Isabelle Huppert will head up the 2024 Venice Film Festival jury this year. Serving as jury president, Huppert will hand out the Golden Lion and other awards when the festival on the Lido concludes. The dates for this year’s edition are August 28 to September 7.
Huppert has never before served as jury president at Venice, but she did at Cannes in 2009, awarding the Palme d’Or to Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon” after deliberations with James Gray, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Asia Argento, Robin Wright, and Lee Chang-dong. Before that she’d served on the jury headed by Dirk Bogarde at Cannes in 1984, which gave the top prize to “Paris, Texas.”
The 71-year-old actress has been a powerhouse force in global cinema for the past 50 years, making her mark in French cinema before quickly appearing in Hollywood productions such as Michael Cimino’s “Heaven’s Gate.” Over the past decade Huppert’s...
Huppert has never before served as jury president at Venice, but she did at Cannes in 2009, awarding the Palme d’Or to Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon” after deliberations with James Gray, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Asia Argento, Robin Wright, and Lee Chang-dong. Before that she’d served on the jury headed by Dirk Bogarde at Cannes in 1984, which gave the top prize to “Paris, Texas.”
The 71-year-old actress has been a powerhouse force in global cinema for the past 50 years, making her mark in French cinema before quickly appearing in Hollywood productions such as Michael Cimino’s “Heaven’s Gate.” Over the past decade Huppert’s...
- 5/8/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche, who has been at the forefront of a fresh #MeToo wave in France this year, has been invited by the Cannes Film Festival to world premiere short film Moi Aussi in Official Selection.
The film, highlighting the stories of victims of sexual violence, will be screened during the opening ceremony for its Un Certain Regard section in the Palais des Festivals’ Salle Debussy and as part of the free, public Cinéma de la Plage program on May 15.
Moi Aussi follows in the wake of Godrèche’s decision earlier this year to publicly denounce her six-year relationship with director Benoît Jacquot in the 1980s, which began when she was 14 years old, and he was 39.
The actress and filmmaker, who said she was under his influence and that the relationship was wrong, filed a police complaint against the Farewell, My Queen and Diary of a Chambermaid director...
The film, highlighting the stories of victims of sexual violence, will be screened during the opening ceremony for its Un Certain Regard section in the Palais des Festivals’ Salle Debussy and as part of the free, public Cinéma de la Plage program on May 15.
Moi Aussi follows in the wake of Godrèche’s decision earlier this year to publicly denounce her six-year relationship with director Benoît Jacquot in the 1980s, which began when she was 14 years old, and he was 39.
The actress and filmmaker, who said she was under his influence and that the relationship was wrong, filed a police complaint against the Farewell, My Queen and Diary of a Chambermaid director...
- 5/7/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
What will you ask the brilliant actor, author, cake decorator and star of new film A Family Affair?
Jane Asher has been on our screens for almost 73 years – her first role was aged five, in Mandy, and she turns 78 on 5 May. But it was aged 17 she really shot to big screen prominence, opposite Vincent Pryce in The Masque of the Red Death.
Then, two years later, in 1966, came Alfie, in which she plays a hitchhiker who becomes the latest in Michael Caine’s litany of conquests; in 1970 she was the lead in Jerzy Skolimowski’s suburban psychodrama Deep End.
Jane Asher has been on our screens for almost 73 years – her first role was aged five, in Mandy, and she turns 78 on 5 May. But it was aged 17 she really shot to big screen prominence, opposite Vincent Pryce in The Masque of the Red Death.
Then, two years later, in 1966, came Alfie, in which she plays a hitchhiker who becomes the latest in Michael Caine’s litany of conquests; in 1970 she was the lead in Jerzy Skolimowski’s suburban psychodrama Deep End.
- 5/4/2024
- by Guardian Film
- The Guardian - Film News
A hippopotamus is a semi-aquatic animal native to sub-Saharan Africa. However, in the early 1990s, hippos and other wild animals ran amok in South America, thanks to drug lord Pablo Escobar and the exotic menagerie at his Hacienda Nápoles estate.
After his death, the animals were left to their own devices. Some were sent to zoos, others facing an uncertain future — but not Pepe, he chose to carve his own path. At the center of Nelson Carlos de Los Santos Arias’ Berlin Premiere film, Pepe is titular nickname of the rogue hippo who escaped into the wilderness and left a trail of destruction in his wake.
Pepe meets a tragic end, but not before pondering life’s profoundest questions. Voiced by a chorus of actors including Jhon Narváez, Harmony Ahalwa, Fareed Matjila, and Shifafure Faustinus, the hippo waxes poetic about his own death and the circumstances leading up to it.
After his death, the animals were left to their own devices. Some were sent to zoos, others facing an uncertain future — but not Pepe, he chose to carve his own path. At the center of Nelson Carlos de Los Santos Arias’ Berlin Premiere film, Pepe is titular nickname of the rogue hippo who escaped into the wilderness and left a trail of destruction in his wake.
Pepe meets a tragic end, but not before pondering life’s profoundest questions. Voiced by a chorus of actors including Jhon Narváez, Harmony Ahalwa, Fareed Matjila, and Shifafure Faustinus, the hippo waxes poetic about his own death and the circumstances leading up to it.
- 2/22/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
What would a syllabus for a seminar on nonhuman perspectives in contemporary cinema look like? There are any number of recent documentary and fiction films about animal lives that one could put on there, including Jerzy Skolimowski’s E.O., Andrea Arnold’s Cow, and Elsa Kremer and Levin Peter’s Space Dogs. Of course, all these share the limitation that, though they transgress human/animal boundaries, they’re still at least tenuously tied to reality. Not a single one of them dares to question what it would look like if a group of Bigfoots pissed and shat all over a forest roadway in raging anger and confusion over its mere existence.
Enter David and Nathan Zellner’s Sasquatch Sunset, a comedy that takes an unsparing guess at what the brutal, cruel, and short lives of our mythical, hirsute cousins would be like. It opens with a cheeky restaging of...
Enter David and Nathan Zellner’s Sasquatch Sunset, a comedy that takes an unsparing guess at what the brutal, cruel, and short lives of our mythical, hirsute cousins would be like. It opens with a cheeky restaging of...
- 2/21/2024
- by Pat Brown
- Slant Magazine
A Prayer For The Dying from UK-France outfit The Bureau and Good Boy, produced by Jeremy Thomas’s Recorded Picture Company, are among the seven international co-productions to receive backing from the UK Global Screen Fund (Ukgsf).
In addition, 23 UK screen content businesses have been awarded funds to boost their international activities.
Ukgsf is financed through the UK government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms) and administered by the British Film Institute (BFI). The latest batch of awards sees over £1.3m being allocated through the international co-production strand and over £2m being allocated through the international business development strand.
In addition, 23 UK screen content businesses have been awarded funds to boost their international activities.
Ukgsf is financed through the UK government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms) and administered by the British Film Institute (BFI). The latest batch of awards sees over £1.3m being allocated through the international co-production strand and over £2m being allocated through the international business development strand.
- 1/17/2024
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
The British Film Institute has revealed the list of TV, film, and animation companies that have won funding from its latest £3.3M ($4.2M) Global Screen Fund payout.
Thirty cash awards have been allocated this round, including seven new international co-productions and what the BFI has described as 23 UK screen content businesses. Financed through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms), the latest batch of awards sees over £1.3 million allocated through the fund’s International Co-production strand and over £2 million allocated through the fund’s International Business Development strand.
The funding, awarded in the form of non-recoupable grants ranging between £50,000 and £150,000, is paid out over three years. This year, the International Co-production strand has, for the first time, supported collaborations with Hungary, Norway, and Spain. The funding will also support partnerships with Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, New Zealand, Poland and Sweden. Check out the full list of awardees below.
Thirty cash awards have been allocated this round, including seven new international co-productions and what the BFI has described as 23 UK screen content businesses. Financed through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms), the latest batch of awards sees over £1.3 million allocated through the fund’s International Co-production strand and over £2 million allocated through the fund’s International Business Development strand.
The funding, awarded in the form of non-recoupable grants ranging between £50,000 and £150,000, is paid out over three years. This year, the International Co-production strand has, for the first time, supported collaborations with Hungary, Norway, and Spain. The funding will also support partnerships with Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, New Zealand, Poland and Sweden. Check out the full list of awardees below.
