Company brings 10 recent sales acquisitions to the market also including feature animation The Summit Of The Gods.
Wild Bunch has boarded sales on Italian director Michele Placido’s upcoming drama Caravaggio’s Shadow, exploring the tempestuous life of the 17th-century painter.
It revolves around a secret Vatican investigation into Caravaggio, ordered by Pope Paul V as he debates whether to grant the artist clemency for murdering a love rival.
Riccardo Scamarcio plays Caravaggio opposite Louis Garrel as the investigator – known as The Shadow. Isabelle Huppert also features as a noblewoman who was a steadfast protector of the artist, hiding him...
Wild Bunch has boarded sales on Italian director Michele Placido’s upcoming drama Caravaggio’s Shadow, exploring the tempestuous life of the 17th-century painter.
It revolves around a secret Vatican investigation into Caravaggio, ordered by Pope Paul V as he debates whether to grant the artist clemency for murdering a love rival.
Riccardo Scamarcio plays Caravaggio opposite Louis Garrel as the investigator – known as The Shadow. Isabelle Huppert also features as a noblewoman who was a steadfast protector of the artist, hiding him...
- 2/13/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
The 6th edition of the National Youth Film Awards (Nyfa) opens for submission today. Organized by *Scape, Nyfa prides itself as the springboard for young, aspiring filmmakers to pursue their passion in the film industry.
Since launch, Nyfa has awarded 133 youth filmmakers, many of which have gone on to achieve international acclaim. Amongst them are Idette Chen. Her short film “Bangla” was the only Singaporean entry to be selected for the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (Ssff & Asia) 2019, and Shoki Lin, whose short film “Adam” was part of the Cinéfondation Selection at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival.
The Asian film industry has punched above its weight with the South Korean movie “Parasite” making history at the Oscars. Closer to home, local films –“Wet Season”, “Pop Aye”, and “A Land Imagined” – continue to fly our flag high in regional and international stages.
“Through Nyfa, *Scape has recognized over 700 local young filmmakers over the last five years.
Since launch, Nyfa has awarded 133 youth filmmakers, many of which have gone on to achieve international acclaim. Amongst them are Idette Chen. Her short film “Bangla” was the only Singaporean entry to be selected for the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (Ssff & Asia) 2019, and Shoki Lin, whose short film “Adam” was part of the Cinéfondation Selection at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival.
The Asian film industry has punched above its weight with the South Korean movie “Parasite” making history at the Oscars. Closer to home, local films –“Wet Season”, “Pop Aye”, and “A Land Imagined” – continue to fly our flag high in regional and international stages.
“Through Nyfa, *Scape has recognized over 700 local young filmmakers over the last five years.
- 2/13/2020
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
Award winning film maker and Cultural Medallion recipient Eric Khoo who helms Zhao Wei Films has been credited for reviving the Singapore film industry and for putting Singapore onto the International film map in 1995. He was the first Singaporean to have his films invited to major film festivals such as Toronto, Busan, Berlin, Telluride, Venice and Cannes. Together with 12 Storeys’ co-writer James Toh and actress Lucilla Teoh, he also wrote a White Paper which resulted in the formation of the Singapore Film Commission. Khoo was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Letters, from the French Cultural Minister in 2008. Besides his filmmaking achievements, Khoo has produced several award winning films including 15 (2003) and Apprentice (2016).
Be With Me opened the Directors Fortnight in Cannes 2005 and My Magic his fourth feature was nominated for the Cannes Palme d’Or in 2008. Khoo has been profiled in Phaidon Books, Take 100 the future of Film – 100 New directors.
Be With Me opened the Directors Fortnight in Cannes 2005 and My Magic his fourth feature was nominated for the Cannes Palme d’Or in 2008. Khoo has been profiled in Phaidon Books, Take 100 the future of Film – 100 New directors.
- 4/7/2019
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) 2019 is around the corner (23rd January – 3rd February). Get ready for a high-quality line-up of carefully selected fiction and documentary feature films, short films and media art.
As always, the Asian film selection is rich and inviting. We have picked for you all the films from the Asian Continent.
Iffr comprises four Competition Sections and also an incredible number of Awards to encourage and help filmmakers:
Tiger Competition – An international jury chooses a winner from eight nominated films. Last year the prize was won by Chinese movie “The Widowed Witch” by Cai Chengjie.
Ammodo Tiger Short Competition – The power of short: films compete in the short film selection to three equivalent prizes.
Bright Future Competition – Filmmakers presenting the world or international premiere of their first feature length film in the main programme of Iffr’s section Bright Future, are eligible for the Bright Future Award.
