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The Searchlight section brings back to the big screen modern classics that received warm receptions from EnergaCAMERIMAGE audiences. Among the highlights is The Favourite, which captivated audiences and won the Audience Award at EnergaCAMERIMAGE 2018, and Nomadland, which took home the Golden Frog as well as the FIPRESCI Award in 2020. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri also left a lasting impact on festival-goers, securing the Audience Award in 2017. These films, along with Birdman or (the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Sideways, and The Grand Budapest Hotel, showcase the artistic vision and innovative storytelling that Searchlight has championed over the years.
EnergaCAMERIMAGE’s tribute to Searchlight emphasizes the profound impact the company has had on contemporary cinema since its inception in 1994. Over the years, Searchlight has produced a multitude of acclaimed films, amassing numerous accolades, including five Oscars® for Best Picture since 2009. This retrospective not only honors those accomplishments but also provides a platform to revisit or discover the exceptional works that have come to define Searchlight’s legacy.
BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)
A black comedy that tells the story of Riggan – an actor famous for portraying an iconic superhero – as he struggles to stage a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself. The people who surround him are also trying to cope with various problems, such as drug addiction, sex life, and self-realisation.
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Cinematographer: Emmanuel Lubezki
Produced by: Fox Searchlight Pictures, Le Grisbi Productions, M. Productions, New Regency, Pictures, Worldview Entertainment
Country and year: USA, 2014
THE FAVOURITE
England at the beginning of the 18th century. Shy, lonely and utterly confused in a world of patriarchal politics, Queen Anne leaves the country’s domestic and foreign affairs to her dear friend Lady Sarah while indulging herself in more down-to-earth matters, like feeding her beloved pet rabbits. At one point, she begins to be courted by Abigail, a former aristocrat who simply wants to lead a joyous, carefree life. But this means war with Lady Sarah. England will definitely not become a good country for poor people, but at least the court folk are enjoying themselves.
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Cinematographer: Robbie Ryan
Produced by: Fox Searchlight Pictures, Channel Four Films, Element Pictures, Scarlet Films, Waypoint Entertainment
Country and year: USA, UK, Ireland 2018
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
A hotel foyer is not unlike a stage, and legendary concierge Monsieur Gustave is the tacit director of many wonderful entrances and exits in this particular hotel. He knows the proclivities and secret desires of his eccentric guests who come from far and wide world. Some of the ladies in particular are most grateful. One such individual is quirky Madame D, who bequeaths Gustave a valuable Renaissance painting. Her resentful son Dimitri accuses Gustave of having murdered his mother and of legacy hunting.
Director: Wes Anderson
Cinematographer: Robert D. Yeoman
Produced by: American Empirical Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions
Country and year: USA, UK, Germany 2014
NOMADLAND
A hotel foyer is not unlike a stage, and legendary concierge Monsieur Gustave is the tacit director of many wonderful entrances and exits in this particular hotel. He knows the proclivities and secret desires of his eccentric guests who come from far and wide world. Some of the ladies in particular are most grateful. One such individual is quirky Madame D, who bequeaths Gustave a valuable Renaissance painting. Her resentful son Dimitri accuses Gustave of having murdered his mother and of legacy hunting.
Director: Chloé Zhao
Cinematographer: Joshua James Richards
Produced by: Cor Cordium Production, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Hear/Say Productions, Highwayman Films
Country and year: USA, 2020
SIDEWAYS
The misadventures begin when Miles, an un-recovered divorcé and would-be novelist with a wine fixation, decides to gift his old college buddy and washed-up actor Jack with a trip to the vineyards of the coast the week before Jack’s wedding. The two couldn’t be an odder couple. Jack is over-sexed charmer; Miles is a sad-sack worrier.
Director: Alexander Payne
Cinematographer: Phedon Papamichael
Produced by: Fox Searchlight Pictures, Michael London Productions, Sideways Productions
Country and year: USA, 2004
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
Mildred Hayes is sick of everything: the ineptitude of the police department in finding the murderer of her teenage daughter, of people telling her that everything will be alright, and most of all of feeling guilty for being a bad mother. One day she rents three forgotten billboards that stand on the road leading into her town. On them she puts a very clear message to all who do not want to ease her suffering. This means war, and she knows it. The embittered, desperate woman does not realise that her provocation will start a chain reaction which will affect many lives, including those of the people close to her.
Director: Martin McDonagh
Cinematographer: Ben Davis
Produced by: Blueprint Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Film4
Country and year: USA, UK 2017
This carefully selected retrospective at EnergaCAMERIMAGE Festival which takes place in Torun, Kujawy-Pomorze Region promises to be a memorable cinematic experience, inviting viewers to rediscover the magic of these films on the big screen and celebrate Searchlight’s enduring influence on global cinema.