This is a stacked weekend for movies that could get awards attention but probably won’t, both in theaters and on digital platforms. First up is a lively ode to one of cinema’s musical masters.
The contender to watch this week: “Ennio”
Giuseppe Tornatore‘s documentary about influential composer Ennio Morricone has been a long time coming, and not only because Morricone’s career dates back to 1946. “Ennio” premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2021 and was released in Italy in 2022. But don’t take its delayed domestic debut as a bad omen: The movie is a spellbinding tribute to the two-time Oscar winner, who wrote the scores for “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” “Days of Heaven,” “The Untouchables,” “The Hateful Eight,” and Tornatore’s own “Cinema Paradiso.” The talking heads include Quentin Tarantino, Clint Eastwood, Quincy Jones, and Bruce Springsteen. Following a theatrical run in February,...
The contender to watch this week: “Ennio”
Giuseppe Tornatore‘s documentary about influential composer Ennio Morricone has been a long time coming, and not only because Morricone’s career dates back to 1946. “Ennio” premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2021 and was released in Italy in 2022. But don’t take its delayed domestic debut as a bad omen: The movie is a spellbinding tribute to the two-time Oscar winner, who wrote the scores for “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” “Days of Heaven,” “The Untouchables,” “The Hateful Eight,” and Tornatore’s own “Cinema Paradiso.” The talking heads include Quentin Tarantino, Clint Eastwood, Quincy Jones, and Bruce Springsteen. Following a theatrical run in February,...
- 4/13/2024
- by Matthew Jacobs
- Gold Derby
RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Apr 5-7)Total gross to dateWeek 1. Kung Fu Panda 4 (Universal) £2.8m £12.8m 2 2. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (Warner Bros) £2m £9.2m 2 3. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Sony) £1.4m £12.1m 3 4. Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros) £1.1m £36.8m 6 5. Monkey Man (Universal) £763,004 £809,767 1
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.26
Universal animation Kung Fu Panda 4 knocked Godzilla x Kong: A New Empire off top spot at the UK-Ireland box office this weekend; as Dev Patel’s Monkey Man started in fifth place.
Kung Fu Panda 4 added £2.8m on its second weekend – a 28% drop that brings it to £12.8m. It is already...
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.26
Universal animation Kung Fu Panda 4 knocked Godzilla x Kong: A New Empire off top spot at the UK-Ireland box office this weekend; as Dev Patel’s Monkey Man started in fifth place.
Kung Fu Panda 4 added £2.8m on its second weekend – a 28% drop that brings it to £12.8m. It is already...
- 4/8/2024
- ScreenDaily
Dev Patel’s feature directorial debut Monkey Man leads the new films at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office, starting in 592 cinemas through Universal.
Directed, produced, from a story by and starring Patel, Monkey Man follows an anonymous young man who unleashes a campaign of violence against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother, and continue to systematically victimise the poor and powerless.
Filmed in early 2021, Netflix originally bought worldwide rights to Monkey Man. After Jordan Peele boarded the title as producer through his Monkeypaw Productions, Universal acquired it from Netflix earlier this year. It debuted at SXSW last month.
Directed, produced, from a story by and starring Patel, Monkey Man follows an anonymous young man who unleashes a campaign of violence against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother, and continue to systematically victimise the poor and powerless.
Filmed in early 2021, Netflix originally bought worldwide rights to Monkey Man. After Jordan Peele boarded the title as producer through his Monkeypaw Productions, Universal acquired it from Netflix earlier this year. It debuted at SXSW last month.
- 4/5/2024
- ScreenDaily
Running April 4-7, the Iff Panama brings to this year’s edition a rich mix of standout director driven titles from Europe, the Spanish-speaking world and beyond, spangled by highlights from Central America, including Panama:
“Bila Burba,” (Duiren Wagua, Panama)
Documentary. Wagua’s debut feature. The Gunadule nation’s ties with the Panamanian government were fraught with territorial and cultural disputes. In 1925, leaders Simral Colman and Nele Kantule, inspired by their warrior ancestors, joined forces to unite their communities in the ‘Dule Revolution’ against police brutality. Today, their descendants honor this legacy through street theater, transforming community streets into stages to commemorate their ancestors’ struggle.
Bila Burba
“Brown,” (Ricardo Aguilar, Panama)
Penned by Aguilar’s regular collaborator, Manolito Rodríguez, the story centers on Teófilo Alfonso, also known as “Panamá Al” Brown, the first Latin American World Boxing Champion. After a fixed fight costs him his title, he retires to Paris.
“Bila Burba,” (Duiren Wagua, Panama)
Documentary. Wagua’s debut feature. The Gunadule nation’s ties with the Panamanian government were fraught with territorial and cultural disputes. In 1925, leaders Simral Colman and Nele Kantule, inspired by their warrior ancestors, joined forces to unite their communities in the ‘Dule Revolution’ against police brutality. Today, their descendants honor this legacy through street theater, transforming community streets into stages to commemorate their ancestors’ struggle.
Bila Burba
“Brown,” (Ricardo Aguilar, Panama)
Penned by Aguilar’s regular collaborator, Manolito Rodríguez, the story centers on Teófilo Alfonso, also known as “Panamá Al” Brown, the first Latin American World Boxing Champion. After a fixed fight costs him his title, he retires to Paris.
- 4/3/2024
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Italian actress and screenwriter Paola Cortellesi’s directorial feature debut, There’s Still Tomorrow (C’è Ancora Domani), and Matteo Garrone’s Io Capitano lead nominations at this year’s David Di Donatello Awards.
There’s Still Tomorrow nabbed 19 noms, including best film while Io Capitano landed 15, including best director for Garrone. Trailing the leading two is Alice Rohrwacher’s latest film, La Chimera, starring Josh O’Connor. Other leading films are Rapito (11), Comandante (10), Il Sol Dell’avvenire (7), and Adagio (5).
The 69th David di Donatello Awards take place May 3. The live show will be broadcast on Rai 1 in Italy. This year’s hosts include Carlo Conti and Alessia Marcuzzi. The ceremony will take place at the legendary Cinecittà studios.
Check out the full list of nominees below:
Best Film
C’È Ancora DOMANIprodotto da Mario Gianani e Lorenzo Gangarossa per Wildside società del gruppo Fremantle; Vision Distribution società del gruppo Sky; in collaborazione...
There’s Still Tomorrow nabbed 19 noms, including best film while Io Capitano landed 15, including best director for Garrone. Trailing the leading two is Alice Rohrwacher’s latest film, La Chimera, starring Josh O’Connor. Other leading films are Rapito (11), Comandante (10), Il Sol Dell’avvenire (7), and Adagio (5).
The 69th David di Donatello Awards take place May 3. The live show will be broadcast on Rai 1 in Italy. This year’s hosts include Carlo Conti and Alessia Marcuzzi. The ceremony will take place at the legendary Cinecittà studios.
Check out the full list of nominees below:
Best Film
C’È Ancora DOMANIprodotto da Mario Gianani e Lorenzo Gangarossa per Wildside società del gruppo Fremantle; Vision Distribution società del gruppo Sky; in collaborazione...
- 4/3/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Honors were even atop the U.K. and Ireland box office as Universal’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” and Warner Bros.’ “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” battled for top spot during the Easter holiday weekend.
While “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” won the three-day weekend, “Kung Fu Panda 4” had the higher gross including previews. According to numbers provided by Comscore, “Kung Fu Panda 4” collected £5 million ($6.3) million, while “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” took in £4.1 million ($5.2 million).
In third place, in its second weekend, Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” collected £2.1 million for a total of £8.2 million. In its fifth weekend, in fourth place, Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part II” grossed £1.6 million to take its total to £34 million.
Debuting at fifth place was Indian filmmaker Blessy’s acclaimed desert saga “Aadujeevitham” (“The Goat Life”), distributed by Dg Tech, with £480,977.
There were two more debuts in the top 10. Studiocanal...
While “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” won the three-day weekend, “Kung Fu Panda 4” had the higher gross including previews. According to numbers provided by Comscore, “Kung Fu Panda 4” collected £5 million ($6.3) million, while “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” took in £4.1 million ($5.2 million).
In third place, in its second weekend, Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” collected £2.1 million for a total of £8.2 million. In its fifth weekend, in fourth place, Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part II” grossed £1.6 million to take its total to £34 million.
