Exclusive: Leonor Will Never Die producer Monster Jimenez will next work on Mario Cornejo’s My Neighbor the Gangster, a film loosely based on Cornejo’s childhood.
Principal photography for My Neighbor the Gangster is set for October this year in the Philippines, with a release targeted for next year. My Neighbor the Gangster tells the story of how a young boy’s life changes forever when the country’s biggest gangster moves his mistress and love child next door to the boy’s seaside residence.
The film has already received a development fund from the Film Development Council of the Philippines and is the latest collaboration of husband-and-wife team Cornejo and Jimenez. They have co-written the script, with Cornejo directing and Jimenez producing.
Both were also producers on the 2022 film Leonor Will Never Die from director Martika Escobar, which became the Philippines’ first film to compete at the Sundance...
Principal photography for My Neighbor the Gangster is set for October this year in the Philippines, with a release targeted for next year. My Neighbor the Gangster tells the story of how a young boy’s life changes forever when the country’s biggest gangster moves his mistress and love child next door to the boy’s seaside residence.
The film has already received a development fund from the Film Development Council of the Philippines and is the latest collaboration of husband-and-wife team Cornejo and Jimenez. They have co-written the script, with Cornejo directing and Jimenez producing.
Both were also producers on the 2022 film Leonor Will Never Die from director Martika Escobar, which became the Philippines’ first film to compete at the Sundance...
- 4/9/2024
- by Sara Merican
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Anima, the Filipino studio behind Venice winner On The Job 2: The Missing 8 and Sundance winner Leonor Will Never Die, is joining with Project 8 Projects to co-produce Antoinette Jadaone’s teenage pregnancy drama Sunshine.
Maris Racal stars in the film, marking her third collaboration with Jadaone. The story follows a young gymnast who discovers she is pregnant on the week of the national team tryouts. On her way to a seller of illegal abortion drugs, she meets a mysterious girl who eerily talks and thinks like her.
Currently in post-production, the film is a follow-up to Jadaone’s Fan Girl (2020), which played at Tokyo International Film Festival and Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival main competition.
Jadaone is known for both indie and mainstream films in the Philippines. She directed one of the highest-grossing indie films in Philippine cinema history, That Thing Called Tadhana (2014), which also played widely at...
Maris Racal stars in the film, marking her third collaboration with Jadaone. The story follows a young gymnast who discovers she is pregnant on the week of the national team tryouts. On her way to a seller of illegal abortion drugs, she meets a mysterious girl who eerily talks and thinks like her.
Currently in post-production, the film is a follow-up to Jadaone’s Fan Girl (2020), which played at Tokyo International Film Festival and Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival main competition.
Jadaone is known for both indie and mainstream films in the Philippines. She directed one of the highest-grossing indie films in Philippine cinema history, That Thing Called Tadhana (2014), which also played widely at...
- 3/11/2024
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Full Circle Lab Philippines, the Southeast Asian project and talent development programme, has revealed the line-up for its upcoming sixth edition, including a drama set against the backdrop of The Beatles infamous visit to Manila in 1966.
The labs will comprise eight projects in development, three films in post-production, eight emerging producers and three story editors. A total of 35 participants and 10 mentors are set to participate in the in-person workshop, held in the Central Luzon region in the north of Manila from March 19-24, followed by online sessions, which run until September.
Scroll down for full list of projects and participants...
The labs will comprise eight projects in development, three films in post-production, eight emerging producers and three story editors. A total of 35 participants and 10 mentors are set to participate in the in-person workshop, held in the Central Luzon region in the north of Manila from March 19-24, followed by online sessions, which run until September.
Scroll down for full list of projects and participants...
- 3/7/2024
- ScreenDaily
Selection includes new projects from prize winning directors Martika Ramirez Escobar, Leonardo Martinelli and Le Bao.
International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR)’s Hubert Bals Fund (Hbf) has selected ten feature film projects for its 2023 Script and Project Development Support scheme.
The ten projects, which will receive a grant of €10,000 to support their development, were selected from more than 760 applications. The fund aims to support new and diverse voices from across the globe, mainly backing those on their debut or second fiction feature projects.
Filipino director Martika Ramirez Escobar follows her Sundance-winning Leonor Will Never Die (2022) with Daughters Of The Sea,...
International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR)’s Hubert Bals Fund (Hbf) has selected ten feature film projects for its 2023 Script and Project Development Support scheme.
The ten projects, which will receive a grant of €10,000 to support their development, were selected from more than 760 applications. The fund aims to support new and diverse voices from across the globe, mainly backing those on their debut or second fiction feature projects.
Filipino director Martika Ramirez Escobar follows her Sundance-winning Leonor Will Never Die (2022) with Daughters Of The Sea,...
- 11/9/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Busy week sees 19 releases, including Ben Affleck’s ‘Air’, and ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’.
Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie will smash the record for widest UK-Ireland opening by an animated film this weekend, starting its run in 721 sites.
That is 31 sites above the 690-site opening for the previous record holder, Disney’s Toy Story 4 from 2019.
Adapted from the best-selling Nintendo game series, The Super Mario Bros. Movie tells the story of two Italian-American siblings trying to get their plumbing business off the ground, who are accidentally drawn into a battle to save a magical land called the Mushroom Kingdom.
Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie will smash the record for widest UK-Ireland opening by an animated film this weekend, starting its run in 721 sites.
That is 31 sites above the 690-site opening for the previous record holder, Disney’s Toy Story 4 from 2019.
Adapted from the best-selling Nintendo game series, The Super Mario Bros. Movie tells the story of two Italian-American siblings trying to get their plumbing business off the ground, who are accidentally drawn into a battle to save a magical land called the Mushroom Kingdom.
- 4/6/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The smart, retro-homage film from the Philippines went all the way to Sundance, winning one of the big awards. Film-maker Martika Ramirez Escobar talks about her inspirational grandparents, selling her car to fund her film and what it’s like to be a ‘hot young director’
Martika Ramirez Escobar makes no bones about her expectations when she submitted her debut feature, Leonor Will Never Die, to Sundance. After a year of rejections, the entry fee felt like money down the drain. She was flat broke – had sold possessions to finish the film, even her car. But then an email landed in her inbox advertising earlybird entry. “I couldn’t afford the normal price, but this was cheaper.” Half-reluctantly she paid and clicked send: “Then I forgot about it. I didn’t even tell our producer.”
How much was the fee? “Sixty dollars. Expensive!” Her idea of success by this point...
Martika Ramirez Escobar makes no bones about her expectations when she submitted her debut feature, Leonor Will Never Die, to Sundance. After a year of rejections, the entry fee felt like money down the drain. She was flat broke – had sold possessions to finish the film, even her car. But then an email landed in her inbox advertising earlybird entry. “I couldn’t afford the normal price, but this was cheaper.” Half-reluctantly she paid and clicked send: “Then I forgot about it. I didn’t even tell our producer.”
How much was the fee? “Sixty dollars. Expensive!” Her idea of success by this point...
- 4/5/2023
- by Cath Clarke
- The Guardian - Film News
eOne’s “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” debuted atop the U.K. and Ireland box office with £3.5 million ($4.4 million), per numbers released by Comscore.
In its second weekend, Lionsgate’s “John Wick: Chapter 4” slid to second place with £2.5 million for a total of £10.1 million.
Warner Bros.’ “Mummies” debuted in third place with £648,460. The studio’s “Shazam! Fury Of The Gods” and “Creed III” occupied fourth and fifth spots with £469,120 and £426,742 in their third and fifth weekends for respective totals of £4.8 million and £13.5 million.
There were no other debuts in the top 10. Disney’s indie romcom “Rye Lane” charmed its way to £124,966 in 10th place in its third weekend for a total of £825,360.
Among upcoming releases, Warner Bros. is giving a wide, 300-location midweek April 5 release to Ben Affleck’s Nike/basketball/Michael Jordan drama “Air,” starring Matt Damon, Jason Bateman and Affleck.
On Good Friday, Universal’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie...
In its second weekend, Lionsgate’s “John Wick: Chapter 4” slid to second place with £2.5 million for a total of £10.1 million.
Warner Bros.’ “Mummies” debuted in third place with £648,460. The studio’s “Shazam! Fury Of The Gods” and “Creed III” occupied fourth and fifth spots with £469,120 and £426,742 in their third and fifth weekends for respective totals of £4.8 million and £13.5 million.