- 1/17/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
I found this year’s list to be quite tricky. I’m quite happy with my order from ten through six but the top five have changed a fair amount over the last month or so. Like with any list I guess, it’s just a temperature test of how you’re feeling at that time. I also wrestled with the inclusion of my choice for number ten but sometimes you just have to be honest with yourself and admit when you’ve really enjoyed a movie. On an observational level, there’s slightly less animation on this year’s list than there has been in previous couple of years. The latest Spider-Verse instalment, which I have got in my honourable mentions, could’ve made the cut but it feels like the first part of a wider story. If they stick the landing with Beyond though it’ll likely retroactively...
- 12/27/2023
- by James Maitre
- Directors Notes
Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2023, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.
Many of the most memorable moments of my life have revolved around cinema. (Let’s not debate whether that is a good thing.) And 2023 was no exception. There was a twentieth-anniversary screening of the mesmerizing Mulholland Drive at Buffalo’s North Park Theatre featuring a performance from the remarkable Rebekah Del Rio. That was a biggie, but many of my most indelible 2023 cinema memories include my children. In July, my wife and our two kiddos had a rare group cinema outing to Barbie on its opening day, and I have rarely seen my then-eight-year-old daughter more genuinely excited to dance the night away. A few weeks earlier my son was similarly pumped for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny—his first (and only) chance to see...
Many of the most memorable moments of my life have revolved around cinema. (Let’s not debate whether that is a good thing.) And 2023 was no exception. There was a twentieth-anniversary screening of the mesmerizing Mulholland Drive at Buffalo’s North Park Theatre featuring a performance from the remarkable Rebekah Del Rio. That was a biggie, but many of my most indelible 2023 cinema memories include my children. In July, my wife and our two kiddos had a rare group cinema outing to Barbie on its opening day, and I have rarely seen my then-eight-year-old daughter more genuinely excited to dance the night away. A few weeks earlier my son was similarly pumped for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny—his first (and only) chance to see...
- 12/20/2023
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
John Waters isn’t afraid to name Ari Aster’s existential dark comedy “Beau Is Afraid” as the best film of 2023.
The “Pink Flamingos” director shared his annual list of favorite movies of the year with Vulture, crowning the A24 film as his number one pick.
“A superlong, super-crazy, super-funny movie about one man’s mental breakdown with a cast better than ‘Around the World in 80 Days’: Joaquin Phoenix, Patti LuPone, Parker Posey, Nathan Lane, and Amy Ryan,” Waters wrote. “It’s a laugh riot from hell you’ll never forget, even if you want to.”
Pierre Croton’s “A Prince,” Paul Schrader’s “Master Gardener,” “Fallen Leaves,” “Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World,” “Last Summer,” and “Strange Way of Life,” the short film directed by Pedro Almodóvar, were all included in Waters’ list. The director additionally included Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” which Waters...
The “Pink Flamingos” director shared his annual list of favorite movies of the year with Vulture, crowning the A24 film as his number one pick.
“A superlong, super-crazy, super-funny movie about one man’s mental breakdown with a cast better than ‘Around the World in 80 Days’: Joaquin Phoenix, Patti LuPone, Parker Posey, Nathan Lane, and Amy Ryan,” Waters wrote. “It’s a laugh riot from hell you’ll never forget, even if you want to.”
Pierre Croton’s “A Prince,” Paul Schrader’s “Master Gardener,” “Fallen Leaves,” “Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World,” “Last Summer,” and “Strange Way of Life,” the short film directed by Pedro Almodóvar, were all included in Waters’ list. The director additionally included Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” which Waters...
- 12/7/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Final five nominations to be announced on November 2.
Steve McQueen’s Occupied City, Justine Triet’s Anatomy Of A Fall and Todd Haynes’ May December are among the titles on the latest British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) longlists, for Best Feature Documentary and Best International Independent Film.
15 films are on the documentary longlist, with five of them by first-time directors; with 17 films on the international list.
Scroll down for the longlists
Alongside McQueen’s film combining analysis of Amsterdam during the Second World War with the present day, documentary titles include Kevin MacDonald’s High & Low: John Galliano about the...
Steve McQueen’s Occupied City, Justine Triet’s Anatomy Of A Fall and Todd Haynes’ May December are among the titles on the latest British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) longlists, for Best Feature Documentary and Best International Independent Film.
15 films are on the documentary longlist, with five of them by first-time directors; with 17 films on the international list.
Scroll down for the longlists
Alongside McQueen’s film combining analysis of Amsterdam during the Second World War with the present day, documentary titles include Kevin MacDonald’s High & Low: John Galliano about the...
- 10/19/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Warsaw Film Festival sets out to spotlight a slew of new local releases, from “Anxiety” by Sławomir Fabicki – Oscar-nominated for his short “A Man Thing” – to this year’s opener “Song of Goats” by Andrzej Jakimowski.
The latter, featuring “Eo” star Mateusz Kościukiewicz and set in Greece, will show characters living close to an active volcano, exploring the question of how “each of us is responsible for maintaining our fragile heritage,” says the director.
“We are witnessing a war in a neighboring country [Ukraine], threats from a barbarian empire and rapidly growing populism that is devastating politics. It’s a dreadfully worrying mixture.”
As Poland braces for parliamentary elections on Oct. 15 and the controversy over Agnieszka Holland’s “Green Border” refuses to die down, emotions run high.
“What happened went beyond the accepted framework. There was no shortage of absurdity, like the attempt to force cinema managers to screen propaganda material before the film,...
The latter, featuring “Eo” star Mateusz Kościukiewicz and set in Greece, will show characters living close to an active volcano, exploring the question of how “each of us is responsible for maintaining our fragile heritage,” says the director.
“We are witnessing a war in a neighboring country [Ukraine], threats from a barbarian empire and rapidly growing populism that is devastating politics. It’s a dreadfully worrying mixture.”
As Poland braces for parliamentary elections on Oct. 15 and the controversy over Agnieszka Holland’s “Green Border” refuses to die down, emotions run high.
“What happened went beyond the accepted framework. There was no shortage of absurdity, like the attempt to force cinema managers to screen propaganda material before the film,...
- 10/5/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Five films have been nominated and will be shown in universities across Europe
Agnieszka Holland’s Green Border is one of five films nominated for the European University Film Award (Eufa) as announced by the European Film Academy at Filmfest Hamburg today (October 5).
Holland’s refugee drama has been the subject of political attacks from Poland’s right-wing government and recently topped the country’s box office for the second week in a row.
The film, along with the five other nominees, will be shown in 25 universities across 25 European countries including the University of Lodz in Poland.
The other nominees...
Agnieszka Holland’s Green Border is one of five films nominated for the European University Film Award (Eufa) as announced by the European Film Academy at Filmfest Hamburg today (October 5).
Holland’s refugee drama has been the subject of political attacks from Poland’s right-wing government and recently topped the country’s box office for the second week in a row.
The film, along with the five other nominees, will be shown in 25 universities across 25 European countries including the University of Lodz in Poland.
The other nominees...
- 10/5/2023
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Poland will submit animated feature drama The Peasants for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
The picture is the latest work from Dk Welchman (previously known as Dorota Kobiela) and Hugh Welchman, the creative duo behind the groundbreaking, Oscar-nominated, hand-painted biopic Loving Vincent.
The pair co-wrote The Peasants screenplay adaptation from Nobel Prize-winning writer Władysław Reymont’s classic 1905 novel of the same name about a young woman determined to forge her own path within the confines of a late 19th century Polish village.
Poland’s Oscar entry choice was made Monday by a selection committee overseen by the Polish Film Institute. There was a strong offering of Polish films this year, with other potential contenders including Agnieszka Holland’s migrant drama Green Border and Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englerts’ transgender drama Woman Of.
Related: Agnieszka Holland’s Migrant Crisis Drama ‘Green Border’ Posts Record Opening Weekend...
The picture is the latest work from Dk Welchman (previously known as Dorota Kobiela) and Hugh Welchman, the creative duo behind the groundbreaking, Oscar-nominated, hand-painted biopic Loving Vincent.
The pair co-wrote The Peasants screenplay adaptation from Nobel Prize-winning writer Władysław Reymont’s classic 1905 novel of the same name about a young woman determined to forge her own path within the confines of a late 19th century Polish village.
Poland’s Oscar entry choice was made Monday by a selection committee overseen by the Polish Film Institute. There was a strong offering of Polish films this year, with other potential contenders including Agnieszka Holland’s migrant drama Green Border and Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englerts’ transgender drama Woman Of.
Related: Agnieszka Holland’s Migrant Crisis Drama ‘Green Border’ Posts Record Opening Weekend...
