Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, will have a special screening at the festival
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has unveiled the line-up for its Competition and Arab Spectacular strands.
The festival will take place from November 30-December 9 in the port city of Jeddah under the theme ’Your Stories, Your Festival.’
Red Sea Iff’s line-up throws a spotlight on films made in the Mena region and includes 36 feature length and short films from Saudi Arabia, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation.
The Competition strand includes 17 films from Asia,...
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has unveiled the line-up for its Competition and Arab Spectacular strands.
The festival will take place from November 30-December 9 in the port city of Jeddah under the theme ’Your Stories, Your Festival.’
Red Sea Iff’s line-up throws a spotlight on films made in the Mena region and includes 36 feature length and short films from Saudi Arabia, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation.
The Competition strand includes 17 films from Asia,...
- 11/6/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Mad Solutions has acquired world sales rights to Egyptian director Amr Salama’s short film 60 Egyptian Pounds ahead of its world premiere as the opening film of the upcoming El Gouna Film Festival.
Salama is one of Egypt’s most popular directors with recent credits including Shahid-commissioned drama Bimbo, starring Ahmed Malek as a drug dealer-turned-detective; fantasy feature Bara El Manhag, Netlfix series Paranormal and Toronto hit Sheikh Jackson.
60 Egyptian Pounds grew out of Salama’s fascination and love of Egypt’s burgeoning hip-hop scene as well as desire to shed light on domestic abuse.
The short stars real-life Egyptian rap star Ziad Zaza, in his first big screen role, as a fictitious rapper with an abusive father, who takes it upon himself to end his family’s suffering once and for all.
“Working on 60 pounds was a liberating and refreshing experience,” says Salama. “I was curious to explore...
Salama is one of Egypt’s most popular directors with recent credits including Shahid-commissioned drama Bimbo, starring Ahmed Malek as a drug dealer-turned-detective; fantasy feature Bara El Manhag, Netlfix series Paranormal and Toronto hit Sheikh Jackson.
60 Egyptian Pounds grew out of Salama’s fascination and love of Egypt’s burgeoning hip-hop scene as well as desire to shed light on domestic abuse.
The short stars real-life Egyptian rap star Ziad Zaza, in his first big screen role, as a fictitious rapper with an abusive father, who takes it upon himself to end his family’s suffering once and for all.
“Working on 60 pounds was a liberating and refreshing experience,” says Salama. “I was curious to explore...
- 9/18/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Egyptian director Omar El Zohairy, whose absurdist social satire “Feathers” won the Cannes Critics’ Week prize in 2021 and went on to make a major splash, is set to helm “Mammals,” an English-language drama that will be a reflection on Western capitalism and family ties.
El Zohairy’s sophomore film, which will feature still unspecified actors from different countries, is being co-written by the buzzed-about auteur with British Egyptian writer-director Mohamed Adeeb, who wrote the hit Egyptian TV series “Bimbo,” directed by Amr Salama.
“Mammals” takes its cue from events in Adeeb’s life which in turn inspired El Zohairy to draw inspiration from the life of his father, who died in 2016 in the United States, where he was an immigrant living under difficult conditions, he said. In the film, a young man visits his distant father in one of the world’s most lavish resorts. When he arrives there he discovers that,...
El Zohairy’s sophomore film, which will feature still unspecified actors from different countries, is being co-written by the buzzed-about auteur with British Egyptian writer-director Mohamed Adeeb, who wrote the hit Egyptian TV series “Bimbo,” directed by Amr Salama.
“Mammals” takes its cue from events in Adeeb’s life which in turn inspired El Zohairy to draw inspiration from the life of his father, who died in 2016 in the United States, where he was an immigrant living under difficult conditions, he said. In the film, a young man visits his distant father in one of the world’s most lavish resorts. When he arrives there he discovers that,...
- 5/26/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
In a mission towards enriching the film industry through development, production, and distribution at the Arab and regional levels; The Board of Directors of Film Clinic Holding — a leading corporation in all facets of artistic and cinematic production in the Arab world founded by renowned screenwriter and producer Mohamed Hefzy and director Amr Salama along with Ergo Media Ventures, a subsidiary of Ayady for Investment and Development — recently convened its first board meeting to discuss the company's institutional transformation plans.
The Board of Directors is presided by Eng. Usama El-Sheikh; Former chief of the state's TV and radio. The formation of the Board of Directors took into consideration the inclusion of the finest specialists in all technological, production, managerial, and legal aspects; working in the areas of media, creative, and digital production. A combination that aims to achieve the company's vision in reaching excellence in film and TV production in...
The Board of Directors is presided by Eng. Usama El-Sheikh; Former chief of the state's TV and radio. The formation of the Board of Directors took into consideration the inclusion of the finest specialists in all technological, production, managerial, and legal aspects; working in the areas of media, creative, and digital production. A combination that aims to achieve the company's vision in reaching excellence in film and TV production in...
- 3/23/2023
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
Cairo-based film marketing and distribution outfit Mad Solutions has taken an equity ownership stake in New York’s revived arthouse distributor D Street Releasing.
The partnership will extend the reach of Mad Solutions’ theatrical distribution operations, giving it an inroad into the U.S. arthouse sector where so far Arab cinema has been largely reliant on festival exposure.
Mad Solutions, which is a top distributor of specialty Arab cinema across the West Asia region, now plans to release between five and seven standout titles from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other Arabic-speaking countries to North American audiences.
D Street Releasing, which has been largely dormant in recent years, is a division of D Street Media Group, the New York-based production, distribution and music publishing company with affiliate operations in the U.S., Germany, Ecuador, Argentina and South Africa.
Mad co-founders Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab met D Street’s founding CEO...
The partnership will extend the reach of Mad Solutions’ theatrical distribution operations, giving it an inroad into the U.S. arthouse sector where so far Arab cinema has been largely reliant on festival exposure.
Mad Solutions, which is a top distributor of specialty Arab cinema across the West Asia region, now plans to release between five and seven standout titles from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other Arabic-speaking countries to North American audiences.
D Street Releasing, which has been largely dormant in recent years, is a division of D Street Media Group, the New York-based production, distribution and music publishing company with affiliate operations in the U.S., Germany, Ecuador, Argentina and South Africa.
Mad co-founders Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab met D Street’s founding CEO...
- 5/18/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Shahid Kapoor’s ‘Bull’ Sets April 2023 Release Date
Producers Bhushan Kumar of T-Series and Amar Butala and Garima Mehta of Guilty By Association have set a Good Friday weekend 2023 release date for their action-flick Bull. Starring Shahid Kapoor (Kabir Singh), the pic marks the directorial debut of Aditya Nimbalkar and will be set in the 1980s. “Bull is inspired by the valour of our men in uniform. It is sure to enthrall and inspire all at the same time,” said Mehta. Parveez Shaikh (Bajrangi Bhaijaan) and Aseem Arrora (Malang) will be penning the film and production goes on floors in in early 2022.
Anaya Mohanty Upped At Endemol Shine India
Anaya Mohanty has been promoted to Head of Development at Endemol Shine India, reporting directly to the outfit’s CEO, Abhishek Rege. Previously the business’ Creative Director for Premium Scripted Development, she will oversee premium scripted and non-scripted development, with the...
Producers Bhushan Kumar of T-Series and Amar Butala and Garima Mehta of Guilty By Association have set a Good Friday weekend 2023 release date for their action-flick Bull. Starring Shahid Kapoor (Kabir Singh), the pic marks the directorial debut of Aditya Nimbalkar and will be set in the 1980s. “Bull is inspired by the valour of our men in uniform. It is sure to enthrall and inspire all at the same time,” said Mehta. Parveez Shaikh (Bajrangi Bhaijaan) and Aseem Arrora (Malang) will be penning the film and production goes on floors in in early 2022.
