Illustrations by Maddie Fischer.For more Cannes 2024 coverage, subscribe to the Weekly Edit newsletter.Eephus.For all the thrills that come from watching the latest film by this or that renowned auteur, I don’t come to Cannes for confirmation, but for the pleasure of discovery. And nothing quite matches the exhilaration of reckoning with a new voice—the kind that jolts you out of your festival torpor and reminds you of all the beauty and magic the cinema can muster. As usual, those epiphanies were a lot harder to come by in the official competition than in the risk-friendlier Directors’ Fortnight, an independent sidebar born in 1969 as a counterprogram dedicated, per its mission statement, “to showcasing the most singular forms of contemporary cinema.” It is here that some of the greatest have shown their earliest stuff, an illustrious pedigree that’s flaunted before each screening through a short reel...
- 5/29/2024
- MUBI
The Seed Of The Sacred Fig from Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof has swooped to a late victory on Screen’s 2024 Cannes jury grid with an average score of 3.4.
See the final jury grid below.
The Seed Of The Sacred Fig and Michel Hazanavicius’ The Most Precious Of Cargoes were the final two titles to land on the grid, with the latter scoring 1.2, the lowest score this year.
Rasoulof attended last night’s (May 24) Cannes premiere after fleeing his country following an eight-year prison sentence from Iranian authorities. The family drama follows a judge in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court grappling...
See the final jury grid below.
The Seed Of The Sacred Fig and Michel Hazanavicius’ The Most Precious Of Cargoes were the final two titles to land on the grid, with the latter scoring 1.2, the lowest score this year.
Rasoulof attended last night’s (May 24) Cannes premiere after fleeing his country following an eight-year prison sentence from Iranian authorities. The family drama follows a judge in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court grappling...
- 5/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
Sean Baker’s Anora has stormed to the top of Screen’s Cannes jury while Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope divided critics and Christophe Honoré’s Marcello Mio scored the lowest of this year’s festival so far.
Baker’s latest feature received a solid 3.3 - the first film this year to score an average above three stars, overtaking last year’s jury grid winner, Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves (3.2).
The US comedy-drama about a sex worker received six scores of four stars (excellent) and four marks of three stars (good). Critics Katja Nicodemus (Germany’s Die Zeit) and Anton Dolin (Meduza) were less convinced,...
Baker’s latest feature received a solid 3.3 - the first film this year to score an average above three stars, overtaking last year’s jury grid winner, Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves (3.2).
The US comedy-drama about a sex worker received six scores of four stars (excellent) and four marks of three stars (good). Critics Katja Nicodemus (Germany’s Die Zeit) and Anton Dolin (Meduza) were less convinced,...
- 5/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
When it comes to the indie movie business, you don’t get more old-school than Kino Lorber. The New York outfit, founded as Kino International in 1977, has been the first source of independent cinema for U.S. audiences. It was the first to distribute films from Yorgos Lanthimos, Aki Kaurismäki, Wong Kar-wai, Andrei Tarkovsky and Michelangelo Antonioni in U.S. theaters and the first to restore and rerelease silent classics like Metropolis, The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, and the films of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.
In 2009, when Richard Lorber’s home entertainment company Lorber Ht Digital acquired and merged with Kino International, physical media got added to the mix, and the newly minted Kino Lorber became known for its home entertainment releases, ranging from classic (Nosferatu, The Sacrifice) to cult (Mad Max, Emmanuelle). The Kino Lorber library now counts more than 4,000 titles and the company is continually adding to the list,...
In 2009, when Richard Lorber’s home entertainment company Lorber Ht Digital acquired and merged with Kino International, physical media got added to the mix, and the newly minted Kino Lorber became known for its home entertainment releases, ranging from classic (Nosferatu, The Sacrifice) to cult (Mad Max, Emmanuelle). The Kino Lorber library now counts more than 4,000 titles and the company is continually adding to the list,...
- 5/17/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Arthouse streamer Mubi has snatched up Andrea Arnold’s Bird for the U.K. and Ireland ahead of the film’s world premiere in competition in Cannes.
Barry Keoghan, Franz Rogowski, Nykiya Adams, and Jason Buda co-star in the new drama from the American Honey and Red Road director. The film follows a 12-year-old who lives with her brother and single dad in a squat in North Kent. As she approaches puberty she seeks attention and adventure elsewhere.
Bird was produced by Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Lee Groombridge for House Productions (The Iron Claw, The Wonder).
Cornerstone is handling international sales for Bird and is co-repping U.S. rights with CAA Media Finance.
Recent Mubi releases include Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, Wim Wender’s Perfect Days, Molly Manning Walker’s How to Have Sex, and Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves, all festival hits. The streamer’s upcoming slate includes Levan Akin’s Crossing,...
Barry Keoghan, Franz Rogowski, Nykiya Adams, and Jason Buda co-star in the new drama from the American Honey and Red Road director. The film follows a 12-year-old who lives with her brother and single dad in a squat in North Kent. As she approaches puberty she seeks attention and adventure elsewhere.
Bird was produced by Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Lee Groombridge for House Productions (The Iron Claw, The Wonder).
Cornerstone is handling international sales for Bird and is co-repping U.S. rights with CAA Media Finance.
Recent Mubi releases include Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, Wim Wender’s Perfect Days, Molly Manning Walker’s How to Have Sex, and Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves, all festival hits. The streamer’s upcoming slate includes Levan Akin’s Crossing,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Screen International can reveal the critics participating in this year’s jury grid at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival (May 14-25).
Joining Screen’s reviewing team will be critics from 11 international outlets to give their verdict on the 22 films in Competition this year for the Palme d’Or.
This year’s critics are all returners to the jury grid with the exception of Nt Binh who replaces Michel Ciment for France’s Positif. Ciment passed away in November last year at 85 and was a long-time contributor to the jury grid.
The selection also includes Justin Chang for The New Yorker who...
Joining Screen’s reviewing team will be critics from 11 international outlets to give their verdict on the 22 films in Competition this year for the Palme d’Or.
This year’s critics are all returners to the jury grid with the exception of Nt Binh who replaces Michel Ciment for France’s Positif. Ciment passed away in November last year at 85 and was a long-time contributor to the jury grid.
The selection also includes Justin Chang for The New Yorker who...
- 5/13/2024
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Mubi has tapped Amazon MGM Studios and IFC distribution vet Mark Boxer as their U.S. Head of Distribution. Boxer will be on the Croisette during the run of this year’s Cannes Film Festival scoping out product for Mubi. In the new job, Boxer will be based in the New York office, and he’ll report to Mubi Chief Content Officer Jason Ropell.
The two decades-plus theatrical distribution vet, who first cut his teeth at Savoy Pictures, is known for building out distribution ops and tailoring myriad distribution plans for an array of movies. With Boxer, Mubi gets an internal distribution executive who’ll champion their slate to the fullest, giving their pics the best possible exposure across theaters coast to coast. The hire puts Mubi on a new level of distribution stateside as they make larger investments in features and expand their executive ranks.
Mubi’s upcoming slate,...
The two decades-plus theatrical distribution vet, who first cut his teeth at Savoy Pictures, is known for building out distribution ops and tailoring myriad distribution plans for an array of movies. With Boxer, Mubi gets an internal distribution executive who’ll champion their slate to the fullest, giving their pics the best possible exposure across theaters coast to coast. The hire puts Mubi on a new level of distribution stateside as they make larger investments in features and expand their executive ranks.
Mubi’s upcoming slate,...
