ROTTERDAM 2012 The bright stuff


Rotterdam’s non-competitive Bright Future and Spectrum sections explore work from up-and-coming and experienced film-makers respectively. Leon Forde spotlights a selection of world premieres from both strands


BRIGHT FUTURE CORTA (Col-Arg-Fr) Dir Felipe Guerrero With the Hubert Bals Fund among its backers, Guerrero’s Corta is a documentary about the hyp- notic movements of Colombian sugar-cane cut- ters. This is his second feature after Paraiso in 2006, which received a special mention for direc- torial debut at FID Marseille. The film is produced by Colombia’s Mutokino, which is handling world sales, and co-produced by Gema Films and Atopic. Sales Mutokino mutokino@gmail.com


GAAMER (Ukraine) Dir Oleg Sentsov The debut feature from Ukrainian film-maker Sentsov, Gaamer follows a video-gamer who goes to a world gaming championship where he takes second prize. He returns home a hero but finds everything is not what he expected. Sentsov’s stu- dent shorts include A Perfect Day For Bananafish and The Horn Of A Bull. Sales Olga Zhurzhenko olga.zhurzhenko@gmail.com


NOW, FORAGER (US) Dirs Jason Cortlund, Julia Halperin A husband and wife try to make ends meet by selling wild mushrooms to restaurants, in this film directed by Julia Halperin and Jason Cortlund. The latter also wrote the screenplay and stars in the film. Now, Forager was shot over the course of a year to capture seasonal changes in the natural world that affect the couple’s eco- nomic circumstances. Halperin and Cortlund have collaborated on short films, videos and installations since 1996. Sales New Europe Film Sales jan@neweuropefilmsales.com


THE ULTIMATE PRANX CASE (Can) A film about bullying and voyeurism, The Ulti- mate Pranx Case is described as a real-time edit of an elaborate internet hoax that goes horribly wrong. The film was produced by Claude Gré- goire and Sylvain Guy for Influenz Films. Sales Sylvain Guy


sguy@theultimatepranxcase.com


SPECTRUM ACE ATTORNEY (Jap) Dir Takashi Miike Japan’s Miike (Hara-Kiri: Death Of A Samurai,


n 6 International Film Festival Rotterdam January 2012


Corta


13 Assassins) returns with this adrenalised take on the popular video game. Set in a futuristic Japan courtroom, the film follows a hot-blooded rookie lawyer, played by Hiroki Narimiya, as he battles a cool-headed prosecutor, played by Takumi Saitoh, to prove the innocence of a young spirit medium in a murder case. The film was produced by Nippon Television Network Corpo- ration, which is also handling sales. Contact Asuka Kimura, Nippon Television Network Corporation kimura-a.stf@ntv.co.jp


THE BLINDFOLD (Indo) Dir Garin Nugroho Rotterdam opened with Nugroho’s Leaf On A Pil- low in 1999 and the director returns to the festi- val with The Blindfold. Produced by Indonesia’s SET Film Production, The Blindfold is set in con- temporary Indonesia and explores how radicali-


sation is playing an increasingly influential role. Contact Garin Nugroho namakugareng@yahoo.com


THE LEGEND OF KASPAR HAUSER (It) Dir Davide Manuli This surreal post-modern western was shot in black and white and stars Vincent Gallo in dual roles. The cast also includes Claudia Gerini, Elisa Sednaoui, Fabrizio Gifuni and Silvia Calderoni, who plays Kaspar Hauser. It was produced by Blue Film and Shooting Hope Productions, with backing from Mibac and Sardinia, where the film was shot. The soundtrack to The Legend Of Kaspar Hauser is composed by French-electro star Vitalic. Manuli’s previous film, Beket, won the Fipresci award at Locarno in 2008. Sales Intramovies paola.corvino@intramovies.com


When The Lights Went Out


WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT (UK) Dir Pat Holden Based on true events, When The Lights Went Out is a 1970s-set story of a down-to-earth British family and the malevolent spirit who turns their life upside down. Written and directed by Holden, the film was produced by Deepak Nayar and Bil Bungay and stars Kate Ashfield, Steven Wadding- ton, Andrea Lowe, Craig Parkinson, Tasha Con- nor and Gary Lewis. Holden’s credits include Awaydays, which screened at Rotterdam in 2009. Sales Fumie Suzuki, SC Films International fumie@scfilmsinternational.com n


s www.screendaily.com


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