Unit 4

Unit 4 Films and film events

Reading Important film events around the world

Warming up Can you name some famous film festivals held around the world? Where are they hold? 2. What do people usually do during a film festival? 3. Do you think all the films are worth seeing?

4. In your opinion, what makes a film good? 5. If a film, an actor or actress, or a director wins awards in a film festival, do you think it means the film, the actor or actress, or the director is good? Why or why not?

Read the transcript quickly and answer these questions. 1. How many film festival representatives appeared on the show? Six.

2. Which film festivals are mentioned in the transcript? The Cannes Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, the Sundance Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and Shanghai International Film Festival.

3. At which festival are you not likely to find Hollywood film? The Sundance Film Festival.

Choose the right answer to each question. 1. The reason why the host asks Maria to speak first may be that ________. A. Maria sits closest to the host B. Maria is the most famous of all C. the Venice Film Festival has the longest history D. the Venice Film Festival pays attention to art most

2. Some critics compare the Cannes Film Festival to the Academy Awards because ________. A. they can both make films famous B. they equal each other in popularity C. they have both taken a step backwards D. they both favour films from the USA

3. What can we learn from the passage? A. Most festivals give awards to American films. B. Hollywood films can be shown at the Sundance Film Festival. C. Each representative sings the praises of his or her own festival. D. Hollywood films are in the majority at the Berlin Film Festival.

Reading strategy: identifying similarities and differences When reading a text which introduces different events or items, it’s important to pay attention to their similarities and differences. To find the similarities, look for words like and, also and another. For difference, look for words like but and unlike:

‘Unlike the Venice Film Festival…’ ‘Unlike the Venice Film Festival…’. Superlatives often show us differences as well: ‘The Venice Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world’ and ‘Our festival was founded in 1993, so we are perhaps the youngest festival’.

How well do you understand the transcript How well do you understand the transcript? Read it again and answer the following questions. 1. Which film festival views film as a type of contemporary art? The Venice Film Festival views film as a type of contemporary art.

2. How did the Sundance Film Festival come to be well known? In 1981, Robert Redford, who has acted in and directed many big Hollywood films, became the sponser of the festival and changed the focus to independent films made on very modest budgets. Since then it has become well known.

3. Why was the Cannes Film Festival started? Because many people felt the Venice Film Festival was giving awards to only German and Italian films.

4. What is the difference between the Cannes Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival? Films, many of which are American, shown at the Cannes Film Festival are often made with large budgets and have well- known actors and directors, while films that are likely to be overlooked at Cannes have a real chance of winning at the Berlin Film Festival.

5. Which film festival gives out the Golden Cup Award? The Shanghai International Film Festival gives out the Golden Cup Award.

The oldest film festival; part of a larger festival Fill in the table below with the correct information from the transcript. Film festival Started in Features Venice Film Festival 1932 The oldest film festival; part of a larger festival

Sundance Film Festival Started in Features Sundance Film Festival only include small independent films made on very modest budgets; boycott all Hollywood films 1978

Film festival Started in Features Cannes Film Festival the largest festival in the world; films shown are often made with large budgets and have well-known actors and directors; shows a board range of films from many different countries 1939

Berlin International Film Festival Started in Features Berlin International Film Festival gives awards to films from all over the globe 1951

Toronto Interna-tional Film Festival Started in Features Toronto Interna-tional Film Festival the second largest festival in the world; gives some special awards to Canadian films 1976

Shanghai International Film Festival Started in Features Shanghai International Film Festival the youngest film festival; has a good reputation worldwide 1993

Match these new words from the transcript with their meanings Match these new words from the transcript with their meanings. Write the correct letters in the blanks. a provide money for a project b a person or company who pays for a event c including a great variety

d tell someone that the opposite of what they said is true e a standard by which something is judged or a decision is made f create a plan or idea g refuse to buy or use something h let someone experience something

1. criterion (Line 17) ____ 2. finance (Line 18) _____ 3. boycott (Line 24) _____ 4. hatch (Line 25) _____ 5. sponsor (Line 28) _____ 6. expose (Line 31) _____ 7. contradict (Line 38 )_____ 8. broad (Line 45)_____ e a g f b h d c

Yu Peng attended a lecture about the Academy Awards Yu Peng attended a lecture about the Academy Awards. Use the words in the box below to help him complete his notes. deliberately overlooked restriction resemble entries edge

Answers: 1. ____________ 2. _________ 3. ____________ 4. _________ 5. ____________ 6. _________ overlooked entries restriction edge deliberately resemble

Discussion Do you like films from a specific country? If so, which country and why. 2. What is your favourite film? What do you like about it?

3. What are your opinion on Chinese films? What are some of the special features of the Chinese films? various settings different themes, including those of urban life or life in the countryside topics covering serious issues, common daily problems, historical events, etc.

4. How do you think important film events contribute to the development of the film industry? How have film events been part of the film industry?

a great honour and acknowledgement for directors, actors and actresses a special occasion for presenting good films a time and a place for directors, actors and actresses to share their opinions and experience an occasion for the promotion of films

Homework Read the text “Import film events around the world” again and find out the important words and expressions. 2. Finish the reading exercises in your workbook.