- 5/13/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
German director Ilker Çatak’s The Teachers’ Lounge has won the 2024 Lux European Audience Film Award.
The Teachers’ Lounge was one of five films shortlisted for the award alongside Spanish director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren’s 20,000 Species Of Bees, Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves, French director Nicolas Philibert’s On The Adamant and Estonian director Anna Hints’ Smoke Sauna Sisterhood.
Organised by the European Parliament and the European Film Academy in partnership with the European Commission and Europa Cinema since 2020, the Lux Audience Award combines the ratings of the European public with the ratings of MEPs, each accounting for 50% of the final result.
The Teachers’ Lounge was one of five films shortlisted for the award alongside Spanish director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren’s 20,000 Species Of Bees, Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves, French director Nicolas Philibert’s On The Adamant and Estonian director Anna Hints’ Smoke Sauna Sisterhood.
Organised by the European Parliament and the European Film Academy in partnership with the European Commission and Europa Cinema since 2020, the Lux Audience Award combines the ratings of the European public with the ratings of MEPs, each accounting for 50% of the final result.
- 4/17/2024
- ScreenDaily
With John Travolta, Gregory Nava and a host of other luminaries lighting it up, the 12th Panama International Film Festival wrapped Sunday on a high note, with general attendance exceeding expectations.
Speaking at the closing ceremony held at the Canal Museum, Pituka Ortega-Heilbron, Iff Panama Board President, hailed this latest edition as a vibrant rebirth for the festival.
“We were hit by the phenomenon of the pandemic, and we certainly don’t want to complain or victimize ourselves because to fight is synonymous with living, but this festival has fought tirelessly for the last four years to thrive.”
“There’s still much ground to cover. We must work together – government, community groups, and businesses – to understand how important cultural and creative industries are for our country’s economy and society to grow,” declared Culture Minister Giselle González Villarué, who later told Variety that a delayed feasibility study that would explore...
Speaking at the closing ceremony held at the Canal Museum, Pituka Ortega-Heilbron, Iff Panama Board President, hailed this latest edition as a vibrant rebirth for the festival.
“We were hit by the phenomenon of the pandemic, and we certainly don’t want to complain or victimize ourselves because to fight is synonymous with living, but this festival has fought tirelessly for the last four years to thrive.”
“There’s still much ground to cover. We must work together – government, community groups, and businesses – to understand how important cultural and creative industries are for our country’s economy and society to grow,” declared Culture Minister Giselle González Villarué, who later told Variety that a delayed feasibility study that would explore...
- 4/9/2024
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
UK filmmaker Andrea Arnold will be honoured with the Directors’ Fortnight’s Carrosse d’Or award at the 56h edition of the Cannes parallel section running May 15-25.
She will receive the prize from French directors guild La Société des Réalisateurs (Srf) during the opening ceremony.
Launched in 2002, the Carosse d’Or - or “Golden Coach” in French - recognises “innovative” directors for their storied careers behind the camera.
Last year, Souleyman Cissé received the honour that has also previously been given to Frederick Wiseman, John Carpenter, Martin Scorsese, Werner Herzog, Aki Kaurismaki, Jia Zhangke, Naomi Kawase and Nanni Moretti.
She will receive the prize from French directors guild La Société des Réalisateurs (Srf) during the opening ceremony.
Launched in 2002, the Carosse d’Or - or “Golden Coach” in French - recognises “innovative” directors for their storied careers behind the camera.
Last year, Souleyman Cissé received the honour that has also previously been given to Frederick Wiseman, John Carpenter, Martin Scorsese, Werner Herzog, Aki Kaurismaki, Jia Zhangke, Naomi Kawase and Nanni Moretti.
- 4/9/2024
- ScreenDaily
Running April 4-7, the Iff Panama brings to this year’s edition a rich mix of standout director driven titles from Europe, the Spanish-speaking world and beyond, spangled by highlights from Central America, including Panama:
“Bila Burba,” (Duiren Wagua, Panama)
Documentary. Wagua’s debut feature. The Gunadule nation’s ties with the Panamanian government were fraught with territorial and cultural disputes. In 1925, leaders Simral Colman and Nele Kantule, inspired by their warrior ancestors, joined forces to unite their communities in the ‘Dule Revolution’ against police brutality. Today, their descendants honor this legacy through street theater, transforming community streets into stages to commemorate their ancestors’ struggle.
Bila Burba
“Brown,” (Ricardo Aguilar, Panama)
Penned by Aguilar’s regular collaborator, Manolito Rodríguez, the story centers on Teófilo Alfonso, also known as “Panamá Al” Brown, the first Latin American World Boxing Champion. After a fixed fight costs him his title, he retires to Paris.
“Bila Burba,” (Duiren Wagua, Panama)
Documentary. Wagua’s debut feature. The Gunadule nation’s ties with the Panamanian government were fraught with territorial and cultural disputes. In 1925, leaders Simral Colman and Nele Kantule, inspired by their warrior ancestors, joined forces to unite their communities in the ‘Dule Revolution’ against police brutality. Today, their descendants honor this legacy through street theater, transforming community streets into stages to commemorate their ancestors’ struggle.
Bila Burba
“Brown,” (Ricardo Aguilar, Panama)
Penned by Aguilar’s regular collaborator, Manolito Rodríguez, the story centers on Teófilo Alfonso, also known as “Panamá Al” Brown, the first Latin American World Boxing Champion. After a fixed fight costs him his title, he retires to Paris.
- 4/3/2024
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Dupieux’s melancholic comedy sees a disillusioned audience member pull a gun before demanding a word processor to write the actors a better play
Quentin Dupieux is one of the vanishingly small number of film-makers on the non-Anglo-American distribution circuit who really is interested in – and allowed to make – straight-up comedy, albeit flavoured with melancholy or violent absurdity. For me, only Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern are comparable. Aki Kaurismäki, for example, is different; although gently and wonderfully comic, his films don’t try to hit the laugh lines in the same way.
The prolific Dupieux has now created a 67-minute sketch, a one-act cine-play about a mediocre Paris stage company performing a dinner-theatre comedy called The Cuckold to a bored, half-empty house. Just as they are grinding through their tired old routines, a guy called Yannick (Raphaël Quenard) stands up in the auditorium and announces that this so-called comedy...
Quentin Dupieux is one of the vanishingly small number of film-makers on the non-Anglo-American distribution circuit who really is interested in – and allowed to make – straight-up comedy, albeit flavoured with melancholy or violent absurdity. For me, only Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern are comparable. Aki Kaurismäki, for example, is different; although gently and wonderfully comic, his films don’t try to hit the laugh lines in the same way.
The prolific Dupieux has now created a 67-minute sketch, a one-act cine-play about a mediocre Paris stage company performing a dinner-theatre comedy called The Cuckold to a bored, half-empty house. Just as they are grinding through their tired old routines, a guy called Yannick (Raphaël Quenard) stands up in the auditorium and announces that this so-called comedy...
- 4/2/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
The Argentinan government has moved ahead with plans to withdraw all state funding from the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (Incaa), the film body that backs the majority of Argentinian films and festivals and events including Ventana Sur (with the Marche du Cannes) and the Mar Del Plata International Film Festival.
The announcement was made on March 11 via the country’s Ministry of Human Capital. It claimed the Incaa had a $4m deficit.
“Our commitment to a zero budget deficit is non-negotiable,” said the government in a statement. “The time when film festivals were financed with the hunger...
The announcement was made on March 11 via the country’s Ministry of Human Capital. It claimed the Incaa had a $4m deficit.
“Our commitment to a zero budget deficit is non-negotiable,” said the government in a statement. “The time when film festivals were financed with the hunger...
- 3/13/2024
- ScreenDaily
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2023 Oscars Predictions:
Best Original Screenplay Past Lives, from left: Teo Yoo, Greta Lee, John Magro, 2023. © A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection
Weekly Commentary: Following its victories at the Golden Globes for best screenplay and the BAFTA for original screenplay, it appears almost inevitable that “Anatomy of a Fall” will secure the Oscar for its co-writers,...
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2023 Oscars Predictions:
Best Original Screenplay Past Lives, from left: Teo Yoo, Greta Lee, John Magro, 2023. © A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection
Weekly Commentary: Following its victories at the Golden Globes for best screenplay and the BAFTA for original screenplay, it appears almost inevitable that “Anatomy of a Fall” will secure the Oscar for its co-writers,...
- 3/7/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The César Awards are always the biggest night of the year for French cinema, but the massive award season impact of “Anatomy of a Fall” ensured that this year’s event took on additional importance for Oscar watchers around the globe. When the 49th César Awards took place in Paris on Friday night, all eyes were on Justine Triet and her Palme d’Or-winning film.
Predictably, “Anatomy of a Fall” swept many of the night’s biggest categories. In addition to winning the top prize of Best Film, Triet was honored with Best Director and shared Best Screenplay with her partner Arthur Harari. Stars Sandra Hüller and Swann Arlaud also won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.
The night’s other big winner was Thomas Cailley’s “The Animal Kingdom,” which won awards for Cinematography, Visual Effects, Costume Design, and Sound.
Keep reading for a complete list of winners from the 2024 César Awards.
Predictably, “Anatomy of a Fall” swept many of the night’s biggest categories. In addition to winning the top prize of Best Film, Triet was honored with Best Director and shared Best Screenplay with her partner Arthur Harari. Stars Sandra Hüller and Swann Arlaud also won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.
The night’s other big winner was Thomas Cailley’s “The Animal Kingdom,” which won awards for Cinematography, Visual Effects, Costume Design, and Sound.
Keep reading for a complete list of winners from the 2024 César Awards.
- 2/23/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall won Best Film and Best Director at the 49th edition of the French César awards Friday.
Triet is only the second women to clinch the Best Director prize in the near 50-year history of the César Awards, after Tonie Marshall for Venus Beauty in 1976.
The director took to the stage with her producers Marie-Ange Luciani at Les Films de Pierre and David Thion at Les Films Pelléas.
Luciani suggested the Best Film honor, which is voted on by the some 4,600 members of the César Academy, was a sign of solidarity for the film and Triet in the light of her controversial Cannes d’Or acceptance speech which provoked a political backlash after she criticized the attitude of Emmanuel Macron’s government towards culture and cinema.
“After Justine’s speech in Cannes and the lively debate she provoked we’d like to say this...
Triet is only the second women to clinch the Best Director prize in the near 50-year history of the César Awards, after Tonie Marshall for Venus Beauty in 1976.
The director took to the stage with her producers Marie-Ange Luciani at Les Films de Pierre and David Thion at Les Films Pelléas.
Luciani suggested the Best Film honor, which is voted on by the some 4,600 members of the César Academy, was a sign of solidarity for the film and Triet in the light of her controversial Cannes d’Or acceptance speech which provoked a political backlash after she criticized the attitude of Emmanuel Macron’s government towards culture and cinema.
“After Justine’s speech in Cannes and the lively debate she provoked we’d like to say this...
- 2/23/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Christopher Nolan touched down in Paris on Friday evening to receive an honorary César award at the 49th edition of France’s top film awards.
In attendance with producer and wife Emma Thomas, the Paris trip comes in the final days of the front-running Academy Award campaign for Oppenheimer, which is nominated in 13 categories.
Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard, who appeared in Nolan’s Inception and Dark Knight Rises, presented the director with the award.
“The magic of cinema is made by magicians and we have the honor of having the biggest magician of the 7th art with us this evening,” said the actress, also paying tribute to Thomas for enabling Nolan to work in complete creative freedom.
Nolan has a strong following in France. Inception sold 5M tickets there to gross close to $40M, whileemade around $20m at the box office.
The Oscar-winning director said the country had a special...
In attendance with producer and wife Emma Thomas, the Paris trip comes in the final days of the front-running Academy Award campaign for Oppenheimer, which is nominated in 13 categories.
Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard, who appeared in Nolan’s Inception and Dark Knight Rises, presented the director with the award.
“The magic of cinema is made by magicians and we have the honor of having the biggest magician of the 7th art with us this evening,” said the actress, also paying tribute to Thomas for enabling Nolan to work in complete creative freedom.
Nolan has a strong following in France. Inception sold 5M tickets there to gross close to $40M, whileemade around $20m at the box office.
The Oscar-winning director said the country had a special...
- 2/23/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Mubi has acquired David Hinton’s Made In England: The Films Of Powell And Pressburger for key territories ahead of its world premiere in Berlin this week.
It has picked up the film for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Latin America, Turkey and India (South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation). Altitude handles world sales.
Made In England has its world premiere as a Berlinale Special title at Berlin Film Festival on Wednesday, February 21.
The documentary is presented by Martin Scorsese, and is a personal journey of how Powell and Pressburger’s work, and later Powell’s friendship,...
It has picked up the film for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Latin America, Turkey and India (South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation). Altitude handles world sales.
Made In England has its world premiere as a Berlinale Special title at Berlin Film Festival on Wednesday, February 21.
The documentary is presented by Martin Scorsese, and is a personal journey of how Powell and Pressburger’s work, and later Powell’s friendship,...
- 2/19/2024
- ScreenDaily
I sat in silence for a while after finishing Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days and then ended up on Spotify, searching for the film’s soundtrack. The latter is ironically funny, given our lead, Mr. Hirayama, doesn’t have a clue what “Spotify” is. The man lives in 2023, but he belongs to an old world. On the surface, Wender’s Japanese drama appears to be a celebration of the mundane, much like Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson, but underneath the surface, there lie layers of melancholy, heartbreak, and hope. It’s also a portrayal of working-class people, something that we saw very recently in Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves, but the treatment is much different here. Wender’s signature style, which involves a lot of silence, cynicism, and the use of striking imagery as tools of storytelling, fits this story and its central character perfectly.
Spoilers Ahead
Plot Synopsis: What Happens In The Movie?...
Spoilers Ahead
Plot Synopsis: What Happens In The Movie?...
- 2/13/2024
- by Rohitavra Majumdar
- Film Fugitives
Aki Kaurismäki's Fallen Leaves is screening exclusively on Mubi in many countries.Fallen Leaves.There’s a moment early in Aki Kaurismäki’s latest film, Fallen Leaves (2023), that will surely tug at the heartstrings of shy lovers everywhere. A man, Holappa (played by Jussi Vatanen), and a woman, Ansa (Alma Pöysti), sit across from each other in a bar. Between them, his friend tries vainly to flirt with hers, getting nowhere, but Holappa and Ansa themselves do not speak, and instead merely stare meekly into their drinks, the gap of a few meters opening up like a yawning chasm. Then, for just a moment, Holappa looks up from his beer and their eyes meet. And as they do, the first cascading piano chords of Franz Schubert’s “Serenade” are heard and a besuited man takes the karaoke stage to start singing: “Softly my songs plead / through the night for...
- 2/4/2024
- MUBI
2023 was a year of sustained gains year-on-year across the Nordics, although moviegoing is still down 23%-30% from pre-covid times. The summer was exceptional thanks to the “Barbenheimer” mania that boosted all five Nordic countries. Iceland was the only territory where “Oppenheimer” ranked third, after the local comedy “Wild Game” one of three Icelandic titles that enabled local fare to jump 123% in box office for a 14% market share.
Norway enjoyed a solid year and a 27% market share for domestic fare, led by three blockbusters based on popular IPs, including the top seller “Christmas at Cobble Street.”
In Finland, the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon was perhaps the strongest among the Nordic nations, making July the biggest ever in Finnish cinema history. Also notable was the success of Aki Kaurismäki’s “Fallen Leaves,” the fourth biggest hit of the year, which helped local titles secure a 23.4% share.
Less glorious were results in Denmark where overall...
Norway enjoyed a solid year and a 27% market share for domestic fare, led by three blockbusters based on popular IPs, including the top seller “Christmas at Cobble Street.”
In Finland, the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon was perhaps the strongest among the Nordic nations, making July the biggest ever in Finnish cinema history. Also notable was the success of Aki Kaurismäki’s “Fallen Leaves,” the fourth biggest hit of the year, which helped local titles secure a 23.4% share.
Less glorious were results in Denmark where overall...
- 2/2/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
Mubi have announced two exclusive collections running during the month of February, In The Mood For Love and Cut to Black: Celebrating Black Cinema. In a couple of weeks Valentine's Day will have come and gone and you'd have celebrated it with your loved ones or, like me, you will lament that the two week build-up of jealousy and snarkiness about the day could not go on for the remaining two weeks of the month. For those of you looking to keep that feeling going Mubi will have their film collection In The Mood For Love which will be available to stream starting February 14th. This collection of cinematic romances features Nicole Holofcener’s Lovely & Amazing (2001) starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Aki Kaurismäki’s Golden Globe...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 2/1/2024
- Screen Anarchy
Swann Arlaud, recently seen as Sandra Hüller’s lawyer in “Anatomy of a Fall,” and Woody Norman, who appeared alongside Joaquin Phoenix in 2021 crowdpleaser “C’mon C’mon,” are set to lead the cast of “Sukkwan Island.”
Ruaridh Mollica, who turned heads in this year’s Sundance following his lead turn in “Sebastian,” and Alma Pöysti, who was recently Golden Globe-nominated for Aki Kaurismäki’s “Fallen Leaves,” will also star in the film, being directed by Vladimir de Fontenay, marking the French filmmaker’s first feature since his Cannes-bowing “Mobile Homes” in 2017.
Set to start shooting in Norway in the coming weeks, “Sukkwan Island” is based on the semi-autobiographical novella by American author David Vann, part of his 2010 collection “Legend of a Suicide.” The story follows a haunted young man’s travels to a wild and secluded Island to reconnect with his father. Ten years before, they shared a harrowing and life...
Ruaridh Mollica, who turned heads in this year’s Sundance following his lead turn in “Sebastian,” and Alma Pöysti, who was recently Golden Globe-nominated for Aki Kaurismäki’s “Fallen Leaves,” will also star in the film, being directed by Vladimir de Fontenay, marking the French filmmaker’s first feature since his Cannes-bowing “Mobile Homes” in 2017.
Set to start shooting in Norway in the coming weeks, “Sukkwan Island” is based on the semi-autobiographical novella by American author David Vann, part of his 2010 collection “Legend of a Suicide.” The story follows a haunted young man’s travels to a wild and secluded Island to reconnect with his father. Ten years before, they shared a harrowing and life...
- 1/31/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Marco Bellocchio has ruffled some feathers over the years – starting with his feature debut “Fists in the Pocket.”
“I do remember that people were shocked about me making a film, in Italy, about a son killing his mother. They were surprised and I don’t know why. I thought it was a good idea – from a dramatic point of view,” he said at International Film Festival Rotterdam during a talk with festival director Vanja Kaludjercic.
While his colleague Bernardo Bertolucci found himself in even bigger trouble – “They wanted to burn the negative of ‘The Last Tango in Paris,’ which was absurd! I had issues, but not as big as this one” – “Fists in the Pocket” still angered many. Including Luis Buñuel.
“He is perceived as this great surrealist, a revolutionary, but he was a conservative moralist. He couldn’t believe this angry young man was so bitter against his mother.
“I do remember that people were shocked about me making a film, in Italy, about a son killing his mother. They were surprised and I don’t know why. I thought it was a good idea – from a dramatic point of view,” he said at International Film Festival Rotterdam during a talk with festival director Vanja Kaludjercic.
While his colleague Bernardo Bertolucci found himself in even bigger trouble – “They wanted to burn the negative of ‘The Last Tango in Paris,’ which was absurd! I had issues, but not as big as this one” – “Fists in the Pocket” still angered many. Including Luis Buñuel.
“He is perceived as this great surrealist, a revolutionary, but he was a conservative moralist. He couldn’t believe this angry young man was so bitter against his mother.
- 1/29/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Thomas Cailley’s fantasy drama The Animal Kingdom topped the nominations for France’s César Awards, which were announced in Paris on Wednesday.
The drama picked up 12 nominations with Justine Triet’s Oscar hopeful Anatomy Of A Fall coming in second with 11 nominations, followed by Jeanne Herry’s All Your Faces, which nine, and The Goldman Case, with eight.
Set in a world where human beings start transmuting into animals, The Animal Kingdom world premiered as the opening film of Cannes Un Certain Regard in 2023 and went on to make $8.5M at the box office last fall.
The Animal Kingdom and Anatomy of a Fall are competing in eight categories spanning Best Film, Director, Original Screenplay, Male Revelation, Editing, Sound, Cinematography and Production Design.
The high nomination count for Herry’s ensemble drama All Your Faces was thanks to the fact it dominated the Supporting Actress category with separate nominations for cast members Leila Bekhti,...
The drama picked up 12 nominations with Justine Triet’s Oscar hopeful Anatomy Of A Fall coming in second with 11 nominations, followed by Jeanne Herry’s All Your Faces, which nine, and The Goldman Case, with eight.
Set in a world where human beings start transmuting into animals, The Animal Kingdom world premiered as the opening film of Cannes Un Certain Regard in 2023 and went on to make $8.5M at the box office last fall.
The Animal Kingdom and Anatomy of a Fall are competing in eight categories spanning Best Film, Director, Original Screenplay, Male Revelation, Editing, Sound, Cinematography and Production Design.
The high nomination count for Herry’s ensemble drama All Your Faces was thanks to the fact it dominated the Supporting Actress category with separate nominations for cast members Leila Bekhti,...
- 1/24/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The nominees announced today for the Best International Feature Film Oscar category were for the most part presaged, particularly in the case of Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest which is now also in the races for Best Picture, Directing, Adapted Screenplay and Sound. Wow!
Other nominees in the field include Matteo Garrone’s Io Capitano, which already was a Best Director/Best Young Actor winner in Venice – and this marks Garrone’s first Oscar nom; Wim Wenders’ Japan entry Perfect Days (Best Actor at Cannes); J.A. Bayona’s Society of the Snow and Ilker Catak’s The Teacher’s Lounge out of Germany.
Spain’s entry, Society of the Snow, also nabbed a Makeup and Hairstyling mention from AMPAS. Again, we’re seeing more crossover from movies made overseas and not in English.
