Madonna's directorial debut, Filth and Wisdom, which is playing the Berlinale in the artsy "Panorama" section, opened today, and our good friends over at indieWIRE had one of the few one-on-one interviews Her Madonna-ness granted to her film fest subjects. indieWIRE reports that buzz from folks coming out of the screening was (some might say surprisingly) mostly positive.

The film, originally envisioned as a short but expanded to 85 minutes, tells the tale of "three friends desperate to better their lot in life, who must duel with the reality of their circumstances." There's A.K., a would-be rock superstar who keeps things afloat while waiting for his ship to come in by turning tricks as a cross-dresser; Holly, who trains as a ballerina by day while working as a stripper at night to survive; and Juliette, who works in a pharmacy while saving money to live her dream of moving to Africa to help children in need.

Madonna chose to show her film at Berlin and, according to the indieWIRE piece, has no plans for further fest screenings. Instead, the film's team is exploring distribution options, "both traditional and non-traditional," so you may be able to see it sooner rather than later. In the meantime, you can check out indieWIRE's excellent writeup of their Madonna interview, and see a sneak-peek three-minute scene from the film. Added bonus for all you guys out there (well, girls too, let's not make gender assumptions here) -- most of the clip is a scene of strippers practicing pole dancing. In, you know ... an artsy way.

Sometimes I wish I had a large, waiting-to-be-used stash of money that would allow me to go to every film festival that caught my fancy. The other option would be to convince a patron of each fest to wear a mini camera on their lapel, but that would be, well, illegal, so let's stick with the other fantasy. Like many of the big fests, Berlinale is looking to be all sorts of tasty. We've already had some previous screening announcements, and now Reuters has added even more eagerly-anticipated films to the fest list.

In the realm of Berlin's competitive films, Kristin Scott Thomas' I've Loved You So Long has been added to the roster. In the "out of competition" offerings at Berlinale, filmgoers can delight in a who's who of big names. There's Fireflies in the Garden, the Julia Roberts-starring film about a town devastated by an unexpected tragedy. (It's also a film that co-stars the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hayden Panettiere, and Ioan Gruffudd.) Or, if you want to dip back into history, there's Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman's The Other Boleyn Girl. And, what could be better to wrap up the festival than a movie for fans of film? Berlinale will perfectly close with Michel Gondry's Be Kind Rewind. (Check out James' Sundance review!)

The festival will run from February 7 to 17.

There's going to be some shiny, happy people at Berlinale this year. At least, some that get to bask in a big, musical, cinematic light. According to the folks over at indieWIRE, Martin Scorsese's Rolling Stones concert flick, Shine a Light, will open the 58th Berlin International Film Festival when it kicks into gear on February 7. That's not a bad start to the fest, which has already announced some of the films that will compete this year. In December, titles like Errol Morris' S.O.P.: Standard Operating Procedure were announced, and just last week, flicks like Julia and Elegy were added to the roster.

But back to the Stones. The footage for this film was shot during two concerts at New York's Beacon Theater back in 2006. But this wasn't your average concert-production affair. As iW describes, Scorsese's film used sixteen cameras and collected over half a million feet of concert footage. That's compounded by all the big names involved, which I mentioned in a post about the film last July -- such as Oscar-winner Robert Anderson and cinematographer John Toll. But larger-than-life old men prancing around isn't all you can look forward to in the film. There's also performances by Jack White and Christina Aguilera (who gets a very-close wiggle with Mick Jagger), and behind-the-scenes footage. You can check out a trailer on Moviefone right here.

Although I didn't get to see the horror-comedy Teeth when it first premiered at last year's Sundance Film Festival, I did get to experience the film while covering the Berlin International Film Festival back in February, as well as sit down for a little one-on-one time with the flick's star, Jess Weixler. For those who may have forgotten about Teeth, or never heard of it before, it's the one about the girl with teeth in her vagina. Yup, not joking. It's warped, it's bizarre, it's a tad nasty ... but it's so much fun to watch. Personally, I've been waiting a long time for this film to be released, and now Fangoria reports that Roadside Attractions will shovel it into theaters in New York and Los Angeles on November 30, with the film expanding nationwide in mid-December.

Directed by the very friendly (and talented) Mitchell Lichtenstein, Teeth follows Dawn (Weixler); a teen abstinence preacher who's always avoided sexual contact because of a little problem she has down there. Suffering from a rare case of "vagina dentata," Dawn goes about her business telling kids not to have sex, until she, herself, feels the need to start experimenting with a boy she's grown fond of. From there, let's just say all the guys in the audience might find it hard to watch the events unfold. I'm a big fan of actress Jess Weixler, who also starred in another little-seen indie gem, The Big Bad Swim, and look forward to seeing what future projects she takes on. But do yourself a favor and go see Teeth when it comes out. It's a fun film that deserves a little more attention. For more, check out Kim's review and Scott's review of the film from Sundance.

