Vladivosto finds concentrate neighborhood

'Summer of Goliath'Billing itself the "Vladivostok Worldwide Film Festival: Off-shore Meridian," and setting on Russia's distant eastern shoreline -- far nearer to Tokyo, japan and Beijing rather than Moscow -- VIFF's activities are focused squarely on maintenance its immediate area, screening photos and profiling filmmakers from round the Asia-Off-shore region.With this year's edition, 20 helmers from 13 nations will compete for that fest's 625,000 rubles ($21,000) top feature prize. Your competition is going to be judged by an worldwide jury chaired by Brit critic Tony Rayns and including Russian programmer and producer Raisa Fomina, Singapore Film Fest topper Philip Cheah and helmers Lav Diaz (Philippines) and Jan Schutte (Germany). European game titles, meanwhile, are limited to the fest's non-competitive strands, such as the Worldwide Panorama.About the documentary front, sections are divided by thematic interest, varying from human-privileges abuses towards the condition of global penitentiary systems to 1 concentrating on "remarkable life styles." Additionally, VIFF will show prize-winning films in the 2010 Wildscreen fest, the earth's biggest environment-designed film festival, held every 2 yrs in Bristol.A brand new section, titled Continue, focuses on experimental and challenging cinema, and can unspool Venice Orizzonti champion "Summer time of Goliath" by Nicolas Pereda, amongst others. But cinephiles may be enticed most through the fest's retrospectives: finding some rarely seen features in the vaults of among the Soviet Union's major production houses, "The Unknown Lenfilm" will likely contain some treasures, while "The Very Best Rock Operas" appeals to anybody who thinks rock ended using the arrival of punk.On the similar note, gleam four-film showcase of music-designed functions by British documentarian Leslie Woodhead, including "The way the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin" (2009) and 1992's "The Incredible Situation of Comrade Rockstar," about Dean Reed, the so-known as "Red-colored Elvis" from the Communist Bloc. And Liza Minnelli, praised by fest coordinators not just like a brilliant actress but like a "lady of surpassing beauty," is going to be available throughout, "inspiring the ninth edition of IFF Off-shore Meridian together with her august presence." Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com