FRED Film Radio - English Channel

PODCAST| Chiara Nicoletti interviews actress Michaela Coel, the UK representativ for EFP Shooting Stars 2018.

Since her participation in Star Wars: The Last Jedi in 2017, Michaela Coel’s fame has travelled beyond UK borders. In her country she’s a well known award-winning actress, playwright, screenwriter and poet and she has already won two BAFTAs. At the 68a Berlinale she’s the UK representative at the EFP Shooting Stars and without doubt, she’s the most international actress among her fellow stars colleagues. Despite her work in the US, she doesn’t feel American but very European. At the moment Michaela is unstoppable, a film is coming out this summer and her musical is almost ready so that she will probably be back on FRED soon.

EFP European Shooting Stars, one of EFP’s flagship programmes, has placed some of the most promising young actors from all over Europe into the limelight over the past 20 years and proven to be an essential stepping stone for launching their international careers. The most prominent names in recent years included: Carey Mulligan (Mudbound), Alba Rohrwacher (Ismael’s Ghosts), Alicia Vikander (Submergence), Pilou Asbaek (Game of Thrones), Riz Ahmed (Star Wars: Rogue One), Mikkel Boe Foelsgard (Land of Mine), and George MacKay (Captain Fantastic). Each year, young actors from all over Europe – who have already made a name for themselves in their home countries – are nominated by the EFP member organisations to take part in the prestigious programme. A jury of industry professionals selects the ten most interesting and internationally versatile talents to be introduced to the press, industry and public at the Berlin International Film Festival. As a European Shooting Star, the actors and actresses attend a tailor-made programme, including meetings with casting directors, talent agents and producers, which broadens and strengthens their international industry alliances and networks. The activities culminate in a glamorous presentation of the European Shooting Stars Awards at the Berlinale Palast.

To discover more about Michaela Coel, click here.

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PODCAST| Bénédicte Prot interviews Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert, director/scriptwriter and co-scriptwriter of the film Mug.

A lovely Berlin moment, a few hours before the awards ceremony and the Silver Bear for Mug, with Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska and her long-term co-scriptwriter and DoP Michal Englert – also her collaborator on the two other films Szumowska presented in competition in Berlin, In the Name of… and Body, the latter ending up winning a Silver Bear for Best Director -, to discuss the choice of the title Mug, the origins of this very Polish satire and the humour in it, as well as the main character and what he embodies… Silver Bear – Grand Jury Prize Berlin 2018.

Mug combines the fundamental brutality of a rural provincial town where a giant statue of Jesus Christ is being built – a community quite content with sticking with the old ways whilst having an impressive potential for exaltation (for discount store operations or whatever is on TV -, with the story of a young and vital Metallica fan (Mateusz Kosciukiewicz) who has an accident while working on the statue and has to undergo a facial transplant. Around this loveable, now nearly-mute Frankenstein-type character whose his own mother doesn’t recognize, the village goes beserk.

To discover more about the film, click here.

The post Malgorzata Szumowska, Michal Englert – Mug #Berlinale2018 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST| Chiara Nicoletti interviews Matthijs Wouter Knol, director of the European Film Market.

Since its birth in 1978 thanks to Beki Probst, the European Film Market has always worked on being and staying a pioneer in anticipating trends and waves in the film industry as it has the important task of starting the cinematographic year and setting the tone for its developments till Cannes and American film Market. Matthijs Wouter Knol, director of the EFM, comments on the celebration for its 30th year of activity and on the increasing number of visitors, exhibitors and participants. The EFM Horizon is at its second year of activity and its Industry debates are focusing on new technologies, Virtual Reality, Artificial intelligence and Blockchain. To open a discussion on diversity and why it matters is a special focus at this year’s EFM as is the whole future of the industry. Talking about “Focus”, the new country in Focus this year is Canada. The EFM was always the first to set new discussions to the table, first it was the EFM Drama series, then the attention on the producers side of the industry chain and now it’s the development of new technologies and new techniques. With the market trends changing so fast, how can the EFM keep track and predict the future? Matthijs Wouter Knol unveils a few secrets.

The Profile of the European Film Market Harnessing the energy of Berlin and the passion for film, the European Film Market is the business epicentre of one of the most important international film festivals in the world, the Berlinale. Every February the EFM opens the grand doors to the Martin-Gropius-Bau and welcomes over 9,500 producers, buyers, sales agents, distributors, exhibitors and financiers to the first major film market of the year. It’s the first date in the industry’s calendar and regarded as an early indicator for the new film year. Our trusted organization and commitment to quality content from around the world brings together the right people at the right place and time, inspiring the conversations and connections that are the cornerstone of the business. The meetings, the handshake, and the new film year… it all starts here.

