UK director Mike Leigh will receive a lifetime achievement award at Malta’s second annual Mediterrane Film Festival (June 22-30).
The seven-time Oscar nominee will also host a masterclass and participate in an in conversation with Adrian Wootton, CEO at the British Film Commission, with whom the festival has a partnership.
Leigh began his career in theatre and TV with work including Abigail’s Party in 1977. He focused on features throughout the 1990s, winning acclaim for films such as High Hopes, Life Is Sweet, Naked and Secrets And Lies. The latter won the Palme d’Or in 1996.
His following films included Topsy-Turvy,...
The seven-time Oscar nominee will also host a masterclass and participate in an in conversation with Adrian Wootton, CEO at the British Film Commission, with whom the festival has a partnership.
Leigh began his career in theatre and TV with work including Abigail’s Party in 1977. He focused on features throughout the 1990s, winning acclaim for films such as High Hopes, Life Is Sweet, Naked and Secrets And Lies. The latter won the Palme d’Or in 1996.
His following films included Topsy-Turvy,...
- 4/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
Mike Leigh, the veteran director of “Vera Drake,” “Another Year” and “Happy-Go-Lucky,” will be honored at Malta’s Mediterrane Film Festival with its Career Achievement Golden Bee Award.
Leigh will also host a masterclass at the festival, the second edition of which is taking place June 22 to 30 in Malta’s capital city of Valletta. The director, who has earned seven Oscar nominations and won the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or for 1993’s “Naked,” will be in conversation with Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission.
The Mediterrane Film Festival has also revealed its first jury members, who will judge the festival’s competition section, consisting of 12 films from the region. At the festival’s Golden Bee Awards closing ceremony on June 30, prizes will be handed out for best feature film, acting performance, screenwriting, production design, creative technical performance and the special jury award.
Jury...
Leigh will also host a masterclass at the festival, the second edition of which is taking place June 22 to 30 in Malta’s capital city of Valletta. The director, who has earned seven Oscar nominations and won the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or for 1993’s “Naked,” will be in conversation with Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission.
The Mediterrane Film Festival has also revealed its first jury members, who will judge the festival’s competition section, consisting of 12 films from the region. At the festival’s Golden Bee Awards closing ceremony on June 30, prizes will be handed out for best feature film, acting performance, screenwriting, production design, creative technical performance and the special jury award.
Jury...
- 4/29/2024
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Malta’s Mediterrane Film Festival will honor BAFTA-winning writer-director Mike Leigh (Vera Drake, Another Year, Happy-Go-Lucky) with its inaugural career achievement Golden Bee Award this year.
The honor is awarded “in recognition of a lifetime achievement in film,” organizers said Monday. “Leigh, who has received seven Academy Award nominations across his career, will also host a master class in the upcoming second edition of the festival,” which will take place June 22-30 in Valletta, the capital of the island of Malta.
Palme d’Or-winning director Leigh will be in conversation with Adrian Wootton, who previously served as acting director of the British Film Institute and is currently CEO of Film London and the British Film Commission.
Last year, StudioCanal acquired U.K. rights to Leigh‘s secretive project Hard Truths, starring Secrets & Lies star Marianne Jean-Baptiste, marking the first time the distributor has worked with the iconic director. Bleecker...
The honor is awarded “in recognition of a lifetime achievement in film,” organizers said Monday. “Leigh, who has received seven Academy Award nominations across his career, will also host a master class in the upcoming second edition of the festival,” which will take place June 22-30 in Valletta, the capital of the island of Malta.
Palme d’Or-winning director Leigh will be in conversation with Adrian Wootton, who previously served as acting director of the British Film Institute and is currently CEO of Film London and the British Film Commission.
Last year, StudioCanal acquired U.K. rights to Leigh‘s secretive project Hard Truths, starring Secrets & Lies star Marianne Jean-Baptiste, marking the first time the distributor has worked with the iconic director. Bleecker...
- 4/29/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kent Sanderson has been promoted to president of Bleecker Street, the indie studio behind “Logan Lucky” and “Captain Fantastic.” The veteran executive previously served as the company’s head of acquisitions and ancillary distribution. Sanderson has been with Bleecker Street, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary, since its inception in 2014.
In his previous role, he led both the curation of Bleecker’s film slate and the company’s home entertainment strategy, including co-founding and co-running home entertainment label Decal, which Bleecker operates as a joint-venture with Neon. In his new post, Sanderson will continue to report to Bleecker Street CEO Andrew Karpen.
Sanderson’s elevation is one of several key promotions across the company. Vikki Hart has been elevated to vice president, distribution and sales. She previously had been director of sales, distribution. At the same time, Miranda King has been promoted to vice president, acquisitions and co-productions. She previously served as director,...
In his previous role, he led both the curation of Bleecker’s film slate and the company’s home entertainment strategy, including co-founding and co-running home entertainment label Decal, which Bleecker operates as a joint-venture with Neon. In his new post, Sanderson will continue to report to Bleecker Street CEO Andrew Karpen.
Sanderson’s elevation is one of several key promotions across the company. Vikki Hart has been elevated to vice president, distribution and sales. She previously had been director of sales, distribution. At the same time, Miranda King has been promoted to vice president, acquisitions and co-productions. She previously served as director,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
ITV has confirmed that the fourteenth series of Vera will be the last. The details of the show ending are right here.
Brenda Blethyn’s career has been prolific, from playing timid librarian Alison opposite Simon Callow in Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen’s wonderful 1980s sitcom Chance In A Million to her BAFTA winning turn as Cynthia in Mike Leigh’s 1996 film Secrets And Lies.
For over a decade, Blethyn has played the softly spoken yet dogged detective Vera Stanhope, created by author Ann Cleeves.
Stanhope, always kitted out in her trusty trenchcoat and hat, and her team, who include DC Joe Ashworth (David Leon), Kenmy Lockhart (Jon Morrison), DC Mark Edwards (Riley Jones) and DS Aiden Heady (Kenny Doughty) solve crimes in and around Northumberland.
ITV has now confirmed that the 14th series of Vera will be the last, though.
In a statement to the channel, Blethyn said,...
Brenda Blethyn’s career has been prolific, from playing timid librarian Alison opposite Simon Callow in Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen’s wonderful 1980s sitcom Chance In A Million to her BAFTA winning turn as Cynthia in Mike Leigh’s 1996 film Secrets And Lies.
For over a decade, Blethyn has played the softly spoken yet dogged detective Vera Stanhope, created by author Ann Cleeves.
Stanhope, always kitted out in her trusty trenchcoat and hat, and her team, who include DC Joe Ashworth (David Leon), Kenmy Lockhart (Jon Morrison), DC Mark Edwards (Riley Jones) and DS Aiden Heady (Kenny Doughty) solve crimes in and around Northumberland.
ITV has now confirmed that the 14th series of Vera will be the last, though.
In a statement to the channel, Blethyn said,...
- 4/23/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
‘A deeply twisted shocker… You will never, ever, ever find a psychotic she-monster more blood-chilling than Susan Tyrrell’
Coming Soon
‘An excellent shocker… queasy and wildly ahead of its time… Susan Tyrrell delivers a character unlike any other in horror history’
Mondo Digital
‘Tyrrell steals the show… the sight of her… clutching a machete and chasing a poor unfortunate through a stormy night is once seen, never forgotten!… I heartedly recommend you seek out’
Hysteria Lives
One of the notorious 1980s video nasties Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker has been lauded as ‘Brilliantly insane’ (Cool Ass Cinema) and a ‘horror gem, well-crafted, ripe for analysis… should not go overlooked (Bloody Disgusting) and now, thanks to Severin Films, you can witness the film like never before. The company announces a brand-new Special Edition Dual 4K Uhd and Blu-ray is set for its UK release on 13th May 2024.
In a surprising change of direction,...
Coming Soon
‘An excellent shocker… queasy and wildly ahead of its time… Susan Tyrrell delivers a character unlike any other in horror history’
Mondo Digital
‘Tyrrell steals the show… the sight of her… clutching a machete and chasing a poor unfortunate through a stormy night is once seen, never forgotten!… I heartedly recommend you seek out’
Hysteria Lives
One of the notorious 1980s video nasties Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker has been lauded as ‘Brilliantly insane’ (Cool Ass Cinema) and a ‘horror gem, well-crafted, ripe for analysis… should not go overlooked (Bloody Disgusting) and now, thanks to Severin Films, you can witness the film like never before. The company announces a brand-new Special Edition Dual 4K Uhd and Blu-ray is set for its UK release on 13th May 2024.
In a surprising change of direction,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
Cinema for Gaza, a group launched by a small group of female filmmakers and film journalists, has successfully raised more than $315,000 to support medical aid for the civilian population in Gaza.
