Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard in October 2023 had fans instantly sending in requests to the trillion-dollar company to put Call of Duty games on Game Pass. The blockbuster franchise has been a mainstay in the video game industry for two decades, with tens of millions of fans.
Earlier in the year, Microsoft did confirm that Activision Blizzard titles will start showing up on Game Pass, with Diablo 4 being the first to go on the service. However, adding Call of Duty games was something the company was looking into at the time, and it seems the fans may get what they want.
2024’s Call of Duty Game Might Go Straight Into Game Pass
Call of Duty Black Ops 6 will launch day one into Game Pass, it’s reported | Activision
According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, Microsoft plans to make this year’s Call of Duty title available...
Earlier in the year, Microsoft did confirm that Activision Blizzard titles will start showing up on Game Pass, with Diablo 4 being the first to go on the service. However, adding Call of Duty games was something the company was looking into at the time, and it seems the fans may get what they want.
2024’s Call of Duty Game Might Go Straight Into Game Pass
Call of Duty Black Ops 6 will launch day one into Game Pass, it’s reported | Activision
According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, Microsoft plans to make this year’s Call of Duty title available...
- 5/17/2024
- by Viraaj Bhatnagar
- FandomWire
Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall that blew everyone away at the latest awards season is a dazzling mix of drama and crime thriller, but it’s the movie’s cutest actor that is probably one of the biggest reasons for such an immense success.
A French Border Collie called Messi proved to be a real dog star after his stunning and very dramatical performance — and it seems like Messi’s career is about to skyrocket again.
In Anatomy of a Fall, Messi played Snoop, Sandra and Vincent’s dog that they got for their visually impaired son Daniel’s guidance. The dog actor was trained for his big poisoning scene in the movie for two months and eventually his performance didn't go unnoticed — Messi (or rather his owner) took home several awards, including Palm Dog Award from the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
The good news for Messi’s fans...
A French Border Collie called Messi proved to be a real dog star after his stunning and very dramatical performance — and it seems like Messi’s career is about to skyrocket again.
In Anatomy of a Fall, Messi played Snoop, Sandra and Vincent’s dog that they got for their visually impaired son Daniel’s guidance. The dog actor was trained for his big poisoning scene in the movie for two months and eventually his performance didn't go unnoticed — Messi (or rather his owner) took home several awards, including Palm Dog Award from the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
The good news for Messi’s fans...
- 4/29/2024
- by benjamin-patel@startefacts.com (Benjamin Patel)
- STartefacts.com
It has been a happy day for all the Dragon Ball fans around the world. A brand new gameplay trailer of the highly anticipated game, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero was released by Bandai Namco earlier today and the fans just can’t control their excitement.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
Fans took to social media and talked about how the upcoming game will be a culmination of the mangaka, Akira Toriyama’s life work.
Akira Toriyama recently passed away leaving a void in the hearts of Dragon Ball fans
Akira Toriyama will go down in history as one of the most important persons in the world of manga and anime. The legendary Japanese mangaka was not only known as the creator of Dragon Ball but also had an immense impact on the creative world as a whole.
SUGGESTEDDragon Ball: Sparking Zero Finally Gets the Update all Fans Have Been Begging For...
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
Fans took to social media and talked about how the upcoming game will be a culmination of the mangaka, Akira Toriyama’s life work.
Akira Toriyama recently passed away leaving a void in the hearts of Dragon Ball fans
Akira Toriyama will go down in history as one of the most important persons in the world of manga and anime. The legendary Japanese mangaka was not only known as the creator of Dragon Ball but also had an immense impact on the creative world as a whole.
SUGGESTEDDragon Ball: Sparking Zero Finally Gets the Update all Fans Have Been Begging For...
- 3/20/2024
- by Shikhar Tiwari
- FandomWire
The arrival of Lionel Messi in 2023 caused millions of new subscribers to sign up for Mls Season Pass, but is another global superstar coming this year?
No matter which way the data is examined, it’s clear that the addition of Lionel Messi to Inter Miami Cf last season was a huge win not only for the club, but for Apple. That company owns Mls Season Pass, the streaming service created to stream every Mls match until 2033, and it’s notoriously secretive about the number of customers it has on various subscription services like Mls Season Pass and Apple TV+. But according to Sports Business Journal, sources with direct knowledge of Mls Season Pass’s subscriber total state that the service officially ended the 2023 Mls season with more than 2 million subscribers.
The Streamable first reported a number of 2 million subscribers for Mls Season Pass in August, but no confirmation has been given until now.
No matter which way the data is examined, it’s clear that the addition of Lionel Messi to Inter Miami Cf last season was a huge win not only for the club, but for Apple. That company owns Mls Season Pass, the streaming service created to stream every Mls match until 2033, and it’s notoriously secretive about the number of customers it has on various subscription services like Mls Season Pass and Apple TV+. But according to Sports Business Journal, sources with direct knowledge of Mls Season Pass’s subscriber total state that the service officially ended the 2023 Mls season with more than 2 million subscribers.
The Streamable first reported a number of 2 million subscribers for Mls Season Pass in August, but no confirmation has been given until now.
- 2/16/2024
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
HBO original series “The Gilded Age” has dropped a trailer for its eight-episode second season, premiering Oct. 29 on HBO and streaming on Max. Julian Fellowes (“Downton Abbey”) serves as creator, writer and executive producer.
Set in the titular time period around the 1880s, this historical drama chronicles the divisions in wealthy society. It chiefly follows Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon), an aspiring socialite whose husband, George Russell (Morgan Spector) is a railroad tycoon. Bertha enters the New York high society scene, only to find that the other ladies look down on her “new money” status. She makes an enemy of “old money” Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski), who believes that Bertha doesn’t belong in their world.
Season 2 sees the conflict between Bertha and the “old system” ramp up after Bertha’s bid for a box at the Academy of Music is rejected and she decides to fights back.
“You seem...
Set in the titular time period around the 1880s, this historical drama chronicles the divisions in wealthy society. It chiefly follows Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon), an aspiring socialite whose husband, George Russell (Morgan Spector) is a railroad tycoon. Bertha enters the New York high society scene, only to find that the other ladies look down on her “new money” status. She makes an enemy of “old money” Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski), who believes that Bertha doesn’t belong in their world.
Season 2 sees the conflict between Bertha and the “old system” ramp up after Bertha’s bid for a box at the Academy of Music is rejected and she decides to fights back.
“You seem...
- 10/11/2023
- by Caroline Brew, Valerie Wu and Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
Madrid, May 22 (Ians) Real Madrid endured another setback this week, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat away to Valencia.
Thanks to a first-half goal from young striker Diego Lopez, Valencia practically ensured their continued place in the top-flight, reports Xinhua.
Lopez struck just past the half-hour mark, capitalizing on a mishit shot from Justin Kluivert. This ultimately awarded his team all three points against a significantly changed Madrid lineup, a stark contrast from the one that suffered a 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in Wednesday’s Champions League match.
Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili showcased a series of exceptional saves to clinch the victory.
However, the match will also be memorable for off-field incidents. Madrid winger Vinicius Jr was provoked into an angry reaction following a racist insult from a fan in the stands and had to be placated by both rivals and teammates.
In the 96th minute, Vinicius Jr was shown...
