April (2024 film)
| April | |
|---|---|
| Georgian | აპრილი |
| Directed by | Déa Kulumbegashvili |
| Written by | Déa Kulumbegashvili |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Arseni Khachaturan |
| Edited by | Jacopo Ramella Pajrin |
| Music by | Matthew Herbert |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Pyramide Distribution (France) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 134 minutes[1] |
| Countries | Georgia Italy France |
| Language | Georgian |
| Budget | €2 million |
April (Georgian: აპრილი, romanized: ap'rili) is a 2024 drama film written and directed by Déa Kulumbegashvili.[2] It stars Ia Sukhitashvili, Kakha Kintsurashvili and Merab Ninidze.
The film had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival,[1] where it won the Special Jury Prize.[3]
Premise
[edit]Nina, an obstetrician in rural Georgia who aids patients seeking abortions despite legal prohibition, must defend her values and actions when she is accused of negligence and subject to investigation.[2]
Cast
[edit]- Ia Sukhitashvili as Nina
- Kakha Kintsurashvili as David
- Merab Ninidze as the chief physician
Production
[edit]Following the success of her first feature film Beginning, Kulumbegashvili was awarded a 2022 Baumi Script Development Award to begin work on her next feature, then titled Historia, about a Georgian obstetrician who provides illegal abortions.[4] That December, Cineuropa reported that filming would commence the following March with financial support from Arte France Cinéma.[5]
Release
[edit]April was acquired for international sales by Goodfellas, then known as Wild Bunch International. By December 2022, the project was slated for a 2024 release date, though Screen Daily reported in May 2023 that the film was expected to premiere at that year's Cannes Film Festival.[6][7]
In July 2024, April was announced as a main competition entry at the 81st Venice International Film Festival.[8] It has been selected for the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024 under the World Cinema section.[9]
Reception
[edit]Critical reception
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 95% of 20 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10.[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 88 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[11]
Accolades
[edit]| Award | Ceremony date | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venice International Film Festival | 7 September 2024 | Golden Lion | Dea Kulumbegashvili | Nominated | [12] |
| Special Jury Prize | Won | ||||
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | 28 September 2024 | Zabaltegi-Tabakalera Award | April | Won | [13] |
| BFI London Film Festival | 20 October 2024 | Best Film | Nominated | [14] | |
| Asia Pacific Screen Awards | 30 November 2024 | Best Film | Won | [15] [16] | |
| Best Director | Dea Kulumbegashvili | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||||
| Best Performance | Ia Sukhitashvili | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography | Arseni Khachaturan | Nominated | |||
| TOKYO FILMeX | 30 November 2024 | Grand Prize | April | Won | [17] |
| European Film Awards | 7 December 2024 | European University Film Award | Dea Kulumbegashvili | Nominated | [18] |
| Singapore International Film Festival | 8 December 2024 | Best Screenplay | Won | [19] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Biennale Cinema 2024 | April". La Biennale di Venezia. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Those Who Find Me". Goodfellas. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ Tartaglione, Andreas Wiseman,Nancy (2024-09-07). "Venice Winners: Pedro Almodóvar's 'The Room Next Door' Wins The Golden Lion; Also Wins For Nicole Kidman, Brady Corbet, 'I'm Still Here' & More". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Roxborough, Scott. "Directors Dea Kulumbegashvili, Visar Morina Win Baumi Script Development Award". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ Lemercier, Fabien. "Arte France Cinéma supports Alain Guiraudie's Miséricorde". Cineuropa. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ Lavallée, Eric. "FOREIGN FILM NEWSDea Kulumbegashvili's "Those Who Find Me" & Alain Guiraudie's "Miséricorde" Aiming for 2024". Ion Cinema. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ Leffler, Rebecca. "Goodfellas unveils Cannes 2023 slate, includes starry period drama 'The Flood', 'Inside' with Guy Pearce (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ Billington, Alex. "81st Venice Film Festival Selection - Guadagnino, Kurzel, Almodóvar". FirstShowing. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ Deb, Deepshikha (2024-09-30). "MAMI Mumbai Film Festival Unveils 2024 Official Lineup". High On Films. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
- ^ "April". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ^ "April". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ^ Vivarelli, Nick; Shafer, Ellise. "Venice Film Festival Lineup: 'Joker 2' With Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, Angelina Jolie's 'Maria' and Luca Guadagnino's Daniel Craig-Led 'Queer' to Debut in Competition". Variety. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ "Todos los ganadores del Festival de San Sebastián 2024". Escribiendo Cine. 28 September 2024.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (29 August 2024). "London Film Festival: Dea Kulumbegashvili's 'April' And Barry Keoghan Pic 'Bring Them Down' To Play In Competition". Deadline. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ "17th ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED". Asia Pacific Screen Awards. 2024-10-16. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
- ^ Frater, Patrick (2024-10-16). "'All We Imagine as Light' and 'April' Lead Nominations for Asia Pacific Screen Awards". Variety. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
- ^ "フィルメックス授賞式". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 2024-12-01. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
- ^ Calnan, Ellie (23 October 2024). "'Kneecap' among European University Film Award 2024 nominees". Screen International. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ Merican, Sara (December 9, 2024). "Singapore Film Fest Closes With Highest-Ever Box Office Earnings; 'Mongrel' Wins Best Asian Feature Film". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
