Official Foreign Film Submissions Thus Far

All the foreign submission charts have been updated to reflect the speedy announcements of new titles. We're now up to 84 (last year's tally was an all time record of 85). Somehow I neglected to include Ireland on the submission charts. They've selected an "audacious" biopic about the singer Joe Heany called Song of Granite. The film uses both documentary footage and narrative sequences. It's in black and white and looks gorgeous in still photos

Submissions we've reviewed thus far here at TFE...

• Argentina's Zama
• Austria's Happy End
• Belgium's The Racer and the Jailbird
• Estonia's November
• Hungary's On Body and Soul
• Norway's Thelma

Submissions we've seen but haven't yet reviewed...

• Czech Republic's Ice Mother
• Egypt's Sheikh Jackson
• Finland's Tom of Finland
• France's 120 Beats per Minute
• Polan's Spoor

Submissions we're scheduled to see soon...

• Sweden's The Square
• Switzerland's The Divine Order

The rest of the list (thus far). We'll look out for opportunities to see them...

• Afghanistan A Letter to the President
• Albania's Daybreak
• Algeria's Road to Instanbul
• Armenia's Yeva
• Azerbaijan's Pomegranate Orchard
• Bangladesh's Khacha
• Bolivia's Dark Skull
• Bosnia & Herzegovina's Men Don't Cry
• Brazil's Bingo: King of the Mountain
• Bulgaria's Glory
• Cambodia's First They Killed My Father
• Canada's Hochelaga, Land of Souls
• Chile's A Fantastic Woman
• Colombia's Guilty Men
• Croatia's Quit Staring at My Plate
• Denmark's You Disappear
• Dominican Republic's Woodpeckers
• Ecuador's Alba
• Georgia's Scary Mother
• Germany's In the Fade
• Greece's Amerika Square
• Hong Kong's Mad World
• Iceland's Under the Tree
• India's Newton
• Indonesia's The Leftovers
• Iran's Breath
• Iraq's The Dark Wind
• Ireland's Song of Granite
• Israel's Foxtrot
• Italy's A Ciambra
• Japan's Her Love Boils Bathwater
• Kazakhstan's Road to Mother
• Kenya's Kati Kati
• Kosovo's Unwanted
• Kyrgyzstan's Centaur
• Laos's Dearest Sister
• Latvia's Chronicles of Melanie
• Lebanon's The Insult
• Lithuania's Frost
• Luxembourg's Barrage
• Mexico's Tempestad
• Morocco's Razzia
• Mozambique's The Train of Salt and Sugar
• Nepal's White Sun
• Netherland's Layla M
• New Zealand's One Thousand Ropes
• Pakistan's Saawan
• Palestine's Wajib
• Panama's Beyond Brotherhood
• Paraguay's Los Buscadores
• Peru's Rosa Chumber
• Philippines's Birdshot
• Portugal's Saint George
• Romania's The Fixer
• Russia's Loveless
• Serbia's Requiem for Mrs J
• Singapore's Pop Aye
• Slovakia's The Line
• Slovenia's The Miner
• South Africa's The Wound
• South Korea's A Taxi Driver
• Spain's Summer 1993
• Taiwan's Small Talk
• Thailand's By the Time It Gets Dark
• Tunisia's The Last of Us
• Turkey's Ayla: The Daughter of War
• Ukraine's Black Level
• United Kingdom's My Pure Land
• Uruguay's Another Story of the World
• Venezuela's El Inca
• Vietnam's Father and Son

Current predictions

Interview: Nicholas Galitzine in "Handsome Devil"

An abridged version of this interview was previously published at Towleroad

Nicholas Galitzine is a star on the rugby field in "Handsome Devil"

by Nathaniel R

The third time is the charm. Just three years and three films into his acting career, Nicholas Galitzine has what looks like a breakout role. John Butler's Irish dramedy Handsome Devil centers around the unlikely friendship of a new student Ned (Fionn O’Shea) and the star athlete Conor (Galitzine) at a rugby-mad boarding school. Their friendship is encouraged by their teacher Mr Sherry (played by the fine Irish actor Andrew Scott of Pride and Sherlock fame) but the rugby team isn’t wild about it. Conor is a wonderful showcase for Galitzine’s talent, and in more ways than one. The role also allows the actor to use what he calls his "separate passion,” music.

