November 2019
THE HINDUSTAN TIMES, INDIA: FIRST LIST OF 2019 FILMS FOR JIFF 2020 OUT
JAIPUR, INDIA. – The Hindustan Times in its paper edition celebrated the first announcement related to the official selection of films that will be part of the Jaipur International Film Festival 2020 with an article on its paper edition. The newspaper, one of the biggest in circulation in India, hailed, among other films, Arthur Balder’s AMERICAN MIRROR: INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY.
WINNER: BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE AT UK FILM FESTIVAL 2019
LONDON, GREAT BRITAIN. – Arthur Balder’s AMERICAN MIRROR: INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY wins Best Documentary Feature award 2019 as part of the official selection of the UK Film Festival, sponsored by Edgewater TV and the leading screenwriting platform FinalDraft. Led by a jury of well-respected industry professionals, the UK Film Festival has quickly established a tradition of discovering and promoting new films – some of which have later gone on to be BAFTA and Oscar nominees and winners. Their exciting screening events have created a networking hub that continues to connect new filmmakers to industry including television exposure by leading British broadcaster, Channel 4.
Read more about the mission of UK Film Festival on the high-end culture and arts magazine MIRO’s interview of the festival’s director, Murray Woodfield.
Murray’s screen credits include the recent short film A Confession (winner of the Crystal Bear at the Berlin Film Festival 2015); Mike (winner of the Crystal Bear at the Berlin Film Festival 2014); as well as Over the Rainbow for SelecTV on ITV; and 30 Somehow on Channel 4.
Murray is also Director of the UK Film Festival. The festival screens in the heart of London and celebrates the cultural diversity of films made in the UK and from around the World. The festival which is held at the end of November champions great films but in particular seeks work from those filmmakers who might not yet have had the chance for a prestigious public screening of their films.
FILM REVIEW: “ONE OF THIS YEAR’S TALLINN BLACK NIGHTS PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS” by Jenna Jylhä, Estonia
“Award-winning AMERICAN MIRROR is one of this year’s Tallinn Black Nights program highlights“
Jenna Jylhä
Reporting on Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Talinna24.ee, Estonia
“Tämänvuotisen festivaaliohjelmiston kohokohtia ovat muun muassa kansainvälisen Los Angelesin dokumenttielokuvafestivaaleilla palkintoja kahminut American Mirror: Intimations of Immortality, pukudraama (…)”
FILM REVIEW: “It leaves you breathless and enthralled long after you watch it” By Dragan Elcic, RTRS.tv
By Dragan Elcic
Director, film critic, Professor of Film Directing at and Dean of the Academy of Arts of Belgrade, Serbia. His films have been selected for the Oscars representing Serbia. As published by RTRS.tv
“American Mirror: Intimations of Immortality crosses borders and expands the forms of modern documentary film making.“
Branko Lazic, film director, Bosnia-Herzegovina, published by RTRS.tv.
“A film that transcends genres and establishes its own rules of film narration.“
Srdjan Savic, film critic, Serbia, published by RTRS.tv
OFFICIAL SELECTION: ASTI FILM FESTIVAL, DOC INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION 2019
ASTI, ITALY. – Arthur Balder’s AMERICAN MIRROR: INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY is part of the international documentary competitive official selection of the 9th Asti Film Festival, Italy, to take place 4-9 December 2019.
Read more about this Italian cinematic event following the Italian media outlet La Voce Di Asti about 2019 the festival full program.
WINNER: JURY GRAND PRIX OF FIRST FRAME / PRVI KADAR FILM FESTIVAL, SARAJEVO
SARAJEVO, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA. – The jury of the 13th Prvi Kadar International Film Festival awarded Arthur Balder’s AMERICAN MIRROR: INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY with the Grand Prix, Best Picture of the Festival 2019.
The Jury President was Dragan Elcic, director, film critic, Professor of Film Directing at and Dean of Belgrade Academy of Arts, Serbia. His films have been selected for Oscars representing Serbia. The other two members where Branko Lazic, film director, Srdjan Savic, film critic.
In a joint statement, published, among others, by RTRS.tv, the jury stated about the film publicly: “American Mirror: Intimations of Immortality crosses borders and expands the forms of modern documentary film making. It’s a dynamic, visually sumptuous, cleverly directed film that leaves you breathless and enthralled long after you watch it. A film that transcends genres and establishes its own rules of film narration.”
Dragan Elcic was born in Sarajevo in 1959. He is the director of numerous documentaries, television shows, series, etc. He is a professor of directing at the Belgrade Academy of Arts and is one of the most awarded documentaries directors in Serbia.
He has directed over 250 documentaries and short films, 200 different documentaries, one feature film, two feature documentaries, two TV dramas, 4 TV films and seven feature TV series with a total of 106 episodes of various lengths.