There were no other debuts in the top 10. Disney’s indie romcom “Rye Lane” charmed its way to £124,966 in 10th place in its third weekend for a total of £825,360.
Among upcoming releases, Warner Bros. is giving a wide, 300-location midweek April 5 release to Ben Affleck’s Nike/basketball/Michael Jordan drama “Air,” starring Matt Damon, Jason Bateman and Affleck.
On Good Friday, Universal’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie...
- 4/4/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
It’s been an interesting year for cinema thus far, and that won’t be slowing down in April.
There’s Leonor Will Never Die (7 April) – a meta love letter to Filipino cinema, led by the marvellous Sheila Francisco – and also Lola (7 April), a Second World War time travel drama whose low budget shows that you can do impressive things with very little. Albert Serra’s Pacifiction (21 April) is an intoxicating descent into danger and, as with the Spanish filmmaker’s previous films, it may be divisive, but demands to be seen – even if just to form your own opinion.
Ben Affleck directs and stars in Air (7 April), which follows Nike’s revolutionary partnership with a young Michael Jordan. Affleck’s receiving some of the best reviews of his career for the film. Meanwhile, grisly horror Evil Dead Rise (21 April) has generated word-of-mouth hype since its premiere at South by Southwest.
There’s Leonor Will Never Die (7 April) – a meta love letter to Filipino cinema, led by the marvellous Sheila Francisco – and also Lola (7 April), a Second World War time travel drama whose low budget shows that you can do impressive things with very little. Albert Serra’s Pacifiction (21 April) is an intoxicating descent into danger and, as with the Spanish filmmaker’s previous films, it may be divisive, but demands to be seen – even if just to form your own opinion.
Ben Affleck directs and stars in Air (7 April), which follows Nike’s revolutionary partnership with a young Michael Jordan. Affleck’s receiving some of the best reviews of his career for the film. Meanwhile, grisly horror Evil Dead Rise (21 April) has generated word-of-mouth hype since its premiere at South by Southwest.
- 4/1/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
What a week! After six days filled with Asian cinema, community events, special guests and food at Studio/K, Rialto De Pijp, and Rialto Vu, we concluded the 15th edition of CinemAsia Film Festival on Sunday 12 March with the award ceremony and the screening of the Hong Kong super star filled film Where the Wind Blows 風再起時.
During the festival, jury members Martijn te Pas, Suzanne van Voorst and Taiki Saksipit gathered to watch the competition programme to present their conclusions at the closing night award ceremony and announce the winner of the 2023 CinemAsia Jury Award.
CinemAsia's Competition program puts the spotlights on emerging, independent filmmakers placing them side-by-side with established makers of high-quality mainstream films. Each film represents a strong cinematographic and artistic vision. These films highlight the richness in themes and genres Asian cinema has to offer and reflect a complex kaleidoscope of cultural, social and political...
During the festival, jury members Martijn te Pas, Suzanne van Voorst and Taiki Saksipit gathered to watch the competition programme to present their conclusions at the closing night award ceremony and announce the winner of the 2023 CinemAsia Jury Award.
CinemAsia's Competition program puts the spotlights on emerging, independent filmmakers placing them side-by-side with established makers of high-quality mainstream films. Each film represents a strong cinematographic and artistic vision. These films highlight the richness in themes and genres Asian cinema has to offer and reflect a complex kaleidoscope of cultural, social and political...
- 3/17/2023
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Projects from directors Martika Ramirez Escobar and Maung Sun among titles.
Full Circle Lab Philippines, the Southeast Asian project and talent development programme, has revealed the line-up for its upcoming fifth edition, including new features by Filipino filmmaker Martika Ramirez Escobar and Myanmar’s Maung Sun.
The labs will comprise 12 projects in development, three films in post-production, eight emerging producers and three story editors. A total of 45 participants and 14 mentors are set to participate in the in-person workshop, held in the Central Luzon region in the north of Manila from March 27-31, This will be followed by online sessions, which run until September.
Full Circle Lab Philippines, the Southeast Asian project and talent development programme, has revealed the line-up for its upcoming fifth edition, including new features by Filipino filmmaker Martika Ramirez Escobar and Myanmar’s Maung Sun.
The labs will comprise 12 projects in development, three films in post-production, eight emerging producers and three story editors. A total of 45 participants and 14 mentors are set to participate in the in-person workshop, held in the Central Luzon region in the north of Manila from March 27-31, This will be followed by online sessions, which run until September.
- 3/6/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Everything Everywhere All at Once won big at this year’s Independent Spirit Awards, taking home seven awards out of eight nominations. The only award it didn’t win was, interestingly enough, one it did win, as Ke Huy Quan beat Jamie Lee Curtis in the Best Supporting Performance category.
Here are the winners of winners of the 38th Independent Spirit Awards:
Movies:
Best Feature:
Bones and All
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Our Father, The Devil
Tár
Women Talking
Best Director:
Todd Field, Tár
Kogonada, After Yang
Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Sarah Polley, Women Talking
Halina Reijn, Bodies Bodies Bodies
Best First Feature:
Aftersun
Emily the Criminal
The Inspection
Murina
Palm Trees and Power Lines
Best Lead Performance:
Cate Blanchett, Tár
Dale Dickey, A Love Song
Mia Goth, Pearl
Regina Hall, Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.
Paul Mescal, Aftersun
Aubrey Plaza, Emily the Criminal
Jeremy Pope,...
Here are the winners of winners of the 38th Independent Spirit Awards:
Movies:
Best Feature:
Bones and All
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Our Father, The Devil
Tár
Women Talking
Best Director:
Todd Field, Tár
Kogonada, After Yang
Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Sarah Polley, Women Talking
Halina Reijn, Bodies Bodies Bodies
Best First Feature:
Aftersun
Emily the Criminal
The Inspection
Murina
Palm Trees and Power Lines
Best Lead Performance:
Cate Blanchett, Tár
Dale Dickey, A Love Song
Mia Goth, Pearl
Regina Hall, Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.
Paul Mescal, Aftersun
Aubrey Plaza, Emily the Criminal
Jeremy Pope,...
- 3/5/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
The blue carpet has been rolled up, and now we know who are the 2023 Independent Spirit Awards winners. The list of nominees recognized the best among films made for under $30 million in 2023 — that’s an increase from the previous budget cap, in recognition of ever-increasing production costs.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” earned pretty much a clean sweep: winning all seven of the categories in which it was nominated, including Best Feature, and seven of its eight nominees winning overall — Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis were competing against each other in one category, Supporting Performance, with the former winning.
Yes, the 38th edition of the awards put on by Film Independent have made a change previously adopted by the Gotham Awards: to have gender-neutral performance categories. That means Cate Blanchett was not just competing against Michelle Yeoh for Best Lead Performance (who ultimately won), but also Paul Mescal...
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” earned pretty much a clean sweep: winning all seven of the categories in which it was nominated, including Best Feature, and seven of its eight nominees winning overall — Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis were competing against each other in one category, Supporting Performance, with the former winning.
Yes, the 38th edition of the awards put on by Film Independent have made a change previously adopted by the Gotham Awards: to have gender-neutral performance categories. That means Cate Blanchett was not just competing against Michelle Yeoh for Best Lead Performance (who ultimately won), but also Paul Mescal...
- 3/5/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
The 2023 Independent Spirit Awards are being held on Saturday afternoon, March 4, streamed live on IMDb’s YouTube channel, as well as Film Independent’s YouTube and Twitter accounts. The event will be hosted by comedian Hasan Minhaj, but who will win when prizes are handed out? Thousands of Gold Derby users have placed their bets here in our predictions center. Those predictions were combined to generate our official racetrack odds. Scroll down to see the odds below, with our projected winners highlighted in gold.
SEE2023 Gold Derby Film Awards ceremony: Watch 20 exciting acceptance speeches by Michelle Yeoh, Colin Farrell, Austin Butler …
The nominees for the Spirit Awards are chosen by committees of film industry insiders, including critics, programmers, producers, directors, writers, cinematographers, editors, and actors, past Spirit Award nominees and winners, and members of Film Independent’s board of directors. But winners are decided by Film Independent members at large.
