Director's Spotlight

Clevelanders have long been fans of prolific Czech director Jan Hˇrebejk. Since his "Cosy Dens" debuted in Cleveland at the 23rd CIFF, Hˇrebejk has impressed audiences with his ability to unearth profound truths about the fragility of love, family, and friendship, whether during times of war, natural disaster, or even the most private of dilemmas. While his artistic vision brings at once beauty and irony to his subjects, his ear for music enriches his films to a level of greatness. Born in Prague in 1967, Hˇrebejk attended high school with his longtime writing partner Petr Jarchovský. While studying at the Film and Television School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU), he wrote and directed several short films that marked his emerging career as a successful filmmaker. After working in television for several years, he achieved international acclaim with the 1999 release of "Cosy Dens," earning awards and nominations at festivals from Karlovy Vary to AFI. The following year, at the age of 33, he was nominated for his first Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film for "Divided We Fall." Since then, his work continues to garner international prestige. His most recent film, "Kawasaki's Rose," was released in the Czech Republic in December 2009.

Filmography: (screenings in bold)
Big Beat (director, co-writer, 1993)
Cosy Dens (director, co-writer, 1999)
Divided We Fall (director, co-writer, 2000)
Pupendo (director, 2003)
Up And Down (director, co-writer, 2004)
Beauty In Trouble (director, 2006)
Teddybear (director, 2007)
I'm All Good (director, 2008)
Shameless (director, co-writer, 2008) Kawasaki's Rose (director, 2009)

From The Page To The Projector

In 2008 the CIFF and the Cuyahoga County Public Library formed a partnership to create the From the Page to the Projector Award as a way to honor those individuals who have made significant contributions to both literature and film. That year the first award was presented to Michael Cunningham.

This year Mark Harris is our From the Page to the Projector Award recipient. Mark Harris is the author of PICTURES AT A REVOLUTION, which beautifully depicts the epic human drama behind the making of the five movies from 1967 that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar® in 1968: "Bonnie and Clyde," "The Graduate," "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," "In the Heat of the Night," and "Doctor Dolittle." Through these films Mark Harris tells the larger story of the cultural revolution that transformed Hollywood and America forever. Mark Harris has written about pop culture for several publications, including Entertainment Weekly, Slate, and The New York Times. He is a graduate of Yale University. Mark Harris will be in attendance the first weekend of the 34th CIFF to accept his award on the afternoon of Saturday, March 20th between the screenings of THE GRADUATE and IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT.

Films Screening:
The Graduate (USA)
In the Heat of the Night (USA)

Someone to Watch 2010

In 2003, at the 27th CIFF we launched our Someone to Watch Award series. The purpose of this program is to highlight the works of mid-career filmmakers who we believe are rising stars in international filmmaking. Over the years we have celebrated filmmakers who have had their talent embraced at movie theaters across the country and the world. This year is no different.

Our two Someone to Watch 2010 Filmmakers:

Emily Abt
Selected as one of Variety Magazine's "2009 Top 10 Directors to Watch," Emily Abt is an award-winning filmmaker and the Founder/President of Pureland Pictures Inc., a Brooklyn-based production company. Abt's first film, "Take It From Me," aired nationwide on PBS's 2001 P.O.V. season. In 2004, Abt received her MFA in Film Directing from Columbia University's Graduate Film School. Her thesis film was created when she was a Fulbright scholar in the UK. Abt has directed work for clients such as MTV News & Docs, Johnson & Johnson, and Bloomingdale's. "All Of Us," her second documentary feature, premiered on the Showtime Network and was selected as their 2008 World AIDS Day film. Abt's first narrative feature, "Toe To Toe" (which she wrote, directed, and co-produced) premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Films Screening:
All of Us (USA)
Take It From Me (USA)
Toe To Toe (USA)

Jesper Ganslandt
Born in the small town of Falkenberg on the west coast of Sweden, Jesper Ganslandt moved to Stockholm in 2000. There he formed the production company Fasad, together with sound designer Torbjörn Olsson. From the onset the aim of the company has been to make feature films matching the best work coming from Europe and the U.S. In 2006, his first feature, "Falkenberg Farewell," premiered and won numerous awards as well as five National Film Award nominations. Having made several documentaries since then, Ganslandt hit the cinemas with "The Ape" in the fall of 2009. It was one of the most talked about and critically acclaimed Swedish features of 2009 and opened internationally at the Venice Film Festival. Ganslandt is now, along with his fellow directors and producers at Fasad, a well respected and established auteur and one of the strongest names in the new Swedish wave of young directors.

Films Screening:
The Ape (Apan) (SWEDEN)
Falkenberg Farewell (SWEDEN)