I first had a chance to see Teeth when it premiered at this year's Berlinale (check out the mini video interview I did with the pic's star, Jess Weixler), but the film first caused waves when it screened at Sundance (check out Kim's review and Scott's review from the fest) a few months back. For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, Teeth is an independent film directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein which centers on a wholesome, abstinence-preaching teenager who unfortunately discovers that she suffers from a rare case of vagina dentata -- meaning, she has a whole bunch of sharp teeth, um, down there. Needless to say, things don't go so well when it comes time for her to dabble in some sexual activities with the opposite sex.

Now, The Weinstein Co. picked up the film at Sundance, with plans to distribute it later this summer. Seeing as some of the pic's most graphic scenes involve -- how shall I say this -- shots of bloody, dismembered genitalia, one of the big questions was how the Weinsteins were going to get this film through the MPAA without walking away with an NC-17 rating. Well, I'm happy to report that Teeth was just issued an R rating (for disturbing sequences involving sexuality and violence, language and some drug use) from the MPAA, though I truly hope it made it through in the form that played both Sundance and Berlin. However, knowing those Weinstein boys and their undying need to chop the hell out of films, I'm almost scared to see which version of Teeth finally makes it into theaters. Currently, there's still no release date for the film (Weinstein Co. = I'm not surprised), but here's hoping you all get to see this by the time the summer is out. Teeth is one heckuva crowd pleaser -- the sold-out audience I watched it with were screaming and laughing throughout. I rarely go out of my way to push a film onto you folks, but Teeth is by far the best horror-comedy of 2007. When (and if) it ever gets released in theaters, you'll be thanking me for the recommendation.

Note: The following interview was conducted during the 57th Berlinale, where Itty Bitty Titty Committee had its World Premiere in the fest's Panorama section. This week, during its North American premiere at SXSW, the film took home a Jury Award for narrative feature.

Directed by Jamie Babbit (But I'm a Cheerleader), Itty Bitty Titty Committee is a politically-charged romantic dramedy which focuses on a girl named Hannah (Melanie Diaz) who finds her boring, ordinary life flipped upside down upon meeting Sadie (Nicole Vicious), leader of the CiA (or Clits in Action) -- a group of radical feminists who attempt to spread their message in some unique (and often dangerously illegal) ways.

This is familiar territory for Babbit, who dealt with similar themes in But I'm a Cheerleader -- a film, mind you, that she originally received an NC-17 rating for. With some pretty steamy (yet tame) lesbian sex and characters who attempt to blow up a national monument, Cinematical sat down with Jamie (as well as cast members Nicole Vicious, Daniela Sea, Joel Michaely and producer Lisa Thrasher) to learn more about Itty Bitty Titty Committee and whether Jamie (who appeared in the pic This Film is Not Yet Rated) was worried her latest would face similar ratings problems.

Cinematical: First off, I love the title for this film; I think it's awesome. Where did it come from?

Jamie Babbit: Actually, the title came from Guinevere Turner (who plays Marcy the reporter). It was her idea, and so we incorporated it into the film.

More after the jump ...

Controversy swirled around Yu Li's Lost in Beijing prior to it arriving in Berlin, as Chinese censors threatened to block the film from screening unless Li made certain cuts that were crucial to the plot. Of course, said cuts involved removing scenes that shed a negative light on China; like a doctor taking a bribe, prostitution shops and something to do with the heavy sex scenes. Needless to say, the film did make it in and, from what we were told, the version that screened for the press was uncut. Though the finished product was far from risky material (to this American audience member, at least), pic's carefully layered script and outstanding ensemble cast helped rise it above a slew of mediocre fare ... but, it remained hovering beneath fest's best pics.

Sprawling shots of Beijing skyscrapers greet us to open the film; most of them under construction as if to foreshadow the birth of something new. Like a lot of girls her age, Liu Ping Guo (Fan Bingbing) struggles to get by; between her income as a foot masseuse and her husband's (Tong Da Wei) as a high-rise window cleaner, the two can just barely afford a dingy apartment and life's most sacred essentials. For now, their marriage is kept secret -- for Liu could be fired if her boss (Tony Leung, as a multi-millionaire who's married to an elegant woman, yet spends most of his time paying for high-priced prostitutes to visit him in hotel rooms) were to find out she was attached. While no sex takes place at his masseuse parlor, he likes his pack of girls to be young, single and flirty. The more they flirt, the more money comes in.