SEE2023 Gold Derby Film Awards ceremony: Watch 20 exciting acceptance speeches by Michelle Yeoh, Colin Farrell, Austin Butler …
The nominees for the Spirit Awards are chosen by committees of film industry insiders, including critics, programmers, producers, directors, writers, cinematographers, editors, and actors, past Spirit Award nominees and winners, and members of Film Independent’s board of directors. But winners are decided by Film Independent members at large.
- 3/3/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
In 2022, the Philippines was on quite a roll on the international cinematic arena with local films gaining critical acclaim and Filipino talents getting representation worldwide. There’s Martika Ramirez Escobar’s absurdist tale Leonor Will Never Die which made history with a Special Jury Award Prize win at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival which was also the premiere lieu for the Grand Jury Prize winning short “The Headhunter’s Daughter” by Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan. Erik Matti’s Venice winner On The Job: The Missing 8 also got a nod at the 50th International Emmy Awards in the best TV movie or miniseries category.…...
- 2/1/2023
- by Acer Batislaong
- IONCINEMA.com
Event Outline
The Osaka Asian Film Festival aims to facilitate human resources development and exchange, to invigorate the Osaka economy, and to increase the city’s appeal, through providing opportunities to watch excellent Asian films, supporting filmmaking in Osaka and attracting filmmakers from Asian countries and regions to Osaka. Promoting Osaka worldwide as a gateway city for Asian films, and engaging with many people from the fields of culture, art, education, tourism and business, from Osaka and all of Asia, Oaff works as an open platform to contribute to the development of Osaka and cinema.
Marking its 18th edition this year, Oaff, under programming director Teruoka Sozo, will again select high-quality Asian films. The Competition section, which receives increased recognition every year, will again select films previously unreleased in Japan. The regular sections, Special Screenings and Indie Forum, and other special programs will also feature a wide variety of excellent Asian films.
The Osaka Asian Film Festival aims to facilitate human resources development and exchange, to invigorate the Osaka economy, and to increase the city’s appeal, through providing opportunities to watch excellent Asian films, supporting filmmaking in Osaka and attracting filmmakers from Asian countries and regions to Osaka. Promoting Osaka worldwide as a gateway city for Asian films, and engaging with many people from the fields of culture, art, education, tourism and business, from Osaka and all of Asia, Oaff works as an open platform to contribute to the development of Osaka and cinema.
Marking its 18th edition this year, Oaff, under programming director Teruoka Sozo, will again select high-quality Asian films. The Competition section, which receives increased recognition every year, will again select films previously unreleased in Japan. The regular sections, Special Screenings and Indie Forum, and other special programs will also feature a wide variety of excellent Asian films.
- 2/1/2023
- by Suzie Cho
- AsianMoviePulse
The Osaka Asian Film Festival will return in March for its 18th edition with a lineup of current Asian feature and short films and a spotlight on works from Hong Kong.
The competition section, which selects from films that are currently unreleased in Japan, numbers 13 titles. These include: Kai Ko’s “Bad Education,” “December” from Japan-based Indian director Anshul Chauhan, and two Indian-made films Rima Das’ “Tora’s Husband” and Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy’s “Max, Min and Meowzaki.”
The indie section comprises a mix of Japanese feature and short films from challenging or emerging talents, with a winner set to receive the separate Japan Cuts prize.
A Spotlight section of other independent films by up-and-coming directors includes: Martika Ramirez Escobar’s “Leonor Will Never Die,” Mejbaur Rahman Sumon’s Bangladesh-France production “Hawa,” Thitipong Kerdtongtawee’s “Omg! Oh My Girl” and documentary “Jiseok.”
The Hong Kong spotlight, consisting of five titles, cuts...
The competition section, which selects from films that are currently unreleased in Japan, numbers 13 titles. These include: Kai Ko’s “Bad Education,” “December” from Japan-based Indian director Anshul Chauhan, and two Indian-made films Rima Das’ “Tora’s Husband” and Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy’s “Max, Min and Meowzaki.”
The indie section comprises a mix of Japanese feature and short films from challenging or emerging talents, with a winner set to receive the separate Japan Cuts prize.
A Spotlight section of other independent films by up-and-coming directors includes: Martika Ramirez Escobar’s “Leonor Will Never Die,” Mejbaur Rahman Sumon’s Bangladesh-France production “Hawa,” Thitipong Kerdtongtawee’s “Omg! Oh My Girl” and documentary “Jiseok.”
The Hong Kong spotlight, consisting of five titles, cuts...
- 1/31/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan attempts a much-anticipated comeback in “Pathaan,” an amateurish Indian super-spy thriller that’s never as well-executed as it is conceptually goofy and politically dubious.
“Pathaan” re-imagines Khan as the leader of a disjointed Avengers-style team of Hindi-language speaking action heroes from the “Yash Raj Films Spy Universe” franchise, so it’s not surprising that the beefy leading man Salman Khan makes a hotly tipped cameo appearance as Avinash Singh Rathore, the headliner in both the underwhelming antiterrorist drama “Ek Tha Tiger” and its superior follow-up, “Tiger Zinda Hai.”
It’s unfortunately telling that, in an overproduced action scene where both Shah Rukh and Salman run and gun down a swathe of badly image-composited terrorist heavies, neither man seems to be in the same studio lot as the other.
“Pathaan” feels like a clone of the previous “Spy Universe” installments—including both Tiger movies and the 2019 Hrithik Roshan vs.
“Pathaan” re-imagines Khan as the leader of a disjointed Avengers-style team of Hindi-language speaking action heroes from the “Yash Raj Films Spy Universe” franchise, so it’s not surprising that the beefy leading man Salman Khan makes a hotly tipped cameo appearance as Avinash Singh Rathore, the headliner in both the underwhelming antiterrorist drama “Ek Tha Tiger” and its superior follow-up, “Tiger Zinda Hai.”
It’s unfortunately telling that, in an overproduced action scene where both Shah Rukh and Salman run and gun down a swathe of badly image-composited terrorist heavies, neither man seems to be in the same studio lot as the other.
“Pathaan” feels like a clone of the previous “Spy Universe” installments—including both Tiger movies and the 2019 Hrithik Roshan vs.
- 1/27/2023
- by Simon Abrams
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Southeast Asia’s pioneering Luang Prabang Film Festival, held annually amidst the ancient Buddhist temples of Laos’ Unesco World Heritage town, is set to hold its first post-covid edition in December.
The event pivoted to a virtual format in 2020 as the pandemic swept the globe, but further budget cuts the following year forced a full cancelation. The festival’s organizers say they faced long odds in mounting a physical event this year, but once Laos reopened its borders to tourists in May, they went into overdrive in assembling government support and corporate sponsors.
“When our government partners approached us in May, the day the Lao borders reopened, the path back to a live event wasn’t clear at all,” says Sean Chadwell, Lpff’s executive director. “At that point, we had an office — only because it’s the norm to pay rent here several months in advance.
Southeast Asia’s pioneering Luang Prabang Film Festival, held annually amidst the ancient Buddhist temples of Laos’ Unesco World Heritage town, is set to hold its first post-covid edition in December.
The event pivoted to a virtual format in 2020 as the pandemic swept the globe, but further budget cuts the following year forced a full cancelation. The festival’s organizers say they faced long odds in mounting a physical event this year, but once Laos reopened its borders to tourists in May, they went into overdrive in assembling government support and corporate sponsors.
“When our government partners approached us in May, the day the Lao borders reopened, the path back to a live event wasn’t clear at all,” says Sean Chadwell, Lpff’s executive director. “At that point, we had an office — only because it’s the norm to pay rent here several months in advance.
- 9/20/2022
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Luang Prabang Film Festival held annually in Laos’ cultural hub will make an in-person return to action in December.
The festival operated as a virtual event in 2020 under pandemic conditions. But was forced to cancel its 2021 edition.
The town has no permanent movie theater and the festival uses temporary facilities, but previous editions have attracted big crowds. All events are open to the public and are free of charge.
Over four days organizers will put on a mix of some twenty film screenings, public discussions and Q&a sessions with local audiences. This year, the Lpff will add a second night venue.
The additional venue will allow organizers to broaden the selection beyond the Thai and Lao staples. The full lineup will be announced in October.
Laos fully reopened to tourists in May this year and the festival’s comeback was made possible by the return of corporate sponsors in early June.
The festival operated as a virtual event in 2020 under pandemic conditions. But was forced to cancel its 2021 edition.
