Oscar 2025 nominations have been announced, with EMILIA PEREZ leading with 13 nominations, followed by THE BRUTALIST and WICKED with 10 nominations each, rounded up by CONCLAVE and A COMPLETE UNKNOWN with 8 each. Other noteworthy contenders were ANORA, THE SUBSTANCE, and the surprise entry I’M STILL HERE from Brazil. Unexpected announcements include Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong for THE APPRENTICE as well as Felicity Jones for THE BRUTALIST and Monica Barbaro for A COMPLETE UNKNOWN. Notable snubs were director Edward Berger for CONCLAVE, Angelina Jolie for MARIA, Daniel Craig for QUEER, Nicole Kidman for BABYGIRL and Denzel Washington for GLADIATOR II.
Author: Rolmar Baldonado
Films for the cineaste. Were you moved, transported? Did you laugh, cry? Was it cathartic? Were you disturbed, affected, riveted? Did it make you think?
Freelance film editor, cineaste and cinephile
Twitter: @film_critik
Twitter: @rolmar
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As of this writing, the Golden Globe 2025 nominations have been announced, with EMILIA PEREZ leading with ten nominations. This was followed by THE BRUTALIST with seven nominations, CONCLAVE with six, ANORA and THE SUBSTANCE with five each. It has been surprisingly delightful for the Cannes Best Screenplay winner, THE SUBSTANCE, a body horror genre film that got classified in the Musical or Comedy category.
Filmmaker Lin Jianjie’s uneasy piece depicts a sombre modern China moving from its one-child policy to embracing its now two-child and more policy. It dwells on sibling rivalry between two sons, one biological and the other adopted.
After the success of Ray Yeung’s last Hong Kong-based mature-age gay-themed film TWILIGHT’S KISS (or SUK SUK), together with previous Western-based gay Chinese love story films CUT SLEEVE BOYS and FRONT COVER, this auteur writer-director has ventured queer territory again with his Berlinale Teddy award-winner ALL SHALL BE WELL.
Director Takashi Shimizu, known for his previous Japanese horror works such as the pioneering THE GRUDGE, JU-ON and MAREBITO, now delivers a combination of monstrosity tied this time with virtual reality. Set on a remote Japanese island, IMMERSION employs the same ghastly storyline of the dead reimmersing back to life to attack the living.
In the enigmatic introspection of Kei Ishikawa’s A MAN, the boundaries of identity blur with the essence of truth, subjecting itself to endless scrutiny. Adapted from Keiichiro Hirano’s novel, Ishikawa artfully delves deep into self-discovery that challenges our perceptions of ourselves and others.
MATCHMAKING is an eye-opening, charming Romeo and Juliet story sans a tragic ending within Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community. A 2023 Israeli box office success, this modern-day romantic dramedy from director Erez Tadmor delivers an insightful exploration of the Jewish matchmaking tradition with a dose of social critique.
It seems like a wacky but possible idea. Koshirо̄, an ordinary man, inherits a lofty kingdom only to realise that it is in enormous debt, and his goal is to save it from bankruptcy like his life depends on it. With all its challenges to be both funny and timely, this period comedy from director Tetsu Maeda is finely crafted, incorporating modern humour techniques that work well for the screen.
The Jewish International Film Festival (JIFF) is back from 23 October to 22 November 2023, with screenings in Melbourne, Sydney, Hobart, Perth, Brisbane, Canberra, and the Gold Coast.
The 27th Japanese Film Festival (JIFF) Australia 2023 is back, starting with film screenings in Canberra (30 September – 15 October), Perth (16-22 October), Brisbane (6-22 October), Melbourne (23 October – 5 November) and Sydney (23-31 October). The theme for 2023 tackles the continuing connection between past and present.