Debuting at fifth place was Indian filmmaker Blessy’s acclaimed desert saga “Aadujeevitham” (“The Goat Life”), distributed by Dg Tech, with £480,977.
There were two more debuts in the top 10. Studiocanal...
- 4/2/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Two teenage boys star in Matteo Garrone’s passionate exposé of how greed, trauma and corruption drive the modern-day slave trade in would-be migrants
Matteo Garrone’s new film is part adventure story, part slavery drama; the slavery which did not in fact vanish with the end of the American civil war, but thrives in the globalised present day without needing to shapeshift too much, driven by the age-old forces of geopolitics and the market.
Seydou and Moussa, played by nonprofessional acting newcomers Seydou Sarr and Moustapha Fall, are 16-year-old cousins in Dakar, Senegal, dreaming of escape to the fabled land of the EU as refugees, where they expect to go viral and make a fortune as music stars like the people they’re watching on TikTok. For years they have been writing songs and secretly working on building sites while pretending to go to football practice, amassing cash savings...
Matteo Garrone’s new film is part adventure story, part slavery drama; the slavery which did not in fact vanish with the end of the American civil war, but thrives in the globalised present day without needing to shapeshift too much, driven by the age-old forces of geopolitics and the market.
Seydou and Moussa, played by nonprofessional acting newcomers Seydou Sarr and Moustapha Fall, are 16-year-old cousins in Dakar, Senegal, dreaming of escape to the fabled land of the EU as refugees, where they expect to go viral and make a fortune as music stars like the people they’re watching on TikTok. For years they have been writing songs and secretly working on building sites while pretending to go to football practice, amassing cash savings...
- 4/2/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
How does it feel to risk trafficking and torture to seek a better life in a strange land? Ahead of four films telling migrant stories, we hear from directors including Matteo Garrone and Milad Alami about tackling one of the most pressing issues of our time
The telling of stories is an act of profound hospitality. Story is an ancient form of generosity, one that will always tell us everything we need to know about the contemporary world. It is fundamental to the communicative survival of the human species and has always been a welcoming-in; always, one way or another, a gracious meeting of the needs of self and other. The narratives we exchange don’t just validate all of us, they represent us much more truly than data or statistics or a passport ever will. Our individual selves transform in the telling into something shared and communal. This is...
The telling of stories is an act of profound hospitality. Story is an ancient form of generosity, one that will always tell us everything we need to know about the contemporary world. It is fundamental to the communicative survival of the human species and has always been a welcoming-in; always, one way or another, a gracious meeting of the needs of self and other. The narratives we exchange don’t just validate all of us, they represent us much more truly than data or statistics or a passport ever will. Our individual selves transform in the telling into something shared and communal. This is...
- 3/24/2024
- by Introduction by Ali Smith
- The Guardian - Film News
Another Oscars season is over. The 96th Academy Awards have wrapped, and the full 2024 Oscars winners list has been revealed.
“Oppenheimer” had an air of inevitability about it unlike few Best Picture contenders in recent memory: IndieWire’s Anne Thompson predicted it would win seven Oscars tonight, including the top prize. And indeed it did, nabbing seven statuettes overall. But the triumphs for “Oppenheimer” at the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards, the BAFTAs, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards suggested it was the film to beat, by any standard.
“Oppenheimer” also received the most nominations overall, with 13. Its seven wins were for: Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr., Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Actor for Cillian Murphy, Best Director for Christopher Nolan, and Best Picture — the most of any film tonight. The next-most nominations was 11 for “Poor Things,” and then 10 for “Killers of the Flower Moon.
“Oppenheimer” had an air of inevitability about it unlike few Best Picture contenders in recent memory: IndieWire’s Anne Thompson predicted it would win seven Oscars tonight, including the top prize. And indeed it did, nabbing seven statuettes overall. But the triumphs for “Oppenheimer” at the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards, the BAFTAs, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards suggested it was the film to beat, by any standard.
“Oppenheimer” also received the most nominations overall, with 13. Its seven wins were for: Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr., Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Actor for Cillian Murphy, Best Director for Christopher Nolan, and Best Picture — the most of any film tonight. The next-most nominations was 11 for “Poor Things,” and then 10 for “Killers of the Flower Moon.
- 3/11/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Jonathan Glazer’s landmark Holocaust film The Zone of Interest, as widely expected, has just scooped the International Feature Oscar. The British film is the 20th that the UK has submitted to the category, and the first to win the race.
Inspired loosely by Martin Amis’ 2014 novel of the same name and set outside the walls of Auschwitz during the Holocaust, the German-language Zone of Interest stars Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller (also a Best Actress nominee tonight for Anatomy of a Fall) as Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig, as they strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden separated from the Nazi concentration and extermination camp by a only a short wall. What is happening on the other side is rarely hinted at.
Glazer said upon accepting the International prize, “All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present,...
Inspired loosely by Martin Amis’ 2014 novel of the same name and set outside the walls of Auschwitz during the Holocaust, the German-language Zone of Interest stars Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller (also a Best Actress nominee tonight for Anatomy of a Fall) as Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig, as they strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden separated from the Nazi concentration and extermination camp by a only a short wall. What is happening on the other side is rarely hinted at.
Glazer said upon accepting the International prize, “All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present,...
- 3/11/2024
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
My, how much the race has evolved since the 96th Oscars nominations were announced January 23. We won’t say changed, since it seems like the certain sure bets at that time have become even surer bets. You all know “Oppenheimer,” long considered a frontrunner in many categories,” received the most nominations then with 13, followed by “Poor Things” with 11 and “Killers of the Flower Moon” with 10. Well, tonight, this evening of Sunday March 10 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles at 7:00pm Et, we’re finally gonna see if what we all assume to be true is actually going to pan out: That “Oppenheimer” is teed up for a very big night, as IndieWire’s own Anne Thompson has predicted, with her final Oscar picks, herself.
“Oppenheimer” has won top honors at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, BAFTAs, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Surely Oscars domination is next, right?...
“Oppenheimer” has won top honors at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, BAFTAs, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Surely Oscars domination is next, right?...
- 3/10/2024
- by Marcus Jones and Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Sandra Hüller (a Best Actress nominee) and Christian Friedel, stars of Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest — nominated for Best Picture, Best International Picture, Director, Sound, and Adapted Screenplay — are familiar with Shakespeare’s famous verse from Hamlet: ”All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women are merely players …” That’s because both thespians have been playing the Danish prince on stages around Germany for years.
Due to Germany’s repertory system in city and state theaters, an actor can revisit an assortment of plays time after time over a number of years.
Friedel tells me that he first played the Dane in 2012. It’s a sort of rock star Hamlet performed with his band, Woods of Birnam. “It can take years until the piece is really finished,” he explains.
He adds that “It changes as you’re getting older,” an experience he feels with movies as well.
Due to Germany’s repertory system in city and state theaters, an actor can revisit an assortment of plays time after time over a number of years.
Friedel tells me that he first played the Dane in 2012. It’s a sort of rock star Hamlet performed with his band, Woods of Birnam. “It can take years until the piece is really finished,” he explains.
He adds that “It changes as you’re getting older,” an experience he feels with movies as well.
- 3/9/2024
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
The migrant dream slips slowly into a nightmare Matteo Garrone’s drama, which takes us on a Continent-crossing odyssey. Although sometimes the tone veers widely from one extreme to another, this is nevertheless a compelling addition to a burgeoning library of dramas concerning the migrant/refugee experience, including Brandt Anderson’s The Strangers Case and Agnieszka Holland’s searing Green Border, in the past 12 months alone.
It begins full of the hopefulness of cousins Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall) as they prepare to leave Senegal for what they firmly believe will be a better life in Europe. Shot with colour and verve by cinematographer Paolo Carnera the optimism of the boys is contagious, even as warnings from Seydou’s mother (Khady Sy) will come to echo through the rest of the film. The mood is, initially, that of a road trip - which, of course, to the boys it is.
It begins full of the hopefulness of cousins Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall) as they prepare to leave Senegal for what they firmly believe will be a better life in Europe. Shot with colour and verve by cinematographer Paolo Carnera the optimism of the boys is contagious, even as warnings from Seydou’s mother (Khady Sy) will come to echo through the rest of the film. The mood is, initially, that of a road trip - which, of course, to the boys it is.