Anaya Mohanty Upped At Endemol Shine India
Anaya Mohanty has been promoted to Head of Development at Endemol Shine India, reporting directly to the outfit’s CEO, Abhishek Rege. Previously the business’ Creative Director for Premium Scripted Development, she will oversee premium scripted and non-scripted development, with the...
- 11/17/2021
- by Anuj Radia
- Deadline Film + TV
Production
Principal photography has commenced on Season 2 of acclaimed Sky original paramedic comedy “Bloods.”
U.S. streaming service Hulu has acquired the series in a multi-season deal and season 1 will debut on the streamer Dec. 9.
The series stars BAFTA nominated Samson Kayo and Golden Globe nominated Jane Horrocks. The first season had eight episodes while the second will have 10.
Bloods follows tough-acting loner Maleek (Kayo) and over-friendly divorcee Wendy (Horrocks), a pair of mismatched paramedics, and their fellow ambulance station colleagues through the life-saving world of a south London emergency service. Katherine Kelly (“Innocent”) and Nathan Foad (“Our Flag Means Death”) are joining the cast for the new season.
The show’s returning cast includes Lucy Punch (“Motherland”), Julian Barratt (“Mighty Boosh”), Adrian Scarborough (“Gavin and Stacey”), Aasiya Shah (“Raised By Wolves”), Kevin Garry (“Ted Lasso”) and Sam Campbell (“Stath Lets Flats”).
The series is being made for Sky by...
Principal photography has commenced on Season 2 of acclaimed Sky original paramedic comedy “Bloods.”
U.S. streaming service Hulu has acquired the series in a multi-season deal and season 1 will debut on the streamer Dec. 9.
The series stars BAFTA nominated Samson Kayo and Golden Globe nominated Jane Horrocks. The first season had eight episodes while the second will have 10.
Bloods follows tough-acting loner Maleek (Kayo) and over-friendly divorcee Wendy (Horrocks), a pair of mismatched paramedics, and their fellow ambulance station colleagues through the life-saving world of a south London emergency service. Katherine Kelly (“Innocent”) and Nathan Foad (“Our Flag Means Death”) are joining the cast for the new season.
The show’s returning cast includes Lucy Punch (“Motherland”), Julian Barratt (“Mighty Boosh”), Adrian Scarborough (“Gavin and Stacey”), Aasiya Shah (“Raised By Wolves”), Kevin Garry (“Ted Lasso”) and Sam Campbell (“Stath Lets Flats”).
The series is being made for Sky by...
- 11/17/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The Red Sea International Film Festival has set the lineup for its inaugural edition which runs from December 6-15 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The roster includes 138 titles from 67 countries and will open with MGM’s Joe Wright-directed musical romance Cyrano. The film previously played Telluride and Rome among others and releases domestically on December 31. Among highlights are also Netflix’s Venice Film Festival drama The Lost Daughter. Closing the Red Sea Fest is the world premiere of Egyptian director Amr Salama’s Bara El Manhag.
Sixteen films will run in the competition which is focused on films from Asia, Africa and the Arab world (see full list below). They will vie for the Golden Yusr Award as well as in individual directing, acting and writing categories. Among the titles screening are Hany Abu-Assad’s Huda’s Salon, Georgian Oscar submission Brighton 4th and Panah Panahi’s Hit The Road.
Kaleem Aftab,...
The roster includes 138 titles from 67 countries and will open with MGM’s Joe Wright-directed musical romance Cyrano. The film previously played Telluride and Rome among others and releases domestically on December 31. Among highlights are also Netflix’s Venice Film Festival drama The Lost Daughter. Closing the Red Sea Fest is the world premiere of Egyptian director Amr Salama’s Bara El Manhag.
Sixteen films will run in the competition which is focused on films from Asia, Africa and the Arab world (see full list below). They will vie for the Golden Yusr Award as well as in individual directing, acting and writing categories. Among the titles screening are Hany Abu-Assad’s Huda’s Salon, Georgian Oscar submission Brighton 4th and Panah Panahi’s Hit The Road.
Kaleem Aftab,...
- 11/9/2021
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Middle East Premiere of Joe Wright’s ‘Cyrano’ to Open Saudi Arabia’s Inaugural Red Sea Film Festival
The Middle East premiere of British director Joe Wright’s dazzling romantic drama “Cyrano” will open the Red Sea Film Festival, which is Saudi Arabia’s first full-fledged film festival and market with international ambitions.
The ambitious event, which is a key plank of the kingdom’s plans to diversify its oil-based economy and become a prominent Middle East moviemaking hub – following the 2017 removal of its religion-related ban on cinema – is set to run Dec. 6-15 in the historic district of the city of Jeddah, a Unesco World Heritage site.
Organizers on Tuesday unveiled a well-assorted lineup featuring lots of fresh Arabic fare interspersed with high-profile international pics such as, besides “Cyrano,” Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Elena Ferrante adaptation “The Lost Daughter,” Ana Lily Amirpour’s “Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon,” and Oscar-nominated Japanese filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda’s anime feature “Belle,” which will open the fest’s Next Generation section.
The ambitious event, which is a key plank of the kingdom’s plans to diversify its oil-based economy and become a prominent Middle East moviemaking hub – following the 2017 removal of its religion-related ban on cinema – is set to run Dec. 6-15 in the historic district of the city of Jeddah, a Unesco World Heritage site.
Organizers on Tuesday unveiled a well-assorted lineup featuring lots of fresh Arabic fare interspersed with high-profile international pics such as, besides “Cyrano,” Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Elena Ferrante adaptation “The Lost Daughter,” Ana Lily Amirpour’s “Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon,” and Oscar-nominated Japanese filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda’s anime feature “Belle,” which will open the fest’s Next Generation section.
- 11/9/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The Red Sea Film Festival, Saudi Arabia’s first full-fledged international film festival, has unveiled the lineup for its inaugural edition next month.
Cyrano, Joe Wright’s musical romantic drama starring Peter Dinklage, Hayley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Ben Mendelsohn, will open the curtain on the nine-day event in the coastal city of Jeddah. Closing the festival will be the world premiere of renowned Egyptian director Amr Salama’s latest feature, Bara El Menhag, starring Maged El-Kidwani, Omar Chareef, Rubi and Deena Maher.
The festival — which was due to launch in March 2020 but was canceled as the coronavirus pandemic spread ...
Cyrano, Joe Wright’s musical romantic drama starring Peter Dinklage, Hayley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Ben Mendelsohn, will open the curtain on the nine-day event in the coastal city of Jeddah. Closing the festival will be the world premiere of renowned Egyptian director Amr Salama’s latest feature, Bara El Menhag, starring Maged El-Kidwani, Omar Chareef, Rubi and Deena Maher.
The festival — which was due to launch in March 2020 but was canceled as the coronavirus pandemic spread ...
- 11/9/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The Red Sea Film Festival, Saudi Arabia’s first full-fledged international film festival, has unveiled the lineup for its inaugural edition next month.
Cyrano, Joe Wright’s musical romantic drama starring Peter Dinklage, Hayley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Ben Mendelsohn, will open the curtain on the nine-day event in the coastal city of Jeddah. Closing the festival will be the world premiere of renowned Egyptian director Amr Salama’s latest feature, Bara El Menhag, starring Maged El-Kidwani, Omar Chareef, Rubi and Deena Maher.
The festival — which was due to launch in March 2020 but was canceled as the coronavirus pandemic spread ...
Cyrano, Joe Wright’s musical romantic drama starring Peter Dinklage, Hayley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Ben Mendelsohn, will open the curtain on the nine-day event in the coastal city of Jeddah. Closing the festival will be the world premiere of renowned Egyptian director Amr Salama’s latest feature, Bara El Menhag, starring Maged El-Kidwani, Omar Chareef, Rubi and Deena Maher.