Elcic won 57 awards. Selection of awards: Representative of Serbia for the Academy Award / 2001; Special Award at the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen – Germany / 1999; Grand Prix – Belgrade Documentary and Short Film Festival / Belgrade / 1996; the Golden Knight Award / Moscow / 1996; award for directing the documentary Alpe Adria, Trieste, Italy
1984 Graduated Political Science from the Faculty of Political Science in Sarajevo Graduated in Performing Arts from the Faculty of Philosophy in Sarajevo.
1996. Under the mentorship of Professor Stefan Stefanov, he specialized at the Slavic University in Sofia. Topic Title: “Polyphony on Film”.
1998. Ph.D. Master’s degree in Moscow. Master’s thesis title: Documentary film in extreme conditions.
A 2001 Head of the Department of Television Directing “Sava Mrmak” at the Belgrade Academy of Arts.
2001 – 2006 Associate Professor at the Department of Television Directing “Sava Mrmak” in Belgrade.
Since 2006 he has been full-time professor at the Department of Television Directing “Sava Mrmak” in Belgrade.
OFFICIAL SELECTION: SANCTUARY INTL FILM FESTIVAL 2019, GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA
SANCTUARY COVE, AUSTRALIA. – Arthur Balder’s AMERICAN MIRROR: INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY keeps being selected by great cinematic events in Australia, and now is part of the Official Selection of Sanctuary International Film Festival 2019.
FILM REVIEW JCC2019: “A MASTERPIECE” LE QUOTIDIENNE, BY Ph.D. MERIAM AZIZI
CARTHAGE, TUNISIA. – “Arthur Balder’s American Mirror: A masterpiece of extreme poetry” as read at Le Quotidienne, during Journées Cinématographiques Du Carthage 30rd edition, Number 7, Friday 1st November 2019 By Mariem Azizi Film Critic, PhD in Filmic Adaptation.
“American Mirror de Arthur Balder: Un chef-d’oeuvre d’une extrême poésie” Le Quotidienne, Journées Cinématographiques Du Carthage 30ème édition, Nombre 7, Vendredi 1 Novembre 2019 Par Mariem Azizi Critique de film, doctorat en Adaptation Cinématographique.
OFFICIAL SELECTION: 23RD TALLINN BLACK NIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
TALLINN, ESTONIA. – Arthur Balder’s AMERICAN MIRROR: INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY is part of the Official Selection of the 23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Estonia, one of the fifteen A-class FIAPF (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films; English: International Federation of Film Producers Associations) accredited competitive feature film festivals in the world.
See the screenings schedule on the official site of the festival.
OFFICIAL SELECTION & FILM REVIEW: EAU CLAIRE FILM FESTIVAL, WI PREMIERE
EAU CLAIRE, WI. – Eau Claire World Film Festival will host the Wisconsin premiere of Arthur Balder’s AMERICAN MIRROR: INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY. Get a look at the schedule next weekend here at the great Pablo Center Theatre.
OFFICIAL SELECTION: SELECTED AMONG BEST WORLD FILMS AT 25TH CAMINHOS DO CINEMA
COIMBRA, PORTUGAL. – Da Vinci Films is proud to announce that the selection committee of the 25th Caminhos Do Cinema, to be held in November 2019 in Coimbra, Portugal, has selected Arthur Balder’s AMERICAN MIRROR: INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY has part of its Official Selection.
FINALIST: BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY & BEST ACTRESS AT BLOW-UP ARTHOUSE CHICAGO
CHICAGO, IL. – BLOW-UP Chicago International Arthouse Film Festival 2019 announced final list of nominees and winners. Arthur Balder’s AMERICAN MIRROR: INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY received three Finalist positions for: the Dziga Vertov Award for Best Documentary Film, the John Alcott Award for Best Cinematography and the Monica Vitti Award for Best Actress.
WINNER: BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD AT SYDNEY INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. – Arthur Balder’s AMERICAN MIRROR: INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY won Best Cinematography Award at Sydney Independent Film Festival 2019. The film also was additionally Finalist in two categories: Best Documentary Film, and Best Music Score (Mark Petrie).
AMERICAN MIRROR: INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY has won the Best Cinematography awards consistently at DOC LA (Los Angeles Documentary Film Festival presented by Parajanov-Vartanov Institute), Pomegranate Film Festival Toronto, European Cinematography Awards and the Canadian Cinematography Awards; the film also was nominated for the John Alcott Award for Best Cinematography at the BLOW-UP Chicago Arthouse International Film Festival 2019.
Mark Petrie’s original score for AMERICAN MIRROR: INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY has been finalist for Best Original Score/Soundtrack at Burbank International Film Festival, International Sound & Music Film Festival (Croatia), FIMUCINEMA (Festival International Music for Cinema of Tenerife) and won Best Original Soundtrack at DOC LA (Los Angeles Documentary Film Festival presented by Parajanov-Vartanov Institute).
