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Film festivals serve several functions. They provide an international marketplace where producers and distributors can exchange ideas, view films, and sign contracts. Festivals also provide an opportunity for fans to see popular stars and other celebrities. A further function of film festivals has been to provide a cultural rendezvous for those interested in the art and influence of the movies.

Since World War II, film festivals have contributed significantly to the development of the motion-picture industry in many countries. The popularity of Italian films at the Cannes and Venice film festivals played an important part in the rebirth of the Italian industry. In 1951 Kurosawa Akira's «Rashomon» won the Golden Lion at Venice, focusing attention on Japanese films and the Japanese film industry, which had been previously unknown in the West.

Most film festivals require filmmakers to pay an entry fee to have their works considered for screening. This is especially commonplace among larger film festivals, such as the Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and Sundance Film Festival. However, not all film festivals require an entry fee. Rotterdam Film Festival, for example, does not charge an entry fee to submit work. There are also many smaller film festivals which do not charge entry fees, however, acceptance of films is usually more limited, and such film festivals do not necessarily attract big names in their audiences like Sundance and Telluride do.

Interest in the festivals persisted, and they continued to increase in number and in size. Today there are thousands of film festivals around the world, ranging from high profile festivals such as Sundance Film Festival (Park City, Utah) and Cannes Film Festival (France), to horror festivals such as Terror Film Festival (Philadelphia, PA).

Notes:

1.to discuss current artistic developments in film – обсуждать текущие художественные события в кино;

2.to provide a cultural rendezvous – обеспечивать культурную встречу;

3.to sign contracts – заключать (подписывать) контракты;

4.rebirth – возрождение;

5.to deal with specific subjects – иметь дело с определенной темати-

кой;

6.to charge entry fee – назначить входную плату.

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CANNES FESTIVAL

«The Festival is an apolitical no-man's-land, a microcosm of what the world would be like if people could contact each other directly and speak the same language».

Jean Cocteau

In 1939, French minister for Public Instruction and the Arts proposed the creation of an international film event in France. Cannes was chosen for its «sunshine and enchanting setting». However, the first International Film Festival was postponed due to the war. In 1945, the French Association for Artistic Action was asked once again to organise a festival to be held under the aegis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Education and, from 1946 onwards, the newly founded National Cinema (CNC).

On September 20, 1946 the International Film Festival – the first important international postwar cultural event – opened its doors at the former Casino de Cannes. It was run as a non-profit organisation with a board of directors, attaining charitable status in 1972. Apart from 1948 and 1950, when lack of funds led to the cancellation of the event, the Festival has taken place each and every year, at first in September, then in May (as of 1951), running approximately two weeks. In 1968, the Festival was interrupted due to political turmoil. At the outset, the Festival was principally a tourist and social event, more a film forum than a competition, since nearly every film screened walked off with a prize. Over the years, the great increase in participants and new economic stakes involved shifted its orientation. The Festival became the most media-covered annual event of the film industry, with today over 4, 000 journalists representing 1, 600 media companies.

As of 1959, the official creation of the Film Market increased still further the impact of the Festival, providing it with a commercial platform and facilitating meetings and discussions between film industry buyers and sellers. In the forty-five years of its ever-growing existence, the Film Market has become the leading market place in the world for international film business. In the same way, the Village International, created in 2000 has enabled an ever-increasing number of countries to promote their culture and cinema.

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At the beginning, the Festival presented films chosen by their country of origin. In 1972, at the request of General Delegate, the Festival's President, and the Board of Directors – the Festival would be the sole decision-maker and would select those films from all over the world it wanted to present. This decision marked a turning point and was quickly taken up by other festivals.

In 1998, Gilles Jacob created the Cinefondation, a selection of short and medium-length motion pictures from film schools all over the world. Its objective: to discover and promote new talent. Since its creation, over 2,000 films from every continent have been sent to the Festival to compete for selection.

Following up on this initiative, the Festival opened the Residence in Paris in the autumn of 2000, to pursue the same objective: providing young filmmakers with the chance to develop their screen projects outside their countries of origin and thus encourage the promotion of their work abroad.

In 2000 the members of the board elected Gilles Jacob as the President. The Festival developed a series of initatives encouraging both professional and creative development. Since 2004, the Producer's Network has been helping producers from around the world find new partnerships and investors. This was also the year the Short Film Corner was created, as a platform for screening and promoting shorts. And another addition was the Cinema de la Plage – an 'outside the walls' theatre on the beach that screened films from the Official Selection and brought Cannes to the masses.

In 2007, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Festival de Cannes, Gilles Jacob invited 33 of the greatest film-makers in the entire world to take part in the anniversary film To Each His Cinema, by directing in 3 minutes each, a short based on the theme of the motion-picture theatre. The film was screened at the anniversary evening of the Festival in the presence of its 33 directors. Among them were Takeshi Kitano, Andrei Konchalovsky, Claude Lelouch, David Lynch, Roman Polanski, Raul Ruiz, Wong Kar Wai.