Thanks to a first-half goal from young striker Diego Lopez, Valencia practically ensured their continued place in the top-flight, reports Xinhua.
Lopez struck just past the half-hour mark, capitalizing on a mishit shot from Justin Kluivert. This ultimately awarded his team all three points against a significantly changed Madrid lineup, a stark contrast from the one that suffered a 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in Wednesday’s Champions League match.
Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili showcased a series of exceptional saves to clinch the victory.
However, the match will also be memorable for off-field incidents. Madrid winger Vinicius Jr was provoked into an angry reaction following a racist insult from a fan in the stands and had to be placated by both rivals and teammates.
In the 96th minute, Vinicius Jr was shown...
- 5/22/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
The battle for success on the new drama series scene is the battle for talent, led by screenwriters. Following, portraits of Spanish TV scribes or creators, sometimes writing teams, who’ve made an impact, or look set to do so:
Fran Araujo
2022 was Araujo’s year. He co-wrote Berlin Competition’s “One Night, One Day” and “Rapa,” Movistar+’s biggest 2022 bow. “Offworld,” a collective series he coordinated, was a Variety’s International TV Show of the Year. An iconoclast – “if I do the same thing, I get bored,” he says – who tears up the rule book.
Aina Clotet
Best known for acting, winning at Malaga for “The Wild Ones,” but a driving force as co-creator, director and star behind “This Is Not Sweden” a €1.5 million grant recipient and groundbreaking Spain-Scandinavia-Germany co-pro, turning on a couple who think they’ve found a model lifestyle. But “there are no guarantees,” says Clotet.
Fran Araujo
2022 was Araujo’s year. He co-wrote Berlin Competition’s “One Night, One Day” and “Rapa,” Movistar+’s biggest 2022 bow. “Offworld,” a collective series he coordinated, was a Variety’s International TV Show of the Year. An iconoclast – “if I do the same thing, I get bored,” he says – who tears up the rule book.
Aina Clotet
Best known for acting, winning at Malaga for “The Wild Ones,” but a driving force as co-creator, director and star behind “This Is Not Sweden” a €1.5 million grant recipient and groundbreaking Spain-Scandinavia-Germany co-pro, turning on a couple who think they’ve found a model lifestyle. But “there are no guarantees,” says Clotet.
- 2/20/2023
- by John Hopewell and Pablo Sandoval
- Variety Film + TV
Carla Gugino’s upcoming drama “Leopard Skin” and Roselyn Sánchez’s “‘Til Jail Do Us Part” are among the slate of new original series heading to Peacock that TheWrap can exclusively reveal the premiere dates for.
“‘Til Jail Do Us Part,” a Spanish-language dramedy starring Sánchez, Kate del Castillo, Jeimy Osorio and Sylvia Sáenz, will debut Sept. 15.
The show will follow four women who “suffer their worst nightmare after the police arrest their husbands for being linked to the same criminal organization. Accustomed to a life of abundance, they now must join forces in the most unusual manner as they move from a carefree life of luxury to unleashing all their wiles and weapons to survive,” per a logline from the streamer.
“Leopard Skin,” starring Gugino, Amelia Eve, Gentry White, Philip Winchester, Margot Bingham, Gaite Jansen, Nora Arnezeder and Ana de la Reguera, makes its Peacock debut Nov. 17.
Also Read:...
“‘Til Jail Do Us Part,” a Spanish-language dramedy starring Sánchez, Kate del Castillo, Jeimy Osorio and Sylvia Sáenz, will debut Sept. 15.
The show will follow four women who “suffer their worst nightmare after the police arrest their husbands for being linked to the same criminal organization. Accustomed to a life of abundance, they now must join forces in the most unusual manner as they move from a carefree life of luxury to unleashing all their wiles and weapons to survive,” per a logline from the streamer.
“Leopard Skin,” starring Gugino, Amelia Eve, Gentry White, Philip Winchester, Margot Bingham, Gaite Jansen, Nora Arnezeder and Ana de la Reguera, makes its Peacock debut Nov. 17.
Also Read:...
- 9/12/2022
- by Jolie Lash
- The Wrap
Telemundo is getting a slice of the streaming wars pie: The American Spanish-language NBCUniversal network will launch Tplus, a new bilingual content brand designed to serve U.S. Hispanics, on Peacock.
Upcoming tiles include Telemundo’s biggest and most beloved franchises, from “Yo Soy Betty la Fea” to “Café con Aroma de Mujer,” as well as upcoming original projects like a documentary film based on the life of soccer icon Lionel Messi, a docu-series centered on Colombian artist J Balvin and a reality dating series from Red Arrow’s Kinetic Content, the production company behind “Love is Blind,” among others. The hub’s initial programming slate will exclusively be available to the platform’s premium subscribers.
The first titles in the Tplus programming slate will be revealed (along with many more to come), including a wide range of Spanish and English-language entertainment, news and sports content reflecting the richness and diversity of U.
Upcoming tiles include Telemundo’s biggest and most beloved franchises, from “Yo Soy Betty la Fea” to “Café con Aroma de Mujer,” as well as upcoming original projects like a documentary film based on the life of soccer icon Lionel Messi, a docu-series centered on Colombian artist J Balvin and a reality dating series from Red Arrow’s Kinetic Content, the production company behind “Love is Blind,” among others. The hub’s initial programming slate will exclusively be available to the platform’s premium subscribers.
The first titles in the Tplus programming slate will be revealed (along with many more to come), including a wide range of Spanish and English-language entertainment, news and sports content reflecting the richness and diversity of U.
- 1/13/2022
- by Mónica Marie Zorrilla
- Variety Film + TV
The older brother of soccer mega-star Lionel Messi is a wanted man in Argentina after cops discovered a gun in his blood-soaked boat ... according to reports. Matias Messi allegedly told a security guard at the Fighiera fishing club that he cut his face by colliding with a sandbar ... but after police discovered a .380 handgun inside Matias' motorboat, they tried (and failed) to track him down for questioning. The Messi family is pissed over all the...
- 12/1/2017
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Fc Barcelona star Lionel "Leo" Messi has married his childhood sweetheart, Antonella Roccuzzo, in a lavish wedding in their hometown of Rosario, Argentina on Friday. The soccer superstar's wedding was quite the star-studded affair with a 250-plus guest list that included current teammates, former teammate and one notable A-lister—Shakira, whose partner, Gerard Piqué also plays for Fc Barcelona. The lavish event even had a red carpet. Leo, who is from Argentina, moved to Spain at the age of 13 to further his soccer training and is known for his skills playing on the Spanish team, but the sports star went back to his Argentinian roots for his wedding. The singer...
- 7/1/2017
- E! Online
Shakira and her partner, Gerard Piqué, know how to celebrate in style!
The two dressed to impress on Friday as they watched Piqué's friend and fellow soccer star Lionel Messi tie the knot to his longtime love, Antonella Roccuzzo, in Rosario, Argentina.
Watch: Shakira Opens Up About Why She Wouldn't Return to the 'Voice' Again
Shakira wore a chic black dress, which featured a sheer overlay on top of a tulle skirt. She completed the ensemble with strappy black stilettos, a gold clutch and her hair styled in a half-up, half-down 'do. Piqué complemented her look, sporting a classic black tuxedo, bow tie and gigantic grin.
