The International Film Festival Rotterdam presented lauded French cinematographer Hélène Louvart with the Robby Müller Award on Sunday. A collaboration between IFFR, the Netherlands Society of Cinematographers (Nsc) and Andrea Müller-Schirmer, Müller’s wife, the award was founded in 2020, two years after his death, and aims to honor image-makers who have “created an authentic, credible and emotionally striking visual language throughout their oeuvre.”
To mark the special occasion, Louvart presented a masterclass at IFFR, guiding an eager audience through some of her work in films by Win Wenders, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Alice Rohrwacher. The director was also gifted a video containing loving testimonials by some of the aforementioned directors plus others such as Karim Aïnouz, Léonor Serraille and Eliza Hittman. Rohrwacher’s words were a highlight, with the filmmaker finishing her praise of Louvart by saying she loved her dear friend, with whom she collaborated in all of her films “more than cinema.
To mark the special occasion, Louvart presented a masterclass at IFFR, guiding an eager audience through some of her work in films by Win Wenders, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Alice Rohrwacher. The director was also gifted a video containing loving testimonials by some of the aforementioned directors plus others such as Karim Aïnouz, Léonor Serraille and Eliza Hittman. Rohrwacher’s words were a highlight, with the filmmaker finishing her praise of Louvart by saying she loved her dear friend, with whom she collaborated in all of her films “more than cinema.
- 1/30/2023
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety Film + TV
Louis Garrel’s “The Innocent” and Dominik Moll’s thriller “The Night of the 12th” are leading the race at the 48th Cesar Awards, France’s equivalent to the Oscars.
Nominated for 11 Cesar nominations, “The Innocent” is a heist romantic comedy starring Garrel, Roschdy Zem and Noemie Merlant, who previously starred in “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and most recently in “Tár.” Produced by Anne-Dominique Toussaint at Les Films des Tournelles, the crowdpleaser world premiered out of competition at Cannes for the 75th anniversary of the festival.
“The Night of the 12th,” meanwhile, is in the running for 10 Cesar awards. The brooding topical procedural, which also opened as part of Cannes’ Premiere section, stars Bastien Bouillon and Bouli Lanners as two cops trying to solve a gruesome murder. The movie, produced by Haut et Court (“The Class”), delves into issues of gender and violence.
Other top Cesar contenders include Cedric Klapisch’s dance-filled “Rise,...
Nominated for 11 Cesar nominations, “The Innocent” is a heist romantic comedy starring Garrel, Roschdy Zem and Noemie Merlant, who previously starred in “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and most recently in “Tár.” Produced by Anne-Dominique Toussaint at Les Films des Tournelles, the crowdpleaser world premiered out of competition at Cannes for the 75th anniversary of the festival.
“The Night of the 12th,” meanwhile, is in the running for 10 Cesar awards. The brooding topical procedural, which also opened as part of Cannes’ Premiere section, stars Bastien Bouillon and Bouli Lanners as two cops trying to solve a gruesome murder. The movie, produced by Haut et Court (“The Class”), delves into issues of gender and violence.
Other top Cesar contenders include Cedric Klapisch’s dance-filled “Rise,...
- 1/25/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
For her first feature-length film, documentarian Isabel Castro set out to capture a widely experienced, yet still broadly overlooked immigrant perspective. And there’s a line late in “Mija” that sums up her sensitive approach so succinctly that it could be pulled out and used as a logline: “We inherit our families’ dreams, but also their fears.”
The observation is sighed as much as it’s said, by aspiring musician Jacks Haupt. Haupt is one of Castro’s two young protagonists, but her story is depicted as a connective bridge to many others.
Both of Castro’s subjects are first-generation Mexican-Americans who carry the full weight of their undocumented parents’ lives. This includes not only their dreams and fears but also their more immediate choices and challenges.
Also Read:
‘Mother and Son’ Film Review: Intimate Immigration Drama Spans Decades
The film’s formidable center is Doris Muñoz, who at 25 is...
The observation is sighed as much as it’s said, by aspiring musician Jacks Haupt. Haupt is one of Castro’s two young protagonists, but her story is depicted as a connective bridge to many others.
Both of Castro’s subjects are first-generation Mexican-Americans who carry the full weight of their undocumented parents’ lives. This includes not only their dreams and fears but also their more immediate choices and challenges.
Also Read:
‘Mother and Son’ Film Review: Intimate Immigration Drama Spans Decades
The film’s formidable center is Doris Muñoz, who at 25 is...
- 9/16/2022
- by Elizabeth Weitzman
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Don’t Look Up, Black-ish and Pachinko were among the winners of the 46th annual Humanitas Prizes announced Friday from a luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
The awards, honoring the craft of screenwriting, featured winners in nine juried categories spanning film and television. These included Don’t Look Up from writer Adam McKay for comedy feature film, The Starling from Matt Harris for drama feature film and Encanto from Charise Castro Smith and Jared Bush for family feature film.
On the TV side, Black-ish writer Robb Chavis prevailed for comedy teleplay, Pachinko creator Soo Hugh won for drama teleplay and Women of the Movement creator Marissa Jo Cerar was tops for limited series, TV movie or special.
Larry Wilmore hosted the event, and presenters included Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Jasmine Cephas Jones and Humanitas board president Jenny Bicks. Also honored were...
Don’t Look Up, Black-ish and Pachinko were among the winners of the 46th annual Humanitas Prizes announced Friday from a luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
The awards, honoring the craft of screenwriting, featured winners in nine juried categories spanning film and television. These included Don’t Look Up from writer Adam McKay for comedy feature film, The Starling from Matt Harris for drama feature film and Encanto from Charise Castro Smith and Jared Bush for family feature film.
On the TV side, Black-ish writer Robb Chavis prevailed for comedy teleplay, Pachinko creator Soo Hugh won for drama teleplay and Women of the Movement creator Marissa Jo Cerar was tops for limited series, TV movie or special.