A celebrity auction, organized by Cinema for Gaza, and supported by the likes of Tilda Swinton, Annie Lennox, Joaquin Phoenix, Spike Lee and Guillermo del Toro, raised some $316,778 (£254,297) for Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map), a U.K.-based charity that provides on-the-ground medical support, from sterile water to cancer drugs, for those on the Gaza Strip. The celebrities donated personal items — from signed film posters to personal Zoom chats to, in the case of Lennox, the handwritten lyrics to her Eurythmics hit “Sweet Dreams” — to be sold off to the highest bidder. (Lennox’s lyrics sheet was the top seller, with a bidder paying $26,222 for the piece of pop music history).
The Zone of Interest filmmaker Jonathan Glazer, who...
A celebrity auction, organized by Cinema for Gaza, and supported by the likes of Tilda Swinton, Annie Lennox, Joaquin Phoenix, Spike Lee and Guillermo del Toro, raised some $316,778 (£254,297) for Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map), a U.K.-based charity that provides on-the-ground medical support, from sterile water to cancer drugs, for those on the Gaza Strip. The celebrities donated personal items — from signed film posters to personal Zoom chats to, in the case of Lennox, the handwritten lyrics to her Eurythmics hit “Sweet Dreams” — to be sold off to the highest bidder. (Lennox’s lyrics sheet was the top seller, with a bidder paying $26,222 for the piece of pop music history).
The Zone of Interest filmmaker Jonathan Glazer, who...
- 4/12/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Reviews will have to wait till the Cannes Film Festival kicks off on May 14, but it’s not too early for a critic to weigh in on this year’s lineup — or how it looks on paper, at least, and what the selection might say about the state of things.
At the top of the press conference, festival director Thierry Frémaux noted that last year would be a tough edition to top. The two big winners of the 2023 competition, “Anatomy of a Fall” and “Zone of Interest,” went on to score Oscar best picture nominations, alongside Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.” The festival made strides toward gender parity, with nearly a third of the films in competition directed by women. And to complicate matters, Hollywood has since been hit by two production-stopping guild strikes, delaying films the studios might have sent to Cannes.
Judging by the titles unveiled today,...
At the top of the press conference, festival director Thierry Frémaux noted that last year would be a tough edition to top. The two big winners of the 2023 competition, “Anatomy of a Fall” and “Zone of Interest,” went on to score Oscar best picture nominations, alongside Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.” The festival made strides toward gender parity, with nearly a third of the films in competition directed by women. And to complicate matters, Hollywood has since been hit by two production-stopping guild strikes, delaying films the studios might have sent to Cannes.
Judging by the titles unveiled today,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
More film celebrities have joined the Cinema for Gaza auction looking to raise funds for the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map) before final bids are accepted on Friday.
Joaquin Phoenix has donated a signed Joker poster, and will also sign, along with Lynne Ramsay, a poster for You Were Never Really Here, the 2017 crime thriller. Other late entries include six signed books from horrormeister Guillermo Del Toro and a signed The Crown script by Emma Corin, organizers said Thursday.
There’s also auction lots for a painting by American History X director Tony Kaye and a signed clapperboard from the cast and team behind Hamlet, including Joe Alwyn, Riz Ahmed, Timothy Spall and Morfyyd Clark. The final lots were added Thursday ahead of the last bids accepted on Friday.
“Cinema For Gaza’s first fundraiser is in its final few days, and with over $200,000 and counting raised, has finished adding new lots.
Joaquin Phoenix has donated a signed Joker poster, and will also sign, along with Lynne Ramsay, a poster for You Were Never Really Here, the 2017 crime thriller. Other late entries include six signed books from horrormeister Guillermo Del Toro and a signed The Crown script by Emma Corin, organizers said Thursday.
There’s also auction lots for a painting by American History X director Tony Kaye and a signed clapperboard from the cast and team behind Hamlet, including Joe Alwyn, Riz Ahmed, Timothy Spall and Morfyyd Clark. The final lots were added Thursday ahead of the last bids accepted on Friday.
“Cinema For Gaza’s first fundraiser is in its final few days, and with over $200,000 and counting raised, has finished adding new lots.
- 4/11/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Nearly a month after Jonathan Glazer’s Oscars speech reverberated across Hollywood and caused a wave of controversy, 455 Jewish creatives (and counting) have signed a letter in a show of support.
“We were alarmed to see some of our colleagues in the industry mischaracterize and denounce his remarks. Their attacks on Glazer are a dangerous distraction from Israel’s escalating military campaign which has already killed over 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza and brought hundreds of thousands to the brink of starvation,” reads the letter, published amid the continued conflict in the Middle East. “We grieve for all those who have been killed in Palestine and Israel over too many decades, including the 1200 Israelis killed in the October 7 Hamas attacks and the 253 hostages taken.”
The letter is signed by a mix of actors, writers, producers, filmmakers and other creatives. Among those backing Glazer are Joker star Joaquin Phoenix; Killer Films vet Pamela Koffler...
“We were alarmed to see some of our colleagues in the industry mischaracterize and denounce his remarks. Their attacks on Glazer are a dangerous distraction from Israel’s escalating military campaign which has already killed over 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza and brought hundreds of thousands to the brink of starvation,” reads the letter, published amid the continued conflict in the Middle East. “We grieve for all those who have been killed in Palestine and Israel over too many decades, including the 1200 Israelis killed in the October 7 Hamas attacks and the 253 hostages taken.”
The letter is signed by a mix of actors, writers, producers, filmmakers and other creatives. Among those backing Glazer are Joker star Joaquin Phoenix; Killer Films vet Pamela Koffler...
- 4/10/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Update: More than 300 Jewish creatives — including eight-time Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken, “SNL” star Sarah Sherman, actor and documentarian Alex Winter and “Seinfeld” writer Larry Charles — have added their names to the list of signatories of an open letter in support of Jonathan Glazer’s Oscars speech.
The number of signees now sits at 492, having more than tripled since Variety first published the April 5 letter, which criticized the attacks on Glazer for being a “dangerous distraction” from the mounting death toll in Gaza while also contributing to the “suppression of free speech and dissent.”
New additions also include Oscar-winning “Anatomy of a Fall” co-writer Arthur Harari, veteran U.K. producer and Oscar winner Jeremy Thomas, “Girls” co-showrunner and co-writer Jenni Konner and “The Hunger Games” writer and director and four-time Oscar nominee Gary Ross. Many members of the Israeli film community have also signed the open letter, including Oren Moverman, Nadav Lapid,...
The number of signees now sits at 492, having more than tripled since Variety first published the April 5 letter, which criticized the attacks on Glazer for being a “dangerous distraction” from the mounting death toll in Gaza while also contributing to the “suppression of free speech and dissent.”
New additions also include Oscar-winning “Anatomy of a Fall” co-writer Arthur Harari, veteran U.K. producer and Oscar winner Jeremy Thomas, “Girls” co-showrunner and co-writer Jenni Konner and “The Hunger Games” writer and director and four-time Oscar nominee Gary Ross. Many members of the Israeli film community have also signed the open letter, including Oren Moverman, Nadav Lapid,...
- 4/10/2024
- by Ellise Shafer and Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Cate Blanchett is taking on the U.N. by way of Hillary Clinton meets Margaret Thatcher garb in a first look at upcoming comedy “Rumours.”
The film is written and directed by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson, with Bleecker Street distributing. While no release date has been announced yet, the feature is expected to be released in 2024, and debuted first look footage as part of Bleecker Street’s 10-year anniversary reel.
Oscar winner Blanchett co-stars alongside fellow Academy Award winner Alicia Vikander, Roy Dupuis, Charles Dance, Denis Ménochet, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rolando Ravello, Takehiro Hira, and Zlatko Burić. “Rumours” follows the seven leaders of the world’s wealthiest liberal democracies at the annual G7 summit after they become lost in the woods and face increasing peril while attempting to draft a provisional statement regarding a global crisis.
Ari Aster executive produces through his and Lars Knudsen’s Square Peg production company,...
The film is written and directed by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson, with Bleecker Street distributing. While no release date has been announced yet, the feature is expected to be released in 2024, and debuted first look footage as part of Bleecker Street’s 10-year anniversary reel.
Oscar winner Blanchett co-stars alongside fellow Academy Award winner Alicia Vikander, Roy Dupuis, Charles Dance, Denis Ménochet, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rolando Ravello, Takehiro Hira, and Zlatko Burić. “Rumours” follows the seven leaders of the world’s wealthiest liberal democracies at the annual G7 summit after they become lost in the woods and face increasing peril while attempting to draft a provisional statement regarding a global crisis.
Ari Aster executive produces through his and Lars Knudsen’s Square Peg production company,...
- 4/10/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Rarely do we make note of single-digit seconds’ footage, but when it’s two films that ranked among our 50 most-anticipated films of 2024––one landing very high on that list––exceptions can be made. Just to say Bleecker Street Films have posted a celebration of their 10-year anniversary that includes previews of this year’s slate––among which are Guy Maddin’s Rumours, starring Cate Blanchett and Alicia Vikander, and Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
We’ve already learned the former concerns “the seven leaders of the world’s wealthiest liberal democracies at the annual G7 summit after they become lost in the woods and face increasing peril while attempting to draft a provisional statement regarding a global crisis”; from the latter we’ve only seen a single image, and still have no notable updates. However, with Cannes’ lineup announced in a matter of days, we may have...
We’ve already learned the former concerns “the seven leaders of the world’s wealthiest liberal democracies at the annual G7 summit after they become lost in the woods and face increasing peril while attempting to draft a provisional statement regarding a global crisis”; from the latter we’ve only seen a single image, and still have no notable updates. However, with Cannes’ lineup announced in a matter of days, we may have...
- 4/10/2024
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Bleecker Street has unveiled a reel showcasing both where the company has been and where it’s headed, unveiling never-before-seen footage from numerous upcoming titles.
Titles nearest on the horizon that are teased include Nathan and David Zellner’s acclaimed Sundance pic Sasquatch Sunset, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough, which opens in select theaters April 12, and Tony Goldwyn’s family dramedy Ezra, out May 31. Others include Julia von Heinz’s Treasure (June 14), starring Lena Dunham and Stephen Fry; Jocelyn Moorhouse’s comedy The Fabulous Four (July 26), starring Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Megan Mullally and Sheryl Lee Ralph; Mikael Håfström’s sci-fi pic Slingshot (August 23), starring Casey Affleck, Laurence Fishbourne and Emily Beecham; and Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths (October 18), starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
Then, there’s Uberto Pasolini’s The Return, starring Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche and Charlie Plummer, and the film Rumours with Cate Blanchett,...
Titles nearest on the horizon that are teased include Nathan and David Zellner’s acclaimed Sundance pic Sasquatch Sunset, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough, which opens in select theaters April 12, and Tony Goldwyn’s family dramedy Ezra, out May 31. Others include Julia von Heinz’s Treasure (June 14), starring Lena Dunham and Stephen Fry; Jocelyn Moorhouse’s comedy The Fabulous Four (July 26), starring Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Megan Mullally and Sheryl Lee Ralph; Mikael Håfström’s sci-fi pic Slingshot (August 23), starring Casey Affleck, Laurence Fishbourne and Emily Beecham; and Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths (October 18), starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
Then, there’s Uberto Pasolini’s The Return, starring Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche and Charlie Plummer, and the film Rumours with Cate Blanchett,...
- 4/10/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Miriam Margolyes has called on all Jews “to shout, beg, scream for a ceasefire” in Gaza as the Palestinian territory continues to deal with rising death tolls and, according to aid agency Unrwa USA, is facing a “man-made famine.”
The veteran British-Australian actress and activist, who is best known for starring as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter film franchise, released a video on Saturday via the Jewish Council of Australia, in which she said Israel’s prosecution of its war in Gaza has left her “so ashamed of Israel.”
She added, “To me, it seems as if Hitler has won. He’s changed us Jews from being compassionate and caring and do unto others as you would have them do unto you into this vicious, genocidal nationalist nation, pursuing and killing women and children.”
Margolyes said that she condemned Hamas’ actions. On Oct. 7 last year, Hamas launched a terrorist...
The veteran British-Australian actress and activist, who is best known for starring as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter film franchise, released a video on Saturday via the Jewish Council of Australia, in which she said Israel’s prosecution of its war in Gaza has left her “so ashamed of Israel.”
She added, “To me, it seems as if Hitler has won. He’s changed us Jews from being compassionate and caring and do unto others as you would have them do unto you into this vicious, genocidal nationalist nation, pursuing and killing women and children.”
Margolyes said that she condemned Hamas’ actions. On Oct. 7 last year, Hamas launched a terrorist...
- 4/9/2024
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
New film celebrities have joined the Cinema for Gaza auction that is raising funds for the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map).
The latest auction lots include a signed and framed Malcolm X poster offered by Spike Lee and Paul Mescal donating a signed Aftersun poster. On the experiences side, actress Tessa Thompson is offering to have a beer (or an “O’Douls”) over Zoom with a winning bidder, and Shiva Baby director Emma Seligman will shoot the breeze over tea, again via a Zoom call.
There’s also a Zoom call with Ayo Edebiri, star of The Bear, who is tossing in a list of her favorite places to dine, and a walk-on part in director Gurinder Chadha’s next film.
The biggest memorabilia lot so far is Annie Lennox donating handwritten lyrics to “Sweet Dreams,” her 1983 popular song with Eurythmics, with bids currently standing at £7,700.00 (U.S. $9,720.75)
The...
The latest auction lots include a signed and framed Malcolm X poster offered by Spike Lee and Paul Mescal donating a signed Aftersun poster. On the experiences side, actress Tessa Thompson is offering to have a beer (or an “O’Douls”) over Zoom with a winning bidder, and Shiva Baby director Emma Seligman will shoot the breeze over tea, again via a Zoom call.
There’s also a Zoom call with Ayo Edebiri, star of The Bear, who is tossing in a list of her favorite places to dine, and a walk-on part in director Gurinder Chadha’s next film.
The biggest memorabilia lot so far is Annie Lennox donating handwritten lyrics to “Sweet Dreams,” her 1983 popular song with Eurythmics, with bids currently standing at £7,700.00 (U.S. $9,720.75)
The...
- 4/8/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In the weeks since the 2024 Academy Awards, figures throughout Hollywood have continued to declare their support for director Jonathan Glazer. While accepting the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film for The Zone of Interest, a film that centers on the Holocaust, the Jewish director criticized the dehumanization of “victims of October the 7th in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza.”
The most recent show of support comes from an open letter signed by more than 150 Jewish creatives, including Joaquin Phoenix, Elliott Gould, Ilana Glazer, Chloe Fineman, Todd Haynes,...
The most recent show of support comes from an open letter signed by more than 150 Jewish creatives, including Joaquin Phoenix, Elliott Gould, Ilana Glazer, Chloe Fineman, Todd Haynes,...
- 4/5/2024
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
Joaquin Phoenix, Joel Coen, Debra Winger and Elliot Gould are among the 151 Jewish creatives who have signed an open letter in support of Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar speech.
Further signatories include directors Mike Leigh, Todd Haynes, Lenny Abrahamson, Sarah Gavron, Ira Sachs and Emma Seligman as well as actors David Cross, Chloe Fineman, Kate Berlant and Fred Hechinger.
The letter has been put together by a group of Jewish artists and filmmakers, who shared it directly with their friends and colleagues to gather support. Signatories are continuing to add names by getting in contact with a person they know on...
Further signatories include directors Mike Leigh, Todd Haynes, Lenny Abrahamson, Sarah Gavron, Ira Sachs and Emma Seligman as well as actors David Cross, Chloe Fineman, Kate Berlant and Fred Hechinger.
The letter has been put together by a group of Jewish artists and filmmakers, who shared it directly with their friends and colleagues to gather support. Signatories are continuing to add names by getting in contact with a person they know on...
- 4/5/2024
- ScreenDaily
More than 150 Jewish industry professionals, including Joaquin Phoenix, Joel Coen, and Todd Haynes, have lent their names to a new open letter penned in support of Jonathan Glazer’s much-debated Oscars acceptance speech. Scroll down to read the full letter and list of names.
The full list of signatories first reported on by Variety features 151 names from across the film and TV world like Sorry to Bother You filmmaker Boots Riley, veteran indie director Nicole Holofcener, British auteur Mike Leigh, Passages filmmaker Ira Sachs, and Gossip Girl actor and writer Tavi Gevinson. Deadline was handed a copy of the letter and its signatories. We have also contacted reps for several names listed to confirm their involvement.
The open letter states that the signees “support Jonathan Glazer’s statement from the 2024 Oscars,” adding they have been “alarmed” to see their industry colleagues “mischaracterize and denounce his remarks.”
“Their attacks on Glazer...
The full list of signatories first reported on by Variety features 151 names from across the film and TV world like Sorry to Bother You filmmaker Boots Riley, veteran indie director Nicole Holofcener, British auteur Mike Leigh, Passages filmmaker Ira Sachs, and Gossip Girl actor and writer Tavi Gevinson. Deadline was handed a copy of the letter and its signatories. We have also contacted reps for several names listed to confirm their involvement.
The open letter states that the signees “support Jonathan Glazer’s statement from the 2024 Oscars,” adding they have been “alarmed” to see their industry colleagues “mischaracterize and denounce his remarks.”
“Their attacks on Glazer...
- 4/5/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Jonathan Glazer has kept a low profile since his controversial 2024 Oscars acceptance speech.
But The Zone of Interest filmmaker has resurfaced to donate seven signed posters for his Oscar-winning movie, as well as a selection of posters for his 2014 film Under the Skin, to the Cinema for Gaza auction that is raising funds for the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map).
“We are moved beyond words to feature donations from Jonathan Glazer and his co-creators on the most confronting film of our time, The Zone of Interest,” the auction organizers stated on the online site.
The film posters, donated by Glazer and Zone of Interest producer James Wilson, have so far drawn a bid for £2750.00 ($3,462.20), with the auction to end on April 12. The posters will be signed by Glazer, composer Mica Levi and Wilson.
Glazer’s comments at the Academy Awards, where The Zone of Interest earned the best international feature prize,...
But The Zone of Interest filmmaker has resurfaced to donate seven signed posters for his Oscar-winning movie, as well as a selection of posters for his 2014 film Under the Skin, to the Cinema for Gaza auction that is raising funds for the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map).
“We are moved beyond words to feature donations from Jonathan Glazer and his co-creators on the most confronting film of our time, The Zone of Interest,” the auction organizers stated on the online site.
The film posters, donated by Glazer and Zone of Interest producer James Wilson, have so far drawn a bid for £2750.00 ($3,462.20), with the auction to end on April 12. The posters will be signed by Glazer, composer Mica Levi and Wilson.
Glazer’s comments at the Academy Awards, where The Zone of Interest earned the best international feature prize,...
- 4/3/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The actor on playing Amy Winehouse’s dad, leaving school at 15, and why he loves going back to London’s East End
Eddie Marsan, 55, is an actor it is impossible not to like – although he has taken care in his versatile career (he has been in more than 70 films and counting) not always to be typecast as the twinkling, approachable East Ender you meet in person. He is one of our top character actors, with roles including the irresistibly bonkers driving instructor in Mike Leigh’s Happy-Go-Lucky and a seven-year stint as Terry in Ray Donovan. Next month he stars as John Adams, opposite Michael Douglas, in the new Apple TV+ series Franklin, about Benjamin Franklin’s mission in France to secure American independence, and Mitch Winehouse, Amy’s dad, in Sam Taylor-Johnson’s new film Back to Black.
What sort of a man is Mitch? He came out pretty...
Eddie Marsan, 55, is an actor it is impossible not to like – although he has taken care in his versatile career (he has been in more than 70 films and counting) not always to be typecast as the twinkling, approachable East Ender you meet in person. He is one of our top character actors, with roles including the irresistibly bonkers driving instructor in Mike Leigh’s Happy-Go-Lucky and a seven-year stint as Terry in Ray Donovan. Next month he stars as John Adams, opposite Michael Douglas, in the new Apple TV+ series Franklin, about Benjamin Franklin’s mission in France to secure American independence, and Mitch Winehouse, Amy’s dad, in Sam Taylor-Johnson’s new film Back to Black.
What sort of a man is Mitch? He came out pretty...
- 3/31/2024
- by Kate Kellaway
- The Guardian - Film News
The Harry Potter and Bridget Jones star is a dazzlingly versatile performer, with a string of Michael Winterbottom films under her belt, as well as Star Wars, TV’s Happy Valley and an Olivier award. She explains how she keeps on top of it all
It is easy to feel protective of Shirley Henderson on this gloomy winter afternoon. Is she warm enough? Does she want to put the heating on? “Aye, I’m Ok,” she says from her home in Fife, a few strands of chestnut hair falling over her glasses as she huddles close to the laptop. “It’s a wee bit blowy out. But I’m at the age where you can get too warm, so I’m all right.” Her giggle is helium-high: the sort of sound you want to trap, like in one of those toy moo boxes, so that you can play it when...
It is easy to feel protective of Shirley Henderson on this gloomy winter afternoon. Is she warm enough? Does she want to put the heating on? “Aye, I’m Ok,” she says from her home in Fife, a few strands of chestnut hair falling over her glasses as she huddles close to the laptop. “It’s a wee bit blowy out. But I’m at the age where you can get too warm, so I’m all right.” Her giggle is helium-high: the sort of sound you want to trap, like in one of those toy moo boxes, so that you can play it when...
- 3/29/2024
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Last year, actress Penélope Cruz set up a joint production venture, Moonlyon, with Madrid-based The Mediapro Studio at the urging of its CEO, Laura Fernández Espeso, a rising star in Spain’s fast-expanding media sector.
“It’s been an amazing connection from the first,” Cruz says, about her working relationship with Fernández Espeso, Variety’s International Media Woman of the Year.
It was no surprise to anyone that Cruz chose Fernández Espeso as her partner: Lifting up female talent in Western Europe and beyond has been a huge part of Fernández Espeso’s mission since she took the reins of the busy production studio five years ago. At her direction, the company, which has 30 production houses, has capitalized on the growing demand for TV series that can travel across the world. Fernández Espeso has steered the effort for the company to make its productions more saleable by lensing in English.
“It’s been an amazing connection from the first,” Cruz says, about her working relationship with Fernández Espeso, Variety’s International Media Woman of the Year.
It was no surprise to anyone that Cruz chose Fernández Espeso as her partner: Lifting up female talent in Western Europe and beyond has been a huge part of Fernández Espeso’s mission since she took the reins of the busy production studio five years ago. At her direction, the company, which has 30 production houses, has capitalized on the growing demand for TV series that can travel across the world. Fernández Espeso has steered the effort for the company to make its productions more saleable by lensing in English.
- 3/29/2024
- by John Hopewell and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
A number of major names from the U.K. film and TV world and beyond have donated items — and their own time — to an auction raising money for Gaza.
Organized by Cinema for Gaza in support of Medical Aid for Palestinians, the auction has drawn in gifts from likes of Tilda Swinton, Ken Loach, Asia Kapadia, Ramy Youssef, Peter Capaldi, Imelda Staunton, Brian Cox, Joseph Quinn, Mike Leigh, Misan Harriman, Joanna Hogg, Aimee Lou Wood and Josh O’Connor.
Among the lots up for grabs when the auction goes live on April 2 is the chance to have Swinton “read you a soothing bedtime story over Zoom,” a porridge masterclass with O’Connor who will “teach you how to make the perfect bowl” (and apparently get a glimpse of his secret porridge recipe), a chat about astrology with “Sex Education” star Wood, a “restorative drink” with “Saltburn’s” Oliver, and tickets to...
Organized by Cinema for Gaza in support of Medical Aid for Palestinians, the auction has drawn in gifts from likes of Tilda Swinton, Ken Loach, Asia Kapadia, Ramy Youssef, Peter Capaldi, Imelda Staunton, Brian Cox, Joseph Quinn, Mike Leigh, Misan Harriman, Joanna Hogg, Aimee Lou Wood and Josh O’Connor.
Among the lots up for grabs when the auction goes live on April 2 is the chance to have Swinton “read you a soothing bedtime story over Zoom,” a porridge masterclass with O’Connor who will “teach you how to make the perfect bowl” (and apparently get a glimpse of his secret porridge recipe), a chat about astrology with “Sex Education” star Wood, a “restorative drink” with “Saltburn’s” Oliver, and tickets to...
- 3/28/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Tilda Swinton, Ken Loach and Brian Cox are among the British film and TV VIPs contributing to an online auction to raise money for humanitarian relief for Palestinians in Gaza.
Among the auction lots to bid on are an online bedtime story read by Swinton; tickets to Cox’s London stage performance of A Long Day’s Journey Into Night, including a meet and greet with the Succession star; and a walk-on part in the new film from Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha.
Directors Mike Leigh, Asif Kapadia and Joanna Hogg, and actors including Harris Dickinson (The Iron Claw), Alison Oliver (Saltburn) and Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education), are also taking part in the auction, which will raise money for Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map), a U.K.-based nonprofit that provides medical and humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.
The auction was set up by Cinema for Gaza,...
Among the auction lots to bid on are an online bedtime story read by Swinton; tickets to Cox’s London stage performance of A Long Day’s Journey Into Night, including a meet and greet with the Succession star; and a walk-on part in the new film from Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha.
Directors Mike Leigh, Asif Kapadia and Joanna Hogg, and actors including Harris Dickinson (The Iron Claw), Alison Oliver (Saltburn) and Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education), are also taking part in the auction, which will raise money for Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map), a U.K.-based nonprofit that provides medical and humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.
The auction was set up by Cinema for Gaza,...