- 9/25/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
To celebrate the release of Mark Cousins’ new documentary The Storms of Jeremy Thomas, a portrait of the Oscar-winning producer responsible for bringing to life films by David Cronenberg, Jonathan Glazer, Jim Jarmusch, Bernardo Bertolucci, Nagisa Ôshima, Jerzy Skolimowski, and many more, NYC’s Quad Cinema is fittingly paying tribute to his career with a fantastic retrospective.
“Jeremy Thomas Presents” kicks off today and runs through September 28 at Quad Cinema, with The Storms of Jeremy Thomas opening this Friday, September 22. As the retrospective commences, we’re pleased to exclusively share the trailer along with comments directly from Thomas looking back at the making of these iconic films.
Sexy Beast
I was sent a script with a Jonathan Glazer attached, called “Sexy Beast”. It was on a Friday night, and I read it over the weekend. The screenplay was brilliant, and on the Monday I bought it before anyone else could.
“Jeremy Thomas Presents” kicks off today and runs through September 28 at Quad Cinema, with The Storms of Jeremy Thomas opening this Friday, September 22. As the retrospective commences, we’re pleased to exclusively share the trailer along with comments directly from Thomas looking back at the making of these iconic films.
Sexy Beast
I was sent a script with a Jonathan Glazer attached, called “Sexy Beast”. It was on a Friday night, and I read it over the weekend. The screenplay was brilliant, and on the Monday I bought it before anyone else could.
- 9/18/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Belgium has selected Omen, the debut feature from rapper-turned-filmmaker Baloji, as its entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2024 Oscars.
The pic, which debuted in the Un Certain Regard sidebar at Cannes 2023, follows Koffi, a young Congolese man who — after spending years living in Belgium — returns to his birthplace of Kinshasa to confront the intricacies of his family and culture.
A Belgian-Dutch-Congolese-French-South African co-production, Omen picked up the New Vision Award at Cannes. Starring is Marc Zinga, best known for his work with the Dardenne brothers alongside Lucie Debay, Eliane Umuhire, Yves-Marina Gnahoua, and Marcel Otete Kabeya.
The film is set for a theatrical release in Belgium on November 15. Pan Distribution is the French distributor, while Memento International is handling world sales. Production companies are Special Touch Studios, Wrong Men, New Amsterdam Film Company, Tosala Films, RadicalMedia, Serendipity Films, and Big World Cinema.
Belgium’s Oscar pick...
The pic, which debuted in the Un Certain Regard sidebar at Cannes 2023, follows Koffi, a young Congolese man who — after spending years living in Belgium — returns to his birthplace of Kinshasa to confront the intricacies of his family and culture.
A Belgian-Dutch-Congolese-French-South African co-production, Omen picked up the New Vision Award at Cannes. Starring is Marc Zinga, best known for his work with the Dardenne brothers alongside Lucie Debay, Eliane Umuhire, Yves-Marina Gnahoua, and Marcel Otete Kabeya.
The film is set for a theatrical release in Belgium on November 15. Pan Distribution is the French distributor, while Memento International is handling world sales. Production companies are Special Touch Studios, Wrong Men, New Amsterdam Film Company, Tosala Films, RadicalMedia, Serendipity Films, and Big World Cinema.
Belgium’s Oscar pick...
- 9/14/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s hard to believe that it’s now over 60 years since Roman Polanski teamed with Jerzy Skolimowski for the landmark 1962 Polish thriller Knife in the Water. But it’s even harder to believe that these two giants of international cinema reunited more recently to pool their braincells and come up with The Palace, the most terrible, joyless farce since the heyday of the ’70s British sex comedy. Forget for a moment, if you can, the furor surrounding Polanski’s controversial status as a fugitive from justice and concentrate instead on the fact that the Venice Film Festival, in its infinite wisdom, went ahead and booked this entirely dreadful offering anyway, deeming it somehow worthy of a prestigious Out of Competition slot.
The setting is The Palace, a plush Alpine hideaway where the jet set of Europe are gathering to see in the year 2000. There are fears that the Y2K...
The setting is The Palace, a plush Alpine hideaway where the jet set of Europe are gathering to see in the year 2000. There are fears that the Y2K...
- 9/3/2023
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Roman Polanski’s black comedy “The Palace” was given a tepid three-minutes of applause when it world premiered in the Palazzo del Cinema’s Sala Grande on Saturday night.
Producer Luca Barbareschi, French star Fanny Ardant and other key cast members including German actor Oliver Masucci (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”), Portugal’s Joaquim de Almeida and Italy’s Fortunato Cerlino (”Gomorrah”) stood up and took a bow, but the audience’s response seemed to be more polite than exited, though there were occasional bursts of laughter during the screening.
Before the film’s premiere “The Palace” set designer Tonino Zera received Venice’s Campari Passion for Film prize from artistic director Alberto Barbera.
Polanski directed the black comedy from a screenplay he wrote alongside Jerzy Skolimowski and Ewa Piaskowska. “The Palace” takes place during New Year’s Eve in 1999, when a dinner party at Switzerland’s Gstaad Palace hotel takes an unexpected turn.
Producer Luca Barbareschi, French star Fanny Ardant and other key cast members including German actor Oliver Masucci (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”), Portugal’s Joaquim de Almeida and Italy’s Fortunato Cerlino (”Gomorrah”) stood up and took a bow, but the audience’s response seemed to be more polite than exited, though there were occasional bursts of laughter during the screening.
Before the film’s premiere “The Palace” set designer Tonino Zera received Venice’s Campari Passion for Film prize from artistic director Alberto Barbera.
Polanski directed the black comedy from a screenplay he wrote alongside Jerzy Skolimowski and Ewa Piaskowska. “The Palace” takes place during New Year’s Eve in 1999, when a dinner party at Switzerland’s Gstaad Palace hotel takes an unexpected turn.
- 9/2/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli and Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Roman Polanski’s Venice Film Festival feature The Palace received a 3 minute ovation tonight at its world premiere screening.
The Palace unfolds against the backdrop of Switzerland’s luxury Gstaad Palace hotel and revolves around the chasm between its ultra-rich clients and those who serve them in the lead-up to a lavish New Year Party on the eve of 2000.
Featuring Mickey Rourke, Fanny Ardant and John Cleese in the ensemble cast, the film took inspiration from Polanski’s own stays at the Gstaad Palace. He wrote the screenplay with Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski and producer Ewa Piaskowska. Longtime collaborator Alexandre Desplat composed the score.
As we revealed earlier this week, the film has closed multiple distribution deals in international markets.
There remains fierce debate in the film world and beyond over whether Polanski should be endorsed or not as an artist while 1973 charges of unlawful sex with a minor in the U.
The Palace unfolds against the backdrop of Switzerland’s luxury Gstaad Palace hotel and revolves around the chasm between its ultra-rich clients and those who serve them in the lead-up to a lavish New Year Party on the eve of 2000.
Featuring Mickey Rourke, Fanny Ardant and John Cleese in the ensemble cast, the film took inspiration from Polanski’s own stays at the Gstaad Palace. He wrote the screenplay with Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski and producer Ewa Piaskowska. Longtime collaborator Alexandre Desplat composed the score.
As we revealed earlier this week, the film has closed multiple distribution deals in international markets.
There remains fierce debate in the film world and beyond over whether Polanski should be endorsed or not as an artist while 1973 charges of unlawful sex with a minor in the U.
- 9/2/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Setting aside all the necessary caveats about art and artists, Roman Polanski’s “The Palace” throws a greater fact into stark relief. For all the digital ink we spill, journalists and critics are more often than not responsive to wider industry forces, and in Polanski’s case – as in the wider European industry — something has definitely shifted.
Heck, you could even the place the specific date to Feb. 28, 2020 – the night Polanski’s Venice Grand Jury Prize winner “An Officer and a Spy” won best director at France’s Cesar awards, prompting boos, a few notable walkouts, and a clash between protesters and police out in the streets. Two weeks prior, the French academy’s board of directors resigned in scandal.
So the fact that Polanski’s 2019 film has yet to find U.S. distribution is not a particular surprise; the fact that his follow-up, “The Palace,” has had similar tough...
Heck, you could even the place the specific date to Feb. 28, 2020 – the night Polanski’s Venice Grand Jury Prize winner “An Officer and a Spy” won best director at France’s Cesar awards, prompting boos, a few notable walkouts, and a clash between protesters and police out in the streets. Two weeks prior, the French academy’s board of directors resigned in scandal.
