Category: Film festival

AFI Fest Taps Robert Koehler

Commentary, Film festival

Robert Koehler has been a longtime supporter of–and occasional contributor to–Film Journey, and I have written many times of my respect and admiration for Rose Kuo, who has transformed AFI FEST in Los Angeles the past couple of years into a major festival for world cinema, so I’m delighted to quote Variety‘s announcement yesterday:

“Robert Koehler, longtime film critic and freelance writer for Variety and other publications, has been tapped director of programming for this year’s edition of AFI Fest.

Due to assume his duties in May, Koehler will work as the fest’s No. 2 under artistic

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Days in Guadalajara: Day 2

Film festival, Film review

By ROBERT KOEHLER

With the happy sights today of one of my favorite comrades in cinephilia, critic-programmer Roger Koza (see his Spanish-language site, ojosabiertos.wordpress.com); the always convivial Screen International critic from Tel Aviv (via Paris) Dan Fainaru; veteran Latin American cinema programmer Denis De La Roca; Gerald Peary, Boston Phoenix critic (and maker of the new doc about American critics, For the Love of Movies, screening here fresh off its South by Southwest premiere); and Holland Film’s best ambassador, Claudia Landsberger, I knew Guadalajara had begun in earnest. After breakfast with the Hollywood Reporter’s man in Mexico …

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Days in Guadalajara: Day 1

Film festival, Film review

By ROBERT KOEHLER

Being told that you’re the first member of the press to check in at a film festival and get a badge produces strange feelings. Beyond the automatic response—“Where is everyone else?”—is the lurking sense that you’re the only one of your kind within earshot or cell phone signal. And in a city the size of Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest, that sense is stranger, though only really an illusion. I merely showed up early to the party. Most arrive Wednesday (when I’m writing this, in the lobby of the Cine Foro, the University of Guadalajara’s downtown cinematheque, whose …

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April Festival Logjam

Commentary, Film festival

I understand that the rainy season in Los Angeles extends through March, and that temperatures quickly rise after June Gloom burns off, but as a devotee of the many smaller ethnic/national film festivals in the city, I’m distressed that so many of them have chosen April as their play date. Los Angeles famously could use some coalescing of its film culture, so it’s unfortunate that its festivals are so unduly competitive (even after the ill-fated Russian Nights festival dropped out of the running):

• Vietnamese International Film Festival (April 2 – 12)

• Japan Film Festival (April 10 – 19)…

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More AFI FEST picks

Film festival

Robert Koehler (Cineaste, Cinema Scope, Variety) sent this list in regarding his picks for this year’s AFI FEST, which starts today. -Doug

Here are the AFI films I think are worth checking out. I’m leaving out films like THE WRESTLER,which are going to be readily available for viewing after the festival….this list illustrates why this is the best AFI FEST in at least 20 years…

Desplechin’s A CHRISTMAS TALE
A superb, sprawling, typically Desplechinian drama-comedy, with Mathieu Almaric leading what yet again another fabulous Desplechin ensemble–it’s an ideal third film companion with MY SEX LIFE and KINGS …

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AFI FEST in November

Film festival, Site news


Lake Tahoe

This is the first year in five that I’m not attending the Toronto International Film Festival–the falling US dollar, rising fuel costs, and necessary baby duties have conspired to keep me here in Los Angeles this year, which means I’m missing at least a dozen friends (most of them listed at right) but avidly reading their blogs.

Removing some of the sting, however, is last week’s AFI FEST announcement of a few of the films that will be playing here, October 30 through November 9. Once a ho-hum festival mostly comprised of Hollywood premieres and quirky American indies, …

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