Screen International named Galitzine one of their “Stars of Tomorrow” in 2015 as part of their annual feature promoting the UK’s most promising actors. Their prediction is looking sound. Galitzine, for his part, isn't taking it for granted. He appears both eager to test his range and grateful for his opportunities. He calls acting "the best job in the world" and admits that "I've been very lucky so far".

Our interview follows after the jump...

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Beauty Break: St Patrick's Day Stars

After the jump a gallery of Irish stars or stars pretending to be Irish for the holiday -  Happy St Patrick's Day everyone!

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TIFF: Strange Weather and Handsome Devil

Nathaniel R reporting from the Toronto International Film Festival

Despite the buzz from festivals usually circling around pre-sold films and major Oscar hopefuls, there are always minor gems to be found amongst the clutter which are still seeking distribution. Here are two I hope get picked up, a very accessible Irish boarding school drama (without the benefit of any big name to sell it) and an American indie starring Oscar winner Holly Hunter.

Strange Weather
(Dir. Katherine Dieckmann, US)
Take a look at that still above. Now look way to your out of focus far right. See the girl in pink tank and jean shorts? That's Carrie Coon (Gone Girl, The Leftovers), one of the best actresses working who is still not a household name or an Emmy or Oscar nominee! But, yes, movie still providers to festival guides, Holly Hunter is the draw here. She plays Darcy Baylor, a bohemian mother of meager means (a Holly specialty - see also Thirteen) who lost her only child to suicide years before the film begins. She has never quite been the same and her fierce best friend (Carrie Coon), her best friend's girlfriend (Andrene Ward-Hammond who is also in Loving this year) and her ex-boyfriend (a soulful Kim Coates from Sons of Anarchy) are concerned about her all over again when a couple of chance encounters reveal something she didn't know about the day he died. Though the plot can be (okay is) convoluted, the writing is otherwise strong with well defined characters, great conversations (it's partially a road trip movie), and a ineffable central arc that Holly Hunter has no trouble selling because she is Holly Hunter and goddamnit we don't appreciate her enough. Though there are a couple of bumpy patches in this road with wonky cuts, shots, and transitions -- perhaps budget trouble? -- and that aforementioned convoluted story might be difficult if you're not into the actresses. But if you aren't, your loss! I could have watched these characters/actors for another hour. I'll take a spinoff series with Carrie and her lesbian lover please! B/B- 

Handsome Devil 
(Dir. John Butler, Ireland)
This Irish boarding school drama about a redhead student who cares nothing for sports at a rugby-mad school is sweet goodhearted fun. It risks being a little 'This is a Teen Movie!' annoying and unrealistic in its construction (complete with occasionally snarky narration) but the friendship at its center between music-loving Ned (Fionn O'Shea) and strong and silent rugby star Conor (Nicholas Galitzine) is really well done and fills up the heart of this accessible mainstream charmer about "otherness." The undervalued / always terrific Andrew Scott (Pride) plays the gay teacher who encourages Ned & Conor in their odd couple friendship and their off-sport pursuits. You know we've come a long way when a movie with a rather large LGBT element is not even listed with a key word of LGBT in the festival guide! (Director John Butler made one previous feature called The Bachelor Weekend which we reviewed a couple of years ago which also starred Andrew Scott. He's made a leap forward with this second feature.)  B

Who or what is the MVP of "Sing Street"?

Sing Street, the latest film from our most musician obsessed auteur John Carney, has been expanding with more theaters each week at a fairly strong clip. Six weeks in, there's no expansion (a very crowded weekend) but its fanbase keeps growing exponentially as more people "discover" it. Like Carney's previous music-based indies, the Oscar winning, transcendently low-fi Once and the more mainstream but surprisingly rewatchable Begin Again, whatever you might want to say about Sing Street an adjective that could safely and accurately describe all three films is "endearing"...

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