Fests and events, 12/29.

Richard Brody in the New Yorker on Nicholas Ray's Bigger Than Life, screening for a week at Film Forum starting tomorrow: "The sight of such deep-seated demons being liberated makes repression look downright appealing." Related: "The Mystic: The Films of Nicholas Ray" at Not Coming to a Theater Near You. Update, 12/31: More from Cullen Gallagher (L Magazine) and Scott Foundas (Voice).

"In 2009, Swiss director Alain Tanner will turn 80 and all the young men born in 1976 who inherited the first name Jonah (from his film Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000) will be 33," writes Françoise Deriaz at Cineuropa. "To celebrate the filmmaker's long and successful career - which ended with Paul s'en va (Paul Is Leaving, 2003) - the French Cinémathèque in Paris is hosting a complete retrospective of his works from January 14 - February 15."

Now in its 14th year, the Berlin & Beyond series at the Castro brings new films from Germany, Austria and Switzerland to San Francisco. At the Evening Class, Michael Hawley previews the lineup and Michael Guillén takes a close look at Revanche. January 15 through 21.

The New Zealand International Film Festivals roamed the country for about half the year and the Lumière Reader is picking out the highlights. Tim Wong has the overview, while Steven Garden focuses on eleven films that remain unreleased and the Edward Yang retrospective.

Posted by dwhudson at December 29, 2008 9:20 AM