So the fact that Polanski’s 2019 film has yet to find U.S. distribution is not a particular surprise; the fact that his follow-up, “The Palace,” has had similar tough...
- 9/2/2023
- by Ben Croll
- The Wrap
As any critic will tell you, when you’re watching a comedy with an audience, it doesn’t matter how bad the movie is — even the jokes that are making you groan are going to provoke laughter. (That’s why comedies are always screened with a crowd; the studios want the audience giggles to rub off on you.) But at the Venice Film Festival, when I saw “The Palace,” Roman Polanski’s garish debacle of an ensemble comedy, I was sitting in the Sala Darsena, which seats 1400 (and was full), and on the rare occasion when a line in the movie got laughs, it was literally coming from about six people. I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard a giant theater this deadly silent for a movie that’s working this strenuously to amuse you.
Polanski, if you look back over his credits, has an astoundingly consistent track...
Polanski, if you look back over his credits, has an astoundingly consistent track...
- 9/2/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
For an admirer of his work, writing about a new movie by Roman Polanski is like facing a minefield of unsolvable questions: Can this film be judged like the others given the director’s criminal record and tarnished reputation? Is it possible to praise a work of art if certain parts of an artist’s life are reprehensible, or should the two be separated? Should Polanski still be allowed to make movies? Should this movie even be written about?
Those questions would be harder to answer if Polanski, who’s now 90, made something on the level of say, Chinatown or Rosemary’s Baby. Or even something like The Tenant or Frantic or Repulsion or his debut feature, Knife in the Water, which came out over 60 years ago and earned him his first Oscar nomination.
But the director’s latest, The Palace, leaves little room for ambiguity. It’s the worst thing...
Those questions would be harder to answer if Polanski, who’s now 90, made something on the level of say, Chinatown or Rosemary’s Baby. Or even something like The Tenant or Frantic or Repulsion or his debut feature, Knife in the Water, which came out over 60 years ago and earned him his first Oscar nomination.
But the director’s latest, The Palace, leaves little room for ambiguity. It’s the worst thing...
- 9/2/2023
- by Jordan Mintzer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Roman Polanski’s Italian producer Luca Barbareschi got emotional at the press conference for “The Palace,” a black comedy that is the director’s new work and premieres at the Venice Film Festival today.
“It’s been very difficult to make this film,” said Barbareschi, a multi-hyphenate who also stars in “The Palace.” “Polanski is not easy [to finance]” he added, noting that “there is a hole – France – in the middle of this film,” since French companies refused to participate in its production.
Polanski’s previous film, “An Officer and a Spy,” a period drama about the Dreyfus affair, scooped the Grand Jury Prize at Venice, won best director at the Cesar Awards and was one of the highest grossing French films of 2019. But the film’s Cesar win sparked such a massive scandal in France that it prompted a complete overhaul of the leadership of the awards org.
Now that “The Palace” got made,...
“It’s been very difficult to make this film,” said Barbareschi, a multi-hyphenate who also stars in “The Palace.” “Polanski is not easy [to finance]” he added, noting that “there is a hole – France – in the middle of this film,” since French companies refused to participate in its production.
Polanski’s previous film, “An Officer and a Spy,” a period drama about the Dreyfus affair, scooped the Grand Jury Prize at Venice, won best director at the Cesar Awards and was one of the highest grossing French films of 2019. But the film’s Cesar win sparked such a massive scandal in France that it prompted a complete overhaul of the leadership of the awards org.
Now that “The Palace” got made,...
- 9/2/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Actor, producer and director Luca Barbareschi is at the Venice Film Festival this year as one the main representatives of Roman Polanski’s new film The Palace.
The satire, poking fun at the ultra-rich against the backdrop of Switzerland’s luxury Gstaad Palace Hotel and featuring Mickey Rourke, Fanny Ardant and John Cleese in the ensemble cast, world premieres Out of Competition in a gala screening on Saturday.
Its selection for Venice’s 80th edition has sparked debate in the film world, which remains split over whether Polanski should be celebrated as an artist while 1970s charges of unlawful sex with a minor in the U.S. remain unresolved.
The director, who turned 90 in August, has not travelled to Italy, where it remains unclear whether he would be subject to Italy’s extradition treaty with the U.S., while a number of the film’s international stars including John Cleese...
The satire, poking fun at the ultra-rich against the backdrop of Switzerland’s luxury Gstaad Palace Hotel and featuring Mickey Rourke, Fanny Ardant and John Cleese in the ensemble cast, world premieres Out of Competition in a gala screening on Saturday.
Its selection for Venice’s 80th edition has sparked debate in the film world, which remains split over whether Polanski should be celebrated as an artist while 1970s charges of unlawful sex with a minor in the U.S. remain unresolved.
The director, who turned 90 in August, has not travelled to Italy, where it remains unclear whether he would be subject to Italy’s extradition treaty with the U.S., while a number of the film’s international stars including John Cleese...
- 9/2/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Roman Polanski still has no trouble finding an audience in Europe, regardless of the ongoing debates in the U.S. over his proper place in the film culture of past and present.
French sales outfit Goodfellas has inked a slew of deals for the 90-year-old director’s upcoming dark comedy The Palace, which premieres at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.
Distribution agreements are set for Spain (Vértigo Films), Germany (Weltkino), Greece (Spentzos), Portugal (Nos Lusomondo), Benelux (Paradiso Films), Bulgaria (Beta Film), Yugoslavia (McF), Hungary (Cirko), the Czech Republic and Slovakia (Pilot Films), the Baltics (Best Film), Cis (Pro:vzglyad) and Israel (United King).
The Palace takes place in Switzerland’s Gstaad Palace luxury hotel and centers its black comedy on the interactions between the venue’s serving staff and the wildly wealthy guests who stay there during the run-up to a New Year party to ring in the new millennium...
French sales outfit Goodfellas has inked a slew of deals for the 90-year-old director’s upcoming dark comedy The Palace, which premieres at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.
Distribution agreements are set for Spain (Vértigo Films), Germany (Weltkino), Greece (Spentzos), Portugal (Nos Lusomondo), Benelux (Paradiso Films), Bulgaria (Beta Film), Yugoslavia (McF), Hungary (Cirko), the Czech Republic and Slovakia (Pilot Films), the Baltics (Best Film), Cis (Pro:vzglyad) and Israel (United King).
The Palace takes place in Switzerland’s Gstaad Palace luxury hotel and centers its black comedy on the interactions between the venue’s serving staff and the wildly wealthy guests who stay there during the run-up to a New Year party to ring in the new millennium...
- 9/1/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
While our massive, 60-film fall movie preview gives a hint at what to expect this season, it’s time to dive deeper into September. With films from Ethan Coen, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Luca Guadagnino being ripped off the month’s release calendar because studios don’t want to pay actors and writers fairly, it means the fall’s first offerings are a bit lighter––thankfully giving some truly independent productions further room to shine.
12. The Storms of Jeremy Thomas (Mark Cousins; Sept. 22 in theaters)
What do films like David Cronenberg’s Crash, Jonathan Glazer’s Sexy Beast, Jerzy Skolimowski’s Eo, Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive, Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor, Nagisa Ôshima’s Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, and (many) more have in common? They were produced by Oscar winner Jeremy Thomas. A new documentary by cinephile Mark Cousins, The Storms of Jeremy Thomas, explores the making of his most notable films.
12. The Storms of Jeremy Thomas (Mark Cousins; Sept. 22 in theaters)
What do films like David Cronenberg’s Crash, Jonathan Glazer’s Sexy Beast, Jerzy Skolimowski’s Eo, Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive, Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor, Nagisa Ôshima’s Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, and (many) more have in common? They were produced by Oscar winner Jeremy Thomas. A new documentary by cinephile Mark Cousins, The Storms of Jeremy Thomas, explores the making of his most notable films.
- 8/31/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Roman Polanski’s dark comedy The Palace has sold to a host of key territories ahead of its Venice premiere, with distributors getting behind the film in spite of the controversy surrounding the director.
Goodfellas has unveiled deals to Benelux (Paradiso Films), Spain (Vértigo Films), Germany (Weltkino), Greece (Spentzos) and Portugal (Nos Lusomondo) in Western Europe.
Eastern and Central European distributors have also snapped up the film with sales to Bulgaria (Beta Film), Yugoslavia (McF), Hungary (Cirko), the Czech Republic and Slovakia (Pilot Films), the Baltics (Best Film) and Cis (Pro:vzglyad). United King has acquired Israeli rights, while Teleview has taken Middle East.