Larry Wilmore hosted the event, and presenters included Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Jasmine Cephas Jones and Humanitas board president Jenny Bicks. Also honored were...
- 9/10/2022
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The writers behind ABC’s Black-ish, Apple TV+’s Pachinko, Disney’s Oscar-winning Encanto and Adam McKay’s satire Don’t Look Up are among the winners of the 46th annual Humanitas Prizes. The honors were bestowed Friday afternoon in a ceremony at the Beverly Hilton.
Humanitas Prizes have been handed out since 1973 to empower television and film writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way. Writers across 10 categories receive 10,000 cash prizes.
Other winners included Nanfu Wang for her documentary In the Same Breath, Matt Harris for writing the script for Ted Melfi’s The Starling starring Melissa McCarthy and Kevin Kline, and Marissa Jo Cerar for penning the “Mother and Son” episode of ABC’s anthology series Women of the Movement.
Also during the ceremony emceed by Larry Wilmore, the Humanitas organization presented Filmmakers for Ukraine with the Kieser Award and Starz president and CEO Jeffrey Hirsch...
Humanitas Prizes have been handed out since 1973 to empower television and film writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way. Writers across 10 categories receive 10,000 cash prizes.
Other winners included Nanfu Wang for her documentary In the Same Breath, Matt Harris for writing the script for Ted Melfi’s The Starling starring Melissa McCarthy and Kevin Kline, and Marissa Jo Cerar for penning the “Mother and Son” episode of ABC’s anthology series Women of the Movement.
Also during the ceremony emceed by Larry Wilmore, the Humanitas organization presented Filmmakers for Ukraine with the Kieser Award and Starz president and CEO Jeffrey Hirsch...
- 9/10/2022
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
White Lotus, Abbott Elementary, Better Call Saul, Barry and This Is Us were among the shows honored by the Hollywood Critics Association (Hca) on Saturday.
The 2022 Hca TV Awards began its two-night event at the Beverly Hilton with a ceremony for the honorees in the Broadcast Network and Cable edition, which was hosted by The Daily Show’s Dulcé Sloan. On Sunday, Tig Notaro will host the streaming awards ceremony.
HBO’s White Lotus led all shows with five wins including best limited series. Additionally, Mike White prevailed for writing and directing, while the series picked up prizes for Jennifer Coolidge for supporting actress and Murray Bartlett for supporting actor.
ABC’s Abbott Elementary won four trophies, including best broadcast comedy, actress for Quinta Brunson and supporting actress for Janelle James. AMC’s Better Call Saul also won four awards ahead of Monday’s series finale.
White Lotus, Abbott Elementary, Better Call Saul, Barry and This Is Us were among the shows honored by the Hollywood Critics Association (Hca) on Saturday.
The 2022 Hca TV Awards began its two-night event at the Beverly Hilton with a ceremony for the honorees in the Broadcast Network and Cable edition, which was hosted by The Daily Show’s Dulcé Sloan. On Sunday, Tig Notaro will host the streaming awards ceremony.
HBO’s White Lotus led all shows with five wins including best limited series. Additionally, Mike White prevailed for writing and directing, while the series picked up prizes for Jennifer Coolidge for supporting actress and Murray Bartlett for supporting actor.
ABC’s Abbott Elementary won four trophies, including best broadcast comedy, actress for Quinta Brunson and supporting actress for Janelle James. AMC’s Better Call Saul also won four awards ahead of Monday’s series finale.
- 8/14/2022
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Half a dozen Sweden pics and co-prods are set to storm the Croisette, flagships of the solid public support system in place, and fully or partly shot in a foreign language. Headlining the slate are the completion entries “Triangle of Sadness” by former winner Ruben Östlund (“The Square”), shot in the English language, and the Arabic-speaking thriller “Boy From Heaven” by Tarik Saleh (“The Nile Hilton Incident”), set in Cairo. Meanwhile, the Iranian/Danish Ali Abbasi (“Border”) is debuting in the main competition with the Farsi-language “Holy Spider,” majority-Danish produced with Sweden among co-production partners.
Elsewhere, the parallel section Acid is showcasing the Swedish doc “How to Save a Dead Friend” by Russia’s Marusya Syroechkovskaya, and three Swedish co-prods are bowing at Un Certain Regard: “Godland” by Iceland’s Hlynur Pálmason, “Sick of Myself” by Norway’s Kristoffer Borgli and “Butterfly Vision” by Ukrainian Maksym Nakonechnyi.
“Swedish filmmakers are...
Elsewhere, the parallel section Acid is showcasing the Swedish doc “How to Save a Dead Friend” by Russia’s Marusya Syroechkovskaya, and three Swedish co-prods are bowing at Un Certain Regard: “Godland” by Iceland’s Hlynur Pálmason, “Sick of Myself” by Norway’s Kristoffer Borgli and “Butterfly Vision” by Ukrainian Maksym Nakonechnyi.
“Swedish filmmakers are...
- 5/22/2022
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
Here’s the good news.
Facing public pressure and mounting outrage over the lack of female representation among the filmmakers it chooses to celebrate, this year’s Cannes Film Festival is making efforts to diversify beyond the cavalcade of many of the same male auteurs. Instead, there will be a record number of women directors in competition.
Now the bad news. That record is a paltry five female filmmakers, out of 21 films overall, representing less than a quarter of all movies vying for Cannes’ top prize, the Palme d’Or. The dearth of women in the lineup puts pressure on the handful of female directors who were tapped to premiere their films in the South of France.
“Because there are so few women in competition, we feel a lot of pressure, as if we had to be symbols,” admits Léonor Serraille, the director of “Mother and Son.” “We ask ourselves a lot of questions.
Facing public pressure and mounting outrage over the lack of female representation among the filmmakers it chooses to celebrate, this year’s Cannes Film Festival is making efforts to diversify beyond the cavalcade of many of the same male auteurs. Instead, there will be a record number of women directors in competition.
Now the bad news. That record is a paltry five female filmmakers, out of 21 films overall, representing less than a quarter of all movies vying for Cannes’ top prize, the Palme d’Or. The dearth of women in the lineup puts pressure on the handful of female directors who were tapped to premiere their films in the South of France.
“Because there are so few women in competition, we feel a lot of pressure, as if we had to be symbols,” admits Léonor Serraille, the director of “Mother and Son.” “We ask ourselves a lot of questions.
- 5/21/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Both features will receive their world premieres at the Cannes Film Festival.
Picturehouse Entertainment has acquired UK and Ireland rights for two Cannes Competition titles: Léonor Serraille’s Mother And Son and Tarik Saleh’s Boy From Heaven.
Mother And Son debuts on the Croisette today (April 20), and is sold by mk2 films. It tells the story of a woman who moves from the Ivory Coast to the Paris suburbs with her two sons in the late 1980s and follows the construction and deconstruction of her family over the subsequent 20 years.
It marks the second feature from French filmmaker Serraille,...
Picturehouse Entertainment has acquired UK and Ireland rights for two Cannes Competition titles: Léonor Serraille’s Mother And Son and Tarik Saleh’s Boy From Heaven.
Mother And Son debuts on the Croisette today (April 20), and is sold by mk2 films. It tells the story of a woman who moves from the Ivory Coast to the Paris suburbs with her two sons in the late 1980s and follows the construction and deconstruction of her family over the subsequent 20 years.
It marks the second feature from French filmmaker Serraille,...
- 5/20/2022
- ScreenDaily
Both features will receive their world premieres at the Cannes Film Festival.
Picturehouse Entertainment has acquired UK and Ireland rights for two Cannes Competition titles: Léonor Serraille’s Mother And Son and Tarik Saleh’s Boy From Heaven.
Mother And Son debuts on the Croisette today (April 20), and is sold by mk2 films. It tells the story of a woman who moves from the Ivory Coast to the Paris suburbs with her two sons in the late 1980s and follows the construction and deconstruction of her family over the subsequent 20 years.
It marks the second feature from French filmmaker Serraille,...
Picturehouse Entertainment has acquired UK and Ireland rights for two Cannes Competition titles: Léonor Serraille’s Mother And Son and Tarik Saleh’s Boy From Heaven.
Mother And Son debuts on the Croisette today (April 20), and is sold by mk2 films. It tells the story of a woman who moves from the Ivory Coast to the Paris suburbs with her two sons in the late 1980s and follows the construction and deconstruction of her family over the subsequent 20 years.
It marks the second feature from French filmmaker Serraille,...
- 5/20/2022
- ScreenDaily
Five years after winning Cannes’ Camera d’Or prize with her debut feature, “Jeune Femme,” French writer-filmmaker Leonor Serraille graduated to a competition slot with “Mother and Son,” a timely family drama spanning three decades. Serraille is one of the five female directors competing for this year’s Palme d’Or.
“Mother and Son” charts the lives of a young African woman, Rose, and two of her four children, Jean and Ernest, who come to France from the Ivory Coast in the 1980s with high ideals. Juggling her parenting responsibilities and low-paying jobs, Rose still aspires to find true love and to fulfill her own desires, but she ultimately struggles to reach a balance between her roles as a mother and a woman. Jean and Ernest, meanwhile, will take different paths to fitting into French society while coping with their identity conflicts and their mother’s life choices.
Serraille said...
“Mother and Son” charts the lives of a young African woman, Rose, and two of her four children, Jean and Ernest, who come to France from the Ivory Coast in the 1980s with high ideals. Juggling her parenting responsibilities and low-paying jobs, Rose still aspires to find true love and to fulfill her own desires, but she ultimately struggles to reach a balance between her roles as a mother and a woman. Jean and Ernest, meanwhile, will take different paths to fitting into French society while coping with their identity conflicts and their mother’s life choices.
Serraille said...
- 5/18/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The Cannes Film Festival is best-known for its lavish parties and stunning red carpets, but the celebration of cinema has also often been colored by political concerns. This year, promises to be an unusually turbulent one.
After all, filmmakers, studio executives and movie lovers are assembling in the South of France as the specter of war in Ukraine and rising autocracies around the world threaten to overshadow the good times. Indeed, the loudest applause on Cannes’ opening night were reserved for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who made a special appearance via video link in which he invoked Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator,” a satire of Nazism, to remind the audience of the powerful role movies can play.
“Hundreds of people die every day,” Zelensky said. “Will cinema stay silent, or will it talk about it? If there is a dictator, if there is a war for freedom, again, it all depends on our unity.
After all, filmmakers, studio executives and movie lovers are assembling in the South of France as the specter of war in Ukraine and rising autocracies around the world threaten to overshadow the good times. Indeed, the loudest applause on Cannes’ opening night were reserved for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who made a special appearance via video link in which he invoked Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator,” a satire of Nazism, to remind the audience of the powerful role movies can play.
“Hundreds of people die every day,” Zelensky said. “Will cinema stay silent, or will it talk about it? If there is a dictator, if there is a war for freedom, again, it all depends on our unity.
- 5/18/2022
- by Brent Lang and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
MK2 Films, the company behind six films playing at Cannes including Leonor Serraille’s competition title “Mother and Son,” has acquired French and international rights on the Raoul Peck catalogue from Velvet Film.
MK2 Films will start selling the library of films during the Cannes Film Festival. The Raoul Peck collection comprises documentary and fiction, including the HBO documentary series “Exterminate All the Brutes” which earned Peck a DGA Awards nomination.
The collection also includes “I Am Not Your Negro,” the Oscar-nominated, BAFTA-winning documentary narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, as well as the powerful “Lumumba: Death of a Prophet,” the restored, 4K version of which played at Cannes Classics last year. The doc is a historical investigation weaving Peck’s childhood memories and a tribute to a leading figure of modern African heritage.
MK2 Films will also now represent Peck’s “Haitian films,” a mini-collection comprising three fiction films and a documentary,...
MK2 Films will start selling the library of films during the Cannes Film Festival. The Raoul Peck collection comprises documentary and fiction, including the HBO documentary series “Exterminate All the Brutes” which earned Peck a DGA Awards nomination.
The collection also includes “I Am Not Your Negro,” the Oscar-nominated, BAFTA-winning documentary narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, as well as the powerful “Lumumba: Death of a Prophet,” the restored, 4K version of which played at Cannes Classics last year. The doc is a historical investigation weaving Peck’s childhood memories and a tribute to a leading figure of modern African heritage.
MK2 Films will also now represent Peck’s “Haitian films,” a mini-collection comprising three fiction films and a documentary,...
- 5/17/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
CBS has given series orders to three of its five drama pilots, Max Thieriot’s Fire Country (fka Cal Fire); East New York, headlined by Amanda Warren and Jimmy Smits; and So Help Me Todd (fka Untitled Mother & Son Legal Drama), starring Marcia Gay Harden and Skylar Astin. CBS is not commenting beyond that, but I hear all three series are for fall.
True Lies, ordered as an off-cycle pilot, also had been rumored for a series order, likely for midseason. I hear negotiations between CBS and 20th Television continue, and the project is still very much alive.
Not going forward are CBS’ remaining drama pilot, Early Edition, a reimagining of the Kyle Chandler series which had been cooling off, as well as all of CBS’ comedy pilots/presentations. The network this year opted for all presentation orders to comedy projects to its own studio, CBS Studios, while the one comedy from an outside studio, Warner Bros. TV’s Rust Bell News, was a full pilot.
New Series On Broadcast Networks In 2022-23: Photo Gallery
I hear CBS brass were very happy with their crop of drama pilots this season, considered to be one of the strongest in years, while the group of comedy pilots did not produce any standouts.
With CBS also canceling three current comedy series — United States of Al, B Positive and How We Roll — the network will have the fewest half-hour series on the schedule in awhile. CBS five years ago trimmed down its two-hour Monday comedy block to one hour, more recently consisting of The Neighborhood and Bob Hearts Abishola. CBS may now do the same with the Thursday two-hour block.
I hear So Help Me Todd, which has comedic overtones, may join the lineup behind the 8 Pm comedy block, anchored by flagship Young Sheldon and possibly featuring breakout hit Ghosts.
2022 CBS Pilots & Series Orders
So Help Me Todd has been one of the Cinderella stories of the 2022 broadcast season. Taking a big blow early on when the female lead was recast, with Marcia Gay Harden replacing Geena Davis opposite Skylar Astin, the pilot hung in there in the middle of the pack and had a big finish with strong testing results, I hear.
Here are details about CBS’ newly picked up scripted series:
East New York
EPs/W: William Finkelstein, Mike Flynn
EP/D: Michael M. Robin (Skyemac Productions)
EPs: Christine Holder, Mark Holder (Wonder Street)
Co-ep: Andrew Maher (Skyemac)
Studio: Warner Bros. Television
Logline: Regina Haywood is the newly promoted deputy inspector of East New York, a working-class neighborhood at the edge of Brooklyn. She leads a diverse group of officers and detectives, some of whom are reluctant to deploy her creative methods of serving and protecting in the midst of social upheaval and the early seeds of gentrification.
Cast: Amanda Warren, Kevin Rankin, Jimmy Smits, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Richard Kind, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Lavel Schley and Olivia Luccardi
Fire Country (formerly known as “Cal Fire”)
EPs/Teleplay Written by/Story Co-Written by: Tony Phelan & Joan Rater
EP/Story Co-Written by: Max Thieriot
EP/D: James Strong (pilot only)
EP: David Grae
EPs: Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed (Jerry Bruckheimer Television)
Studio: CBS Studios
Logline: Seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence, young convict Bode Donovan joins a firefighting program that returns him to his small Northern California hometown, where he and other inmates work alongside elite firefighters to extinguish massive blazes across the region. Inspired by Max Thieriot’s experiences growing up in northern California fire country.
Cast: Max Thieriot, Billy Burke, Kevin Alejandro, Diane Farr, Stephanie Arcila, Jordan Calloway, Jules Latimer
So Help Me Todd (formerly known as “Untitled Mother/Son Legal Drama”)
EP/Writer: Scott Prendergast
EPs/Showrunners: Liz Kruger, Craig Shapiro
EP/D: Amy York Rubin (pilot only)
EPs: Dr. Phil McGraw, Jay McGraw, Julia Eisenman (Stage 29 Productions)
Studio: CBS Studios
Logline: Despite their opposing personalities, a talented but directionless P.I. who is the black sheep of his family begrudgingly agrees to work as the in-house investigator for his overbearing mother, a successful attorney reeling from the recent dissolution of her marriage.
Cast: Marcia Gay Harden, Skylar Astin, Madeline Wise, Tristen J. Winger, Inga Schlingmann and Rosa Arredondo...
True Lies, ordered as an off-cycle pilot, also had been rumored for a series order, likely for midseason. I hear negotiations between CBS and 20th Television continue, and the project is still very much alive.
Not going forward are CBS’ remaining drama pilot, Early Edition, a reimagining of the Kyle Chandler series which had been cooling off, as well as all of CBS’ comedy pilots/presentations. The network this year opted for all presentation orders to comedy projects to its own studio, CBS Studios, while the one comedy from an outside studio, Warner Bros. TV’s Rust Bell News, was a full pilot.
New Series On Broadcast Networks In 2022-23: Photo Gallery
I hear CBS brass were very happy with their crop of drama pilots this season, considered to be one of the strongest in years, while the group of comedy pilots did not produce any standouts.