"Gracias a Antonella y Leo y a la gente de Rosario por su hospitalidad," Shakira captioned a photo of the two posing together, which translates to, "Thank you to Antonella and Leo and the people of Rosario for your hospitality."
While Shakira surely turned heads in the sexy number, all eyes were...
The two dressed to impress on Friday as they watched Piqué's friend and fellow soccer star Lionel Messi tie the knot to his longtime love, Antonella Roccuzzo, in Rosario, Argentina.
Watch: Shakira Opens Up About Why She Wouldn't Return to the 'Voice' Again
Shakira wore a chic black dress, which featured a sheer overlay on top of a tulle skirt. She completed the ensemble with strappy black stilettos, a gold clutch and her hair styled in a half-up, half-down 'do. Piqué complemented her look, sporting a classic black tuxedo, bow tie and gigantic grin.
"Gracias a Antonella y Leo y a la gente de Rosario por su hospitalidad," Shakira captioned a photo of the two posing together, which translates to, "Thank you to Antonella and Leo and the people of Rosario for your hospitality."
While Shakira surely turned heads in the sexy number, all eyes were...
- 7/1/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Shakira was among a host of stars who were guests in what many in Latin America are calling the “wedding of the century” — the nuptials of soccer legend Lionel Messi and longtime girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo.
The Colombian pop star, 40, attended with her partner, Spanish soccer player Gerard Piqué, 30. Football stars and celebrities were among the 260 guests who arrived at the glamorous wedding held in Messi’s hometown of Rosario, Argentina.
Messi, 30, met Roccuzzo, 29, met when they were children before he moved to Spain as a teenager.
Other celebrities in attendance included Messi’s Fc Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez and Neymar.
The Colombian pop star, 40, attended with her partner, Spanish soccer player Gerard Piqué, 30. Football stars and celebrities were among the 260 guests who arrived at the glamorous wedding held in Messi’s hometown of Rosario, Argentina.
Messi, 30, met Roccuzzo, 29, met when they were children before he moved to Spain as a teenager.
Other celebrities in attendance included Messi’s Fc Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez and Neymar.
- 7/1/2017
- by Alexia Fernandez
- PEOPLE.com
The private jets are landing in Argentina for the wedding of the year -- soccer superstar Lionel Messi tying the knot to his childhood sweetheart ... and Shakira's on the guest list. The singer and her soccer star husband, Gerard Pique, touched down in Rosario for the wedding, reportedly set to go down Friday afternoon in front of a crowd of hundreds. Among the stars expected to watch Messi and Antonella Roccuzzo -- soccer studs Luis Suarez,...
- 6/30/2017
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Ficg in La Lineup Includes U.S. and L.A. Premieres of Some the Best Latin American Films of the Year
The Guadalajara International Film Festival in Los Angeles (Ficg in La) - presented by the University of Guadalajara Foundation in USA and Conaculta has announced its lineup. "Messi" directed by Álex de la Iglesia, will be the Opening Night film for the 2015 Festival. This documentary portrays today’s greatest soccer player who at age 11 ran the risk of seeing his career ending before it started. With informal interviews, re-enactments, and spectacular footage of Messi’s legendary exploits, this film tells the incredible, true story of his rise to glory.
The 2015 Ficg in La, which returns to the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood for its fifth year and runs from Thursday, August 27 to Sunday, August 30, brings the best of contemporary Mexican and Latin American cinema to Los Angeles, and is an extension of the Guadalajara International Film Festival.
Featuring outstanding and award-winning titles from FICG30, which ran from March 6-15, 2015 in Guadalajara, Ficg in La will offer the premiere of other titles that have emerged in the world of cinema throughout the year to great critical acclaim.
The aim of the festival is to increase access and visibility of Mexican and Latin American cinema in the U.S., facilitating the exchange of ideas through stories and issues of cultural and social relevance, create a space for collaboration between filmmakers, and strengthen relations between the film industry in Mexico and the U.S.
Ficg in La includes film screenings followed by Q&As with filmmakers and talent, as well as galas, panels and special award recognitions to Latin American and U.S. Latino artists.
“Ficg in La 2015 represents the culmination of five years of continuous dedication and passion to further the Latino arts and cinema in the U.S. What was once a tiny three-day showcase of Latino and Ibero-American cinema, is now a lively, eventful film festival, filled with industry events, work-in-progress competitions, family-oriented programs and panel discussions. Los Angeles is the perfect backdrop for Ficg in La to thrive, as it is a patchwork of so many different cultures and communities from across Latin America; however, we hope that our audience is as diverse as the city itself, because many of these stories universally relate to communities of all backgrounds,” said Hebe Tabachnik, Director and Producer of Ficg in La.
“In five years, the Guadalajara International Film Festival in Los Angeles (Ficg in La), has aimed to promote the Mexican and Latin American cinema so that people from elsewhere can enjoy and appreciate the great productions that have been made in Ibero-America; and likewise we have done everything possible to make filmmakers from the Us and Canada get interested in addressing Latino themes and help them honing their skills to provide stronger ground for their projects,”said Iván Trujillo Bolio, Director of Ficg.
Among the celebrities who have accompanied us in previous editions are: Carlos Cuarón, Edward James Olmos, Sergio Arau, Diana Bracho, Alfonso Arau, Kate del Castillo, Martha Higareda, Beto Cuevas, Irene Azuela, Dulce Maria, Carmen Salinas and Jay Hernandez.
Read More: LatinoBuzz: Duo Ben Odell and Eugenio Derbez of 3Pas Studios
Eugenio Derbez will receive the Tree of Life award in representation of the Derbez dynasty. Oscar winner Eugenio Caballero (Best Art Direction, "Pan's Labyrinth"), Ofelia Medina (Mexican actress), Josep Parera (Entertainment Editor La Opinion) and Lpb (Latino Public Broadcasting) will also receive the festival’s Tree of Life Award for their contributions to Mexican, Latino and Ibero-American culture. Previous recipients include Demián Bichir (actor), Juan Carlos Arciniegas (CNN en Espanol), Fernando Luján (actor), Rubén Luengas (journalist), Gabriel Beristain (Director of Photography) and Emilio Kauderer (Music Composer).
Ficg in La continues to support Latino and Ibero-American films with Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 2 and DocuLab.2 Los Angeles by selecting six projects from filmmakers seeking post-production funds. The films will be screened for jury members, sponsors and film industry professionals. The winners will be announced on Friday August 28.
In addition, the winning projects in each competition will automatically qualify to be considered for Guadalajara Construye 10 or DocuLab.8 Guadalajara, or for the Ibero-American Competitions of the next edition of the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG31) – March 4 - 13, 2016.
To reaffirm the social mission of Ficg and the University of Guadalajara Foundation in USA, Ficg in La will donate again all of its proceeds to a charitable cause. We will announce soon the recipient of this year’s fundraising effort.
