Posts Tagged ‘Oscars’
Filmdogs Interview | The Director of Columbia’s official Oscar selection “The Colors of the Mountain””
Colors of the Mountain is the first film from Columbian director Carlos César Arbeláez, and it’s also the country’s official Oscar selection for 2012. It tells the story of three young boys caught in the middle of political conflict, while trying to retain some sense of their youth. I recently had the chance to talk with Arbeláez about his journey making the film, here’s what he had to say.
Carlos: [There was no film school in my country, I was self-taught.] I learned the craft by doing documentaries for ten years. I learned different crafts within the field, how to work a camera…I also belonged to various cine-clubs. In 1998 I began to do short films, fiction shorts. In 2002 I began to do my first feature film, long reel. I wrote the script for The Colors of the Mountain therefore I’m a screenwriter and director. This film The Colors of the Mountain took me almost ten years to do.
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Filmdogs Interview | The Director of Spain’s official Oscar selection “Black Bread”
I recently had the opportunity to talk with director Agustí Villaronga about his latest film Black Bread, which also happens to be Spain’s Official Oscar selection for 2012. The film concerns a young boy’s coming to terms with the harsh realities of the post-Spanish Civil War landscape. Here’s some of his thoughts on the film, and his approach to storytelling.
Filmdogs: Tell me a little bit about your background in Cinema.
Agustí: This is my fifth film, my first film was In a Glass Cage. It’s [set] in 1945 and after that I made five films more. I work as an actor also, sometimes in the beginning as a production designer and costumes. I never starred in movies I just worked as a position on a team. In the end I decided to make my own films.
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Filmdogs Interview | The Director of Iceland’s official Oscar selection “Volcano”
I recently had the opportunity to talk with Icelandic director Rúnar Rúnarsson about his first feature film, and the countries’ official Oscar selection for 2012, Volcano. The drama about an older man trying to make amends with his family, has been well received around the world. Rúnar was recently nominated for the Golden Camera Award at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. Here’s what Rúnar had to say about the film and his approach to filmmaking.
Filmdogs: First of all congrats.
Rúnar: Yeah, thank you.
Filmdogs: What can you tell us about your background in the film industry?
Rúnar: When I was a kid, I was taking photographs, making ugly sculptures and paintings from pictures, and when I was 17 there was a buddy of mine who got a VHS camera, and we made our first short together. It first was then that all this different media was coming, that I had been unsuccessful [with] came together in one medium, so to say. After that I starting making a lot of shorts, and then when I was like 20 or something like that I started to work on other peoples films. So, I was doing maybe, I think, [several] films as a continuity girl, Gaffer, Best Boy, etc.. And I just got infected. I got the disease. Of course wanted my films to evolve to get a little bit better, and I got a little bit better at what I was doing. It was 2003 that I got the first little bit of money to do a short film which became The Last Farm.
Filmdogs: And that film was nominated for an Oscar correct?
Rúnar: Yeah, and that film helped me into the National Film School of Denmark. That was my entry film. So, that was exactly what I needed at that time. There are limitations on how far you can develop yourself with no money, and it was being in heaven to me to be in film school, to have a budget to play with, to have all the equipment and to be in this program for four years with people who are interested in the same things as you and basically not do anything else…
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The Filmdogs Podcast: In the Lounge with W, J, and J
This week on The Filmdogs Podcast we decided to hang loose and take it easy discussing the films we’ve watched recently “In the Lounge with W, J, and J.” However, before we do that we go over the hits and misses of Sunday’s 83rd Annual Academy Awards. Did the Filmdogs crew think the show was as bad as other critics are saying? Were all the winners justified? Listen in to find out.
Email us with you podcast feedback or segment suggestions at filmdogspodcast@gmail.com. Subscribe to the podcast here, or listen in you browser. Also, you may download an enhanced AAC feed with chapter markers and artwork from iTunes on your computer or straight to your iPhone/iPod touches now! If you like what you hear be sure to write a quick review on iTunes as well. It helps us out. Thanks!
Enjoy the Academy Awards!
We here at Filmdogs would like to remind everyone to tune in ABC tonight at 8|5p for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards. Hopefully, the broadcast (hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway) will be a fun time full of surprises and upsets. If you would like to leave any comments letting us know what you thought of the show, please feel free to do so. Also, you can bet on us in the pack having plenty to say about the awards. If that interests you in the slightest, here is where you can read our thoughts: Mr. Edens, Mr. Jason, Mr. Will, and Filmdogs.
Oscar Week Movie of the Day | Fargo
With the 83rd Annual Academy Awards quickly approaching, I will be offering Filmdog’s Oscar countdown by recommending a film every day of the week up until the awards this Sunday. All of the film recommendations will be Academy Award winning movies from various categories. So, watch some great films and enjoy the Academy Awards this Sunday.
Saturday’s Oscar winning film is The Coen Brothers quirky crime film, Fargo. Read the rest of this entry »
Oscar Week Movie of the Day | Training Day
With the 83rd Annual Academy Awards quickly approaching, I will be offering Filmdog’s Oscar countdown by recommending a film every day of the week up until the awards this Sunday. All of the film recommendations will be Academy Award winning movies from various categories. So, watch some great films and enjoy the Academy Awards this Sunday.
Friday’s Oscar winning film is Antoine Fuqua’s cop drama masterpiece, Training Day. Read the rest of this entry »
The Filmdogs Podcast: Episode 39 – Best of 2010
After taking a week off The Filmdogs Podcast is back with our Best Films of 2010 show, and just in time for this Sunday’s Academy Awards. Take a listen as the gang divulges which movies from the past year made our lists, some of our answers might surprise you…
Email us with you podcast feedback or segment suggestions at filmdogspodcast@gmail.com. Subscribe to the podcast here, or listen in you browser. Also, you may download an enhanced AAC feed with chapter markers and artwork from iTunes on your computer or straight to your iPhone/iPod touches now! If you like what you hear be sure to write a quick review on iTunes as well. It helps us out. Thanks!
Oscar Week Movie of the Day | Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
With the 83rd Annual Academy Awards quickly approaching, I will be offering Filmdog’s Oscar countdown by recommending a film every day of the week up until the awards this Sunday. All of the film recommendations will be Academy Award winning movies from various categories. So, watch some great films and enjoy the Academy Awards this Sunday.
Thursday’s Oscar winning film is Peter Weir’s Napoleonic War film, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Read the rest of this entry »
Oscar Week Movie of the Day | Nashville
With the 83rd Annual Academy Awards quickly approaching, I will be offering Filmdog’s Oscar countdown by recommending a film every day of the week up until the awards this Sunday. All of the film recommendations will be Academy Award winning movies from various categories. So, watch some great films and enjoy the Academy Awards this Sunday.
Wednesday’s Oscar winning film is Robert Altman’s 1975 epic look at country music and politics, Nashville. Read the rest of this entry »