The town has no permanent movie theater and the festival uses temporary facilities, but previous editions have attracted big crowds. All events are open to the public and are free of charge.
Over four days organizers will put on a mix of some twenty film screenings, public discussions and Q&a sessions with local audiences. This year, the Lpff will add a second night venue.
The additional venue will allow organizers to broaden the selection beyond the Thai and Lao staples. The full lineup will be announced in October.
Laos fully reopened to tourists in May this year and the festival’s comeback was made possible by the return of corporate sponsors in early June.
- 9/19/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Canada’s Riceboy Sleeps wins Platform Prize.
Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans has bolstered its awards season prospects by winning the TIFF People’s Choice Award on Sunday (September 18).
The award is a highly reliable bellwether of Academy voter attention. In the last ten years every TIFF audience award winner has earned a best picture Oscar nomination and three have gone on to win awards season’s top prize: Nomadland in 2021, Green Book in 2019, and 12 Years A Slave in 2014.
The Fabelmans earned a rapturous reception at its world premiere on September 10 and immediately announced itself in the awards race,...
Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans has bolstered its awards season prospects by winning the TIFF People’s Choice Award on Sunday (September 18).
The award is a highly reliable bellwether of Academy voter attention. In the last ten years every TIFF audience award winner has earned a best picture Oscar nomination and three have gone on to win awards season’s top prize: Nomadland in 2021, Green Book in 2019, and 12 Years A Slave in 2014.
The Fabelmans earned a rapturous reception at its world premiere on September 10 and immediately announced itself in the awards race,...
- 9/18/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
After two weeks and dozens of movies, the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival has come to a close. At Sunday’s Awards Breakfast, all eyes were on the People’s Choice Award, which is frequently a bellwether for the Oscar race. For the past decade, every winner of the coveted award has gone onto receive a nomination for Best Picture. Competition for the People’s Choice Award was stiff, with critical darlings such as “Women Talking” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” vying for the top prize. But ultimately, Steven Spielberg’s crowd pleasing, semi-autobiographical film “The Fabelmans” was named the winner.
“Above all, I am glad I brought this film to Toronto,” Spielberg said in a statement. “This is the most personal film I have made, and the warm reception from everyone in Toronto made my first visit to TIFF intimate and personal for me and my entire ‘Fabelmans’ family.”
“2022 brought...
“Above all, I am glad I brought this film to Toronto,” Spielberg said in a statement. “This is the most personal film I have made, and the warm reception from everyone in Toronto made my first visit to TIFF intimate and personal for me and my entire ‘Fabelmans’ family.”
“2022 brought...
- 9/18/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical coming-of-age story “The Fabelmans” took home the Toronto International Film Festival’s people’s choice award, providing a major boost to its awards season chances.
TIFF’s people’s choice award is one of the most reliable predictors of eventual Oscar success. In past years, winners such as “Green Book” and “Nomadland” went on to capture the best picture prize at the Academy Awards. Other recent recipients, including “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” “La La Land” and “Jojo Rabbit,” were best picture nominees and major forces during awards season.
Since the people’s choice category was created in 1978, seven recipients went on to win best picture at the Oscars — five of which were in the past 20 years.
“As I said on stage the other night, ‘Above all, I’m glad I brought this film to Toronto!’ This is the most personal film I’ve ever made,...
TIFF’s people’s choice award is one of the most reliable predictors of eventual Oscar success. In past years, winners such as “Green Book” and “Nomadland” went on to capture the best picture prize at the Academy Awards. Other recent recipients, including “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” “La La Land” and “Jojo Rabbit,” were best picture nominees and major forces during awards season.
Since the people’s choice category was created in 1978, seven recipients went on to win best picture at the Oscars — five of which were in the past 20 years.
“As I said on stage the other night, ‘Above all, I’m glad I brought this film to Toronto!’ This is the most personal film I’ve ever made,...
- 9/18/2022
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” has won the 2022 TIFF People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF organizers announced at an awards breakfast on Sunday in Toronto.
Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking” took the first runner-up slot, while Rian Johnson’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” was the second runner-up.
The People’s Choice Documentary award went to Hubert Davis’ hockey doc “Black Ice,” while the Midnight Madness award was won by Eric Appel’s entirely fake rock biopic “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.”
Also Read:
‘The Fabelmans’ Film Review: Steven Spielberg’s Sweet Memory Piece Picks Up Steam as It Goes
In a year with an abundance of high-profile, crowd-pleasing movies in the TIFF lineup, other films in competition for the award included Martin McDonagh’s “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale,” Florian Zeller’s “The Son,” Gina Prince-Bythewood’s “The Woman King,...
Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking” took the first runner-up slot, while Rian Johnson’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” was the second runner-up.
The People’s Choice Documentary award went to Hubert Davis’ hockey doc “Black Ice,” while the Midnight Madness award was won by Eric Appel’s entirely fake rock biopic “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.”
Also Read:
‘The Fabelmans’ Film Review: Steven Spielberg’s Sweet Memory Piece Picks Up Steam as It Goes
In a year with an abundance of high-profile, crowd-pleasing movies in the TIFF lineup, other films in competition for the award included Martin McDonagh’s “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale,” Florian Zeller’s “The Son,” Gina Prince-Bythewood’s “The Woman King,...
- 9/18/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Updated, 9:45 Am with Steven Spielberg statement:
Here is Steven Spielberg’s full statement upon winning the Toronto Film Festival’s People’s Choice award for The Fabelmans.
“As I said on stage the other night, ‘Above all, I’m glad I brought this film to Toronto!.’ This is the most personal film I’ve ever made, and the warm reception from everyone in Toronto made my first visit to TIFF so intimate and personal for me and my entire Fabelman family. Thank you to Cameron Bailey and the incredible staff at TIFF; thank you to Universal Pictures; and a very special thank you to all the movie fans in Toronto who have made this past weekend one I’ll never forget.”
Previously: The People’s Choice Award from the just-wrapped 2022 Toronto Film Festival has gone to Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans. First Runner Up is Canada’s own Sarah Polley’s Women Talking.
Here is Steven Spielberg’s full statement upon winning the Toronto Film Festival’s People’s Choice award for The Fabelmans.
“As I said on stage the other night, ‘Above all, I’m glad I brought this film to Toronto!.’ This is the most personal film I’ve ever made, and the warm reception from everyone in Toronto made my first visit to TIFF so intimate and personal for me and my entire Fabelman family. Thank you to Cameron Bailey and the incredible staff at TIFF; thank you to Universal Pictures; and a very special thank you to all the movie fans in Toronto who have made this past weekend one I’ll never forget.”
Previously: The People’s Choice Award from the just-wrapped 2022 Toronto Film Festival has gone to Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans. First Runner Up is Canada’s own Sarah Polley’s Women Talking.
- 9/18/2022
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
When you think of action stars, what names come to mind? Arnold Schwarzenegger? Jean-Claude Van Damme? Casper Van Dien? These are all great examples, but there's one up-and-coming star that might outshine them all, and her name is Sheila Francisco. While that might not be a name many Americans will recognize, genre fanatics will certainly get to know the Filipino singer after "Leonor Will Never Die," which was programmed at the Toronto International Film Festival under its Midnight Madness banner.
Martika Ramirez Escobar's directorial debut is not unlike other movies that pay homage to other movies. Of course, it can't be compared to more dramatic fare like the similarly TIFF-bound "Empire of Light," but it does stand as a love letter to the action movies of yesteryear. However, what makes "Leonor Will Never Die" so engaging is its central story, which centers around the titular Leonor Reyes (Francisco) and...
Martika Ramirez Escobar's directorial debut is not unlike other movies that pay homage to other movies. Of course, it can't be compared to more dramatic fare like the similarly TIFF-bound "Empire of Light," but it does stand as a love letter to the action movies of yesteryear. However, what makes "Leonor Will Never Die" so engaging is its central story, which centers around the titular Leonor Reyes (Francisco) and...
