The 18th Annual Arabian Sights Film Festival is pleased to announce a diverse selection of new and captivating films centered on today’s Arab world. Films are Washington, DC premieres and are screened with English subtitles. The remaining films in this year's festival are: Asfouri from Lebanon, Chaos, Disorder from Egypt and winner of a Jury Prize at Dubai, A Common Enemy from Tunisia, Jews of Egypt from Egypt and winner of Best Documentary at the Malmo Film Festival in Sweden, the American premiere of Tanjaoui from Morocco. On November 3 at 2:30pm is a panel discussion "Egyptian Cinema Today and Tomorrow."

The Arabian Sights Film Festival showcases films demonstrating the range and commitment of directors telling engaging stories while exploring issues facing the Arab region. The festival highlights the quality of cinema of a region often overlooked in mainstream American theaters. It is a constantly dynamic event with select directors present at their screenings to lend insight to the filmmaking process. Arabian Sights is presented by the Washington, DC International Film Festival.

Location: All screenings will be held at AMC Mazza Gallerie (5300 Wisconsin Ave., NW).

Tickets: $12 per person unless otherwise noted. Discount Package – 10 tickets for $95 (not including opening night or special events). All tickets can be purchased on the website or at Missiontix..

Dates: October 25 through November 3, 2013.

More Information: For a complete slate and updates on additional special events and guests, as well as descriptions, sponsors, and schedule see the website.

Sponsors: University of the District of Columbia; Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University; American Task Force on Palestine; American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee; The Jerusalem Fund; Georgetown Design Group; Sahouri Insurance & Finance; Middle East Institute; Women in Film & Video; AMTRAK; Turkish Airlines; myTV; Modus Hotels, and WAMU 88.5FM.

The next meeting of the Cinema Lounge will be on Monday, November 18 at 7:00pm. This month's topic is "Romance, Bromance, and Friendships: Relationships on Film."

The Cinema Lounge, a film discussion group, meets the third Monday of every month (unless otherwise noted) at 7:00pm at Barnes and Noble, 555 12th St., NW in Washington, DC (near the Metro Center Metro stop). The meeting area is on the second floor, special events area. You do not need to be a member of the Washington DC Film Society to attend. Cinema Lounge is moderated by Adam Spector, author of the DC Film Society's Adam's Rib column.

By Adam Spector, DC Film Society Member

Every year as autumn approaches I look forward to the AFI Silver’s Noir City series. For a few days I can slip into the world of femme fatales, shadows, doomed heroes, and unraveling crimes. I’ve been a film noir fan for so long that I sometimes take it for granted. But this year I stepped back and wondered why I, and so many others, keep coming back to this genre. I try to explain noir's enduring appeal in my new Adam's Rib column.

By Ron Gordner, DC Film Society Member

The 38th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was held from September 5-15, 2013 and again included an additional second Sunday of screenings this year. Only a few films from major studios or highly anticipated indie films this year did not see the need to spend advertising at festivals for films like The Monuments Men (now moved to a 2014 theatrical release), Captain Phillips, Inside Llewyn Davis, and Saving Mr. Banks. The success of last year’s Oscar winning film Argo which was well received at TIFF 2012 but was not the People’s Choice audience award winner, may have influenced more films coming on the festival circuit. Argo did place second in the audience award list just after Silver Linings Playbook. Major stars, major directors and major films all come to Toronto. As part of TIFF2013, 288 feature films and 78 shorts from more than 70 countries, including a record 146 world premieres, and 19 international and 103 North American premieres, are chosen from over 3,000 films submitted. TIFF has a large economic impact on Canada, Ontario and Toronto since it brings in over $170 million Canadian dollars annually and currently employs more than 100 full time staff, 500 part time and seasonal staff and over 2,000 volunteers. The use of volunteers at TIFF really maintains the festival’s reputation as one of the best organized film festivals and one of if not the largest festivals still geared somewhat to public screenings unlike the Cannes Festival.


A large crowd waiting to see a film.

TIFF has sections or categories of films and also has some art installations. Sections this year were: Gala Presentations, Masters, Special Presentations, TIFF for free (some free films publicly screened outdoors and a free additional screening of the Audience Award winner on the last Sunday), Discovery (first and second time filmmakers), Real to Reel (documentaries), Vanguard, City to City (this year’s selection was several films about the country Greece and primarily Athens), Mavericks (engaging, on-stage discussions with cutting edge and established filmmakers), Contemporary World Cinema, Canadian Programming, Canada Open Vault (retrospective films), Short Cuts Canada, Visions (filmmakers who challenge our notions of mainstream cinema), Wavelengths (avant garde cinema), Future Projections (cinema meets visual arts with moving image projects throughout the city of Toronto), and their famous Midnight Madness section (primarily horror and black comedy films screening at Midnight with usually an appreciative and rowdy crowd). The Wavelengths category described as: daring, visionary, and autonomous voices held many festgoers interest this year with films like Stray Dogs (from Taiwan auteur Tsau Ming-liang), La ultima pelicula, A Field in England, and Manakamana.

With the opening of the Lightbox about 3 years ago and the press screenings now being shown there and at the Scotia Theaters, the festival has all but moved to the downtown Queen Street area of trendy restaurants, bars, and CityTv. The Cumberland Cinemas (now closed), Varsity theaters, and Royal Ontario Museum were not used as screening venues this year, leaving only Isabel Bader theater as screening centers in Yonge and Bloor Streets area and the somewhat nearby Bloor Hot Docs Cinema in the Spadina area used this year. The large multiplex AMC theatres were not used as venue this year which also had restaurants on one level below the theatres and was centrally located between the Elgin and Ryerson venues. Last year you could elect to stay all day at the Scotia cinemas which also have several small fast food restaurants within the multiplex building.