The festival — which was due to launch in March 2020 but was canceled as the coronavirus pandemic spread ...
- 11/9/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy’s production shingle Film Clinic –– at Venice with “Amira,” Mohamed Diab’s drama about Palestinian children conceived behind bars with smuggled sperm –– is getting a financial boost that will triple its resources just as two new film and TV projects go into production.
Film Clinic is having an outstanding festival presence this year. They recently took the top Cannes Critics’ Week nod with Omar El Zohairy’s “Feathers,” and are now in the Venice Horizons section with “Amira” (pictured); it will soon be in Toronto with Hany Abu-Assad’s “Huda’s Salon.”
Now the company will have the financial muscle to take things to the next level thanks a new partner, government-affiliated outfit Ergo, which is taking a 49% stake in Film Clinic, while Hefzy and other partners will retain control of the remaining 51%.
Hefzy underlined that while the seed money comes from a government bank, the company is private,...
Film Clinic is having an outstanding festival presence this year. They recently took the top Cannes Critics’ Week nod with Omar El Zohairy’s “Feathers,” and are now in the Venice Horizons section with “Amira” (pictured); it will soon be in Toronto with Hany Abu-Assad’s “Huda’s Salon.”
Now the company will have the financial muscle to take things to the next level thanks a new partner, government-affiliated outfit Ergo, which is taking a 49% stake in Film Clinic, while Hefzy and other partners will retain control of the remaining 51%.
Hefzy underlined that while the seed money comes from a government bank, the company is private,...
- 9/5/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
As it begins to ramps up production in the Middle East Netflix has announced a partnership with Saudi Arabian digital media studio Telfaz11 to produce eight new feature films.
The deal segues from the two companies’ previous collaboration on the short film collection “Six Windows in the Desert,” which was an “incredible success,” according to a Netflix statement.
The announcement follows the launch last week of Netflix’s most ambitious Arabic original series “Paranormal,” a supernatural drama directed by Egypt’s Amr Salama.
“We are expanding our library of Saudi content and showcasing the beauty of Saudi storytelling by joining forces with its
creators to produce authentic and intriguing stories that will resonate with both Arab and global audiences,” said Nuha El Tayeb, who is Netflix’s director of content acquisitions for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, in a statement.
“We hope that Telfaz’s work will offer...
The deal segues from the two companies’ previous collaboration on the short film collection “Six Windows in the Desert,” which was an “incredible success,” according to a Netflix statement.
The announcement follows the launch last week of Netflix’s most ambitious Arabic original series “Paranormal,” a supernatural drama directed by Egypt’s Amr Salama.
“We are expanding our library of Saudi content and showcasing the beauty of Saudi storytelling by joining forces with its
creators to produce authentic and intriguing stories that will resonate with both Arab and global audiences,” said Nuha El Tayeb, who is Netflix’s director of content acquisitions for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, in a statement.
“We hope that Telfaz’s work will offer...
- 11/12/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
In a move to increase Middle East/North Africa region programming Netflix has released its very first Egyptian original series. This is Paranormal, a six part horror series based on the novels of best selling author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik. The show is set in the 60s and follows the adventures of Dr. Refaat Ismail (Ahmed Amin), a haematologist who is confronted by various supernatural occurrences he finds it increasingly difficult to explain with science.
It’s an anthology show of sort (in the same way Lovercraft Country was), with each ep focusing on a different paranormal phenomenon, with an overarching story relating to Refaat and his family, his fiancee who is also his cousin, and his former love, his Scottish former class mate Maggie Mckillop (Razane Jammal).
The two have a kind of Mulder and Skully vibe if Mulder was a balding middle aged sad sack who smokes a lot...
It’s an anthology show of sort (in the same way Lovercraft Country was), with each ep focusing on a different paranormal phenomenon, with an overarching story relating to Refaat and his family, his fiancee who is also his cousin, and his former love, his Scottish former class mate Maggie Mckillop (Razane Jammal).
The two have a kind of Mulder and Skully vibe if Mulder was a balding middle aged sad sack who smokes a lot...
- 11/9/2020
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
After dipping its toes in production in the Middle East, Netflix on Thursday launched its most ambitious Arabic show to date with supernatural drama “Paranormal,” directed by young Egyptian helmer Amr Salama (“Sheikh Jackson”).
The six-episode series out of Egypt, which is set in the 1960s, is based on bestselling Arabic horror books by late Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik. It depicts the adventures of lead character Dr. Refaat Ismail, a hematologist whose scientific convictions fall apart when he is faced with paranormal occurrences. Each episode is a standalone story centered around one of the “Paranormal” tomes.
Salama served as showrunner and producer on “Paranormal” in tandem with prominent Egyptian indie producer Mohammed Hefzy, whose Film Clinic shingle is known internationally for churning out a stream of edgy titles such as “Microphone,” “Sheikh Jackson” and “Yomeddine.” Hefzy also heads up the Cairo Film Festival.
“Paranormal” marks a starting point for...
The six-episode series out of Egypt, which is set in the 1960s, is based on bestselling Arabic horror books by late Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik. It depicts the adventures of lead character Dr. Refaat Ismail, a hematologist whose scientific convictions fall apart when he is faced with paranormal occurrences. Each episode is a standalone story centered around one of the “Paranormal” tomes.
Salama served as showrunner and producer on “Paranormal” in tandem with prominent Egyptian indie producer Mohammed Hefzy, whose Film Clinic shingle is known internationally for churning out a stream of edgy titles such as “Microphone,” “Sheikh Jackson” and “Yomeddine.” Hefzy also heads up the Cairo Film Festival.
“Paranormal” marks a starting point for...
- 11/5/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix announced a premiere date for “Paranormal,” and Epix greenlit a political documentary series based on Leon Neyfakh’s “Fiasco” podcast with plans to debut the show in 2021.
Dates
The first season of Netflix‘s upcoming thriller “Paranormal” will premiere on Nov. 5 in 190 countries, the streamer announced Monday. It will also be dubbed in nine languages and is the first Netflix Arabic Original from Egypt to include audio and visual descriptions for viewers with hearing or visual impairments. The series stars Ahmed Amin as Dr. Refaat Ismail, a 1960s scientist who begins to question what he thinks he knows as paranormal events begin to unravel around him. It is created by director Amr Salama, who executive produces alongside Mohamed Hefzy. Majid Alansari also directs for the series. Watch a teaser for “Paranormal” below.
“Chrisley Knows Best” and “Miz and Mrs” will both return to USA Network on Nov.
Dates
The first season of Netflix‘s upcoming thriller “Paranormal” will premiere on Nov. 5 in 190 countries, the streamer announced Monday. It will also be dubbed in nine languages and is the first Netflix Arabic Original from Egypt to include audio and visual descriptions for viewers with hearing or visual impairments. The series stars Ahmed Amin as Dr. Refaat Ismail, a 1960s scientist who begins to question what he thinks he knows as paranormal events begin to unravel around him. It is created by director Amr Salama, who executive produces alongside Mohamed Hefzy. Majid Alansari also directs for the series. Watch a teaser for “Paranormal” below.
“Chrisley Knows Best” and “Miz and Mrs” will both return to USA Network on Nov.
- 10/5/2020
- by Eli Countryman
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Film Independent has unveiled their keynotes, conversations and panelists for the 15th annual Film Independent Forum. The Forum, which is traditionally a weekend event, will now be a week-long virtual event that will reach all corners of the globe from July 31 to August 7.
The event has set a roster of banner names in the industry, featuring a U.S. Filmmaker Keynote with Lulu Wang (The Farewell); a U.S. Executive Keynote with Elissa Federoff, President of Distribution at Neon; a Documentary Keynote with Dawn Porter; and a Global Executive Keynote with Ashok Amritraj, Chairman and CEO of Hyde Park Entertainment Group. Traditionally a weekend event, the Forum has expanded to a full week-long event accessible online to global audiences the week of July 31 to August 7.
