As independent filmmakers with a feature shot in Cusco, Peru nearing completion, this was fantastic news to wake up to this morning. We first discovered Claudia Llosa at Berlinale in 2006 when the sort version of Postales, “Chicle,” was in competition. Congratulations, Claudia!
Lima, Feb. 02 (ANDINA).- The Milk of Sorrow is not only the first Peruvian film nominated for an Oscar, but also the second Latin American film to earn this distinction.
So far, “La historia oficial” (The Official Story-1985) by Argentine director Luis Puenzo is the first and only Latin American production honored with this Academy Award.
It should be noted that the Peruvian film is in competition along with four other films including “El Secreto de Sus Ojos” from Argentine director Juan Jose Campanella, making this a special edition since two Latin American films are in competition.
The Spanish “Mar adentro” by Alejandro Amenábar was the fifth and last Spanish-speaking film to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
European films have dominated the nominations and, presumably, won the highest number of statuettes.
France comes first with 37 nominations and 13 wins; Italy holds second place with 30 nominations and 12 statuettes.
Claudia at Berlinale in 2009. We were there in 2006
The Lofu Team continues to work day and night in an attempt to finish Postales. It’s been an exhausting process, and we are almost there. Hip-hip hooray!
Our hearts have been heavy thinking about the people who’ve lost their homes and lives in the recent flooding in Peru. Last time I checked, more than 40,000 had been affected by the floods. Our prayers go out to you.
In the midst of putting the finishing touches on Postales, our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Port-au-Prince and all of Haiti today after this week’s devastating earthquake. NPR provides a few resources if you’re looking at ways to help.
We at Lofu Productions are saddened by a report in the in the January 3, 2010 issue of the London Observer highlighting how climate change is bringing freezing temperatures to Peru’s poorest mountain villages, causing mass death, starvation and disease. Animals and children are dying and in such escalating numbers that many fear that life in these villages may be rapidly approaching an end. Read more here.
Congratulations to fellow IFP lab fellows Zeina Durra, Vanessa Hope and the cast and crew of “The Imperialists are Still Alive!” on being selected to participate in this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Best of luck to all; 2010 looks to be a fruitful year for all of the lab’s participants!
Hey everybody, check out the new and extended Postales trailer that was screened during IFP Film Week in New York City! It’s a bit more explicative than the original, be sure to watch and leave your comments below!
Selected as one of only 10 films in the nation, Postales will be represented in IFP’s emerging narrative section during their Independent Film Week market running September 19-23. This is both an incredible honor and opportunity for the Postales team. Check out what one of the film’s producers, PJ Fishwick, has to say about the experience so far…
“Its been a great week so far for Postales here at IFP NY Film Week. There have been so many Film Week events we havent had too much down time. The conference section of film week has had some really interesting panel discussions about every aspect of producing an independent feature moderated by some of the pillars of the Indie Film making community. Last night we attended a rooftop films screening of the Emerging Narrative trailers and it was a great feeling to have so many members of the public and the Indie Film community view the Postales trailer. Today the team has been meeting with distributers and financiers all day to talk
about Postales and future of LoFu Productions.
Thanks for putting together such a great week IFP!”
Check out Postales’ latest feature article in the July-August edition of HighDef Magazine! Click on the link below to read the full article on page 13.
All of Postales‘ color timing was done at Optimus in Chicago under the master guidance of Ken Wald. After 5 sessions of around 5 hours each, we achieved our first pass. Both Dan Fischer and Evan Smith sat in, lending each other a hand when the tediousness of the work became wearying. “Ken is a magician,” said Fischer, “fantastic at his work. He can get in a groove and move fast while keeping a wonderful eye out for fixes.” While this process puts an undeniable polish on the film, the work is focused on the minute details as much as it is the overall picture…often times these guys would spend 15 minutes staring at a single image and then repeating that process over a 5 hour session.
Ted Sianis, our graphics guy, worked his own magic…much like a super cool, high tech pencil eraser, but with computers! Ted helped to conceal a handful of problem shots: adding mud to a water spicket and removing lights that found their way into the shots. In one instance, he even added a building to the valley skyline in order to cover up a few lights. Not only does his work look excellent, but he was a real trooper, patiently working with Dan who made several return visits as they worked their way through a handful of technical issues (Codec problems, screen ratio, timing). These complications were in part due to the fact that the film was still being tweaked in the editing room while he was working. No sooner would he be done, but a shot length would change and we would find ourselves back on Ted’s doorstep. Dan admitted later that together they probably learned more about new codecs across different platforms than he may ever need to know!
Thanks again to both of these fine gentlemen, Ken Wald and Ted Sianis, for their tremendous work. Be sure to check out the latest photos and webisodes, and keep your eyes peeled for updates regarding Postales at IFP Film Week, coming up next month!
Llamas and frogs and street dogs, Oh My! Webisode 5 takes a closer look into the use of animal imagery within the scenes and story of “Postales.” Writer/Director Josh Hyde explains his intention behind the inclusion of these animals, both within the script and the final film, and how they work to support several of the film’s overarching themes.
“Its been a great week so far for Postales here at IFP NY Film Week. There have been so many Film Week events we havent had too much down time. The conference section of film week has had some really interesting panel discussions about every aspect of producing an independent feature moderated by some of the pillars of the Indie Film making community. Last night we attended a rooftop films screening of the Emerging Narrative trailers and it was a great feeling to have so many members of the public and the Indie Film community view the Postales trailer. Today the team has been meeting with distributers and financiers all day to talk 
tediousness of the work became wearying. “Ken is a magician,” said Fischer, “fantastic at his work. He can get in a groove and move fast while keeping a wonderful eye out for fixes.” While this process puts an undeniable polish on the film, the work is focused on the minute details as much as it is the overall picture…often times these guys would spend 15 minutes staring at a single image and then repeating that process over a 5 hour session.
excellent, but he was a real trooper, patiently working with Dan who made several return visits as they worked their way through a handful of technical issues (Codec problems, screen ratio, timing). These complications were in part due to the fact that the film was still being tweaked in the editing room while he was working. No sooner would he be done, but a shot length would change and we would find ourselves back on Ted’s doorstep. Dan admitted later that together they probably learned more about new codecs across different platforms than he may ever need to know!