I was young that were fun ad meant something they don’t seem to mean anything anymore”

The post “The Summer Book” , interview with director Charles McDowell appeared first on Fred Film Radio.