What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 8th October 2020.

Now in its 16th year and having run from 24th September through until 4th October, the Zurich Film Festival provides a platform for the most promising filmmakers from around the globe. It aims to promote exchange between emerging Directors, successful film workers, the film industry and the general public. Every Autumn, the ZFF presents the years greatest discoveries and most anticipated films. The Zurich Film Festival began in October 2005 and became firmly established upon the national and international festival circuit within a very short period of time. The festival has continued to grow rapidly since that inaugural edition, and in 2019, the ZFF attracted approximately 117,000 cinemagoers and more than 1,500 accredited journalists and media professionals from around the world. 

The International Competition sees emerging filmmakers compete in three categories with their first, second or third directorial works for the coveted Golden Eye – the festival’s highest accolade. The ZFF’s 'Focus' competition section concentrates on the film-producing countries Switzerland, Germany and Austria.

The Feature Film Competition was this year won by 'Sin Senas Particulares'  ('Identifying Features') Directed by Fernanda Valadez in this Mexican and Spanish co-production. The drama revolves around Magdalena, who travels north through a desolate Mexican landscape in search of her son, who left for the United States and is presumed to be dead. Also in competition in this category were : 'Apples/Mila', 'Charter', 'Gagarine', 'Limbo', 'Moving On', 'Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always', 'Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time', 'Shithouse', 'Shorta', 'Slalom', 'Sweat', 'The Disciple' and 'Wildland'.

The Focus Competition was won by 'Hochwald'  ('Why Not You') Directed by Evi Romen in this Austrian and Belgian co-produced film. The film tells the story of Mario, who breaks out of his South Tyrolean homeland with his childhood friend Lenz and visits a gay bar in Rome with him. When Lenz falls victim during an armed attack, Mario returns to his home village, where his life gradually unravels. Also in competition in this category were : '80,000 Schnitzel', 'Beyto', 'Die letzten Osterreicher', 'Exil', 'Miraggio', 'NOT ME - A Journey with Not Vital', 'Oeconomia', 'One of These Days', 'Sami, Joe und Ich', 'Spagat' and 'Wood'. 

The Documentary Competition was won by 'Time' Directed by Garrett Bradley in this American film. The long-term documentary portrays Sibil and her husband Rob, who are said to have robbed a bank 21 years ago. While she got away with a minor sentence, he was sentenced to 60 years in a Louisiana State Prison. Sibil has been fighting for the pardon of her husband for two decades - and records family life with a video camera. Also in competition in this category were : '76 Days', 'Acasa, My Home', 'I Am Greta', 'Jacinta', 'King of the Cruise', 'La Mami', 'Maya', 'Mayor', 'Songs of Repression', 'The Earth Is Blue as an Orange' and 'The Painter and the Thief'. 

In addition, other awards included The Audience Award which this year went to 'Sami, Joe und Ich' by Director Karin Haberlein. This Swiss film tells the story of the three girls Sami, Joe and Leyla, who are confronted with various problems at the end of their school days together. The Critics Prize was awarded to the German documentary '80,000 Schnitzel' by Director Hannah Schweier charting the life of the 83-year-old landlady Berta and her granddaughter Monika, who are trying to save the family business in Upper Palatinate together. The Science Film Award went to Director Nathan Grossman for his Swedish documentary feature 'I Am Greta' which follows the Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg on her mission to halt climate change.

For all the news and views coverage from this years Zurich Film Festival, you can visit the official website at : www.https://zff/com

Turning attention back to this weeks five latest release new movies coming to your local Odeon, we kick off with a film about the war in Afghanistan and how a small troop of US soldiers are pinned down by a seemingly overwhelming group of Taliban insurgents in this realistically recreated story of valour against all the odds. Next up is a story from New Zealand about gang culture as seen through the eyes of one man at three different stages in his life and how ultimately he must choose between his real family or his gang family. We then turn to an Australian film about a secret love affair that doesn't remain a secret for very long as our man here makes a bolt for a remote island off the Western Australian coast only to be pursued by the woman's jilted boyfriend. This is followed up with a story of a former pageant winning contestant who enters her daughter into the same pageant years later even though that daughter is very reluctant to follow in her mothers footsteps, and we close out the week with a tale of an ageing chain smoking grandma whose win at a local casino attracts the unwanted attention of some local gangsters. 

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the five latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.