Notes:

1.under the aegis – под эгидой (защитой);

2.due to political turmoil – из-за политических беспорядков;

3.annual event – ежегодное событие;

4.to promote culture and cinema – поддерживать культуру и кинематограф.

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«KINOTAVR»

«Kinotavr» is the largest national film festival. Every year in June, on the Black sea coast in Sochi, the top talents of Russian cinema come together: directors, producers, actors, script writers, directors of photography. They come to participate in the country’s main cinematic event. For sixteen years «Kinotavr» has uncovered new names and talented, real cinema.

The ten days of the festival are filled with a variety of events, among which people can choose according to their own interest. Thus, «Kinotavr» is:

•Competition, non-competition and special screenings of the most interesting films of the year. The tradition of the special programme «Cinema on the Square» is especially precious to the citizens and visitors of Sochi. In the evenings, on the big square in front of the Winter Theatre, some thousand people gather to watch great cinema directly under the starry sky of Sochi.

•Professional round tables, masters-classes, press conferences with cinematographers.

•The impressive opening and closing ceremonies of «Kinotavr», with the opening highlight of the so-called «Star Walk», along which the most popular filmmakers and actors make their way to the Winter Theatre.

•The cultural programme: concerts by stars, shows and entertainment.

The history of «Kinotavr» began in 1990, when the non-state, independent company «Moscow Suburbs» under the direction of Mark Rudinstein organized a «Festival of Un-bought Cinema» in Podolsk with the aim of supporting national cinema at a time when the national distribution network had collapsed. Rudinstein’s initiative was the first response of cinematographers to the problems of the Russian film industry during perestroika, which was connected, above all, with the reductions in film financing. This undertaking received support from cinema audiences, and in 1991 the national festival «Kinotavr» was born in Sochi, headed by Mark Rudinstein and Oleg Yankovsky, the festival’s permanent president since 1993.

In 2005 «Kinotavr», the largest Russian film festival, changed owners. «Kinotavr’s» founder Mark Rudinstein passed his «child» into the hands of Alexander Rodniansky and Igor Tolstunov. A board of trustees of the festival was set up, which includes: Peter Aven, President of the shareholding company «Alpha Bank»; Oleg Deripaska, General Director of the shareholding company «Russian Aluminium»; Vitali Ignatenko, General Director of

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«ITAR-TASS»; Alexander Tkachev, Governor of the Krasnodar Region; Mikhail Shvydkoi, Head of the Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography; Konstantin Ernst, General Director of the shareholding company «First Channel».

The 16th «Kinotavr» festival, which took place in Sochi from 2–12 June 2005, continued with the best traditions that developed over fifteen years, but also made a number of innovations. The competition programme reflected the most recent trends in Russian cinema, and more attention was given to the business part of the festival: professional round tables, discussions of films by critics, masters-classes for young experts, special screenings that promote Russian films to foreign visitors. A dense business schedule and a serious professional approach became the distinctive features of the 16th «Kinotavr» festival. In 2005 the festival united everyone who was not indifferent to the future of Russian cinema and its international prestige.

With the arrival of the new management «Kinotavr» began to change and became professionally aimed at the future. The project «KinotavrRegion», which has been developed to widen the festival’s audience, is growing. Thanks to this project, the inhabitants of Ekaterinburg, Saint Petersburg, Perm, Samara and Tomsk have seen the best Russian films from «Kinotavr 2005» and the main premieres of the season during the autumn of 2005. Thus, the festival «Kinotavr» is gradually turning from a Sochi-event into an all-Russian event, and is beginning to develop strong international links.

«Kinotavr» has not stripped Moscow of its attention either. In order to see the most interesting Russian films it is now no longer necessary to make the trip to Sochi. On 1 December 2005 «Kinotavr» opened its own film-club on the premises of the cinema «Fitil». Henceforth, the most worthy and talented films can be seen in Moscow! And not only seen, but also discussed with the filmmakers and well-known film critics, during a pleasant evening out in the company of true film buffs.

Notes:

1.to uncover new names – открыть новые имена;

2.starry sky – звездное небо;

3.a number of innovations – ряд нововведений (новшеств);

4.to strip somebody of one’s attention – лишить кого-то чьего-либо внимания;

5.true film buff – истинный любитель кино.

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VI. FILM CELEBRITIES

In most film projects, the director is at the center of all creative decisions. He or she often selects the script and the key members of the cast and artistic staff. Although the director is rarely seen before the camera, the director’s spirit imbues the film with a characteristic sense of rhythm, color, vivaciousness, and artistic balance.

Of all the artists involved in films, the actors and actresses are closest to the audience. The public more often goes to see a motion picture for its stars than for any other single reason. The divergent techniques of stage and film acting are well understood, and there are many leading players who excel in both. But the greatest film stars have a talent peculiar to the screen alone. This talent often seems to be related not to how well they act but to the sort of person they appear to be.