13 Feature and documentary films and 12 short films will be showcased in this year’s festival
Opening Night Gala – August 28, 2015
"Messi" Dir. Álex de la Iglesia (Spain, 2014, L.A. Premiere)
Closing Night Gala – August 30, 2015
"Ciudad Delirio," Dir. Chus Gutiérrez (Colombia, 2014, 100 min., L.A. Premiere)
Special Events:
• Kids Gala: "El Jeremías" (Jeremy) Dir. Anwar Safa (Mexico, 2015, Us Premiere)
• Maguey (Lgbt) Gala: "Made in Bangkok" Dir. Flavio Florencio (México – Alemania, 2015, Us Premiere)
• Art, Health & Healing Special Screening: "Juanicas"
Dir. Karina García Casanova (Mexico – Canada, 2015, Us Premiere)
and "La Teta de Botero," Dir. Humberto Busto, Mexico (short film)
• Human Rights Special Screening: "La Prenda" (The Pawn)
Dir. Jean-Cosme Delaloye (Guatemala – Suiza, 2014, Sneak Preview) in Association with the Mill Valley Film Festival.
• Free Screening: "La Once" (Tea Time) –Dir. Maite Alberti (Chile, 2014)
Other Feature Films
"El Patrón, Radiografía de un Crimen" (The Boss, Anatomy Of A Crime)
Dir. Sebastián Schindel (Argentina, 2014, L.A. Premiere)
HBO Latino presents – Heroes Cotidianos – “El cometa”
Dir. Alejandra Sánchez (Mexico, 2014, Sneak Preview)
"Ixcanul" Dir. Jayro Bustamante (Guatemala - France, 2015, Sneak Preview)
"Loreak" (Flowers) Dir. Jon Garaño, José Mari Goenaga (Spain, 2014, L.A. Premiere)
"Pocha" (Manifest Destiny) Dir. Michael Dwyer (USA – Mexico, 2015)
"Que Viva la Música" (Liveforever)
Dir. Carlos Moreno (Colombia -Mexico, 2015, L.A Premiere)
Short Films
Mexican Animated Shorts Showcase & Panel (in chronological order)
"Como preparar un sandwich" (How to Prepare a Sandwich) Dir. Rigo Mora
"Hasta Los Huesos" (Down to the Bones) Dir. René Castillo
"Jacinta" Dir. Karla Castañeda
"Jaulas" (Cages) Dir. Juan José Medina
"Prita Noire" (Black Doll) Dir. Sofía Carrillo
"La Casa Triste" (The Sad House) Dir. Sofia Carrillo
"La Noria" ( The Waterwheel) Dir. Karla Castaneda
"Lluvia en los Ojos" (Rain in the Eyes) Dir. Rita Basulto
"Zimbo" (Zimbo) Dir. Rita Basulto & Juan Jose Medina
Shorts Before Features
"Ella" (Her) Dir. Ximena Urrutia (Mexico, 2014, 23 min)
"Mestizo," Dir. Talon Gonzalez (USA, 2014, 10 min.)
"La Teta de Botero," Dir. Humberto Busto (Mexico, 2015, 18 min., Us Premiere)
The screening of the selected work-in-progress films will be for industry accredited to the festival. These screenings are not open to the general public or member of the press.
Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 2
• "Angelica," Dir. Marisol Gómez-Mouakad, Puerto Rico/USA
• "Dementia" (Demencia), Dir. Jose Luís Valenzuela, Mexico/USA
• "Lupe under the Sun" (Lupe bajo el sol), Dir. Rodrigo Reyes, Mexico/USA
DocuLab.2 Los Angeles
• "No Dresscode Required" (Etiqueta no rigurosa), Dir. Cristina Herrera Borquez, Mexico/USA
• "Looking at the Stars" (Ol" ando pras estrelas), Dir. Alexandre Peralta, Nicaragua/Brazil/USA
• "Omar & Gloria" (Omar y Gloria), Dir. Jimmy Cohen, Mexico/Canada
Ficg in La is presented by the University of Guadalajara Foundation in USA and Conaculta, with Principal Sponsors the University of Guadalajara, the Guadalajara International Film Festival, the Institute of Cinema Mexico (Imcine), Univision and La Opinion.
The 2015 Ficg in La, which returns to the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood for its fifth year and runs from Thursday, August 27 to Sunday, August 30, brings the best of contemporary Mexican and Latin American cinema to Los Angeles, and is an extension of the Guadalajara International Film Festival.
Featuring outstanding and award-winning titles from FICG30, which ran from March 6-15, 2015 in Guadalajara, Ficg in La will offer the premiere of other titles that have emerged in the world of cinema throughout the year to great critical acclaim.
The aim of the festival is to increase access and visibility of Mexican and Latin American cinema in the U.S., facilitating the exchange of ideas through stories and issues of cultural and social relevance, create a space for collaboration between filmmakers, and strengthen relations between the film industry in Mexico and the U.S.
Ficg in La includes film screenings followed by Q&As with filmmakers and talent, as well as galas, panels and special award recognitions to Latin American and U.S. Latino artists.
“Ficg in La 2015 represents the culmination of five years of continuous dedication and passion to further the Latino arts and cinema in the U.S. What was once a tiny three-day showcase of Latino and Ibero-American cinema, is now a lively, eventful film festival, filled with industry events, work-in-progress competitions, family-oriented programs and panel discussions. Los Angeles is the perfect backdrop for Ficg in La to thrive, as it is a patchwork of so many different cultures and communities from across Latin America; however, we hope that our audience is as diverse as the city itself, because many of these stories universally relate to communities of all backgrounds,” said Hebe Tabachnik, Director and Producer of Ficg in La.
“In five years, the Guadalajara International Film Festival in Los Angeles (Ficg in La), has aimed to promote the Mexican and Latin American cinema so that people from elsewhere can enjoy and appreciate the great productions that have been made in Ibero-America; and likewise we have done everything possible to make filmmakers from the Us and Canada get interested in addressing Latino themes and help them honing their skills to provide stronger ground for their projects,”said Iván Trujillo Bolio, Director of Ficg.
Among the celebrities who have accompanied us in previous editions are: Carlos Cuarón, Edward James Olmos, Sergio Arau, Diana Bracho, Alfonso Arau, Kate del Castillo, Martha Higareda, Beto Cuevas, Irene Azuela, Dulce Maria, Carmen Salinas and Jay Hernandez.
Read More: LatinoBuzz: Duo Ben Odell and Eugenio Derbez of 3Pas Studios
Eugenio Derbez will receive the Tree of Life award in representation of the Derbez dynasty. Oscar winner Eugenio Caballero (Best Art Direction, "Pan's Labyrinth"), Ofelia Medina (Mexican actress), Josep Parera (Entertainment Editor La Opinion) and Lpb (Latino Public Broadcasting) will also receive the festival’s Tree of Life Award for their contributions to Mexican, Latino and Ibero-American culture. Previous recipients include Demián Bichir (actor), Juan Carlos Arciniegas (CNN en Espanol), Fernando Luján (actor), Rubén Luengas (journalist), Gabriel Beristain (Director of Photography) and Emilio Kauderer (Music Composer).
Ficg in La continues to support Latino and Ibero-American films with Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 2 and DocuLab.2 Los Angeles by selecting six projects from filmmakers seeking post-production funds. The films will be screened for jury members, sponsors and film industry professionals. The winners will be announced on Friday August 28.
In addition, the winning projects in each competition will automatically qualify to be considered for Guadalajara Construye 10 or DocuLab.8 Guadalajara, or for the Ibero-American Competitions of the next edition of the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG31) – March 4 - 13, 2016.
To reaffirm the social mission of Ficg and the University of Guadalajara Foundation in USA, Ficg in La will donate again all of its proceeds to a charitable cause. We will announce soon the recipient of this year’s fundraising effort.
13 Feature and documentary films and 12 short films will be showcased in this year’s festival
Opening Night Gala – August 28, 2015
"Messi" Dir. Álex de la Iglesia (Spain, 2014, L.A. Premiere)
Closing Night Gala – August 30, 2015
"Ciudad Delirio," Dir. Chus Gutiérrez (Colombia, 2014, 100 min., L.A. Premiere)
Special Events:
• Kids Gala: "El Jeremías" (Jeremy) Dir. Anwar Safa (Mexico, 2015, Us Premiere)
• Maguey (Lgbt) Gala: "Made in Bangkok" Dir. Flavio Florencio (México – Alemania, 2015, Us Premiere)
• Art, Health & Healing Special Screening: "Juanicas"
Dir. Karina García Casanova (Mexico – Canada, 2015, Us Premiere)
and "La Teta de Botero," Dir. Humberto Busto, Mexico (short film)
• Human Rights Special Screening: "La Prenda" (The Pawn)
Dir. Jean-Cosme Delaloye (Guatemala – Suiza, 2014, Sneak Preview) in Association with the Mill Valley Film Festival.
• Free Screening: "La Once" (Tea Time) –Dir. Maite Alberti (Chile, 2014)
Other Feature Films
"El Patrón, Radiografía de un Crimen" (The Boss, Anatomy Of A Crime)
Dir. Sebastián Schindel (Argentina, 2014, L.A. Premiere)
HBO Latino presents – Heroes Cotidianos – “El cometa”
Dir. Alejandra Sánchez (Mexico, 2014, Sneak Preview)
"Ixcanul" Dir. Jayro Bustamante (Guatemala - France, 2015, Sneak Preview)
"Loreak" (Flowers) Dir. Jon Garaño, José Mari Goenaga (Spain, 2014, L.A. Premiere)
"Pocha" (Manifest Destiny) Dir. Michael Dwyer (USA – Mexico, 2015)
"Que Viva la Música" (Liveforever)
Dir. Carlos Moreno (Colombia -Mexico, 2015, L.A Premiere)
Short Films
Mexican Animated Shorts Showcase & Panel (in chronological order)
"Como preparar un sandwich" (How to Prepare a Sandwich) Dir. Rigo Mora
"Hasta Los Huesos" (Down to the Bones) Dir. René Castillo
"Jacinta" Dir. Karla Castañeda
"Jaulas" (Cages) Dir. Juan José Medina
"Prita Noire" (Black Doll) Dir. Sofía Carrillo
"La Casa Triste" (The Sad House) Dir. Sofia Carrillo
"La Noria" ( The Waterwheel) Dir. Karla Castaneda
"Lluvia en los Ojos" (Rain in the Eyes) Dir. Rita Basulto
"Zimbo" (Zimbo) Dir. Rita Basulto & Juan Jose Medina
Shorts Before Features
"Ella" (Her) Dir. Ximena Urrutia (Mexico, 2014, 23 min)
"Mestizo," Dir. Talon Gonzalez (USA, 2014, 10 min.)
"La Teta de Botero," Dir. Humberto Busto (Mexico, 2015, 18 min., Us Premiere)
The screening of the selected work-in-progress films will be for industry accredited to the festival. These screenings are not open to the general public or member of the press.
Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 2
• "Angelica," Dir. Marisol Gómez-Mouakad, Puerto Rico/USA
• "Dementia" (Demencia), Dir. Jose Luís Valenzuela, Mexico/USA
• "Lupe under the Sun" (Lupe bajo el sol), Dir. Rodrigo Reyes, Mexico/USA
DocuLab.2 Los Angeles
• "No Dresscode Required" (Etiqueta no rigurosa), Dir. Cristina Herrera Borquez, Mexico/USA
• "Looking at the Stars" (Ol" ando pras estrelas), Dir. Alexandre Peralta, Nicaragua/Brazil/USA
• "Omar & Gloria" (Omar y Gloria), Dir. Jimmy Cohen, Mexico/Canada
Ficg in La is presented by the University of Guadalajara Foundation in USA and Conaculta, with Principal Sponsors the University of Guadalajara, the Guadalajara International Film Festival, the Institute of Cinema Mexico (Imcine), Univision and La Opinion.
- 8/13/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Top brass at the Guadalajara International Film Festival in Los Angeles (Ficg in La) announced on Wednesday the line-up of Mexican and Latin American films at the festival, set to run from August 27-30.
Opening selection Messi from Álex de la Iglesia will receive its La premiere and chronicles the life of the Barcelona and Argentina football player Lionel Messi, regarded by many as the greatest player of all time.
The film includes informal interviews, re-enactments of key episodes in Messi’s life and footage of the player in action.
The fifth Ficg In La returns to the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and features screenings followed by Q&A’s from a selection of titles from FICG30, which ran from March 6-15 in Guadalajara, as well as other titles that have emerged since the spring festival.
All in all 13 feature and documentary films and 12 short films will be showcased. They include Chus Gutiérrez’s Colombian closing night selection...
Opening selection Messi from Álex de la Iglesia will receive its La premiere and chronicles the life of the Barcelona and Argentina football player Lionel Messi, regarded by many as the greatest player of all time.
The film includes informal interviews, re-enactments of key episodes in Messi’s life and footage of the player in action.
The fifth Ficg In La returns to the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and features screenings followed by Q&A’s from a selection of titles from FICG30, which ran from March 6-15 in Guadalajara, as well as other titles that have emerged since the spring festival.
All in all 13 feature and documentary films and 12 short films will be showcased. They include Chus Gutiérrez’s Colombian closing night selection...
- 8/12/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
An Alternative Reality: The Football Manager Documentary - which saw its first screening in cinemas nationwide this week - is an hour and a half of anecdotes and musings on the long-running simulation series. It might not appeal so much to non-Football Manager fans - there are a fair few references non-players won't get - but those who've been playing the series for decades will find a lot to love in it.
After watching the film and listening to series director Miles Jacobson do a Q&A, we managed to pick up on seven nuggets you likely didn't know about Football Manager.
1. Football Manager nearly bagged Alex McLeish a superstar
Alex and his son Jon talk about one thing we did know before: the younger McLeish recommended a player he'd discovered on Football Manager to his dad, back when he was managing Glasgow Rangers. This dismissed recommendation of a teenager...
After watching the film and listening to series director Miles Jacobson do a Q&A, we managed to pick up on seven nuggets you likely didn't know about Football Manager.
1. Football Manager nearly bagged Alex McLeish a superstar
Alex and his son Jon talk about one thing we did know before: the younger McLeish recommended a player he'd discovered on Football Manager to his dad, back when he was managing Glasgow Rangers. This dismissed recommendation of a teenager...