- 3/9/2024
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Exclusive: Altitude Media Group has boarded a documentary shot entirely inside the Grand Theft Auto video game world.
Grand Theft Hamlet will follow the story of out-of-work theater actors Sam Crane and Mark Oosterveen, who had the idea to stage a full production of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ within Grand Theft Auto 5 during the dull days of the third Covid-19 lockdown in the UK three years ago.
Indie studio Altitude has taken worldwide rights after striking a deal for the “hilarious and profoundly moving” film, which Crane and Pinny Grylls wrote and directed. The doc gets its worldwide premiere at SXSW on Sunday (March 10) and will get a European premiere at Cph:dox.
“We are extremely proud and excited to be partnering with Pinny, Sam and the whole team on Grand Theft Hamlet and cannot wait for audiences to experience this singular and masterful piece of machinima filmmaking,” said Altitude Film Sales Managing Director Mike Runagall.
Grand Theft Hamlet will follow the story of out-of-work theater actors Sam Crane and Mark Oosterveen, who had the idea to stage a full production of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ within Grand Theft Auto 5 during the dull days of the third Covid-19 lockdown in the UK three years ago.
Indie studio Altitude has taken worldwide rights after striking a deal for the “hilarious and profoundly moving” film, which Crane and Pinny Grylls wrote and directed. The doc gets its worldwide premiere at SXSW on Sunday (March 10) and will get a European premiere at Cph:dox.
“We are extremely proud and excited to be partnering with Pinny, Sam and the whole team on Grand Theft Hamlet and cannot wait for audiences to experience this singular and masterful piece of machinima filmmaking,” said Altitude Film Sales Managing Director Mike Runagall.
- 3/8/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
The countdown is in its final days. No, we’re not talking about the arrival of Spring, but rather Hollywood’s biggest night, the Academy Awards ceremony this Sunday. So, it’s a big surprise, and a big aid to those vieing in several offices’ “Oscar pools”, that a nominee is getting a wider release this Friday. The category in question is Best International Feature Film, and this “pulls a hat trick’ as it’s co-production of Italy, France, and Belgium. Fitting, as the subject matter affects those and many countries, even ours, the US, even factoring into the big political campaigns. And somehow this film is a personal story at the center of the debate with its focus on a young man, still a teenager, who assumes the title Io Capitano.
That lad is a Senegalese sixteen-year-old Seydou (Seydou Sarr) who spends his days with Bff/cousin Moussa (Moustapha Fall...
That lad is a Senegalese sixteen-year-old Seydou (Seydou Sarr) who spends his days with Bff/cousin Moussa (Moustapha Fall...
- 3/8/2024
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
How do you capture Jenne Casarotto? She was at the intersection of theatre, film and television. It all, seemingly, swirled around her.
Not just around her.
It was the brilliant team that she assembled at Casarotto Ramsay & Associates, the agency that’s been at the epicenter of UK arts culture for over three decades. Correction: The company’s reach extended far beyond the environs of London’s Soho.
One would see her in Venice, Cannes, Toronto and Sydney. One would not be at all surprised to be at a screening at, let’s say, Sundance, and there’d be a tap on the shoulder when the lights came up. “That was great stuff, wasn’t it?” She’d say gleefully.
It was a bit of a test because she’d expect you to be honest with her. Well, it was godawful, actually, and she’d nod sagely, her eyes twinkling behind her specs.
Not just around her.
It was the brilliant team that she assembled at Casarotto Ramsay & Associates, the agency that’s been at the epicenter of UK arts culture for over three decades. Correction: The company’s reach extended far beyond the environs of London’s Soho.
One would see her in Venice, Cannes, Toronto and Sydney. One would not be at all surprised to be at a screening at, let’s say, Sundance, and there’d be a tap on the shoulder when the lights came up. “That was great stuff, wasn’t it?” She’d say gleefully.
It was a bit of a test because she’d expect you to be honest with her. Well, it was godawful, actually, and she’d nod sagely, her eyes twinkling behind her specs.
- 3/7/2024
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best International Feature Wim Wenders’ ‘Perfect Days’
Weekly Commentary: The United Kingdom is poised to win its first Academy Award with Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” and what a deserved win it will be.
But while I have the floor: it’s time for the...
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best International Feature Wim Wenders’ ‘Perfect Days’
Weekly Commentary: The United Kingdom is poised to win its first Academy Award with Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” and what a deserved win it will be.
But while I have the floor: it’s time for the...
- 3/7/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Anonymous Oscar Ballot: Costume Designer Celebrates ‘American Fiction,’ ‘Barbie,’ and Lily Gladstone
With final Oscar balloting closed on February 27 we’re continuing with our seventh annual series of interviews with Academy voters from different branches for their unfiltered takes on what got picked, overlooked, and overvalued in the 2023 award season. Interview edited for brevity.
Generally, this has been a lackluster year. The Academy portal helps. I watched 25 international films in order to vote. It’s a lot easier to do that from the comfort of one’s home, if you don’t live next door to the Academy.
Best Picture
“American Fiction” spoke to me. I liked the message and the way it was done. It was my first choice.
“Past Lives” was powerful.
“Anatomy of a Fall” was great. I loved the journey that it took you on. You’re not sure at the end what happened. I loved the ambiguity of it, watching the French court world play out, all...
Generally, this has been a lackluster year. The Academy portal helps. I watched 25 international films in order to vote. It’s a lot easier to do that from the comfort of one’s home, if you don’t live next door to the Academy.
Best Picture
“American Fiction” spoke to me. I liked the message and the way it was done. It was my first choice.
“Past Lives” was powerful.
“Anatomy of a Fall” was great. I loved the journey that it took you on. You’re not sure at the end what happened. I loved the ambiguity of it, watching the French court world play out, all...
- 3/5/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Exclusive: After a five-year run at the company and the recent acquisition of Oscar nominee Io Capitano, Robert Aaronson has been promoted to Executive Vice President of Cohen Media Group (Cmg).
Aaronson has been overseeing Cmg’s LA office since 2019, primarily responsible for theatrical acquisitions, digital and ancillary distribution, licensing of the company’s classic movie archive, and programming its SVOD platform. He will continue to report directly to company CEO and founder Charles S. Cohen.
Among recent acquisitions for Cmg is Matteo Garrone’s Best International Feature Film nominee Io Capitano. Cmg is also coming out of the Berlin Film Festival where they picked up Black Tea by Abderrahmane Sissako, and Martin Scorsese-narrated doc Made In England: The Films Of Powell and Pressburger.
Prior to joining Cmg, Aaronson held domestic and worldwide acquisitions, co-productions and distribution positions at Universal Pictures Content Group, Netflix, Fox and New Line Cinema,...
Aaronson has been overseeing Cmg’s LA office since 2019, primarily responsible for theatrical acquisitions, digital and ancillary distribution, licensing of the company’s classic movie archive, and programming its SVOD platform. He will continue to report directly to company CEO and founder Charles S. Cohen.
Among recent acquisitions for Cmg is Matteo Garrone’s Best International Feature Film nominee Io Capitano. Cmg is also coming out of the Berlin Film Festival where they picked up Black Tea by Abderrahmane Sissako, and Martin Scorsese-narrated doc Made In England: The Films Of Powell and Pressburger.
Prior to joining Cmg, Aaronson held domestic and worldwide acquisitions, co-productions and distribution positions at Universal Pictures Content Group, Netflix, Fox and New Line Cinema,...
- 3/5/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The Oscar-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss, the songwriter and perennial Oscar bridesmaid Diane Warren and Matteo Garrone, the director of this year’s best international feature Oscar-nominated Italian film Io Capitano, will all be honored on Sunday night during the opening ceremony of the 19th Los Angeles, Italia Film, Fashion and Art Festival at Hollywood’s Tcl Chinese Theatres, exactly one week before the 96th Academy Awards take place just down the street.
The festival, which is backed by Italy’s Ministry of Culture, will run through Saturday, March 9, and feature 112 film screenings (47 in movie theaters and 65 on the online platform eventive.org). This year’s edition will be hosted by one Italian screen legend, Franco Nero (as well as Italian actress/model Antonella Salvucci), and is dedicated to another, the late Marcello Mastroianni, whose centenary it coincides with, as well as the late Italian playwright Eduardo de Filippo.
