Hymno: a Lav Diaz exhibition

From May 8 through the 29th, Kunstenfestivaldesarts invites artists from all over the world and from Belgium to redefine the boundaries of theatre, dance and performance in more than 30 venues in and around Brussels, Belgium.
On that occasion, Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz will showcase his works through an exhibition, a performance and a selection of films at Cinema Galeries. ‘Hymno‘ is the title he chose for that unique multidisciplinary event.
Alongside with the screenings of his films, discover for the first time the world of Lav Diaz through video installations that will plunge every visitor into an outstanding sensory experience based on a plural yet single image and sound landscape where nature prevails over man -always- while addressing the Filipino people history.
Lastly, Lav Diaz will deliver on stage on May 10 a performance inspired from the Malay lamentation ritual, which will be a tribute to the past, present and future tragedies in th Philippines and in this world. The live lamentation will be followed by two visual pieces specifically designed for the Festival as an echo to the ongoing tragedies the world is facing: Ang Pananaghoy (The Lamentation) and Taal work-in-progress.

Exhibition curator: Bich-Quan Tran
Special thanks: Hazel Orencio, Christina Stuhlberger, Efe Cakarel, Alex Keegan.

‘Schirkoa’ begins motion capture in France

Indian filmmaker Ishan Shukla is currently filming the motion capture of his debut animated feature ‘SCHIRKOA’ in Angoulême, France – the capital of comics and visual arts aka the “City of Image” because it hosts the International Comics Festival every year and is also the home of 40 animation and video game studios that produce half of France’s animated production.
An Indo-French co-production between Ishan Shukla’s animation studio Red Cigarette Media and Paris-based production company Dissidenz Films, in partnership with Rapid Eye Movies from Germany, ‘SCHIRKOA’ has received the support of CNC Cinémas du Monde and German region NordRhein Westfalen (NRW) as well as a grant from 2D/3D character creation and animation software developer Reallusion, and above all the coveted Epic MegaGrant from Epic Games, which supports ‘SCHIRKOA”s innovative pipeline based on Unreal Engine.

Voice over actors include Golshifteh Farahani (‘About Elly’, ‘Paterson’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’), Asia Argento (‘Scarlet Diva’, ‘Transylvania’, ‘The Last Mistress’), Soko (‘Augustine’, ‘The Dancer’, ‘A Good Man’), Arish Ahmad Khan aka King Khan (frontman of Berlin-based garage rock and psychedelic soul band King Khan and the Shrines) and Denzil Smith (‘Tenet’, ‘Delhi Crime’, ‘Photograph’, ‘The Lunchbox’) while Shahbaz Sarwar and Tibu Fortes will be making their film debut in the lead role. France-based Argentinian director Gaspar Noe, Indian actor-musician Piyush Mishra, and Filipino helmer Lav Diaz will also appear as VO guest stars.
The soundtrack will be composed by Sneha Khanwalkar – best known for her score for the film ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ (Part 1 & Part 2) – and will include music pieces from King Khan, Saba Lou and more.
‘I met Ishan at 2019 NFDC Film Bazaar in Goa, says Bich-Quan Tran, and I was instantly mesmerized by his slyly political, poetically witty and casually philosophical universe enhanced by powerful visuals. For me it was way beyond an animated feature film: it is pure cinema. It is a visionary maverick gem with both a unique style and universal themes about diversity, power and self-awareness. It is ultimately a reflective story about what kind of society we want to live in with a high entertainment value. ‘SCHIRKOA’ resonates with contemporary anxieties while combining the ability to create humor in the most serious of situations and therefore addresses a broad audience.
‘SCHIRKOA’ will be brought to life through a unique style blending 2D and 3D animation techniques: ‘For me animation amalgamates absurdity and fantasy in a provocative manner while still keeping the visual poetry and human moments intact. Apart from cultures and languages, SCHIRKOA is also an amalgamation of medium, genres and techniques.’ says Shukla.

The film aims at a delivery in Q1 2023.
Click here to read Variety’s Exclusive!

‘Schirkoa’ production starts soon!

Red Cigarette Media, director Ishan Shukla’s India-based animation studio, will begin production on his English-language animated feature film named ‘SCHIRKOA’ in spring this year. The film, co-produced with Dissidenz Films, Rapid Eye Movies and Silver Media Group, will be based on Shukla’s 2016 short film of the same name that earned 30 awards in more than 120 international film festivals and was the first Indian animated short ever selected for an Oscar® nomination.

