New on Kamera: The Wig

Asian horror has something of an obsession with hair - think of The Ring, Dark Water etc and how hair is such a striking motif in those films. So it's no surprise that a new Korean horror film goes all the way and centres the action around a wig. That's The Wig, which we have reviewed on Kamera. Here's the trailer:

Horses and the City

With the opening of Sex and the City, the movie, a romantic vision of the Big Apple is back on the screen, with all the addictive banality of the TV series. But those who know New York City are also aware of a very sad element in the streets of the city: the horse-drawn carriage.

It is quite unbelievable that in 2008 a big, chaotic city like New York still allows sensitive animals like horses to be subjected to what can only be described as torture. But with the much-publicised deaths of three horses since 2006, the call for a ban on such carriages is getting stronger. And guess what? Even a documentary has been made to advertise the cause. Called Blinders, its trailer is on YouTube. It looks great and the cause is very noble so visit their website and add your voice to the movement to ban horse carriages in New York.

YouTube: the obscene phone call in Serial Mom

I think Serial Mom is one of John Waters' best films and this is one the best scenes in it. Enjoy it!

New on Kamera: festival submissions

Check out the latest opportunities to get your work shown in some of the best festivals around.

Cannes 2008: Laurent Cantet wins Palm d'Or

The experimental director Laurent Cantet won the 61st Cannes Film Festival with his film The Class (pictured left).

Italy claimed two prizes: the Grand Prize for Matteo Garrone’s Gomorrah and the Jury Prize for Paolo Sorrentino’s Il divo (The Deity).

The Best Screenplay Award went to Belgian directors Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne for Lorna’s Silence.

Best Director Award going to Nuri Bilge Ceylan for his Turkish/French/Italian feature Three Monkeys while the Lifetime Achievement Award going to Catherine Deneuve.

The Best Actor Award went to Benicio Del Toro for his performance in Steven Soderbergh’s Che and the Camera d’Or went to UK director/artist Steve McQueen’s debut feature Hunger.

Source: Cineeuropa.

Film quiz at the Curzon Soho

Our friends at the Curzon have reminded us of the film quiz TEN ROUNDS WITH DE NIRO, which will take place at Curzon Soho's bar on 28 May at 7:30pm. It will be hosted by Richard T. Kelly, editor of Ten Bad Dates With De Niro, out on Faber. There will be exclusive prizes for the best (and worst!) teams, plus complimentary popcorn for all. For further information call 020 7438 9585. The address is: 99 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 5DY, London. Entry is £3.

New on Kamera: Gus Van Sant's Mala Noche

Gus Van Sant's fans have a reason to rejoice: the American indie maverick's debut feature, Mala Noche, is finally out on DVD. The print is gorgeous and Van Sant's talent, while still raw at this stage, is obvious throughout the film. Here's a taster:

Interview with the Dardenne Brothers

Our friends at Cineuropa have an interview with Belgian directing duo, the Dardenne Brothers, whose new film, The Silence of Lorna, is showing in competition at the 61st Cannes Film Festival (the festival runs until the 25th of May). In fact, keep checking this website dedicated to European cinema, as they are reporting directly from the event.

New on Kamera: Caramel and Earthlings

We have two great new items on the website: a review of a Lebanese film (that's right) called Caramel, which sounds just like the thing in the title. We also have a review of the amazing Earthlings, the documentary that has ignited a revolution in the way we look - and treat - animals. It is a revelation and I don't say that every day. Here's an excerpt of the Joaquin Phoenix-narrated film.

Vintage bird's eye view of Rio de Janeiro

Roberto Carlos is the most famous singer in Brazil, and the press often refers to him as 'the King'. The leader of a 1960s pop music movement in Brazil knows as 'Jovem Guarda', like Elvis Presley the singer used cinema as a vehicle to mould his feisty persona. The sequence below is taken from a 1967 picture called Roberto Carlos Em Ritmo de Aventura and shows an amazing helicopter ride across Rio de Janeiro. Enjoy it.

Isabella Rosselini's Green Porno

Isabella Rosselini has always been attracted to the wild side of cinema. From Blue Velvet to The Saddest Music in the World, Rosselini has never shied away from taking risks.

But she can always outdo herself: her latest project, Green Porno, is a series of very short films conceived, written, directed by and featuring Rosselini herself, about the sex life of bugs, insects and various creatures. The films are about how certain bugs 'make love'.

Each film is executed in a very simple childlike manner. They are a playful mixture of real world and cartoon. Each episode begins with Isabella speaking to the camera “If I were a…(firefly, spider, dragonfly etc.). She then transforms into the male of the species explaining in a simple yet direct dialogue the actual act of species- specific fornication. It's all very playful and colourful.

Green Porno is designed mainly for the 'third screen', that is mobile phonescreens, computers and ipods etc. Each film can be shown individually or strung together to make a series more suitable for television broadcast. It's produced by Rick Gilbert and Isabella Rossellini in association with Sundance Channel.

Those of you in America can see the film at the Sundance Channel website. The rest of us can only see a behind-the-scenes documentary as the film willl hit Europe in July and we can't see it until then. The costumes look amazing.

And here's a video interview Rosselini gave to CNN to help create a buzzzz about her film.

New on Kamera: interview with Brian Mills

We have an interview with the author of the latest Kamera Books release, 101 Forgotten Films, Brian Mills. Mills tells us about putting the title together, which is essential read for anyone interested in film history.

New on Kamera: Mike Leigh on Mike Leigh

British journalist Amy Raphael is the editor of the new book, Mike Leigh on Mike Leigh, the result of conversations between the journalist and Britain's most successful auteur. The book is a must read for Leigh fans as it provides unprecedented insight into Leigh's work methods and thoughts. Raphael kindly granted Kamera permission to reproduce an extract from her book.

And of course, YouTube is full of clips of Mike Leigh's works. Here's a sample of the all-time favourite, Abigail's Party: