BAFTA-nominated Irish actor Robert Sheehan (The Umbrella Academy) has signed on to lead a stage adaptation of Bruce Robinson’s 1987 cult tragi-comedy Withnail and I at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre alongside actors Adonis Siddique and Malcolm Sinclair.
Directed by the double Olivier Award-winning Sean Foley, Artistic Director of Birmingham Rep, and designed by Alice Power, the show will premiere at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, with performances from 3 May until 25 May 2024.
The adaption was written by Robinson. The original film was based on an unpublished novel by Robinson and was produced by Handmade Films, with Richard E Grant, Paul McGann, and Richard Griffiths leading. On stage, Sheehan will star as Withnail while Siddique is Marwood, and Malcolm Sinclair is Uncle Monty.
Sheehan made his acting debut in Aisling Walsh’s acclaimed feature Song For A Raggy Boy. Since then, his screen credits include Season of the Witch, Cherrybomb, Killing Bono, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones,...
Directed by the double Olivier Award-winning Sean Foley, Artistic Director of Birmingham Rep, and designed by Alice Power, the show will premiere at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, with performances from 3 May until 25 May 2024.
The adaption was written by Robinson. The original film was based on an unpublished novel by Robinson and was produced by Handmade Films, with Richard E Grant, Paul McGann, and Richard Griffiths leading. On stage, Sheehan will star as Withnail while Siddique is Marwood, and Malcolm Sinclair is Uncle Monty.
Sheehan made his acting debut in Aisling Walsh’s acclaimed feature Song For A Raggy Boy. Since then, his screen credits include Season of the Witch, Cherrybomb, Killing Bono, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones,...
- 3/18/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
American filmmaker Wes Anderson has directed the upcoming American anthology movie ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’. The movie is adapted from the same short story from Roald Dahl’s 1977 collection titled- ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More’.
The movie serves as the second movie adaptation of a Dahl work under the direction of Anderson, the first one being the 2009 stop-motion animated comedy film ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’.
The plot of the movie is divided into four parts that narrate the darkest and most sinister tales known of Roald Dahl. The cast members portray an array of characters in each of the four chapters leading to the primary Henry Sugar story.
When Will ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’ be Released on Netflix? Entertainment Weekly
Netflix acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company for $686 million in September of 2021. On January 6, 2022, it was reported that Anderson was to write and...
The movie serves as the second movie adaptation of a Dahl work under the direction of Anderson, the first one being the 2009 stop-motion animated comedy film ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’.
The plot of the movie is divided into four parts that narrate the darkest and most sinister tales known of Roald Dahl. The cast members portray an array of characters in each of the four chapters leading to the primary Henry Sugar story.
When Will ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’ be Released on Netflix? Entertainment Weekly
Netflix acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company for $686 million in September of 2021. On January 6, 2022, it was reported that Anderson was to write and...
- 10/15/2023
- by Suvechchha Saha
- https://dailyresearchplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/new-sam
Los Angeles, May 4 (Ians) Poppy Delevingne will star in ‘The Gun on Second Street’, a new drama from the Emmy-nominated Indian American writer, producer and director Rohit Karn Batra, reports ‘Variety’.
The film is described as “an allegory of the gun crisis in the United States”. Its plot follows two Pittsburgh police partners and best friends who are called to an uneventful domestic violence dispute on Second Street.
This, according to ‘Variety’, quickly escalates to a violent confrontation as Officer Tj Meadows III shoots and kills his partner, Officer Kevin Cooper, with his backup gun.
Years later, no longer a cop and still traumatised, Meadows moves back to Pittsburgh and finds his way to his partner’s widow, Kacie (Delevingne). They slowly fall in love as Kacie confronts the history she’s been avoiding, including telling her 15-year-old son, Ralph, Tj’s back-story.
The film, adds ‘Variety’, is produced by...
The film is described as “an allegory of the gun crisis in the United States”. Its plot follows two Pittsburgh police partners and best friends who are called to an uneventful domestic violence dispute on Second Street.
This, according to ‘Variety’, quickly escalates to a violent confrontation as Officer Tj Meadows III shoots and kills his partner, Officer Kevin Cooper, with his backup gun.
Years later, no longer a cop and still traumatised, Meadows moves back to Pittsburgh and finds his way to his partner’s widow, Kacie (Delevingne). They slowly fall in love as Kacie confronts the history she’s been avoiding, including telling her 15-year-old son, Ralph, Tj’s back-story.
The film, adds ‘Variety’, is produced by...
- 5/4/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Poppy Delevingne will star in “The Gun on Second Street,” a new drama from writer, producer, and director Rohit Karn Batra.
The film is described as “an allegory of the gun crisis in the United States.” Its plot follows two Pittsburgh police partners and best friends who are called to an uneventful domestic violence dispute on Second Street. This quickly escalates to a violent confrontation as Officer Tj Meadows III accidentally shoots and kills his partner, Officer Kevin Cooper, with his backup gun. Years later, no longer a cop and still traumatized, he moves back to Pittsburgh and finds his way to his partner’s widow, Kacie (Delevingne). They slowly fall in love as Kacie confronts the history she’s been avoiding, including telling her 15-year-old son, Ralph, Tj’s back-story.
“I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Poppy on ‘The Gun on Second Street.’ She is effortlessly sophisticated and truly a one-of-a-kind talent,...
The film is described as “an allegory of the gun crisis in the United States.” Its plot follows two Pittsburgh police partners and best friends who are called to an uneventful domestic violence dispute on Second Street. This quickly escalates to a violent confrontation as Officer Tj Meadows III accidentally shoots and kills his partner, Officer Kevin Cooper, with his backup gun. Years later, no longer a cop and still traumatized, he moves back to Pittsburgh and finds his way to his partner’s widow, Kacie (Delevingne). They slowly fall in love as Kacie confronts the history she’s been avoiding, including telling her 15-year-old son, Ralph, Tj’s back-story.
“I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Poppy on ‘The Gun on Second Street.’ She is effortlessly sophisticated and truly a one-of-a-kind talent,...
- 5/3/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: TriCoast Worldwide has locked down international sales rights to the coming-of-age film Dear Zoe, starring Stranger Things‘ Sadie Sink, with plans to screen the pic for potential buyers and festival reps at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
The indie from director Gren Wells (The Road Within) is based on Philip Beard’s novel of the same name, which was selected by Booklist, a magazine of the American Library Association, as one of the ten best debut novels of 2005. It centers on Tess (Sink), who suffers an unimaginable loss alongside her family, and finds support from two surprising sources: her biological father (Theo Rossi)—a lovable slacker from the wrong side of the tracks—and the charming but dangerous juvenile delinquent next door (newcomer Kweku Collins).
Marc Lhormer and Melissa Martin adapted the screenplay for the film, which also stars Jessica Capshaw (Grey’s Anatomy), Justin Bartha (Godfather of Harlem) and Vivien Lyra Blair...
The indie from director Gren Wells (The Road Within) is based on Philip Beard’s novel of the same name, which was selected by Booklist, a magazine of the American Library Association, as one of the ten best debut novels of 2005. It centers on Tess (Sink), who suffers an unimaginable loss alongside her family, and finds support from two surprising sources: her biological father (Theo Rossi)—a lovable slacker from the wrong side of the tracks—and the charming but dangerous juvenile delinquent next door (newcomer Kweku Collins).
Marc Lhormer and Melissa Martin adapted the screenplay for the film, which also stars Jessica Capshaw (Grey’s Anatomy), Justin Bartha (Godfather of Harlem) and Vivien Lyra Blair...
- 5/10/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
As the 16th annual Westival gets underway, festival goers old and new descend on Gladstone Heritage Village in Western Australia and immediately settle into their rival camps: Aboriginal and Morris dancers, punk rockers and ukulele players, winos and musos. Among them are pretentious theremin technician Roland (Robert Sheehan), an Irish dog-washer making his Westival debut in the small workshop hut, and folksy fiddler Keevey (Rebecca Breeds), a seasoned pro who tours with family outfit The Warrickins. Following an ampli-frying duet in which Roland recognises latent talent in Keevey, their mutual attraction threatens to give way to unrequited admiration when he inadvertently criticises her folk rock roots.
Ben Elton’s first film since Maybe Baby in 2000, after which he moved to Freemantle, Western Australia and gained Australian citizenship, Three Summers draws from his experiences of nearby Fairbridge folk festival and presumably his marriage to a bass player to tell the story of a fictional festival.
Ben Elton’s first film since Maybe Baby in 2000, after which he moved to Freemantle, Western Australia and gained Australian citizenship, Three Summers draws from his experiences of nearby Fairbridge folk festival and presumably his marriage to a bass player to tell the story of a fictional festival.
- 6/25/2018
- by Steven Neish
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Image Source: Getty / Dimitrios Kambouris Zoë Kravitz is practically synonymous with the word cool. But given her parents - rock star Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet - how could she not be? It might be easy to assume the 28-year-old Big Little Lies star has had it a little easier than most in Hollywood, but her path to becoming one of most sought-after actresses/singers/models out there has been incredibly interesting. Why not get to know her a little better? RelatedBig Little Lies: Time to Obsess Over Zoë Kravitz's Elvis Cover She's half Jewish. Her paternal grandfather, Sy Kravitz, and maternal grandmother, Arlene Litman, were both Jewish. She's proud of her mixed heritage. "I am mixed. My parents are mixed," she recently told Allure. "The more I experience life, I am identifying more and more with being black and what that means - being more proud of...
- 5/18/2017
- by Quinn Keaney
- Popsugar.com
New to Netflix in September are two kinds of undead: Season 5 of "The Walking Dead" and the revived-from-cancellation A&E series, "Longmire," which was saved by Netflix.
As far as movies, there's the restored version of the Oscar-winning 1962 epic "Lawrence of Arabia," Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom," the first three "Rambo" films, the terrific "The Bank Job" with Jason Statham and "Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom" with Idris Elba.
There are also period dramas you might have missed from last year with Jessica Chastain ("Miss Julie") and Mia Wasikowska ("Madame Bovary") and hey, "The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl!"
Available September 1
"72 Dangerous Animals Australia": Season 1 (2014)
"Combustión" (2013)
"Da Jammies": Season 1
"Giggle and Hoot's Best Ever!" (2014)
"Hamlet" (1990)
"Hardball" (2001)
"Heather McDonald: I Don't Mean To Brag" (2014)
"Lawrence of Arabia: Restored Version" (1962)
"Los Hombres también lloran": Season 1
"Masters of the Universe" (1987)
"Mississippi Damned" (2009)
"Mister Rogers' Neighborhood": Volume 1
"Mouk...
As far as movies, there's the restored version of the Oscar-winning 1962 epic "Lawrence of Arabia," Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom," the first three "Rambo" films, the terrific "The Bank Job" with Jason Statham and "Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom" with Idris Elba.
There are also period dramas you might have missed from last year with Jessica Chastain ("Miss Julie") and Mia Wasikowska ("Madame Bovary") and hey, "The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl!"
Available September 1
"72 Dangerous Animals Australia": Season 1 (2014)
"Combustión" (2013)
"Da Jammies": Season 1
"Giggle and Hoot's Best Ever!" (2014)
"Hamlet" (1990)
"Hardball" (2001)
"Heather McDonald: I Don't Mean To Brag" (2014)
"Lawrence of Arabia: Restored Version" (1962)
"Los Hombres también lloran": Season 1
"Masters of the Universe" (1987)
"Mississippi Damned" (2009)
"Mister Rogers' Neighborhood": Volume 1
"Mouk...
- 8/31/2015
- by Sharon Knolle
- Moviefone
Road trip movies seem to always involve eccentric, unusual characters that would probably drive you crazy if you actually had to spend hours confined inside a tiny vehicle with them; however, in the context of a 90-minute film, these people often come across less annoying and more like charming, manic pixie dream boys and girls. The Road Within, a remake of the 2010 German film Vincent Wants to Sea, takes those tropes a few steps further; its vehicle is filled with dysfunctional characters who aren’t just quirky, but plagued with mental and neurological disorders. (You know, people dealing with actual problems, as opposed to just poetic musings.) Yet despite casting three talented young actors who throw themselves heart and soul into their characters and deliver performances so raw that they’re practically bloody, writer-director Gren Wells’ dark comedy-drama rarely ever veers out of already well-tread territory.
Read more...
Read more...
- 8/26/2015
- by Lee Jutton
- JustPressPlay.net
Recently released by WellGo USA, The Road Within is the directorial debut of screenwriter and actress Gren Wells (A Little Bit of Heaven). Starring Robert Sheehan, Dev Patel and Zoe Kravitz, the film tells the story of three escapees from a psych ward (Tourette Syndrome, Ocd and anorexia sufferers, respectively) on a transformative road trip. It won the Audience Award at the Champs-Élysées and is currently available in the States on digital platforms. Filmmaker: How do you think your next film will be different than your first? Wells: I think you start to define who you are with the second […]...
- 7/20/2015
- by Taylor Hess
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Recently released by WellGo USA, The Road Within is the directorial debut of screenwriter and actress Gren Wells (A Little Bit of Heaven). Starring Robert Sheehan, Dev Patel and Zoe Kravitz, the film tells the story of three escapees from a psych ward (Tourette Syndrome, Ocd and anorexia sufferers, respectively) on a transformative road trip. It won the Audience Award at the Champs-Élysées and is currently available in the States on digital platforms. Filmmaker: How do you think your next film will be different than your first? Wells: I think you start to define who you are with the second […]...
- 7/20/2015
- by Taylor Hess
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
26-year-old Zoe Kravitz (daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet) first came to our attention playing Angel Salvador in X-Men: First Class, and has since gone on to give memorable turns in the likes of Mad Max: Fury Road, Insurgent, Dope and The Road Within. With several other big movies lined up, Zoe's star is most certainly on the rise, but there was a time when landing the good roles wasn't quite so easy. In an interview with Nylon the actress recalls losing out on an audition for The Dark Knight Rises, seemingly based on her racial background and nothing else. “In the last Batman movie, they told me that I couldn’t get an audition for a small role they were casting because they weren’t ‘going urban,’” she says. “It was like, ‘What does that have to do with anything?’ I have to play the role like, ‘Yo,...
- 7/16/2015
- ComicBookMovie.com
Edinburgh International Film Festival has announced its Best of the Fest line-up for the last day of the festival on Sunday June 28. Tickets go on sale at noon on Thursday June 26 from the official site.
Artistic director Mark Adams said: “We are thrilled to be able to add a selection of additional screenings for some of the hit and buzz films of this year’s Festival. It is a great chance to catch the films everyone has been talking about.”
Screening at Filmhouse:
12:20 - Scottish Mussel: Mussels a-plenty in this Highland comedy from debut director Talulah Riley.
21:10 - The Messenger: Irish actor Robert Sheehan stars in this supernatural thriller.
Screening at Cineworld:
13:30 - (Saturday 27) The Road Within: Zoë Kravitz, Dev Patel and Robert Sheehan star in this road-trip tale that unfolds to become a journey of self-discovery
Sunday, June 28:
13:00 - 45 Years: Charlotte.
Artistic director Mark Adams said: “We are thrilled to be able to add a selection of additional screenings for some of the hit and buzz films of this year’s Festival. It is a great chance to catch the films everyone has been talking about.”
Screening at Filmhouse:
12:20 - Scottish Mussel: Mussels a-plenty in this Highland comedy from debut director Talulah Riley.
21:10 - The Messenger: Irish actor Robert Sheehan stars in this supernatural thriller.
Screening at Cineworld:
13:30 - (Saturday 27) The Road Within: Zoë Kravitz, Dev Patel and Robert Sheehan star in this road-trip tale that unfolds to become a journey of self-discovery
Sunday, June 28:
13:00 - 45 Years: Charlotte.
- 6/25/2015
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The new dramatic comedy The Road Within stars Dev Patel, Robert Sheehan, Robert Patrick, Zoe Kravitz, and Kyra Sedgwick. It will be released on DVD and Blu-ray from Well Go USA on July 7th, but you have a chance to win the Blu-ray in advance!
The Road Within tells the story of Vincent, a young man suffering from Tourette Syndrome. His mother dies so his estranged father, Robert, is forced to step in. However, Robert’s running for political office and doesn’t want his son on the campaign trail – so Robert puts Vincent in a clinic that’s run by the unconventional Dr. Mia Rose. Once there, Vincent falls in love with an anorexic woman named Marie. Together, they steal Dr. Rose’s car, and end up having to kidnap his Ocd roommate, Alex, when he threatens to tell on them. With Robert and Dr. Rose in hot pursuit,...
The Road Within tells the story of Vincent, a young man suffering from Tourette Syndrome. His mother dies so his estranged father, Robert, is forced to step in. However, Robert’s running for political office and doesn’t want his son on the campaign trail – so Robert puts Vincent in a clinic that’s run by the unconventional Dr. Mia Rose. Once there, Vincent falls in love with an anorexic woman named Marie. Together, they steal Dr. Rose’s car, and end up having to kidnap his Ocd roommate, Alex, when he threatens to tell on them. With Robert and Dr. Rose in hot pursuit,...
- 6/18/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Ceff takes place in the heart of Paris in June. The first ever connection in Paris between French cinema and American cinema takes place during a glorious week of screenings and special events dedicated entirely to the public.
The opportunity to bring together a host of filmmakers, producers, distributors, journalists, academics, partners, around a big party every night at the top of Publicis where “Le Drugstore” made such a big splash during the 70s is also an event which reinvigorates what has become a touristic and consumer oriented Champs Elysees. Distinguished guests, film teams, young directors add up to a celebration of that most popular of all culture today, the movies.
The fourth edition of the Champs-Elysées Film Festival was presided by the actress Émilie Dequenne and actor Jeremy Irons, and it had more than 22, 000 attendees, accompanied all week by bright sunshine.
3 Audience Prizes were given during the closing ceremony which took place on Tuesday night at the Publicis Cinema.
• The Audience Prize for an Independent American Feature Lenght Film, given by Jeremy Irons, was awarded to the film "The Road Within" by Gren Wells, the story of a young man with Tourette’s Syndrome who embarks on a road trip. Its international sales agent is Annapurna and its U.S. distributor is WellGo.
• The Audience Prize for a French Short Film given by Émilie Dequenne and Céline Nallet, Gerenal Director of HD1 channel, was awarded to "J’aurais pas dû mettre mes Clarks" by Marie Caldera. The film will be screened on HD1.
• The Audience Prize for an American Short Film given by actress Zoë Felix and Éric Legendre from Variety was awarded to "Scheherazade" by Mehrnoush Aliaghaei.
The Student Jury Prize, given by Adrien Fallu, the marketing and communication director of TCM , the object of which is to present classics of the cinema to young adults, was given to "Shoot the Moon," by Alan Parker, presented in the section "TCM Cinéma Essentials."
The Festival was created by the Producer, Distributor and Exhibitor Sophie Dulac. More than 100 films were screened during the festival showcasing the diversity of French and American cinema in six cinemas on the most prestigious avenue in the world: The Balzac, the Gaumont Champs-Élysées, the Lincoln, the Publicis cinema, Ugc George V and MK2 Grand Palais.
Prestigious Guests This Year at the Festival:
• William Friedkin met with the public for an amazing Q&A at the end of the screening of the restored director’s cut version of "Sorcerer."
• Alan Parker, who confirmed his decision not to shoot anymore, gave a remarkable masterclass on the cult movies that have made him famous from "Fame" to "Bugsy Malone" and "Midgnight Express."
• Josh and Benny Safdie, emblematic directors of today’s New York cinema, introduced their shorts and feature movies, and premiered their new film "Heaven Knows What."
• Euzhan Palcy, director of "Sugar Cane Alley" and "A Dry White Season" gave a brilliant masterclass, sharing how she became the voice of Black People at a time when nobody wanted to hear.
• Vilmos Zsigmond, Oscar-winning director of photography who has worked with the greatest directors from Spielberg and Cimino to Brian de Palma, introduced the restored version of "The Rose" by Mark Rydell,
• Jeremy Irons, passionate cinephile who was present the screenings all week and who also gave a masterclass.
Professional Program in Constant Progression
• More than 50 distributors, producers, and international sales agents came from all over the world to discover six independent American films, works in progress, of which "Diverge" by James Morrisson, was awarded great help with several post-production services necessary to complete the film.
• The growing success of the second edition of the Paris Coproduction Village, organized in collaboration with Les Arcs European Film Festival took place from 10th to 12th June with a Brazilian focus and delighted the professionals who came from many different countries.
During the festival, numerous American directors in competition came from the U.S. to debate with audiences after the screenings: Hannah Fidell for "6 years," Onur Tukel for "Applesauce," Matthew Heineman for "Cartel Land," Andrew Renzi for "Franny," Sebastian Silva for "Nasty Baby," Gren Wells and his producer Brent Emmery for "The Road Within," Rachel Wolther producer of "Stinking Heaven" and Jenner Furst, producer of "Welcome to Leith," that's without mentioning all the French and American shorts films, premieres, etc…
All the best moments, interviews with distinguished guests, directors, jurors, and red carpets are available thanks to the Festival Web TV on:
https://www.youtube.com/user/CEfilmfestival/
www.champselyseesfilmfestival.com
https://www.facebook.com/champselyseesfilmfestival...
The opportunity to bring together a host of filmmakers, producers, distributors, journalists, academics, partners, around a big party every night at the top of Publicis where “Le Drugstore” made such a big splash during the 70s is also an event which reinvigorates what has become a touristic and consumer oriented Champs Elysees. Distinguished guests, film teams, young directors add up to a celebration of that most popular of all culture today, the movies.
The fourth edition of the Champs-Elysées Film Festival was presided by the actress Émilie Dequenne and actor Jeremy Irons, and it had more than 22, 000 attendees, accompanied all week by bright sunshine.
3 Audience Prizes were given during the closing ceremony which took place on Tuesday night at the Publicis Cinema.
• The Audience Prize for an Independent American Feature Lenght Film, given by Jeremy Irons, was awarded to the film "The Road Within" by Gren Wells, the story of a young man with Tourette’s Syndrome who embarks on a road trip. Its international sales agent is Annapurna and its U.S. distributor is WellGo.
• The Audience Prize for a French Short Film given by Émilie Dequenne and Céline Nallet, Gerenal Director of HD1 channel, was awarded to "J’aurais pas dû mettre mes Clarks" by Marie Caldera. The film will be screened on HD1.
• The Audience Prize for an American Short Film given by actress Zoë Felix and Éric Legendre from Variety was awarded to "Scheherazade" by Mehrnoush Aliaghaei.
The Student Jury Prize, given by Adrien Fallu, the marketing and communication director of TCM , the object of which is to present classics of the cinema to young adults, was given to "Shoot the Moon," by Alan Parker, presented in the section "TCM Cinéma Essentials."
The Festival was created by the Producer, Distributor and Exhibitor Sophie Dulac. More than 100 films were screened during the festival showcasing the diversity of French and American cinema in six cinemas on the most prestigious avenue in the world: The Balzac, the Gaumont Champs-Élysées, the Lincoln, the Publicis cinema, Ugc George V and MK2 Grand Palais.
Prestigious Guests This Year at the Festival:
• William Friedkin met with the public for an amazing Q&A at the end of the screening of the restored director’s cut version of "Sorcerer."
• Alan Parker, who confirmed his decision not to shoot anymore, gave a remarkable masterclass on the cult movies that have made him famous from "Fame" to "Bugsy Malone" and "Midgnight Express."
• Josh and Benny Safdie, emblematic directors of today’s New York cinema, introduced their shorts and feature movies, and premiered their new film "Heaven Knows What."
• Euzhan Palcy, director of "Sugar Cane Alley" and "A Dry White Season" gave a brilliant masterclass, sharing how she became the voice of Black People at a time when nobody wanted to hear.
• Vilmos Zsigmond, Oscar-winning director of photography who has worked with the greatest directors from Spielberg and Cimino to Brian de Palma, introduced the restored version of "The Rose" by Mark Rydell,
• Jeremy Irons, passionate cinephile who was present the screenings all week and who also gave a masterclass.
Professional Program in Constant Progression
• More than 50 distributors, producers, and international sales agents came from all over the world to discover six independent American films, works in progress, of which "Diverge" by James Morrisson, was awarded great help with several post-production services necessary to complete the film.
• The growing success of the second edition of the Paris Coproduction Village, organized in collaboration with Les Arcs European Film Festival took place from 10th to 12th June with a Brazilian focus and delighted the professionals who came from many different countries.
During the festival, numerous American directors in competition came from the U.S. to debate with audiences after the screenings: Hannah Fidell for "6 years," Onur Tukel for "Applesauce," Matthew Heineman for "Cartel Land," Andrew Renzi for "Franny," Sebastian Silva for "Nasty Baby," Gren Wells and his producer Brent Emmery for "The Road Within," Rachel Wolther producer of "Stinking Heaven" and Jenner Furst, producer of "Welcome to Leith," that's without mentioning all the French and American shorts films, premieres, etc…
All the best moments, interviews with distinguished guests, directors, jurors, and red carpets are available thanks to the Festival Web TV on:
https://www.youtube.com/user/CEfilmfestival/
www.champselyseesfilmfestival.com
https://www.facebook.com/champselyseesfilmfestival...
- 6/17/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Ewan McGregor, Jane Seymour, Malcolm McDowell and Hong Kong director Johnnie To among the guests set to attend the festival.Scroll down for competition titles
The line-up for the 69th Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff) has been unveiled this morning by new artistic director Mark Adams.
This year’s Eiff (June 17-28) will comprise 164 features from 36 countries, including 24 world premieres, eight international premieres, 16 European premieres and 84 UK premieres.
Highlights including the UK premiere of Asif Kapadia’s documentary Amy, about the life of singer Amy Winehouse; the latest Disney-Pixar animation Inside Out; Arnold Schwarzenegger in zombie drama Maggie; comedy The D-Train, starring Jack Black and James Marsden; and a biopic of The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, Love & Mercy, in which John Cusack and Paul Dano play different aged versions of the musician.
Classic Screenings will include a rare outing for Noel Marshall’s Roar, a cult 1981 big cat movie.
Star power
This year’s Eiff will present...
The line-up for the 69th Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff) has been unveiled this morning by new artistic director Mark Adams.
This year’s Eiff (June 17-28) will comprise 164 features from 36 countries, including 24 world premieres, eight international premieres, 16 European premieres and 84 UK premieres.
Highlights including the UK premiere of Asif Kapadia’s documentary Amy, about the life of singer Amy Winehouse; the latest Disney-Pixar animation Inside Out; Arnold Schwarzenegger in zombie drama Maggie; comedy The D-Train, starring Jack Black and James Marsden; and a biopic of The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, Love & Mercy, in which John Cusack and Paul Dano play different aged versions of the musician.
Classic Screenings will include a rare outing for Noel Marshall’s Roar, a cult 1981 big cat movie.
Star power
This year’s Eiff will present...
- 5/27/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Sundance preemed docs Matthew Heineman’s Cartel Land and Michael Beach Nichols & Christopher K. Walker’s Welcome to Leith are going up against Sebastian Silva’s Nasty Baby, Nathan Silver’s Stinking Heaven, Gren Wells’ The Road Within and Andrew Renzi’s Franny in the competition section of the 4th Champs-Élysées Film Festival. Conveniently taking place after a break from Cannes (06.10-06.16) the fest along with American Film Festival, Wroclaw, Poland host the U.S in Progress program, the three-day workshop which basically plays hosts to five American indie films in post-production and gets them before Euro distribution, buyer and producer eyes.
A mix of new and old films, the fest will open with Cannes Film Fest Main Comp entry Guillaume Nicloux’s Valley of Love., and special guests include William Friedkin and the Safdie brothers will have a retrospective of their work with a carte blanche. Look for the U.
A mix of new and old films, the fest will open with Cannes Film Fest Main Comp entry Guillaume Nicloux’s Valley of Love., and special guests include William Friedkin and the Safdie brothers will have a retrospective of their work with a carte blanche. Look for the U.
- 5/1/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Zoë Kravitz is having a busy summer. First, a road trip in The Road Within, a bittersweet dramedy (now on VOD) about three 20-somethings who ditch a clinic for the open highways. They're all facing issues: Ocd, anorexia and Tourette's syndrome — with Kravitz playing a mysterious girl with an eating disorder she refuses to acknowledge. Then, Mad Max: Fury Road, the remake in which Kravitz plays apocalypse survivor Toast — nothing new for the actress. She's done dystopias before. (Remember Divergent?) We chatted with Kravitz about the open road, the Fury Road, and which future would suit her best. The Road Within is a pretty heavy movie.In parts it is. The conditions that these people have, yes. But it does have some really great, light, funny moments. The character you play has an eating disorder, but she could have easily come off as a manic-pixie-dream-girl-esque foil to the male lead.
- 4/28/2015
- by Lindsey Weber
- Vulture
Contending with a devastating illness that negatively impacts both your physical and emotional functions can be a isolating process for anyone, particularly for young adults who have not yet become comfortable building relationships or found their place in society. But first-time feature film director Gren Wells humanely crafted an endearing story in the script for her new comedy-drama, ‘The Road Within,’ which powerfully emphasizes that people who are coping with illnesses that affect their minds and bodies aren’t any different from people who are healthy. Actor Robert Sheehan also grippingly showcased that people living with psychological disorders that also affect their bodies are worthy of being appreciated for their personalities [ Read More ]
The post Interview: Robert Sheehan and Gren Wells Talk The Road Within (Exclusive) appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Interview: Robert Sheehan and Gren Wells Talk The Road Within (Exclusive) appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 4/25/2015
- by Karen Benardello
- ShockYa
Tourette syndrome has gotten the Hollywood spotlight from stars like Amy Poehler in “Deuce Bigalow,” Bill Murray in “What About Bob?” and Elle Fanning in “Phoebe in Wonderland.” Media representation of the tic disorder has ranged from irreverently comedic to sweetly tragic. The new movie “The Road Within,” which opens in theaters Friday, aims for a bit of both – funny but also sweet and touching and respectful of those who have Tourette’s. In the film, 27-year-old Irish actor Robert Sheehan (“Misfits,” “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones”) plays Vincent, a teen dealing with Tourette syndrome following the death of his mother. He moves into a clinic, where he meets Marie (Zoe Kravitz), a girl with an eating disorder, and Alex (Dev Patel), a boy with obsessive-compulsive impulses. When the three teens steal their doctor’s car and escape the clinic, they embark on a road trip full of rebellious antics,...
- 4/17/2015
- by Emily Rome
- Hitfix
It sounds like the perfect setup for a legendary tasteless joke: A boy with Tourette's, an anorexic girl, and an obsessive-compulsive neat freak steal a car and head for the beach. Had writer-director Gren Wells shown just a tad more irreverence or daring or creativity, The Road Within could have provided a whopper of a punchline. But this is, of course, a movie about affliction, and it ultimately succumbs to the bland, sentimental uplift we've come to expect from such outings. After his mother dies, Vincent (Robert Sheehan) is installed at a mental institution by his cold, career-obsessed father (Robert Patrick, of Terminator 2 fame). The twitch- and temper-tantrum-prone Vincent quickly becomes the bane of his control-freak roommate Alex's (Dev Pa...
- 4/15/2015
- Village Voice
Zoe Kravitz's latest role hit a little too close to home when she was filming. The actress, whose parents are Cosby Show alum Lisa Bonet and rocker Lenny Kravitz, stars in the upcoming The Road Within as a woman struggling with anorexia — something Kravitz herself has battled in the past. Chosen as one of five cover girls for Marie Claire's Fresh Faces 2015 issue — along with Iggy Azalea, Hailee Steinfeld, Felicity Jones, and Kate Upton — the gorgeous 26-year-old opened up to the mag about [...]...
- 4/14/2015
- Us Weekly
Zoë Kravitz's latest movie may have hit too close to home for some, but for the actress, her own personal experiences are what drew her to the role of a woman battling anorexia. The 26-year-old daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet says in a new interview with Nylon that it was "pretty easy" for her to get into the mindset of her character in the indie drama The Road Within, a young woman whose struggle to be in control extends to her relationship with food as well. "I struggled with an eating disorder in high school and into my early 20s," Kravitz continued. "That's part of what actually attracted me to the role; I think it's really important to talk about body image and...
- 4/7/2015
- E! Online
Summer blockbuster season is just around the corner, but there's no need to wait until then to see a great movie. April brings us a wide variety of women-centric projects, as well as quite a few films helmed and/or written by women.
The month starts off with "Woman in Gold," starring Helen Mirren as a Jewish woman on a journey to recover her family's heirlooms, which was stolen by the Nazis. It's based on a true story, and Mirren roots the film with her powerful presence. "Closer to the Moon" is another WWII-era drama set for an April release, this one based on the crime capers of a group of Jewish resistance fighters a few years after the end of the war. "Marie's Story" is another period piece, centering around the efforts of a 19th-century nun to help a girl born blind and deaf.
There are a few more women-focused dramas being released in April, including the much-buzzed "Clouds of Sils Maria," which garnered Kristen Stewart the prestigious Cesar Award for supporting actress. Stewart has made waves for being the first American actress to win the French award, and the film looks to capitalize on that with its American release. “Félix & Meira" is another award-winner coming out this month. The Best Canadian Feature from the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival aims to make its mark with the story of an unconventional and radical love affair, one that reaches across racial and religious lines. "About Elly" also confronts cultural biases with its depiction of Iran's upper middle class.
"Effie Gray" tackles the sexual politics of the Victorian era, and with a screenplay from Emma Thompson, it's sure to be intriguing as well as quick-witted. Speaking of intriguing, "The Age of Adaline" follows a woman who mysteriously stopped aging eight decades ago. Blake Lively centers the film as Adaline, struggling with love and trust and all the other things that might follow when one lives seemingly forever.
Courteney Cox makes her big-screen directorial debut (the actress has previously directed episodes of "Cougar Town," which she stars in) with "Just Before I Go," and screenwiter Gren Wells makes hers as well with "The Road Within." Director Mia Hansen-løve ("Goodbye First Love") directs Greta Gerwig in "Eden," a look at the rise of French electronic music in the 90s.
The month will also see the release of a few very different documentaries. "The Hand That Feeds" focuses on undocumented immigrants struggling to form an independent union, while "Iris" follows 93-year-old Iris Apfel, a flamboyant New York City fashion icon. "Antarctic Edge: 70° South" is focused on the changing climate of the Antarctic's Peninsula and was made with the collaboration of Rutgers University students and scientists.
We'll also see comedic projects featuring Mary Elizabeth Winstead ("Alex of Venice") and Rose Byrne ("Adult Beginners"). Nia Vardalos returns to the screen with a role in "Helicopter Mom," which promises an outrageous performance from the "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" star. "Sweet Lorraine" and "Farah Goes Bang" round out the women-centric comedy offerings of the month.
Here are all the women-centric films opening in the month of April. All descriptions are from press materials unless otherwise noted.
April 1
Woman in Gold
"Woman in Gold" is the remarkable true story of one woman’s journey to reclaim her heritage and seek justice for what happened to her family. Sixty years after she fled Vienna during World War II, an elderly Jewish woman, Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), starts her journey to retrieve family possessions seized by the Nazis, among them Klimt’s famous painting "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I." Together with her inexperienced but plucky young lawyer Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), she embarks upon a major battle, which takes them all the way to the heart of the Austrian establishment and the U.S. Supreme Court, and forces her to confront difficult truths about the past along the way.
April 3
The Hand That Feeds (doc) - Co-Written and Co-Directed by Rachel Lears
At a popular bakery café, residents of New York’s Upper East Side get bagels and coffee served with a smile 24 hours a day. But behind the scenes, undocumented immigrant workers face sub-legal wages, dangerous machinery, and abusive managers who will fire them for calling in sick. Mild-mannered sandwich maker Mahoma López has never been interested in politics, but in January 2012 he convinces a small group of his co-workers to fight back.
Risking deportation and the loss of their livelihood, the workers team up with a diverse crew of innovative young organizers and take the unusual step of forming their own independent union, launching themselves on a journey that will test the limits of their resolve. In one roller-coaster year, they must overcome a shocking betrayal and a two-month lockout. Lawyers will battle in back rooms, Occupy Wall Street protesters will take over the restaurant, and a picket line will divide the neighborhood. If they can win a contract, it will set a historic precedent for low-wage workers across the country. But whatever happens, Mahoma and his coworkers will never be exploited again.
Effie Gray - Written by Emma Thompson
In her original screenplay “Effie Gray,” Emma Thompson takes a bold look at the real-life story of the Effie Gray-John Ruskin marriage, while courageously exposing what was truly hiding behind the veil of their public life. Set in a time when neither divorce nor gay marriage were an option, “Effie Gray” is the story of a young woman (Dakota Fanning) coming of age and finding her own voice in a world where women were expected to be seen but not heard. “Effie Gray” explores the roots of sexual intolerance, which continue to have a stronghold today, while shedding light on the marital politics of the Victorian era.
April 8
About Elly
As with director Asghar Farhadi's better-known films, “About Elly” concerns the affluent, well-educated, cultured, and only marginally religious members of Iran's upper-middle class. Elly (Taraneh Alidoosti), a pretty young woman invited as a possible romantic interest for one of the newly single men among this group, disappears suddenly without a trace. The festive atmosphere quickly turns frantic as friends accuse one another of responsibility. Plot-wise, Farhadi's drama has been compared to “L’Avventura”; but the film is less concerned with Elly's disappearance per se than with exploring the intricate mechanisms of deceit, brutality, and betrayal which come into play when ordinary circumstances take a tragic turn.
April 10
Clouds of Sils Maria
At the peak of her international career, Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche) is asked to perform in a revival of the play that made her famous twenty years ago. But back then, she played the role of Sigrid, an alluring young girl who disarms and eventually drives her boss Helena to suicide. Now she is being asked to step into the other role, that of the older Helena. She departs with her assistant (Kristen Stewart) to rehearse in Sils Maria; a remote region of the Alps. A young Hollywood starlet with a penchant for scandal (Chloë Grace Moretz) is to take on the role of Sigrid, and Maria finds herself on the other side of the mirror, face to face with an ambiguously charming woman who is, in essence, an unsettling reflection of herself.
The Sisterhood of Night - Directed by Caryn Waechter and Written by Marilyn Fu
Based on the short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser, "The Sisterhood of Night" is a story of friendship and loyalty set against the backdrop of a modern-day Salem witch trial. Shot on location in Kingston, NY, the film chronicles a group of girls who have slipped out of the world of social media into a mysterious world deep in the woods. The tale begins when Emily Parris (Kara Hayward) exposes a secret society of teenage girls. Accusing them of committing sexually deviant acts, Emily’s allegations throw their small American town into the national media spotlight. The mystery deepens when each of the accused takes a vow of silence. What follows is a chronicle of three girls’ unique and provocative alternative to the loneliness of adolescence, revealing the tragedy and humor of teenage years changed forever by the Internet age.
Farah Goes Bang - Directed by Meera Menon, Written by Laura Goode and Meera Menon
A road-trip comedy that centers on Farah (Nikohl Boosheri), a twenty-something woman who tries to lose her virginity while campaigning for John Kerry in 2004. Farah and her friends K.J. and Roopa follow the campaign trail to Ohio, seizing this charged moment in their lives and the life of their country.
April 17
Closer to the Moon
Set in 1959 Bucharest, “Closer to the Moon” opens as the crime is hatched and executed by old friends from the WWII Jewish Resistance, who seek to recapture the excitement of their glory days. Led by a chief police inspector (Mark Strong) and a political academic (Vera Farmiga), the quintet also includes a respected history professor (Christian McKay), a hotshot reporter (Joe Armstrong), and a space scientist (Tim Plester). Their postwar influence fading amid an ongoing Stalinist purge of Jews and intellectuals, the disillusioned gang retaliates by hijacking a van delivering cash to the Romanian National Bank, staging the robbery to make it look like a movie shoot. Caught and convicted in a kangaroo court, the culprits, with help from an eyewitness (Harry Lloyd) to the robbery, are forced to reenact their crime in a devious anti-Semitic propaganda film.
Felix & Meira
Winner of Best Canadian Feature at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, “Félix & Meira” is the story of an unconventional romance between two people living vastly different realities mere blocks away from one another. Each lost in their everyday lives, Meira (Hadas Yaron), a Hasidic Jewish wife and mother, and Félix (Martin Dubreuil), a Secular loner mourning the recent death of his estranged father, unexpectedly meet in a local bakery in Montreal's Mile End district. What starts as an innocent friendship becomes more serious as the two wayward strangers find comfort in one another. As Felix opens Meira's eyes to the world outside of her tight-knit Orthodox community, her desire for change becomes harder for her to ignore, ultimately forcing her to choose: remain in the life that she knows or give it all up to be with Félix.
Alex of Venice - Co-Written by Jessica Goldberg and Katie Nehra
In “Alex of Venice,” workaholic environmental attorney Alex Vedder (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is forced to reinvent herself after her husband (Chris Messina) suddenly leaves the family. Dealing with an aging father (Don Johnson) who still aspires to succeed as an actor, an eccentric sister (Katie Nehra), and an extremely shy son (Skylar Gaertner), Alex is bombarded with everything from the mundane to hilariously catastrophic events without a shoulder to lean on. Realizing she will thrive with or without her husband, Alex discovers her hidden vulnerability as well as her inner strength as she fights to keep her family intact in the midst of the most demanding and important case of her career.
Cas & Dylan - Written by Jessie Gabe
When 61-year-old self-proclaimed loner and terminally ill Dr. Cas Pepper (Richard Dreyfuss) reluctantly agrees to give 22-year-old social misfit Dyland Morgan (Tatiana Maslany) a very short lift home, the last thing he anticipates is that he will strike her angry boyfriend with his car, find himself on the lam, and ultimately drive across the country with an aspiring young writer determined to help him overcome his own bizarre case of suicide-note writer's block. But as fate would have it, that is exactly what happens. Suddenly Cas's solo one-way trip out West isn't so solo. With Dylan at his side, the two take off on an adventure that will open their eyes to some of life's lessons -- both big and small.
Antarctic Edge: 70° South (doc) - Directed by Dena Seidel
Dena Seidel’s documentary not only offers rare, beautifully shot footage of West Antarctic Pennisula's rapidly changing environment, studying the connections that reveal the concrete impact of climate change; it is also a one-of-a-kind collaboration between the Rutgers University Film Bureau and the Rutgers Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences and contains interviews and insights from some of the world’s leading ocean researchers. It is a fascinating look at their life’s work trying to understand how to maintain our planet.
The Road Within - Written and Directed by Gren Wells
Vincent (Robert Sheehan), a young man with Tourette's syndrome, faces drastic changes after his mother dies. Because his politician father is too ashamed of the disorder to have Vincent accompany him on the campaign, Vincent is shuttled off to an unconventional clinic. There he finds unexpected community with an obsessive-compulsive roommate and an anorexic young woman, and romance eventually -- and uneasily -- follows.
One of Variety's "10 Directors to Watch," screenwriter Gren Wells makes her directorial debut with this ambitious yet light-hearted coming-of-age tale about the potent medicine we all carry within ourselves. The film is packed with a talented ensemble, from emerging talents Zoë Kravitz, Dev Patel, and Sheehan to beloved veterans Kyra Sedgwick and Robert Patrick.
April 23
Sweet Lorraine
The double life of a Methodist minister's wife (played by Tatum O'Neal) catches up to her, as her husband campaigns for mayor in a small New Jersey town.
April 24
Just Before I Go - Directed by Courtney Cox
Ted Morgan (Seann William Scott) has been treading water for most of his life. After his wife leaves him, Ted realizes he has nothing left to live for. Summoning the courage for one last act, Ted decides to go home and face the people he feels are responsible for creating the shell of a person he has become. But life is tricky. The more determined Ted is to confront his demons, to get closure, and to withdraw from his family, the more Ted is yanked into the chaos of their lives. So, when Ted Morgan decides to kill himself, he finds a reason to live.
The Age of Adaline
After miraculously remaining 29-years-old for almost eight decades, Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) has lived a solitary existence, never allowing herself to get close to anyone who might reveal her secret. But a chance encounter with charismatic philanthropist Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) reignites her passion for life and romance. When a weekend with his parents (Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker) threatens to uncover the truth, Adaline makes a decision that will change her life forever.
Adult Beginners - Co-Written by Liz Flahive (Simultaneously releasing to VOD)
A young, hipster entrepreneur (Nick Kroll) crashes and burns on the eve of his company’s big launch. With his entire life in disarray, he leaves Manhattan to move in with his estranged pregnant sister (Rose Byrne), brother-in-law (Bobby Cannavale), and three-year-old nephew in the suburbs – only to become their manny. Faced with real responsibility, he may finally have to grow up – but not without some bad behavior first.
Eden - Directed and Co-Written by Mia Hansen-løve
The film follows the life of a French DJ who's credited with inventing "French house" or the "French touch," a type of French electronic music that became popular in the 1990s. Greta Gerwig costars. (IMDb)
24 Days - Co-Written by Emilie Frèche
January 20, 2006: After dinner with his family, Ilan Halimi (Syrus Shahidi) gets a call from a beautiful girl who had approached him at work and makes plans to meet her for coffee. Ilan didn't suspect a thing. He was 23 and had his whole life ahead of him. The next time Ilan's family heard from him was through a cryptic online message from kidnappers demanding a ransom in exchange for their son's life. (IMDb)
Helicopter Mom - Directed by Salomé Breziner
An overbearing mom (Nia Vardalos) decides that college would be more affordable if her son were to win an Lgbt scholarship, so she outs him to his entire high school. However, he might not be gay. (Rotten Tomatoes)
April 29
Iris (doc) (Opening in New York City)
"Iris" pairs legendary 87-year-old documentarian Albert Maysles with Iris Apfel, the quick-witted, flamboyantly dressed 93-year-old style maven who has had an outsized presence on the New York fashion scene for decades. More than a fashion film, the documentary is a story about creativity and how, even in Iris' dotage, a soaring free spirit continues to inspire. "Iris" portrays a singular woman whose enthusiasm for fashion, art, and people are life's sustenance and reminds us that dressing, and indeed life, is nothing but an experiment. Despite the abundance of glamour in her current life, she continues to embrace the values and work ethic established during a middle-class Queens upbringing during the Great Depression.
April 30
Marie’s Story
At the turn of the 19th century, a humble artisan and his wife have a daughter, Marie (Ariana Rivoire), who is born deaf and blind and unable to communicate with the world around her. Desperate to find a connection to their daughter and avoid sending her to an asylum, the Heurtins send fourteen-year-old Marie to the Larnay Institute in central France, where an order of Catholic nuns manage a school for deaf girls. There, the idealistic Sister Marguerite (Isabelle Carré) sees in Marie a unique potential, and despite her Mother Superior's (Brigitte Catillon) skepticism, vows to bring the wild young thing out of the darkness into which she was born. Based on true events, “Marie's Story” recounts the courageous journey of a young nun and the lives she would change forever, confronting failures and discouragement with joyous faith and love. (Film Movement)...
The month starts off with "Woman in Gold," starring Helen Mirren as a Jewish woman on a journey to recover her family's heirlooms, which was stolen by the Nazis. It's based on a true story, and Mirren roots the film with her powerful presence. "Closer to the Moon" is another WWII-era drama set for an April release, this one based on the crime capers of a group of Jewish resistance fighters a few years after the end of the war. "Marie's Story" is another period piece, centering around the efforts of a 19th-century nun to help a girl born blind and deaf.
There are a few more women-focused dramas being released in April, including the much-buzzed "Clouds of Sils Maria," which garnered Kristen Stewart the prestigious Cesar Award for supporting actress. Stewart has made waves for being the first American actress to win the French award, and the film looks to capitalize on that with its American release. “Félix & Meira" is another award-winner coming out this month. The Best Canadian Feature from the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival aims to make its mark with the story of an unconventional and radical love affair, one that reaches across racial and religious lines. "About Elly" also confronts cultural biases with its depiction of Iran's upper middle class.
"Effie Gray" tackles the sexual politics of the Victorian era, and with a screenplay from Emma Thompson, it's sure to be intriguing as well as quick-witted. Speaking of intriguing, "The Age of Adaline" follows a woman who mysteriously stopped aging eight decades ago. Blake Lively centers the film as Adaline, struggling with love and trust and all the other things that might follow when one lives seemingly forever.
Courteney Cox makes her big-screen directorial debut (the actress has previously directed episodes of "Cougar Town," which she stars in) with "Just Before I Go," and screenwiter Gren Wells makes hers as well with "The Road Within." Director Mia Hansen-løve ("Goodbye First Love") directs Greta Gerwig in "Eden," a look at the rise of French electronic music in the 90s.
The month will also see the release of a few very different documentaries. "The Hand That Feeds" focuses on undocumented immigrants struggling to form an independent union, while "Iris" follows 93-year-old Iris Apfel, a flamboyant New York City fashion icon. "Antarctic Edge: 70° South" is focused on the changing climate of the Antarctic's Peninsula and was made with the collaboration of Rutgers University students and scientists.
We'll also see comedic projects featuring Mary Elizabeth Winstead ("Alex of Venice") and Rose Byrne ("Adult Beginners"). Nia Vardalos returns to the screen with a role in "Helicopter Mom," which promises an outrageous performance from the "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" star. "Sweet Lorraine" and "Farah Goes Bang" round out the women-centric comedy offerings of the month.
Here are all the women-centric films opening in the month of April. All descriptions are from press materials unless otherwise noted.
April 1
Woman in Gold
"Woman in Gold" is the remarkable true story of one woman’s journey to reclaim her heritage and seek justice for what happened to her family. Sixty years after she fled Vienna during World War II, an elderly Jewish woman, Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), starts her journey to retrieve family possessions seized by the Nazis, among them Klimt’s famous painting "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I." Together with her inexperienced but plucky young lawyer Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), she embarks upon a major battle, which takes them all the way to the heart of the Austrian establishment and the U.S. Supreme Court, and forces her to confront difficult truths about the past along the way.
April 3
The Hand That Feeds (doc) - Co-Written and Co-Directed by Rachel Lears
At a popular bakery café, residents of New York’s Upper East Side get bagels and coffee served with a smile 24 hours a day. But behind the scenes, undocumented immigrant workers face sub-legal wages, dangerous machinery, and abusive managers who will fire them for calling in sick. Mild-mannered sandwich maker Mahoma López has never been interested in politics, but in January 2012 he convinces a small group of his co-workers to fight back.
Risking deportation and the loss of their livelihood, the workers team up with a diverse crew of innovative young organizers and take the unusual step of forming their own independent union, launching themselves on a journey that will test the limits of their resolve. In one roller-coaster year, they must overcome a shocking betrayal and a two-month lockout. Lawyers will battle in back rooms, Occupy Wall Street protesters will take over the restaurant, and a picket line will divide the neighborhood. If they can win a contract, it will set a historic precedent for low-wage workers across the country. But whatever happens, Mahoma and his coworkers will never be exploited again.
Effie Gray - Written by Emma Thompson
In her original screenplay “Effie Gray,” Emma Thompson takes a bold look at the real-life story of the Effie Gray-John Ruskin marriage, while courageously exposing what was truly hiding behind the veil of their public life. Set in a time when neither divorce nor gay marriage were an option, “Effie Gray” is the story of a young woman (Dakota Fanning) coming of age and finding her own voice in a world where women were expected to be seen but not heard. “Effie Gray” explores the roots of sexual intolerance, which continue to have a stronghold today, while shedding light on the marital politics of the Victorian era.
April 8
About Elly
As with director Asghar Farhadi's better-known films, “About Elly” concerns the affluent, well-educated, cultured, and only marginally religious members of Iran's upper-middle class. Elly (Taraneh Alidoosti), a pretty young woman invited as a possible romantic interest for one of the newly single men among this group, disappears suddenly without a trace. The festive atmosphere quickly turns frantic as friends accuse one another of responsibility. Plot-wise, Farhadi's drama has been compared to “L’Avventura”; but the film is less concerned with Elly's disappearance per se than with exploring the intricate mechanisms of deceit, brutality, and betrayal which come into play when ordinary circumstances take a tragic turn.
April 10
Clouds of Sils Maria
At the peak of her international career, Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche) is asked to perform in a revival of the play that made her famous twenty years ago. But back then, she played the role of Sigrid, an alluring young girl who disarms and eventually drives her boss Helena to suicide. Now she is being asked to step into the other role, that of the older Helena. She departs with her assistant (Kristen Stewart) to rehearse in Sils Maria; a remote region of the Alps. A young Hollywood starlet with a penchant for scandal (Chloë Grace Moretz) is to take on the role of Sigrid, and Maria finds herself on the other side of the mirror, face to face with an ambiguously charming woman who is, in essence, an unsettling reflection of herself.
The Sisterhood of Night - Directed by Caryn Waechter and Written by Marilyn Fu
Based on the short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser, "The Sisterhood of Night" is a story of friendship and loyalty set against the backdrop of a modern-day Salem witch trial. Shot on location in Kingston, NY, the film chronicles a group of girls who have slipped out of the world of social media into a mysterious world deep in the woods. The tale begins when Emily Parris (Kara Hayward) exposes a secret society of teenage girls. Accusing them of committing sexually deviant acts, Emily’s allegations throw their small American town into the national media spotlight. The mystery deepens when each of the accused takes a vow of silence. What follows is a chronicle of three girls’ unique and provocative alternative to the loneliness of adolescence, revealing the tragedy and humor of teenage years changed forever by the Internet age.
Farah Goes Bang - Directed by Meera Menon, Written by Laura Goode and Meera Menon
A road-trip comedy that centers on Farah (Nikohl Boosheri), a twenty-something woman who tries to lose her virginity while campaigning for John Kerry in 2004. Farah and her friends K.J. and Roopa follow the campaign trail to Ohio, seizing this charged moment in their lives and the life of their country.
April 17
Closer to the Moon
Set in 1959 Bucharest, “Closer to the Moon” opens as the crime is hatched and executed by old friends from the WWII Jewish Resistance, who seek to recapture the excitement of their glory days. Led by a chief police inspector (Mark Strong) and a political academic (Vera Farmiga), the quintet also includes a respected history professor (Christian McKay), a hotshot reporter (Joe Armstrong), and a space scientist (Tim Plester). Their postwar influence fading amid an ongoing Stalinist purge of Jews and intellectuals, the disillusioned gang retaliates by hijacking a van delivering cash to the Romanian National Bank, staging the robbery to make it look like a movie shoot. Caught and convicted in a kangaroo court, the culprits, with help from an eyewitness (Harry Lloyd) to the robbery, are forced to reenact their crime in a devious anti-Semitic propaganda film.
Felix & Meira
Winner of Best Canadian Feature at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, “Félix & Meira” is the story of an unconventional romance between two people living vastly different realities mere blocks away from one another. Each lost in their everyday lives, Meira (Hadas Yaron), a Hasidic Jewish wife and mother, and Félix (Martin Dubreuil), a Secular loner mourning the recent death of his estranged father, unexpectedly meet in a local bakery in Montreal's Mile End district. What starts as an innocent friendship becomes more serious as the two wayward strangers find comfort in one another. As Felix opens Meira's eyes to the world outside of her tight-knit Orthodox community, her desire for change becomes harder for her to ignore, ultimately forcing her to choose: remain in the life that she knows or give it all up to be with Félix.
Alex of Venice - Co-Written by Jessica Goldberg and Katie Nehra
In “Alex of Venice,” workaholic environmental attorney Alex Vedder (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is forced to reinvent herself after her husband (Chris Messina) suddenly leaves the family. Dealing with an aging father (Don Johnson) who still aspires to succeed as an actor, an eccentric sister (Katie Nehra), and an extremely shy son (Skylar Gaertner), Alex is bombarded with everything from the mundane to hilariously catastrophic events without a shoulder to lean on. Realizing she will thrive with or without her husband, Alex discovers her hidden vulnerability as well as her inner strength as she fights to keep her family intact in the midst of the most demanding and important case of her career.
Cas & Dylan - Written by Jessie Gabe
When 61-year-old self-proclaimed loner and terminally ill Dr. Cas Pepper (Richard Dreyfuss) reluctantly agrees to give 22-year-old social misfit Dyland Morgan (Tatiana Maslany) a very short lift home, the last thing he anticipates is that he will strike her angry boyfriend with his car, find himself on the lam, and ultimately drive across the country with an aspiring young writer determined to help him overcome his own bizarre case of suicide-note writer's block. But as fate would have it, that is exactly what happens. Suddenly Cas's solo one-way trip out West isn't so solo. With Dylan at his side, the two take off on an adventure that will open their eyes to some of life's lessons -- both big and small.
Antarctic Edge: 70° South (doc) - Directed by Dena Seidel
Dena Seidel’s documentary not only offers rare, beautifully shot footage of West Antarctic Pennisula's rapidly changing environment, studying the connections that reveal the concrete impact of climate change; it is also a one-of-a-kind collaboration between the Rutgers University Film Bureau and the Rutgers Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences and contains interviews and insights from some of the world’s leading ocean researchers. It is a fascinating look at their life’s work trying to understand how to maintain our planet.
The Road Within - Written and Directed by Gren Wells
Vincent (Robert Sheehan), a young man with Tourette's syndrome, faces drastic changes after his mother dies. Because his politician father is too ashamed of the disorder to have Vincent accompany him on the campaign, Vincent is shuttled off to an unconventional clinic. There he finds unexpected community with an obsessive-compulsive roommate and an anorexic young woman, and romance eventually -- and uneasily -- follows.
One of Variety's "10 Directors to Watch," screenwriter Gren Wells makes her directorial debut with this ambitious yet light-hearted coming-of-age tale about the potent medicine we all carry within ourselves. The film is packed with a talented ensemble, from emerging talents Zoë Kravitz, Dev Patel, and Sheehan to beloved veterans Kyra Sedgwick and Robert Patrick.
April 23
Sweet Lorraine
The double life of a Methodist minister's wife (played by Tatum O'Neal) catches up to her, as her husband campaigns for mayor in a small New Jersey town.
April 24
Just Before I Go - Directed by Courtney Cox
Ted Morgan (Seann William Scott) has been treading water for most of his life. After his wife leaves him, Ted realizes he has nothing left to live for. Summoning the courage for one last act, Ted decides to go home and face the people he feels are responsible for creating the shell of a person he has become. But life is tricky. The more determined Ted is to confront his demons, to get closure, and to withdraw from his family, the more Ted is yanked into the chaos of their lives. So, when Ted Morgan decides to kill himself, he finds a reason to live.
The Age of Adaline
After miraculously remaining 29-years-old for almost eight decades, Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) has lived a solitary existence, never allowing herself to get close to anyone who might reveal her secret. But a chance encounter with charismatic philanthropist Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) reignites her passion for life and romance. When a weekend with his parents (Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker) threatens to uncover the truth, Adaline makes a decision that will change her life forever.
Adult Beginners - Co-Written by Liz Flahive (Simultaneously releasing to VOD)
A young, hipster entrepreneur (Nick Kroll) crashes and burns on the eve of his company’s big launch. With his entire life in disarray, he leaves Manhattan to move in with his estranged pregnant sister (Rose Byrne), brother-in-law (Bobby Cannavale), and three-year-old nephew in the suburbs – only to become their manny. Faced with real responsibility, he may finally have to grow up – but not without some bad behavior first.
Eden - Directed and Co-Written by Mia Hansen-løve
The film follows the life of a French DJ who's credited with inventing "French house" or the "French touch," a type of French electronic music that became popular in the 1990s. Greta Gerwig costars. (IMDb)
24 Days - Co-Written by Emilie Frèche
January 20, 2006: After dinner with his family, Ilan Halimi (Syrus Shahidi) gets a call from a beautiful girl who had approached him at work and makes plans to meet her for coffee. Ilan didn't suspect a thing. He was 23 and had his whole life ahead of him. The next time Ilan's family heard from him was through a cryptic online message from kidnappers demanding a ransom in exchange for their son's life. (IMDb)
Helicopter Mom - Directed by Salomé Breziner
An overbearing mom (Nia Vardalos) decides that college would be more affordable if her son were to win an Lgbt scholarship, so she outs him to his entire high school. However, he might not be gay. (Rotten Tomatoes)
April 29
Iris (doc) (Opening in New York City)
"Iris" pairs legendary 87-year-old documentarian Albert Maysles with Iris Apfel, the quick-witted, flamboyantly dressed 93-year-old style maven who has had an outsized presence on the New York fashion scene for decades. More than a fashion film, the documentary is a story about creativity and how, even in Iris' dotage, a soaring free spirit continues to inspire. "Iris" portrays a singular woman whose enthusiasm for fashion, art, and people are life's sustenance and reminds us that dressing, and indeed life, is nothing but an experiment. Despite the abundance of glamour in her current life, she continues to embrace the values and work ethic established during a middle-class Queens upbringing during the Great Depression.
April 30
Marie’s Story
At the turn of the 19th century, a humble artisan and his wife have a daughter, Marie (Ariana Rivoire), who is born deaf and blind and unable to communicate with the world around her. Desperate to find a connection to their daughter and avoid sending her to an asylum, the Heurtins send fourteen-year-old Marie to the Larnay Institute in central France, where an order of Catholic nuns manage a school for deaf girls. There, the idealistic Sister Marguerite (Isabelle Carré) sees in Marie a unique potential, and despite her Mother Superior's (Brigitte Catillon) skepticism, vows to bring the wild young thing out of the darkness into which she was born. Based on true events, “Marie's Story” recounts the courageous journey of a young nun and the lives she would change forever, confronting failures and discouragement with joyous faith and love. (Film Movement)...
- 4/1/2015
- by Tory Kamen and Becca Rose
- Sydney's Buzz
Anchor Bay Entertainment Australia MD Marilyn Greig has bought the home entertainment distributor from its Us parent Starz.
Greig, who has been MD since 2010, will continue to distribute the Anchor Bay Entertainment library including Starz series Black Sails, Spartacus and The White Queen.
.I.m positive about the business,. Greig tells If. .There is a lot of life left in the physical market and digital is growing..
The Australian company will change its name and Greig said there may be a staff restructure.
The upcoming line-up includes a bunch of titles Greig had acquired such as Bus 657 (Robert De Niro, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista),. The Loft (Karl Urban, James Marsden, Rachael Taylor), The Runner (Nicolas Cage), Jackie & Ryan (Katherine Heigl, Ben Barnes ) and The Road Within (Dev Patel, Robert Sheehan, Zoe Kravitz). The company will also continue to handle CSI and Doc Martin.
Greig said she expects to...
Greig, who has been MD since 2010, will continue to distribute the Anchor Bay Entertainment library including Starz series Black Sails, Spartacus and The White Queen.
.I.m positive about the business,. Greig tells If. .There is a lot of life left in the physical market and digital is growing..
The Australian company will change its name and Greig said there may be a staff restructure.
The upcoming line-up includes a bunch of titles Greig had acquired such as Bus 657 (Robert De Niro, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista),. The Loft (Karl Urban, James Marsden, Rachael Taylor), The Runner (Nicolas Cage), Jackie & Ryan (Katherine Heigl, Ben Barnes ) and The Road Within (Dev Patel, Robert Sheehan, Zoe Kravitz). The company will also continue to handle CSI and Doc Martin.
Greig said she expects to...
- 3/12/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
"What if we die?" "Well what if we live?!" There's only one way to find out! What a charmer. WellGo USA has released a trailer for Gren Wells' indie comedy The Road Within, about three friends who escape from a psych center and go on a three-day journey out into the wilderness. Robert Sheehan stars as Vincent, who has Tourette's, and he is joined by Zoë Kravitz and Dev Patel in the cast. The adults are played by Kyra Sedgwick and Robert Patrick, an odd duo that will probably end up together by the end. I haven't heard much about this, but it looks better than expected and I wouldn't mind checking it out. Give it a look. Here's the first official trailer for Gren Wells' The Road Within, embedded from Complex: After the passing of his mother, Vincent (Robert Sheehan), a young man with Tourette's, finds himself...
- 3/2/2015
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman have signed on for Lion.
The pair will star in Garth Davis's drama, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Patel will take on the role of a street kid from Kolkata who is adopted and brought to live in Australia.
Hugh Jackman was rumoured for the project, but his agent has denied any involvement.
Patel will be seen in the upcoming Child 44, The Road Within, Vincent Wants to Sea and The Man Who Knew Infinity.
Kidman can currently be seen in Before I Go to Sleep.
Lion is based on the memoir A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley.
The pair will star in Garth Davis's drama, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Patel will take on the role of a street kid from Kolkata who is adopted and brought to live in Australia.
Hugh Jackman was rumoured for the project, but his agent has denied any involvement.
Patel will be seen in the upcoming Child 44, The Road Within, Vincent Wants to Sea and The Man Who Knew Infinity.
Kidman can currently be seen in Before I Go to Sleep.
Lion is based on the memoir A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley.
- 10/31/2014
- Digital Spy
Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman will star in Lion, a drama based on the true story of Saroo Brierley, an Indian-born Australian who found his birth mother 25 years after they were separated. Patel will play the lead with Kidman as his adopted mother in the film to be directed by Garth Davis, who co-directed Top Of the Lake with Jane Campion. The Hollywood Reporter broke the casting news. Negotiations are underway with an Australian actor to play Brierley.s adopted father. Another key role is Saroo's Aussie girlfriend. Luke Davies, the screenwriter on Anton Corbijn's upcoming Life produced by See-Saw Films, has adapted Brierley.s memoir A Long Way Home. The producers are See-Saw Films. Emile Sherman and Iain Canning and Aquarius Films. Angie Fielder. The executive producers are Sunstar Entertainment's Andrew Fraser and Shahen Mekertichian. Shooting starts in India in January. The Weinstein Co. paid $US12 million for worldwide rights excluding Australasia,...
- 10/30/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Coming-of-age drama The Road Within has sold to Well Go USA, which has acquired U.S. rights and is plotting a day-and-date release in theaters and on VOD. Gren Wells scripted and makes her directing debut with the story of three teenage residents at a behavioral clinic — a Tourette’s patient, a rebellious anorexic, and an Ocd patient — and the unexpected but life-changing road trip that takes them all by surprise. Zoe Kravitz (X-Men: First Class), Robert Sheehan (The Mortal Instruments), Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire), Robert Patrick (True Blood), and Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) star. Pic debuted this summer at the La Film Festival and is produced by Bradley Gallo, Michael A. Helfant, Robert L. Stein, Brent Emery and Guy J. Louthan. Executive producers are William Gallo and Viola Jager and co-executive producers are Philip M. Cohen, Raphael Kryszek Carlos Alberto de Oliveira Junior, Alberto Raposo de Oliveira and Allen Church.
- 9/4/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
Well Go USA has acquired U.S. rights to Gren Wells’ debut film “The Road Within,” which stars Robert Sheehan, Dev Patel, Zoe Kravitz, Robert Patrick and Kyra Sedgwick, TheWrap has learned. The movie had its world premiere earlier this year at the Los Angeles Film Festival, and Well Go USA is planning a day-and-date theatrical/VOD release. “The Road Within” is a lighthearted coming-of-age story about three teenage residents at a behavioral clinic and the unexpected but life-changing road trip that takes them all by surprise. Also read: Well Go USA Acquires ‘Kid Cannabis'; Drug Drama Expected to...
- 9/4/2014
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
The 4th annual Napa Valley Film Festival (Nvff), scheduled for November 12-16, 2014, announced its Narrative and Documentary feature film competition lineups as well as Jury members. The 2014 Festival will screen 22 feature films in competition. The full film program line-up, including out-of-competition special presentations, sneak previews of awards season contenders, and narrative, documentary and animated shorts, will be announced in September.
“Our thoughts are with everyone in the Napa Valley who have suffered losses from the recent earthquake,” said Co-Founder/Artistic Director Marc Lhormer. “We are proud to be part of a community that rallies in support of each other in such a generous and big hearted way. As they say in the business, the show must go on.”
“This is an exceptionally strong year for both the Narrative and Documentary competition programs,” said Program Director Herb Stratford. “These filmmakers have created new works that provoke, inspire, educate and entertain. They are the heart of our program each year, which includes more than 100 new independent films and advance studio screenings, and we are excited to announce their participation in the festival.”
Directors of the Narrative and Documentary films in competition participate in Nvff’s unique Artists-in-Residence Program presented in partnership with the incomparable Meadowood Napa Valley. Directors stay at the luxury resort for six nights during the festival and are treated to special events and workshops with their competition group and industry mentors. Serving as faculty for a set of Master Classes at Nvff 2014 are producer Ted Hope ( Adventureland, 21 Grams); writer/director Joshua Michael Stern (Jobs, Swing Vote) writer/director Joe Carnahan (The Blacklist; The Grey, Smokin’ Aces); producer Pam Koffler (Killer Films); and producer J. Todd Harris ( The Kids are All Right; Bottle Shock); Ryan Harrington (Tribeca Film Institute); producer Jason Berman (Struck by Lightning, Luv); producer Anne Carey (Archer Gray Productions); executives Tom Quinn (RADiUS) and David Glasser (The Weinstein Company). Meadowood Napa Valley will also award $10,000 to the winning filmmakers in both the Narrative and Documentary competition categories at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on Sunday, November 16.
Narrative Competition Section
Films in the Narrative competition section feature actors Anne Hathaway, Billie Joe Armstrong, Elizabeth Banks, Tate Donovan, Rachael Harris, Zoe Kravitz, Stephen Lang, Leighton Meester, Debra Messing, Dev Patel, Kyra Sedgwick, Chloe Sevigny and Paul Wesley, among others. The 12 films selected include:
"Thank You A Lot"- Music agent and manager Jack Hand has a bad reputation and an even worse track record. He has only two clients left: an indie band on the verge of a breakup and a part-time hip-hop artist. Jack’s future hinges on signing the one person he is barely on speaking terms with — his estranged father, a respected and reclusive country singer/songwriter. "East Side Sushi"- Juana‘s work – preparing fruit for the family’s sidewalk cart – is steady, but hardly her life’s calling. Despite the objections and concerns of her family, Juana decides to pursue her dream of becoming an expert sushi chef, to go where her heart tells her, not where she is expected to be. "Fall To Rise" - Principal dancer Lauren Drake is beautiful, talented and famous. When Lauren is released from her company after being sidelined by an injury, she quickly becomes frustrated with her new domestic lifestyle. At a performance by another dance company, she meets and teams up with Des, a former dancer who is also eager to have a second chance in the dance world. "Little Accidents" (Isa: William Morris Endeavor Entertainment) - In a small West Virginia town reeling from a recent tragic accident in the local mine, a fresh unfortunate incident in the woods leaves a young boy dead. Meanwhile Owen, an injured miner struggling to adjust to his new life aboveground, joins the search for the first boy who is presumed lost in the woods. "Like Sunday, Like Rain" - Reggie Kipper is a sweet, awkward cello prodigy, a composer and overall genius. He’s about to graduate from high school and enroll at MIT — and he’s is only twelve years old. Eleanor Fallon is a 23-year old struggling musician who meets Reggie when she is hired to be his au pair, and the unlikely duo embarks on a summer adventure that neither of them ever expected. "Sun Belt Express"- Allen King, a man living on the Arizona/Mexico border, finds out what his breaking point is when his ex-wife demands money, and his job teaching at a college south of the border evaporates. Allen then finds a unique way to supplant his income by transporting illegal aliens in the trunk of his car. "Sam & Amira" (Isa: Preferred Entertainment) - Sam is an army veteran struggling to assimilate into normal life stateside. He works a variety of odd jobs, tries his hand at stand-up comedy, and is recruited by his cousin into some shady investment dealings. Sam’s already complicated life is made more so by Amira, an Iraqi woman dealing with her own issues who is the daughter of an old army colleague. "Song One" (Isa: Lotus Entertainment) - Estranged from her family, Franny returns home when an accident leaves her brother comatose. Retracing his life as an aspiring singer-songwriter, she tracks down his favorite musician, James Forester. Against the backdrop of Brooklyn’s music scene, Franny and James develop an unexpected relationship and face the realities of their lives. "The Road Within" (Isa: Panorama Media) - Vincent has Tourette Syndrome. When his mother dies, he becomes obsessed with scattering her ashes by the ocean. Too much for his father to handle, Vincent is sent to a residential treatment center in Nevada where he befriends two other “inmates” struggling with their own personal issues. "Kinderwald" - Pennsylvania wilderness, 1885. John Linden, a hard-working German immigrant, is making a go of homesteading with his brother’s widow and her two young sons. John’s visually and spiritually idyllic world is thrown into utter chaos when the two boys go missing while off playing in the woods. "Wildlike" (Isa: Panorama Media) - Mackenzie is a fourteen-year-old girl whose father died last year. When her struggling mother checks herself into a recovery center, Mackenzie is sent from their Seattle home to live with her uncle in Alaska. At first he seems a supportive caretaker, but when his infatuation crosses a sexual line, Mackenzie runs away. With no one else to turn to, she shadows a solitary backpacker, Bartlett, a widowed man with scars of his own, into the beauty and danger of America’s last frontier.
Documentary Competition Section
"American Native" - For years, the legend of the Jackson Whites tribe has been told, passed down from generation to generation of New Jersey suburbanites. While the garish stories and tall tales have never been hard to find, the truth behind them has. Accessing the community is not easy; few outsiders have been able to penetrate the insular walls formed from centuries of discrimination. "Botso" - Dr. Botso Korisheli, 91 and still teaching music along with his unique philosophy, has a fascinating and unforgettable life story. Born in the former Soviet State of Georgia, Botso witnessed his father imprisoned under orders from Josef Stalin while his home was taken over by the Kgb. Forced to dig ditches for the Soviet army, Botso was then captured by the Germans. "Flying The Feathered Edge" - Robert A. “Bob” Hoover, age 92, is considered by many to be our greatest living aviator. Nicknamed “The Pilot’s Pilot” by his peers, Bob is largely unknown outside aviation circles despite his staggering array of accomplishments. Following a storied career during WWII as a fighter pilot, Bob continued to serve for years as one of our best test pilots. Mr. Hoover will be in attendance for screenings and Q&As. "Happy Valley" (Isa: Submarine Entertainment) - Few sports dynasties in the modern era have had a larger and longer-lasting profile than college football’s Penn State and its legendary coach Joe Paterno. State College, Pennsylvania, is in the heart of an area known as Happy Valley, ground zero of a proud football tradition for decades. When the shocking sex abuse scandal of assistant coach Jerry Sandusky rocked that town and college in 2011, the impact was unprecedented. "Havana Curveball" - At age 13 and preparing for his Bar Mitzvah, Mica takes to heart his rabbi’s injunction to help “heal the world.” Mica imagines himself a hero for other kids, and hatches a grand plan to send baseballs, bats and gloves to Cuba. Mica knows only that Cubans are poor and love baseball, and that Cuba “saved” his grandpa’s life when he was escaping from Nazi Germany. "States of Grace" - Dr. Grace Dammann’s life was forever altered when a driver crashed head-on into her car on the Golden Gate Bridge. After a seven-week coma and numerous surgeries, Grace miraculously regained consciousness, with her cognitive abilities almost entirely intact, but her body left shattered and severely disabled. "Underwater Dreams" - The epic story of four teenage boys from the Arizona desert who dare to go up against college engineering students from MIT. Inspired by two energetic high school science teachers, the boys build a robot from hardware store parts and enter an underwater robotics competition sponsored by Nasa. "An Honest Liar" - For as long as there have been magicians and illusionists, there have been doubters and debunkers making sure that the general public doesn’t get taken for a ride. One of the greatest illusionists of his era was “The Amazing Randi,” who made the shift from magic and escape acts to exposing the frauds who prey on unsuspecting victims. "Compared to What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank" (Isa: Preferred Content) - Few members of the U.S. Congress have ever been as polarizing and revolutionary as Barney Frank has been over the past 40 years. Compared to What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank examines the career, passions and legacy of our first openly gay Congressman. This rare and intimate documentary is entertaining, enlightening and thought-provoking. "#chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes On A Dictator" (Isa: Preferred Content) - In #chicagoGirl, we meet freedom fighters in the streets of Homs and Damascus along with the stateside collection of exiles working to return Syria to a stable and human rights-respecting country. Will 21st century tools of change stand up to guns and violence and terror in the streets? Narrative Features Jury
Christine Vachon , (Producer, "Boys Don’t Cry," "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," "Far From Heaven")
Peter Baxter ( Co-founder/Director Slamdance Film Festival)
Dierk Sinderman (Hollywood Foreign Press Association)
Lisa Truitt ( Producer, James Cameron’s "Deepsea Challenge 3D,""Mysteries of Egypt")
Don Lewis (Producer; Editor Film Threat)
Documentary Features and Shorts Jury
Morgan Neville ("Twenty Feet From Stardom")
Tiffany Shlain ("The Tribe; Connected: An Autobiography About Love," "Death & Technology")
Freida Lee Mock ("Anita. G-Dog,""Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision," "Return with Honor")
Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine ("Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden,""Ballets Russes").
Narrative Shorts Jury
Joshua Michael Stern ("Jobs,""Swing Vote," "Neverwas")
Ralph Macchio (Actor, "The Karate Kid;" Director, "Across Grace Alley")
Neil Berkeley ("Beauty in Embarrassing;" Founder Brkl)
Animated Shorts
Bill Plympton (The King of Indie Animation)
Adam Glick (Amazon Web Services)
Ryan Tudhope (Atomic Fiction)
About The Napa Valley Film Festival
The Napa Valley Film Festival (Nvff) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Napa, California. The ultimate celebration of film, food and wine, Nvff lights up the picturesque towns of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga at the most colorful time of year. Nvff features over 100 new independent films and studio sneak previews screening in 12 beautiful venues throughout four walkable villages, as 300 visiting filmmakers interact with audiences at screenings and intimate events. Attendees enjoy film panels & culinary demonstrations, wine tasting pavilions, the spectacular Festival Gala, Celebrity Tributes, Awards Ceremony, and an array of parties, VIP receptions and winemaker dinners and more. For information or to buy passes, visit NapaValleyFilmFest.org...
“Our thoughts are with everyone in the Napa Valley who have suffered losses from the recent earthquake,” said Co-Founder/Artistic Director Marc Lhormer. “We are proud to be part of a community that rallies in support of each other in such a generous and big hearted way. As they say in the business, the show must go on.”
“This is an exceptionally strong year for both the Narrative and Documentary competition programs,” said Program Director Herb Stratford. “These filmmakers have created new works that provoke, inspire, educate and entertain. They are the heart of our program each year, which includes more than 100 new independent films and advance studio screenings, and we are excited to announce their participation in the festival.”
Directors of the Narrative and Documentary films in competition participate in Nvff’s unique Artists-in-Residence Program presented in partnership with the incomparable Meadowood Napa Valley. Directors stay at the luxury resort for six nights during the festival and are treated to special events and workshops with their competition group and industry mentors. Serving as faculty for a set of Master Classes at Nvff 2014 are producer Ted Hope ( Adventureland, 21 Grams); writer/director Joshua Michael Stern (Jobs, Swing Vote) writer/director Joe Carnahan (The Blacklist; The Grey, Smokin’ Aces); producer Pam Koffler (Killer Films); and producer J. Todd Harris ( The Kids are All Right; Bottle Shock); Ryan Harrington (Tribeca Film Institute); producer Jason Berman (Struck by Lightning, Luv); producer Anne Carey (Archer Gray Productions); executives Tom Quinn (RADiUS) and David Glasser (The Weinstein Company). Meadowood Napa Valley will also award $10,000 to the winning filmmakers in both the Narrative and Documentary competition categories at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on Sunday, November 16.
Narrative Competition Section
Films in the Narrative competition section feature actors Anne Hathaway, Billie Joe Armstrong, Elizabeth Banks, Tate Donovan, Rachael Harris, Zoe Kravitz, Stephen Lang, Leighton Meester, Debra Messing, Dev Patel, Kyra Sedgwick, Chloe Sevigny and Paul Wesley, among others. The 12 films selected include:
"Thank You A Lot"- Music agent and manager Jack Hand has a bad reputation and an even worse track record. He has only two clients left: an indie band on the verge of a breakup and a part-time hip-hop artist. Jack’s future hinges on signing the one person he is barely on speaking terms with — his estranged father, a respected and reclusive country singer/songwriter. "East Side Sushi"- Juana‘s work – preparing fruit for the family’s sidewalk cart – is steady, but hardly her life’s calling. Despite the objections and concerns of her family, Juana decides to pursue her dream of becoming an expert sushi chef, to go where her heart tells her, not where she is expected to be. "Fall To Rise" - Principal dancer Lauren Drake is beautiful, talented and famous. When Lauren is released from her company after being sidelined by an injury, she quickly becomes frustrated with her new domestic lifestyle. At a performance by another dance company, she meets and teams up with Des, a former dancer who is also eager to have a second chance in the dance world. "Little Accidents" (Isa: William Morris Endeavor Entertainment) - In a small West Virginia town reeling from a recent tragic accident in the local mine, a fresh unfortunate incident in the woods leaves a young boy dead. Meanwhile Owen, an injured miner struggling to adjust to his new life aboveground, joins the search for the first boy who is presumed lost in the woods. "Like Sunday, Like Rain" - Reggie Kipper is a sweet, awkward cello prodigy, a composer and overall genius. He’s about to graduate from high school and enroll at MIT — and he’s is only twelve years old. Eleanor Fallon is a 23-year old struggling musician who meets Reggie when she is hired to be his au pair, and the unlikely duo embarks on a summer adventure that neither of them ever expected. "Sun Belt Express"- Allen King, a man living on the Arizona/Mexico border, finds out what his breaking point is when his ex-wife demands money, and his job teaching at a college south of the border evaporates. Allen then finds a unique way to supplant his income by transporting illegal aliens in the trunk of his car. "Sam & Amira" (Isa: Preferred Entertainment) - Sam is an army veteran struggling to assimilate into normal life stateside. He works a variety of odd jobs, tries his hand at stand-up comedy, and is recruited by his cousin into some shady investment dealings. Sam’s already complicated life is made more so by Amira, an Iraqi woman dealing with her own issues who is the daughter of an old army colleague. "Song One" (Isa: Lotus Entertainment) - Estranged from her family, Franny returns home when an accident leaves her brother comatose. Retracing his life as an aspiring singer-songwriter, she tracks down his favorite musician, James Forester. Against the backdrop of Brooklyn’s music scene, Franny and James develop an unexpected relationship and face the realities of their lives. "The Road Within" (Isa: Panorama Media) - Vincent has Tourette Syndrome. When his mother dies, he becomes obsessed with scattering her ashes by the ocean. Too much for his father to handle, Vincent is sent to a residential treatment center in Nevada where he befriends two other “inmates” struggling with their own personal issues. "Kinderwald" - Pennsylvania wilderness, 1885. John Linden, a hard-working German immigrant, is making a go of homesteading with his brother’s widow and her two young sons. John’s visually and spiritually idyllic world is thrown into utter chaos when the two boys go missing while off playing in the woods. "Wildlike" (Isa: Panorama Media) - Mackenzie is a fourteen-year-old girl whose father died last year. When her struggling mother checks herself into a recovery center, Mackenzie is sent from their Seattle home to live with her uncle in Alaska. At first he seems a supportive caretaker, but when his infatuation crosses a sexual line, Mackenzie runs away. With no one else to turn to, she shadows a solitary backpacker, Bartlett, a widowed man with scars of his own, into the beauty and danger of America’s last frontier.
Documentary Competition Section
"American Native" - For years, the legend of the Jackson Whites tribe has been told, passed down from generation to generation of New Jersey suburbanites. While the garish stories and tall tales have never been hard to find, the truth behind them has. Accessing the community is not easy; few outsiders have been able to penetrate the insular walls formed from centuries of discrimination. "Botso" - Dr. Botso Korisheli, 91 and still teaching music along with his unique philosophy, has a fascinating and unforgettable life story. Born in the former Soviet State of Georgia, Botso witnessed his father imprisoned under orders from Josef Stalin while his home was taken over by the Kgb. Forced to dig ditches for the Soviet army, Botso was then captured by the Germans. "Flying The Feathered Edge" - Robert A. “Bob” Hoover, age 92, is considered by many to be our greatest living aviator. Nicknamed “The Pilot’s Pilot” by his peers, Bob is largely unknown outside aviation circles despite his staggering array of accomplishments. Following a storied career during WWII as a fighter pilot, Bob continued to serve for years as one of our best test pilots. Mr. Hoover will be in attendance for screenings and Q&As. "Happy Valley" (Isa: Submarine Entertainment) - Few sports dynasties in the modern era have had a larger and longer-lasting profile than college football’s Penn State and its legendary coach Joe Paterno. State College, Pennsylvania, is in the heart of an area known as Happy Valley, ground zero of a proud football tradition for decades. When the shocking sex abuse scandal of assistant coach Jerry Sandusky rocked that town and college in 2011, the impact was unprecedented. "Havana Curveball" - At age 13 and preparing for his Bar Mitzvah, Mica takes to heart his rabbi’s injunction to help “heal the world.” Mica imagines himself a hero for other kids, and hatches a grand plan to send baseballs, bats and gloves to Cuba. Mica knows only that Cubans are poor and love baseball, and that Cuba “saved” his grandpa’s life when he was escaping from Nazi Germany. "States of Grace" - Dr. Grace Dammann’s life was forever altered when a driver crashed head-on into her car on the Golden Gate Bridge. After a seven-week coma and numerous surgeries, Grace miraculously regained consciousness, with her cognitive abilities almost entirely intact, but her body left shattered and severely disabled. "Underwater Dreams" - The epic story of four teenage boys from the Arizona desert who dare to go up against college engineering students from MIT. Inspired by two energetic high school science teachers, the boys build a robot from hardware store parts and enter an underwater robotics competition sponsored by Nasa. "An Honest Liar" - For as long as there have been magicians and illusionists, there have been doubters and debunkers making sure that the general public doesn’t get taken for a ride. One of the greatest illusionists of his era was “The Amazing Randi,” who made the shift from magic and escape acts to exposing the frauds who prey on unsuspecting victims. "Compared to What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank" (Isa: Preferred Content) - Few members of the U.S. Congress have ever been as polarizing and revolutionary as Barney Frank has been over the past 40 years. Compared to What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank examines the career, passions and legacy of our first openly gay Congressman. This rare and intimate documentary is entertaining, enlightening and thought-provoking. "#chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes On A Dictator" (Isa: Preferred Content) - In #chicagoGirl, we meet freedom fighters in the streets of Homs and Damascus along with the stateside collection of exiles working to return Syria to a stable and human rights-respecting country. Will 21st century tools of change stand up to guns and violence and terror in the streets? Narrative Features Jury
Christine Vachon , (Producer, "Boys Don’t Cry," "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," "Far From Heaven")
Peter Baxter ( Co-founder/Director Slamdance Film Festival)
Dierk Sinderman (Hollywood Foreign Press Association)
Lisa Truitt ( Producer, James Cameron’s "Deepsea Challenge 3D,""Mysteries of Egypt")
Don Lewis (Producer; Editor Film Threat)
Documentary Features and Shorts Jury
Morgan Neville ("Twenty Feet From Stardom")
Tiffany Shlain ("The Tribe; Connected: An Autobiography About Love," "Death & Technology")
Freida Lee Mock ("Anita. G-Dog,""Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision," "Return with Honor")
Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine ("Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden,""Ballets Russes").
Narrative Shorts Jury
Joshua Michael Stern ("Jobs,""Swing Vote," "Neverwas")
Ralph Macchio (Actor, "The Karate Kid;" Director, "Across Grace Alley")
Neil Berkeley ("Beauty in Embarrassing;" Founder Brkl)
Animated Shorts
Bill Plympton (The King of Indie Animation)
Adam Glick (Amazon Web Services)
Ryan Tudhope (Atomic Fiction)
About The Napa Valley Film Festival
The Napa Valley Film Festival (Nvff) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Napa, California. The ultimate celebration of film, food and wine, Nvff lights up the picturesque towns of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga at the most colorful time of year. Nvff features over 100 new independent films and studio sneak previews screening in 12 beautiful venues throughout four walkable villages, as 300 visiting filmmakers interact with audiences at screenings and intimate events. Attendees enjoy film panels & culinary demonstrations, wine tasting pavilions, the spectacular Festival Gala, Celebrity Tributes, Awards Ceremony, and an array of parties, VIP receptions and winemaker dinners and more. For information or to buy passes, visit NapaValleyFilmFest.org...
- 8/28/2014
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
There's a difficulty involved in telling a story based at a hospital, rehabilitation center or any other kind of treatment facility because everyone is there for a specific reason. Regardless of ailment or condition, each patient has something specific pinning them to that location. The challenge is to avoid having that one defining characteristic become an all-encompassing force, drowning out any other compelling elements of that individual’s personality or history. "The Road Within," the directorial debut of "A Little Bit of Heaven" writer Gren Wells, shows that it's just as difficult to avoid that temptation once those characters are outside that area's borders. Taken from the 2010 German film "Vincent Wants to Sea," this particular adaptation is filtered through the eyes of Vincent Rhodes (Robert Sheehan), a young man struggling with Tourette Syndrome. Forced into a treatment center by his estranged father Robert (Robert Patrick) after the death of...