- 10/8/2014
- Digital Spy
So what makes the little man tick? When the Spanish director Alex de la Iglesia was asked to make a documentary about Argentinian and Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi, he decided to look for what he calls the "rosebud" moment. If he searched hard enough, De la Iglesia was certain, he could discover just why Messi had pushed himself to become one of the greatest footballers of his age. When he was researching and making the film (which premiered at the Venice Festival earlier this month), De la Iglesia was thinking all the time about the boy with the sledge who grows up to become the all-powerful media magnate in Orson Welles' Citizen Kane.
- 9/17/2014
- The Independent - Film
★☆☆☆☆Messi (2014), a new film about diminutive Argentinian football icon Lionel Messi, has all the ingredients for a great sports documentary. A mass of archive material has been made available to director Álex de la Iglesia, apparently provided by Messi's constantly videotaping father, there are interviews with influential figures in the player's life including Fc Barcelona team mates and ex-coaches and, last but not least, the sublime splendour of the player himself, whose speed, skill and grace see him ranked as one of - if not the - best footballers of all time. And yet Messi is a mess, with Iglesia and his contributors bundled into a restaurant, pontificating about the man over a seemingly endless dinner.
- 8/28/2014
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
What do you do when you have the most beautiful player of the beautiful game as the subject of your documentary? You create a gimmicky false set up, show very little football and seek to penetrate as little as possible into what makes this footballing phenomenon tick whilst never apparently talking to him. At least you do if you are director Alex de la Iglesia. Going into the film, I worried that Messi might not be a fascinating subject for a documentary and Iglesia confirmed it for me.
The setting is a restaurant and most of the tables are full of people from Messi’s past and present. At one table are seated his primary school teachers, one of whom looks across the restaurant and asks “Who’s that?” pointing to another patron. It is Johan Cruyff. At another, we find Messi’s childhood pals from his Rosario neighbourhood and...
The setting is a restaurant and most of the tables are full of people from Messi’s past and present. At one table are seated his primary school teachers, one of whom looks across the restaurant and asks “Who’s that?” pointing to another patron. It is Johan Cruyff. At another, we find Messi’s childhood pals from his Rosario neighbourhood and...
- 8/27/2014
- by Jo-Ann Titmarsh
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Emilio Morenatti/AP/Press Association Images
In the eyes of many, Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer to have ever played the game. Sure, there will be some who believe that he can never be thought of as the best until he’s won a World Cup, but that is nonsense. Some may feel Diego Maradona tops the pile, while others would choose Pele, and while it’s all a matter of opinion, one thing that can’t be denied is that the feats he has achieved despite still being just 27 years of age are nothing short of remarkable.
He has spearheaded a Barcelona side thought of as the finest club team ever, he has scored pivotal goals in two Champions League finals and won the prestigious Ballon d’Or award four times in succession. The Argentina superstar has scored an incredible 354 goals in just 425 appearances for the Catalan giants,...
In the eyes of many, Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer to have ever played the game. Sure, there will be some who believe that he can never be thought of as the best until he’s won a World Cup, but that is nonsense. Some may feel Diego Maradona tops the pile, while others would choose Pele, and while it’s all a matter of opinion, one thing that can’t be denied is that the feats he has achieved despite still being just 27 years of age are nothing short of remarkable.
He has spearheaded a Barcelona side thought of as the finest club team ever, he has scored pivotal goals in two Champions League finals and won the prestigious Ballon d’Or award four times in succession. The Argentina superstar has scored an incredible 354 goals in just 425 appearances for the Catalan giants,...
- 8/23/2014
- by Henry Jackson
- Obsessed with Film
EA Sports
The woes of Playstation owners who play FIFA look to be mounting as EA Sports announced last week that 15 new Legends would be introduced to FIFA 15. These historical powerhouses of the beautiful game will be added to the already-ample roster of 42 Legends from FIFA 14, available exclusively to Xbox 360 and Xbox One gamers.
The notion of a team spear-headed by the combo of Pelé and Messi with service from Iniesta and Gheorghe Hagi is part of the reason virtual football can be so much more entertaining than the real thing; a cross-generational team of this nature is only possible thanks to FIFA Ultimate Teams’ inclusion of Legends.
Though there are still several notable absentees from FIFA 15’s roster of Legends such as Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane and Brazil’s Ronaldo, the 15 new players all improve an already excellent Xbox exclusive. One question which now needs answering is how these...
The woes of Playstation owners who play FIFA look to be mounting as EA Sports announced last week that 15 new Legends would be introduced to FIFA 15. These historical powerhouses of the beautiful game will be added to the already-ample roster of 42 Legends from FIFA 14, available exclusively to Xbox 360 and Xbox One gamers.
The notion of a team spear-headed by the combo of Pelé and Messi with service from Iniesta and Gheorghe Hagi is part of the reason virtual football can be so much more entertaining than the real thing; a cross-generational team of this nature is only possible thanks to FIFA Ultimate Teams’ inclusion of Legends.
Though there are still several notable absentees from FIFA 15’s roster of Legends such as Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane and Brazil’s Ronaldo, the 15 new players all improve an already excellent Xbox exclusive. One question which now needs answering is how these...
- 8/22/2014
- by Sam Heard
- Obsessed with Film
David Davies/Pa Archive/Press Association Images
Let’s be perfectly frank here, Ben Arfa is not wanted at Newcastle United, and no amount of shouting his name at away games, or accusing Alan Pardew of idiocy over his treatement is going to change that. Rightly or wrongly, the player is deemed a toxic influence at the club, with poor on-field impact not matching up to his undoubted, unquantifiable talent, and rumours that he is something of a diva around the training ground.
Make no mistake, the Frenchman has not simply been relegated to play with the kids because he is carrying a little too much timber, and the manager’s assertions that his professionalism leaves a lot to be desired is a hint of what he’s really like behind closed doors. But the real question for Newcastle fans is how far a player of such monumental talent – and...
Let’s be perfectly frank here, Ben Arfa is not wanted at Newcastle United, and no amount of shouting his name at away games, or accusing Alan Pardew of idiocy over his treatement is going to change that. Rightly or wrongly, the player is deemed a toxic influence at the club, with poor on-field impact not matching up to his undoubted, unquantifiable talent, and rumours that he is something of a diva around the training ground.
Make no mistake, the Frenchman has not simply been relegated to play with the kids because he is carrying a little too much timber, and the manager’s assertions that his professionalism leaves a lot to be desired is a hint of what he’s really like behind closed doors. But the real question for Newcastle fans is how far a player of such monumental talent – and...
- 8/6/2014
- by Simon Gallagher
- Obsessed with Film
The Venice International Film Festival is in the process announcing the lineup for its 71st edition. Here's what we know so far:
Competition
The Cut (Fatih Akin)
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (Roy Andersson)
99 Homes (Ramin Bahrani)
Tales (Rakhshan Bani E'temad)
La rancon de la gloire (Xavier Beauvois)
Hungry Hearts (Saverio Costanzo)
Le dernier coup de marteau (Alix Delaporte)
Pasolini (Abel Ferrara)
Manglehorn (David Gordon Green)
Birdman or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance (Alejandro González Iñárritu)
Three Hearts (Benoît Jacquot)
The Postman's White Nights (Andrei Konchalovsky)
Il Giovane Favoloso (Mario Martone)
Sivas (Kaan Mujdeci)
Anime Nere (Francesco Munzi)
Good Kill (Andrew Niccol)
Loin des hommes (David Oelhoffen)
The Look of Silence (Joshua Oppenheimer)
Nobi (Shinya Tsukamoto)
Red Amnesia (Wang Xiaoshuai)
Out Of Competition
Joe Date. Photo by Evan Dickson.