To discover more about the European Film Market, click here.

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PODCAST| Angelo Acerbi interviews Marcus Hu, Head of Strand Releasing.

Marcus Hu is the owner of Strand Releasing, one of the largest independent distribution companies in the US and also member of the Academy of Motion Pictures , where he is working on a programme on diversity inclusion for the Oscars and for the general work the Academy does all over the world.

The post Marcus Hu – European Film Market #Berlinale2018 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST| Mario Galasso interviews Edoardo Nunes and Bárbara Luz, director and actress of the film Unicórnio.

Eduardo Nunes, young filmaker from Brazil, talks about his cinematic visions and literary obsessions while discussing his mysterious and immaginative coming of age drama, Unicórnio. FRED Film Radio met him during the 68th Berlinale Film Festival, where Eduardo’s feature was selected inside the Festival section Generation 14 plus. Bárbara Luz, teenage actress extraordinaire and gorgeous lead character, joined us too.

Unicórnio:  In an exhilarating, immersive flood of images, this mysterious drama portrays the coming of age of 13-year-old Maria, who lives in a remote rural home alone with her mother. When a young man moves into the neighbourhood with his goat herd, her life is suddenly turned upside down. As secret wishes and fears stir within Maria, she anxiously realizes that her mother seems to have gained a fresh lease on life. Maria confides only in her father, whom she visits in a somewhat surreal sanatorium. Why is he there? And why does he say that God is evil? Maria decides to take a drastic step. With its captivating visual opulence and the fairytale-like poetry of its narrative style, the film creates a space which inspires imagination and self-reflection.

The post Edoardo Nunes, Bárbara Luz – Unicórnio #Berlinale2018 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST| Mario Galasso interviews Walter Rodríguez and Catalina Saavedra, actors of the film Marilyn.

You might remember Catalina Saavedra: she was the lunatic Nana in the unforgotten black comedy La Nana – The Maid, by Sebastian Silva (2009) – she plays the mother to an outstanding young actor (Walter Rodríguez) for the first time on the big screen, playing a troubled teen looking for love and acceptance, whose identity is painfully refused by the little community he tries to cohabit with: of course, the story takes a very, very dark turn.

Marilyn:  There’s not much going on in this part of rural Argentina where a shy young man named Marcos lives with his family. Theirs is a modest existence, where gender roles are clearly demarcated. The hot summer doesn’t make life any easier, but money needs to be earned and the herd of cattle must be kept together. Marcos manages to carve out little islands of freedom during his routine; in these moments he likes to put make-up on his childlike face or slip into colourful dresses behind closed doors. Carnival is just around the corner; this year’s event will change Marcos’ life as dramatically as the family’s unexpected relocation. Martín Rodríguez Redondo’s cinematic debut is a tender portrait of youth and initially repressed self-discovery, told with serene understatement, devoid of guiding music. The roar of motorbikes promises both freedom and danger and, although there appears to be no escape from this world, the situation is far from hopeless for at some point young Federico appears on the scene. The images are contemplative and the narrative linear, yet the course taken by the film’s seemingly predictable trajectory is nonetheless surprising. A story based on true events.

The post Walter Rodríguez, Catalina Saavedra – Marilyn #Berlinale2018 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST| Chiara Nicoletti interviews Babak Jalali, director of the film Land.

After many pre-production years, Babak Jalali’s third feature film Land has finally “landed” at the 68th Berlinale in the Panorama Section. The director, born in Iran but living in London, describes the long journey to the realization of the film and how the italian contribution, starting with the Torino Film Lab, was essential to the making of Land. The film, according to Jalali, is a a European co-production but it’s Italian in its soul and roots. Why do Europeans know nothing about that often forgotten world of American Indian reservations? Babak Jalali tries to answer while describing his intention of showing the American Indians’ situation with no pity but an empathetic approach. The key to the power of the film is also the cinematography so Jalali comments on his collaboration with DOP Agnes Godard.