The Palace will be launched theatrically in Italy on September 28 by 01 Distribution. Its parent Rai Cinema is a key partner on the production alongside lead producer Luca Barbareschi.
Lausanne-based Cab Productions, which is also a producer, holds Swiss rights. Tomasz Przybecki is handling Polish rights in a deal brokered by Barbareschi.
Goodfellas has unveiled deals to Benelux (Paradiso Films), Spain (Vértigo Films), Germany (Weltkino), Greece (Spentzos) and Portugal (Nos Lusomondo) in Western Europe.
Eastern and Central European distributors have also snapped up the film with sales to Bulgaria (Beta Film), Yugoslavia (McF), Hungary (Cirko), the Czech Republic and Slovakia (Pilot Films), the Baltics (Best Film) and Cis (Pro:vzglyad). United King has acquired Israeli rights, while Teleview has taken Middle East.
The Palace will be launched theatrically in Italy on September 28 by 01 Distribution. Its parent Rai Cinema is a key partner on the production alongside lead producer Luca Barbareschi.
Lausanne-based Cab Productions, which is also a producer, holds Swiss rights. Tomasz Przybecki is handling Polish rights in a deal brokered by Barbareschi.
- 8/31/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
What do films like David Cronenberg’s Crash, Jonathan Glazer’s Sexy Beast, Jerzy Skolimowski’s Sexy Beast, Jerzy Skolimowski’s Eo, Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive, Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor, Nagisa Ôshima’s Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, and more have in common? They were produced by Oscar winner Jeremy Thomas. A new documentary by cinephile Mark Cousins, The Storms of Jeremy Thomas, now explores the making of many of his most notable films. Ahead of a release on September 22 the first trailer has now landed.
Here’s the synopsis: “Jeremy Thomas, the Oscar-winning producer of films like Eo and The Last Emperor, is joined by documentarian Mark Cousins on his annual pilgrimage to the Cannes Film Festival, to give an intimate glimpse into the life of the legendary icon behind some of the most acclaimed and controversial films of all time. Featuring insights into a life lived just off-frame,...
Here’s the synopsis: “Jeremy Thomas, the Oscar-winning producer of films like Eo and The Last Emperor, is joined by documentarian Mark Cousins on his annual pilgrimage to the Cannes Film Festival, to give an intimate glimpse into the life of the legendary icon behind some of the most acclaimed and controversial films of all time. Featuring insights into a life lived just off-frame,...
- 8/29/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
From the Nc-17 ménage à trois of Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Dreamers” to James Spader having intercourse with Rosanna Arquette’s leg wound in David Cronenberg’s “Crash,” producer Jeremy Thomas loves a controversy onscreen.
Cinema raconteur Mark Cousins pays homage to the Oscar-winning producer in his 2021 Cannes Classics selection, “The Storms of Jeremy Thomas.” The film follows Cousins on Thomas’ annual pilgrimage to the Cannes Film Festival — literally, the producer drove for decades from England to the fest — and a five-day road movie through France. Together, they remember Thomas’ most acclaimed and provocative films as a producer, from his Oscar-winning “The Last Emperor” to “Crash” and its scandalous opening at the festival in 1996, Nicolas Roeg’s “Bad Timing,” Jerzy Skolimowski’s “Eo,” plus Cronenberg’s “Naked Lunch,” Jonathan Glazer’s “Sexy Beast,” and Terry Gilliam’s reviled child abuse fairy tale, “Tideland.”
The film includes Thomas’ stories of movie stars like Marlon Brando,...
Cinema raconteur Mark Cousins pays homage to the Oscar-winning producer in his 2021 Cannes Classics selection, “The Storms of Jeremy Thomas.” The film follows Cousins on Thomas’ annual pilgrimage to the Cannes Film Festival — literally, the producer drove for decades from England to the fest — and a five-day road movie through France. Together, they remember Thomas’ most acclaimed and provocative films as a producer, from his Oscar-winning “The Last Emperor” to “Crash” and its scandalous opening at the festival in 1996, Nicolas Roeg’s “Bad Timing,” Jerzy Skolimowski’s “Eo,” plus Cronenberg’s “Naked Lunch,” Jonathan Glazer’s “Sexy Beast,” and Terry Gilliam’s reviled child abuse fairy tale, “Tideland.”
The film includes Thomas’ stories of movie stars like Marlon Brando,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Deadline can reveal the international trailer for Roman Polanski’s ensemble dark comedy The Palace ahead of its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September.
Shot against the backdrop of Switzerland’s luxury Gstaad Palace hotel, the film unfolds in the lead-up to a lavish New Year Party on the eve of 2000.
Mickey Rourke is unveiled as a demanding client with a Trump-style blond wig; Fanny Ardant as a wealthy marquise fretting over her constipated chihuahua, and John Cleese as a business magnate, who pitches up with his much-younger, new bride (Bronwyn James) and a live penguin.
The motley assortment of guests seeing in the new millennium also features a party of wealthy Russians (who tune into Vladimir Putin’s real-life News Year’s Eve Speech declaring he had been made interim president following Boris Yeltsin’s resignation), and a former porn star.
In the backdrop, the...
Shot against the backdrop of Switzerland’s luxury Gstaad Palace hotel, the film unfolds in the lead-up to a lavish New Year Party on the eve of 2000.
Mickey Rourke is unveiled as a demanding client with a Trump-style blond wig; Fanny Ardant as a wealthy marquise fretting over her constipated chihuahua, and John Cleese as a business magnate, who pitches up with his much-younger, new bride (Bronwyn James) and a live penguin.
The motley assortment of guests seeing in the new millennium also features a party of wealthy Russians (who tune into Vladimir Putin’s real-life News Year’s Eve Speech declaring he had been made interim president following Boris Yeltsin’s resignation), and a former porn star.
In the backdrop, the...
- 8/23/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Italian production designer Tonino Zera, whose credits include Roman Polanski’s upcoming drama The Palace, will be feted with the Campari Passion Award at the 80th edition of Venice Film Festival, running from August 30 to September 9.
The prize, which was launched at the 75th Venice Film Festival, pays tribute to cinema crafts professionals who have made a “remarkable contribution” to the films on which they have worked.
Previous recipients span U.S. film editor Bob Murawski, Italian cinematographer Luca Bigazzi, U.S. jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, UK production designer Marcus Rowland, and U.S. artist and costume designer Arianne Phillips.
Zera will be presented with the award on September 2 ahead of the Out of Competition world premiere of The Palace in the Sala Grande.
“To receive the prestigious Campari Passion for Film Award during the Venice Film Festival is not only a personal honor, it is also a...
The prize, which was launched at the 75th Venice Film Festival, pays tribute to cinema crafts professionals who have made a “remarkable contribution” to the films on which they have worked.
Previous recipients span U.S. film editor Bob Murawski, Italian cinematographer Luca Bigazzi, U.S. jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, UK production designer Marcus Rowland, and U.S. artist and costume designer Arianne Phillips.
Zera will be presented with the award on September 2 ahead of the Out of Competition world premiere of The Palace in the Sala Grande.
“To receive the prestigious Campari Passion for Film Award during the Venice Film Festival is not only a personal honor, it is also a...
- 8/10/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Indie distributor Variance Films has snapped up North American rights to the period drama Amerikatsi, written and directed by and starring Michael A. Goorjian, slating it for an exclusive theatrical release in New York and L.A. on Friday, September 8, with a national rollout to follow.
Shot in Armenia by People of Ar Productions, Amerikatsi centers on Charlie (Goorjian), who returns to the country in 1948 — decades after fleeing to the U.S. as a child, due to persecution by the Ottoman Empire. What he finds in doing so is a country crushed under Soviet rule. And after being unjustly imprisoned, Charlie falls into despair, until he discovers that he can see into a nearby apartment from his cell window — the home of a prison guard. As his life unexpectedly becomes entwined with the man’s, he begins to see that the true spirit of his homeland is alive in its passionate people.
Shot in Armenia by People of Ar Productions, Amerikatsi centers on Charlie (Goorjian), who returns to the country in 1948 — decades after fleeing to the U.S. as a child, due to persecution by the Ottoman Empire. What he finds in doing so is a country crushed under Soviet rule. And after being unjustly imprisoned, Charlie falls into despair, until he discovers that he can see into a nearby apartment from his cell window — the home of a prison guard. As his life unexpectedly becomes entwined with the man’s, he begins to see that the true spirit of his homeland is alive in its passionate people.