Notable guests...
The festival, which is backed by Italy’s Ministry of Culture, will run through Saturday, March 9, and feature 112 film screenings (47 in movie theaters and 65 on the online platform eventive.org). This year’s edition will be hosted by one Italian screen legend, Franco Nero (as well as Italian actress/model Antonella Salvucci), and is dedicated to another, the late Marcello Mastroianni, whose centenary it coincides with, as well as the late Italian playwright Eduardo de Filippo.
Notable guests...
- 3/3/2024
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jenne Casarotto, who co-founded the London-based global talent agency Casarotto Ramsay & Associates and represented the likes of Tennessee Williams, Stephen Frears, David Hare, Terry Gilliam, Steve McQueen, Neil Jordan and John Madden during her long career, has died. She was 77.
Casarotto died Thursday in the U.K. of complications from a short illness, her firm announced.
With a career spanning more than 50 years, Casarotto was “an award-winning agent who was highly regarded throughout the world for her impeccable taste in writers and directors, unwavering dedication to her clients and for her calm and creative leadership,” Casarotto Ramsay & Associates said in a statement.
She and her husband, Giorgio Romeo Casarotto, launched the company in 1989.
Her illustrious list of clients — several of whom worked alongside her since their feature film debuts — also included J.G. Ballard, John Crowley, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matteo Garrone, Christopher Hampton, Nick Hornby, Bob Hoskins, Neil Gaiman, Hilary Bevan Jones,...
Casarotto died Thursday in the U.K. of complications from a short illness, her firm announced.
With a career spanning more than 50 years, Casarotto was “an award-winning agent who was highly regarded throughout the world for her impeccable taste in writers and directors, unwavering dedication to her clients and for her calm and creative leadership,” Casarotto Ramsay & Associates said in a statement.
She and her husband, Giorgio Romeo Casarotto, launched the company in 1989.
Her illustrious list of clients — several of whom worked alongside her since their feature film debuts — also included J.G. Ballard, John Crowley, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matteo Garrone, Christopher Hampton, Nick Hornby, Bob Hoskins, Neil Gaiman, Hilary Bevan Jones,...
- 3/1/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jenne Casarotto, co-founder of the London agency Casarotto Ramsay & Associates which represents some of the leading names working behind the camera, died on Feb. 29. She was 77.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Jenne Casarotto, co-founder of Casarotto Ramsay & Associates,” said the company in a statement.
With a career spanning more than 50 years, Casarotto co-founded Casarotto Ramsay & Associates alongside her husband Giorgio in 1989, helping re-shape the agency landscape. The company’s roster would grow to include many of the world’s best-known writers, directors, creatives, literary properties and heads of departments across film, theatre and television.
Among her list of clients over the years were J.G. Ballard, John Crowley, the Dahl Estate, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Stephen Frears, Matteo Garrone, Christopher Hampton, David Hare, Nick Hornby, Bob Hoskins, Neil Gaiman, Terry Gilliam, Hilary Bevan Jones, Neil Jordan, David Leland, John Madden, Steve McQueen, Cynthia Payne, Neal Purvis,...
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Jenne Casarotto, co-founder of Casarotto Ramsay & Associates,” said the company in a statement.
With a career spanning more than 50 years, Casarotto co-founded Casarotto Ramsay & Associates alongside her husband Giorgio in 1989, helping re-shape the agency landscape. The company’s roster would grow to include many of the world’s best-known writers, directors, creatives, literary properties and heads of departments across film, theatre and television.
Among her list of clients over the years were J.G. Ballard, John Crowley, the Dahl Estate, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Stephen Frears, Matteo Garrone, Christopher Hampton, David Hare, Nick Hornby, Bob Hoskins, Neil Gaiman, Terry Gilliam, Hilary Bevan Jones, Neil Jordan, David Leland, John Madden, Steve McQueen, Cynthia Payne, Neal Purvis,...
- 3/1/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Jenne Casarotto, who co-founded leading British talent agency Casarotto Ramsay & Associates in 1989 and repped some of the nation’s greatest talents, died Thursday following complications from a short illness. She was 77.
Casarotto died “peacefully, according to a statement from the agency.
Th 35-year-old outfit described its founder as a “visionary leader and a giant within the global entertainment industry,” saying, “With a career spanning over 50 years, Jenne was an award winning agent who was highly regarded throughout the world for her impeccable taste in writers and directors, unwavering dedication to her clients, and for her calm and creative leadership.”
Casarotto co-founded the London shop in 1989 with husband Giorgio and went on to represent some of the best-known and most successful writers, directors, playwrights, creatives and HODs in the business at an agency that has been at the forefront of the UK sector for years.
Casarotto’s enviable client list included J.G. Ballard,...
Casarotto died “peacefully, according to a statement from the agency.
Th 35-year-old outfit described its founder as a “visionary leader and a giant within the global entertainment industry,” saying, “With a career spanning over 50 years, Jenne was an award winning agent who was highly regarded throughout the world for her impeccable taste in writers and directors, unwavering dedication to her clients, and for her calm and creative leadership.”
Casarotto co-founded the London shop in 1989 with husband Giorgio and went on to represent some of the best-known and most successful writers, directors, playwrights, creatives and HODs in the business at an agency that has been at the forefront of the UK sector for years.
Casarotto’s enviable client list included J.G. Ballard,...
- 3/1/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Jenne Casarotto, co-founder of UK talent agency Casarotto Ramsay & Associates, has died aged 77, the agency has confirmed.
Casarotto passed away “peacefully on Thursday, February 29 surrounded by her loving family, following complications as part of a short illness,” read a statement from the agency.
A major player in the UK agency landscape for several decades, Casarotto founded Casarotto Ramsay & Associates with her husband Giorgio in 1989. Her client list with the company included J.G. Ballard, the Dahl estate, Christopher Hampton, Tennessee Williams, David Yates, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Steve McQueen, Shawn Slovo, Neil Jordan, David Hare, Matteo Garrone and Cynthia Payne.
“I have...
Casarotto passed away “peacefully on Thursday, February 29 surrounded by her loving family, following complications as part of a short illness,” read a statement from the agency.
A major player in the UK agency landscape for several decades, Casarotto founded Casarotto Ramsay & Associates with her husband Giorgio in 1989. Her client list with the company included J.G. Ballard, the Dahl estate, Christopher Hampton, Tennessee Williams, David Yates, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Steve McQueen, Shawn Slovo, Neil Jordan, David Hare, Matteo Garrone and Cynthia Payne.
“I have...
- 3/1/2024
- ScreenDaily
Italy’s Torino Film Festival will celebrate the centennial of Marlon Brando’s birth with a 24-title retrospective of films featuring the groundbreaking two-time Oscar winner, known for his naturalistic acting style and rebellious streak.
The Brando retro will be “the backbone” of the fest, according to its new artistic director, Italian actor/director Giulio Base. Accordingly, an image of Brando – photographed when he was shooting Bernardo Bertolucci’s “Last Tango in Paris” – is featured on the poster for the fest’s upcoming 42nd edition, which will run Nov. 22-30.
Torino is Italy’s preeminent event for young directors and indie cinema, and is where Matteo Garrone and Paolo Sorrentino screened their first works. The festival’s lineup will be announced at a later date.
“As an actor, Brando has always been my guiding star and I had been wondering for a while – since way before being appointed at Torino...
The Brando retro will be “the backbone” of the fest, according to its new artistic director, Italian actor/director Giulio Base. Accordingly, an image of Brando – photographed when he was shooting Bernardo Bertolucci’s “Last Tango in Paris” – is featured on the poster for the fest’s upcoming 42nd edition, which will run Nov. 22-30.
Torino is Italy’s preeminent event for young directors and indie cinema, and is where Matteo Garrone and Paolo Sorrentino screened their first works. The festival’s lineup will be announced at a later date.
“As an actor, Brando has always been my guiding star and I had been wondering for a while – since way before being appointed at Torino...
- 2/27/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Supernatural horror Deliver US is out now on digital platforms including Google, Apple TV, Sky and Amazon in the UK & Ireland.