As always, the Asian film selection is rich and inviting. We have picked for you all the films from the Asian Continent.
Iffr comprises four Competition Sections and also an incredible number of Awards to encourage and help filmmakers:
Tiger Competition – An international jury chooses a winner from eight nominated films. Last year the prize was won by Chinese movie “The Widowed Witch” by Cai Chengjie.
Ammodo Tiger Short Competition – The power of short: films compete in the short film selection to three equivalent prizes.
Bright Future Competition – Filmmakers presenting the world or international premiere of their first feature length film in the main programme of Iffr’s section Bright Future, are eligible for the Bright Future Award.
- 1/10/2019
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
“Lost Paradise,” from Macau and Hong Kong, won the best project award at the 3rd International Film Festival & Awards Macao’s project market.
To be directed by Tracy Choi Ian-sin and produced by Lai Ching-man, the film will look at a girl’s breakdown after sexual harassment. The story is to be told from the point of view of a close friend.
The award carries a cash prize of $15,000. The producer-director duo will use the funds to find a scriptwriter and develop the project further. The aim is to raise the $1.3 million budget from Hong Kong and Taiwan, with a view to starting principal photography in 2020. Choi previously directed 2017’s “Sisterhood,” that won the most promising talent award at the Osaka Asian film festival and scored nominations at the Hong Kong film awards.
The best co-production award and a cash prize of $10,000 went to Singapore’s “Ajoomma,” about a widow...
To be directed by Tracy Choi Ian-sin and produced by Lai Ching-man, the film will look at a girl’s breakdown after sexual harassment. The story is to be told from the point of view of a close friend.
The award carries a cash prize of $15,000. The producer-director duo will use the funds to find a scriptwriter and develop the project further. The aim is to raise the $1.3 million budget from Hong Kong and Taiwan, with a view to starting principal photography in 2020. Choi previously directed 2017’s “Sisterhood,” that won the most promising talent award at the Osaka Asian film festival and scored nominations at the Hong Kong film awards.
The best co-production award and a cash prize of $10,000 went to Singapore’s “Ajoomma,” about a widow...
- 12/11/2018
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The Singaporean government is to launch a new scheme to fund film co-production in Southeast Asia. It will offer grants worth S$250,000 per film.
The initiative was announced Wednesday by Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran during the Singapore Hour at the Asia TV Forum. The Atf is part of the annual Singapore Media Festival (Smf). The fund will be administered by the Singapore Film Commission, part of the Info-Comm Media Development Authority.
The move follows several years during which the authority has focused on local filmmakers and talent, and a period in which Singaporean films including “A Land Imagined,” “Pop Aye” and “Ilo Ilo” have won prizes at major international festivals. The co-production grant is said to represent a change of direction toward a policy of greater regional cooperation in Asia.
To qualify, a project must have the involvement of a producer from Singapore along with a director...
The initiative was announced Wednesday by Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran during the Singapore Hour at the Asia TV Forum. The Atf is part of the annual Singapore Media Festival (Smf). The fund will be administered by the Singapore Film Commission, part of the Info-Comm Media Development Authority.
The move follows several years during which the authority has focused on local filmmakers and talent, and a period in which Singaporean films including “A Land Imagined,” “Pop Aye” and “Ilo Ilo” have won prizes at major international festivals. The co-production grant is said to represent a change of direction toward a policy of greater regional cooperation in Asia.
To qualify, a project must have the involvement of a producer from Singapore along with a director...
- 12/5/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The Singapore Film Commission continued the ongoing celebration of its 20th anniversary by screening a specially commissioned documentary “Singapore Cinema: Between Takes.” Directed by Koh Chong Wu, the film played on Saturday as part of the Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff).
The illuminating feature traces the history of Singapore cinema from the 1950s through the 1970s, the decline of the industry in the 1980s, and its revival in the 1990s. The present day may be enjoying a renaissance.
The screening was followed by a lively debate on new perspectives on Singapore cinema, moderated by journalist Genevieve Sarah Loh, with panelists that included local superstar, the director-producer Jack Neo Singapore Film Commission director Joachim Ng, Singapore filmmaking doyen Eric Khoo and directors Kirsten Tan (“Pop Aye”) and Sanif Olek (“Sayang Disayang”).
“You can see from early days that it’s been a huge struggle and we were trying to learn,” said Ng.
The illuminating feature traces the history of Singapore cinema from the 1950s through the 1970s, the decline of the industry in the 1980s, and its revival in the 1990s. The present day may be enjoying a renaissance.