- 9/18/2022
- by Erin Brady
- Slash Film
"You can't wake up someone who is not asleep." Music Box Films has revealed an official US trailer for an acclaimed indie film from the Philippines titled Leonor Will Never Die, which will be out later this year. It originally premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival in January, but it's also about to show at the Toronto Film Festival this month - hence the new trailer arriving now. You've never seen anything like this!! Fiction and reality blur when Leonor, a retired filmmaker, falls into a coma after a television lands on her head, compelling her to become the action hero of her unfinished screenplay. Starring Sheila Francisco as the amazing Leonor, along with a fun cast including Bong Cabrera, Rocky Salumbides, Rea Molina, and Anthony Falcon. "An innovative blend of pulpy action homages, playful comedy, and touching family drama, Leonor Will Never Die is a wonderfully imaginative tribute to the art of filmmaking.
- 9/9/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Weird will rule the world. That’s the vibe on the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival’s opening night premiere of Eric Appel’s debut feature “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.”
“This is not a movie that we expect you to sit down and take a moral from the story,” star Daniel Radcliffe told IndieWire of the unapologetic biopic spoof. “But if there is something to it, it’s about leaning into your own weirdness and that being a way of finding your own happiness.”
Written by Appel and Weird Al himself, the semi-“true” story of Yankovic’s rise from a polka-playing outcast to a pop culture satirist selling out stadiums began as a fake trailer for FunnyOrDie.com in 2010. It starred Aaron Paul as Weird Al and featured Patton Oswalt, Olivia Wilde, and Gary Cole among others. With Radcliffe assuming the role of Al, Appel expanded...
“This is not a movie that we expect you to sit down and take a moral from the story,” star Daniel Radcliffe told IndieWire of the unapologetic biopic spoof. “But if there is something to it, it’s about leaning into your own weirdness and that being a way of finding your own happiness.”
Written by Appel and Weird Al himself, the semi-“true” story of Yankovic’s rise from a polka-playing outcast to a pop culture satirist selling out stadiums began as a fake trailer for FunnyOrDie.com in 2010. It starred Aaron Paul as Weird Al and featured Patton Oswalt, Olivia Wilde, and Gary Cole among others. With Radcliffe assuming the role of Al, Appel expanded...
- 9/9/2022
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
How great does Martika Ramirez Escobar’s surreal, award-winning film “Leonor Must Die” sound? This first feature transports a retired screenwriter of Filipino action films into the story of one of her own unfinished scripts. The film is the official Midnight Madness closing night Film of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, and it’s already won a ton of awards, including the Special Jury Prize for Innovative Spirit at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
Continue reading ‘Leonor Will Never Die’ Trailer: TIFF’s Midnight Madness Movie Is A Offbeat Tribute To Vintage Filipino Action Films [Exclusive] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Leonor Will Never Die’ Trailer: TIFF’s Midnight Madness Movie Is A Offbeat Tribute To Vintage Filipino Action Films [Exclusive] at The Playlist.
- 9/8/2022
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Korean action-thriller “Project Wolf Hunting” has scored a distribution deal ahead of its premiere at TIFF. Well Go USA Entertainment, which specializes in worldwide action, genre and indie films, has secured North American rights.
Written and directed by Kim Hong-sun, the movie follows a group of seabound prisoners who hatch a plot to take over the cargo ship from the crew and special agents onboard. Unbeknownst to either party, there’s also a sinister force camped out on the ship, steering the plot from a high-seas heist to a bloody, action-packed slasher.
“Project Wolf Hunting” stars Seo In-guk, Jang Dong-yoon, Jeong So-min and Sung Dong-il. The film will debut Sept. 21 in South Korea before playing in TIFF’s Midnight Madness program, the first Korean pic to do so after Bong Joon-ho’s “The Host.”
The North American release is set for Oct. 7.
Also Read:
TIFF Midnight Madness Program to Open...
Written and directed by Kim Hong-sun, the movie follows a group of seabound prisoners who hatch a plot to take over the cargo ship from the crew and special agents onboard. Unbeknownst to either party, there’s also a sinister force camped out on the ship, steering the plot from a high-seas heist to a bloody, action-packed slasher.
“Project Wolf Hunting” stars Seo In-guk, Jang Dong-yoon, Jeong So-min and Sung Dong-il. The film will debut Sept. 21 in South Korea before playing in TIFF’s Midnight Madness program, the first Korean pic to do so after Bong Joon-ho’s “The Host.”
The North American release is set for Oct. 7.
Also Read:
TIFF Midnight Madness Program to Open...
- 9/6/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
The Toronto International Film Festival returns in September 2022 for its 47th edition — 11 days of international and Canadian cinema, special events featuring some of the biggest names in film, and TIFF’s Industry Conference, offering diverse and innovative perspectives on the art and business of film. The full programme can be found Here.
Here is a selection of Asian titles:
Features A Gaza Weekend
A Gaza Weekend
Basil Khalil - Palestine, United Kingdom, 2022
A Long Break
Davit Pirtskhalava – Georgia, 2022
A Man of Reason
Jung Woo-sung – South Korea, 2022
Alam
Firas Khoury – France, Tunisia, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, 2022
Autobiography
Makbul Mubarak – Indonesia, France, Singapore, Poland, Philippines, Germany, Qatar, 2022
Beyond the Wall
Beyond the Wall
Shab, Dkheli, Divar – Iran, 2022
Broker
Hirokazu Kore-eda – South Korea, 2022
Decision to Leave
Park Chan-wook – South Korea, 2022
Hunt
Lee Jung-jae – South Korea, 2022
In Her Hands
Tamana Ayazi, Marcel Mettelsiefen – United States of America, Afghanistan, 2022
Joyland
Joyland
Saim Sadiq – Pakistan, 2022
Kacchey Limbu
Shubham Yogi – India,...
Here is a selection of Asian titles:
Features A Gaza Weekend
A Gaza Weekend
Basil Khalil - Palestine, United Kingdom, 2022
A Long Break
Davit Pirtskhalava – Georgia, 2022
A Man of Reason
Jung Woo-sung – South Korea, 2022
Alam
Firas Khoury – France, Tunisia, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, 2022
Autobiography
Makbul Mubarak – Indonesia, France, Singapore, Poland, Philippines, Germany, Qatar, 2022
Beyond the Wall
Beyond the Wall
Shab, Dkheli, Divar – Iran, 2022
Broker
Hirokazu Kore-eda – South Korea, 2022
Decision to Leave
Park Chan-wook – South Korea, 2022
Hunt
Lee Jung-jae – South Korea, 2022
In Her Hands
Tamana Ayazi, Marcel Mettelsiefen – United States of America, Afghanistan, 2022
Joyland
Joyland
Saim Sadiq – Pakistan, 2022
Kacchey Limbu
Shubham Yogi – India,...
- 8/26/2022
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
10 films were competing for the Powell and Pressburger award.
Scottish animators Will Anderson and Ainslie Henderson’s 60-minutes documentary A Cat Called Dom has won the inaugural Powell and Pressburger Award for best film at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Anderson and Henderson star in and co-direct the inventive documentary, which had its world premiere at Eiff. The film explores how Will deals with his mother’s cancer diagnosis and also the frustrations of trying to make a film.
The jury, comprised of president Gaylene Gould (founder of creative lab The Space to Come), producer Rosie Crerar and author Sarah Winman,...
Scottish animators Will Anderson and Ainslie Henderson’s 60-minutes documentary A Cat Called Dom has won the inaugural Powell and Pressburger Award for best film at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Anderson and Henderson star in and co-direct the inventive documentary, which had its world premiere at Eiff. The film explores how Will deals with his mother’s cancer diagnosis and also the frustrations of trying to make a film.
The jury, comprised of president Gaylene Gould (founder of creative lab The Space to Come), producer Rosie Crerar and author Sarah Winman,...
- 8/23/2022
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
Making it to the Toronto International Film Festival is a huge deal for filmmakers at any stage of their careers. The annual Canadian festival features everything from smaller movies by up-and-coming filmmakers to potential blockbusters from some of the biggest names in the business.
The selections for the 2022 festival, which runs Sept. 8 through Sept. 18, reflect some of the best and most creative minds in filmmaking today. TIFF 2022 has divided its presentations up into a few different categories. The marquee categories are the Gala Presentations and the Special Presentations, which are where some of the festival's most-anticipated movies will make their debuts.
Among the 2022 Gala lineup are "The Woman King," starring Viola Davis and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, and Tyler Perry's latest film, "A Jazzman's Blues." The Special Presentations, meanwhile, include buzzy films such as "My Policeman," starring Harry Styles and Emma Corrin; the "Knives Out" sequel "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery...
The selections for the 2022 festival, which runs Sept. 8 through Sept. 18, reflect some of the best and most creative minds in filmmaking today. TIFF 2022 has divided its presentations up into a few different categories. The marquee categories are the Gala Presentations and the Special Presentations, which are where some of the festival's most-anticipated movies will make their debuts.
Among the 2022 Gala lineup are "The Woman King," starring Viola Davis and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, and Tyler Perry's latest film, "A Jazzman's Blues." The Special Presentations, meanwhile, include buzzy films such as "My Policeman," starring Harry Styles and Emma Corrin; the "Knives Out" sequel "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery...
- 8/5/2022
- by Amanda Prahl
- Popsugar.com
The WhaleWAVELENGTHS - FEATURESConcrete Valley (Antoine Bourges)De Humani Corporis Fabrica (Véréna Paravel, Lucien Castaing-Taylor)Dry Ground BurningHorse Opera (Moyra Davey)Pacifiction (Albert Serra)Queens of the Qing Dynasty (Ashley McKenzie)Unrest (Cyril Schäublin)Will-o’-the-Wisp (João Pedro Rodrigues)Wavelenghths - SHORTSAfter Work (Céline Condorelli, Ben Rivers)Bigger on the Inside (Angelo Madsen Minax)Eventide (Sharon Lockhart)F1ghting Looks Different 2 Me Now (Fox Maxy)Fata Morgana (Tacita Dean)Hors-titre (Wiame Haddad)I Thought the World of You (Kurt Walker)Moonrise (Vincent Grenier)The Newest Olds (Pablo Mazzolo)Puerta a Puerta (Jessica Sarah Rinland, Luis Arnías )The Time That Separates Us (Parastoo Anoushahpour)What Rules the Invisible (Tiffany Sia)Gala PRESENTATIONSAlice, Darling (Mary Nighy)Black Ice (Hubert Davis)The Greatest Beer Run Ever (Peter Farrelly)Butcher’s Crossing (Gabe Polsky)The Hummingbird (Francesca Archibugi)Hunt (Jung-jae Lee)A Jazzman’s Blues (Tyler Perry)Kacchey Limbu (Shubham Yogi)Moving On (Paul Weitz)Paris Memories...
- 8/4/2022
- MUBI
The Toronto International Film Festival lineup continues to unfold, with TIFF announcing the programs for its Midnight Madness, Discovery, and Wavelengths programs on Thursday. The festival runs September 8 through 18.
“For TIFF audiences in the know, the Discovery, Midnight Madness and Wavelengths programmes are where you’re rewarded for taking risks and being adventurous,” offered Anita Lee, TIFF’s chief programming officer. “Whether it’s the discovery of an audacious new auteur, a brilliant visionary work that reimagines storytelling or the most wicked cinematic experience you will ever have, this is where you will find it.”
Discovery
“TIFF’s Discovery program is a showcase of cinema and talent from around the world — a place to unearth work that is bold, distinctive, and, above all, passionate,” said Dorota Lech, Discovery lead and international programmer, TIFF. “This year’s robust program offers 24 films that shook us to the core, filled us with joy,...
“For TIFF audiences in the know, the Discovery, Midnight Madness and Wavelengths programmes are where you’re rewarded for taking risks and being adventurous,” offered Anita Lee, TIFF’s chief programming officer. “Whether it’s the discovery of an audacious new auteur, a brilliant visionary work that reimagines storytelling or the most wicked cinematic experience you will ever have, this is where you will find it.”
Discovery
“TIFF’s Discovery program is a showcase of cinema and talent from around the world — a place to unearth work that is bold, distinctive, and, above all, passionate,” said Dorota Lech, Discovery lead and international programmer, TIFF. “This year’s robust program offers 24 films that shook us to the core, filled us with joy,...
- 8/4/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
“Weird: The Weird Al Yankovic Story” will make its world premiere at TIFF, leading the Midnight Madness program’s 10-film lineup.
Starring Daniel Radcliffe as “Weird Al” Yankovic, the film chronicles the career of the music and comedy icon. Directed by Eric Appel, who co-wrote with Yankovic himself, the cast of the Roku biopic also includes Evan Rachel Wood, Quinta Brunson and Rainn Wilson.
As Midnight Madness’ opening night film, “Weird: The Weird Al Yankovic Story” will premiere on Sept. 8 at 11:59 Est.
Also Read:
Daniel Radcliffe Was Cast as Weird Al Thanks to a Graham Norton Appearance (Video)
“For TIFF audiences in the know, the Discovery, Midnight Madness and Wavelengths programmes are where you’re rewarded for taking risks and being adventurous,” offered Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “Whether it’s the discovery of an audacious new auteur, a brilliant visionary work that reimagines storytelling or the most...
Starring Daniel Radcliffe as “Weird Al” Yankovic, the film chronicles the career of the music and comedy icon. Directed by Eric Appel, who co-wrote with Yankovic himself, the cast of the Roku biopic also includes Evan Rachel Wood, Quinta Brunson and Rainn Wilson.
As Midnight Madness’ opening night film, “Weird: The Weird Al Yankovic Story” will premiere on Sept. 8 at 11:59 Est.
Also Read:
Daniel Radcliffe Was Cast as Weird Al Thanks to a Graham Norton Appearance (Video)
“For TIFF audiences in the know, the Discovery, Midnight Madness and Wavelengths programmes are where you’re rewarded for taking risks and being adventurous,” offered Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “Whether it’s the discovery of an audacious new auteur, a brilliant visionary work that reimagines storytelling or the most...
- 8/4/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
New work from Benjamin Millepied, Kim Hongsun, Tim Story populate latest selections.
The Toronto International FiLm Festival has unveiled its Discovery, Midnight Madness and Wavelengths strands.
Midnight Madness returns to its 10-film format and will screen at new venue the Royal Alexandra Theatre. The section opens with Eric Appel’s US biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story featuring Daniel Radcliffe in the title role.
The section presents Finecut’s Project Wolf Hunting (South Korea) by Kim Hongsun, whose genre oeuvre includes Metamorphosis and The Chase. Finland has been stepping up its festival presence of late and Jalmari Helander will premiere...
The Toronto International FiLm Festival has unveiled its Discovery, Midnight Madness and Wavelengths strands.
Midnight Madness returns to its 10-film format and will screen at new venue the Royal Alexandra Theatre. The section opens with Eric Appel’s US biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story featuring Daniel Radcliffe in the title role.
The section presents Finecut’s Project Wolf Hunting (South Korea) by Kim Hongsun, whose genre oeuvre includes Metamorphosis and The Chase. Finland has been stepping up its festival presence of late and Jalmari Helander will premiere...
- 8/4/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Click here to read the full article.
The Toronto Film Festival’s Midnight Madness sidebar will open with Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, with Daniel Radcliffe playing the prolific musician behind humorous songs like “Eat It” and “Amish Paradise.”
Eric Appel directs the biopic for The Roku Channel that also stars Evan Rachel Wood and will have a world premiere Sept. 8 at TIFF at the Royal Alexandra Theater.
“I couldn’t have hoped for a more appropriate opening night film than Weird: The Al Yankovic Story — a beautifully deranged biopic made in the great Midnight movie tradition of challenging conventions and forging one’s own path, no matter how weird,” Midnight Madness curator Peter Kuplowsky said in a statement Thursday.
The latest additions to the Toronto Film Festival also include the lineups for the Discovery and Wavelengths programs unveiled Thursday.
The gore-filled Midnight Madness program has world bows for Tim Story...
The Toronto Film Festival’s Midnight Madness sidebar will open with Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, with Daniel Radcliffe playing the prolific musician behind humorous songs like “Eat It” and “Amish Paradise.”
Eric Appel directs the biopic for The Roku Channel that also stars Evan Rachel Wood and will have a world premiere Sept. 8 at TIFF at the Royal Alexandra Theater.
“I couldn’t have hoped for a more appropriate opening night film than Weird: The Al Yankovic Story — a beautifully deranged biopic made in the great Midnight movie tradition of challenging conventions and forging one’s own path, no matter how weird,” Midnight Madness curator Peter Kuplowsky said in a statement Thursday.
The latest additions to the Toronto Film Festival also include the lineups for the Discovery and Wavelengths programs unveiled Thursday.