In addition, panels will cover financing, production and distribution of films to digital content across diverse platforms...
The event has set a roster of banner names in the industry, featuring a U.S. Filmmaker Keynote with Lulu Wang (The Farewell); a U.S. Executive Keynote with Elissa Federoff, President of Distribution at Neon; a Documentary Keynote with Dawn Porter; and a Global Executive Keynote with Ashok Amritraj, Chairman and CEO of Hyde Park Entertainment Group. Traditionally a weekend event, the Forum has expanded to a full week-long event accessible online to global audiences the week of July 31 to August 7.
In addition, panels will cover financing, production and distribution of films to digital content across diverse platforms...
- 6/30/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
A key aspect of Mohamed Hefzy’s Cairo Film Festival reboot has been to re-introduce and reinvent its Cairo Industry Days market component comprising the Cairo Film Connection (Cfc) co-production platform, which this year almost doubled its prize pot to $200,000 for 16 selected Arabic film projects.
But the mart’s major novelty this edition is its TV component. After starting last year with a TV script development workshop, being held again this year by Screen Buzz, the strand is now rising to the next level with a three-day confab hosted by the USC School of Cinematic Arts’ Middle East Media Initiative (Memi), a Hollywood mentorship program looking to boost the careers of Arabic TV writers and producers.
“We are trying to build a focus on TV, but also to reinforce the combination of both film and TV,” says Cairo Industry Days chief Aliaa Zaki, the former Dubai Film Market exec who...
But the mart’s major novelty this edition is its TV component. After starting last year with a TV script development workshop, being held again this year by Screen Buzz, the strand is now rising to the next level with a three-day confab hosted by the USC School of Cinematic Arts’ Middle East Media Initiative (Memi), a Hollywood mentorship program looking to boost the careers of Arabic TV writers and producers.
“We are trying to build a focus on TV, but also to reinforce the combination of both film and TV,” says Cairo Industry Days chief Aliaa Zaki, the former Dubai Film Market exec who...
- 11/14/2019
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has announced its first Egyptian original series based on the best-selling books by late author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik, entitled Paranormal. Here’s a quick rundown for the series:
Set in the 1960s, Paranormal depicts the adventures of Dr. Refaat Ismail, a single hematologist who finds himself faced with a series of supernatural events.
The series will be directed by Amr Salama, who is also co-producing and showrunning. Mohamed Hefzy is co-producing as well. We don’t have any casting news yet, but the info we do have sounds intriguing. Here’s what Salama had to say about directing the project:
“I’m very excited about this project, It was my dream to adapt Paranormal of the late author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik and turn it into a drama since I ever wanted to be a filmmaker. I’m proud to present the books in a new light while still keeping the essence of Paranormal.
Set in the 1960s, Paranormal depicts the adventures of Dr. Refaat Ismail, a single hematologist who finds himself faced with a series of supernatural events.
The series will be directed by Amr Salama, who is also co-producing and showrunning. Mohamed Hefzy is co-producing as well. We don’t have any casting news yet, but the info we do have sounds intriguing. Here’s what Salama had to say about directing the project:
“I’m very excited about this project, It was my dream to adapt Paranormal of the late author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik and turn it into a drama since I ever wanted to be a filmmaker. I’m proud to present the books in a new light while still keeping the essence of Paranormal.
- 5/29/2019
- by Jessica Fisher
- GeekTyrant
Netflix is stepping up production in the Middle East with its third and most ambitious Arabic original, titled “Paranormal,” with young Egyptian director Amr Salama (“Sheikh Jackson”) on board as director and showrunner.
“Paranormal,” based on bestselling Arabic horror books by late Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik, is being jointly produced by Salama and prominent Egyptian indie producer Mohammed Hefzy, whose Film Clinic shingle is known internationally for churning out a stream of edgy titles such as “Microphone,” “Sheikh Jackson” and “Yomeddine.”
The series, set in the 1960s, marks the streaming giant’s first foray into a drama produced in Egypt, which is historically the Arab world’s production powerhouse. “Paranormal” depicts the adventures of lead character Dr. Refaat Ismail, a hematologist who finds himself “faced with a series of supernatural events.”
“We are excited to continue our investment in Middle Eastern productions by adapting the highly acclaimed ‘Paranormal’ novels into a thrilling new series,...
“Paranormal,” based on bestselling Arabic horror books by late Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik, is being jointly produced by Salama and prominent Egyptian indie producer Mohammed Hefzy, whose Film Clinic shingle is known internationally for churning out a stream of edgy titles such as “Microphone,” “Sheikh Jackson” and “Yomeddine.”
The series, set in the 1960s, marks the streaming giant’s first foray into a drama produced in Egypt, which is historically the Arab world’s production powerhouse. “Paranormal” depicts the adventures of lead character Dr. Refaat Ismail, a hematologist who finds himself “faced with a series of supernatural events.”
“We are excited to continue our investment in Middle Eastern productions by adapting the highly acclaimed ‘Paranormal’ novels into a thrilling new series,...
- 5/27/2019
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix is moving into Egyptian drama with an adaptation of Ahmed Khaled Tawfik’s Paranormal.
The Svod service has ordered the Middle Eastern series, which will be produced by Mohamed Hefzy and Amr Salama with the latter directing and showrunning.
The series is set in the 1960s, the series, packed with mystery and suspense, depicts the adventures of Dr. Refaat Ismail, a single hematologist who finds himself faced with a series of supernatural events.
Khaled Tawfik, who died in 2018, was a prolific author who wrote more than 200 books and was the first contemporary writer or horror, science fiction and medical thrillers in the Arab world.
The show is expected to be filmed in Egypt and is the company’s third Middle Eastern original following Jinn and Al Rawabi School for Girls.
“We are so excited to be investing in more Middle Eastern productions by adapting the highly acclaimed Paranormal series...
The Svod service has ordered the Middle Eastern series, which will be produced by Mohamed Hefzy and Amr Salama with the latter directing and showrunning.
The series is set in the 1960s, the series, packed with mystery and suspense, depicts the adventures of Dr. Refaat Ismail, a single hematologist who finds himself faced with a series of supernatural events.
Khaled Tawfik, who died in 2018, was a prolific author who wrote more than 200 books and was the first contemporary writer or horror, science fiction and medical thrillers in the Arab world.
The show is expected to be filmed in Egypt and is the company’s third Middle Eastern original following Jinn and Al Rawabi School for Girls.
“We are so excited to be investing in more Middle Eastern productions by adapting the highly acclaimed Paranormal series...
- 5/27/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix has greenlit its most ambitious Middle East series to date, and from two of the region's most established names.
Paranormal, based on the best-selling Arabic horror books by late author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik that have sold more than 15 million copies, also marks the streaming giant's first foray into Egyptian drama, and will be produced by Mohamed Hefzy and Amr Salama. The latter — who directed the Egyptian Oscar entry Sheikh Jackson and local box office hit Excuse My French — will helm the series and serve as showrunner.
Set in the 1960s, Paranormal follows the adventures of ...
Paranormal, based on the best-selling Arabic horror books by late author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik that have sold more than 15 million copies, also marks the streaming giant's first foray into Egyptian drama, and will be produced by Mohamed Hefzy and Amr Salama. The latter — who directed the Egyptian Oscar entry Sheikh Jackson and local box office hit Excuse My French — will helm the series and serve as showrunner.
Set in the 1960s, Paranormal follows the adventures of ...
- 5/27/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
L'enkas Photo: Sarah Marx
This year's Mostra de Valencia - Cinema De Mediterrani - which runs from October 18 to 28 - will see 11 films compete in its official section as it returns from a six-year hiatus.