- 3/27/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chance to make porridge with Josh O’Connor or be serenaded by Olly Alexander also up for grabs in inaugural online auction to support Medical Aid for Palestinians in Gaza
Directors Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, Asif Kapadia and Joanna Hogg, as well as the cast of shows including Doctor Who and Downton Abbey, are among British film and TV creatives donating lots to a new auction to crowdfund for humanitarian relief in Gaza.
Leigh has given a signed poster of the original 1977 theatre production of Abigail’s Party, while Loach provides signed copies of the poster and script of his latest film, The Old Oak.
Directors Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, Asif Kapadia and Joanna Hogg, as well as the cast of shows including Doctor Who and Downton Abbey, are among British film and TV creatives donating lots to a new auction to crowdfund for humanitarian relief in Gaza.
Leigh has given a signed poster of the original 1977 theatre production of Abigail’s Party, while Loach provides signed copies of the poster and script of his latest film, The Old Oak.
- 3/27/2024
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
Exclusive: Celebrating his 50th year as an indie filmmaker and distributor, Jeff Lipsky is prepping the release of his eighth feature as director. Goldilocks and the Two Bears is due to open domestically via Glass Half Full Media in July for a limited theatrical run, followed by a general release in late summer/early fall. Check out an exclusive clip above.
Goldilocks introduces a trio of new actors: Claire Milligan, Serra Naiman and Bryan Mittelstadt. It’s directed and written by Lipsky, produced by longtime collaborator Nick Athas and shot by Zak Ray with production sound mixed by Caleb Mose (O.J.: Made in America).
Filmed entirely in Las Vegas, the movie centers on a man and a woman – travelers who’ve all but given up on futures that might have been glorious. When a stranger enters their midst, a woman on the run from her own demons, the...
Goldilocks introduces a trio of new actors: Claire Milligan, Serra Naiman and Bryan Mittelstadt. It’s directed and written by Lipsky, produced by longtime collaborator Nick Athas and shot by Zak Ray with production sound mixed by Caleb Mose (O.J.: Made in America).
Filmed entirely in Las Vegas, the movie centers on a man and a woman – travelers who’ve all but given up on futures that might have been glorious. When a stranger enters their midst, a woman on the run from her own demons, the...
- 3/14/2024
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
‘An underrated northern artist whose impact could have been greater given the right breaks. Cliff Twemlow’s story should provide encouragement to the current crop of British indie filmmakers. An essential watch’
*****
Starburst
‘Hugely entertaining documentary about a truly unique character… Jake West paints an affectionate portrait of a genuine one-off, whose work you’ll want to dive into once credits roll’
Dexerto
‘A fascinating man… Cliff absolutely deserves a place in the pantheon of low-budget, guerrilla-style filmmakers and hopefully this documentary will introduce him to an entirely new audience’
*****
Set the Tape
Following its successful festival run and ahead of its digital release in June 2024, Severin Films announces a UK theatrical tour of the acclaimed film Mancunian Man the Legendary Life of Cliff Twemlow.
Tour dates:
3 March – Nottingham Broadway + Q&a with Jake West & David Gregory
13 March – Birmingham – Mockingbird Cinema + Q&a with Jake West
23 March – Exeter – Exeter Phoenix...
*****
Starburst
‘Hugely entertaining documentary about a truly unique character… Jake West paints an affectionate portrait of a genuine one-off, whose work you’ll want to dive into once credits roll’
Dexerto
‘A fascinating man… Cliff absolutely deserves a place in the pantheon of low-budget, guerrilla-style filmmakers and hopefully this documentary will introduce him to an entirely new audience’
*****
Set the Tape
Following its successful festival run and ahead of its digital release in June 2024, Severin Films announces a UK theatrical tour of the acclaimed film Mancunian Man the Legendary Life of Cliff Twemlow.
Tour dates:
3 March – Nottingham Broadway + Q&a with Jake West & David Gregory
13 March – Birmingham – Mockingbird Cinema + Q&a with Jake West
23 March – Exeter – Exeter Phoenix...
- 3/13/2024
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
Good afternoon Insiders, Max Goldbart here taking you through what has been a whirlwind of a week in international TV and film. Do not stop here — please do read on. And sign up here.
Indie Movie “Game-Changer”
£1B worth of sweeteners: It was a potentially “game-changing” week for a floundering British indie film sector with the unveiling of a 40% tax relief on movies with budgets less than £15M ($19M) — a relief that trade body Pact says it has been calling for in some form or another since 2017 and which answers the prayers of Culture, Media & Sport Committee boss Caroline Dinenage. Jeremy Hunt’s budget was perhaps the most listened-to and most celebrated for a decade by the creative industries after the UK Chancellor unveiled the relief with fanfare alongside 40% business rates relief for big studios and improved VFX relief. All in all, Hunt and the UK treasury said that the...
Indie Movie “Game-Changer”
£1B worth of sweeteners: It was a potentially “game-changing” week for a floundering British indie film sector with the unveiling of a 40% tax relief on movies with budgets less than £15M ($19M) — a relief that trade body Pact says it has been calling for in some form or another since 2017 and which answers the prayers of Culture, Media & Sport Committee boss Caroline Dinenage. Jeremy Hunt’s budget was perhaps the most listened-to and most celebrated for a decade by the creative industries after the UK Chancellor unveiled the relief with fanfare alongside 40% business rates relief for big studios and improved VFX relief. All in all, Hunt and the UK treasury said that the...
- 3/8/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.
Roxy Cinema
The Bridges of Madison County, Bette Gordon’s Variety, and Secretary play on 35mm this weekend.
Anthology Film Archives
Works about the Palestinian film archive screen this weekend while films by Raul Ruiz, Yvonne Rainer, Michael Snow, and more play in Afterimage.
Museum of Modern Art
Max Fleischer’s cartoons play in a new retrospective.
Museum of the Moving Image
A retrospective of snubbed performances brings films by Elaine May, Jonathan Demme, and Mike Leigh.
Film Forum
As the Japanese horror series continues, the American horror film Freaky Friday plays on Sunday.
Bam
Raoul Peck’s Lumumba: Death of a Prophet continues.
IFC Center
A Brian Yuzna retrospective is underway; Starship Troopers, Fight Club, Mondo New York, and The Shining play late.
The post NYC Weekend Watch: The Bridges of Madison County, Palestinian Film Archive, Max Fleischer & More...
Roxy Cinema
The Bridges of Madison County, Bette Gordon’s Variety, and Secretary play on 35mm this weekend.
Anthology Film Archives
Works about the Palestinian film archive screen this weekend while films by Raul Ruiz, Yvonne Rainer, Michael Snow, and more play in Afterimage.
Museum of Modern Art
Max Fleischer’s cartoons play in a new retrospective.
Museum of the Moving Image
A retrospective of snubbed performances brings films by Elaine May, Jonathan Demme, and Mike Leigh.
Film Forum
As the Japanese horror series continues, the American horror film Freaky Friday plays on Sunday.
Bam
Raoul Peck’s Lumumba: Death of a Prophet continues.
IFC Center
A Brian Yuzna retrospective is underway; Starship Troopers, Fight Club, Mondo New York, and The Shining play late.
The post NYC Weekend Watch: The Bridges of Madison County, Palestinian Film Archive, Max Fleischer & More...
- 3/8/2024
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Wednesday’s announcement that the British government would be introducing the new Independent Film Tax Credit sparked a response that was nothing short of jubilant across the entire sector.
The incentive — a 53% expenditure credit that equates to a tax relief of approximately 40% for U.K. productions with a budget of up to £15 million ($19.2 million) — was labeled by BFI chief executive Ben Roberts as “the most significant policy intervention since the 1990s.” Elsewhere, the likes of Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas, Barbara Broccoli, Andrew Haigh, Gurinder Chadha, Mike Leigh, Steve McQueen, Ridley Scott, Riz Ahmed, Jonathan Glazer, Gareth Edwards Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner were among the chorus of filmmaking heavyweights celebrating the news.
Speaking to Variety a day later, Roberts underlines the impact the credit could have on the independent sector, which — while inward investment has boomed over the last decade — has found itself at a point of crisis, with...
The incentive — a 53% expenditure credit that equates to a tax relief of approximately 40% for U.K. productions with a budget of up to £15 million ($19.2 million) — was labeled by BFI chief executive Ben Roberts as “the most significant policy intervention since the 1990s.” Elsewhere, the likes of Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas, Barbara Broccoli, Andrew Haigh, Gurinder Chadha, Mike Leigh, Steve McQueen, Ridley Scott, Riz Ahmed, Jonathan Glazer, Gareth Edwards Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner were among the chorus of filmmaking heavyweights celebrating the news.
Speaking to Variety a day later, Roberts underlines the impact the credit could have on the independent sector, which — while inward investment has boomed over the last decade — has found itself at a point of crisis, with...
