Culture360

Culture360http://www.culture360.org/culture360devCulture360en-USCopyright 2008 Culture360.orginfo@culture360.orgNews - Chroniques Birmanes, third Asian graphic novel travelog by Guy Delisle<div align="justify"> After Shenzhen and Pyongyang, author Guy Delisle offers us a third travelog, Chroniques Birmaines. This time he spent 14 months in Burma with his son and his wife who was a Médecin Sans Frontières. He recounts his time there with a series of chronicles ranging from his son’s popularity to trying to meet an imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner. Source: www.comicbookbin.com Article by Patrick Bérubé </div>http://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspxTue, 08 Apr 2008 07:38:36 GMThttp://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspx?ItemID=News_20080408_153136News - Original European comic art auction sets new recordLast March 30, the Artcurial Auction House located in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Paris</st1:place></st1:city> was holding its annual comic book auction. More than 600 pieces including signed prints, original editions and, of course, original artwork were looking for new owners. The main and most prized of these items: an original Hergé painting for the cover of the first Tintin album “Tintin en Amérique” made in 1932. Estimated at about 280,000 euros it was supposed to become the new highest comic book art ever sold in the world. The previous record holder was an Enki Bilal painting called “Bleu sang” sold in March 2007 for 177,000 euros. At the end of the day, the Hergé painting finally did become the highest comic book art ever sold in the world, but with a far wider margin than everyone expected, with the auction finally closing at 650, 000 euros (764, 200 euros with the fees).<o:p></o:p> But this was not the only surprise of the day since many more pieces sold over their initial values. Most notably was an Enki Bilal original painting made for one of the pages of his “<a href="http://www.comicbookbin.com/Rendez-vous_Paris003.html">tétralogie du Monstre</a>” which sold for 145, 000 euros (excluding fees). It was previously estimated at 20, 000 euros. The other important surprise was a Corto Maltese portrait made by creator Hugo Pratt, estimated at 30, 000 euros, but the auction closed at more the 8 times that amount (250, 000 euros excluding fees). Most of the other auctions' final prices have not yet been officially released by Artcurial but the total&#160;amount of the sale is rumoured to be around 3.4 millions euros. Source: Comicbookbin.com &#160; Article by Patrick Bérubé</sphttp://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspxTue, 08 Apr 2008 07:20:12 GMThttp://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspx?ItemID=News_20080408_140724News - Myanmar information minister urges local producers and filmmakers to increase production“Myanmar film production did not amount to much” said Information Minister Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan during his speech at the Academy Award Film Festival on 7 February. The 2008 Academy Award festival showcased only 11 Burmese films. Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan struck a cautionary note and said that several foreign films and CDs have entered Myanmar. Foreign film production far outstripped Myanmar films, and therefore it is a challenge for the Myanmar film and video producers. Foreign films are also a threat to national culture, patriotism and ethnic union. The celebration was held in Burma's new capital Naypyidaw (Pyinmana). Unusually, ethnic representatives and the committee for drafting the constitution also attend the Academy Award festival. Actor and actress Yang Aung and Nadar Hlaing were honoured with the leading drama award. Maung Myo Min was given the best director award. Academy Director Win Phay told the BBC that because of the economic crisis in Myanmar film production has been affected. “Film making is a costly business and filmmakers cannot afford to buy the necessary equipment. That is the reason why the standard of Burmese films is poor”, Win Phay added. Source: Malay Chan, IMNAhttp://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspxTue, 08 Apr 2008 05:45:47 GMThttp://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspx?ItemID=News_20080408_134226News - Korean films win recognition in EuropeKorean films are gaining increasing recognition on the international stage, winning numerous awards and honourable mentions in various film festivals. Park Chan-wook's I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK received an Honourable Mention at the 28th edition of the FantasPorto International Film Festival, which opened in Portugal on 9 March 2008. The film takes place in a mental hospital, where a girl who thinks she's a cyborg falls in love with another mental patient. Park is one of the most acclaimed directors in Korea today and is famous for his "vengeance trilogy", which includes the films Old Boy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. The film Breath by director Kim Ki-duk is a story about a death row inmate who falls in love with a married woman. It won the Jury's Special Award in the Orient Express section for Asian films at the festival in Portugal. Also attracting attention overseas is Director Jeon Sooil. His movie, With a Girl of Black Soil, has won several awards at festivals in Spain and Switzerland, as well as from the International Federation of Film Societies. Korean films were also shown at the 10th Deauville Asian Film Festival, which opened in France on 12 March. Veteran director Im Kwon-taek's 100th film, Beyond the Years with themes of love and nostalgia was chosen as the opening film. Jeong Yeon-soo's film Love Now (Changing Partners), which involves two couples who get caught up in affairs with each other, closed the festival on the 16th of March. Source: Arirang Newshttp://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspxTue, 08 Apr 2008 04:18:44 GMThttp://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspx?ItemID=News_20080408_121134News - A touring Chinese film festival held