Notably, however, documentaries that were on shortlists for both International Feature and the overall Doc...
Other nominees in the field include Matteo Garrone’s Io Capitano, which already was a Best Director/Best Young Actor winner in Venice – and this marks Garrone’s first Oscar nom; Wim Wenders’ Japan entry Perfect Days (Best Actor at Cannes); J.A. Bayona’s Society of the Snow and Ilker Catak’s The Teacher’s Lounge out of Germany.
Spain’s entry, Society of the Snow, also nabbed a Makeup and Hairstyling mention from AMPAS. Again, we’re seeing more crossover from movies made overseas and not in English.
Notably, however, documentaries that were on shortlists for both International Feature and the overall Doc...
- 1/23/2024
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
More than 300 members of the global film community including Justine Triet, Pedro Almodóvar, Aki Kaurismäki, and the Dardennes brothers are protesting new Argentinian president Javier Milei’s proposals to defund the national film and TV body Incaa and scrap the country’s film schools.
Isabelle Huppert, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Kelly Reichardt, Mira Nair, Asif Kapadia, Isabel Coixet, Kleber Mendonca Filho, Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna have also signed a statement against a bill which would bring in sweeping cuts to government arts funding.
Argentinian filmmakers are understood to be in discussions with lawmakers over a bill which, according to Buenos Aires Herald,...
Isabelle Huppert, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Kelly Reichardt, Mira Nair, Asif Kapadia, Isabel Coixet, Kleber Mendonca Filho, Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna have also signed a statement against a bill which would bring in sweeping cuts to government arts funding.
Argentinian filmmakers are understood to be in discussions with lawmakers over a bill which, according to Buenos Aires Herald,...
- 1/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
Nighthawks in Hopper: An American Love Story Photo: Edward Hopper, courtesy of Aic Chicago
The Lavender Hill Mob, 5.05pm, Film4, Monday, January 22
Some people think of black and white films as boring, artefacts of the past to which they could not possibly relate. There’s nothing like an Ealing comedy to set them right. This one’s a classic, with Alec Guinness’ charming, silver-tongued bank clerk hatching a scheme to embezzle gold by meltimg it down and disguising it in the form of tourist souvenirs. When a party of schoolgirls unwittingly acquire those souvenirs, however, getting them back proves much more of a challenge. Tightly plotted and full of twists and turns, it mingles elements of farce with deliciously dark wit, and there’s no shortage of thrills.
Fallen Leaves, Mubi, Tuesday, January 23
Once upon a time declaring oneself an admirer of the work of Aki Kaurismäki meant no longer getting invited to parties,...
The Lavender Hill Mob, 5.05pm, Film4, Monday, January 22
Some people think of black and white films as boring, artefacts of the past to which they could not possibly relate. There’s nothing like an Ealing comedy to set them right. This one’s a classic, with Alec Guinness’ charming, silver-tongued bank clerk hatching a scheme to embezzle gold by meltimg it down and disguising it in the form of tourist souvenirs. When a party of schoolgirls unwittingly acquire those souvenirs, however, getting them back proves much more of a challenge. Tightly plotted and full of twists and turns, it mingles elements of farce with deliciously dark wit, and there’s no shortage of thrills.
Fallen Leaves, Mubi, Tuesday, January 23
Once upon a time declaring oneself an admirer of the work of Aki Kaurismäki meant no longer getting invited to parties,...
- 1/22/2024
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Argentina’s newly elected president Javier Milei is bent on keeping his chainsaw-wielding campaign promise to cut state spending, including scrapping the country’s national film institute (Incaa) and its film schools (Enerc).
His mega draft bill, aimed at reining in Argentina’s hyper-inflation, has prompted more than 300 directors, producers, actors, critics and colleagues from across the world, led by Academy Award winners Pedro Almodóvar, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Cannes winners Aki Kaurismäki (“Autumn Leaves”) and the Dardenne Brothers (“Rosetta”), to sign a communiqué protesting the far-right libertarian’s proposal.
The other signees include actor-producers Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, Isabelle Huppert, directors Olivier Assayas, Kelly Reichardt, Kleber Mendonca Filho, Juan Antonio Bayona, Pedro Costa, Asif Kapadia, Corneliu Porumboiu, Abel Ferrara, Mira Nair, Roger Corman and Isabel Coixet, among many other prominent figures in the global film community.
In a statement, the newly formed coalition Cine Argentino Unido, spearheaded by film director associations,...
His mega draft bill, aimed at reining in Argentina’s hyper-inflation, has prompted more than 300 directors, producers, actors, critics and colleagues from across the world, led by Academy Award winners Pedro Almodóvar, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Cannes winners Aki Kaurismäki (“Autumn Leaves”) and the Dardenne Brothers (“Rosetta”), to sign a communiqué protesting the far-right libertarian’s proposal.
The other signees include actor-producers Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, Isabelle Huppert, directors Olivier Assayas, Kelly Reichardt, Kleber Mendonca Filho, Juan Antonio Bayona, Pedro Costa, Asif Kapadia, Corneliu Porumboiu, Abel Ferrara, Mira Nair, Roger Corman and Isabel Coixet, among many other prominent figures in the global film community.
In a statement, the newly formed coalition Cine Argentino Unido, spearheaded by film director associations,...
- 1/22/2024
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
The final countdown is on. The BAFTA nominations are in, which means all the precursors are accounted for – aside from the delayed Writers Guild Awards. One of the last major Oscar players made its digital debut the same day that voting ended. Will that put the movie at the top of Academy members’ minds?
The contender to watch this week: “The Color Purple“
One of the lingering questions ahead of next week’s Oscar nominations is how “The Color Purple” will fare. The newest adaptation of Alice Walker‘s Pulitzer-winning novel has been up and down throughout precursor season, but its two SAG Award nods — particularly the venerated ensemble prize — could hint at a decent haul. The surest bet is newly BAFTA-recognized Danielle Brooks, reprising her barn-burning role from the Broadway production. Otherwise, the movie could show up in Best Costume Design, Best Original Score (it is a musical after all), Best Production Design,...
The contender to watch this week: “The Color Purple“
One of the lingering questions ahead of next week’s Oscar nominations is how “The Color Purple” will fare. The newest adaptation of Alice Walker‘s Pulitzer-winning novel has been up and down throughout precursor season, but its two SAG Award nods — particularly the venerated ensemble prize — could hint at a decent haul. The surest bet is newly BAFTA-recognized Danielle Brooks, reprising her barn-burning role from the Broadway production. Otherwise, the movie could show up in Best Costume Design, Best Original Score (it is a musical after all), Best Production Design,...
- 1/20/2024
- by Matthew Jacobs
- Gold Derby
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
The Boys in the Boat (George Clooney)
This is, from start to finish, an underdog sports picture. Edgerton puts a welcome spin on the gruff-but-caring coach archetype, and Turner does the same with his lead character. Soft-spoken, stern, and handsome, this is a role someone like Ronald Reagan would have excelled at bringing to the screen some 80 years ago; Turner, luckily, is more interesting to look at and a better actor. Alexandre Desplat’s score is maybe the most playful thing about this film, and it works when it needs to. The race sequences are unquestionably Boys‘ highlight, Clooney making use of zoom lenses and well-placed cameras to capture the speed and fluidity of each competition. There is a real tension mined in these scenes,...