- 3/7/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
‘Camomile Lawn’ Novelist’s Estate Snapped Up By Ilp
International Literary Properties has acquired the estate of British The Camomile Lawn novelist Mary Wesley. Channel 4’s adaptation of The Camomile Lawn is Channel 4’s second most successful drama series of all time, according to Ilp, and the deal will see Ilp manage the rights to Wesley’s work. Having famously published her first novel aged 70, she also wrote the likes of Jumping the Queue, Harnessing Peacocks and The Vacillations of Poppy Carew, all of which have previously been adapted for film and TV. “Mary was an incredible woman, an extraordinary author and a very close member of my family,” said Wesley’s daughter in law, the author Xinran Xue. Deadline revealed last year that Ilp, which holds rights to the literary estates of Langston Hughes and Evelyn Waugh, had headed on a West Coast charm offensive and snapped up the estate of Somerset Maugham.
International Literary Properties has acquired the estate of British The Camomile Lawn novelist Mary Wesley. Channel 4’s adaptation of The Camomile Lawn is Channel 4’s second most successful drama series of all time, according to Ilp, and the deal will see Ilp manage the rights to Wesley’s work. Having famously published her first novel aged 70, she also wrote the likes of Jumping the Queue, Harnessing Peacocks and The Vacillations of Poppy Carew, all of which have previously been adapted for film and TV. “Mary was an incredible woman, an extraordinary author and a very close member of my family,” said Wesley’s daughter in law, the author Xinran Xue. Deadline revealed last year that Ilp, which holds rights to the literary estates of Langston Hughes and Evelyn Waugh, had headed on a West Coast charm offensive and snapped up the estate of Somerset Maugham.
- 3/7/2024
- by Max Goldbart, Jesse Whittock and Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Some of the biggest names in the world of British film have showered praise on the “game-changing” new 40% British indie film relief.
Announced earlier today by UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt following lobbying from the BFI and Pact for months, the relief will apply to movies made for less than £15M ($19M). Today’s move was coupled with a 5% increase in tax relief for UK VFX costs in film and high-end TV, and business rates relief of 40% for major studios.
Sixteen Films producer and Ken Loach collaborator Rebecca O’Brien joked that the “genuine game changer” has prompted her to rethink whether to stop making movies.
“It’s extraordinary,” she told Deadline shortly after the credit was announced. “It just gives me confidence and means if I can raise the money more easily, I can spend more time helping the production and making a good film rather than spending all my time...
Announced earlier today by UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt following lobbying from the BFI and Pact for months, the relief will apply to movies made for less than £15M ($19M). Today’s move was coupled with a 5% increase in tax relief for UK VFX costs in film and high-end TV, and business rates relief of 40% for major studios.
Sixteen Films producer and Ken Loach collaborator Rebecca O’Brien joked that the “genuine game changer” has prompted her to rethink whether to stop making movies.
“It’s extraordinary,” she told Deadline shortly after the credit was announced. “It just gives me confidence and means if I can raise the money more easily, I can spend more time helping the production and making a good film rather than spending all my time...
- 3/6/2024
- by Zac Ntim and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Oscar-nominated Irish actor Stephen Rea (The Crying Game, Michael Collins, Greta) will be honored with the Irish Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement for his “outstanding contribution to the Irish and international screen industry,” the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) unveiled on Wednesday.
Rea will be presented with the honor in the presence of family, friends and industry colleagues at the 21st IFTA Awards ceremony, taking place on Saturday, April 20 at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre. The evening will be hosted by Baz Ashmawy, one of Ireland’s most popular TV personalities.
“So much of Irish culture has been recovered and reimagined: music, language, literature, theater,” Rea said. “And cinema can be added to that list because of the special energy of John Boorman who produced Neil Jordan’s first film Angel. And to my astonishment, my first film too. Neil thrust the script and a saxophone into my hands,...
Rea will be presented with the honor in the presence of family, friends and industry colleagues at the 21st IFTA Awards ceremony, taking place on Saturday, April 20 at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre. The evening will be hosted by Baz Ashmawy, one of Ireland’s most popular TV personalities.
“So much of Irish culture has been recovered and reimagined: music, language, literature, theater,” Rea said. “And cinema can be added to that list because of the special energy of John Boorman who produced Neil Jordan’s first film Angel. And to my astonishment, my first film too. Neil thrust the script and a saxophone into my hands,...
- 3/6/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Although there’s no distributor yet confirmed for Francis Ford Coppola’s decades-in-development, nearly completed epic Megalopolis, we’re starting to get a sense of when we may see the $100 million epic. The director himself recently indicated it’ll be out in a few months, but according to a new report, a fall release is more likely.
In a round-up of Cannes possibilities, Deadline notes the movie is targeting “a big fall IMAX release,” which means a Venice or North American festival (i.e. TIFF or NYFF) could be more likely than a visit to the Croisette. The article also notes it’s unlikely that Steve McQueen’s Blitz, Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, David Lowery’s Mother Mary, Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, and Luca Guadagnino’s Queer will be stopping by Cannes, but George Miller’s Furiosa, Audrey Diwan’s Emmanuelle, Andrea Arnold’s Bird, and David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds,...
In a round-up of Cannes possibilities, Deadline notes the movie is targeting “a big fall IMAX release,” which means a Venice or North American festival (i.e. TIFF or NYFF) could be more likely than a visit to the Croisette. The article also notes it’s unlikely that Steve McQueen’s Blitz, Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, David Lowery’s Mother Mary, Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, and Luca Guadagnino’s Queer will be stopping by Cannes, but George Miller’s Furiosa, Audrey Diwan’s Emmanuelle, Andrea Arnold’s Bird, and David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds,...
- 2/29/2024
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For regular updates, sign up for our weekly email newsletter and follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSHard Truths.Mike Leigh’s forthcoming Hard Truths will reunite him with Marianne Jean-Baptiste, star of Secrets and Lies (1996). It will be the British director’s first film set in the present day since Another Year (2010).Jia Zhangke has divulged some details of We Shall Be All, now in the early stages of post-production. In production off and on since 2001, the film will be his first feature since Ash Is Purest White (2018). “I travelled with actors and a cameraman to shoot, without a script, without any obvious story,” the director told Variety. “This is a work of fiction, but I have applied many documentary methods.”Robert Bresson’s rarely seen Four Nights of a Dreamer is being restored by MK2 Films, set for a spring release.
- 2/28/2024
- MUBI
When the puerile comedy bombed, the film-makers blamed the critics and the Tories blamed the UK Film Council. Twenty years on, we reassess the legacy of a cinematic pariah whose champions include Stewart Lee and Mike Leigh
Actor Dominic Coleman was about to board a flight back from Australia when he received a text from Mark Gatiss about a film they had starred in together. It was a quote from the Sunday Times: “Is this the worst British film ever made?”
By the time Coleman was changing planes in Hong Kong, disgust at the film had spread to the front pages of the British newspapers on sale at the airport. It was, he remembers, “like the end of the world. It felt like people were pointing at me on the plane: that’s the guy, it’s him. It was a really difficult time and it really freaked me out.
Actor Dominic Coleman was about to board a flight back from Australia when he received a text from Mark Gatiss about a film they had starred in together. It was a quote from the Sunday Times: “Is this the worst British film ever made?”
By the time Coleman was changing planes in Hong Kong, disgust at the film had spread to the front pages of the British newspapers on sale at the airport. It was, he remembers, “like the end of the world. It felt like people were pointing at me on the plane: that’s the guy, it’s him. It was a really difficult time and it really freaked me out.
- 2/20/2024
- by Fergal Kinney
- The Guardian - Film News
One month ago, heading into the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, the most anticipated title for buyers was not necessarily the action-adventure anthology with Pedro Pascal (Freaky Tales) or the Kristen Stewart-fronted post-apocalyptic love story (Love Me). It was Dídi, a coming-of-age film about a 13-year-old in the Bay Area from a first-time feature director with no notable U.S. stars. It quickly landed a deal with Focus Features, while films with shinier stars and higher concepts are still in negotiations for deals.
The U.S. has long been known as the great arbiter of “bigger is better.” But being risk-averse, given current economic conditions and industry trends back home (Disney, Paramount Global, Amazon MGM, and others are currently undergoing layoffs), may, says one U.S. buyer, “no longer mean getting a massive star or big director — it means costing less.” Yet, internationally, the mandate seems to be business as usual,...
The U.S. has long been known as the great arbiter of “bigger is better.” But being risk-averse, given current economic conditions and industry trends back home (Disney, Paramount Global, Amazon MGM, and others are currently undergoing layoffs), may, says one U.S. buyer, “no longer mean getting a massive star or big director — it means costing less.” Yet, internationally, the mandate seems to be business as usual,...