Golshifteh Farahani, Asia Argento, SoKo, and atypical Indian Bollywood actor Jim Sarbh head voice cast of Shukla’s debut animated feature. Voice guest stars include director Gaspar Noe and composer Sneha Khanwalkar, who will also head the original soundtrack. Click here to read Variety’s Exclusive!

More information: www.schirkoamovie.com

Dissidenz presents GOOD by Patrick Mario Bernard feat. Rodolphe Burger

Cannes 2019 exclusive! We are delighted to introduce Patrick Mario Bernard’s latest film: GOOD featuring French musician and composer Rodolphe Burger.

Rodolphe Burger is an experimental rock icon whose most notable achievements include a two-decade tenure as the founder/singer/guitarist of French band Kat Onoma, plus acclaimed solo albums and a wide range of collaborations (Olivier Cadiot, Alain Bashung, Rachid Taha, Françoise Hardy, Erik Marchand, Emily Loizeau, James Blood Ulmer etc.).
GOOD is an intimate portrait of the singer, a poem, an essay -all at the same time. Or maybe it’s eventually a dazzling haiku!

Patrick Mario Bernard is a French filmmaker, as well as an illustrator, a visual and graphic artist, a photographer, a composer and a musician. He is best known for the films he co-directed with Pierre Trividic: BALLROOM (2003), THE OTHER ONE (2008) (which earned Dominique Blanc the Venice Film Festival Award for Best Female Actor) and BLIND SPOT (Cannes Acid 2019).

The film premiered at Cinéma du Réel 2019 and is now available with English subtitles!

Sheron Dayoc’s WOMEN OF THE WEEPING RIVER at Annaba Mediterranean Film Festival

We are proud to announce Sheron Dayoc’s WOMEN OF THE WEEPING RIVER will have its international premiere on the African continent in Algeria at Annaba Mediterranean Film Festival on March 25, 2018.
WOMEN OF THE WEEPING RIVER is a story of blood feud where women try to undo the cycle of violence while men seek vengeance.

WOMEN OF THE WEEPING RIVER is supported by Sundance Scriptwriting Lab, Asian Cinema Fund, Hubert Bals Fund and was presented at Busan Asian Project Market, Sorfond pitching forum in Norway and Ties That Bind – EAVE.

Dissidenz Films handles the international sales of Sheron Dayoc’s WOMEN OF THE WEEPING RIVER

We are pleased to announce we handle the international rights of Sheron Dayoc’s WOMEN OF THE WEEPING RIVER, which dominated the 40th Gawad Urian Awards (Filipino equivalent of Academy Awards) in the Philippines as it bagged Best Film, Best Director, Best Screeplay, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography and Best Editing.
The film was also just recently presented at Montreal World Cinema Film Festival and IFFI Goa Film Festival and due to travel more!

WOMEN OF THE WEEPING RIVER is a story of blood feud where women try to undo the cycle of violence while men seek vengeance.

The film will be released in France on December 27, 2017.

WOMEN OF THE WEEPING RIVER is supported by Sundance Scriptwriting Lab, Asian Cinema Fund, Hubert Bals Fund and was presented at Busan Asian Project Market, Sorfond pitching forum in Norway and Ties That Bind – EAVE.

Premiere of CONFUSION in Iran

We are delighted to announce CONFUSION has been invited to the 6th International Urban Film Festival in Tehran, which takes place from July 30 to August 5, 2017.
The International Urban Film Festival is one of the most important festivals in Iran, “with the goal of identifying remarkable aspects of Urban Life Patterns and innovative cinematic works and creating a platform for exchange of ideas and experiences among world cities”.

Dissidenz Films handles the international sales of Silvia Munt’s AFECTADOS (A Farm of Passage)

We are pleased to announce we handle the international rights of Silvia Munt’s AFECTADOS (A Farm of Passage) -original title: La Granja del Pas-, which previously earned the Documentary First Prize at Valladolid Film Festival and was presented in prestigious festivals this year such as DocLisboa or One World Prague.
The film will be released in France on November 16, 2016.

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The film is a tribute to citizens’ resistance and solidarity:

Following the world economic crisis in 2008, the unemployment rate in Spain has reached up to 27% and close to 600,000 people have been evicted from their homes. A new civic movement started in Barcelona, based on the right to decent housing, and gradually spread through the country. This emotional film tracks the people gathering at a place called ‘The Farm of Passage’, where individuals of all ages and social classes share their stories and ask for emergency assistance. All have had their hopes and certainties shaken to the core, but this has increased the inspiring strength of human solidarity and mutual support radiating from them.

Learn more here