Maria Vera Ratti (Inspector Ricciardi) stars as a nun who claims to have conceived twins through immaculate conception – that the Vatican fear will fulfil an ancient prophecy that one is the Messiah, and the other the Antichrist. Deliver US also stars co-director Lee Roy Kunz, as well as Thomas Kretschmann (Infinity Pool), and Peaky Blinders star Alexander Siddig.
Co-directed by Cru Ennis, Deliver US us a slick, striking and seriously scary slice of religious horror that will appeal to horror fans who enjoyed The Pope’s Exorcist, The Omen and The Nun movies.
Synopsis: When a nun in a remote convent claims immaculate conception, the Vatican sends a team of priests to investigate, concerned about an ancient prophecy that a woman will give birth to twin boys: one the Messiah,...
Maria Vera Ratti (Inspector Ricciardi) stars as a nun who claims to have conceived twins through immaculate conception – that the Vatican fear will fulfil an ancient prophecy that one is the Messiah, and the other the Antichrist. Deliver US also stars co-director Lee Roy Kunz, as well as Thomas Kretschmann (Infinity Pool), and Peaky Blinders star Alexander Siddig.
Co-directed by Cru Ennis, Deliver US us a slick, striking and seriously scary slice of religious horror that will appeal to horror fans who enjoyed The Pope’s Exorcist, The Omen and The Nun movies.
Synopsis: When a nun in a remote convent claims immaculate conception, the Vatican sends a team of priests to investigate, concerned about an ancient prophecy that a woman will give birth to twin boys: one the Messiah,...
- 2/27/2024
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
With no new bust-out limited releases, repertory continues to do its part for the specialty box office, the latest a 4k restoration of Nostalghia. Kino Lorber said the Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1983 film, which opened Wednesday, will gross an estimated $22.87k at Film Forum in NYC for the five days.
It’s currently the top performer at the theater and will take in more than all other films screening there combined over that period. Two additional shows at the Roxie in San Francisco and the Austin Film Society bring combined grosses to about $29.4k. Expands next week to Philadelphia and Montreal with additional markets coming later. The film about a Russian poet and his interpreter, who travel to Italy researching the life of an 18th-century composer, stars Oleg Yankovskiy, Andrei Gorchakov, Erland Josephson, Domiziana Giordano and Patrizia Terreno.
Kino Lorber had success with the restored 4k re-release of Bernardo Bertolucci’s...
It’s currently the top performer at the theater and will take in more than all other films screening there combined over that period. Two additional shows at the Roxie in San Francisco and the Austin Film Society bring combined grosses to about $29.4k. Expands next week to Philadelphia and Montreal with additional markets coming later. The film about a Russian poet and his interpreter, who travel to Italy researching the life of an 18th-century composer, stars Oleg Yankovskiy, Andrei Gorchakov, Erland Josephson, Domiziana Giordano and Patrizia Terreno.
Kino Lorber had success with the restored 4k re-release of Bernardo Bertolucci’s...
- 2/25/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
The international scope and grueling human cost of the global refugee crisis lends itself to contemporary epic filmmaking of a particularly sober stripe, as seen mostly recently in Agnieszka Holland’s “Green Border” and Matteo Garrone’s Oscar-nominated “Io Capitano.” Shorn of their ripped-from-the-headlines urgency, such stories of humans crossing vast distances and facing hostile odds in pursuit of a better life are as old as time itself. A muscular, assured debut feature from U.S. producer-turned-director Brandt Andersen, “The Strangers’ Case” stresses the sprawling scale of the situation with a chaptered structure that pivots between multiple involved parties in the refugee’s journey, from warmongers to traffickers to rescuers to the displaced victims themselves.
That wide span, however, prevents a particularly penetrating look at any individual experience of the crisis. Brandt draws his characters in broad, flat strokes that serve the architecture of the narrative — and its cumulative, practically...
That wide span, however, prevents a particularly penetrating look at any individual experience of the crisis. Brandt draws his characters in broad, flat strokes that serve the architecture of the narrative — and its cumulative, practically...
- 2/25/2024
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
On February 23, 2024, Cohen Media Group released “Io Capitano” in the United States, Italy’s Oscar-nominated Best International Feature film directed by Matteo Garrone. The movie is a Homeric fairy tale that tells the adventurous journey of two young boys, Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall), who leave Dakar to reach Europe. The 2024 Oscars contender has received widespread acclaim from critics, scoring a perfect 100% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The critics consensus reads, “A journey toward hope, ‘Io Capitano’ perambulates through the ravishing Saharan landscape encountering the most sublime and debased corners of humanity.” The castings, under the direction of Henri-Didier Njikam, took place on the African continent and features mostly newcomers. Read our full review round-up below.
See Watch our exciting interviews with 12 of the 20 Oscars 2024 acting nominees
Damon Wise of Deadline says, “Despite its technical elegance — and the film is near flawless in that respect — the...
The critics consensus reads, “A journey toward hope, ‘Io Capitano’ perambulates through the ravishing Saharan landscape encountering the most sublime and debased corners of humanity.” The castings, under the direction of Henri-Didier Njikam, took place on the African continent and features mostly newcomers. Read our full review round-up below.
See Watch our exciting interviews with 12 of the 20 Oscars 2024 acting nominees
Damon Wise of Deadline says, “Despite its technical elegance — and the film is near flawless in that respect — the...
- 2/24/2024
- by Vincent Mandile
- Gold Derby
Italy’s Best International Feature Oscar-nominated Io Capitano starts its U.S. run today in ten market on 21 screens, a bit wider than usual for Cohen Media Group but with Academy final voting just started, reviews are gold for the odyssey that director Matteo Garrone calls “a movie about human rights. About the rights of everybody to move, to look for a better life.”
That’s the quest of teenage cousins Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall), who live in a close-knit village in Senegal. They’re not starving, not in danger. They are poor, restless, want a shot at something better in Europe and are oblivious to the horrors along the way.
Sarr won Best Emerging Actor at the Venice premiere of the film, which marks the onscreen debut for both stars and the first acting role for Sarr, who, Deadline’s review says, “carries the whole movie...
That’s the quest of teenage cousins Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall), who live in a close-knit village in Senegal. They’re not starving, not in danger. They are poor, restless, want a shot at something better in Europe and are oblivious to the horrors along the way.
Sarr won Best Emerging Actor at the Venice premiere of the film, which marks the onscreen debut for both stars and the first acting role for Sarr, who, Deadline’s review says, “carries the whole movie...
- 2/23/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Journey to Italy: Garrone Details Arduous Migrant Odyssey
It might be a rite of passage for contemporary Italian auteurs to examine the grueling adversity faced by migrants considering the ongoing crisis which began a decade ago, as timely a cinematic subject as ever with the country’s prime ministers declaring a six-month state of emergency earlier this year. Matteo Garrone offers up his own pared down narrative in Io Capitano, following two Senegalese cousins who sneak away from home to pursue their dreams as musicians in Europe, only to immediately realize they’re quite unprepared for the horrendous conditions and nefarious obstacles in their path.…...
It might be a rite of passage for contemporary Italian auteurs to examine the grueling adversity faced by migrants considering the ongoing crisis which began a decade ago, as timely a cinematic subject as ever with the country’s prime ministers declaring a six-month state of emergency earlier this year. Matteo Garrone offers up his own pared down narrative in Io Capitano, following two Senegalese cousins who sneak away from home to pursue their dreams as musicians in Europe, only to immediately realize they’re quite unprepared for the horrendous conditions and nefarious obstacles in their path.…...
- 2/23/2024
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Had first-time Senegalese actors Seydour Sarr and Moustapha Fall seen a Matteo Garrone film like “Gomorrah” before being scout-cast in his Italian Oscar nominee “Io Capitano,” they might’ve blinked twice. The 2008 film followed two teens from the Campania slums and into a life of organized crime, ending with them both dead in the mouth of a tractor. “Io Capitano” also follows two teens on a journey — here as African refugees making their way from Dakar to Europe in search of adventure — and as with Garrone’s crowning movie, the Italian filmmaker did not share the full script with his non-professional actors. In other words, Sarr and Fall, who in “Io Capitano” play cousins, had no idea whether their characters would survive the journey across the Mediterranean Sea.
Their voyage to Europe is marked by great danger and peril that Garrone masterfully stages and never dilutes — including a final scene...