- 8/8/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Odds are low we’ll watch Roman Polanski’s The Palace through strictly legal means in the United States, those of us who maintain interest instead waiting for The.Palace.2023.1080p.BluRay.x264-ea.mkv.torrent. But with a Venice premiere right around the corner and Italian release set for September 28 (one day after another director returns) we have a dubbed trailer and first clip.
Co-written by Eo‘s Jerzy Skolimowski (some 60 years since Knife in the Water) and Ewa Piaskowska, Polanski’s comedy is set in Switzerland’s stunning Gstaad Palace on New Year’s Eve 1999 with throw-a-dart casting that suggests chaos of the highest order. These first two previews play into that wholesale: while Rourke dubbed into Italian is simply a demonic experience, the subtle long take in this full clip again shows Polanski’s mastery of space finding dividends in an ongoing relationship with Dp Paweł Edelman.
Co-written by Eo‘s Jerzy Skolimowski (some 60 years since Knife in the Water) and Ewa Piaskowska, Polanski’s comedy is set in Switzerland’s stunning Gstaad Palace on New Year’s Eve 1999 with throw-a-dart casting that suggests chaos of the highest order. These first two previews play into that wholesale: while Rourke dubbed into Italian is simply a demonic experience, the subtle long take in this full clip again shows Polanski’s mastery of space finding dividends in an ongoing relationship with Dp Paweł Edelman.
- 8/2/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
You can pre-set your Twitter (er, X?) alerts to outrage.
The 80th Venice Film Festival unveiled an impressive and — SAG-AFTRA and Wag strike-permitting — star-studded lineup on Tuesday, that should draw international critics and press in droves to the Lido again this year.
But controversy will also again be part of the 2023 Biennale, thanks to a selection of movies from directors nearly as well known for their scandals as for their films.
Roman Polanski new feature, The Palace, scored an out-of-competition slot, as did Coup de Chance, the latest feature from Woody Allen. And Luc Besson will premiere his new feature, DogMan, in competition in Venice. All three filmmakers have been the focus of abuse allegations and, in the wake of #MeToo, the targets of online attacks and cancellation campaigns. Though Polanski, who fled the U.S. in 1978 after being convicted of sexually assaulting a teen girl, is the only one...
The 80th Venice Film Festival unveiled an impressive and — SAG-AFTRA and Wag strike-permitting — star-studded lineup on Tuesday, that should draw international critics and press in droves to the Lido again this year.
But controversy will also again be part of the 2023 Biennale, thanks to a selection of movies from directors nearly as well known for their scandals as for their films.
Roman Polanski new feature, The Palace, scored an out-of-competition slot, as did Coup de Chance, the latest feature from Woody Allen. And Luc Besson will premiere his new feature, DogMan, in competition in Venice. All three filmmakers have been the focus of abuse allegations and, in the wake of #MeToo, the targets of online attacks and cancellation campaigns. Though Polanski, who fled the U.S. in 1978 after being convicted of sexually assaulting a teen girl, is the only one...
- 7/25/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Anselm, Wim Wenders’ doc on contemporary artist Anselm Kiefer that premiered this year at Cannes (one of two films the auteur had at the festival, alongside Perfect Days), has found a home in the U.S.
Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired the critically acclaimed feature, which Wenders shot at 6K resolution and in the 3D format he utilized in his Oscar-nominated Pina. The film — which bowed as a special screening in Cannes — is produced by Karsten Brünig for Road Movies and executive produced by Jeremy Thomas.
Sideshow and Janus Films are planning a theatrical release following fall festivals.
Anselm, which Wenders shot over the course of two years, dives deep into Kiefer’s work and reveals his life path, inspiration and creative process. It explores his fascination with myth and history. Past and present are interwoven to diffuse the line between film and painting, allowing the audience to be...
Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired the critically acclaimed feature, which Wenders shot at 6K resolution and in the 3D format he utilized in his Oscar-nominated Pina. The film — which bowed as a special screening in Cannes — is produced by Karsten Brünig for Road Movies and executive produced by Jeremy Thomas.
Sideshow and Janus Films are planning a theatrical release following fall festivals.
Anselm, which Wenders shot over the course of two years, dives deep into Kiefer’s work and reveals his life path, inspiration and creative process. It explores his fascination with myth and history. Past and present are interwoven to diffuse the line between film and painting, allowing the audience to be...
- 6/28/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Uzbekistani family drama Sunday, directed by Shokir Kholikov, was named best film of the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival’s Asian New Talent section, which honors distinguished works by emerging regional filmmakers.
Sunday tells the story of an elderly couple living a peaceful life in a remote village, with their oldest son residing nearby and their youngest son working abroad. It depicts the conflicting dreams and dramas between two generations.
The Asian New Talents jury awarded the best director prize two filmmakers: Kazakhstan’s Aisultan Seit for Qash; and China’s Luo Dong won for May.
The best actor award went to 10-year-old Yue Hao, who plays the leading role in the Chinese film Day Dreaming. Best actress was given to Sorour Peyrovani, the lead of Iranian film 1.5 Horsepower.
“Every film in the [in the lineup] is very insightful with mature technology. Also, the subject is contemporary, to express the in-depth thinking of society and humanity,...
Sunday tells the story of an elderly couple living a peaceful life in a remote village, with their oldest son residing nearby and their youngest son working abroad. It depicts the conflicting dreams and dramas between two generations.
The Asian New Talents jury awarded the best director prize two filmmakers: Kazakhstan’s Aisultan Seit for Qash; and China’s Luo Dong won for May.
The best actor award went to 10-year-old Yue Hao, who plays the leading role in the Chinese film Day Dreaming. Best actress was given to Sorour Peyrovani, the lead of Iranian film 1.5 Horsepower.
“Every film in the [in the lineup] is very insightful with mature technology. Also, the subject is contemporary, to express the in-depth thinking of society and humanity,...
- 6/17/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Polish filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski, whose sixty-year career in cinema has included the highest honors of the Berlin, Venice and Cannes film festivals, received an invitation to attend China’s Shanghai International Film Festival earlier this year while he was in Los Angeles for the Academy Awards, where his latest movie, Eo, was nominated for an Oscar. Skolimowski says he accepted the surprise invite — which included serving as Shanghai’s jury president for the festival’s 30th-anniversary edition — for reasons both “very private and a little sentimental.”
Skolimowski, 85, revealed those reasons on stage Friday at the Shanghai Grand Theater, during the festival’s opening ceremony.
“My father was born in North East China over 100 years ago, where my grandfather, the famous Polish architect, Kazimierz Skolimowski, devoted himself to designing the urban plan for one of the great cities 1,000 kilometers from here,” Skolimowski said during his brief remarks before the mostly Chinese crowd.
Skolimowski, 85, revealed those reasons on stage Friday at the Shanghai Grand Theater, during the festival’s opening ceremony.
“My father was born in North East China over 100 years ago, where my grandfather, the famous Polish architect, Kazimierz Skolimowski, devoted himself to designing the urban plan for one of the great cities 1,000 kilometers from here,” Skolimowski said during his brief remarks before the mostly Chinese crowd.
- 6/13/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Shanghai International Film Festival kicked off on a triumphant note Friday night in China’s commercial capital as the country’s film industry threw open its doors to the global film community.
This year’s edition of China’s most prestigious cinema event is the first in over three years that is easily accessible to the outside world after the past three festivals were either canceled, put online or simply very difficult to attend because of the country’s strict Covid-19 travel restrictions. The festival also happens to be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, as well as arriving at a moment when China’s commercial film industry is finally regaining some momentum after the long years of the pandemic.
“Each section of this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival is fully back offline, and we are more than thrilled to meet all guests in-person again,” says Wenquan He,...
This year’s edition of China’s most prestigious cinema event is the first in over three years that is easily accessible to the outside world after the past three festivals were either canceled, put online or simply very difficult to attend because of the country’s strict Covid-19 travel restrictions. The festival also happens to be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, as well as arriving at a moment when China’s commercial film industry is finally regaining some momentum after the long years of the pandemic.
“Each section of this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival is fully back offline, and we are more than thrilled to meet all guests in-person again,” says Wenquan He,...
- 6/9/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Shanghai International Film Festival, China’s most prestigious movie industry event, kicks off its 30th-anniversary edition Friday night. It will be the first version of the festival that’s easily accessible to the global film community since 2019, after the past three editions were either canceled or rendered difficult to attend by strict Covid-19 travel restrictions at the time.