With CBS also canceling three current comedy series — United States of Al, B Positive and How We Roll — the network will have the fewest half-hour series on the schedule in awhile. CBS five years ago trimmed down its two-hour Monday comedy block to one hour, more recently consisting of The Neighborhood and Bob Hearts Abishola. CBS may now do the same with the Thursday two-hour block.
I hear So Help Me Todd, which has comedic overtones, may join the lineup behind the 8 Pm comedy block, anchored by flagship Young Sheldon and possibly featuring breakout hit Ghosts.
2022 CBS Pilots & Series Orders
So Help Me Todd has been one of the Cinderella stories of the 2022 broadcast season. Taking a big blow early on when the female lead was recast, with Marcia Gay Harden replacing Geena Davis opposite Skylar Astin, the pilot hung in there in the middle of the pack and had a big finish with strong testing results, I hear.
Here are details about CBS’ newly picked up scripted series:
East New York
EPs/W: William Finkelstein, Mike Flynn
EP/D: Michael M. Robin (Skyemac Productions)
EPs: Christine Holder, Mark Holder (Wonder Street)
Co-ep: Andrew Maher (Skyemac)
Studio: Warner Bros. Television
Logline: Regina Haywood is the newly promoted deputy inspector of East New York, a working-class neighborhood at the edge of Brooklyn. She leads a diverse group of officers and detectives, some of whom are reluctant to deploy her creative methods of serving and protecting in the midst of social upheaval and the early seeds of gentrification.
Cast: Amanda Warren, Kevin Rankin, Jimmy Smits, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Richard Kind, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Lavel Schley and Olivia Luccardi
Fire Country (formerly known as “Cal Fire”)
EPs/Teleplay Written by/Story Co-Written by: Tony Phelan & Joan Rater
EP/Story Co-Written by: Max Thieriot
EP/D: James Strong (pilot only)
EP: David Grae
EPs: Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed (Jerry Bruckheimer Television)
Studio: CBS Studios
Logline: Seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence, young convict Bode Donovan joins a firefighting program that returns him to his small Northern California hometown, where he and other inmates work alongside elite firefighters to extinguish massive blazes across the region. Inspired by Max Thieriot’s experiences growing up in northern California fire country.
Cast: Max Thieriot, Billy Burke, Kevin Alejandro, Diane Farr, Stephanie Arcila, Jordan Calloway, Jules Latimer
So Help Me Todd (formerly known as “Untitled Mother/Son Legal Drama”)
EP/Writer: Scott Prendergast
EPs/Showrunners: Liz Kruger, Craig Shapiro
EP/D: Amy York Rubin (pilot only)
EPs: Dr. Phil McGraw, Jay McGraw, Julia Eisenman (Stage 29 Productions)
Studio: CBS Studios
Logline: Despite their opposing personalities, a talented but directionless P.I. who is the black sheep of his family begrudgingly agrees to work as the in-house investigator for his overbearing mother, a successful attorney reeling from the recent dissolution of her marriage.
Cast: Marcia Gay Harden, Skylar Astin, Madeline Wise, Tristen J. Winger, Inga Schlingmann and Rosa Arredondo...
- 5/12/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
As we are waiting for the onslaught of new series orders the next couple of days, here is some last-minute gossip on what is hot at the broadcast networks in an abbreviated edition of Deadline’s Pilot Buzz.
At ABC, the The Rookie planted spinoff starring Niecy Nash and Alaska Daily News, starring Hilary Swank, remain a lock. The L.A. Law sequel has faded but is not dead. Speaking of dead, comedy pilot Not Dead Yet, starring Gina Rodriguez, continues to be hot. Josep has not gotten a pass yet but its chances remain slim. On the renewal front, The Wonder Years and Home Economics continue to look good to return.
CBS
Firefighter...
At ABC, the The Rookie planted spinoff starring Niecy Nash and Alaska Daily News, starring Hilary Swank, remain a lock. The L.A. Law sequel has faded but is not dead. Speaking of dead, comedy pilot Not Dead Yet, starring Gina Rodriguez, continues to be hot. Josep has not gotten a pass yet but its chances remain slim. On the renewal front, The Wonder Years and Home Economics continue to look good to return.
CBS
Firefighter...
- 5/11/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
We are 10 days away from the start of the traditional upfront week and a day into the new series pickup window, which kicked off yesterday with NBC’s order to the Quantum Leap pilot. Getting intel on broadcast pilots is harder than ever as that marketplace has contracted over the last five years but here is what I hear as we head into pre-upfront week. You can use for reference the Early Pilot Buzz report Deadline ran on Monday.
At ABC, the The Rookie planted spinoff starring Niecy Nash and the Alaska project drama pilot, starring Hilary Swank, remain very strong contenders, with the L.A. Law sequel, headlined by Blair Underwood, getting some traction, mostly due to the attractive marketing opportunities its iconic IP presents. Comedy pilot Not Dead Yet, starring Gina Rodrigues, also has been gaining some support at the network, I hear.
Still not a lot of clarity at CBS. Firefighter drama Cal Fire continues to look like a frontrunner. Beyond that, cop drama East New York also is said to be solid, with the Mother & Son legal drama believed to in the mix too. The Early Edition reboot has cooled off a bit, while True Lies continues to divide opinions but sources see a possible path to the air based on its popular IP and potentially advantageous dealmaking.
On the comedy side, presentation Hug Machine and pilot Rust Belt News continue to garner buzz.
2022 CBS Pilots & Series Orders
NBC yesterday became the first network to pick up a pilot to series, giving a series order to Quantum Leap, which had been considered a strong contender and was the only drama pilot in consideration for fall. As Deadline reported, the pilot is expected to undergo some reshoots and is eyed for the post-Voice slot. There had been chatter that NBC may expedite post-production on its other drama pilots that are in advanced stages Unbroken and Blank Slate, for fall consideration, but that does not appear to be the case. The other ordered NBC drama pilots are being produced off-cycle.
NBC’s two comedy pilots, Lopez vs. Lopez and Hungry, remain neck and neck, with Lopez vs. Lopez, a collaboration between George Lopez and his daughter, still believed to have a slight edge.
