The 75th Berlinale is coming to a close. Did the film festival make a sharp turn upward? For this Chat Cinema podcast round up discuss the cinema event under new leader head Tricia Tuttle.
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Tag: movie news
Here is a quick overview from the Chat Cinema Podcast on the 75th edition of the Berlinale. There is a PLUS and a Minus.
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Berlinale 75th
For this episode of Chat Cinema we talk about the Berlinale. The 75th edition starts February 13th. Has the film gathering event turned a major corner with a new head? The Honeymoon period was pleasant. Now comes the hard part. Turning the Berlin gathering into a true “A-List” festival.
But, beneath the mixed headlines, we also found some gems that will screen over the course of ten days.
Check out the podcast with co-host Steven Yates.
Director Wes Andre Goodrich talks about his short film MEAL TICKET on this episode of Chat Cinema Podcast. The work centers on a story of a choice and an opportunity. The up and coming Brooklyn based filmmaker’s delves into the conscience of a person taking a step upward, but at what price?
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Reviving the Berlinale
The Berlinale is a few months away, however the press tour has already started. New head Tricia Tuttle held a meet and greet for local press discussing the plans for making the city’s biggest cinema event more relevant. The American born said “she wanted to bring back enthusiasm to the Berlinale.” Was this a polite snub to previous heads Carlo Chatrian and Dieter Kosslick? It has been no secret Berlin has lost its luster over the years with filmmakers and other professionals. Europe’s third biggest film festival fell far behind Cannes and Venice. The American gatherings, Sundance and SXSW aim for youth over politics.
Tricia has her hands full, the first female while being fourth head in six years. A newbie in a city with many cultural and structural differences. Former East, former West attitudes make a peculiar tasting soup when combined in a pot. Chatrian got pushed out by backroom forces. The former London Film Festival head took over after many disagreements over the direction of festival. Where does the Berlinale stand in the circuit? Commercial? Politics? Mainstream? European Arthouse? Tuttle wants to attract younger audiences with a new social media plan along with cheaper tickets for students. That plan looks good on paper; however, a film festival is about films. A Deadpool or Dune sequel would get the under 30 crowd attention, not typical Berlinale Palace fare.
Festivals are not just gatherings, but places to discuss cinema. The organisation’s press room is more a sterile inoculation clinic than a conversational space. The 300 or so titles running in the different sections are not fully curated forcing attendees to ask each other for recommendations. Sadly, as Potsdamer Platz no longer functions as a central point, chit chatting is difficult. One film unrolls in Friedrichshain, then seven km to Charlottenburg for another, shoes, patients and luck will be needed. Hopefully, the Berlinale will find a new physical center. And sadly, there are still no midnight screenings.
Good Luck Ms. Tuttle. Restoring a reputation is hard work.
Will we attend the 75th Berlinale February 3rd after the 2018 banning? We will apply and see.
The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is coming across a bit soft this year. After Hollywood’s writers and actors strike, the South of France cinema gathering has the star power but not the potent zest. Many of the anticipated titles from industry heavy weights Coppola and Costner came up short with critics.
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Coppola’s Return?
The big news from Cannes Film Festival 2024 is the return of 1970’s auteur Francis Coppola with MEGALOPOLIS. The American Born director’s first feature in thirteen years. Early notices about the $120 million production have not been positive with industry professionals calling the work “Challenging”. The all star sci-fi drama includes acting heavyweights Adam Driver, Dustin Hoffman and Giancarlo Esposito will need a big push to recover its costs. This is not the first time the five time Academy Award Winner has gotten bad news during early previews. APOCALYPSE NOW equally divided opinion
makers in 1979. The Vietnam War drama in my opinion is a work of “Bombastic Pageantry” that at times try’s to numb you into believing it is a great film.
Can Francis get his mojo back at 85? On May 17th we will see.
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Feeling #Vindicated
I have no pleasure in Carlo Chatrian’s abrupt departure. The Swiss native is a cinema enthusiasts. During my interview with the former Locarno Film Festival head, I found him to be engaging, positive and passionate about the cinematic art form. After taking the helm in Berlin in 2020 following the departure of Kosslick, Carlo seemed a right fit to elevate the event into the same leagues as the Cannes and Venice fests. Skeptical thoughts came to my mind cause of Chatrian’s intellectual demeanour. The German capital’s institutions are not known for easy change especially headed by outsiders. After having my accreditation rejected cause of the Chat Cinema Podcast critiquing the Berlinale, this is an organisation resistant to even listening. Now, I feel vindicated.
As I was attending an event on Saturday September 2nd, suddenly a push notification came on my phone, “Resignation” at the Berlinale. Another one! Following Mariette Rissenbeek’s earlier exit, the dual in charge of one of the world’s biggest film festival checked out. Statements have been flying from the Ministry of Culture about only wanting one creative head.
With his contract over in 2024, the search is on for a new creative director. The Berlinale will continue, the question is who would want to head the February Festival?
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Barbie and Oppenheimer
This is a Summer Blockbuster Weekend with two highly anticipated films hitting cinemas, Greta Gerwig’s BARBIE and OPPENHEIMER starring Cillian Murphy from Christopher Nolan. Which will win the box office race? BARBIE scored the biggest grosses, but OPPENHEIMER has prestige buzz.
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SAG Works Out
The Summer of Strikes hit Hollywood with a loud bang on Friday. The entertainment industry stopped. Following Writers Guild of America, the actors union, SAG-AFTRA ordered work stoppages around the country. This means not reporting to sets additionally, no promotional work including red carpets or press junkets.
In an emotional speech from Los Angeles SAG-AFTRA head Fran Drescher made the call to her 160.000 members. There is a misunderstanding about Hollywood. A list actors get to go to the big parties around but most actors earn a regular living paying a mortgage taking their kids to school. The minimum an actor needs to earn to qualify for insurance is $26.000 a year. That is getting harder and harder with the new media content models. But their is a bigger question. Why should you have to earn money to deserve health care coverage?
“The jig is up”, “The Nanny” star said on Thursday. The business model has changed by streaming and AI. The old agreements no longer works. Before streamers, a series order was twenty episodes, today that is now eight to ten. Performers earn less money in a production season. The other battle with streaming services is financial transparency and residuals. Residual checks in the past were based on viewer counts and ads, on streamers it is based on subscriber numbers. My advice to SAG, “Good luck trying to get real numbers from a technology company.”
AI is a big bone of contention as productions could soon replace actors with artificial performers or their likeness. Reusing the image in different films, shows or commercials without paying the actor. Would a studio exploit talent too such a level? Ask the decedents of the Three Stooges about their relationship to Columbia Pictures.
It Got Nasty Fast
A war of attrition is now being fought. Studios on one side and talent on the other. The new media moguls are just as imperial as their predecessors. Disney honcho Bob Iger told CNBC the union demands are not realistic. Meanwhile, the corporate head got a $4 million annual raise to $27 million with additional options, not bad if you can get it. Of course he gets to use the corporate jet.
Make no mistake, a lot is at stake, an industry coming to terms in a new reality. Workers are tired of being exploited. Corporations under pressure from Wall Street to pay dividends. Throw in new technologies that could swallow them all. These elements could be a Hollywood Blockbuster script.