TIFF2013 was the third year since the almost one year old finished Bell Lightbox theaters in its building complex were used for many screenings. Four of the theatres were used for TIFF screenings this year, the largest of which held 1200 seats. The facility shows first run independent and foreign language films, much like our AFI Silver theatre and also handles many Cinematheque Ontario screenings. The ground floor now also houses an exhibit area: TIFF Bell Lightbox's HSBC Gallery.

TIFF has become a major market and sales stop for films to North America. There is a small market at the Venice Festival but it is really Toronto where they are primarily sold. Nearly 30 films were bought at or just after the festival last year. Cameron Bailey, Co-Director of the Toronto International Film Festival, announced an impressive list of film sales resulting from participation at the 38th Toronto International Film Festival. As the festival ended this year.

Confirmed sales of Canadian films include documentaries Burt’s Buzz, and Watermark along with features The F Word (a romantic comedy starring Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan), Gabrielle (from Quebecois director Louise Archambault about a developmentally-challenged young woman seeking independence), and Tom at the Farm (a psychological thriller from award-winning director Xavier Dolan).

Confirmed sales to the U.S. include Bad Words (Jason Bateman’s directorial debut), Fading Gigolo (starring Woody Allen as a pimp), The Railway Man (a WWII bio pic starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman) and Words and Pictures (starring Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche as teachers leading an academic competition).

I thought the selections this year were one of the best years since I have attended the festival including top notch Hollywood or American indie films. I only saw 2-3 films that could be described as mediocre of about 51 films seen. Surprisingly there were no films from Argentina this year, when last year Buenos Aires was their spotlight City to City choice.

You had to buy a variety of passes including 10 packs and all the usual sent-in forms were replaced with online choosing of tickets based on a window period of time provided by TIFF to schedule your films. You had one hour to complete the task. The online system had been piloted to small groups of individuals the past three years of TIFF but went totally online this year. The system worked well and there were no requirements for second choices as in past years online or in the program scheduling books. Only higher TIFF memberships were given better window periods to choose films, so having your schedule planned ahead of time on paper or on a file was necessary, but also needed to be flexible since many choices had already gone to off-sales status. When you get to the festival some tickets are released each morning of the screenings at 7 am and people try to queue up at the main box office to exchange vouchers or buy tickets, or if you don't have vouchers you can try to buy them online or through the phone. Your place in line may determine if you can buy a ticket for that day or if you may have to take your chances in the rush lines. I was lucky to rush and get into a screening of 12 Years A Slave but it required standing with an umbrella in the rain for over an hour.

MUST SEE FILMS: (I did include some excellent films at TIFF2013 already seen closely before or after TIFF in DC previews and a few have already opened now in DC such as Rush, Prisoners, Blue is the Warmest Color and Gravity). Some additional films not discussed here that reliable sources on the street or in reviews also said were excellent are: Ida; Like Father, Like Son; August: Osage County; and Southcliffe.

Bethlehem (Yuval Adler, Israel, 2013). A film that shows both Israeli and Palestinian societies and involves the Israeli Secret Service Shin Bet and recruiting young Palestinians as spies such as 15 year old Sanfur. The screenplay is co-written by the Israeli director and a Palestinian writer Ali Waked. It is also the Israeli nominee for best foreign language film.

The Burning Bush (Agnieskzka Holland, Czech Republic, 2013). Famous Polish director Holland (Europa, Europa; In Darkness; The Secret Garden) was recruited to direct this film since she was in Prague and in school when these events happened. It is comprised of about three 80 minute segments about the January 1969 Russian crackdown and march into Czechoslovakia and the student uprisings. It is based on real events including students who set themselves on fire in protest. In Toronto it received a standing ovation at the screening I attended. The film will have a Washington premiere Sunday December. 1, 2013 at the National Gallery of Art’s East Building Auditorium at 3:30 p.m. after the director’s lecture on her cinematic adaptations of historic central European events entitled Viewing History through the Filmmakers Lens which begins at 2 pm. Originally chosen as the Czech Republic’s nominee for best foreign film it was later disqualified since it was made by HBO Europe and showed on tv before a theatrical release. It was replaced as nominee by Jiri Menzel’s Don Juans (Skirt Chasers).

The Closed Curtain (Jafar Panahi, Kambozia Partovi; Iran, 2013). Panahi has created another original film during his 6 year house arrest in Iran and his 20 year ban on making films. A darker film but filled with political and social metaphors, it is about a screenwriter who relocates to his distant beach house to hide and to protect his pet and to escape the politics of Tehran.

Cold Eyes (Cho Ui-seok, Kim Byung-seo; South Korea, 2013). A Gala presentation that is action packed with highly orchestrated car chases and heists that include all the modern surveillance by cameras throughout Seoul. We closely watch the cops and robbers and others on this uber action chase and try to determine who are the leaders, the good guys and the bad guys, if there are any.

The Dog (Allison Berg, Frank Keraudren; United States, 2013). Someone said life is stranger than fiction and this applies to this film about the real Dog or John Wojtowicz whose life the film Dog Day Afternoon is based on. In August 1972, he attempted to rob a bank in Brooklyn to finance his gay lover’s sex-reassignment surgery. The film documents his life in New York from the 1970s to the 2000s including his time in prison, involvement in the gay rights movement, and his steadfast mother. Mesmerizing documentary with constant shocks and surprises from the difficult but charismatic life of the Dog.

