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Friday, September 10, 2010

Birthday's Eleftheriades Got Best Actor at Cannes Independent Film Festival

I just learned that Natalie Eleftheriades, the star of Birthday, shown at the Anchorage International Film Festival last December, won the Best Actor Award in May at the Cannes Independent Film Festival (CIFF), which runs alongside the more famous Cannes Festival and is for low budget films.

From the CIFF website:
Best actor: Natalie Eleftheriadis for BIRTHDAY (Australia)
The site also mentions her experiences at Cannes.
With the mission of integrating low-budget indie films into the lifeblood of the Cannes experience, the Cannes Independent Film Festival works to level the playing field for new filmmakers to get their works shown, and sold, in Cannes.

Actress Natalie Eleftheriadis, who also produced BIRTHDAY, used the screening at CIFF as a jumping off point for selling her film to buyers gathered for the March du Film. She, and the film's director James Harkness, spent their days working the Croisette, enticing sales agents and buyers to attend BIRTHDAY's screening at the CIFF Villa. Eleftheriadis said "Being a part of CIFF has provided a unique 'entree' into the market with its boutique, intimate screening facility and wonderfully supportive indie filmmaker vibe. Participating in the festival has generated considerable buzz for our film, and we have planted the seeds for many future international collaborations. The Cannes Independent is a gem in the festival circuit."

In a post last December, I let the Anchorage Film Festival judges know I thought they blew it by not awarding Birthday a prize and I'm pleased to see the film and the star recognized in France. 

And here's the trailer. 




The official Birthday website is here.

The Anchorage International Film Festival has had some excellent films and recognized them as such. The other films in 2009 were good - particularly Hipsters. But Birthday should have been in amongst the winners.

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