The screening was followed by a lively debate on new perspectives on Singapore cinema, moderated by journalist Genevieve Sarah Loh, with panelists that included local superstar, the director-producer Jack Neo Singapore Film Commission director Joachim Ng, Singapore filmmaking doyen Eric Khoo and directors Kirsten Tan (“Pop Aye”) and Sanif Olek (“Sayang Disayang”).
“You can see from early days that it’s been a huge struggle and we were trying to learn,” said Ng.
- 12/2/2018
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Most of Singapore’s current crop of globally-known filmmakers cut their teeth on short films. And the format continues to be a popular one in the city-state. The Singapore International Film Festival’s Singapore Panorama shorts strand showcased some of the best and most diverse new local work at the National Museum of Singapore on Nov. 29 and 30.
“A Dance For Ren Hang” was made by Lei Yuan Bin in conjunction with Brussels-based Singaporean dancer Sara Tan. The short sees dancers re-enact images by the late Chinese erotic photographer Ren Hang, who died in 2017 at the age of 30. Lei is one of the founders of Singaporean filmmakers’ collective 13 Little Pictures, and has also directed two features and a documentary.
Leon Cheo has directed several shorts and the television series “People Like Us.” His new short “Sin-sfo” was in competition at the Austin Film Festival and follows a couple on a drive...
“A Dance For Ren Hang” was made by Lei Yuan Bin in conjunction with Brussels-based Singaporean dancer Sara Tan. The short sees dancers re-enact images by the late Chinese erotic photographer Ren Hang, who died in 2017 at the age of 30. Lei is one of the founders of Singaporean filmmakers’ collective 13 Little Pictures, and has also directed two features and a documentary.
Leon Cheo has directed several shorts and the television series “People Like Us.” His new short “Sin-sfo” was in competition at the Austin Film Festival and follows a couple on a drive...
- 11/30/2018
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
It may not have the same international cachet as rival Asian countries such as South Korea or Japan, but Singapore’s film scene is growing in stature.
Credit for this can go in part to the Singapore Film Commission (Sfc), celebrating its 20th year in operation. Founded in 1998 with an aim to nurture Singaporean filmmaking talent, it has offered support, grants and promotion to more than 600 projects over the years, including feature films, shorts, scripts and events. The Sfc’s relevance and endurance stand as a testament to the staying power of the country’s film scene.
“Ultimately, we recognize that the heart of all good films and media content lies in its storytelling,” says Joachim Ng, director of the Sfc. “The stories told through films or any other medium must resonate with its audiences.”
The past decade has been a particularly impressive one for Singaporean movies, with several Sfc-supported...
Credit for this can go in part to the Singapore Film Commission (Sfc), celebrating its 20th year in operation. Founded in 1998 with an aim to nurture Singaporean filmmaking talent, it has offered support, grants and promotion to more than 600 projects over the years, including feature films, shorts, scripts and events. The Sfc’s relevance and endurance stand as a testament to the staying power of the country’s film scene.
“Ultimately, we recognize that the heart of all good films and media content lies in its storytelling,” says Joachim Ng, director of the Sfc. “The stories told through films or any other medium must resonate with its audiences.”
The past decade has been a particularly impressive one for Singaporean movies, with several Sfc-supported...
- 5/14/2018
- by Pavan Shamdasani
- Variety Film + TV
Berlinale Talents
Fest Chief, Dieter Kosslick at Dine & Shine Dinner, copyright Peter Himsel, Berlinale 2017Pity for all you upcoming filmmakers who might be eligible to further your careers through the Berlinale Talents because now the 2018 application period is closed, but come next July 2018, you should plan to apply!Talents, copyright Peter Himsel, Berlinale 2017
Berlinale Talents is aimed at film and television professionals in the first 10 years of their careers. To find out if you are eligible to apply for Berlinale Talents or one of their project labs: Doc Station, Talent Project Market, Script Station and Short Film Station; and to get a quick overview of the application process, check out the information Here.
One in five contenders for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is a Berlinale Talents alum. An impressive 17 films by Berlinale Talents alumni have been nominated as their countries’ contenders for the 2018 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Fest Chief, Dieter Kosslick at Dine & Shine Dinner, copyright Peter Himsel, Berlinale 2017Pity for all you upcoming filmmakers who might be eligible to further your careers through the Berlinale Talents because now the 2018 application period is closed, but come next July 2018, you should plan to apply!Talents, copyright Peter Himsel, Berlinale 2017
Berlinale Talents is aimed at film and television professionals in the first 10 years of their careers. To find out if you are eligible to apply for Berlinale Talents or one of their project labs: Doc Station, Talent Project Market, Script Station and Short Film Station; and to get a quick overview of the application process, check out the information Here.