2022 NBC Pilots & Series Orders
Fox
Two projects that had been put on a script-to-series track, John Eisendrath’s procedural drama Alert and Steve Yockey’s meteorologist comedy Cindy Snow, continue to build momentum and look likely to go to series, The network’s only pilot ordered during the 2022 pilot window this year, an Untitled Michelle Nader comedy presentation, also remains a strong contender for a series pickup.
The CW’s three pilots this season — all based on underlying IP — remain strong contenders as the cuts start to come in: Supernatural prequel The Winchesters, Walker origin story Walker: Independence and Gotham Knights. Because of their pedigree, solid execution and the fact that this is half the number of pilots the CW has normally picked up over the past decade, I hear there is a possibility for all of them to go to series.
As we reported earlier this week, Walker: Independence is described as a sprawling Western, The Winchesters as the strongest attempt at a Supernatural spinoff to date, and Gotham Kings as another solid DC pilot from Berlanti Prods., which also has plenty of easter eggs to attract Batman fans. (Gotham Kings‘ prospects also were improved significantly by the recent cancellations of Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow.)
So far, it does not look that Nexstar’s pending acquisition of a majority stake in the CW would close before the upfronts but even if that does not happen, the network remains disciplined in its choices with fewer scripted series expected to be on deck for next season than in recent years.
2022 The CW Pilots & Series Orders...
At ABC, the The Rookie planted spinoff starring Niecy Nash and the Alaska project drama pilot, starring Hilary Swank, remain very strong contenders, with the L.A. Law sequel, headlined by Blair Underwood, getting some traction, mostly due to the attractive marketing opportunities its iconic IP presents. Comedy pilot Not Dead Yet, starring Gina Rodrigues, also has been gaining some support at the network, I hear.
Still not a lot of clarity at CBS. Firefighter drama Cal Fire continues to look like a frontrunner. Beyond that, cop drama East New York also is said to be solid, with the Mother & Son legal drama believed to in the mix too. The Early Edition reboot has cooled off a bit, while True Lies continues to divide opinions but sources see a possible path to the air based on its popular IP and potentially advantageous dealmaking.
On the comedy side, presentation Hug Machine and pilot Rust Belt News continue to garner buzz.
2022 CBS Pilots & Series Orders
NBC yesterday became the first network to pick up a pilot to series, giving a series order to Quantum Leap, which had been considered a strong contender and was the only drama pilot in consideration for fall. As Deadline reported, the pilot is expected to undergo some reshoots and is eyed for the post-Voice slot. There had been chatter that NBC may expedite post-production on its other drama pilots that are in advanced stages Unbroken and Blank Slate, for fall consideration, but that does not appear to be the case. The other ordered NBC drama pilots are being produced off-cycle.
NBC’s two comedy pilots, Lopez vs. Lopez and Hungry, remain neck and neck, with Lopez vs. Lopez, a collaboration between George Lopez and his daughter, still believed to have a slight edge.
2022 NBC Pilots & Series Orders
Fox
Two projects that had been put on a script-to-series track, John Eisendrath’s procedural drama Alert and Steve Yockey’s meteorologist comedy Cindy Snow, continue to build momentum and look likely to go to series, The network’s only pilot ordered during the 2022 pilot window this year, an Untitled Michelle Nader comedy presentation, also remains a strong contender for a series pickup.
The CW’s three pilots this season — all based on underlying IP — remain strong contenders as the cuts start to come in: Supernatural prequel The Winchesters, Walker origin story Walker: Independence and Gotham Knights. Because of their pedigree, solid execution and the fact that this is half the number of pilots the CW has normally picked up over the past decade, I hear there is a possibility for all of them to go to series.
As we reported earlier this week, Walker: Independence is described as a sprawling Western, The Winchesters as the strongest attempt at a Supernatural spinoff to date, and Gotham Kings as another solid DC pilot from Berlanti Prods., which also has plenty of easter eggs to attract Batman fans. (Gotham Kings‘ prospects also were improved significantly by the recent cancellations of Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow.)
So far, it does not look that Nexstar’s pending acquisition of a majority stake in the CW would close before the upfronts but even if that does not happen, the network remains disciplined in its choices with fewer scripted series expected to be on deck for next season than in recent years.
2022 The CW Pilots & Series Orders...
- 5/7/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
MK2, the venerable family-owned film group which operates a leading arthouse multiplex chain in France and Spain, is emerging from the pandemic stronger, cooler and more ambitious than ever.
Nathanaël and Elisha Karmitz, who succeeded their father Marin at the helm of the company in 2005, have galvanized the MK2 brand with activities ranging from films, art, publishing, technology and lifestyle. The common threads between all these ventures are a taste for singularity, curation and a socially-minded approach.
After scoring big at Cannes in 2019 with Mati Diop’s “Atlantics” and Celine Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” which competed and won prizes, MK2 Films will again boast a fairly large presence for the festival’s comeback edition with nine films across several selections, including the competition with Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World,” the new Cannes Premiere section with Andrea Arnold’s “Cow,” Un Certain Regard...
Nathanaël and Elisha Karmitz, who succeeded their father Marin at the helm of the company in 2005, have galvanized the MK2 brand with activities ranging from films, art, publishing, technology and lifestyle. The common threads between all these ventures are a taste for singularity, curation and a socially-minded approach.
After scoring big at Cannes in 2019 with Mati Diop’s “Atlantics” and Celine Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” which competed and won prizes, MK2 Films will again boast a fairly large presence for the festival’s comeback edition with nine films across several selections, including the competition with Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World,” the new Cannes Premiere section with Andrea Arnold’s “Cow,” Un Certain Regard...
- 7/2/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The 32nd International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (Idfa) opened Wednesday with gender parity, inclusion, and young talent front and center.