FOUR GREAT COMEDIANS OF THE SILENT CINEMA

None of the great silent screen comedians is alive today. Chaplin died in 1977, Harold Lloyd died in 1971. Buster Keaton in 1966. Harry Langdon in 1944. Although their movies faded in the 30's, they left us an invaluable short and feature-length comedies of the 1920's. All of them were superior actors of rare gift. They were contemporaries and colleagues, but their fates were different.

The most beloved of the four, the most appreciated by critics, Charles Chaplin, was the first to win general acclaim. Chaplin was a master of pantomime – skilled in acrobatics and dancing, which he had learned in the London music hall. It is interesting to note that his type of comedy was born in the 16th century in the improvisational theatre created by Travelling players. But Chaplin managed to breathe a new life into the old theatre form.

His virtuoso improvisations quickly attracted the attention of American film-makers. At first he turned down all offers but in 1913 he finally joined Mack Sennet's film company. In one year, 1914, Chaplin appeared in a great number of short films. His success with the public was truly unique. This fact opened great opportunities for him to start his own business. He showed rare versatility in acting as the producer-director-script-writer-musician-leading actor of his own comedies. Cinema with its world-wide distribution led to the development of the greatest comedian of the 20th century. Three great

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features – «The Kid», «The Gold Rush» and «The Circus» were created by Chaplin in the golden age of silent screen comedy. However Chaplin didn't give up making silent films even after sound came to the cinema. So great was Chaplin's popularity in the 30s, that he was able to keep on producing his silent masterpieces in the sound age: «City Lights» (1931), «Modern Times» (1936).

Neither Harold Lloyd nor Buster Keaton had the influence on critics and the public that Chaplin had. But today we realize that these two comedians' contribution to the genre has been profound as well. Both comedians used story material of a young American trying to be successful as a man, in his love and in his business – familiar and popular American themes of the 1920's. Though they were both gifted and original actors it took them longer to receive recognition that could compete with Chaplin's fame. In general competing with Chaplin was a hard job. Most comedians of the time had to give up their ambition being unable to introduce so many gags and fun into one film. Later Harold Lloyd pointed out that Chaplin's films of those early days had forced them either to use the same technique of a string of gags or lose at the box-office. That's why there was inner likeness between Chaplin's comedies and those of his contemporaries. Chaplin's influence was dominating.

But Lloyd and Keaton could match Chaplin in his skill, they carried over this technique to their fulllength movies of the 20's. By the early 1920's both Lloyd and Keaton were already well-known to the public and could start producing feature films, which meant that they were very successful at the box-office. All Keaton's movies include chase and fight sequences with a string of gags. Like Chaplin and Lloyd he was a master of developing an everyday situation that aroused many laughs. He was able to build a thrilling story together with a progressive development of laughter.

Few people remember Harry Langdon as one of the great comedians of the late 20's, but he did rival Chaplin, Lloyd and Keaton in popularity in the three years of 1925–1927 which marked the highlight of his career. The manchild portrait made him different from the other major comedians of his time.

The four great comedians – Chaplin, Lloyd, Keaton and Langdon, created a great comic tradition that was carried on into the sound age. Most of our contemporary comedians keep on perfecting the art that had been developed in the 20's. The works of Chaplin, Lloyd, Keaton and Langdon will live on.

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These great comedians have given us masterpieces that will never fade, and they will influence the film comedies yet to be born.

Notes:

1.to fade – блекнуть;

2.appreciated – оцененный;

3.to turn down – отвергать;

4.in one year – за один год;

5.to keep on – продолжать;

6.sound age – эпоха звукового кино;

7.a string of gags – набор выдумок, отсебятины;

8.to lose the box-office – потерпеть кассовый провал;

9.to rival, to compete – соперничать;

10.masterpiece – шедевр.

CHAPLIN’S FIRST APPEARANCE ON THE STAGE

Mother had been having trouble with her voice, but she was obliged to work, so her voice grew progressively worse. In the middle of singing it cracked or suddenly disappeared into a whisper, and the audience started laughing. This influenced deeply her health and her theatrical engagements.

It was because of her vocal condition that at the age of five I made my first appearance on the stage. Mother usually brought me to the theatre at night. She was playing at Aldershot at the time, a small theatre where mostly soldiers gathered.

I remember I was standing in the wings when Mother’s voice cracked and went into a whisper. The audience began to laugh and sing falsetto and make catcalls. At first I did not quite understand what was going on. But the noise increased until Mother had to walk off the stage. When she came into the wings she was very upset and argued with the stage manager who suggested to let me go on in her place. I remember he took me by the hand and after a few explanatory words to the audience, left me on the stage alone. I started to sing accompanied by the orchestra. It was a well-known song called «Jack Jones»…

Soon a shower (= rain) of money poured onto the stage. Immediately I stopped and said that I would pick up the money first and sing afterwards.

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