Their voyage to Europe is marked by great danger and peril that Garrone masterfully stages and never dilutes — including a final scene...
- 2/22/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Jane Campion is championing Matteo Garrone’s “Io Capitano,” which is Italy’s Oscar-nominated contender for best international feature film.
The movie narrates the Homeric journey of two two Senegalese teenagers, Seydou and Moussa, who decide to leave Dakar to reach Europe in pursuit of a better life. It realistically depicts their plight through the pitfalls of the desert, the horrors of detention centers in Libya and the dangers of the sea.
In Variety‘s review, critic Guy Lodge called “Io Capitano” the director’s “most robust, purely satisfying filmmaking since [his] international breakthrough with ‘Gomorrah’ 15 years ago.” The drama, which at the Venice Film Festival won best director and best emerging actor for its co-star Seydou Sarr is the strongest Italian Oscar contender in recent memory. The film, which also won best European film at San Sebastian, will be released in the U.S. on Feb. 23 by Cohen Media Group.
The movie narrates the Homeric journey of two two Senegalese teenagers, Seydou and Moussa, who decide to leave Dakar to reach Europe in pursuit of a better life. It realistically depicts their plight through the pitfalls of the desert, the horrors of detention centers in Libya and the dangers of the sea.
In Variety‘s review, critic Guy Lodge called “Io Capitano” the director’s “most robust, purely satisfying filmmaking since [his] international breakthrough with ‘Gomorrah’ 15 years ago.” The drama, which at the Venice Film Festival won best director and best emerging actor for its co-star Seydou Sarr is the strongest Italian Oscar contender in recent memory. The film, which also won best European film at San Sebastian, will be released in the U.S. on Feb. 23 by Cohen Media Group.
- 2/22/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
In April 2019, the Academy made a major change to the category formerly known as best foreign-language film. The following March, at the 92nd Academy Awards, Parasite made Oscar history when it became the first non-English film to take best picture — and the first movie to win the Oscar for the newly designated category of best international film.
The decision to rename the category was born out of the Academy’s efforts to diversify its membership and embrace the global filmmaking community. “We believe that ‘international feature film’ better represents this category, and promotes a positive and inclusive view of filmmaking, and the art of film as a universal experience,” Larry Karaszewski and Diane Weyermann, then co-chairs of the international film committee (Weyermann died in 2021), said in a statement.
The Academy has embraced more foreign-language films in its competition — since Parasite’s win in 2020, the best picture category has seen international (or largely non-English) nominees Minari,...
The decision to rename the category was born out of the Academy’s efforts to diversify its membership and embrace the global filmmaking community. “We believe that ‘international feature film’ better represents this category, and promotes a positive and inclusive view of filmmaking, and the art of film as a universal experience,” Larry Karaszewski and Diane Weyermann, then co-chairs of the international film committee (Weyermann died in 2021), said in a statement.
The Academy has embraced more foreign-language films in its competition — since Parasite’s win in 2020, the best picture category has seen international (or largely non-English) nominees Minari,...
- 2/21/2024
- by Tyler Coates
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A-listers Alice Eve and Antonio Banderas (The Mask of Zorro) star in Cult Killer which is out now on Digital Platforms in the UK and Ireland. Also out on DVD on the 12th February 2024.
Eve (Star Trek Into Darkness) is a fearless private eye (with Banderas as her mentor) who uncovers brutal secrets in a sleepy Irish town that puts her life in danger. The film also stars Shelley Henig (Unfriended), Olwen Fouéré (The Northman) and Nick Dunning (The Tudors).
Stylishly directed by John Keeyes (Codename Banshee), Cult Killer recalls the nerve-shredding thrills of Silence of the Lambs and 7even, and is unmissable for fans of intelligent, dark crime thrillers.
Synopsis: When a renowned private investigator is murdered, his protege takes on the case. As her investigation unfolds, she is forced into a dangerous alliance with his killer to uncover the town’s grisly secrets and bring justice to its victims.
Eve (Star Trek Into Darkness) is a fearless private eye (with Banderas as her mentor) who uncovers brutal secrets in a sleepy Irish town that puts her life in danger. The film also stars Shelley Henig (Unfriended), Olwen Fouéré (The Northman) and Nick Dunning (The Tudors).
Stylishly directed by John Keeyes (Codename Banshee), Cult Killer recalls the nerve-shredding thrills of Silence of the Lambs and 7even, and is unmissable for fans of intelligent, dark crime thrillers.
Synopsis: When a renowned private investigator is murdered, his protege takes on the case. As her investigation unfolds, she is forced into a dangerous alliance with his killer to uncover the town’s grisly secrets and bring justice to its victims.
- 2/20/2024
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
Martin Scorsese will soon be seen on the big screen, and he won’t be playing himself.
The master director, who is being feted with Berlin Film Festival’s honorary Golden Bear on Tuesday night, has a small but powerful role playing an elderly sage who influences Dante Alighieri while he is writing “The Divine Comedy” in Julian Schnabel’s upcoming crime mystery “In the Hands of Dante.”
Though Scorsese has cameoed in many of his movies and occasionally performed in films by other directors – he played Vincent van Gogh in a segment of Akira Kurosawa’s 1990 film “Dreams” and also performed as voice talent as the loan shark pufferfish in “Shark Tale” – this role is likely to be among his meatiest.
“He is extraordinary in the film,” Schnabel tells Variety, calling Scorsese’s part “a brilliant, important role” and adding: “You can’t take your eyes off him.”
Two...
The master director, who is being feted with Berlin Film Festival’s honorary Golden Bear on Tuesday night, has a small but powerful role playing an elderly sage who influences Dante Alighieri while he is writing “The Divine Comedy” in Julian Schnabel’s upcoming crime mystery “In the Hands of Dante.”
Though Scorsese has cameoed in many of his movies and occasionally performed in films by other directors – he played Vincent van Gogh in a segment of Akira Kurosawa’s 1990 film “Dreams” and also performed as voice talent as the loan shark pufferfish in “Shark Tale” – this role is likely to be among his meatiest.
“He is extraordinary in the film,” Schnabel tells Variety, calling Scorsese’s part “a brilliant, important role” and adding: “You can’t take your eyes off him.”
Two...
- 2/20/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Matteo Garrone rose to international prominence with his gritty Mafia thriller Gomorrah (2008), depicting Naples as a hellish war zone. His latest endeavor, Io Capitano earned him the Silver Lion for Best Director at Venice, is a scorching topical drama that provides a unique perspective on Italy, seen through the eyes of outsiders who perceive it as the beacon at the end of a dark and twisted tunnel. The narrative follows a young protagonist lured by the allure of Europe, abandoning the warmth of his domestic life and congenial community to embark on a journey that unveils the harsh reality that the grass on the other side is not always greener. The tale meticulously traces the migrants’ hardships and injustices, unfurling a merciless portrayal of what people inflict upon those they see as helpless. Through the lens of two Senegalese teenagers, the film exposes the punishing process of illegal migration, delving...
- 2/17/2024
- by Dipankar Sarkar
- Talking Films
Cohen Media Group, the U.S. distribution company behind Matteo Garrone’s Oscar-nominated “Io Capitano,” has acquired North American rights to “The President’s Wife,” a biting movie starring Catherine Deneuve as France’s former first lady Bernadette Chirac.
The deal closed during the European Film Market currently taking place and running alongside the Berlin Film Festival.
The movie, which marks the feature debut of director Léa Domenach, is nominated for a Cesar Award for best first film. The deal was negotiated by Robert Aaronson, executive VP of Cohen Media Group, and Charlotte Boucon, head of world sales at Orange Studio — newly acquired by Studiocanal — on behalf of Warner Bros Picture France.
The film opens in 1995, as Jacques Chirac becomes president of France. “His wife Bernadette now expects to be treated with the respect due to her lifelong work in the shadow of her husband. But mocked as too corny, she’s cast aside.
The deal closed during the European Film Market currently taking place and running alongside the Berlin Film Festival.
The movie, which marks the feature debut of director Léa Domenach, is nominated for a Cesar Award for best first film. The deal was negotiated by Robert Aaronson, executive VP of Cohen Media Group, and Charlotte Boucon, head of world sales at Orange Studio — newly acquired by Studiocanal — on behalf of Warner Bros Picture France.