The Great Beauty (Paolo Sorrentino, Italy, 2013). Sorentino (Il Divo) teams up again with actor Toni Servillo in this wonderful, colorful film that examines the partying and carousing of the upper classes in Rome. Jep begins to examine his wild ways and ennui with his life and we have many references to Fellini films in this indictment of success and man and society that reaches far beyond Rome. This is Italy’s Oscar submission for best foreign language film. The film is scheduled to open November 29th at Landmark Theatres in the metro DC area.

Ilo Ilo (Anthony Chen, Singapore, 2013). An excellent film portraying a Singapore family with a pregnant working mother, working father, and 10 year old Jiale and their Philippine maid/nanny who is tormented by the child and misunderstood by the rest of the family. Fascinating family dynamics are portrayed in an almost documentary type style. This is Singapore’s submission for best foreign language film.

Manuscripts Don’t Burn (Mohammed Rasoulof, Iran 2013). Another Iranian filmmaker banned from making films for 20 years makes a daring film based on the real 1995 events of a failed assassination plot of the Iranian government against 21 writers and journalists. The manuscript with the plans still exist 20 years later and is still a threat to the regime. Henchmen are sent to find it. The film received the Fipresci prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

Philomena (Stephen Frears,United Kingdom, 2013). Based on a true story, Philomena (Dame Judi Dench) tries to find her adult child that was taken from her as a pregnant girl in 1950s Ireland when she was sent to a nunnery and the son sold to America. Steve Coogan plays the British journalist who is not as forgiving as Philomena and needs a good story to restart his failing career. Scenes include travel to Washington DC and nearby Maryland in hopes of finding her grown son Anthony. Dench provides a balanced portrayal that should not be overlooked by Oscar nominations. This film will open soon in the DC area.

The Prisoners (Denis Vileneuve, United States 2013). French Canadian director Vileneuve (Incendies) makes a U.S. suspense film about two girls who disappear from their Massachusetts small town neighborhood and the fears and suspicions of the families about where the girls are. Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal as the policeman give outstanding performances in this film with many twists. Some viewers may be bothered by the torture scenes of suspected perpetrators. The film has already been released in the DC metro area.

A Story of Children and Film (Mark Cousins, United Kingdom., 2013). Cousins’ follow-up to last year’s compendium The Story of Film: An Odyssey this film is less than 2 hours and culls many scenes from famous and little scene films with children grouping them by scenes by moods or expression that children use. He incorporates his own niece and nephew into the film for affect. Films discussed include: 400 Blows, ET the Extraterrrestial, Fanny and Alexander, and The White Balloon.

The Strange Little Cat (Ramon Zurcher, Germany, 2013). Zurcher and his twin brother who co-produced the film were German film students who made this film with some advice from famous director Bela Tarr. What seems like a simple documentary style film about a German family and their pets is extremely observant of the objects and lighting and domestic dance of daily routines and life that seems like a cross between a Clare Denis and Robert Bresson film. A student film that played the Berlin Film Festival and has won many awards for first time filmmakers.

Stranger by the Lake, (Alain Guiraudie, France, 2013). Winner of the best director prize at this year’s Un Certain Regarde section of the Cannes Film Festival. This is a slowly paced, but tense, erotic tale of intrigue and murder in the bushes and on a gay beach in Southern France. Franck witnesses the murder of Michel, his latest conquest after days of seduction, but is still strangely drawn to the murderer who doesn’t know what Franck knows. It is being described as a “naturalist thriller.” It has picked up distribution by Strand Releasing.

12 Years a Slave (Steve McQueen, United States, 2013). British director McQueen (Shame, Hunger) makes a U.S. film based on Solomon Northup’s diary of a New York free African American man who in 1841 was tricked in DC and sold into slavery for 12 years until he escaped. The film stars Chiwetel Elijior in an Oscar winning performance as the slave and Michael Fassbender in an Oscar worthy supporting role as a slave owner. Lupita Nyong’o also is wonderful as a young slave girl. The film received standing ovations in Toronto and won the People’s Choice audience award. It is currently playing in area theaters.

The Wind Rises (Hayao Miyazaki, Japan, 2013). Rumored to be Miyazaki’s last film this is a wonderful animated film about a young boy who dreams of flying and who will later become a key inventor of a fighter bomber. A more mature film to match his other wonder films Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Neighbor Totoro.


VERY GOOD FILMS:

Blue is the Warmest Color (Abdellatif Kechiche, France, 2013). Winner of the Golden Palm at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and the young actresses also shared the best actress award at Cannes. Director of The Secret of the Grain looks at young love, this time with Adele Exarchopolous as 15 year old Adele who is taken by blue haired assertive Emma (Lea Seydoux) and begins a lesbian relationship. She must deal with her high school peers, family and the complications of a longer relationship in this nearly 3 hour film. The film opened November 1 in the DC area.

Eastern Boys (Robin Campillo, France, 2013). A mixture of Russian and Eastern European youth are at the Garde du North and a middle aged French man cruises one beginning a maze of suspense and intrigue that he did not foresee. An analytic eye to modern French society and their immigrant issues played by amateur youth and veteran French actor Olivier Rabourdin.

Exit Marrakech (Caroline Link, Germany 2013). Director of Beyond Silence and Nowhere in Africa has another family relationship film. This time it involves a German stage director Heinrich invited to a theatre festival in Morocco and his diabetic teen age son Ben whom he wants to visit him in Marrakech. Ben falls for a Moroccan woman and follows her into the desert with the father trying to find him.

Grand Cahier (Notebook) (Janos Szasz, Germany/hungary/Austria/France, 2013). Based on Agota Kristof’s award winning novel, two 13 year old twin boys are left at their grandmother’s during World War II in 1944 when their father must return to service. Their grandmother lives in a small village and is regarded as a mean witch in the area. The film deals with the horrors of war, hunger, loneliness, separation and the frailty and resilient strength of children. This is Hungary’s Oscar submission for best foreign film.

Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron, United States/United Kingdom, 2013). Mexican director Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien, Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) has created one of the top grossing films of 2013 which recreates (with or without imax and 3-D) weightlessness in space and the plight of an astronaut/scientist played by Sandra Bullock who may be left to drift in space when debris attacks her ship. The tenacity to hold onto life, the wonder of being in space, and her acting may provide her with another Oscar nomination for best actress.

October November (Goetz Spielmann, Austria 2013). Director of Antares and Revanche this time has a family relationship film located in a mountainside inn. Actress Sonja lives in the city and is famous, sister Verena has remained at the inn with her husband and child and cared for their father for years and the inn. A family reunion stirs up old wounds and the handsome area doctor (Sebastian Koch) also enters into the family dynamics. Extremely well layered plot and acting all around.

Omar (Hany Abu-Assad, Palestine, 2013). The director of Paradise Now and Rana’s Wedding explores the story of Omar, a young man who climbs the Separation West Bank to see his friend Tarek’s sister while avoiding the Israeli police. When a policeman is killed and Omar is captured in the area, Israeli policeman Rami tries to get Omar to become a spy. This is the Palestinian film for Oscar submission for best foreign film and also won the Special Jury Prize at Cannes for best film in Un Certain Regard.

Pioneer (Erik Skjoldbjaerg, Norway/Germany/Sweden/France/Finland, 2013). Norwegian director of Insomnia and Prozac Nation this time has a film dealing with the beginnings of Norway’s oil industry in the 1980s and the underwater divers that are trained to test and later lay pipelines. Aksel Hennie (Headhunters) and his brother are divers. American advisors (Wes Bentley and Stephen Lang) are also on board to create more tension in the dangers to be experienced in the deep.

The Railway Man (Jonathan Teplitzky, Australia/United Kingdom, 2013). Colin Firth plays Eric Lomax, a quiet middle-aged radio and railway hobbyist in 1983 England who has some issue he has not resolved since his captivity and torture by the Japanese in World War II. He meets Patti (Nicole Kidman) on a Scottish train and she later realizes he has demons that need to be exorcised if their relationship can last. This is based on the Lomax’s best-selling memoirs.

Rush (Ron Howard, United Kingdom/Germany, 2013). American director Ron Howard tackled the Formula One history, popular and private lives and rivalry of drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt and their very different personalities and lifestyles. The screenplay is by Peter Morgan who wrote The Queen and The Last King of Scotland. The film has already played in DC theaters.

A Touch of Sin (Jia Zhangke, China, 2013). The director of The World and Still Life, has a feature film with 4 chapters: a miner takes revenge on an evil village leader; a migrant worker with a gun tries to get easy money; a sauna worker who is belittled gets even; and a physically and psychologically abused youth works long hours. The director said he took some of the stories from newspaper headlines in China to show how society is changing.

Tracks (John Curran, United Kingdom/Australia, 2013). Based on another real story of a young woman Robyn Davidson (Mia Wasikowski) who in 1977 crosses 2700 kilometers of Australian outback and desert with camels and her dog. She is sponsored by National Geographic and has some checkpoints, but is mostly on her own. Mia’s acting and the harsh beauty of the land and her indelible spirit are worth the admission.

Watermark (Jennifer Baichwal, Edward Burtynsky, Canada, 2013). An amazing documentary by the team that gave us Manufactured Landscapes this time again with cinematographer Nicholas de Pencier reveal the earth and its water. International sites such as California man-made canals, Hindu pilgrimages to rivers, and the Xiluodu Dam in China are presented artistically in this film-essay.

We Are the Best (Lukas Moodyson, Sweden, 2013). A fun raucous film about three teenage girls with punk influence trying to be rebellious. Each girl’s family dynamics are also either dramatic or funny. These are the nerdy girls in school that the popular kids avoid. It is based on a graphic novel of the same name.

Le Week-end (Roger Michell, United Kingdom, 2013). A wonderful two hander about a couple married forever going to Paris for a weekend. James Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan play the couple who have returned to Paris where they honeymooned 30 years ago. Funny, loving, and prickly the couple spat and make up. They meet an old friend played by Jeff Goldblum who spices up the plot. It seems like an old French new wave but for the middle-aged to older folk this time.


GOOD FILMS:

All Is by My Side (John Ridley, United Kingdom/Ireland, 2013). This is a biopic of Jimi Hendrix during his early days in London in 1966 when he was trying to get gigs and meeting some famous other bands in their early careers. Well-acted by Andre Benjamin and Imogen Poots as Linda Keith (girlfriend of the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards) who somewhat discovers him and helps him. Only a few songs are performed due to rights and because this was an early formative period.

The Grand Seduction (Don Mckellar, Canada, 2013). A fun remake of the Jean-Francois Pouliot’s 2003 French Canadian hit La Grande seduction but transferred to Newfoundland and starring Brendan Gleeson, Taylor Kitsch, and Gordon Pinsent. The little town can only try to convince a factory to come to their town if they have a doctor. Enter Taylor Kitsch, a cosmetic surgeon from the city working off a cocaine charge. The plight of small towns with little employment is presented and how they can try to keep their jobs at home.

Half of a Yellow Sun (Biyi Bandele, Nigeria/United Kingdom, 2013). Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as a man married to Thandie Newton trying to get by and escaping the genocide in Nigeria during the 1967-1979 war with Biafra. Anika Noni Rose plays Thandie’s sister who is in a relationship with a British writer. Politics, war and other issue split the families. This is based on the best-selling novel of the same name.