The Boys in the Boat (George Clooney)
This is, from start to finish, an underdog sports picture. Edgerton puts a welcome spin on the gruff-but-caring coach archetype, and Turner does the same with his lead character. Soft-spoken, stern, and handsome, this is a role someone like Ronald Reagan would have excelled at bringing to the screen some 80 years ago; Turner, luckily, is more interesting to look at and a better actor. Alexandre Desplat’s score is maybe the most playful thing about this film, and it works when it needs to. The race sequences are unquestionably Boys‘ highlight, Clooney making use of zoom lenses and well-placed cameras to capture the speed and fluidity of each competition. There is a real tension mined in these scenes,...
- 1/19/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Art house streaming platform Mubi has picked up all rights in North America, the U.K., Germany and Latin America for Crossing, the new feature from Swedish director Levan Akin (And Then We Danced).
Mubi snatched up Crossing ahead of this year’s Berlin Film Festival, where it will have its world premiere, opening Berlin’s Panorama sidebar.
The film follows Lia, a retired teacher living in Batumi, Georgia, who sets out to fulfill her recently deceased sister’s last wish: to find Tekla, her long-lost daughter. The road trip takes her to Istanbul where she meets up with Evrim, a trans rights lawyer who might be the key to finding Lia’s niece. Mzia Arabuli, Lucas Kankava and Deniz Dumanli star. The film was produced by Sweden’s French Quarter Film in co-production with Rmv and Svt in Sweden, Adomeit Film of Denmark, France’s Easy Riders Films, Bir...
Mubi snatched up Crossing ahead of this year’s Berlin Film Festival, where it will have its world premiere, opening Berlin’s Panorama sidebar.
The film follows Lia, a retired teacher living in Batumi, Georgia, who sets out to fulfill her recently deceased sister’s last wish: to find Tekla, her long-lost daughter. The road trip takes her to Istanbul where she meets up with Evrim, a trans rights lawyer who might be the key to finding Lia’s niece. Mzia Arabuli, Lucas Kankava and Deniz Dumanli star. The film was produced by Sweden’s French Quarter Film in co-production with Rmv and Svt in Sweden, Adomeit Film of Denmark, France’s Easy Riders Films, Bir...
- 1/18/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
BAFTA revealed a lively film nominations list this morning full of talking points.
Among major surprises were the omissions of Killers Of The Flower Moon actress Lily Gladstone, who last week won a Golden Globe for her performance, and Martin Scorsese, Greta Gerwig and Yorgos Lanthimos from the Best Director category.
Killers Of The Flower Moon still scored an impressive nine nominations — though Leonardo DiCaprio did not make the cut — but Barbie fared less well. After garnering nine Golden Globe noms and converting in two categories, Warner Bros’ box office juggernaut made the cut in only five BAFTA categories today.
The picture is perhaps slightly less surprising given the context of a push BAFTA has made in recent years to foreground a greater diversity of content, including more British films. The organization has faced criticism from some that its film nominees in recent years have too closely mirrored the Oscars...
Among major surprises were the omissions of Killers Of The Flower Moon actress Lily Gladstone, who last week won a Golden Globe for her performance, and Martin Scorsese, Greta Gerwig and Yorgos Lanthimos from the Best Director category.
Killers Of The Flower Moon still scored an impressive nine nominations — though Leonardo DiCaprio did not make the cut — but Barbie fared less well. After garnering nine Golden Globe noms and converting in two categories, Warner Bros’ box office juggernaut made the cut in only five BAFTA categories today.
The picture is perhaps slightly less surprising given the context of a push BAFTA has made in recent years to foreground a greater diversity of content, including more British films. The organization has faced criticism from some that its film nominees in recent years have too closely mirrored the Oscars...
- 1/18/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For regular updates, sign up for our weekly email newsletter and follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSGuy Maddin’s next film, Rumours, recently wrapped production in Hungary. The ensemble piece is led by Cate Blanchett and Alicia Vikander, who play world leaders who end up stranded in a forest during the annual G7 summit. Maddin has shared a breathless, spoof press release (below) announcing the film, describing the project as “an elevated dramedy and erotico-political threnody cum sylvan moodbank.”Paul Thomas Anderson is also at work on something new. So far, all we know is that his project is set in the present day and will star Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Regina Hall. Production begins in California later this year.Recommended VIEWINGOne of the most exciting rediscoveries of the 2023 Il Cinema Ritrovato festival was the restoration of David Schickele’s Bushman...
- 1/17/2024
- MUBI
Exclusive: Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki has achieved his best global box office in a decade with Cannes Jury Prize winner Fallen Leaves which has racked up a total gross of $12.4M, according to figures released by its producers.
This is the director’s second highest box office result behind 2011 drama Le Havre.
The Helsinki-set love story, about the difficult coming together of two lost souls, has grossed $3.6M at home which is the biggest box office performance for a local film in Finland ever.
Acquired by Mubi for North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Latin America following its Cannes Competition premiere, the film has also performed well in these territories.
After a buzzy North American festival career playing at Telluride, Toronto, and New York, the movie opened in the U.S. on November 17.
The title has since grossed over $850,000 in the US and Canada, become Kaurismäki’s second highest...
This is the director’s second highest box office result behind 2011 drama Le Havre.
The Helsinki-set love story, about the difficult coming together of two lost souls, has grossed $3.6M at home which is the biggest box office performance for a local film in Finland ever.
Acquired by Mubi for North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Latin America following its Cannes Competition premiere, the film has also performed well in these territories.
After a buzzy North American festival career playing at Telluride, Toronto, and New York, the movie opened in the U.S. on November 17.
The title has since grossed over $850,000 in the US and Canada, become Kaurismäki’s second highest...
- 1/16/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
“It was fantastic!” exclaims “Fallen Leaves” star Alma Pöysti while discussing her recent attendance at the Golden Globes. “We were so honored to be there and what a great party!” Pöysti was nominated for Best Comedy/Musical Actress and the film was in contention for Best Non-English Film. The Finnish movie has been shortlisted by the academy and is among 15 titles eligible to be nominated for Best International Feature at the 96th Oscars. Watch our exclusive video with Pöysti and her co-star Jussi Vatanen above.
Vatanen explains what an honor it has been to represent Finnish cinema all around the world. “Everybody loves it,” he says. “It brings hope and comfort to people and it feels important.”
See Watch interviews with other awards contenders
“Fallen Leaves” is set in modern-day Helsinki, where two lonely souls in search of love meet by chance in a karaoke bar. However, their path to...
Vatanen explains what an honor it has been to represent Finnish cinema all around the world. “Everybody loves it,” he says. “It brings hope and comfort to people and it feels important.”
See Watch interviews with other awards contenders
“Fallen Leaves” is set in modern-day Helsinki, where two lonely souls in search of love meet by chance in a karaoke bar. However, their path to...
- 1/12/2024
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
After just one weekend of international release, “Priscilla” — Sofia Coppola’s biopic starring Jacob Elordi as Elvis Presley and Cailee Spaeny as The King’s (then) teenage bride “Priscilla” — has already hit several major milestones for arthouse streamer and distributor Mubi.
Produced by Fremantle’s The Apartment, the film currently sits on a box office in excess of $20 million in the U.S., where A24 released the film on Oct. 27. And for Mubi, it’s become its widest theatrical launch ever, with over 1,300 cinemas across the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Latin America, Benelux and Austria. And with an opening weekend box office haul of $4.1 million in those territories, “Priscilla” now looks set to smash the company’s records and overtake Charlotte Wells’ indie hit “Aftersun” to become its biggest release to date.
With over $25 million grossed so far, “Priscilla” will soon likely become Coppola’s third largest commercial success to date,...