'THE OUTPOST' (Rated MA15+) - this American and Bulgarian Co-Produced war drama film is Directed by Rod Lurie whose previous feature film making credits take in the likes of 'The Contender', 'The Last Castle', 'Nothing But the Truth', and 'Straw Dogs'. This film is based on the 2012 book 'The Outpost : An Untold Story of American Valor' by Jake Tapper about the Battle of Kamdesh during the war in Afghanistan. Due to see its Premier screening at South by Southwest in March of this year, when the festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak, it was released through Premium VOD and in selected US theatres in early July this year. Now its gets a release in Australia having earned just over US$1M at the Box Office so far and generated largely positive Reviews.

The film tells the true life story of the bravery of a small unit of fifty-three U.S. soldiers, alone at the remote Combat Outpost Keating located some fourteen miles from the border with Pakistan and at the base of three steep mountains. The Battle of Kamdesh, as it was known, was the bloodiest American engagement of the Afghan War in 2009 as that small platoon of men faced down on a force of some four hundred Taliban insurgents during Operation Enduring Freedom in a coordinated attack. Bravo Troop 3-61 CAV became one of the most decorated units of the 19-year conflict. Starring Scott Eastwood, Caleb Landry Jones, Orlando Bloom and Milo Gibson. 

'SAVAGE' (Rated MA15+) - is a New Zealand drama film Directed and Written for the screen by Sam Kelly in his feature film debut. The film gets its inspiration from New Zealand's boys homes and the early history of gangs. Following Danny across three different periods in his life at important junctures that push and pull him towards and away from gang life. Each chapter is a complete short story set in a defining time for New Zealand gangs - from the abusive state-run boy’s homes of the sixties; to the emerging urban gang scene in the seventies where disenfranchised teenagers created their own families on the streets; to the eighties when gangs became more structured, criminal, and violent. Together the three chapters combine to create a closer examination of a boy who grows up to become the brutal enforcer of a gang and to understand how he got there. Danny is torn between his real family and his gang family, and must choose where he belongs. Starring Olly Presling at the young Danny, James Matamua as the teenage Danny and Jake Ryan as the adult Danny with John Tui, Seth Flynn and Chelsie Preston Crayford.

'DIRT MUSIC' (Rated M) - here this Australian romantic drama offering is Directed by Gregor Jordan whose prior film making efforts include 'Two Hands', 'Buffalo Soldiers', 'Ned Kelly', 'The Informers' and 'Unthinkable'. Based on the acclaimed 2001 Tim Winton novel of the same name, the film has generated mostly average press so far. Here, Georgie Jutland (Kelly Macdonald), becomes fascinated while watching a stranger, Luther Fox (Garrett Hedlund) attempting to poach fish in an area where nobody can maintain secrets for very long. Disillusioned with her relationship with the local fisherman legend Jim Buckridge (David Wenham) she concocts a meeting with the stranger and soon passion runs out of control between two bruised and emotionally fragile people. Their secret quickly becomes impossible to hide, and Jim wants revenge, whilst the poacher hikes north along the Western Australian coast to an island off the remote coast of Kimberley to escape a confrontation. 

'MISS JUNETEENTH' (Rated M) - is an American drama film Written and Directed by first-timer Channing Godfrey Peoples. The film saw its Premier showing at this years Sundance Film Festival back in  January, went on a VOD release in the US on the 155th anniversary of the Juneteenth public holiday across the United States -19th June, has garnered generally favourable Reviews and has taken so far just over US$100K. Turquoise Jones (Nicole Beharie), is a single mother in a suburb of Fort Worth, Texas. She is the former winner of the local Miss Juneteenth pageant which offers full scholarships to college. She enters her somewhat rebellious fifteen year old daughter, Kai (Alexis Chikaeze) in the same pageant despite her daughter's obvious lack of enthusiasm. Also starring Kendrick Sampson and Liz Mikel. 

'LUCKY GRANDMA' (Rated M) - Co-Written and Directed by Sasie Sealy in her feature film debut, this film is set in New York City's Chinatown where a local fortune teller Lei Lei (Wai Ching Ho) predicts a very special day in the future of Grandma (Tsai Chin) who then decides to head to the casino and goes all in, only to land herself on the wrong side of luck and attracting the unwanted attention of some local gangsters. Desperate to protect herself, grandma employs the services of a bodyguard Big Pong (Corey Ha), from a rival gang and soon finds herself right in the middle of a local gang war. The film has generated mostly positive critical acclaim and has thus far collected two award wins and another three nominations from around the festivals circuit. 

With five new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead, at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-