Twenty-one year-old Canadian-Vietnamese director Carol Nguyen — whose short “No Crying at the Dinner Table” screens at the festival — kicked off the evening, reflecting Idfa’s commitment to young talent and women filmmakers. Nguyen said that she was optimistic about the position of women in film.
“Within the last few years alone, we have seen a rise of diverse representation in mainstream media,” Nguyen said. “Society and our audiences are more conscious than ever about the lack of gender and racial parity in film. Film festivals have even set gender parity goals for themselves. We are all demanding it.” Nguyen added that there is still a lot more work to be done, and that everyone must act together to achieve parity.
In his opening speech, Orwa Nyrabia, Idfa’s artistic director,...
Twenty-one year-old Canadian-Vietnamese director Carol Nguyen — whose short “No Crying at the Dinner Table” screens at the festival — kicked off the evening, reflecting Idfa’s commitment to young talent and women filmmakers. Nguyen said that she was optimistic about the position of women in film.
“Within the last few years alone, we have seen a rise of diverse representation in mainstream media,” Nguyen said. “Society and our audiences are more conscious than ever about the lack of gender and racial parity in film. Film festivals have even set gender parity goals for themselves. We are all demanding it.” Nguyen added that there is still a lot more work to be done, and that everyone must act together to achieve parity.
In his opening speech, Orwa Nyrabia, Idfa’s artistic director,...
- 11/20/2019
- by Damon Wise and Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Shoring up artistic director Orwa Nyrabia’s commitment to showcasing more women’s stories and platforming more women’s voices, Idfa has announced that this year’s festival features the highest percentage of female filmmakers in the event’s 31-year history: 64% of competition titles and 47% of the total program.
“Reaching a fairer representation was much easier than it seemed to be,” noted Nyrabia. “We only had to keep our goal in mind. The outstanding films that found their way to us this year was a humble reminder that we are in the presence of exceptional female filmmakers.”
The festival opens with the world premiere of Mehrdad Oskouei’s “Sunless Shadows,” which depicts five young Iranian women complicit in the murders of abusive husbands, fathers, or brothers-in-law. Oskouei’s film competes in the Feature-Length Documentary Competition alongside Jørgen Leth’s “I Walk”; Heidi Hassan and Patricia Pérez Fernández’s “In a...
“Reaching a fairer representation was much easier than it seemed to be,” noted Nyrabia. “We only had to keep our goal in mind. The outstanding films that found their way to us this year was a humble reminder that we are in the presence of exceptional female filmmakers.”
The festival opens with the world premiere of Mehrdad Oskouei’s “Sunless Shadows,” which depicts five young Iranian women complicit in the murders of abusive husbands, fathers, or brothers-in-law. Oskouei’s film competes in the Feature-Length Documentary Competition alongside Jørgen Leth’s “I Walk”; Heidi Hassan and Patricia Pérez Fernández’s “In a...
- 10/24/2019
- by Damon Wise
- Variety Film + TV
With Carlos Reygadas‘ admirably bold, intimate new drama Our Time now in theaters and his first three films now streaming on The Criterion Channel (along with a recent extensive conversation), it’s thankfully easier than ever to catch up on the poetic works of the Mexican director. To celebrate, today we’re taking a look at his favorite films of all-time.
As voted on in the latest Sight & Sound poll, the influences of the ten selections can be seen throughout this work, most notably in the spiritual ruminations of Andrei Tarkovsky and Ingmar Bergman, the non-professional acting collaborations of Robert Bresson, as well as the striking patience of Béla Tarr. Speaking to one selection, Aleksandr Sokurov’s Mother and Son, Reygadas has said it would be the one film he’d show an alien if they came to our planet. Surprisingly, however, for those who have seen Silent Light, there is no Ordet.
As voted on in the latest Sight & Sound poll, the influences of the ten selections can be seen throughout this work, most notably in the spiritual ruminations of Andrei Tarkovsky and Ingmar Bergman, the non-professional acting collaborations of Robert Bresson, as well as the striking patience of Béla Tarr. Speaking to one selection, Aleksandr Sokurov’s Mother and Son, Reygadas has said it would be the one film he’d show an alien if they came to our planet. Surprisingly, however, for those who have seen Silent Light, there is no Ordet.
- 6/25/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Geoffrey Atherden..
Writer and former president of both the Australian Writers. Guild and Australian Writers. Foundation, Geoffrey Atherden, has been appointed a director of Screenrights.
Atherden (Mother and Son, BabaKiueria, Grass Roots) has also served two terms on the board of Screen Nsw and is a member of the Order of Australia..
His appointment was announced at the Screenrights. Agm last week and he joins re-elected members Ben Grant, MD of Goalpost Pictures; Chris Oliver-Taylor, MD of Matchbox Pictures; and Dean Ormston, head of membership services group Apra Amcos and deputy chair of Australian Copyright Council..
Screenrights Chairman Jill Bryant said the board was delighted to welcome Atherden.
.Geoffrey is a passionate advocate for the creators of Australian culture. He has wide-ranging experience within the industry and that will add to the wealth of industry knowledge already on the Board. I am also pleased that the membership chose to return...
Writer and former president of both the Australian Writers. Guild and Australian Writers. Foundation, Geoffrey Atherden, has been appointed a director of Screenrights.
Atherden (Mother and Son, BabaKiueria, Grass Roots) has also served two terms on the board of Screen Nsw and is a member of the Order of Australia..
His appointment was announced at the Screenrights. Agm last week and he joins re-elected members Ben Grant, MD of Goalpost Pictures; Chris Oliver-Taylor, MD of Matchbox Pictures; and Dean Ormston, head of membership services group Apra Amcos and deputy chair of Australian Copyright Council..
Screenrights Chairman Jill Bryant said the board was delighted to welcome Atherden.
.Geoffrey is a passionate advocate for the creators of Australian culture. He has wide-ranging experience within the industry and that will add to the wealth of industry knowledge already on the Board. I am also pleased that the membership chose to return...