The festival has a focus on films from Mediterranean countries and all the films will be Spanish premieres. Those in competition include Sarah Marx's debut fiction feature L'Enkas, about a young ex-con desperate to make quick cash to help his mother and Amr Salama's Sheikh Jackson - Egypt's nomination for this year's foreign language Oscar - a drama about a cleric who has a crisis of faith when he discovers his idol Michael Jackson has died.
Other countries represented include Tunisia (Selma Balcar's El Jaida and Nace Khemir's Whispering Sands), Italy (Marco Tullio Giordana's Nome Di Donna), Turkey (Banu Sivaci's The Pigeon) and Lebanon (Lucien Bourjiely's Heaven Without People).
New artistic director Eduardo Guillot said: "This.
This year's Mostra de Valencia - Cinema De Mediterrani - which runs from October 18 to 28 - will see 11 films compete in its official section as it returns from a six-year hiatus.
The festival has a focus on films from Mediterranean countries and all the films will be Spanish premieres. Those in competition include Sarah Marx's debut fiction feature L'Enkas, about a young ex-con desperate to make quick cash to help his mother and Amr Salama's Sheikh Jackson - Egypt's nomination for this year's foreign language Oscar - a drama about a cleric who has a crisis of faith when he discovers his idol Michael Jackson has died.
Other countries represented include Tunisia (Selma Balcar's El Jaida and Nace Khemir's Whispering Sands), Italy (Marco Tullio Giordana's Nome Di Donna), Turkey (Banu Sivaci's The Pigeon) and Lebanon (Lucien Bourjiely's Heaven Without People).
New artistic director Eduardo Guillot said: "This.
- 10/10/2018
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The film is directed by Egyptian filmmaker Amr Salama and is screening at the Munich Film Festival in the Spotlight sidebar.
Fledgling Stuttgart-based distributor Der Filmverleih has picked up German rights to tragicomedy Sheikh Jackson from sales agent Media Luna Films.
The film is directed by Egyptian filmmaker Amr Salama and is screening at the Munich Film Festival in the Spotlight sidebar.
The film’s star Ahmed Malek, who made his breakthrough as an actor at the age of 15 in the popular Egyptian series The Brotherhood, attended the festiavl to present the film’s German premiere.
Sheikh Jackson premiered in...
Fledgling Stuttgart-based distributor Der Filmverleih has picked up German rights to tragicomedy Sheikh Jackson from sales agent Media Luna Films.
The film is directed by Egyptian filmmaker Amr Salama and is screening at the Munich Film Festival in the Spotlight sidebar.
The film’s star Ahmed Malek, who made his breakthrough as an actor at the age of 15 in the popular Egyptian series The Brotherhood, attended the festiavl to present the film’s German premiere.
Sheikh Jackson premiered in...
- 7/3/2018
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
It’s going to be a busy Cannes for Egyptian producer Mohammed Hefzy, who recently became Cairo Film Festival president.
He’s on the Croisette as co-producer of “Yomeddine,” Egypt’s first feature in competition in six years, and also as the man tasked with relaunching one of the oldest and most important festivals in the Arab world.
In March Hefzy was called into the office of Egypt’s Culture Minister Ines Abdel-Dayem, a former Cairo Opera House chairwoman appointed in January. She asked him to take charge of the Cairo fest. That event has been losing international luster. He accepted the next day, becoming, at age 43, the youngest president in the event’s 40-edition history, and the first chosen from within the country’s film industry ranks.
“It’s a big responsibility… there is a lot that needs to be improved,” Hefzy says. His top priority is to develop...
He’s on the Croisette as co-producer of “Yomeddine,” Egypt’s first feature in competition in six years, and also as the man tasked with relaunching one of the oldest and most important festivals in the Arab world.
In March Hefzy was called into the office of Egypt’s Culture Minister Ines Abdel-Dayem, a former Cairo Opera House chairwoman appointed in January. She asked him to take charge of the Cairo fest. That event has been losing international luster. He accepted the next day, becoming, at age 43, the youngest president in the event’s 40-edition history, and the first chosen from within the country’s film industry ranks.
“It’s a big responsibility… there is a lot that needs to be improved,” Hefzy says. His top priority is to develop...
- 5/11/2018
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy has been appointed president of the Cairo Film Festival with a mandate to revamp and relaunch the prominent Arab fest, which has been losing luster owing to political turbulence, terrorism, and the recent launch of a rival event in a Red Sea resort.
Hefzy, 43, is the youngest president in the Cairo fest’s 40-edition history and the first chosen from within the country’s film industry ranks. He replaces critic Magda Wasef. Critic and academic Youssef Sherif Rizkalla remains the fest’s artistic director.
“It’s a big responsibility….There is a lot that needs to be improved,” Hefzy told Variety, adding that he had not expected Egyptian Culture Minister Ines Abdel-Dayem — a former Cairo Opera House chairwoman who was appointed minister in January — to pick him for the challenging task. But, Hefzy noted, he and Abdel-Dayem “share a very similar vision for how the festival...
Hefzy, 43, is the youngest president in the Cairo fest’s 40-edition history and the first chosen from within the country’s film industry ranks. He replaces critic Magda Wasef. Critic and academic Youssef Sherif Rizkalla remains the fest’s artistic director.
“It’s a big responsibility….There is a lot that needs to be improved,” Hefzy told Variety, adding that he had not expected Egyptian Culture Minister Ines Abdel-Dayem — a former Cairo Opera House chairwoman who was appointed minister in January — to pick him for the challenging task. But, Hefzy noted, he and Abdel-Dayem “share a very similar vision for how the festival...
- 3/30/2018
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Sheikh Jackson is the new film by Amr Salama, a prominent young Egyptian writer and director whose credits include the prize-winning AIDS drama Asmaa and the coming-of-age comedy Excuse My French, which swept the board at Egypt’s equivalent of the Oscars, as well as the documentary Tahrir which premiered in Venice, winning the Fipresci Award.
It is a strange thing to see an ultra strict iman recall his sweet innocent school days as a devotee of Michael Jackson. While playing like a comedy, there is a sadness to the amount of supression that goes into the creation of the fundamentalist strictness of the man today. As a child he was mistreated just enough by his father to lose the magical charm Michael Jackson exercised upon him.
I wanted to laugh but found it profoundly upsetting to realize the dynamic behind such fundamentalism today.
The director himself said,
I never...
It is a strange thing to see an ultra strict iman recall his sweet innocent school days as a devotee of Michael Jackson. While playing like a comedy, there is a sadness to the amount of supression that goes into the creation of the fundamentalist strictness of the man today. As a child he was mistreated just enough by his father to lose the magical charm Michael Jackson exercised upon him.
I wanted to laugh but found it profoundly upsetting to realize the dynamic behind such fundamentalism today.
The director himself said,
I never...
- 12/14/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Director Amr Salama had a hunch that Sheikh Jackson might stoke a fire or two in his native Egypt. Not that it would ever stop him (his previous films have dealt with AIDS and sectarian strife), but in dealing with the somewhat sensitive subject of hard-line Islam, he managed to — at least initially — draw criticism from both sides in a country where two recent revolutions and the dramatic rise and fall of the Muslim Brotherhood have plowed deep divisions through society.
"People are so polarized when it comes to Islamists in the Middle East," says Salama. "Both sides...
"People are so polarized when it comes to Islamists in the Middle East," says Salama. "Both sides...
- 11/9/2017
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Cleopatra Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Sheikh Jackson, the Michael Jackson-themed pic that Egypt has selected as its entry into the Oscar Foreign Language Film race. The movie was an official selection at last month’s Toronto Film Festival, and now an early 2018 theatrical release is planned. Co-written and directed by Amr Salama, the film follows El Feshawy, who plays an Islamic cleric obsessed with Jackson as a teenager. After hearing…...