This year, film stars from at home and afar will descend on China’s commercial capital to celebrate the ongoing comeback of China’s movie business. Jason Statham will lend some Hollywood star power to the proceedings when he walks the red carpet for the festival’s opening ceremony Friday night in promotion of his upcoming Warner Bros. blockbuster sequel, Meg 2: The Trench, which opens Aug. 4 and co-stars Chinese leading man Wu Jing. European film legend, Jerzy Skolimowski of Poland — who wrote Roman Polansky’s landmark Knife in the Water...
This year, film stars from at home and afar will descend on China’s commercial capital to celebrate the ongoing comeback of China’s movie business. Jason Statham will lend some Hollywood star power to the proceedings when he walks the red carpet for the festival’s opening ceremony Friday night in promotion of his upcoming Warner Bros. blockbuster sequel, Meg 2: The Trench, which opens Aug. 4 and co-stars Chinese leading man Wu Jing. European film legend, Jerzy Skolimowski of Poland — who wrote Roman Polansky’s landmark Knife in the Water...
- 6/9/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski and Mathew Scott
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Italy’s 01 Distribution has announced a September 28 release for Roman Polanski’s new feature The Palace, fueling speculation that the film will world premiere at the upcoming edition of the Venice Film Festival (August 30-September 9).
The distributor, which had previously set an April date for the work which came and went, announced the new release date via its social media accounts on June 7 and revealed the artwork for the film.
È il 31 Dicembre 1999 e al lussuoso The Palace Hotel fervono i preparativi per il Capodanno più atteso di sempre. Ospiti milionari da tutto il mondo si preparano ad entrare nel Nuovo Millennio, tra vezzi, vizi e stravaganze. #ThePalace, di #RomanPolanski, dal 28.09 al cinema. pic.twitter.com/bkSRBtqs1R
— 01Distribution (@01Distribution) June 7, 2023
The move immediately sparked suggestions that the film is headed to Venice, where last film An Officer And A Spy also world premiered in 2019.
Artistic director Alberto Barbera...
The distributor, which had previously set an April date for the work which came and went, announced the new release date via its social media accounts on June 7 and revealed the artwork for the film.
È il 31 Dicembre 1999 e al lussuoso The Palace Hotel fervono i preparativi per il Capodanno più atteso di sempre. Ospiti milionari da tutto il mondo si preparano ad entrare nel Nuovo Millennio, tra vezzi, vizi e stravaganze. #ThePalace, di #RomanPolanski, dal 28.09 al cinema. pic.twitter.com/bkSRBtqs1R
— 01Distribution (@01Distribution) June 7, 2023
The move immediately sparked suggestions that the film is headed to Venice, where last film An Officer And A Spy also world premiered in 2019.
Artistic director Alberto Barbera...
- 6/8/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Roman Polanski’s “The Palace” has been set for release in Italian theatres in September, prompting speculation that the controversial director’s black comedy set in a posh hotel in the Swiss Alps resort of Gstaad on the eve of the new millennium could be launching from the Venice Film Festival.
Italy’s Rai Cinema, which is a main backer of Polanski’s new film, has slated a September 28 local release date via its 01 Distribuzione unit for “The Palace,” which has an ensemble cast including Mickey Rourke, John Cleese and Fanny Ardant. Other key cast members include German actor Oliver Masucci (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”); Portugal’s Joaquin De Almeida; the U.K.’s Bronwyn James (“The Dig”) and Italy’s Fortunato Cerlino (”Gomorrah”).
The Palace/Courtesy Rai Cinema
Besides announcing the release date, production company Eliseo Entertainment and Rai Cinema have also issued a dippy decadent poster...
Italy’s Rai Cinema, which is a main backer of Polanski’s new film, has slated a September 28 local release date via its 01 Distribuzione unit for “The Palace,” which has an ensemble cast including Mickey Rourke, John Cleese and Fanny Ardant. Other key cast members include German actor Oliver Masucci (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”); Portugal’s Joaquin De Almeida; the U.K.’s Bronwyn James (“The Dig”) and Italy’s Fortunato Cerlino (”Gomorrah”).
The Palace/Courtesy Rai Cinema
Besides announcing the release date, production company Eliseo Entertainment and Rai Cinema have also issued a dippy decadent poster...
- 6/8/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Sideshow & Janus Films Take North American Rights To Catherine Breillat’s Cannes Title ‘Last Summer’
Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired all North American rights for Catherine Breillat’s drama Last Summer (L’été dernier) following its well-received premiere in competition in the final days of the Cannes Film Festival (May 16-27).
Breillat’s first feature in a decade, the drama continues the director’s career-long penchant for breaking taboos.
Lea Drucker stars as a successful family lawyer specializing in child protection, living a seemingly perfect life with her husband and their two young daughters in a well-heeled Paris suburb.
She jeopardizes everything when she embarks on a forbidden affair with her dissolute 17-year-old stepson, played by (Samuel Kircher) in a move that will have explosive consequences for all involved.
Saïd Ben Saïd lead produced the film under the banner of his Paris-based company Sbs Production.
The film is adapted from Danish director May El-Thoukhy’s award-winning 2019 drama Queen Of Hearts, by Breillat in collaboration with Pascal Bonitzer.
Breillat’s first feature in a decade, the drama continues the director’s career-long penchant for breaking taboos.
Lea Drucker stars as a successful family lawyer specializing in child protection, living a seemingly perfect life with her husband and their two young daughters in a well-heeled Paris suburb.
She jeopardizes everything when she embarks on a forbidden affair with her dissolute 17-year-old stepson, played by (Samuel Kircher) in a move that will have explosive consequences for all involved.
Saïd Ben Saïd lead produced the film under the banner of his Paris-based company Sbs Production.
The film is adapted from Danish director May El-Thoukhy’s award-winning 2019 drama Queen Of Hearts, by Breillat in collaboration with Pascal Bonitzer.
- 6/2/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired all North American rights for Catherine Breillat’s explosive drama “Last Summer” which competed at the Cannes Film Festival.
Produced by Said Ben Said at Sbs, the film stars Léa Drucker as Anne, a brilliant lawyer who lives in perfect harmony with her husband Pierre and their six and eight‐year‐old daughters in the suburbs of Paris. One day, Theo, 17, Pierre’s son from a previous marriage, moves in with them. Anne is troubled by Theo and gradually engages in a passionate relationship with him, putting her career and family life in danger.
Drucker stars opposite Samuel Kircher and Olivier Rabourdin. Breillat wrote the film with the collaboration of Pascal Bonitzer. It’s an adaptation of May el-Toukhy’s “Queen of Hearts” which won the Audience Award at Sundance in 2019. Sideshow and Janus Films are planning a theatrical release following fall festivals.
“Catherine...
Produced by Said Ben Said at Sbs, the film stars Léa Drucker as Anne, a brilliant lawyer who lives in perfect harmony with her husband Pierre and their six and eight‐year‐old daughters in the suburbs of Paris. One day, Theo, 17, Pierre’s son from a previous marriage, moves in with them. Anne is troubled by Theo and gradually engages in a passionate relationship with him, putting her career and family life in danger.
Drucker stars opposite Samuel Kircher and Olivier Rabourdin. Breillat wrote the film with the collaboration of Pascal Bonitzer. It’s an adaptation of May el-Toukhy’s “Queen of Hearts” which won the Audience Award at Sundance in 2019. Sideshow and Janus Films are planning a theatrical release following fall festivals.
“Catherine...
- 6/2/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Sideshow and Janus Films have snatched up another of this year’s Cannes Festival favorites, picking up rights in North America for Catherine Breillat’s Last Summer.
The feature, which premiered in the Cannes competition lineup, is a French adaptation of May el-Toukhy’s Danish drama Queen of Hearts, which won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in 2019. In the French version, Léa Drucker stars as Anne, a brilliant lawyer with a seemingly perfect husband and family film who puts everything at risk when she starts up a passionate love affair with her teenage stepson. Samuel Kircher and Olivier Rabourdin co-star. Last Summer was produced by Saïd Ben Saïd for Sbs production. The film is Breillat’s first feature in a decade, since Abuse of Weakness in 2013.
“Catherine Breillat is one of the boldest and most thought-provoking directors on the subject of desire,” said Sideshow and Janus Films in a statement.