in France until 4 of May <hr /> From 27 February to 4 May, a program of 17 Chinese films is touring nine French cities. While half the films of the program have been provided by the Chinese Film Bureau and have never been released in France, the other half are those which have gained critical and audience acclaim in the country. An important delegation of Chinese actors and directors will accompany the films in the different cities, including actress Zhao Wei and director Zhang Yibai. The full program is available <a href="http://www.cap-cine.fr/">online</a> (in French only).http://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspxTue, 08 Apr 2008 04:07:13 GMThttp://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspx?ItemID=News_20080408_120351News - ASEM Films awarded at the 30th “CINÉMA DU RÉEL”<div align="justify">The French event dedicated to the cinematographic approach in filmmaking, ended on March the 16th 2008. ASEM films, and particularly ASEM films from Asian filmmakers, often find their goers there.</div> With a programme consisting in homage’s to prominent filmmakers such as the Malaysian “Enfant Terrible” Amir Muhammad”, and a Philippines production represented by Raya Martin, Arleen Cuevas and Lav Diaz (this year also jury member the International competition); the South East Asian section of the festival was completed by a retrospective of Indonesian political films. The festival “Cinéma du Réel” competitive sections presented short, medium and feature length documentaries, produced between 2007 and 2008. The films that participated in the competitive sections were shown in France for the first time. <div align="justify">&#160;“SAN” by Du Haibin (China) received the Cinema du Reel Grand Prix, ex aequo with the German production “HOLUNDERBLÜTE”, by Volker Koepp. Two other Asian films from ASEM countries have received other awards in the competitive section: ”INVISIBLE CITY” by Tan Pin Pin (Singapore), and “LISTENER’S TALE”&#160; by the young Indian filmmaker Arghya Basu. Awarded films from ASEM Europe included a Romanian production ” PODUL DE FLORI” by Thomas Ciulei (Romania), which was attributed the Library Award and received also an honorable mentions. “GUGARA” , a Polish movie by Jacek Naglowski and Andrzej Dybczak received the Intangible Heritage Award. “QIAN MEN QIAN” by Olivier Meys, is a Belgian awarded film on the destruction of the last hutong – the traditional Chinese family houses&#160; – in the Qianmen district, in Beijing. “What will tourists visit&#160; after you’ ll have demolished all the hutongs?.. Skyscapers thathttp://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspxTue, 08 Apr 2008 03:57:29 GMThttp://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspx?ItemID=News_20080408_115426News - Support Programme to cultural industries in ACP countries launched soonThe new programme aims to enhance a common cultural space for ACP States, through an enabling environment for creativity, cooperation and exchanges, independence and viability, as well as the safeguarding of cultural diversity and fundamental cultural values. Open to all cultural domains except cinema and audiovisual, the grant scheme is designed to support cultural projects aimed at contributing to the professionalisation of ACP cultural operators, by enlarging and consolidating exchanges, developing cooperation and economic linkages between operators, as well as quality improvement of ACP cultural goods and services. &#160;The The indicative date for launching the call for proposals is May 2008. The call for proposals will be published in the ACP website. <o:p></o:p>http://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspxSun, 06 Apr 2008 12:06:47 GMThttp://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspx?ItemID=News_20080406_200317News - RAFT: Temporary Platform for Contemporary Questions <a href="http://www.ietm.org/">IETM</a>, <a href="http://www.idanca.net/">Idanca.net</a> and <a href="http://www.revistaobscena.com/">Obscena</a> have launched a <a href="http://www.raft.idanca.net/">new temporary platform</a>, which offers an open and democratic space for people to think about performing arts today. Writers from South America, Africa, Asia and Europe initiate the discussion, proposing questions and putting forward provocations, to which all are invited to respond with commenhttp://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspxSun, 06 Apr 2008 11:49:43 GMThttp://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspx?ItemID=News_20080406_192004News - Cultural assets to be recorded in data banksNews&#160;contributed by&#160;IFACCA The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism have announced that VND4.5 trillion will be invested intangible cultural heritage from 2006 to 2010.<o:p></o:p> The money will be used to build and equip data banks of the intangible cultural heritage at 15 localities in the country. In addition, the government will provide VND100&#160;to 200 million to collect and preserve intangible cultural heritage and will grant VND100 million for organizing a traditional festival.<o:p></o:p> The government will also provide money to build cultural houses, libraries and offer cinema projectors in remote areas, especially mountainous regions.<o:p></o:p> &#160;http://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspxSat, 05 Apr 2008 09:59:41 GMThttp://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspx?ItemID=News_20080405_175613News - New Media Policy D’Art ResearchThe Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) and the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) are co-hosting a mini-summit from 24-26 July 2008 on new media arts practice and the government support towards it . In preparation a D’Art research question is launched to identify policy issues and to locate key personnel to invite to the mini-summit. For more information on the questionnaire , please visit http://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspxSat, 05 Apr 2008 09:08:08 GMThttp://www.culture360.org/culture360dev/inform/news/tabid/58/language/en-US/Default.aspx?ItemID=News_20080405_170501