Round and About

Here's a bunch of links you should follow for various film-related items.

1. Needless to say, I'm putting myself first on this list. This week's issue of Jewish Week includes an interview with Ido Haar, the director of the new Israeli documentary 9 Star Hotel, right here.

2. And here's my review of another new documentary from Israeli director Ilan Ziv, Six Days, a very interesting re-examination of the Six-Day War from the perspective of 40 years. Incidentally, I also wrote an essay on the effects of the '67 War on Israeli filmmakers, which is here.

3. I wouldn't want you to think that I'm the only film person posting on the 'Net (God forbid). My friend and fellow Ira-voter Michael Giltz is blogging from the Cannes Festival (the lucky dog) for The Advocate. Michael's daily ruminations on the most glittery of film events can be found here, and I take some small Schadenfreude-ish pleasure in the knowledge that he is too busy working to ogle the sun-soaked, lithe bodies on the beaches or to work on his own tan.

4. For those of you stuck here in New York City with me but craving a dose of La Belle France on film, the nice people at FrenchCulture.org have instituted a new weekly PDF newsletter enumerating all the French films to be found on NYC screens. You can find more info here, if you are inclined to subscribe and the first issue is here.

5. Finally, a couple of news items that raise my expectations for the coming months. First, among the many other films on display at Cannes this year is a restored version of Terence Fisher's Dracula. It's the BFI's birthday gift to the festival, which turns 60 this year.

And the New York Film Festival announced its 2007 dates, September 28 to October 14, so mark your calendars. While Alice Tully Hall continues to undergo renovations -- if you've walked by, you know that this is no mere cosmetic facelift, more like an extreme makeover -- the Festival will be held at the Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. (So nice of Wynton loan out the place.) Also of great interest, this year's main sidebar event at the Walter Reade will be a comprehensive look at the career of Joaquim Pedro de Andrade, one of the fathers of the Cinema Novo in Brazil.