Produced by Fremantle’s The Apartment, the film currently sits on a box office in excess of $20 million in the U.S., where A24 released the film on Oct. 27. And for Mubi, it’s become its widest theatrical launch ever, with over 1,300 cinemas across the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Latin America, Benelux and Austria. And with an opening weekend box office haul of $4.1 million in those territories, “Priscilla” now looks set to smash the company’s records and overtake Charlotte Wells’ indie hit “Aftersun” to become its biggest release to date.
With over $25 million grossed so far, “Priscilla” will soon likely become Coppola’s third largest commercial success to date,...
- 1/12/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
As awards season switches up a gear, with the handing out of the Golden Globes and the publication of the Bafta shortlists, one major title stands out in the International categories of both: Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winning courtroom drama Anatomy of a Fall. It would be a reasonable bet for the Oscar win in any year — if it were actually eligible. In lieu of Triet’s film, which fell well within Academy rules in terms of the amount of English spoken, the French selection panel opted instead for period gourmet drama The Taste of Things to do battle for the country’s honor, a move that is sure to cause a lot of confusion in the coming weeks.
Otherwise, the release of the international shortlist came with very few surprises this year, but perhaps chief among them was an unexpected snub for the Palestinian entry Bye Bye Tiberias by Lina Soulem.
Otherwise, the release of the international shortlist came with very few surprises this year, but perhaps chief among them was an unexpected snub for the Palestinian entry Bye Bye Tiberias by Lina Soulem.
- 1/11/2024
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Film historians will inevitably look back on 2023 as a year of risk-taking, with filmmakers turning to personal projects backed by major studios. On paper and in hindsight, a movie about the world’s most iconic doll sounds obvious, but it took real balls—or a lack thereof in Ken’s case—for Mattel and Warner Bros. to get behind a deconstructed look at the toy in Greta Gerwig’s existential Barbie. Universal arguably took an even bigger risk, putting their full force behind a three hour movie about the birth of the atomic bomb. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer proved perfect counter-programming to Gerwig’s Barbie, as moviegoers championed the double act into the summer box office unicorn Barbenheimer. Martin Scorsese brought his American Western crime epic Killers of the Flower Moon to the screen after seven years of development. Emerald Fennell debuted her second directorial effort, the darkly imaginative and highly divisive Saltburn.
- 1/9/2024
- by Chad Kennerk
- Film Review Daily
Want to know which international features vying for Oscar gold are worth watching?
Variety‘s team of critics has been on the ground at Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto and other major film festivals, on the hunt for the best of the best. In December, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled its shortlist of 15 films eligible for the second round of voting in the best international feature film category. Those Oscar contenders include “The Zone of Interest,” a United Kingdom-backed look at the Holocaust that’s received rave reviews, as well as searing dramas such as “Io Capitano,” Italy’s entry about two Senegalese migrants, and “Four Daughters,” a mixture of narrative and documentary from Tunisia.
Here are reviews of all of the movies eligible for the Oscar for Best International Feature.
20 Days in Mariupol (Ukraine) — Director Mstyslav Chernov and other AP journos document Russian Federation forces...
Variety‘s team of critics has been on the ground at Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto and other major film festivals, on the hunt for the best of the best. In December, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled its shortlist of 15 films eligible for the second round of voting in the best international feature film category. Those Oscar contenders include “The Zone of Interest,” a United Kingdom-backed look at the Holocaust that’s received rave reviews, as well as searing dramas such as “Io Capitano,” Italy’s entry about two Senegalese migrants, and “Four Daughters,” a mixture of narrative and documentary from Tunisia.
Here are reviews of all of the movies eligible for the Oscar for Best International Feature.
20 Days in Mariupol (Ukraine) — Director Mstyslav Chernov and other AP journos document Russian Federation forces...
- 1/5/2024
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
While watching Fallen Leaves, I realized that most romantic movies don’t really bother about the world, society, and everything that’s happening other than the central romance. Not that they have to, and it’s not at all mandatory. However, Fallen Leaves is helmed by the legendary Aki Kaurismäki, who has been making a very particular kind of film where you get to see the struggle that the working class of Helsinki goes through in a very minimalistic, deadpan style. In Kaurismäki’s films, the camera doesn’t usually move. The people move away from the screen, and sometimes you only get to hear the consequences. The stories are told in a very casual, absolutely non-blockbuster fashion. Yet, the impact is felt throughout, and more often than not, these films are very relatable. Like most Kaurismäki films, the characters in Fallen Leaves are also the kind of people you...
- 1/5/2024
- by Rohitavra Majumdar
- Film Fugitives
For all its many, many faults, 2023 was a banner year for international films. The awards season buzz for global gems like Justine Triet’s French courtroom thriller Anatomy of a Fall (released by Neon stateside), Jonathan Glazer’s German-language Holocaust drama Zone of Interest (A24), Hayao Miyazaki’s Japanese anime The Boy and the Heron (GKids), and J.A. Bayona’s Spanish-language real-life survival tale Society of the Snow (Netflix) only scratches the surface.
Among the many many other foreign highlights from last year are Mubi’s Fallen Leaves and How to Have Sex — the first a laconic triumph by Finnish film master Aki Kaurismäki, the latter a stunning debut by Brit first-timer Molly Manning Walker — Sony Pictures Classics’ The Teachers’ Lounge, a German school drama from director Ilker Çatak and Iranian drama Shayda from director Noora Niasari; Agnieszka Holland’s harrowing The Green Border, about Poland’s treatment of would-be...
Among the many many other foreign highlights from last year are Mubi’s Fallen Leaves and How to Have Sex — the first a laconic triumph by Finnish film master Aki Kaurismäki, the latter a stunning debut by Brit first-timer Molly Manning Walker — Sony Pictures Classics’ The Teachers’ Lounge, a German school drama from director Ilker Çatak and Iranian drama Shayda from director Noora Niasari; Agnieszka Holland’s harrowing The Green Border, about Poland’s treatment of would-be...
- 1/5/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Searching for and listening to movie soundtrack music for the year is an active quest of curiosity, discovery, and collage. For those fatigued and pushing through the chilliest season, I hope this mix can provide both energy and warmth, as it did to me in making it.Trends in film music over the last decade are continuing strong in 2023, particularly in the ambition of independent auteurs using complex and unusual scoring. The foundation for this mix is Angela Schanelec's beautiful and aptly titled Music, which provides both diegetic and non-diegetic moments to guide us. Samples range from The Old Oak, in which classical choral choir meets Syrian guitar and words of hope that now hit harder than ever, to a mix of sentimental strings courtesy of the legendary Joe Hisaishi. Abstract experimental sounds by two completely different kinds of artists—Harmony Korine and Thomas Newman—are mixed with sliced...
- 1/4/2024
- MUBI
Alma Pöysti agreed to star in Fallen Leaves, Finland’s Oscar entry, before there was a script. It was enough to know that local directing legend Aki Kaurismäki (The Man Without a Past) wanted her for his latest working-class love story, playing Ansa, a shy and lonely supermarket shelf stocker who falls for Holappa, a construction worker, played by Jussi Vatanen.
How were you cast for this film?
I got a phone call that Aki wanted to meet for lunch. We met, and Jussi Vatanen, my co-star, was there as well. Aki presented this idea of the movie. There wasn’t a script yet, but he mumbled something about a love story. Then he wanted to talk about the forest and about growing vegetables and politics. All he said about my character was she worked in a store and the two of them would fall in love. We got the script a year later.
