north sea texas premieres at montreal world film festival

NORTH SEA TEXAS (Noordzee Texas) the long awaited debut feature of Belgian filmmaker Bavo Defurne, receives its international premiere at the Montreal World Film Festival, where it screens in the First Films World Competition.

Singled out for coverage by several publications from the large number of films screening in Montreal, NORTH SEA TEXAS is fast becoming one of the most eagerly anticipated premieres of the 2011 festival. The film was released earlier this year in its home territory, Belgium, to a strong critical response.

A distribution deal has been concluded for all German speaking territories with Salzgeber & Co Medien and offers for several other key territories have been received with further deals expected to be concluded in the coming weeks.

NORTH SEA TEXAS is a Flemish-Belgian production adapted from a novel called This Is Everlasting by André Sollie. It’s s a heartwarming coming of age story that follows a teenage boy’s search for love, with his affections turning toward Gino, the rugged, motorcycling boy next door.

It builds on the themes of Bavo Defurne’s prize-winning short films which were widely released on DVD around the world. Wavelength Picture also represents Bavo’s short films, check the shorts pages for information.

“We are very encouraged by the positive word of mouth that the film is receiving at this early stage and hope that it continues to connect with audiences on its festival journey, in advance of its theatrical releases”. says NORTH SEA TEXAS producer Yves Verbraeken.

“Montreal World Film Festival is an event that’s principally about discoveries, and we feel it offers the perfect opportunity for international audiences to start discovering a filmmaker that’s up to now has been described as Belgium’s best kept secret”, says Wavelength Pictures Managing Director, John Flahive

Wavelength picks up new documentary on Robert Flaherty

Wavelength Pictures is pleased to announce that it has picked up international sales rights to A Boatload of Wild Irishmen, an Irish produced documentary profile of Robert Flaherty.

Robert Flaherty (1884 - 1951) is credited as being the “Father of the Documentary, and remains one of the great name directors in the history of cinema, and to this day films such as “Nanook of the North”, “Moana”, “Man of Aran” and “Louisiana Story” are widely regarded as classics and still regularly screened.

Flaherty is a controversial figure in that many of the issues that are hotly debated today vis-à-vis accuracy and representation in documentaries certainly applied to Flaherty’s filmmaking. As well as covering Flaherty’s life and times, A Boatload of Wild Irishmen illustrates that these issues are as old as the medium itself.

A Boatload of Wild Irishmen is directed by feature debutant Mac-Dara O’Curraidhin and written by Emmy award winning scriptwriter Brian Winston.

A Léirithe le Mac Dara Ó Curraidhín production, in association with Bright Spark Studios (U.K.), and Minerva Productions of Lincoln University, The film was financed by the Irish Film Board, Irish language broadcasterTG4, The European Media Programme and BAI Sound & Vision Fund.

Awards and Nominations keep coming for THE ARBOR

The award season has seen a flood of prizes and nominations for The Arbor and its director Clio Barnard, following on from the many rave reviews received on the festival circuit and on its UK cinema release. The film has also been included in many end of year Top 10 critics lists. With the US cinema release taking place in April 2011, The Arbor may well feature again in next year’s awards season. There can be no doubt that Clio Barnard has arrived as a major new creative talent and that The Arbor is becoming a highly influential film in contemporary cinema.


Awards & Nominations Received
Tribeca Film Festival – Winner - “Best New Documentary Filmmaker”
London Film Festival – Winner - “Best New Filmmaker”. Winner - “Sutherland Trophy for the Most Original Film”
Sheffield Int’l Documentary Film Festival - Winner - “Innovation Award”
British Independent Film Awards – Winner - “Best Debut Director” (from 6 nominations received).
Cinema Eye Awards (New York) – Nomination for Spotlight Award
Sky Arts South Bank Show Arts Awards – Two Nominations, for “Film Award”, and “Breakthrough Artist”.
Guardian First Film Awards – Winner - “Best First Film”
Gothenburg Film Festival – Nomination for “Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award”
Evening Standard British Film Awards – Winner - “Best Screenplay”
London Critics Circle Awards – 4 Nominations for British Film of the Year, British Director of the Year, British Actress in a Supporting Role and Breakthrough British Filmmaker.
BAFTA Awards – Nomination for “Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer”


Selected Critics Top 10 listings for 2010
The Guardian (Jason Solomon)
Time Out (David Calhoun)
Sight & Sound Magazine (No. 5 in Critics Poll)

Selected Reviews
Dramatically spellbinding and intellectually stimulating…. A must-see entry in the ongoing evolution of cinematic formalism, “Arbor” also makes for one helluva popcorn outing”. Ronnie Schieb - Variety, May 2010.

“…suggestive and enthralling…..one of the year’s most original films…” Rating ***** - Dave Calhoun – Time Out London, Oct 2010

“… a remarkable film: conceptually acute, brilliantly realized…” Rating **** - Sukhdev Sandhu - Daily Telegraph, Oct 2010.

“ …merges documentary and performance to mesmerizing effect…” Rating **** - Peter Bradshaw – The Guardian, Oct 2010

“Director Clio Barnard’s fascinating and moving documentary about British playwright Andrea Dunbar opens with the on-screen message “this is a true story, filmed with actors lip-synching to the voices of the people whose story it tells”. It is a compelling technique that brings the story of Dunbar, told by her family and friends, vividly to life.” – Mark Adams – Screen International, May 2010.

oscar niemeyer documentary continues to be in demand - as the architect himself celebrates his 103rd birthday!

Following on from its highly successful release in German cinemas in 2010 OSCAR NIEMEYER -A VIDA E UM SOPRO has been released in cinemas in Switzerland, where it is playing to highly appreciative audiences.

The film continue to be in demand with festivals, such as the upcoming screenings in the USA at the Architecture & Design Film Series during Palm Springs Modernism Week (Feb 19-24).
Oscar Niemeyer’s 103’rd birthday was on 15 December 2010.
Following are extracts from a BBC news report on the event, for full text http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12005731

Brazil architect Niemeyer opens museum at 103
Celebrated Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer has marked his 103rd birthday by opening a museum of his work.

The Oscar Niemeyer Foundation outside Rio de Janeiro houses drawings and models from the modernist architect's 70-year career. Mr Niemeyer designed the futuristic buildings of the capital, Brasilia, as well as the UN building in New York.
His latest work - the Oscar Niemeyer cultural centre in Aviles in northern Spain - also opened on Wednesday.

"My friends have come to see me, how nice," Mr Niemeyer told reporters at the inauguration of his foundation in the city of Niteroi, outside Rio de Janeiro.

Designed by Mr Niemeyer himself, the museum building boasts the sensuous concrete curves that define his distinctive modernist style and have made him one of the world's most famous architects. Mr Niemeyer said the stylised swoops in his work were inspired by the curves of Brazilian women

On the same day the Oscar Niemeyer Foundation was opened in Brazil, officials in Aviles in northern Spain opened the main dome of the Oscar Niemeyer Cultural Centre, which he also designed.