The gore-filled Midnight Madness program has world bows for Tim Story...
- 8/4/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Utopia has picked up North American rights to “Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr.,” the feature docu that looks at the legacy of the influential 1990s band. A one-night only special theatrical release is set for May 31 ahead of a June 3 digital release.
A special New York premiere on May 28 will feature a Q&a and solo performance from the band’s J Mascis.
Directed by German filmmaker Philipp Reichenheim, who happens to be Mascis’ brother-in-law, the documentary features interviews with their contemporaries including Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine and The Pixies, charting their story from the mid-80s to their 30th anniversary reunion concert.
Emma Thompson Hires a Sex Worker in ‘Good Luck to You, Leo Grande’ Trailer
Emma Thompson plays Nancy Stokes, a widow, who attempts to have proper sex for the first time in her life and hires a sex worker in the new trailer for “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.
A special New York premiere on May 28 will feature a Q&a and solo performance from the band’s J Mascis.
Directed by German filmmaker Philipp Reichenheim, who happens to be Mascis’ brother-in-law, the documentary features interviews with their contemporaries including Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine and The Pixies, charting their story from the mid-80s to their 30th anniversary reunion concert.
Emma Thompson Hires a Sex Worker in ‘Good Luck to You, Leo Grande’ Trailer
Emma Thompson plays Nancy Stokes, a widow, who attempts to have proper sex for the first time in her life and hires a sex worker in the new trailer for “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.
- 5/18/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay and Carson Burton
- Variety Film + TV
Dubai-based sales agent Cercamon will handle international sales on Fabian Hernández’s “Un Varón” (A Male), which has its world premiere in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.
“Un Varón” tells the story of Carlos, who lives in a youth shelter in the center of Bogotá – a refuge meant to help mitigate the harshness of daily life. He longs to spend Christmas Day with his family, but as he leaves the shelter, he’s confronted with the brutality of his neighborhood, which is ruled by the law of the strongest and dominated by the ideal of the alpha male. Carlos must prove he belongs, even while these expressions of masculinity clash deep inside him with the decisions he must make in order to survive.
Cercamon’s founder, Sebastien Chesneau, said: “‘Un Varón’ touches us by the way the protagonist’s sensitivity is shown in this tough and masculine world. In order to fit into this environment,...
“Un Varón” tells the story of Carlos, who lives in a youth shelter in the center of Bogotá – a refuge meant to help mitigate the harshness of daily life. He longs to spend Christmas Day with his family, but as he leaves the shelter, he’s confronted with the brutality of his neighborhood, which is ruled by the law of the strongest and dominated by the ideal of the alpha male. Carlos must prove he belongs, even while these expressions of masculinity clash deep inside him with the decisions he must make in order to survive.
Cercamon’s founder, Sebastien Chesneau, said: “‘Un Varón’ touches us by the way the protagonist’s sensitivity is shown in this tough and masculine world. In order to fit into this environment,...
- 5/6/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Director Martika Ramirez Escobar has been working in the industry for a while. After a University degree “cum laude”, her graduation film “Pusong Bato” participated to the 19th edition of Busan International Film Festival. She has been working as a Dop for “Hello, Stranger: The Movie” and for Zack Tabuldo’s music videos “Heart Can’t Lose” and “The Juans”. Her first feature film “Leonor Will Never Die” took 8 years to be completed and after having its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival in 2022, it won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Innovative Spirit.
Actress Sheila Francisco comes from a theatre background. She played a lot of memorable roles in her career as a theatre actress, most recently the role of Bloody Mary, in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “South Pacific” in the 2000s at the National Theatre in London, but she was also a TV commercial producer long before her acting career.
Actress Sheila Francisco comes from a theatre background. She played a lot of memorable roles in her career as a theatre actress, most recently the role of Bloody Mary, in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “South Pacific” in the 2000s at the National Theatre in London, but she was also a TV commercial producer long before her acting career.
- 4/30/2022
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
There is a pretty good reason why Leonor’s TV is never switched off, although it might look strange that an old woman would prefer having action-packed movies playing all day long than watching, let’s say, some telenovela. This is of course the first thing coming to mind of an average person whose way of thinking is rooted in the prejudice that all that sweet old ladies are supposed to do is cook, tend to their homes, knit the pullovers that no one will ever wear, and wait for their grandchildren to come and visit. Leonor (Sheila Francisco) is not that kind of granny. The films running on the telly are her legacy. She is a retired Filipino action film scrip-writer and director, attached to the past but stuck in another life.
“Leonor Will Never Die” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival
Leonor stopped making films after...
“Leonor Will Never Die” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival
Leonor stopped making films after...
- 4/29/2022
- by Marina D. Richter
- AsianMoviePulse
Celebrating its 10th anniversary the Helsinki Cine Aasia festival will once again present a selection of the latest films from East and South-East Asia. Along with better known film countries like Korea and Japan, the program also includes films from countries like the Philippines and Cambodia. Many of the festival’s films have been seen at international festivals and have received awards. The opening film is Anatomy of Time (2021) from Thailand, and altogether the program includes 20 films from eight different countries.
Familiar filmmakers
Japanese film director Ogigami Naoko’s newest film Riverside Mukolitta comes to Helsinki Cine Aasia in May. Ogigami became well known to the Finnish audiences with her film Kamome shokudō (2006) which was shot in a restaurant at Punavuori, Helsinki where the story was also set. Ogigami has since become known for the unique characters in her stories. Her latest visit to Finland was in 2019 during the retrospective...
Familiar filmmakers
Japanese film director Ogigami Naoko’s newest film Riverside Mukolitta comes to Helsinki Cine Aasia in May. Ogigami became well known to the Finnish audiences with her film Kamome shokudō (2006) which was shot in a restaurant at Punavuori, Helsinki where the story was also set. Ogigami has since become known for the unique characters in her stories. Her latest visit to Finland was in 2019 during the retrospective...
- 4/19/2022
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
2022 brings Far East Film back to its historical dimension. The Feff is once again what it has always been since 1999, but it also carries the imprint of all the latest changes: it is an augmented festival, more inclusive, and even more curious. If in the last two years Far East Film was forced to reinventing itself and review its formula with different parameters, these last few months have generated a sudden and wonderful acceleration: a wave of new energy, a vital frenzy which has shaped the twenty-fourth edition.
The Teatro Nuovo “Giovanni da Udine” with its 1200 seats will firmly resume its role as headquarters and it will be joined by the Visionary, an outpost of the special sections and retrospectives. The 2022 selection will include a total of 72 titles of which 42 in competition. 15 countries will be represented (including an Italy-China co-production), the number of female directors rises to 12 (of which 8 in...
The Teatro Nuovo “Giovanni da Udine” with its 1200 seats will firmly resume its role as headquarters and it will be joined by the Visionary, an outpost of the special sections and retrospectives. The 2022 selection will include a total of 72 titles of which 42 in competition. 15 countries will be represented (including an Italy-China co-production), the number of female directors rises to 12 (of which 8 in...
- 4/12/2022
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Projects from director Woo Ming Jin and producer Anthony Chen among titles.
Full Circle Lab Philippines, the Southeast Asian project and talent development programme, has unveiled the line-up for its upcoming fourth edition, including new features by Malaysian director Woo Ming Jin and Singapore producer Anthony Chen.
The labs, led by Tatino Films’ Matthieu Darras and Izabela Igel and co-organised by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (Fdcp), will comprise 12 projects in development, three films in post-production, eight emerging producers and three story editors.
More than 40 participants and 12 mentors from 15 different countries are expected to participate in the in-person workshop,...
Full Circle Lab Philippines, the Southeast Asian project and talent development programme, has unveiled the line-up for its upcoming fourth edition, including new features by Malaysian director Woo Ming Jin and Singapore producer Anthony Chen.
The labs, led by Tatino Films’ Matthieu Darras and Izabela Igel and co-organised by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (Fdcp), will comprise 12 projects in development, three films in post-production, eight emerging producers and three story editors.
More than 40 participants and 12 mentors from 15 different countries are expected to participate in the in-person workshop,...
- 4/1/2022
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Below is a constantly updated list and tally of acquisitions, beginning with the most recent deals.