How were you cast for this film?
I got a phone call that Aki wanted to meet for lunch. We met, and Jussi Vatanen, my co-star, was there as well. Aki presented this idea of the movie. There wasn’t a script yet, but he mumbled something about a love story. Then he wanted to talk about the forest and about growing vegetables and politics. All he said about my character was she worked in a store and the two of them would fall in love. We got the script a year later.
- 1/4/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Far from their girl-power namesakes, deadpan duo Maustetytöt have topped the charts at home – and found a kindred spirit in the Fallen Leaves director
‘You can see it in their faces / Oh, there’s no limit to their joy” goes the chorus to one song on Finnish pop duo Maustetytöt’s hit 2023 album Maailman Onnellisin Kansa, which translates as The Happiest People in the World. But scanning the faces of Kaisa and Anna Karjalainen for signs of exultation – or any emotion whatsoever – can be a challenge.
The two sisters, already stars in their native country, announced themselves to the rest of the world this winter with a performance of one of their songs in Fallen Leaves, veteran arthouse director Aki Kaurismäki’s Oscar-shortlisted deadpan comedy. It’s the pivotal scene in an understated feelgood hit that has topped many end-of-year lists, but Maustetytöt’s performance could not be more minor-key:...
‘You can see it in their faces / Oh, there’s no limit to their joy” goes the chorus to one song on Finnish pop duo Maustetytöt’s hit 2023 album Maailman Onnellisin Kansa, which translates as The Happiest People in the World. But scanning the faces of Kaisa and Anna Karjalainen for signs of exultation – or any emotion whatsoever – can be a challenge.
The two sisters, already stars in their native country, announced themselves to the rest of the world this winter with a performance of one of their songs in Fallen Leaves, veteran arthouse director Aki Kaurismäki’s Oscar-shortlisted deadpan comedy. It’s the pivotal scene in an understated feelgood hit that has topped many end-of-year lists, but Maustetytöt’s performance could not be more minor-key:...
- 1/3/2024
- by Philip Oltermann
- The Guardian - Film News
Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2023, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.
In all honesty, the films of 2023 should take a backseat to the images we are seeing every day in Gaza, where journalists and average citizens have been recording and documenting a daily assault on their homes and livelihoods by the Idf. Whatever fakery we watched and enjoyed in the cinema this year should always be kept in perspective in importance with images that are real and actually happening right now. The Palestinians who have documented these important images have been targeted and killed with intent and purpose to silence what their photos and videos are showing and saying.
List of journalists who have been killed.
The below is of lesser note:
Best First Watches:
Angel’s Egg La belle noiseuse Centipede Horror Charley Varrick Coffy Crimson Gold...
In all honesty, the films of 2023 should take a backseat to the images we are seeing every day in Gaza, where journalists and average citizens have been recording and documenting a daily assault on their homes and livelihoods by the Idf. Whatever fakery we watched and enjoyed in the cinema this year should always be kept in perspective in importance with images that are real and actually happening right now. The Palestinians who have documented these important images have been targeted and killed with intent and purpose to silence what their photos and videos are showing and saying.
List of journalists who have been killed.
The below is of lesser note:
Best First Watches:
Angel’s Egg La belle noiseuse Centipede Horror Charley Varrick Coffy Crimson Gold...
- 1/3/2024
- by Soham Gadre
- The Film Stage
No reasonably intelligent person imagines an artist’s statement about the horrors in Gaza would, in fact, end those horrors, but there are always limits to what one can take and hopes for what one could do. It might even be said that, as observers of the world and human behavior, filmmakers are especially inclined to recoil. When I interviewed Pedro Costa last month he spoke, unprompted, of a situation that’s only grown worse: “It’s very clear that we cannot stand images anymore. I can’t. I can’t. The images of the world for me [Exhales] I can’t. I turn my eyes, and I’m sure you do the same. It’s unbearable.” When I spoke with Anthony Dod Mantle a couple of weeks later it, again, emerged––vis-a-vis The Zone of Interest, whose own cinematographer alluded to it the next day. It’s difficult being a person in the world,...
- 12/29/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2023, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.
Something you often hear cinephiles proclaim is that “Every year is a good year in film.” Well, that’s obviously true––if one pays attention and knows where to look––but then there are also years that are simply better. To me, 2023 has turned out to be one of those.
It’s a year where the top festivals like Cannes, Berlin, and Venice all overperformed with stellar lineups. Geographically speaking, American/UK cinema can be proud of its output while productions from the rest of the world, especially France, Japan, Latin America, didn’t disappoint either. It’s also a year where not only indie/arthouse films delivered, but (some) blockbusters dared to get smart too. Even the presumed Oscar contenders this season include legitimate masterpieces in the mix.
Something you often hear cinephiles proclaim is that “Every year is a good year in film.” Well, that’s obviously true––if one pays attention and knows where to look––but then there are also years that are simply better. To me, 2023 has turned out to be one of those.
It’s a year where the top festivals like Cannes, Berlin, and Venice all overperformed with stellar lineups. Geographically speaking, American/UK cinema can be proud of its output while productions from the rest of the world, especially France, Japan, Latin America, didn’t disappoint either. It’s also a year where not only indie/arthouse films delivered, but (some) blockbusters dared to get smart too. Even the presumed Oscar contenders this season include legitimate masterpieces in the mix.
- 12/29/2023
- by Zhuo-Ning Su
- The Film Stage
It is meaningful to me to be back here, compiling a list of ten for Dn, following a year off last year. Coming back I feel my list is different to what it may have been without the break, where my film watching, cinema-going and general cinephilia took new forms that are still revealing themselves. Some notes:
There is no inclusion of Enys Men or One Fine Morning, which for me are 2022 films and though released cinematically this year I wish to leave that year well and truly behind me. I’ve only included films where there is a trailer link so there’s no room for Nariman Massoumi’s poetic short doc Pouring Water on Troubled Oil, currently screening at festivals though criminally getting overlooked at many that should show it, John Akomfrah’s stunning installation Arcadia, at The Box in Plymouth until June 2024, or finally, Mark Jenkin’s...
There is no inclusion of Enys Men or One Fine Morning, which for me are 2022 films and though released cinematically this year I wish to leave that year well and truly behind me. I’ve only included films where there is a trailer link so there’s no room for Nariman Massoumi’s poetic short doc Pouring Water on Troubled Oil, currently screening at festivals though criminally getting overlooked at many that should show it, John Akomfrah’s stunning installation Arcadia, at The Box in Plymouth until June 2024, or finally, Mark Jenkin’s...
- 12/29/2023
- by Neil Fox
- Directors Notes
Tim Burton's horror/comedy "Beetlejuice" was surprising when it was released in 1988. The plot follows a kindly couple named the Maitlands (Alec Baldwin and Geen Davis) who live in a beautiful small town far away from any big city. They are blissfully married and enjoy books and crafts. The Maitlands die in a car wreck, becoming ghosts who have to slowly figure out the rules of the afterlife. Shortly thereafter, a gaggle of obnoxious yuppies move into their home, and the Maitlands prove ineffectual at scaring them away; the vintage sheets they wear as their makeshift death shrouds aren't exactly terrifying to a zonked-out art snot (Catherine O'Hara) dizzy with valium. The yuppies' Goth daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder) is the only one who can see the Maitlands outside of their shrouds, and is more bemused that she's living with ghosts than scared.
Eventually, the Maitlands have to enlist the...
Eventually, the Maitlands have to enlist the...
- 12/28/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
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