- 10/16/2017
- Deadline
The final deadline for submitting each country’s film for consideration for the foreign-language Oscar was October 2. Last year 85 were finally deemed eligible by the Academy; this year the number is a record 92. Haiti, Honduras, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mozambique, Senegal and Syria are first-time entrants. These films are vying for the initial shortlist of 9, and final five nominations to be announced on January 23. See the final list below.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
- 10/5/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The final deadline for submitting each country’s film for consideration for the foreign-language Oscar was October 2. Last year 85 were finally deemed eligible by the Academy; this year the number is a record 92. Haiti, Honduras, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mozambique, Senegal and Syria are first-time entrants. These films are vying for the initial shortlist of 9, and final five nominations to be announced on January 23. See the final list below.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
- 10/5/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The thing I could never wrap my head around, religious-wise, is the idea of strict right and wrong. As a Catholic it’s somewhat easy as far as sin and repentance. You’re allowed to do a lot as long as you feel remorse and guilt enough to learn your lesson. But other religions are more stringent than Ten Commandments and more vehement in how each version of its worship follows its specific edicts. There’s no better place than the Middle East to see this in action—and I don’t mean Isis versus Islam. I’m talking traditional versus modern. Both exist simultaneously in a country such as Egypt. You have the latter’s westernized clothing and attitudes alongside the former’s veil and prayer. To choose one is to forsake the other.
This revolt against duality is behind Amr Salama’s Sheikh Jackson and the young imam...
This revolt against duality is behind Amr Salama’s Sheikh Jackson and the young imam...
- 9/22/2017
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Tiff has come and gone. Masses of Canadians attend the festival which is what gives it such a special atmosphere. In Cannes, only the industry attends the festival; the public sets up chairs and ladders to watch the red carpet galas and take pictures. But here the public is as much a part of the festival as the industry.Tiff Bell Lightbox
The industry action which consists of buying and selling of film rights takes place at the Hyatt Hotel on King Street West. The screenings for both public and industry are down the street at the Tiff Bell Lightbox and around the corner at the Scotia Multiplex. The dense mingling of public and industry at these venues and on the street itself which is closed to traffic for the first weekend but is open to pedestrians, photo-op spots, food trucks creates a festive bevvy of activity to the city.
The industry action which consists of buying and selling of film rights takes place at the Hyatt Hotel on King Street West. The screenings for both public and industry are down the street at the Tiff Bell Lightbox and around the corner at the Scotia Multiplex. The dense mingling of public and industry at these venues and on the street itself which is closed to traffic for the first weekend but is open to pedestrians, photo-op spots, food trucks creates a festive bevvy of activity to the city.
- 9/18/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Michael Jackson enjoyed an unusually intense cult following in the Arab world, his albums circulating like underground samizdat in regimes that banned western pop music. In later life, fleeing legal and financial problems at home, the troubled superstar briefly found sanctuary in the Gulf state of Bahrain, where he reportedly looked into converting to Islam. The singer's ghostly presence hangs heavy over Sheikh Jackson, an agreeably off-the-wall drama from Saudi-born Egyptian writer-director Amr Salama, which Egypt has chosen as its Academy Awards contender in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
Salama, who previously won festival awards for Asmaa (2011) and...
Salama, who previously won festival awards for Asmaa (2011) and...
- 9/15/2017
- by Stephen Dalton
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Egypt has selected Amr Salama's Sheikh Jackson, a drama about a bearded hardline Islamic cleric with a secret passion for Michael Jackson, as its candidate for consideration for the best foreign-language film Oscar.
Salama received news of his country's Oscar bid pick Monday while attending the Toronto International Film Festival, where Sheikh Jackson is set to have its world premiere.
"I’m thrilled and honored to be recognized,” Salama said in a statement. "My aim was to be honest from the beginning and I wanted to cross borders with this film and subject. I believe we have done just...
Salama received news of his country's Oscar bid pick Monday while attending the Toronto International Film Festival, where Sheikh Jackson is set to have its world premiere.
"I’m thrilled and honored to be recognized,” Salama said in a statement. "My aim was to be honest from the beginning and I wanted to cross borders with this film and subject. I believe we have done just...
- 9/11/2017
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A bearded hardline Islamic cleric with a secret passion for Michael Jackson — the idea seems like a goofy Ben Stiller comedy waiting to happen (and immediately offend). But it’s not actually as far-fetched as it sounds. In fact, when the concept for Sheikh Jackson — in which a strict Islamist and former King of Pop fan in Egypt suffers from a crisis of faith and identity after Jackson’s death in 2009 — was first suggested to director Amr Salama, it struck an intensely personal chord.
“The moment I heard it I thought, ‘Wow, this is like me in the...
“The moment I heard it I thought, ‘Wow, this is like me in the...
- 9/8/2017
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Amr Salama, the award-winning Egyptian director who is bringing his latest film Sheikh Jackson to Toronto next month, is developing a feature aimed squarely at one of the biggest war movies of all time.
Iraqi Sniper (working title), will tell the “other side of the story of American Sniper, the story about the villain,” Salama tells THR.
In Clint Eastwood’s 2014 box-office smash American Sniper, Bradley Cooper starred as top U.S. marksman Chris Kyle. His chief antagonist in the film was a mysterious sniper on the side of the Iraqi insurgents who went by the name of Mustafa.
“He’s the...
Iraqi Sniper (working title), will tell the “other side of the story of American Sniper, the story about the villain,” Salama tells THR.
In Clint Eastwood’s 2014 box-office smash American Sniper, Bradley Cooper starred as top U.S. marksman Chris Kyle. His chief antagonist in the film was a mysterious sniper on the side of the Iraqi insurgents who went by the name of Mustafa.
“He’s the...
- 8/29/2017
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
ThelmaA selection of films from the 2017 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival has been unveiled, with new films by Sebastián Lelio, Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Darren Aronofsky, Greta Gerwig, Guillermo Del Toro, Joachim Trier, Wim Wenders, and many more.Special PRESENTATIONSOpening Night: Ladybird (Greta Gerwig)Closing Night: Sheikh Jackson (Amr Salama)Battle of the Sexes (Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton)Bpm (Beats Per Minute) (Robin Campillo)The Brawler (Anurag Kashyap)The Breadwinner (Nora Twomey)Call Me By Your Name (Luca Guadagnino)Catch the Wind (Gaël Morel)The Children Act (Richard Eyre)The Current War (Alfonso Gomez-Rejon)Disobedience (Sebastián Lelio)Downsizing (Alexander Payne)A Fantastic Woman (Sebastián Lelio)First They Killed My Father (Angelina Jolie)The Guardians (Xavier Beauvois)Hostiles (Scott Cooper)The Hungry (Bornila Chatterjee)I, Tonya (Craig Gillespie)Mother! (Darren Aronofsky)Novitiate (Maggie Betts)Omerta (Hansal Mehta)Plonger (Mélanie Laurent)The Price of Success (Teddy Lussi-Modeste)Professor Marston & the Wonder Women...
- 8/3/2017
- MUBI
A new documentary about Eric Clapton, Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars, will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival before airing on Showtime in 2018.
Oscar winner Lili Fini Zanuck (producer, Driving Miss Daisy) directed Life in 12 Bars, which features extensive interviews with Clapton. The film chronicles the guitarist's remarkable career, from his time as a British rock journeyman in the Yardbirds and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers to his stints in Cream and Blind Faith, as well as his lengthy solo career. Life in 12 Bars will also explore how music has...
Oscar winner Lili Fini Zanuck (producer, Driving Miss Daisy) directed Life in 12 Bars, which features extensive interviews with Clapton. The film chronicles the guitarist's remarkable career, from his time as a British rock journeyman in the Yardbirds and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers to his stints in Cream and Blind Faith, as well as his lengthy solo career. Life in 12 Bars will also explore how music has...