The film opens in 1995, as Jacques Chirac becomes president of France. “His wife Bernadette now expects to be treated with the respect due to her lifelong work in the shadow of her husband. But mocked as too corny, she’s cast aside.
- 2/17/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Italy — which is the Country of Focus at this year’s European Film Market in Berlin — is flourishing in terms of production activity just as its box office grosses start to pick up. Yet there’s room for improvement in terms of the number of titles that are able to break out internationally.
The Cinema Italiano output currently stands at over 350 movies a year, including co-productions, which is up compared with pre-pandemic levels. Still, while exports are growing, Italy only has a handful of directors — such as Paolo Sorrentino, Luca Guadagnino, Matteo Garrone and Alice Rohrwacher — whose movies consistently manage to travel around the world.
That said, a new generation of Italian auteurs is emerging. Case in point are the country’s two titles in the Berlin Film Festival competition: star-studded sci-fi film “Another End,” and musical comedy “Gloria!”
“Another End” is the sophomore work by Piero Messina, whose first film,...
The Cinema Italiano output currently stands at over 350 movies a year, including co-productions, which is up compared with pre-pandemic levels. Still, while exports are growing, Italy only has a handful of directors — such as Paolo Sorrentino, Luca Guadagnino, Matteo Garrone and Alice Rohrwacher — whose movies consistently manage to travel around the world.
That said, a new generation of Italian auteurs is emerging. Case in point are the country’s two titles in the Berlin Film Festival competition: star-studded sci-fi film “Another End,” and musical comedy “Gloria!”
“Another End” is the sophomore work by Piero Messina, whose first film,...
- 2/17/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The producers behind “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Maestro” and more Oscar-nominated films sat down to break down their respective projects at Variety FYC Fest: The Producers. The conversations were moderated by Variety’s senior artisans editor Jazz Tangcay and senior awards editor Clayton Davis.
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Producer Daniel Lupi on Filming in Oklahoma, Striving for Authenticity
Producer Daniel Lupi became involved in “Killers of the Flower Moon” after the script was rewritten to center the relationship between Ernest (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Mollie Burkhart (Lily Gladstone), contrasting from the original version of the script where DiCaprio was playing FBI agent Tom White. Lupi said Martin Scorsese described the new version as a “who didn’t do it.”
“He wanted to go right into the emotional core of the story and not be Tom White coming in and saving the day,” Lupi said of...
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Producer Daniel Lupi on Filming in Oklahoma, Striving for Authenticity
Producer Daniel Lupi became involved in “Killers of the Flower Moon” after the script was rewritten to center the relationship between Ernest (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Mollie Burkhart (Lily Gladstone), contrasting from the original version of the script where DiCaprio was playing FBI agent Tom White. Lupi said Martin Scorsese described the new version as a “who didn’t do it.”
“He wanted to go right into the emotional core of the story and not be Tom White coming in and saving the day,” Lupi said of...
- 2/16/2024
- by Caroline Brew and Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
Matteo Garrone’s Oscar-nominated immigration epic “Io Capitano” is gaining traction in movie theaters across the African continent, and will soon be touring villages in Senegal with the director in tow as part of an itinerant cinema initiative called Cinemovel.
Shot over 13 weeks in Senegal, Italy and Morocco with a cast of non-professional actors, the Italian auteur’s latest feature — the title for which translates to “Me Captain” — narrates the Homeric journey of two young African men, Seydou and Moussa, who decide to leave the Senegalese capital of Dakar to go to Europe. It depicts their plight through the pitfalls of the desert, the horrors of detention centers in Libya and the dangers of the sea.
Distributor Pathé BC started the film’s African rollout in Moroccan cinemas in January, followed by screenings in Tunisia, Senegal, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar,...
Shot over 13 weeks in Senegal, Italy and Morocco with a cast of non-professional actors, the Italian auteur’s latest feature — the title for which translates to “Me Captain” — narrates the Homeric journey of two young African men, Seydou and Moussa, who decide to leave the Senegalese capital of Dakar to go to Europe. It depicts their plight through the pitfalls of the desert, the horrors of detention centers in Libya and the dangers of the sea.
Distributor Pathé BC started the film’s African rollout in Moroccan cinemas in January, followed by screenings in Tunisia, Senegal, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar,...
- 2/12/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Given the challenges that many migrants face when traveling to a new land, it makes sense to assume that they’re fleeing harrowingly nightmarish realities. But the scenes that director Matteo Garrone uses to open his heartrending Io Capitano are far from nightmarish. Garrone’s big-dreaming migrant characters aren’t running away from something so much as they’re running toward it. The possibility that their goal is little more than a mirage makes this epic tale’s often horrendous journey even more wrenching.
The Dakar neighborhood where teenaged Seydou (Seydou Sarr) lives with his mother (Ndeye Khady Sy) and siblings is a chaotic sprawl of ramshackle buildings and bustling markets. A street party practically explodes as a spectacle of drumming, dancing, and colorful homemade couture. Though the Dakar of the film is clearly poor, with few modern conveniences and not much of a job market, it hardly seems the...
The Dakar neighborhood where teenaged Seydou (Seydou Sarr) lives with his mother (Ndeye Khady Sy) and siblings is a chaotic sprawl of ramshackle buildings and bustling markets. A street party practically explodes as a spectacle of drumming, dancing, and colorful homemade couture. Though the Dakar of the film is clearly poor, with few modern conveniences and not much of a job market, it hardly seems the...
- 2/11/2024
- by Chris Barsanti
- Slant Magazine
Exclusive: Ingo Fliess, producer of director Ilker Çatak’s German International Feature Film Oscar nominee The Teachers’ Lounge, tells Breaking Baz that he has partnered with Munich-based Trimafilm to explore “common” projects.
Fliess’ production outfit If… Productions will start work with Trimafilm on a prestige television mini-series being developed for Çatak and Eva Trobisch, who works alongside Trimafilm’s founder Mariko Minoguchi as a writer and director, and whose film Ivo will play at the forthcoming Berlinale.
Both the If… Productions and Trimafilm outfits enjoy a similar flair for smart and socially aware movies, and for passionately made documentaries. Trimafilm’s releases include the feature film All Is Well and the documentary Iron Butterflies.
Fliess explained that last year his company decided to share office space with Trimafilm while “remaining two independent companies” who are in constant exchange “of ideas about directors, scripts, about ideas and having many synergies.” He stressed,...
Fliess’ production outfit If… Productions will start work with Trimafilm on a prestige television mini-series being developed for Çatak and Eva Trobisch, who works alongside Trimafilm’s founder Mariko Minoguchi as a writer and director, and whose film Ivo will play at the forthcoming Berlinale.
Both the If… Productions and Trimafilm outfits enjoy a similar flair for smart and socially aware movies, and for passionately made documentaries. Trimafilm’s releases include the feature film All Is Well and the documentary Iron Butterflies.
Fliess explained that last year his company decided to share office space with Trimafilm while “remaining two independent companies” who are in constant exchange “of ideas about directors, scripts, about ideas and having many synergies.” He stressed,...
- 2/6/2024
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Italy’s Rai Cinema has confirmed the launch of its own dedicated international film sales arm.
Rai Cinema International Distribution will officially launch at the European Film Market (EFM) at the Berlinale.
Rai Cinema, the film production division of state broadcaster Rai, has an annual budget of $85m and invests in a large slate of 50-70 films a year. It also handles distribution in Italy through its distribution division 01 Distribution. The launch of a dedicated sales arm marks a new departure.
Rai Cinema will handle international distribution of new films which will then continue to be managed by existing...
Rai Cinema International Distribution will officially launch at the European Film Market (EFM) at the Berlinale.
Rai Cinema, the film production division of state broadcaster Rai, has an annual budget of $85m and invests in a large slate of 50-70 films a year. It also handles distribution in Italy through its distribution division 01 Distribution. The launch of a dedicated sales arm marks a new departure.
Rai Cinema will handle international distribution of new films which will then continue to be managed by existing...
- 2/5/2024
- ScreenDaily
The Berlin International Film Festival has confirmed it has invited two elected members of the German far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party to the opening ceremony of the 74th Berlinale but says it continues to “stand for basic democratic values and against right-wing extremism.”