- 2/18/2024
- by Scott Roxborough and Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Details of Mike Leigh’s new film are beginning to emerge. The title, Hard Truths, and the leading cast have been confirmed.
Mike Leigh’s new film Hard Truths will be his first new release in five years. Mike Leigh’s films have been more sporadic in recent years, but it’s very much a case of quality over quantity, from Timothy Spall’s astonishing turn as Mr Turner in 2014 to 2018’s epic historical drama Peterloo.
Known for his improvisational method of creating characters, there is no script, in fact there us often no basic idea of what the plot will be when his actors are cast. Leigh begins by having private conversations with his actors about people they know in real life followed by an in-depth period of inprovisation. Actors are then introduced to each other and over an intensive couple of weeks, even months, the characters are developed.
Mike Leigh’s new film Hard Truths will be his first new release in five years. Mike Leigh’s films have been more sporadic in recent years, but it’s very much a case of quality over quantity, from Timothy Spall’s astonishing turn as Mr Turner in 2014 to 2018’s epic historical drama Peterloo.
Known for his improvisational method of creating characters, there is no script, in fact there us often no basic idea of what the plot will be when his actors are cast. Leigh begins by having private conversations with his actors about people they know in real life followed by an in-depth period of inprovisation. Actors are then introduced to each other and over an intensive couple of weeks, even months, the characters are developed.
- 2/16/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
With Covid lockdowns and shuttered cinemas and the dual wallop of the writers’ and actors’ strikes, it’s been a rough few years for independent movies. But the end of strike action last November has triggered a rebound in the indie market. After a strong showing in Sundance, buyers and sellers are looking to Berlin’s European Film Market to provide proof this recovery has legs.
Early signs are promising, with a flood of new projects across all budgets and genres. CAA Media Finance alone has half a dozen finished films on sale and around 20 big packages, including sci-fi actioner Afterburn with Dave Bautista and Samuel L. Jackson attached, selling together with Black Bear; the drama A Big Bold Beautiful Journey from After Yang and Pachinko director Kogonada, featuring Colin Farrell and a post-Barbie Margot Robbie, that 30West and Neon International are jointly handling, and the Michelle Yeoh action thriller The Mother alongside AGC International.
Early signs are promising, with a flood of new projects across all budgets and genres. CAA Media Finance alone has half a dozen finished films on sale and around 20 big packages, including sci-fi actioner Afterburn with Dave Bautista and Samuel L. Jackson attached, selling together with Black Bear; the drama A Big Bold Beautiful Journey from After Yang and Pachinko director Kogonada, featuring Colin Farrell and a post-Barbie Margot Robbie, that 30West and Neon International are jointly handling, and the Michelle Yeoh action thriller The Mother alongside AGC International.
- 2/16/2024
- by Scott Roxborough and Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Following 2018’s Peterloo, Mike Leigh has openly discussed how difficult it was to finance his next feature. Thankfully, he recently amassed the resources and quietly began production last year on his 23rd film, with the backing of Thin Man Films, The Mediapro Studio, co-financed by Film4 in association with Creativity Media, with Bleecker Street releasing the film in the US later this year, Studiocanal releasing in the UK, and Cornerstone Films handling international sales.
Titled Hard Truths, nothing was known about the project, but now Bleecker Street have unveiled the first image and details. Led by Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who worked with Leigh on his 1996 feature Secrets & Lies and received an Oscar nomination for her performance, the film marks Leigh’s “return to the contemporary world with a tough but compassionate intimate study of family life.” The London-set film also stars Michele Austin.
Leigh was joined behind the camera by...
Titled Hard Truths, nothing was known about the project, but now Bleecker Street have unveiled the first image and details. Led by Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who worked with Leigh on his 1996 feature Secrets & Lies and received an Oscar nomination for her performance, the film marks Leigh’s “return to the contemporary world with a tough but compassionate intimate study of family life.” The London-set film also stars Michele Austin.
Leigh was joined behind the camera by...
- 2/14/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The cast of “Hard Truths,” the 23rd film from legendary British director Mike Leigh, has been unveiled, along with a first look image.
The feature, which like most Leigh projects has remained under a veil of secrecy, has reunited the filmmaker with Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who received an Oscar nomination for his 1996 drama “Secrets & Lies.” Michele Austin, another frequent Leigh collaborator, also stars.
“Hard Truths” was shot in London in 2023 and, following his historical epics “Mr. Turner” and “Peterloo,” sees Leigh return to the contemporary world. However, plot details are still scarce, the film’s only description being that it’s a “tough but compassionate intimate study of family life”.
Leigh was joined behind the camera by his regular crew members, including producer Georgina Lowe, cinematographer Dick Pope, costume designer Jacqueline Durran (who recently earned her 9th Oscar nomination for her work on “Barbie”), production designer Suzie Davis, composer Gary Yershon...
The feature, which like most Leigh projects has remained under a veil of secrecy, has reunited the filmmaker with Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who received an Oscar nomination for his 1996 drama “Secrets & Lies.” Michele Austin, another frequent Leigh collaborator, also stars.
“Hard Truths” was shot in London in 2023 and, following his historical epics “Mr. Turner” and “Peterloo,” sees Leigh return to the contemporary world. However, plot details are still scarce, the film’s only description being that it’s a “tough but compassionate intimate study of family life”.
Leigh was joined behind the camera by his regular crew members, including producer Georgina Lowe, cinematographer Dick Pope, costume designer Jacqueline Durran (who recently earned her 9th Oscar nomination for her work on “Barbie”), production designer Suzie Davis, composer Gary Yershon...
- 2/14/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
UK sales outfit Cornerstone Films has revealed details of Mike Leigh’s 23rd feature Hard Truths which reunites the auteur with star Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who was Oscar nominated for her role in Leigh’s 1996 film Secrets & Lies.
Hard Truths also stars Michele Austin, another star of Secrets & Lies, and shot in London in 2023. Following his historical films Mr.Turner and Peterloo, Hard Truths sees Leigh return to the contemporary world with a tough but compassionate intimate study of family life.
It is a Thin Man Films and The Mediapro Studio co-production, co-financed by Film4 in association with Creativity Media.
Hard Truths also stars Michele Austin, another star of Secrets & Lies, and shot in London in 2023. Following his historical films Mr.Turner and Peterloo, Hard Truths sees Leigh return to the contemporary world with a tough but compassionate intimate study of family life.
It is a Thin Man Films and The Mediapro Studio co-production, co-financed by Film4 in association with Creativity Media.
- 2/14/2024
- ScreenDaily
Mike Leigh has unveiled the first look at what will be the “Another Year” and “Secrets & Lies” director’s 23rd feature film, a new project called “Hard Truths.”
“Hard Truths” reunites Leigh with actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who starred in 1996’s “Secrets & Lies” and was Oscar-nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance in the film. You can see her looking concerned and harried while talking on the phone in the first look photo of the film above.
After last directing “Mr. Turner” and “Peterloo,” both of which were historical dramas, Leigh is back in a contemporary setting for “Hard Truths.” Specific plot details are still being kept under wraps, but the film is described as a “tough but compassionate and intimate study of family life.” Michele Austin, another of Leigh’s frequent collaborators, also stars.
Any details about “Hard Truths” were largely secret (it’s not...
“Hard Truths” reunites Leigh with actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who starred in 1996’s “Secrets & Lies” and was Oscar-nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance in the film. You can see her looking concerned and harried while talking on the phone in the first look photo of the film above.
After last directing “Mr. Turner” and “Peterloo,” both of which were historical dramas, Leigh is back in a contemporary setting for “Hard Truths.” Specific plot details are still being kept under wraps, but the film is described as a “tough but compassionate and intimate study of family life.” Michele Austin, another of Leigh’s frequent collaborators, also stars.
Any details about “Hard Truths” were largely secret (it’s not...
- 2/14/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Mike Leigh’s hotly-anticipated, but super-secretive, new film will see the iconoclastic British director reunite with his Secrets & Lies star Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
Hard Truths is Leigh’s first film since 2018’s Peterloo and will co-star frequent Leigh collaborator Michele Austin (Another Year, Secrets & Lies). After Peterloo and 2014’s Mr. Turner, both period dramas, Hard Truths will see Leigh return to the modern day, with a drama described as “a tough but compassionate intimate study of family life.”
Other Leigh regulars returning for Hard Truths include producer Georgina Lowe, cinematographer Dick Pope, costume designer Jacqueline Durran, production designer Suzie Davis, composer Gary Yershon and casting director Nina Gold.
Secrets & Lies, which premiered in Cannes in 1996, winning the Palme d’Or, featured Jean-Baptiste as a well-off Black professional who seeks out her biological mother, a poor white factory worker living in East London, played by Brenda Blethyn. Jean-Baptiste was Oscar-nominated for her performance,...