The feature, which premiered in the Cannes competition lineup, is a French adaptation of May el-Toukhy’s Danish drama Queen of Hearts, which won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in 2019. In the French version, Léa Drucker stars as Anne, a brilliant lawyer with a seemingly perfect husband and family film who puts everything at risk when she starts up a passionate love affair with her teenage stepson. Samuel Kircher and Olivier Rabourdin co-star. Last Summer was produced by Saïd Ben Saïd for Sbs production. The film is Breillat’s first feature in a decade, since Abuse of Weakness in 2013.
“Catherine Breillat is one of the boldest and most thought-provoking directors on the subject of desire,” said Sideshow and Janus Films in a statement.
- 6/2/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired all North American rights for “Last Summer,” directed by Catherine Breillat, her first film in a decade, the companies announced on Friday.
The film, which just screened In Competition at the Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews, tells the story of Anne, a brilliant lawyer who lives in perfect harmony with her husband Pierre and their six and eight‐year‐old daughters in the suburbs of Paris. One day, Theo, 17, Pierre’s son from a previous marriage, moves in with them. Anne is troubled by Theo and gradually engages in a passionate relationship with him, putting her career and family life in danger. It stars Léa Drucker, Samuel Kircher and Olivier Rabourdin.
“Last Summer” is an Sbs production and is produced by Saïd Ben Saïd. It’s written by Breillat with the collaboration of Pascal Bonitzer and adapted from the film “Queen of Hearts...
The film, which just screened In Competition at the Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews, tells the story of Anne, a brilliant lawyer who lives in perfect harmony with her husband Pierre and their six and eight‐year‐old daughters in the suburbs of Paris. One day, Theo, 17, Pierre’s son from a previous marriage, moves in with them. Anne is troubled by Theo and gradually engages in a passionate relationship with him, putting her career and family life in danger. It stars Léa Drucker, Samuel Kircher and Olivier Rabourdin.
“Last Summer” is an Sbs production and is produced by Saïd Ben Saïd. It’s written by Breillat with the collaboration of Pascal Bonitzer and adapted from the film “Queen of Hearts...
- 6/2/2023
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
The U.S. rights for Cannes Film Festival award winner “About Dry Grasses” have been acquired by Sideshow and Janus Films.
“About Dry Grasses” follows Samet, a young art teacher who is finishing his fourth year of compulsory service in a remote village in Anatolia. After a turn of events he can hardly make sense of, he loses his hopes of escaping the grim life he seems to be stuck in. But an encounter with another teacher named Nuray offers a chance to help him overcome his angst.
The film, which screened in Competition to rave reviews and won the Best Actress honor for Merve Dizdar’s performance, has a screenplay written by Akin Aksu, Ebru Ceylan and Nuri Bilge Ceylan. In addition to Dizdar, the film stars Deniz Celiloglu, Musab Ekici and Eve Bagci. NBC Film, Memento Production and Komplizen Film Production serve as producers.
Sideshow and Janus Films...
“About Dry Grasses” follows Samet, a young art teacher who is finishing his fourth year of compulsory service in a remote village in Anatolia. After a turn of events he can hardly make sense of, he loses his hopes of escaping the grim life he seems to be stuck in. But an encounter with another teacher named Nuray offers a chance to help him overcome his angst.
The film, which screened in Competition to rave reviews and won the Best Actress honor for Merve Dizdar’s performance, has a screenplay written by Akin Aksu, Ebru Ceylan and Nuri Bilge Ceylan. In addition to Dizdar, the film stars Deniz Celiloglu, Musab Ekici and Eve Bagci. NBC Film, Memento Production and Komplizen Film Production serve as producers.
Sideshow and Janus Films...
- 5/31/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Sideshow and Janus Films have picked up U.S. rights to Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Cannes Film Festival competition entry About Dry Grasses, securing the Turkish drama from sales group Playtime.
The film stars Deniz Celiloglu as a young art teacher, sent to a remote village in Anatolia for his final year of compulsory national service, who is overcome with angst and a sense of hopelessness about the future. An encounter with Nuray, another teacher, played by Merve Dizdar, offers the possibility of an escape. Dizdar won best actress honor in Cannes this year for her performance.
Sideshow and Janus Films plan to tour About Dry Grasses through the fall film festivals before releasing the movie in theaters stateside. The distributors took a similar approach with their joint 2021 Cannes acquisition, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car, another slow-burning drama, eventually landing four Oscar nominations, and one win — for best international feature.
The film stars Deniz Celiloglu as a young art teacher, sent to a remote village in Anatolia for his final year of compulsory national service, who is overcome with angst and a sense of hopelessness about the future. An encounter with Nuray, another teacher, played by Merve Dizdar, offers the possibility of an escape. Dizdar won best actress honor in Cannes this year for her performance.
Sideshow and Janus Films plan to tour About Dry Grasses through the fall film festivals before releasing the movie in theaters stateside. The distributors took a similar approach with their joint 2021 Cannes acquisition, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car, another slow-burning drama, eventually landing four Oscar nominations, and one win — for best international feature.
- 5/31/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 25th edition marks a return in-person after being cancelled last year.
Han Yan’s Love Never Ends is set to open the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival (Siff), which has also revealed the nominations for its Golden Goblet Awards.
The romance drama is adapted from a cartoon of the same name created by Kang Full. Ni Dahong, Kara Wai, Tony Leung Ka-Fai and Cecilia Yip play two elderly couples who show it is never too late to love.
Director Han previously directed 2015’s Go Away Mr. Tumor and 2020’s A Little Red Flower. Love Never Ends is set for...
Han Yan’s Love Never Ends is set to open the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival (Siff), which has also revealed the nominations for its Golden Goblet Awards.
The romance drama is adapted from a cartoon of the same name created by Kang Full. Ni Dahong, Kara Wai, Tony Leung Ka-Fai and Cecilia Yip play two elderly couples who show it is never too late to love.
Director Han previously directed 2015’s Go Away Mr. Tumor and 2020’s A Little Red Flower. Love Never Ends is set for...
- 5/30/2023
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Shanghai International Film Festival (Siff) has unveiled the major competition selections for its 25th edition (June 9-18), which will be the first to be held in a fully physical format with international guests since before the pandemic.
The festival’s Golden Goblet Awards comprises five sections – Main Competition, Asian New Talent, Animation Film, Documentary Film and Short Film. Winners will be announced at a ceremony in the Shanghai Grand Theater on June 17.
Siff’s main competition will screen 12 films, including Mom, Is That You?!, from Japanese veteran filmmaker Yoji Yamada; European titles including Muyeres, from Spanish director Marta Lallana, and The Chapel, from Belgium’s Dominique Deruddere; Indian director Haobam Paban Kumar’s Joseph’s Son; and three Chinese titles – Liu Jiayin’s All Ears, Johnathan Li’s Dust To Dust and Chen Shizhong’s Good Autumn, Mommy.
Poland’s Jerzy Skolimowski is heading the jury for the main competition,...
The festival’s Golden Goblet Awards comprises five sections – Main Competition, Asian New Talent, Animation Film, Documentary Film and Short Film. Winners will be announced at a ceremony in the Shanghai Grand Theater on June 17.
Siff’s main competition will screen 12 films, including Mom, Is That You?!, from Japanese veteran filmmaker Yoji Yamada; European titles including Muyeres, from Spanish director Marta Lallana, and The Chapel, from Belgium’s Dominique Deruddere; Indian director Haobam Paban Kumar’s Joseph’s Son; and three Chinese titles – Liu Jiayin’s All Ears, Johnathan Li’s Dust To Dust and Chen Shizhong’s Good Autumn, Mommy.
Poland’s Jerzy Skolimowski is heading the jury for the main competition,...
- 5/29/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
The 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival came to a close on Saturday, May 27 after two weeks of films, celebrities, parties and interviews in the small city on the French Riviera. Now that the prizes have been given out, we can start looking at what could be top contenders for next year’s Oscars. Let’s analyze the results from this year’s festival and see this history that each category has when it comes to the Academy Awards.
Over the past several years the festival has been a springboard for major players in the Oscar derby. We’ve really seen it be an influence in the International Feature category where in-competition films have been nominated a regular basis. Recent Cannes films that ended up being top awards contenders in above the line categories include “Triangle of Sadness,” “Drive My Car,” “Parasite,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “BlacKkKlansman.
Over the past several years the festival has been a springboard for major players in the Oscar derby. We’ve really seen it be an influence in the International Feature category where in-competition films have been nominated a regular basis. Recent Cannes films that ended up being top awards contenders in above the line categories include “Triangle of Sadness,” “Drive My Car,” “Parasite,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “BlacKkKlansman.
- 5/28/2023
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
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