BRUSSELS FILM FESTIVAL 2009

BRUSSELS FILM FESTIVAL
From June 27 to July 5, 2009

The BRUSSELS FILM FESTIVAL is a casual and welcoming event at the beginning of the summer. The distinctive feature of the festival is the exclusive promotion of European directors' debute films (1st or 2nd feature film).
Official Competition
The Official Competition is a selection of 14 films from European directors, only first or second feature films. An international jury will have to choose between those for the GOLDEN IRIS AWARD.
AWAYDAYS, Pat Holden (UK, 2009, 105')
LA CASA SULLE NUVOLE, Claudio Giovannesi (Italy, 2008, 96')
COUNTRY WEDDING, Valdis Oskarsdottir (Iceland, 2008, 95')
DONNE-MOI LA MAIN, Pascal-Alex Vincent (France, 2009, 80')
THE HIGHER FORCE, Olaf de Fleur Johannesson (Iceland, 2008, 80')
IN YOUR VEINS, Beata Garderler (Sweden, 2009, 92')
JOUEUSE, Caroline Bottaro (France, 2009, 101')
KATALIN VARGA, Peter Strickland (Romania, 2009, 82')
MACHAN, Uberto Pasolini (Italy, 2008, 105')
NORTH, Rune Denstadt Langlo (Norway, 2009, 90')
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN HERE AND NOW, Olivier Boonjing (Belgium, 2009, 74')
UNMADE BEDS, Alexis Dos Santos (UK, 2009, 93')
LA VERGUENZA, David Planell (Spain, 2009, 107')
WRONG ROSARY, Mahmut Fazil Coskun (Turkey, 2009, 89')
Avant-premières
A selection of European feature films from European directors that will
be released in theatres in the next months.
AMALIA, Carlos Coelho Da Silva (Portugal, 2008, 107')
BANCS PUBLICS (Versailles Rive Droite), Bruno Podalydes (France, 2009, 150')
BERLIN CALLING, Hannes Stöhr (Germany, 2009
CHANGES, Tomas Rehorek (Czech Republic, 2009, 79')
GENOVA, Michael Winterbottom (UK, 2008, 94')
MAMMOTH, Lukas Moodysson (Sweden, 2009, 120')
HOLY MONEY, Maxime Alexandre (Belgium, 2009, 100')
SANS RANCUNE, Yves Hanchar (Belgium, 2009, 104')

Belgian Talents
A selection of Belgian debut films from the last six months.
DIRTY MIND, Pieter Van Hees (Belgium, 2009, 90')
ELEVE LIBRE, Joachim Lafosse (Belgium, 2009, 105')
UNSPOKEN, Fien Troch (Belgium, 2009, 90')
The jury of the festival include:Hannes stoehr , Tomas lemarquis, Taylan Barman , Laura Verlinden, Merce Llorens .

Second International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala

Second edition of International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala is being held in Thiruvananthapuram successfully by The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. A total of 50 films had been chosen for the competition section.. The fest started with the screening of "Cherub of the Mist" by renowned wildlife film-maker Naresh Bedi .Fifty six short fiction films, 10 long documentaries, five animation films, 24 films in the international section, 11 films under '60 years of Films Division,' five environmental films, five short fiction films (Hungary) and five short films from Mexico are also being shown in the festival. French Director Agnes Varda's 13 films and seven films of Supriyo Sen in the section 'documentary film-maker in focus' is one of the highlights. The competition section is divided into five categories-- short fiction, long documentary, short documentary, animation and and music videos. The non-competition section and the international section have an array of celebrated movies.. The international section of the festival includes 60 years of the Films Division, Mexican short films, environment films. In the ‘long docu’ section, nine documentaries will be screened. There will be 12 documentaries in the competition section, 12 in the short documentary section and 23 films in the non-competition section. 17 films will be screened in the short fiction competition section. In the non-competition section, 55 short films will be screened. Amol Palekar is the chairman of the jury for the short fiction section. Madhusree Dutta is the chairperson of the jury for non-fiction section. The fest will conclude today.

Kamala Surayya , A Great Death

It was her will to be buried in the Khabersthan of Palayam Juma Masjid, Thiruvananthapuram.
We were standing warm heartedly beneath a Vaka tree inside the Khabersthan this morning.
The Vaka was offering her tributes to Madhavikutty alias Kamala Das alias Kamala Surayya by shedding the yellow flowers profoundly
A friend whispered in my ears that this is a great political act .
I nodded ,yes it is a great service Kamala Surayya rendered to the selfish , fanatic world.
People from all walks of life assembled there to witness and pay homage to the great writer irrespective of their positions.
There were Ministers ,Writers ,Poets ,Foreigners ,Hindus ,Christians ,Muslims ,Communists ,Congress men, people believing in Hinduata , and of course hundreds of human beings who never entered into the four walls of the Khabersthan in their life time even though they were part of the civil life in this old city for decades.
All stood in the Khabersthan with the fond memory of Kamala ,the writer the human being with courage and astuteness .
She did what she believed .
She wrote what she desired to be written.
She was buried as she wished.
She dedicated her death to the humanity and flown to the shore she dreamt .