Acquisitions during Sundance and immediately before the festival: 29
Earlier acquisitions: 16
Title: “Nanny”
Section: U.S. Dramatic Competition
Buyer: Blumhouse and Amazon Prime Video
Writer-director Nikyatu Jusu’s feature debut follows an undocumented Senegalese immigrant (Anna Diop) whose work as a nanny finds her cast as a pawn in her employers’ troubled marriage while a supernatural presence invades. It won the festival’s U.S. dramatic Grand Jury Prize.
“With ‘Nanny,’ Nikaytu Jusu has crafted a film that is as haunting as it is powerful. From the exceptional performances to its strong visual language, we can’t wait to share Nanny with our global audience and to continue our longstanding collaboration with Blumhouse,” said Julie Rapaport, Amazon Studios’ head of movies.
Blumhouse and Amazon together announced they had acquired worldwide rights to the film on...
Acquisitions during Sundance and immediately before the festival: 29
Earlier acquisitions: 16
Title: “Nanny”
Section: U.S. Dramatic Competition
Buyer: Blumhouse and Amazon Prime Video
Writer-director Nikyatu Jusu’s feature debut follows an undocumented Senegalese immigrant (Anna Diop) whose work as a nanny finds her cast as a pawn in her employers’ troubled marriage while a supernatural presence invades. It won the festival’s U.S. dramatic Grand Jury Prize.
“With ‘Nanny,’ Nikaytu Jusu has crafted a film that is as haunting as it is powerful. From the exceptional performances to its strong visual language, we can’t wait to share Nanny with our global audience and to continue our longstanding collaboration with Blumhouse,” said Julie Rapaport, Amazon Studios’ head of movies.
Blumhouse and Amazon together announced they had acquired worldwide rights to the film on...
- 3/16/2022
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Music Box Films has acquired the North American rights to writer-director Martika Ramirez Escobar’s genre-bending “Leonor Will Never Die,” which won the Special Jury Prize for Innovative Spirit in Sundance this year after premiering in the festival’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition.
The film tells the story of Leonor Reyes, once a major player in the Filipino film industry during its ragtag action cinema glory days, but now in her golden years and struggling to pay her bills. When she reads an advertisement for a screenplay contest, Leonor begins tinkering with an unfinished script about a young man avenging his brother’s murder at the hand of thugs.
But after a falling television knocks her unconscious and sends her into a coma, Leonor finds herself inside her incomplete movie, re-writing and editing on the fly in a fantastical bid to complete the film while her body lies in limbo.
The film tells the story of Leonor Reyes, once a major player in the Filipino film industry during its ragtag action cinema glory days, but now in her golden years and struggling to pay her bills. When she reads an advertisement for a screenplay contest, Leonor begins tinkering with an unfinished script about a young man avenging his brother’s murder at the hand of thugs.
But after a falling television knocks her unconscious and sends her into a coma, Leonor finds herself inside her incomplete movie, re-writing and editing on the fly in a fantastical bid to complete the film while her body lies in limbo.
- 2/16/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Leonor Will Never Die Review — Leonor Will Never Die (2022) Film Review from the 44th Annual Sundance Film Festival, a movie directed by Martika Ramirez Escobar, starring Sheila Francisco, Bong Cabrera, Rocky Salumbides, and Anthony Falcone. This film has the remarkable distinction of seamless overlapping narratives that neither muddles nor fragments any of them. Sheila [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Leonor Will Never Die: Retired Successful Screenwriter Lives Last Creation to the Max [Sundance 2022]...
Continue reading: Film Review: Leonor Will Never Die: Retired Successful Screenwriter Lives Last Creation to the Max [Sundance 2022]...
- 2/2/2022
- by David McDonald
- Film-Book
This year’s Sundance Film Festival featured 84 feature films, 59 short films, and 26 jury-awarded prizes — with at least 7 of them distributed to Asian productions. Unsurprisingly, most of the Asian award winners revolved around tales of precarity. Shaunak Sen’s Delhi-based ecology-conscious film “All That Breathes” won a Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Documentary category. Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing’s on-the-ground documentary about Rohingya discrimination in the Rakhine State, “Midwives” won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Excellence in Verite Filmmaking. Maryna Er Gorbach’s Ukraine-Turkey co-production about a family living along the precarious Ukraine-Russian border, “Klondike”, took home the Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic.
Several dramatic films took their pickings, too. Philippines-based Martika Ramirez Escobar’s love letter to cinema, “Leonor Will Never Die,” also was selected for the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Innovative Spirit. Shorts “Night Bus” (Joe Hsieh) and “Warsha” (Dania Bdeir) likewise swept the shorts fiction awards,...
Several dramatic films took their pickings, too. Philippines-based Martika Ramirez Escobar’s love letter to cinema, “Leonor Will Never Die,” also was selected for the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Innovative Spirit. Shorts “Night Bus” (Joe Hsieh) and “Warsha” (Dania Bdeir) likewise swept the shorts fiction awards,...
- 1/30/2022
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
Chicago – The 2022 Sundance Film Festival announced their Grand Jury Prizes on January 28th, and the top films were “Nanny” (U.S. Dramatic), “The Exiles” (U.S. Documentary), “Utama” (World Cinema Dramatic) and “All That Breathes” (World Cinema Documentary).
After nine days, 84 feature films and 59 Short Films, honors were also given for Audience Awards, Festival Favorite Award, Jury Awards for Directing, Screenwriting & Editing and Special Jury Awards.
The list of all award winners are below.
Grand Jury Prize
‘Nanny’
Photo credit: Sundance Film Festival
U.S. Dramatic: “Nanny” directed by Nikyatu Jusu
U.S. Documentary: “The Exiles,” directed by Ben Klein & Violet Columbus
World Cinema Dramatic:: “Utama” (Bolivia/Uraguay/France) directed by Alejandro Loayza Grisi
World Cinema Documentary: “All That Breathes” (India/UK) directed by Shaunak Sen
Audience Awards
Cha Cha Real Smooth
Photo credit: Sundance Film Festival
U.S. Dramatic: “Cha Cha Real Smooth” directed by Cooper Raif
U.S.
After nine days, 84 feature films and 59 Short Films, honors were also given for Audience Awards, Festival Favorite Award, Jury Awards for Directing, Screenwriting & Editing and Special Jury Awards.
The list of all award winners are below.
Grand Jury Prize
‘Nanny’
Photo credit: Sundance Film Festival
U.S. Dramatic: “Nanny” directed by Nikyatu Jusu
U.S. Documentary: “The Exiles,” directed by Ben Klein & Violet Columbus
World Cinema Dramatic:: “Utama” (Bolivia/Uraguay/France) directed by Alejandro Loayza Grisi
World Cinema Documentary: “All That Breathes” (India/UK) directed by Shaunak Sen
Audience Awards
Cha Cha Real Smooth
Photo credit: Sundance Film Festival
U.S. Dramatic: “Cha Cha Real Smooth” directed by Cooper Raif
U.S.
- 1/29/2022
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The virtual Sundance Film Festival concluded with a virtual awards show — no host this year, just a series of statements and videos parceled out across two hours by Twitter. It was a strangely anti-climactic way of wrapping a low-key festival, while giving winners a chance to prep polite, crew-inclusive acceptance speeches.
Among the audience prizes, U.S. Dramatic winner “Cha Cha Real Smooth” represents the biggest sale of the festival so far, scooped up by Apple for $15 million — 1,000 times the budget of writer-director-star Cooper Raiff’s shoestring-budgeted debut, “Shithouse.”
The Festival Favorite award went to “Navalny.” This prize, selected by audiences from across all sections of the festival, recognizes a late addition to the lineup (“Navalny” was not announced until this past Monday), protected on account of its political sensitivity, as the documentary tracks Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny while he was recovering from an assassination attempt in Berlin. Accepting the honor,...
Among the audience prizes, U.S. Dramatic winner “Cha Cha Real Smooth” represents the biggest sale of the festival so far, scooped up by Apple for $15 million — 1,000 times the budget of writer-director-star Cooper Raiff’s shoestring-budgeted debut, “Shithouse.”
The Festival Favorite award went to “Navalny.” This prize, selected by audiences from across all sections of the festival, recognizes a late addition to the lineup (“Navalny” was not announced until this past Monday), protected on account of its political sensitivity, as the documentary tracks Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny while he was recovering from an assassination attempt in Berlin. Accepting the honor,...
- 1/28/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
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