Words with Gods (Guillermo Arriaga, Emir Kusturica, Amos Gitai, Mira Nair, Warwick Thornton, Hector Babenco, Bahman Ghobadi,...
Competition
The Cut (Fatih Akin)
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (Roy Andersson)
99 Homes (Ramin Bahrani)
Tales (Rakhshan Bani E'temad)
La rancon de la gloire (Xavier Beauvois)
Hungry Hearts (Saverio Costanzo)
Le dernier coup de marteau (Alix Delaporte)
Pasolini (Abel Ferrara)
Manglehorn (David Gordon Green)
Birdman or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance (Alejandro González Iñárritu)
Three Hearts (Benoît Jacquot)
The Postman's White Nights (Andrei Konchalovsky)
Il Giovane Favoloso (Mario Martone)
Sivas (Kaan Mujdeci)
Anime Nere (Francesco Munzi)
Good Kill (Andrew Niccol)
Loin des hommes (David Oelhoffen)
The Look of Silence (Joshua Oppenheimer)
Nobi (Shinya Tsukamoto)
Red Amnesia (Wang Xiaoshuai)
Out Of Competition
Joe Date. Photo by Evan Dickson.
Words with Gods (Guillermo Arriaga, Emir Kusturica, Amos Gitai, Mira Nair, Warwick Thornton, Hector Babenco, Bahman Ghobadi,...
- 7/25/2014
- by Notebook
- MUBI
Films by David Gordon Green, Andrew Niccol and Abel Ferrara will bring world premieres to the Lido di Venezia this year, as the Venice Film Festival has announced its selections for the 71st edition of the oldest such event in the world. Green's "Manglehorn" with Al Pacino, Niccol's "Good Kill" with Ethan Hawke and Ferrara's "Pasolini" with Willem Dafoe promise to bring a fair share of star power to the event, while actors such as Viggo Mortensen, Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver feature in films sprinkled throughout the Competition. "The Act of Killing" director Joshua Oppenheimer will also continue his look at the Indonesian genocide with a new documentary, "The Look of Silence." Playing out of competition are films by Barry Levinson ("The Humbling," also starring Pacino), James Franco ("The Sound and the Fury") and Lisa Cholodenko ("Olive Kitteridge"), while Focus Features will bring the new Laika film, "The Boxtrolls,...
- 7/24/2014
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
Shawn Christensen’s Before I Disappear in 12-strong competition line-up.Scroll down for full list
Venice Days (Aug 27 to Sept 6) has unveiled the line-up for its 11th edition, opening with Kim Ki-Duk’s One On One and closing with Alex de la Iglesia’s footballer documentary, Messi.
The 11-day event, which runs as an independent sidebar of the Venice Film Festival, will play 12 features in competition – the first time Venice Days has hosted a competitive element.
Those competing for the €20,000 ($27,000) Venice Days Award, split between the winning director and international distributor of the film, include Shawn Christensen’s SXSW winner Before I Disappear; Guy Myhill’s The Goob; and Laurent Cantet’s Return to Ithaca.
The jurors for the Venice Days Award will be 28 young participants – one from each of the 28 EU member countries.
A total of 678 feature films were submitted between January and July. Including films viewed at festivals and markets, a total of...
Venice Days (Aug 27 to Sept 6) has unveiled the line-up for its 11th edition, opening with Kim Ki-Duk’s One On One and closing with Alex de la Iglesia’s footballer documentary, Messi.
The 11-day event, which runs as an independent sidebar of the Venice Film Festival, will play 12 features in competition – the first time Venice Days has hosted a competitive element.
Those competing for the €20,000 ($27,000) Venice Days Award, split between the winning director and international distributor of the film, include Shawn Christensen’s SXSW winner Before I Disappear; Guy Myhill’s The Goob; and Laurent Cantet’s Return to Ithaca.
The jurors for the Venice Days Award will be 28 young participants – one from each of the 28 EU member countries.
A total of 678 feature films were submitted between January and July. Including films viewed at festivals and markets, a total of...
- 7/22/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Ahead of Thursday’s announcement of the Venice Film Festival competition lineup, the parallel Venice Days section has presented its roster. As previously noted, Kim Ki-duk’s revenge drama One On One will open the section out of competition. The Korean helmer’s Pieta won the Golden Lion in 2012. Closing the section is Alex De La Iglesia’s documentary about Argentine football great Lionel Messi. Titled Messi, the film uses reconstructions, archival material and interviews to trace the player’s rise to stardom. Among the competition titles is the world premiere of Palme d’Or winner Laurent Cantet’s Return To Ithaca. Set in Havana, the […]...
- 7/22/2014
- Deadline
Two Filmmakers Are Scoring With Films About Soccer
As reported on by contributing blogger Benjamín Harguindey at St. Themo Films in Argentina, Álex de la Iglesia’s biopic of Argentine footballer Lionel Messi will receive an official screening on July 2 in Río de Janeiro, right in the middle of the FIFA World Cup’s “round of sixteen”. Argentina is playing against Switzerland the day before for a spot in the World Cup’s quarter-finals, so it remains to be seen whether the movie will act as a beaming celebration or a conciliatory send-off for Argentina’s national team, which Messi captains.
The “docufiction”, simply titled “Messi”, is directed by Spanish filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia, best known as the creator of cult films like “The Day of the Beast” (1995) and “Ferpect Crime” ( 2004), and more recently “Witching and Bitching” (2013). Spanish production studio Mediapro is behind the movie. Judging from the trailer, it looks like the director’s outrageous style has been dropped in favor of a more serious tone. De la Iglesia traveled earlier in January to Messi’s hometown Rosario, where he shot at Messi’s former home, his primary school and the Newell’s Old Boys Stadium where he used to play.
The movie, written by coach Jorge Valdano, is equal parts documentary – interviewing footballers like Javier Mascherano and Gerard Piqué, and national team coach Alejandro Sabella – and dramatization, specifically of Messi’s childhood and road to fame and glory. Spanish child actor Marc Balaguer will play young Messi. Besides the World Cup premiere no commercial release dates have been given for Spain or Argentina, but in the meantime here’s the trailer – but first read the original article here: http://ow.ly/yxaTL
Meanwhile, the second film, still to be made, will be produced by Dan Mirvisch of Bugeater Films (Mirvish is also co-founder of the Slamdance Film Festival) who has optioned the project to be written and directed by Darryl Wharton-Rigby.
Their scoop on this hot topic shows how some nimble indie filmmakers can move quicker than anyone in Hollywood. While Hollywood shut down yesterday morning to celebrate USA's 0-1 loss as a win, it was a couple indie filmmakers who saw the real story in the World Cup and outmaneuvered Hollywood to the punch. One other thing they missed is what a truly global project this is, spanning four continents (so far): S. America, Africa obviously, but with producers in the U.S., and an African/American director/writer in Japan.