- 8/1/2017
- Rollingstone.com
This year’s Toronto International Film Festival will open with Janus Metz’s fact-based “Borg/McEnroe,” starring Shia Labeouf and Sverrir Gudnason as the eponymous tennis players at the heart of its story, which chronicles one of sports’ greatest rivalries.
The film will kick off the festival on Thursday, September 7, with a world premiere at Toronto’s own Roy Thomson Hall. The festival will close out with Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledo’s “C’est la vie!,” and the Special Presentations section will open with Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut, “Lady Bird,” and close with Amr Salama’s “Sheikh Jackson.”
Read MoreTIFF Reveals First Slate of 2017 Titles, Including ‘The Shape of Water,’ ‘Downsizing,’ and ‘Call Me By Your Name’
“‘Borg/McEnroe’ has a powerful tension about it that is on par with the electric energy of Toronto on opening night,” Piers Handling, director and CEO of Tiff, said in a statement.
The film will kick off the festival on Thursday, September 7, with a world premiere at Toronto’s own Roy Thomson Hall. The festival will close out with Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledo’s “C’est la vie!,” and the Special Presentations section will open with Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut, “Lady Bird,” and close with Amr Salama’s “Sheikh Jackson.”
Read MoreTIFF Reveals First Slate of 2017 Titles, Including ‘The Shape of Water,’ ‘Downsizing,’ and ‘Call Me By Your Name’
“‘Borg/McEnroe’ has a powerful tension about it that is on par with the electric energy of Toronto on opening night,” Piers Handling, director and CEO of Tiff, said in a statement.
- 7/31/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Of the 14 Galas and 33 Special Presentations, this first announcement includes 25 World Premieres, eight International Premieres, six North American Premieres, and eight Canadian Premieres, including works from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, India, Egypt, and Cambodia.
This year, Tiff offers a refreshed, more tightly curated Festival, with a renewed commitment to bold, director-driven programming, continued support of female filmmakers, and enough star power to fuel 400,000 festival-goers.
Kings by Deniz Gamze Ergüven starring Haile Berry
Today’s announcement cements that the future is female (and so is Tiff’s programming), with Gala films from emerging and established filmmakers that include Kings by Deniz Gamze Ergüven, whose 2015 Festival feature Mustang earned an Oscar nod for Best Foreign Film; Mary Shelley by Haifaa Al Mansour, the first female Saudi director; Dee Rees’ Mudbound, an adaptation of Hillary Jordan’s novel about racial tensions...
This year, Tiff offers a refreshed, more tightly curated Festival, with a renewed commitment to bold, director-driven programming, continued support of female filmmakers, and enough star power to fuel 400,000 festival-goers.
Kings by Deniz Gamze Ergüven starring Haile Berry
Today’s announcement cements that the future is female (and so is Tiff’s programming), with Gala films from emerging and established filmmakers that include Kings by Deniz Gamze Ergüven, whose 2015 Festival feature Mustang earned an Oscar nod for Best Foreign Film; Mary Shelley by Haifaa Al Mansour, the first female Saudi director; Dee Rees’ Mudbound, an adaptation of Hillary Jordan’s novel about racial tensions...
- 7/30/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
New biopics on the creator of Wonder Woman and disgraced Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding, as well as a comedy crime caper from George Clooney, are among the films set to premiere at the 42nd Toronto International Film Festival. The festival will take place September 7th to 17th.
Other films set to feature at the annual festival include the latest from Darren Aronofsky's mother!, starring Jennifer Lawrence; Emma Stone and Steve Carell's true-story tennis flick Battle of the Sexes; and Guillermo del Toro's Cold War thriller The Shape of Water.
Other films set to feature at the annual festival include the latest from Darren Aronofsky's mother!, starring Jennifer Lawrence; Emma Stone and Steve Carell's true-story tennis flick Battle of the Sexes; and Guillermo del Toro's Cold War thriller The Shape of Water.
- 7/25/2017
- Rollingstone.com
Update: Tiff unveils Galas, Special Presentations selections.
Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang follow-up Kings (above), David Gordon Green’s Boston Marathon drama Stronger starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour starring Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, and Darren Aronofsky’s mother! with Jenifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem are among the initial wave of Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) picks announced on Tuesday.
Kings ia a world premiere, alongside many others (see below) including Hany Abu-Assad’s plane crash survivor drama The Mountain Between Us with Kate Winslet and Idris Elba, Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya starring Margot Robbie, Wim Wender’s romantic thriller Submergence with Alicia Wikander and James McAvoy, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s immigration drama A Season In France, and two from The Weinstein Company: The Current War starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon, Tom Holland, and Nicholas Hoult, and Neil Burger’s Intouchables remake starring Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart, and [link=nm...
Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang follow-up Kings (above), David Gordon Green’s Boston Marathon drama Stronger starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour starring Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, and Darren Aronofsky’s mother! with Jenifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem are among the initial wave of Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) picks announced on Tuesday.
Kings ia a world premiere, alongside many others (see below) including Hany Abu-Assad’s plane crash survivor drama The Mountain Between Us with Kate Winslet and Idris Elba, Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya starring Margot Robbie, Wim Wender’s romantic thriller Submergence with Alicia Wikander and James McAvoy, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s immigration drama A Season In France, and two from The Weinstein Company: The Current War starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon, Tom Holland, and Nicholas Hoult, and Neil Burger’s Intouchables remake starring Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart, and [link=nm...
- 7/25/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Update: Tiff unveils Galas, Special Presentations selections.
Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour (above) starring Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang follow-up Kings, and Darren Aronofsky’s mother! with Jenifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem are among the initial wave of Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) picks announced on Tuesday.
Toronto promgrammers updated the premiere status of each film announced in Galas and Special Presentations on Tuesday morning. Darkest Hour is a Canadian premiere, suggesting Telluride and possibly Venice berths, while mother! is a North American premiere, which indicates a world premiere slot in Venice.
Kings ia a world premiere, alongside many others (see below) including Hany Abu-Assad’s plane crash survivor drama The Mountain Between Us with Kate Winslet and Idris Elba, David Gordon Green’s Boston Marathon drama Stronger with Jake Gyllenhaal, and Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya starring Margot Robbie, Wim Wender’s romantic thriller Submergence with Alicia Wikander and James McAvoy, [link...
Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour (above) starring Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang follow-up Kings, and Darren Aronofsky’s mother! with Jenifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem are among the initial wave of Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) picks announced on Tuesday.
Toronto promgrammers updated the premiere status of each film announced in Galas and Special Presentations on Tuesday morning. Darkest Hour is a Canadian premiere, suggesting Telluride and possibly Venice berths, while mother! is a North American premiere, which indicates a world premiere slot in Venice.
Kings ia a world premiere, alongside many others (see below) including Hany Abu-Assad’s plane crash survivor drama The Mountain Between Us with Kate Winslet and Idris Elba, David Gordon Green’s Boston Marathon drama Stronger with Jake Gyllenhaal, and Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya starring Margot Robbie, Wim Wender’s romantic thriller Submergence with Alicia Wikander and James McAvoy, [link...
- 7/25/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Even though Toronto International Film Festival have reduced their lineup by around 20% when compared to past years, there’s no shortage of high-profile premieres and potential discoveries. Ahead of the festival, which runs from September 7 through 17, they’ve now unveiled the first look at their lineup, including Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water, Darren Aronofsky’s mother!, Alexander Payne’s Downsizing, George Clooney’s Suburbicon, Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut Lady Bird (opening the festival), Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour, and many more.
There’s also past festival favorites, including Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name, Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or winner The Square, The Rider, Mudbound, and more. Other highly-anticipated projects include Joachim Trier’s Thelma, Sebastián Lelio’s Disobedience (whose A Fantastic Woman is also in the lineup), the Jessica Chastain-led Woman Walks Ahead,...