Honeymoon (Jan Hrebejk, Czech Republic/Slovakia, 2013). Director of Up and Down and Beauty in Trouble this time has a tale of an uninvited guest with a strange gift who shows up at a wedding and its reception. The guest strangely ingratiates himself with many of the family members until they start asking each other who he is. A simple story turns into a thriller.

Hotell (Lisa Langseth Sweden/Denmark, 2013). Alicia Vikander plays Erika, a young wife and new mother who falls into a deep depression after a difficult delivery. She finds some other individuals with emotional problems in a support group but they all decide to just escape and stay in different hotels to escape life for a bit and to live in a state of perfection. Each of the group must face their fears and obstacles to return to normal lives including Erika who must address bonding with her new baby and supporting her so-far understanding husband.

The Invisible Woman (Ralph Fiennes, United Kingdom, 2013). Actor/director Ralph Fiennes also plays Charles Dickens, aged 45, in 1857, and having been married for over 20 years he begins to have a very secret affair with a 17 year old girl played by Felicity Jones. Based on Claire Tomalin’s biography, the film shows the lengths for secrecy that are maintained, hence the title name. It was during this period that signaled the end of Dickens’ marriage, but also the birth of many of his most inspired characters and writing until his death in 1870. This film will be part of the AFI's European Union Film Festival on December 15.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (Justin Chadwick, South Africa, 2013). This time British actor Idris Elba plays Nelson Mandela and Naomi Harris plays Winnie Mandela. Based on the autobiography of the same name, the film covers the time when Nelson trained as a lawyer and entered politics. This includes his work with the African Natonal Congress and imprisonment and release. Elba is convincing as the young boxer but I found his imposing size and Harris’ small frame to be disconcerting at times despite their excellent acting.

Norte: The End of History (Lav Diaz, Philippines, 2013). Clocking in at 250 minutes this film has been called a masterpiece by some critics. I found the first 3/4 very good and on track but felt it got derailed at the end and should have been edited. It follows a law student Fabian who seems to glide through society and Joaquin, a poor man with his wife trying to just survive. Somewhat following the lines of Crime and Punishment, we see the morality of middle class and lower class men develop. A very interesting morality tale of social stratas in Philippine society.

A Place in Heaven (Yossi Madmony, Israel, 2013). Director of Restoration again wrote his screenplay. An army officer nicknamed Bambi offers a cook his seat in heaven for a month’s worth of his tasty shakshuka. Years later the son of the officer tries to gain back the seat in heaven despite his falling out with his father.

A Promise (Patrice Leconte, Belgium/France, 2013). Based on Stefan Zweig’s novel Journey into the Past. Leconte has directed an English language film about a bright young student, (Ludwig Richard Madden) who impresses the Hoffmeister or factory owner (Alan Rickman) and meets his beautiful younger wife (Rebecca Hall). The film is very seductive and, although all is fine, lust and desire lurk under the starched shirts and blouses of the forthright characters.

Quai d’Orsay (Bertrand Tavernier, France. 2013). A comedy showing the antics of the political class based on the graphic novel by Abel Lanzac, a former government speech writer. The prime minister (played by Thierry Lhermitte) is a handsome, well-dressed minister but who creates a great deal of havoc that his staff must clean up. Some news sources say the farce centers on former foreign and prime minister Dominique de Villepin, his speech writer and other staff.

Salvation Army (Abdellah Taia, France, 2013). Written and directed by Taia and somewhat autobiographical as he stated after the film, a poor Moroccan teenager must flee his country to get a scholarship in Switzerland. Bressonian in approach and simplicity the film deals with his difficulty being a gay youth in Moroccan society and his desire, shame, and survival to get student status, rather than refugee status in modern Europe.

Stray Dogs (Tsai Ming-liang, Taiwan/France, 2013). The Malaysian director’s favorite actor Lee Kang-sheng now plays a father with two children who can’t afford to even rent a very small apartment. They try to live in the woods and abandoned buildings. We also see their past when there was a wife, mother and real home.

Sunshine on Leith (Dexter Fletcher, United Kingdom, 2013). One of a few musicals this year, this was originally a musical theatre piece performed in Scotland with much of the music from the Proclaimers. Peter Mullan and Jane Horrocks are the parents of their son Davy who has just returned from serving in Afghanistan with his pal Ally. Ally likes Davy’s sister Liz and Davy likes Yvonne. Catchy tunes including "I Would Walk 500 Miles for You" keep the movie fresh.

Those Happy Years (Danielle Luchetti, Italy, 2013). A young boy observes his parents when they are in love and not. His father Guido is a temperamental artist/sculptor surrounded by beautiful young models. His mother Serena is constantly jealous that something is going on with the models. Martina Gedeck enters the scene as a gallery host and art sponsor.

Young and Beautiful (Francois Ozon, France, 2013). Young, beautiful teen Isabelle (Marine Vacth) is on vacation in Southern France and loses her virginity to a hunky German student. When she returns to Paris she creates a website and becomes a prostitute on the side for money. The feminine psyche is investigated and her motivations questioned.


DISAPPOINTING:

Real (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Japan, 2013). I usually really like this director’s films (Pulse, Séance, Tokyo Sonata, Bright Future, Cure). This film was very promising until the last 30 minutes when he threw all kinds of genres including Godzilla monster films into the fray. Based on Rokuru Inui’s award winning novel "The Day of the Perfect Plesiosaur," the film is the tale of two lovers. One is in a coma, but wife Koichi can use a procedure called sensing to enter her husband Atsumi’s brain to find out why the manga artist tried to kill himself and how to help him. Flashbacks include a threesome of children and events that haunt both adults.