Land:  The Yellow Eagle family are Native American and live on the Prairie Wolf Indian Reservation. News reaches them that Floyd, the youngest son of the family, has died during military service in Afghanistan. The waiting begins to get his body back to the Reservation to be buried. The youngest surviving son Wesley, is an alcoholic. His brother’s death doesn’t really hit him as his only aim during the day is to get hold of beer. Wesley is in daily contact with the white population who run the liquor stores right outside the reservation. This uneasy relationship reaches unpleasant levels when acts of violence break out and he is directly affected. The eldest son, Raymond, is a recovering alcoholic with a wife and two sons. Although he feels a sense of responsibility for the extended family, he seems to feel too emasculated to do something about it. Until the troubles that have affected his two brothers force him to stand up and be a man again.

To discover more about the film, click here.

The post Babak Jalali – Land #Berlinale2018 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST| Mario Galasso interviews Janet van den Brand, director of the film Ceres.

Born in Oostvoorne, the Netherlands in 1989, Janet van den Brand studied film directing at Sint-Lukas Brussels University College of Art and Design and the Royal Academy of Fine Art (KASK) in Ghent. Her short films have been invited to several festivals, for example her graduation film, Rosa, Anna’s Lil’ Sis, screened in the 2013 Generation section of the Berlinale. Ceres is her debut documentary feature. Fred Radio met Janet during the Berlinale to discuss her first feature documentary, Ceres.

Ceres:  Piglets are born, and calves, lambs and chicks too. Crops are sown, planted and harvested. Animals are slaughtered. The camera stays close to the action, following Koen, Daan, Sven and Jeanine through their everyday lives. All four kids are growing up on farms that have been passed down from generation to generation. From a young age they pitch in, learning to bear responsibility and say goodbye. Will they take over their parents’ farms one day? In her feature-film debut, Janet van den Brand shows us young people, their intimate bond with nature, their perceptions and wishes. She accompanies her protagonists through all four seasons, drawing a realistic portrait of the agricultural life devoid of false romanticism and yet deeply poetic.

The post Janet van den Brand – Ceres #Berlinale2018 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST| Chiara Nicoletti interviews Marcelo Martinessi, director of the film Las Herederas (The Heiresses).

For many years, Paraguay’s cinema simply ceased to exist and now directors like Marcelo Martinessi are taking over the job and giving the country a voice and an audiovisual world. At the 68th Berlinale is the first time director Martinessi presents Las Herederas – The Heiresses portraying a 60 year old woman whose life changes completely in a few months. First time directors often decide to treat coming of age stories but Marcelo Martinessi’s choice is due to the fact that he believes there’s no limit to a coming of age, we can always start all over again and we can always grow and learn new things. These women’s tales are also a way through which Martinessi managed to portray Paraguayan’ society.

Las Herederas (The Heiresses):  Chela and Chiquita, both descended from wealthy families in Asuncion, Paraguay, have been together for over 30 years. But recently their financial situation has worsened and they begin selling off their inherited possessions. But when their debts lead to Chiquita being imprisoned on fraud charges, Chela is forced to face a new reality. Driving for the first time in years, she begins to provide a local taxi service to a group of elderly wealthy ladies. As Chela settles into her new life, she encounters the much younger Angy, forging a fresh and invigorating new connection. Chela finally begins to break out of her shell and engage with the world, embarking on her own personal, intimate revolution.

To discover more about the film, click here.

The post Marcelo Martinessi – Las Herederas (The Heiresses) #Berlinale2018 appeared first on Fred Film Radio.

PODCAST | Katherine Fairfax Wright, director.

Katherine Fairfax Wright is the director, editor, cinematographer, and producer of the feature-length documentary Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall, which premiered at SXSW 2017 and is now available digitally on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, etc.  Prior to that, Wright produced the Watts-set gangster drama Imperial Dreams, which won the Best of NEXT Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and is now a Netflix Original. Wright is the director (along with Malika Zouhali-Worrall), editor, and cinematographer of the critically-acclaimed feature-length documentary Call Me Kuchu, which tells the story of the last year in the life the first openly gay man in Uganda. The film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, went on to play 200+ festivals, win 20+ awards.  It’s been distributed around the globe and continues to screen for high level diplomatic audiences and at advocacy events worldwide. Wright’s print and video work has been published by The New York Times, Human Rights Watch, CNN, The Huffington Post, and Human Rights Watch. Katherine is an alumnus of the Chaz and Roger Ebert Directing Fellowship, the Film Independent Documentary Lab, and the Film Independent Producing Lab.  Filmmaker Magazine named her one of the “25 New Faces of Independent Film.” Katherine was raised in Los Angeles and graduated with a double-major in Film Studies and Anthropology from Columbia University.

Discover more about Katherine here.

More information about Call Me Kuchu here.

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