- 6/23/2014
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Zoe Kravitz ate what to lose 20 pounds?!
The already slim Zoe Kravitz dropped a shocking 20 pounds to play an anorexic and bulimic character in her new film The Road Within, and opened up to Us Weekly recently about how she was able to drop the considerable amount of weight off of her petite frame.
"I ended up drinking clay," she surprisingly revealed, "because it cleans out your body and fills you up. I was eating like a Mason jar of pureed vegetables a day and running."
Pics: Shocking Movie-Role Body Transformations
The 25-year-old X-Men: First Class actress also did a cleanse.
"I tried to do it the healthiest way as possible, even though it's not healthy to do," she admitted.
But Zoe of course, wouldn't recommend the extreme diet to anyone.
"I was a space cadet," she said of her mentality during the "awful" experience, also admitting that she's struggled with eating disorders in the past.
Though...
The already slim Zoe Kravitz dropped a shocking 20 pounds to play an anorexic and bulimic character in her new film The Road Within, and opened up to Us Weekly recently about how she was able to drop the considerable amount of weight off of her petite frame.
"I ended up drinking clay," she surprisingly revealed, "because it cleans out your body and fills you up. I was eating like a Mason jar of pureed vegetables a day and running."
Pics: Shocking Movie-Role Body Transformations
The 25-year-old X-Men: First Class actress also did a cleanse.
"I tried to do it the healthiest way as possible, even though it's not healthy to do," she admitted.
But Zoe of course, wouldn't recommend the extreme diet to anyone.
"I was a space cadet," she said of her mentality during the "awful" experience, also admitting that she's struggled with eating disorders in the past.
Though...
- 6/20/2014
- Entertainment Tonight
Talk about going all in for a role!Zoe Kravitz recently revealed that she ate clay in order to lose 20 pounds for her role as an anorexic and bulimic character in "The Road Within.""I did a cleanse," the actress told Us Weekly. "I tried to do it the healthiest way as possible, even though it's not healthy to do." "I ended up drinking clay," the "Divergent" star admitted, "because it cleans out your body and fills you up. I was eating like a Mason jar of pureed vegetables a day and running."The 25-year-old beauty said the dirt-eating process was "awful" and she would never recommend it to anyone. Zoe also revealed that she has struggled with eating disorders in the past. "I think all young women do. There are a bunch of images that are thrown in our faces all the time about what we're supposed to look like at 14, 15, 16. It's confusing.
- 6/20/2014
- by tooFab Staff
- TooFab
Zoe Kravitz has revealed that she ate clay in order to lose weight for her latest role.
The actress explained that she lost 20lb in order to play the role of Marie, who suffers from anorexia and bulimia, in the film The Road Within.
"I did a cleanse," she told Us Weekly. "I tried to do it the healthiest way as possible, even though it's not healthy to do.
"I ended up drinking clay, because it cleans out your body and fills you up. I was eating like a Mason jar of pureed vegetables a day and running."
However, she described the experience as "awful" and said she would "never encourage anyone" to do it.
Kravitz also opened up about dealing with weight problems in her youth, saying: "I've struggled with it myself in the past.
"I think all young women do. There are a bunch of images that are...
The actress explained that she lost 20lb in order to play the role of Marie, who suffers from anorexia and bulimia, in the film The Road Within.
"I did a cleanse," she told Us Weekly. "I tried to do it the healthiest way as possible, even though it's not healthy to do.
"I ended up drinking clay, because it cleans out your body and fills you up. I was eating like a Mason jar of pureed vegetables a day and running."
However, she described the experience as "awful" and said she would "never encourage anyone" to do it.
Kravitz also opened up about dealing with weight problems in her youth, saying: "I've struggled with it myself in the past.
"I think all young women do. There are a bunch of images that are...
- 6/20/2014
- Digital Spy
Clay-drinking Kravitz! Zoe Kravitz opened up to Us Weekly at The Road Within premiere in L.A., on Wednesday, June 18, about playing an anorexic and bulimic character in the film. "I've struggled with it myself in the past," Kravitz, 25, told Us of eating disorders. "I think all young women do. There are a bunch of images that are thrown in our faces all the time about what we're supposed to look like at 14, 15, 16. It's confusing. I think every woman can identify with that [...]...
- 6/20/2014
- Us Weekly
Vampire Academy and Beautiful Creatures' Zoey Deutch has joined Cover Girl.
Julie Plec of Vampire Diaries is producing the comedy.
Cover Girl follows Meg, a girl who finds herself outside of her comfort zone while attending Cambridge Business School.
Deutch's character will finance her studies in an unusual way.
Sue Kramer of Gray Matter's penned the script and is slated to direct.
Gren Wells (The Road Within) will serve as executive producer alongside Jill Footlick and Brent Emery.
Filming on Cover Girl is scheduled to begin next spring.
Julie Plec of Vampire Diaries is producing the comedy.
Cover Girl follows Meg, a girl who finds herself outside of her comfort zone while attending Cambridge Business School.
Deutch's character will finance her studies in an unusual way.
Sue Kramer of Gray Matter's penned the script and is slated to direct.
Gren Wells (The Road Within) will serve as executive producer alongside Jill Footlick and Brent Emery.
Filming on Cover Girl is scheduled to begin next spring.
- 5/16/2014
- Digital Spy
Respected actor Jeremy Irons is set to co-star in the Edward R. Pressman/ Prashita Chaudhary’s Cinemorphic Entertainment Company production of The Man Who Knew Infinity, the biographic film on the life of Srinivasa Ramanujan with Dev Patel starring as the revered Indian mathematician. Irons will play G.H. Hardy, the English mathematician who plucked Ramanujan from obscurity in Edwardian India and installed him in the hallowed halls of Cambridge University.
The film will be directed by Matthew Brown, who also wrote the screenplay based on the biography The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan by Robert Kanigel. Edward R. Pressman and Prashita Chaudhary of Cinemorphic are producers along with Jim Young under his Animus Films banner and Sofia Sondervan of Dutch Tilt Film.
Announcing the casting, Pressman said, “I am delighted to be working with Jeremy again. Our last collaboration on Reversal of Fortune earned an Oscar for Jeremy,...
The film will be directed by Matthew Brown, who also wrote the screenplay based on the biography The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan by Robert Kanigel. Edward R. Pressman and Prashita Chaudhary of Cinemorphic are producers along with Jim Young under his Animus Films banner and Sofia Sondervan of Dutch Tilt Film.
Announcing the casting, Pressman said, “I am delighted to be working with Jeremy again. Our last collaboration on Reversal of Fortune earned an Oscar for Jeremy,...
- 12/7/2013
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Jeremy Irons has joined the cast of the upcoming drama The Man Who Knew Infinity.
The British actor will star in the biopic of Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, to be played by Dev Patel.
Iron will portray English mathematician Gh Hardy, the man who discovered Ramanujan in Edwardian India and brought him to Cambridge University.
Matthew Brown will direct the project from his own screenplay, based on the biography The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan by Robert Kanigel.
Producer Edward R Pressman said: "I am delighted to be working with Jeremy again. Our last collaboration on Reversal of Fortune earned an Oscar for Jeremy, and I could not overstate his amazing talent.
"We are very fortunate to be able to add an actor of such stature to our production."
Dev Patel currently stars in HBO's The Newsroom, and recently completed filming Child 44 and The Road Within.
The British actor will star in the biopic of Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, to be played by Dev Patel.
Iron will portray English mathematician Gh Hardy, the man who discovered Ramanujan in Edwardian India and brought him to Cambridge University.
Matthew Brown will direct the project from his own screenplay, based on the biography The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan by Robert Kanigel.
Producer Edward R Pressman said: "I am delighted to be working with Jeremy again. Our last collaboration on Reversal of Fortune earned an Oscar for Jeremy, and I could not overstate his amazing talent.
"We are very fortunate to be able to add an actor of such stature to our production."
Dev Patel currently stars in HBO's The Newsroom, and recently completed filming Child 44 and The Road Within.
- 12/5/2013
- Digital Spy
Variety has chosen its 10 Directors to Watch for 2013 and believe it or not, five of the 11 directors on the list (one entry consists of a pair) are women. Could it be an encouraging sign that gender inequality in film may be on the decline? The Directors to Watch for 2013 are: Amma Asante ("Belle") Clio Barnard ("The Selfish Giant") Anthony Chen (Ilo Ilo") Paul Duane ("Very Extremely Dangerous" "Natan") Ben Falcone ("Tammy") Maya Forbes ("Infinitely Polar Bear") Aron Gaudet & Gita Pullapilly ("Beneath the Harvest Sky") Dome Karukoski ("Heart of a Lion") Justin Simien ("Dear White People") Gren Wells ("The Road Within") Read More: Gender Inequality in Film in Infographic Form Variety will honor the "Directors to Watch" and recognize John Lee Hancock ("Saving Mr. Banks") with the Creative Impact in Directing award and actor Jonah Hill ("The Wolf of Wall Street") with the Creative Impact in Acting Award at a brunch on Jan.
- 12/2/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Robert Patrick, Madison Davenport, Brandon Soo Hoo and Eiza González are the latest to join the cast of Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series. Shooting is underway in Austin, TX on the 10-episode serialized drama based on the cult horror film by Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. González re-creates the role of Santánico Pandemonium; Patrick portrays Jacob Fuller, father to Kate Fuller (Davenport) and Scott Fuller (Soo Hoo), who are held hostage by main characters Seth and Richie Gecko, and find themselves along for the ride of their life. They join previously announced D.J. Cotrona, Zane Holtz, Jesse Garcia, who plays Texas Ranger Freddie Gonzalez, a new character created for the series, and Don Johnson, who joins in a recurring role as Sheriff Earl McGraw. Patrick recently wrapped filming on features Endless Love and The Road Within. He also is coming off a turn last season as...
- 11/15/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Former "The Closer" star Kyra Sedgwick has joined the cast of Gren Wells' "The Road Within" at Troika Pictures and Coup d’Etat Films.
The story follows a young man with Tourette's syndrome (Robert Sheehan) who breaks out of a clinic with an anorexic woman (Zoe Kravitz) and his Ocd roommate (Dev Patel) to take his mother’s ashes to the ocean.
Sedgwick will play Dr. Mia Rose, who runs the clinic. Filming is currently underway.
Source: Deadline...
The story follows a young man with Tourette's syndrome (Robert Sheehan) who breaks out of a clinic with an anorexic woman (Zoe Kravitz) and his Ocd roommate (Dev Patel) to take his mother’s ashes to the ocean.
Sedgwick will play Dr. Mia Rose, who runs the clinic. Filming is currently underway.
Source: Deadline...
- 8/9/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
• Hugh Grant has been somewhat elusive over the past few years. After disappearing in the wake of 2009′s ill-fated Did You Hear About the Morgans, his first appearance on-screen was in last year’s Cloud Atlas, and for much of it, he was nearly unrecognizable. But, it seems he’s ready to re-emerge and is currently working on an untitled comedy with Marisa Tomei, Allison Janney, and J.K. Simmons about an Oscar-winning writer who abandons Hollywood for a teaching gig at an East Coast school. Now, Grant is set to join Guy Ritchie’s update of the 1960s TV show Man from U.
- 8/9/2013
- by Lindsey Bahr
- EW - Inside Movies
As The Mortal Instruments opens in cinemas, Robert Sheehan is set to become a teen heartthrob. Megan Conner meets an Irish actor with style and attitude
It was on Robert Sheehan's flight home from Toronto, where he was auditioning for a role in The Mortal Instruments, that he found himself "yellow carded" on a plane. He wasn't flying alone; while trying out for one of the three leads in the Hollywood teen franchise, tipped to be the next Twilight, he had buddied up with a fellow auditionee and spent much of the week partying. On the final evening, they stayed out all night. "We went straight to the airport in the morning and got on the plane," says Sheehan in his Irish lilt. "We ordered some Caesars, which are like Bloody Marys, and one thing or another led to me buying a bottle of whisky..."
Several hours later Sheehan,...
It was on Robert Sheehan's flight home from Toronto, where he was auditioning for a role in The Mortal Instruments, that he found himself "yellow carded" on a plane. He wasn't flying alone; while trying out for one of the three leads in the Hollywood teen franchise, tipped to be the next Twilight, he had buddied up with a fellow auditionee and spent much of the week partying. On the final evening, they stayed out all night. "We went straight to the airport in the morning and got on the plane," says Sheehan in his Irish lilt. "We ordered some Caesars, which are like Bloody Marys, and one thing or another led to me buying a bottle of whisky..."
Several hours later Sheehan,...
- 8/3/2013
- by Megan Conner
- The Guardian - Film News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.