ONE TO AVOID:

Thou Gild’st the Even (Onur Unlu, Turkey, 2013). This film was listed in the Vanguard Section which can be problematic, but also occasionally contains some gems. Mixing black humor, magic realism and black and white cinematography can be a good or dangerous concoction. The cinematography is interesting but story is strange: an adult man/child 27 year old barber Cemal who is treated for anxiety and just coping with daily routines. He spies on pretty farm girl Yasemin and has intermittent love and jealousy episodes added to flying and chopping off arms, etc. I think this is intended to be a black dead pan comedy but falls short of it. Another character is the soft-spoken Woyzeck who beats his wife one minute and then reads her poetry later.


Other Reviews and Awards

A criticWire survey of top film critics and bloggers selected their favorite films at TIFF2013 as:

Best Narrative Features: (1) 12 Years a Slave; (2) Gravity; (3) Under the Skin; (4) Stray Dogs; (5) A spell to Ward Off the Darkness; (6) Stranger by the Lake; (7) Dallas Buyers Club; (8) Norte, the End of History; (9) Blue is the Warmest Color; and (10) The Strange Little Cat.

Best Documentaries: (1) Manakamana; (2) Tim’s Vermeer; (3) The Unknown Known: The Life and Times of Donald Rumsfeld; (4) The Dog; (5) Jodorowsky’s Dune; (6) The Missing Picture; (7) The Square; (8) The Armstrong Lie; (9) At Berkeley; and (10) A Story of Children and Film; (11) Finding Vivian Maier.

Best Ensemble: (1) 12 Years a Slave; (2) August: Osage County; (3) Prisoners; (4) We are the Best! (5) Only Lovers Left Alive; (6) Dallas Buyers Club; (7) The Past; (8) Blue is the Warmest Color; (9) The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby; Him and Her; (10) The Strange Little Cat.

See the additional listings also including best lead and supporting performances from the criticWire@Toronto poll of input from 40 critics.


THE OFFICIAL TIFF 2013 AWARDS

People's Choice Award:
12 Years a Slave
Runners-up: Philomena and Prisoners

People's Choice Award For Documentary:
The Square
Runners-up: Beyond the Edge and Hi-Ho Mistahey
People's Choice Award For Midnight Madness:
Why Don't You Play In Hell?
Runners-up: OCULUS and Witching and Bitching

Best Canadian Feature Film:
When Jews Were Funny

Best Canadian First Feature Film:
Asphalt Watches

Prizes of the International Critics (FIPRESCI Prize) for Special Presentations Section:
Ida

Prizes of the International Critics (FIPRESCI Prize) for Discovery Section:
The Amazing Catfish

NETPAC Award For Best Asian Film:
Qissa

Award For Best Canadian Short Film:
Noah
The Grolsch Film Works Discovery Award:
All The Wrong Reasons

Check local theater listings and upcoming festivals such as AFI’s European Union Film Festival and The DC Jewish Film Festival which may have some of these and other films.

Visit the TIFF website for more information about the festival.

We are always looking for film-related material for the Storyboard. Our enthusiastic and well-traveled members have written about their trips to the Cannes Film Festival, Karlovy Vary Film Festival, London Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Edinburgh Film Festival, the Berlin Film Festival, the Palm Springs Film Festival, the Reykjavik Film Festival, the Munich Film Festival, and the Locarno Film Festival. We also heard about what it's like being an extra in the movies. Have you gone to an interesting film festival? Have a favorite place to see movies that we aren't covering in the Calendar of Events? Seen a movie that blew you away? Read a film-related book? Gone to a film seminar? Interviewed a director? Taken notes at a Q&A? Read an article about something that didn't make our local news media? Send your contributions to Storyboard and share your stories with the membership. And we sincerely thank all our contributors for this issue of Storyboard.

FILMS

American Film Institute Silver Theater
"Horror '73: An Annus Horribilis at 40" is a series of films from 1973. This series ends in November with Torso, Flesh for Frankenstein, The Vault of Horror, The Crazies, Lemora, Messiah of Evil, The Killing Kind, The Asphyx, Soylent Green, Ganja and Hess, Theatre of Blood, The Wicker Man, And Now the Screaming Starts and Berberian Sound Studio.

The Halloween films continue in November with Hot Fuzz, The Haunting, Ghostbusters in 70mm and two great silent classics: Nosferatu (1922) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925), both with music performed by Andrew Simpson and both in restored 35mm prints.

"Overdrive: LA Noir 1940-1959" is another "noir" series co-presented with the National Building Museum. This is the first half of a two part series (the second is scheduled for next year) of noir films set in Los Angeles. The films are Criss Cross, Without Warning, Cry Danger, M, Crime Wave, Act of Violence, Double Indemnity, City of Fear and Kiss Me Deadly.

"Steel-True Barbara Stanwyck" is a series of five films starring Barbara Stanwyck who is the subject of a new book by Victoria Wilson. The films are The Purchase Price, The Bitter Tea of General Yen, Baby Face, Illicit and Remember the Night, many of which are shown in restored 35mm prints. Victoria Wilson will discuss the films and sign her book "A Life of Barbara Stanwyck: Steel-True 1907-1940" at the shows on November 16 and 17.

A retrospective of films by Pier Paolo Pasolini is held at the National Gallery of Art and the AFI. All prints are 35mm and many are restorations and/or newly struck. Titles are Pigsty (1969), The Canterbury Tales (1972), Hawks and Sparrows (1966), Arabian Nights (1974), and Salo (1975). See below for more.