- 10/31/2016
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
By Doug Oswald
I had no idea what to expect when I placed the DVD for “Scobie Malone” in my player. Scobie, played by Jack Thompson, makes his way through traffic on a sunny day in Sydney Australia as the movie credits begin. An Olivia Newton-John sound-alike sings the Scobie Malone title song. Scobie breaks the third wall by looking directly at the viewer as the title appears on-screen during his drive as an invitation to join him on his adventure. Scobie gives the thumbs up to a motorcycle cop during his drive. He winks, nods and flirts with pretty girls on the way to his swinging bachelor pad.
Scobie lives at “Sunrise Patios” and the entry sign proclaims Singles Only with a placard stating: No Vacancies. His bachelor pad is reached through the central courtyard containing a large patio and pool. A pretty girl in a bikini is changing...
I had no idea what to expect when I placed the DVD for “Scobie Malone” in my player. Scobie, played by Jack Thompson, makes his way through traffic on a sunny day in Sydney Australia as the movie credits begin. An Olivia Newton-John sound-alike sings the Scobie Malone title song. Scobie breaks the third wall by looking directly at the viewer as the title appears on-screen during his drive as an invitation to join him on his adventure. Scobie gives the thumbs up to a motorcycle cop during his drive. He winks, nods and flirts with pretty girls on the way to his swinging bachelor pad.
Scobie lives at “Sunrise Patios” and the entry sign proclaims Singles Only with a placard stating: No Vacancies. His bachelor pad is reached through the central courtyard containing a large patio and pool. A pretty girl in a bikini is changing...
- 6/9/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Dave Eastgate, Lawrence Leung and Stephanie Son in Maximum Choppage.
.
Head of ABC TV comedy Rick Kalowski has commissioned a stand-alone pilot, a prototype he intends to test for further pilots, and he.s developing a sitcom to be filmed in front of a studio audience.
In a further break from the traditional approach to comedy, Kalowski is developing several shows that are each built around an established performer-writer. All that is in addition to eight series which are either in production or post.
The stand-alone pilot deals with an unusual subject- mental illness. Details of that sitcom are under wraps but Kowalski tells If he.s looking for other projects that are suitable material for pilots.
The studio-based comedy could be the ABC.s first since Mother and Son, the Geoffrey Atherden-created classic which ran until 1994. The show is being developed with writer . producer Marieke Hardy and would...
.
Head of ABC TV comedy Rick Kalowski has commissioned a stand-alone pilot, a prototype he intends to test for further pilots, and he.s developing a sitcom to be filmed in front of a studio audience.
In a further break from the traditional approach to comedy, Kalowski is developing several shows that are each built around an established performer-writer. All that is in addition to eight series which are either in production or post.
The stand-alone pilot deals with an unusual subject- mental illness. Details of that sitcom are under wraps but Kowalski tells If he.s looking for other projects that are suitable material for pilots.
The studio-based comedy could be the ABC.s first since Mother and Son, the Geoffrey Atherden-created classic which ran until 1994. The show is being developed with writer . producer Marieke Hardy and would...
- 5/29/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Viewers who enjoyed Darren Gilshenan.s performance as the hopeless romantic and buffoonish Uncle Terry in ABC-tv.s The Moodys can look forward to watching the actor playing an array of characters, mostly villains.
Gilshenan gets to show the dark side of his acting repertoire in Foxtel.s miniseries Devil.s Playground, the ABC series Old School, the Seven Network.s The Killing Field and ABC2 comedy Maximum Choppage.
.I find it easy to slip into the skin of characters,. Gilshenan told If from the set of Matchbox Pictures. Maximum Choppage, in which he plays a former game show host who is the corrupt mayor of Cabramatta, whom he likens to a cross between Sir Les Patterson and Baby John Burgess. .Some villains are like a child who didn.t get any toys..
Gilshenan has worked steadily in theatre, TV and film since he graduated from Nida in 1988 but he...
Gilshenan gets to show the dark side of his acting repertoire in Foxtel.s miniseries Devil.s Playground, the ABC series Old School, the Seven Network.s The Killing Field and ABC2 comedy Maximum Choppage.
.I find it easy to slip into the skin of characters,. Gilshenan told If from the set of Matchbox Pictures. Maximum Choppage, in which he plays a former game show host who is the corrupt mayor of Cabramatta, whom he likens to a cross between Sir Les Patterson and Baby John Burgess. .Some villains are like a child who didn.t get any toys..
Gilshenan has worked steadily in theatre, TV and film since he graduated from Nida in 1988 but he...
- 4/2/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Producers Sue Murray and Darren Dale have been appointed to the Board of Screen Nsw, while Geoffrey Atherden has been reappointed.
“Sue Murray commands tremendous respect in the film industry for her expertise in marketing, distribution and production. Darren Dale brings a wealth of production experience in the drama and factual, film and television sectors. Geoffrey Atherden will continue to contribute his expertise as a writer and advocate for the creative sector,” said Minister for the Arts Virginia Judge.Murray is the executive director of Fandango Australia (Ten Canoes); Darren Dale is a company director of Blackfella Films (First Australians, Redfern Now) and Geoffrey Atherden is the creator of Mother and Son.
The appointments will run from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2013, and follow the recent appointment of Helen Wright as chairperson.
“Sue Murray commands tremendous respect in the film industry for her expertise in marketing, distribution and production. Darren Dale brings a wealth of production experience in the drama and factual, film and television sectors. Geoffrey Atherden will continue to contribute his expertise as a writer and advocate for the creative sector,” said Minister for the Arts Virginia Judge.Murray is the executive director of Fandango Australia (Ten Canoes); Darren Dale is a company director of Blackfella Films (First Australians, Redfern Now) and Geoffrey Atherden is the creator of Mother and Son.
The appointments will run from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2013, and follow the recent appointment of Helen Wright as chairperson.
- 1/16/2011
- by Miguel Gonzalez
- Encore Magazine
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