Fests and events, 10/23.

An anonymous group has turned the waters of Rome's Trevi Fountain red, protesting "expenses incurred in organizing the Rome Film Festival and symbolically [referring] to the event's red carpet," according to the AP. Boing Boing's David Pescovitz points to Antonio Amendola's Flickr stream. For news on how various films are being received at the festival, check Cineuropa.

At Rhizome, Caitlin Jones previews Performa 07, running Saturday through November 20. Among the works featured is Cast No Shadow, which, as the programmers put it, "brings to life [Isaac] Julien's extraordinary triptych of films - True North, Fantôme Afrique and Small Boats - in a remarkable work for the stage." Martina Kudlácek interviews Julien in the current issue of BOMB Magazine.

Senses of Cinema has now begun updating its site with festival reports, book reviews and the like. The first update features:

• Matthew Clayfield on the 56th Melbourne International Film Festival.

• Hamish Ford on the 54th Sydney Film Festival.

• Olaf Möller on the 9th Udine Far East Film Festival.

• And Lisa French reviews two books, Kathleen McHugh's Jane Campion and Gail Jones's The Piano.

"Mikel Rouse's latest music-theater piece - the third in a trilogy that includes meditations on trash TV talk shows (Dennis Cleveland) and a murder case made famous by Truman Capote (Failing Kansas) - turns to movies and their demise, at least as an art form. That's a bad thing. And a good thing." Mark Swed on The End of Cinematics in the Los Angeles Times.

IndieWIRE's Eugene Hernandez reports from "this weekend's 3rd annual 'Filmmaker Forum' organized by Film Independent. Some 250 emerging producers and filmmakers participated in the engaging event - at a cost of up to $400 each - held this year at the DGA on Sunset Blvd."

The Film Panel Notetaker's been busy in the Hamptons. More from Charlie Olsky at indieWIRE and ST VanAirsdale at the Reeler.

Online viewing tip. For the Guardian, Rebecca Lovell reports on the Oska Bright Film Festival, "the only ceremony in Europe that showcases films made by and for people with learning disabilities."

Posted by dwhudson at October 23, 2007 9:15 AM