Special events at the AFI during November include At Full Gallop (1996) with director/writer Krzysztof Zanussi in person on November 2, Ruggles of Red Gap (1935) to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, Dial M For Murder (Alfred Hitchcock) in 3-D, Jesus Christ Superstar (Norman Jewison, 1973) with actor Ted Neeley in person on November 2, The Stone Roses (Shane Meadows, 2013), The Pervert's Guide to Ideology (Sophie Fiennes, 2012), and CBGB (Randall Miller, 2013) in co-producer Andrew Danylevich in person.

Freer Gallery of Art
"Abbas Kiarostami: Landscapes" accompanies the exhibit "Sense of Place: Landscape Photographs from Asia." On November 10 at 2:00pm is the short film Roads of Kiarostami (Abbas Kiarostami, 2006) shown with Five: Dedicated to Ozu (Abbas Kiarostami, 2003).

"A 50th Anniversary Salute to the Taipei Golden Horse Awards" is a series of four award-winning films by major Taiwanese directors. On November 15 at 7:00pm is The Terrorizers (Edward Yang, 1986); on November 17 at 2:00pm is Vive L'Amour (Tsai Ming-Liang, 1994); on November 22 at 7:00pm is No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti (Leon Dai, 2009); and on November 24 at 2:00pm is GF*BF (Yang Ya-Che, 2012).

On November 2 at 2:00pm is Opera Jawa (2006) with director Garin Nugroho in person; part of the series "Performing Indonesia: A Festival and Conference of Music, Dance and Drama."

National Gallery of Art
A retrospective of the work of Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922-1975) will be shown at the Gallery and the AFI Silver Theater. Many of the prints shown are newly restored 35mm. On November 2 at 2:00pm is Oedipus Rex (1967); on November 2 at 4:00pm is Notes for an African Oresteia (1970) preceded by the short film Walls of Sana'a (1971-4); on November 3 at 4:30pm is Medea (1969) starring Maria Callas; on November 10 at 4:30pm is Accattone (1961); on November 16 at 2:30pm is a program of short films including La Ricotta (1962), What Are the Clouds? (1967), an episode from the comedy Capriccio all'Italiana, The Paper Flower Sequence (1968), and The Earth As Seen From the Moon (1967). On November 17 at 4:30pm is The Decameron (1970) with an introduction by Millicent Marcus; on November 24 at 4:30pm is Comizi d'Amore (1964); on November 29 at 2:00pm is The Gospel According to Matthew (1964); and on November 30 at 4:30pm is Mamma Roma (1962).

Special events at the Gallery include Restless City (2011) on November 23 at 2:30pm with director Andrew Dosunmu in person who will also discuss and show excerpts from his film Mother of George which is currently showing at Landmark's E Street Cinema. On November 30 at 2:00pm is East Side West Side (Allan Dwan, 1927) with music accompaniment by Donald Sosin and Joanna Seaton.

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
On November 7 at 8:00pm is The Radiant (2012), an experimental documentary about the Fukushima Daiichi power plant after the earthquake and tsunami of 2011.

National Museum of the American Indian
On November 1 at 7:00pm is Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope dubbed in Navajo with English subtitles.

Smithsonian American Art Museum
On November 6 at 6:30pm is The Buena Vista Social Club (Wim Wenders, 1999), an award-winning documentary about Cuban musicians on an international tour. On November 12 at 6:30pm is Born in East L.A. (Cheech Marin, 1987), about a Mexican-American man mistakenly deported to Mexico. Both complement the exhibit "Our America: Latino Presence in American Art."

Washington Jewish Community Center
On November 5 at 7:30pm is AKA Doc Pomus (Peter Miller and Will Hechter, 2012), a documentary about American songwriter Jerome Felder. On November 9 at 3:00pm is Mortified Nation (Mike Mayer, 2013), a documentary about the stage show "Mortified." The filmmaker will be present to answer questions after the screening. On November 10 at 3:00pm is The State of Arizona (Carlos Sandoval and Catherine Tambini), a vérité documentary about Arizona's struggle with illegal immigration. On November 13 at 7:30pm is Oma and Bella (Alexa Karolinski, 2011), a documentary about two friends and Holocaust survivors. (Location: Adas Israel, 2850 Quebec Street NW). On November 19 at 7:30pm is Brave Miss World (Cecilia Peck, 2013), a documentary about Israeli beauty queen Linor Abargil who advocates for rape victims. Morgan Carpenter, one of the film's subjects will be present for post-screening discussion.

Goethe Institute
"75 Years Night of Broken Glass" is a film-discussion program on November 12 at 6:30pm. On the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht, two leading historians of the Third Reich will discuss Margarethe von Trotta's film Rossenstrasse (2003), about a protest by women with Jewish husbands scheduled for deportation.

On November 18 at 6:30pm is "Daring Ventures: Selected Short Films" from Saxony-Anhalt. Titles include documentaries, animation, fiction and music: Jana's Summer, At the River, Dogs Like Us, Division, Swampy, Cholita Libre and Clothes Make Friends.

"Wagner Revisited" is a film series commemorating the 200th anniversary of Richard Wagner's birth. On November 25 at 6:30pm is the silent film Richard Wagner (Carl Froelich, 1913) which was made to celebrate Wagner's 100th birthday. Giuseppe Becce, the great Italian composer, plays Wagner.

French Embassy
On November 13 at 7:00pm is Bicycling with Molière (Fhilippe Le Guay, 2013) starring Fabrice Luchini as an actor who has given up on the stage but becomes tempted by the offer of a role in Moliere's The Misanthrope.

The Japan Information and Culture Center
On November 22 at 6:30pm is Looking Up at the Half Moon (Yoshihiro Fukagawa, 2010).