Darryl Wharton-Rigby writes for Indiewire blog Shadow & Act sometimes, and used to be a programmer for the Maryland Film Fest. Wharton-Rigby (“Homicide: Life on the Streets”), is also an award-winning writer who most recently wrote and directed the indie movie “Stay,” which was filmed in Japan.
Read the full story on The Wrap.
Suffice it here to state that the debacle of Ghana’s Black Stars boycotting practice unless their promised bonus was paid inspired the soccer-themed thriller.
Ghana's government sent more than $3m in cash by plane to Brazil to pay the appearance fees owed to the national team at the World Cup. Deputy Sports Minister Joseph Yamin told Ghanaian radio station Citi FM the players "insisted" on cash payments.
He added: "The government had to mobilize the money and a chartered flight to Brazil."
Wharton-Rigby's script will follow a courier who flies into Brazil with $3 million cash. Things go awry when the courier is ambushed on the way to make the drop, leaving him less than 12 hours to recover the stolen money.
Ghana’s Black Stars have now gone home from Brazil, having lost 2-1 to U.S. and then tied 2-2 with Germany. But losing 2-1 against Portugal eliminated them from the games.
Another bonus row is ongoing involving Nigeria. The Super Eagles, who are due to play France Monday June refused to train on Thursday over fears they would not receive their bonus payments from the Nigerian Football Federation.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan assured players on Friday that the money would be paid.
There was a similar issue with Cameroon, whose players refused to board their plane to South America because of a row over appearance fees. They arrived for the World Cup a day later than scheduled.
The issue is not a new one - Togo went on strike over bonus money at the 2006 tournament in Germany and FIFA was forced to intervene.
Jérôme Valcke, Secretary General of the international football federation (FIFA) says that something needs to be done.
"Future World Cups will ask the national associations to provide us with their agreements with their players to make sure that this kind of episode does not happen again," he said.
Valcke himself was found guilty in 2004 by a New York court when he was Marketing Director of FIFA for negotiating sponsor agreements with the rival Visa, despite the existing agreement of FIFA conducted with the long-time partner Mastercard and thus violated the right of first negotiation of MasterCard. Because of this, the FIFA was fined Us $60 million.
But all this is another story, yet to be made into a movie.
As reported on by contributing blogger Benjamín Harguindey at St. Themo Films in Argentina, Álex de la Iglesia’s biopic of Argentine footballer Lionel Messi will receive an official screening on July 2 in Río de Janeiro, right in the middle of the FIFA World Cup’s “round of sixteen”. Argentina is playing against Switzerland the day before for a spot in the World Cup’s quarter-finals, so it remains to be seen whether the movie will act as a beaming celebration or a conciliatory send-off for Argentina’s national team, which Messi captains.
The “docufiction”, simply titled “Messi”, is directed by Spanish filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia, best known as the creator of cult films like “The Day of the Beast” (1995) and “Ferpect Crime” ( 2004), and more recently “Witching and Bitching” (2013). Spanish production studio Mediapro is behind the movie. Judging from the trailer, it looks like the director’s outrageous style has been dropped in favor of a more serious tone. De la Iglesia traveled earlier in January to Messi’s hometown Rosario, where he shot at Messi’s former home, his primary school and the Newell’s Old Boys Stadium where he used to play.
The movie, written by coach Jorge Valdano, is equal parts documentary – interviewing footballers like Javier Mascherano and Gerard Piqué, and national team coach Alejandro Sabella – and dramatization, specifically of Messi’s childhood and road to fame and glory. Spanish child actor Marc Balaguer will play young Messi. Besides the World Cup premiere no commercial release dates have been given for Spain or Argentina, but in the meantime here’s the trailer – but first read the original article here: http://ow.ly/yxaTL
Meanwhile, the second film, still to be made, will be produced by Dan Mirvisch of Bugeater Films (Mirvish is also co-founder of the Slamdance Film Festival) who has optioned the project to be written and directed by Darryl Wharton-Rigby.
Their scoop on this hot topic shows how some nimble indie filmmakers can move quicker than anyone in Hollywood. While Hollywood shut down yesterday morning to celebrate USA's 0-1 loss as a win, it was a couple indie filmmakers who saw the real story in the World Cup and outmaneuvered Hollywood to the punch. One other thing they missed is what a truly global project this is, spanning four continents (so far): S. America, Africa obviously, but with producers in the U.S., and an African/American director/writer in Japan.
Darryl Wharton-Rigby writes for Indiewire blog Shadow & Act sometimes, and used to be a programmer for the Maryland Film Fest. Wharton-Rigby (“Homicide: Life on the Streets”), is also an award-winning writer who most recently wrote and directed the indie movie “Stay,” which was filmed in Japan.
Read the full story on The Wrap.
Suffice it here to state that the debacle of Ghana’s Black Stars boycotting practice unless their promised bonus was paid inspired the soccer-themed thriller.
Ghana's government sent more than $3m in cash by plane to Brazil to pay the appearance fees owed to the national team at the World Cup. Deputy Sports Minister Joseph Yamin told Ghanaian radio station Citi FM the players "insisted" on cash payments.
He added: "The government had to mobilize the money and a chartered flight to Brazil."
Wharton-Rigby's script will follow a courier who flies into Brazil with $3 million cash. Things go awry when the courier is ambushed on the way to make the drop, leaving him less than 12 hours to recover the stolen money.
Ghana’s Black Stars have now gone home from Brazil, having lost 2-1 to U.S. and then tied 2-2 with Germany. But losing 2-1 against Portugal eliminated them from the games.
Another bonus row is ongoing involving Nigeria. The Super Eagles, who are due to play France Monday June refused to train on Thursday over fears they would not receive their bonus payments from the Nigerian Football Federation.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan assured players on Friday that the money would be paid.
There was a similar issue with Cameroon, whose players refused to board their plane to South America because of a row over appearance fees. They arrived for the World Cup a day later than scheduled.
The issue is not a new one - Togo went on strike over bonus money at the 2006 tournament in Germany and FIFA was forced to intervene.
Jérôme Valcke, Secretary General of the international football federation (FIFA) says that something needs to be done.
"Future World Cups will ask the national associations to provide us with their agreements with their players to make sure that this kind of episode does not happen again," he said.
Valcke himself was found guilty in 2004 by a New York court when he was Marketing Director of FIFA for negotiating sponsor agreements with the rival Visa, despite the existing agreement of FIFA conducted with the long-time partner Mastercard and thus violated the right of first negotiation of MasterCard. Because of this, the FIFA was fined Us $60 million.
But all this is another story, yet to be made into a movie.
- 6/28/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
"Thank God that (Lionel) Messi exists", says legendary Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff at the end of the first trailer for Messi, Álex de la Iglesia's documentary/dramatization dedicated to the current Argentina national football squad and Fc Barcelona leader. The Spanish filmmaker behind The Day of the Beast, Perdita Durango and Witching and Bitching has gathered former and current football players, journalists, and people close to Lionel Messi, in order to discuss the career of one of the all-time greatest footballers. Aside of Cruyff, in the trailer we get to see César Luis Menotti, Andrés Iniesta, Gerard Piqué, Jorge Valdano (who also wrote the film), and Javier Mascherano, as well as some other people I don't recognize but that are closely-related to Messi.De la Iglesia also filmed...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 6/26/2014
- Screen Anarchy
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