Hard Truths is Leigh’s first film since 2018’s Peterloo and will co-star frequent Leigh collaborator Michele Austin (Another Year, Secrets & Lies). After Peterloo and 2014’s Mr. Turner, both period dramas, Hard Truths will see Leigh return to the modern day, with a drama described as “a tough but compassionate intimate study of family life.”
Other Leigh regulars returning for Hard Truths include producer Georgina Lowe, cinematographer Dick Pope, costume designer Jacqueline Durran, production designer Suzie Davis, composer Gary Yershon and casting director Nina Gold.
Secrets & Lies, which premiered in Cannes in 1996, winning the Palme d’Or, featured Jean-Baptiste as a well-off Black professional who seeks out her biological mother, a poor white factory worker living in East London, played by Brenda Blethyn. Jean-Baptiste was Oscar-nominated for her performance,...
- 2/14/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Seven-time Oscar nominee Mike Leigh has reteamed with British actor Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who led his 1996 Oscar-nominated Secrets & Lies, on his latest feature, Hard Truths. We can share a first look at the feature above.
We first broke news of the project, which was shot in London, last May. Hard Truths is described as a movie set in the “contemporary world” with a plot said to be a “tough but compassionate intimate study of family life.”
The film also stars Michele Austin and is a Thin Man Films and The Mediapro Studio co-production, co-financed by Film4 in association with Creativity Media. Bleecker Street will release the film theatrically in the US later this year, with Studiocanal releasing in the UK and Cornerstone Films handling international sales. The film will be part of the company’s upcoming European Film Market slate.
Leigh was joined behind the camera by regular crew members,...
We first broke news of the project, which was shot in London, last May. Hard Truths is described as a movie set in the “contemporary world” with a plot said to be a “tough but compassionate intimate study of family life.”
The film also stars Michele Austin and is a Thin Man Films and The Mediapro Studio co-production, co-financed by Film4 in association with Creativity Media. Bleecker Street will release the film theatrically in the US later this year, with Studiocanal releasing in the UK and Cornerstone Films handling international sales. The film will be part of the company’s upcoming European Film Market slate.
Leigh was joined behind the camera by regular crew members,...
- 2/14/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
British actor, writer, and director Samantha Morton will be awarded the BAFTA Fellowship at next week’s Ee BAFTA Film Awards.
Born in Nottingham in 1977, Morton garnered international attention in 1997 with her performance in Carine Adler’s Under the Skin, earning her a BIFA nomination and the Boston Film Critics Award for Best Actress. She has been nominated for an Academy Award first for Best Supporting Actress for Woody Allen’s Sweet and Lowdown (1999), and later for Best Actress for Jim Sheridan’s In America (2003).
Other notable film credits include work with directors such as Lynne Ramsay on Morvern Callar (2002), for which she won Best Performance, Toronto Film Critics Award and a BIFA for Best Actress; Steven Spielberg on Minority Report (2002); Michael Winterbottom on Code 46 (2003); Shekhar Kapur on The Golden Age (2007); Harmony Korine on Mister Lonely (2007); Anton Corbijn on Control, (2007), earning her a Best Supporting Actress BAFTA Film Award nomination; Charlie Kaufman Synecdoche,...
Born in Nottingham in 1977, Morton garnered international attention in 1997 with her performance in Carine Adler’s Under the Skin, earning her a BIFA nomination and the Boston Film Critics Award for Best Actress. She has been nominated for an Academy Award first for Best Supporting Actress for Woody Allen’s Sweet and Lowdown (1999), and later for Best Actress for Jim Sheridan’s In America (2003).
Other notable film credits include work with directors such as Lynne Ramsay on Morvern Callar (2002), for which she won Best Performance, Toronto Film Critics Award and a BIFA for Best Actress; Steven Spielberg on Minority Report (2002); Michael Winterbottom on Code 46 (2003); Shekhar Kapur on The Golden Age (2007); Harmony Korine on Mister Lonely (2007); Anton Corbijn on Control, (2007), earning her a Best Supporting Actress BAFTA Film Award nomination; Charlie Kaufman Synecdoche,...
- 2/7/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Acclaimed British actor, writer and director Samantha Morton will be awarded a Fellowship at the upcoming Ee BAFTA Film Awards.
The award is the highest recognition given by BAFTA to an individual for their exceptional contribution to the film, games or television industry.
After earning plaudits in theater and television, Morton’s breakthrough film role was Carine Adler’s “Under the Skin (1997) that earned her a BIFA nomination and the Boston Film Critics Award for best actress. She has been Oscar nominated twice – for best supporting actress for Woody Allen’s “Sweet and Lowdown” (1999), and for best actress for Jim Sheridan’s “In America” (2003).
For her portrayal of child-murderer Myra Hindley in “Longford” (2006) Morton scored best actress nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and BAFTA Television Award, and won a Golden Globe. In 2009, she made her directorial debut with television film “The Unloved,” a semi-autobiographical film based in the British children’s care system,...
The award is the highest recognition given by BAFTA to an individual for their exceptional contribution to the film, games or television industry.
After earning plaudits in theater and television, Morton’s breakthrough film role was Carine Adler’s “Under the Skin (1997) that earned her a BIFA nomination and the Boston Film Critics Award for best actress. She has been Oscar nominated twice – for best supporting actress for Woody Allen’s “Sweet and Lowdown” (1999), and for best actress for Jim Sheridan’s “In America” (2003).
For her portrayal of child-murderer Myra Hindley in “Longford” (2006) Morton scored best actress nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and BAFTA Television Award, and won a Golden Globe. In 2009, she made her directorial debut with television film “The Unloved,” a semi-autobiographical film based in the British children’s care system,...
- 2/7/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Yorgos Lanthimos. Christopher Nolan. Justine Triet. Jonathan Glazer.
What do these four directors have in common? They were all among the nominees for this year’s Academy Awards, and none of them were born in the United States. Lanthimos is Greek, Triet is French, and Nolan and Glazer are British. Among the nominees, only New Yorker Martin Scorsese is American-born.
The last time only one American-born director made it to that year’s Best Director lineup was back in 1997, when Miloš Forman (Czech), Scott Hicks (Australian), Mike Leigh and Anthony Minghella (both English) received Oscar nominations. Of course, this is only technically true. Joel Coen was the one American in the category, yet it was due to a guild rule that he received sole credit for directing despite his helming “Fargo” with his brother Ethan, who would’ve been the second American among the nominees.
SEEOscars: Justine Triet is 8th...
What do these four directors have in common? They were all among the nominees for this year’s Academy Awards, and none of them were born in the United States. Lanthimos is Greek, Triet is French, and Nolan and Glazer are British. Among the nominees, only New Yorker Martin Scorsese is American-born.
The last time only one American-born director made it to that year’s Best Director lineup was back in 1997, when Miloš Forman (Czech), Scott Hicks (Australian), Mike Leigh and Anthony Minghella (both English) received Oscar nominations. Of course, this is only technically true. Joel Coen was the one American in the category, yet it was due to a guild rule that he received sole credit for directing despite his helming “Fargo” with his brother Ethan, who would’ve been the second American among the nominees.
SEEOscars: Justine Triet is 8th...
- 1/31/2024
- by Sebastian Ochoa Mendoza
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Two-time Oscar nominee and BAFTA winner Ralph Fiennes (Schindler’s List) has written and will direct The Beacon, in which he will also have a leading role alongside Olivier Award-winner Indira Varma (Obi Wan Kenobi), Charles Babalola (The Outlaws) and Alison Oliver (Saltburn).
Described as a meditation on family, class, race and identity, the contemporary UK-set drama marks Fiennes’ first feature film screenplay after previously directing The White Crow, The Invisible Woman and Coriolanus.
The official synopsis reads: “Joshua Nyaga travels to the countryside from London to spend a summer’s weekend with his girlfriend Cass’ family for the first time. Transplanted as a young boy from the violence of the Ugandan civil war to the concrete jungle of London, Joshua has never experienced the privilege that Cass’ family enjoys.
“Surrounded by the sea and lush natural landscape, the farm is an oasis, brimming with idealistic notions and lively debate amongst Cass’ father,...
Described as a meditation on family, class, race and identity, the contemporary UK-set drama marks Fiennes’ first feature film screenplay after previously directing The White Crow, The Invisible Woman and Coriolanus.
The official synopsis reads: “Joshua Nyaga travels to the countryside from London to spend a summer’s weekend with his girlfriend Cass’ family for the first time. Transplanted as a young boy from the violence of the Ugandan civil war to the concrete jungle of London, Joshua has never experienced the privilege that Cass’ family enjoys.
“Surrounded by the sea and lush natural landscape, the farm is an oasis, brimming with idealistic notions and lively debate amongst Cass’ father,...
- 1/31/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
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