There’s also past festival favorites, including Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name, Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or winner The Square, The Rider, Mudbound, and more. Other highly-anticipated projects include Joachim Trier’s Thelma, Sebastián Lelio’s Disobedience (whose A Fantastic Woman is also in the lineup), the Jessica Chastain-led Woman Walks Ahead,...
- 7/25/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
This year’s Toronto International Film Festival still is over a month from kicking off, but the starry annual event is pulling out zero stops when it comes to its first official slate announcement. The festival will close out with Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledo’s “C’est la vie!,” and the Special Presentations section will open with Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut, “Lady Bird,” and close with Amr Salama’s “Sheikh Jackson.”
Today’s first glimpse of this year’s programing include a slew of 2017’s most anticipated features, including Guillermo del Toro’s adult fairy tale “The Shape of Water,” Alexander Payne’s Matt Damon-starring comedy “Downsizing,” Darren Aronofsky’s secretive “mother!,” George Clooney’s reportedly uber-violent “Suburbicon,” and Martin McDonagh’s “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.”
And that is just the tip of a very big iceberg, one that today includes the announcement of both Gala and Special Presentations titles.
Today’s first glimpse of this year’s programing include a slew of 2017’s most anticipated features, including Guillermo del Toro’s adult fairy tale “The Shape of Water,” Alexander Payne’s Matt Damon-starring comedy “Downsizing,” Darren Aronofsky’s secretive “mother!,” George Clooney’s reportedly uber-violent “Suburbicon,” and Martin McDonagh’s “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.”
And that is just the tip of a very big iceberg, one that today includes the announcement of both Gala and Special Presentations titles.
- 7/25/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Film revolves around Muslim cleric whose life is overturned by the death of Michael Jackson in 2009.
Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawaris’s film and high-end TV production company iProductions has boarded Amr Salama’s drama Sheikh Jackson about a strict Muslim cleric obsessed with the late musical superstar Michael Jackson.
The move marks a first direct collaboration between iProductons and Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy at Cairo-based Film Clinic, whose recent credits include Clash, which premiered in Cannes Un Certain Regard last year, and the offbeat comedy Ali, The Goat And Ibrahim.
“It’s an interesting development in that it lays the foundation for a longer-term relationship between the two companies,” said Hefzy, hinting that other joint productions are on the cards.
Other Egyptian partners on the film, which is expected to debut at a festival this autumn, include Hani Osama’s The Producers.
Film Clinic and The Producers have a history of working together on titles including...
Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawaris’s film and high-end TV production company iProductions has boarded Amr Salama’s drama Sheikh Jackson about a strict Muslim cleric obsessed with the late musical superstar Michael Jackson.
The move marks a first direct collaboration between iProductons and Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy at Cairo-based Film Clinic, whose recent credits include Clash, which premiered in Cannes Un Certain Regard last year, and the offbeat comedy Ali, The Goat And Ibrahim.
“It’s an interesting development in that it lays the foundation for a longer-term relationship between the two companies,” said Hefzy, hinting that other joint productions are on the cards.
Other Egyptian partners on the film, which is expected to debut at a festival this autumn, include Hani Osama’s The Producers.
Film Clinic and The Producers have a history of working together on titles including...
- 5/26/2017
- ScreenDaily
Screen investigates which films from around the world could launch on the Croisette, including on opening night.
With just over a month to go before the line-up for this year’s Cannes Film Festival is unveiled in Paris, Croisette predictions and wish lists are hitting the web thick and fast.
Screen’s network of correspondents and contributors around the world have been putting out feelers to get a sense of what might or might not make it to the Palais du Cinéma or one of the parallel sections.
Just like the Oscars, this year’s festival is likely to unfold amid a politically-charged atmosphere. Beyond Trump and the rise of populism across the globe, France will be digesting the result of its own presidential election on May 7. Against this background, the festival will be feting its 70th edition.
Below, Screen reveals which titles might - and might not - be in the running for a place at the...
With just over a month to go before the line-up for this year’s Cannes Film Festival is unveiled in Paris, Croisette predictions and wish lists are hitting the web thick and fast.
Screen’s network of correspondents and contributors around the world have been putting out feelers to get a sense of what might or might not make it to the Palais du Cinéma or one of the parallel sections.
Just like the Oscars, this year’s festival is likely to unfold amid a politically-charged atmosphere. Beyond Trump and the rise of populism across the globe, France will be digesting the result of its own presidential election on May 7. Against this background, the festival will be feting its 70th edition.
Below, Screen reveals which titles might - and might not - be in the running for a place at the...
- 3/13/2017
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Producer of Un Certain Regard opener Clash lines up new projects, including Lewis Carroll adaptation In The Land Of Wonder.
Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy [pictured] is developing a Cairo-set version of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland plunging the main character into the chaos of the city’s streets.
The project, In The Land Of Wonder, is the second film by Nadine Khan after her debut feature Chaos, Disorder, which won the jury prize at the Dubai International Film Festival in 2012.
The daughter of respected Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Khan spent a decade working as a second unit and assistant director for the likes of Yousry Nasrallah and Nabil Ayouch before making her first film.
Hefzy is in Cannes this year with Mohamed Diab’s buzzed about Un Certain Regard opener Clash about a group of people locked in a police van for 24 hours after they arrested during violent demonstrations in Cairo at the end of Islamist President...
Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy [pictured] is developing a Cairo-set version of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland plunging the main character into the chaos of the city’s streets.
The project, In The Land Of Wonder, is the second film by Nadine Khan after her debut feature Chaos, Disorder, which won the jury prize at the Dubai International Film Festival in 2012.
The daughter of respected Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Khan spent a decade working as a second unit and assistant director for the likes of Yousry Nasrallah and Nabil Ayouch before making her first film.
Hefzy is in Cannes this year with Mohamed Diab’s buzzed about Un Certain Regard opener Clash about a group of people locked in a police van for 24 hours after they arrested during violent demonstrations in Cairo at the end of Islamist President...
- 5/16/2016
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: New film by Amr Salama (Excuse My French) to shoot this spring.
Egyptian indie production powerhouse Film Clinic is gearing up to launch financing on Sheikh Jackson, a bittersweet drama about an Islamic fundamentalist cleric with a secret passion for Michael Jackson music.
Film Clinic chief Mohammed Hefzy said: “The day Michael Jackson dies it changes his life. He hits a wall. Suddenly, he is incapable of performing with his wife, crying or giving the emotional sermons for which he was once renowned.”
Amr Salama - whose credits include the prize-winning AIDS drama Asmaa and coming-of-age comedy Excuse My French, which recently swept the board at Egypt’s equivalent of the Oscars – is set to direct.
As the man undergoes therapy, a series of flashbacks explore his teenage years: from his early love of Jackson’s music to an unrequited love story and family dispute to his life-changing embrace of the ultra-conservative Salafism movement, which frowns...
Egyptian indie production powerhouse Film Clinic is gearing up to launch financing on Sheikh Jackson, a bittersweet drama about an Islamic fundamentalist cleric with a secret passion for Michael Jackson music.
Film Clinic chief Mohammed Hefzy said: “The day Michael Jackson dies it changes his life. He hits a wall. Suddenly, he is incapable of performing with his wife, crying or giving the emotional sermons for which he was once renowned.”
Amr Salama - whose credits include the prize-winning AIDS drama Asmaa and coming-of-age comedy Excuse My French, which recently swept the board at Egypt’s equivalent of the Oscars – is set to direct.
As the man undergoes therapy, a series of flashbacks explore his teenage years: from his early love of Jackson’s music to an unrequited love story and family dispute to his life-changing embrace of the ultra-conservative Salafism movement, which frowns...
- 10/27/2015
- ScreenDaily
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