Like a drug, Yella slowly creeps on you long after the end credits roll, takes hold of your body and doesn't let go until you're convinced it was one of the best films this year's Berlinale had to offer. Wicked in the way it plays mind games with the audience, director Christian Petzold (Ghosts) has confirmed he's definitely one to watch, creating a sharp and daring film that never unveils its true colors until the very last frame. And, even then, we're still not sure how all the pieces fit together -- overcome by the greatest feeling a moviegoer could ask for: the need to watch it again ... and again.

When we first meet Yella (Nina Hoss), she's walking a familiar route between the train station and her home. However, she's afraid of something, someone -- hiding behind her long brown hair, almost uncomfortable in the clothes she wears; in the person she's become. We soon discover she's being followed (a pervert, perhaps?), but it's revealed that the man in the truck is an ex-lover, someone Yella is desperate to allude. He's anxious to speak with her -- wavers between anger and sweetness -- but Yella will have none of it; her silence telling us all we need to know: that this guy is bad news.

Had Hallam Foe played the Sundance festival, it probably would have been one of the more buzzed-about films; its edgy, teenage angst quirkiness doesn't quite seem like it belongs in competition here in Berlin. However, that has not stopped it from pleasing a crowd desperate for a bit more entertainment -- a bit more flavor -- as the festival entered its final days. Following his full-of-life performance in Billy Elliot, Jamie Bell has subsequently gone on to become a warped festival actor -- the kind of guy you get to play "fed up with his dysfunctional neighborhood" (The Chumscrubber) or, in this case, "cross-dressing teen obsessed with his dead mother."

Young Hallam doesn't have many talents; following the suicide of his mother, he spends most of his time camped out in a treehouse built high off the ground on the edges of his father's massive estate. There, he's created a bit of a shrine to mom; collecting her old clothes, pictures, make-up and whatever other memorabilia he could find in an attempt to keep her memory alive. It would appear Hallam only has one hobby: to occasionally smear his mother's old lipstick across his body and spy on those closest to him (including the neighbors) with his binoculars. He'll then frantically scribble his observations down in a diary; his only outlet for emotion.

The awards ceremony for the 57th Berlin International Film Festival have just concluded. The Golden Bear went to a film not many people talked about during the fest -- Tuya's Marriage. Below you will find my live blog of the actual show (which was mostly in German, with brief moments in English). Along with the winners in each category, you will find my personal thoughts below:

-- German band Mia opens the show. Charlotte Roche hosts, briefly introduces Berlinale director Peter Kosslick. His entire speech is in German -- sorry, could not translate that fast.

-- Gael Garcia Bernal is introduced and presents The Silver Bear award for outstanding artistic achievement, which goes to ... The Good Shepherd. There's your obligatory American award. Robert De Niro skipped town last week, and was not there to accept the award.

-- Next up, Nansun Shi presents the Silver Bear for best use of music in a film, which goes to David Mackenzie for Hallam Foe ... and for his extremely pop-centric soundtrack.

-- Hiam Abbass presents the Silver Bear for best actor in a film to Julio Chávez for El Otro. I can see why he won, but his performance was a little too vague for me.

-- Mario Adorf steps up to present the award for best actress and -- out of nowhere -- Nina Hoss wins for Yella! Wow, no one -- including Hoss -- saw that coming, as Marion Cotillard and Marianne Faithfull were huge front-runners. She's shocked. Big, big surprise. Yella was the best film, but Cotillard should have won the best actress.

-- Molly Malene Stansgaard presents the best director award to Joseph Cedar for Beaufort. I did not see Beaufort, but from what I heard it was beautifully shot. I guess we knew Petzold was not winning when Hoss took best actress. Oh well. So far all of my picks are wrong. Boo!

-- Willem Dafoe steps up to present the Silver Bear for Grand Jury Prix ... which goes to El Otro. Huh? Man, obviously the jury saw something in this film that a lot of us did not see, as this is the second award tonight for El Otro. Director Ariel Rotter takes forever to deliver his speech, just barely makes it through without breaking down on stage.

-- The somewhat odd German band Mia performs once more after opening the show.

-- Gerhard Meixner introduces the best first feature award. It takes three people to announce this award, which goes to Vanaja. Lots in German, trying to keep up ...

-- Javier Bardem steps up to present the Alfred-Bauer-Prize (in memory of the festival's founder) for particular innovation in filmmaking, which goes to ... I'm a Cyborg, But That's Okay. Hey, I loved this film -- this award is definitely okay with me. Park Chan-Wook accepts ... sorry, no idea what he's saying. All in German.

-- Writer-director Paul Schrader finally finds his way to the stage with fest director Peter Kosslick to present The Golden Bear! And the award (after a terribly long intro) goes to ... Tuya's Marriage. Hmm, very interesting choice ... and a film not many people talked about during the festival. Figures, one of the three I did not see ...