AfD politicians, Kristin Brinker and Ronald Gläser, both members of the Berlin State Parliament, were invited to the Berlinale opening ceremony on Feb. 15. The invitations have sparked outrage, with a group of film professionals from Berlin and abroad signing an open letter to the festival protesting the decision.
In a statement sent to The Hollywood Reporter, the Berlinale acknowledged that “a number of members and representatives of the AfD hold positions that are deeply anti-democratic and contradict the values of the Berlinale and the values of our employees” but noted that the festival’s protocol is to invite democratically elected politicians. All the invited AfD members...
AfD politicians, Kristin Brinker and Ronald Gläser, both members of the Berlin State Parliament, were invited to the Berlinale opening ceremony on Feb. 15. The invitations have sparked outrage, with a group of film professionals from Berlin and abroad signing an open letter to the festival protesting the decision.
In a statement sent to The Hollywood Reporter, the Berlinale acknowledged that “a number of members and representatives of the AfD hold positions that are deeply anti-democratic and contradict the values of the Berlinale and the values of our employees” but noted that the festival’s protocol is to invite democratically elected politicians. All the invited AfD members...
- 2/3/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
If you are nominated for an Oscar this year, you are probably making your travel plans to head to Santa Barbara. That is because the Santa Barbara Film Festival is taking place from February 7-17, and quite frankly if you aren’t there at some point between those dates you likely aren’t also going to the Academy Awards on March 10.
Bradley Cooper, Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Giamatti, Robert Downey Jr. and Jeffrey Wright are all receiving various festival awards and tribute evenings at this year’s Sbiff, while nominees Lily Gladstone, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo and America Ferrera will also be onstage receiving Virtuoso Awards. The Artisan awards will be handed out to several crafts nominees as well.
All have been previously announced, with only participants in the Director of the Year evening still Tba. On Friday, the festival released names of nominees who will...
Bradley Cooper, Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Giamatti, Robert Downey Jr. and Jeffrey Wright are all receiving various festival awards and tribute evenings at this year’s Sbiff, while nominees Lily Gladstone, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo and America Ferrera will also be onstage receiving Virtuoso Awards. The Artisan awards will be handed out to several crafts nominees as well.
All have been previously announced, with only participants in the Director of the Year evening still Tba. On Friday, the festival released names of nominees who will...
- 2/2/2024
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Under executive director Roger Durling, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (Sbiff, February 7-17, 2024) has thrived by not only mounting a film festival but surfing the awards season wave, programming a ton of onstage interviews with Oscar contenders.
Every year, screenwriters, directors, and producers promote their films on panels, and the likes of Kristen Stewart, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Nolan, Ben Affleck, Brad Pitt, Bong Joon Ho, Adam Driver, Renée Zellweger, Laura Dern, Viola Davis, Lupita Nyong’o, Saoirse Ronan, Bruce Dern, Jeff Bridges, Melissa McCarthy, Isabelle Huppert, Viggo Mortensen, Rami Malek, Glenn Close, and Sam Elliott submit to in-depth tributes.
The panels, tributes, and special screenings lure local cinephiles and the area’s few hundred Academy members eager to hear Oscar contenders talk about their creative process. All tributes and panels are held in person at the historic Arlington Theatre, and they’re posted online.
Sbiff 2024 will feature over 200 films from 48 countries,...
Every year, screenwriters, directors, and producers promote their films on panels, and the likes of Kristen Stewart, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Nolan, Ben Affleck, Brad Pitt, Bong Joon Ho, Adam Driver, Renée Zellweger, Laura Dern, Viola Davis, Lupita Nyong’o, Saoirse Ronan, Bruce Dern, Jeff Bridges, Melissa McCarthy, Isabelle Huppert, Viggo Mortensen, Rami Malek, Glenn Close, and Sam Elliott submit to in-depth tributes.
The panels, tributes, and special screenings lure local cinephiles and the area’s few hundred Academy members eager to hear Oscar contenders talk about their creative process. All tributes and panels are held in person at the historic Arlington Theatre, and they’re posted online.
Sbiff 2024 will feature over 200 films from 48 countries,...
- 2/2/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
For Italian conductor Beatrice Venezi, 2024 kicked off on a decidedly sour note.
On New Year’s Eve the baton-wielding Venezi, a friend of right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, was heckled at the Opéra de Nice by French anti-fascist protesters as she took to the podium.
The incident reflected tensions rippling through European entertainment industry circles as far-right parties sweep to power in Italy and the Netherlands and gain ground across the EU.
Italy took a sharp turn to the right in 2022, when Meloni, whose Brothers of Italy party has neo-fascist roots, emerged the winner in the national elections. Since then her right-wing camp, which denies accusations of nostalgia for fascism, has moved to hold more sway within state-controlled media and cultural institutions such as broadcaster Rai, the Centro Sperimentale film school and the Biennale, the Venice Film Festival’s parent organization.
Scrutiny is being directed at Venezi, an adviser to Meloni-appointed culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano.
On New Year’s Eve the baton-wielding Venezi, a friend of right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, was heckled at the Opéra de Nice by French anti-fascist protesters as she took to the podium.
The incident reflected tensions rippling through European entertainment industry circles as far-right parties sweep to power in Italy and the Netherlands and gain ground across the EU.
Italy took a sharp turn to the right in 2022, when Meloni, whose Brothers of Italy party has neo-fascist roots, emerged the winner in the national elections. Since then her right-wing camp, which denies accusations of nostalgia for fascism, has moved to hold more sway within state-controlled media and cultural institutions such as broadcaster Rai, the Centro Sperimentale film school and the Biennale, the Venice Film Festival’s parent organization.
Scrutiny is being directed at Venezi, an adviser to Meloni-appointed culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano.
- 2/2/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The great Martin Scorsese returned to the Eternal City, accompanied by the star of the moment, Lily Gladstone, as the guests of honor of a gala dinner at the Hotel Hassler by the Spanish steps Wednesday night. The event, honoring Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon and hosted by co-chief of Leone Film Group, Raffaella Leone, daughter of great Italian film director Sergio Leone, and Paolo Del Brocco, head of Rai Cinema, the Italian distributor of Killers. Hot off the film’s 10 Oscar nominations, including a record-setting 10th best director nod for Scorsese and the historic best actress nod for Gladstone as the first Native American nominated in the category, the event was a must-attend for the Italian film scene.
The Hollywood Reporter Roma was the only media outlet admitted to the event, and we were a fly on the wall for the parade of A-list industry guests, which...
The Hollywood Reporter Roma was the only media outlet admitted to the event, and we were a fly on the wall for the parade of A-list industry guests, which...
- 2/1/2024
- by Manuela Santacatterina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After the cinematic doldrums of January, February brings surprisingly packed, varied offerings, from Oscar-contending international features to biographical documentaries of legendary film artists to some electrifying genre outings. Check out my picks to see below, and catch up with our Sundance coverage ahead of our Berlinale reviews here.
16. The Monk and the Gun (Pawo Choyning Dorji; Feb. 9)
Returning after his Oscar-nominated directorial debut Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, Pawo Choyning Dorji’s Ifsn Advocate Award-shortlisted The Monk and the Gun premiered at Telluride and TIFF to much acclaim and will now be released this month. Selected by Bhutan as their Oscar entry, the heartwarming film is about an American in search of a long-lost, vintage gun in Bhutan as the country’s launching a democracy.
15. Ennio (Giuseppe Tornatore; Feb. 9)
The film world lost perhaps its most legendary musician when Ennio Morricone died at the age of 91 in July 2020. Cinema Paradiso director Giuseppe Tornatore,...
16. The Monk and the Gun (Pawo Choyning Dorji; Feb. 9)
Returning after his Oscar-nominated directorial debut Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, Pawo Choyning Dorji’s Ifsn Advocate Award-shortlisted The Monk and the Gun premiered at Telluride and TIFF to much acclaim and will now be released this month. Selected by Bhutan as their Oscar entry, the heartwarming film is about an American in search of a long-lost, vintage gun in Bhutan as the country’s launching a democracy.
15. Ennio (Giuseppe Tornatore; Feb. 9)
The film world lost perhaps its most legendary musician when Ennio Morricone died at the age of 91 in July 2020. Cinema Paradiso director Giuseppe Tornatore,...
- 2/1/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
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