The National Theatre
A series of Joan Crawford films concludes in November with Mildred Pierce (Michael Curtiz, 1945) on November 4 at 6:30pm, Humoresque (Jean Negulesco, 1946) on November 18 at 6:30pm and Flamingo Road (Michael Curtiz, 1949) on November 25 at 6:30pm.

National Archives
"Life on the Home Front" is a program of films from the Academy Film Archive's War Film Collection, emphasizing American unity on the home front during WWII. On November 12 at 7:00pm is a selection of rarely seen films including The Last Will and Testament of Tom Smith (1943), Food and Magic (1943), The Fighting Generation (1944) and a Public Service Announcement directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

Steven Spielberg is the Foundation for the National Archives' 2013 Records of Achievement Award Recipient. Four of his feature films are shown during November: Saving Private Ryan (1998) on November 15 at 7:00pm, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) on November 16 at noon, Amistad (1997) on November 16 at 7:00pm and Lincoln (2012) on November 18 at 7:00pm.

On November 21 at noon is Baghdad Twist (2007) and Baklava and the Meaning of Life (1999) two short films about Iraqi Jewish heritage, both shown in conjunction with the O’Brien Gallery exhibit, “Discovery and Recovery: Preserving Iraqi Jewish Heritage.”

West End Cinema
On November 7 at 7:10pm and 8:30pm is the short film Waiting for Mamu (Thomas Morgan), a documentary about children who grow up in prisons.

The Mutual Inspirations Festival is about mutual inspirations between Czech and American cultures. On November 14 at 7:00pm is Private Universe with director Helena Trestikova present for Q&A.

The Avalon
The "Czech Lions" film for November is Vojta Lavicka: Ups and Downs (Helena Trestikova, 2013), a documentary about a gypsy musician, on November 13 at 8:00pm; the French Cinematheque film is Populaire (Regis Roinsard, 2012) on November 20 at 8:00pm and the November film for "Reel Israel" is Little Simico's Big Fantasy (Arik Lubetzki, 2011), on November 27 at 8:00pm.

"Avalon Docs" features a documentary film every other month. On November 6 at 8:00pm is Somm (Jason Wise, 2012) about four sommeliers attempting to pass the Master Sommelier exam.

The Corcoran
On November 13 at 7:00pm is Petropolis: Aerial Perspectives on the Alberta Tar Sands with director Peter Mettler present to introduce the film and take questions.

Anacostia Community Museum
On November 7 at 10:30am is Belonging (2004), a documentary about a South African born in exile and her return to South Africa.

The Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital
On November 13 at 7:00pm is The State of Arizona, a vérité documentary about Arizona's struggles with illegal immigration.

"Tough Dames in Satin Slips" is a series of four pre-code film screenings and discussion presented by movie critic Nell Minow and journalist Margaret Talbot. On November 15 at 7:00pm is Baby Face (1933) starring Barbara Stanwyck and on November 22 at 7:00pm is Virtue (1932) starring Carole Lombard. More in December.

Bloombars
On November 5 at 7:00pm is Illegal (Olivier Masset-Depasse, 2010), about a Russian teacher illegally living in Belgium, followed by a Q&A discussion with the audience.

Alden Theater
On November 2 at 8:00pm is Tucker and Dale vs. Evil 2011), a backwoods-killer movie for Halloween. On November 6 at 1:00pm is the music Sweet Charity starring Shirley MacLaine.

Busboys and Poets
On November 7 at 6:30pm is Someone I Used to Know, an ensemble film shown as part of the 14th annual DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival. The director, Nadine Truong, will discuss the film with Brian Yang, actor and producer. At the 5th and K location.

On November 18 at 7:00pm is Bringing It Home, a documentary about the use of hemp for building materials. Filmmakers Linda Booker and Blaire Johnson will participate in Q&A after the screening. At the 14th and V location.

Alliance Francais
On November 8 at 7:00pm is Albert Camus: le journalism engagee (Joël Calmettes, 2009), a documentary about writer Albert Camus (1913-1930) on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

On November 15 at 7:00pm is Les Femmes du bus 678 (Mohamed Diab, 2012) from Egypt. Three women are harassed--on a bus, at a soccer game and on the street.

Library of Congress
"Docs in Salute" is a program is films produced in the Czech Republic, many with Jewish themes. On October 29 at noon is Hitler, Stalin and I (Helen Trestikova, 2001) about the life of Heda Margoliová-Kovalyová, who survived the Nazi concentration camps. On November 4 at noon is My Lucky Star (Helena Trestikova, 2004) about life of Zdenka Fantlová, a woman who survived life in several concentration camps. On November 13 at noon is Beyond Words (Helena Trestikova, 2007) about the mass murder of Czech Jews at the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944. On November 18 at noon is The Story of the Shipwrecked from the Patria (Pavel Stingl, 2006), about the November 25, 1940, bombing of a ship carrying about 1,800 Jewish refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe to Palestine. Note that other films by Helena Trestikova will be shown this month at the Avalon and West End Cinema.

The Jerusalem Fund
On November 9 at 6:30pm is the documentary Al Helm: Martin Luther King in Palestine (Connie Field, 2012), about an African American gospel choir performing as the Greek chorus for a touring Palestinian play on Martin Luther King. Connie Field, filmmaker, is scheduled to be present.

Union Market Drive-In
Films will be shown from October 4-November 8, projected on a three-story white wall. Cars park in the parking lot across from the market; a picnic area is for bikers and pedestrians. On November 1 is Evan Almighty and on November 8 is TBA. All are al 8:00pm.

George Mason University
On November 7 at 4:30pm is The New Black (Yoruba Richen, 2013), a documentary about how the African-American community is dealing with the gay rights issue. The filmmaker will be present for Q&A. Open to the public.

October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012