One in five contenders for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is a Berlinale Talents alum. An impressive 17 films by Berlinale Talents alumni have been nominated as their countries’ contenders for the 2018 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
- 11/17/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
21 Best Foreign Language Film submissions and 16 Golden Globe submissions make this festival an important event in Los Angeles.
Now in its third year, The Asian World Film Festival is held at the Arclight in Culver City. While still dealing with growing pains, especially finding its audience, it still hosts a great community of film lovers and filmmakers. My wish is that next year it will reach farther to the Asian filmmaking community in L.A. and to the ethnic communities of L.A. who would love to see the works of their homeland filmmakers which are making their way toward Academy Award nominations for Best Foreign Language Films.
Awff Jury President Lisa Lu
The winner this year of multiple prizes was the South Korean submission A Taxi Driver. This funny and very serious film is so important today, and with the best publicist for the Academy Awards, Pogodin & Associattes, it...
Now in its third year, The Asian World Film Festival is held at the Arclight in Culver City. While still dealing with growing pains, especially finding its audience, it still hosts a great community of film lovers and filmmakers. My wish is that next year it will reach farther to the Asian filmmaking community in L.A. and to the ethnic communities of L.A. who would love to see the works of their homeland filmmakers which are making their way toward Academy Award nominations for Best Foreign Language Films.
Awff Jury President Lisa Lu
The winner this year of multiple prizes was the South Korean submission A Taxi Driver. This funny and very serious film is so important today, and with the best publicist for the Academy Awards, Pogodin & Associattes, it...
- 11/12/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
A winner of both the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Screenwriting at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and the Big Screen Award at the Rotterdam International Film Festival, ‘Pop Aye’ was a hit with critics and festival audiences alike, and now has been selected by Singapore as the country’s Official Submission to the 90th Academy Awards. Kino Lorber has now released Kirsten Tan’s Award-Winning Pop Aye on DVD with special features including behind-the-scenes footage and trailer.
Pop Aye was released theatrically by Kino Lorber earlier in 2017, with a two-week run at New York’s Film Forum and engagements in key national markets including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Chicago, and Seattle. International sales are by Cercamon, a sales company based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates headed by Sébastien Chesneau who is French.
This first feature of Kirsten Tan comes from Singapore but it takes place in Thailand.
Pop Aye was released theatrically by Kino Lorber earlier in 2017, with a two-week run at New York’s Film Forum and engagements in key national markets including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Chicago, and Seattle. International sales are by Cercamon, a sales company based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates headed by Sébastien Chesneau who is French.
This first feature of Kirsten Tan comes from Singapore but it takes place in Thailand.
- 11/10/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Pop Aye screens Thursday, Nov. 9 at 9:00pm and Friday, Nov. 10 at 7:05pm as part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival Both screenings are at The Plaza Frontenac Cinema (210 Plaza Frontenac St. Louis , Mo 63131). Ticket information for the Nov. 9 screening can be found Here. Ticket information for the Nov. 10 screening can be found Here
In “Pop Aye,” a successful Bangkok architect in the midst of a midlife crisis is reunited with an elephant he knew growing up. The two embark on a road trip to the man’s childhood home in the idyllic Thai countryside. Along the way, they meet a colorful cast of characters that includes a pair of nonplussed local police officers, a forlorn transgender sex worker, and a mysteriously wise drifter. As the encounters mount and the bond between man and elephant deepens, filmmaker Kirsten Tan weaves a strikingly universal tale in a...
In “Pop Aye,” a successful Bangkok architect in the midst of a midlife crisis is reunited with an elephant he knew growing up. The two embark on a road trip to the man’s childhood home in the idyllic Thai countryside. Along the way, they meet a colorful cast of characters that includes a pair of nonplussed local police officers, a forlorn transgender sex worker, and a mysteriously wise drifter. As the encounters mount and the bond between man and elephant deepens, filmmaker Kirsten Tan weaves a strikingly universal tale in a...
- 11/8/2017
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Pop Aye, a comedic drama from Singapore filmmaker Kirsten Tan, has won the top prize of best international feature film at the 13th Zurich International Film Festival.
The feature is an unconventional road trip that follows a disheartened architect who leaves the city and travels across the country, accompanied by an elephant (called Popeye) he adopts along the way.
Pop Aye premiered in the World Drama section at Sundance and was selected by Singapore to represent the country in the foreign language category of the 2018 Oscars.
Rahul Jain's Machines,...
The feature is an unconventional road trip that follows a disheartened architect who leaves the city and travels across the country, accompanied by an elephant (called Popeye) he adopts along the way.
Pop Aye premiered in the World Drama section at Sundance and was selected by Singapore to represent the country in the foreign language category of the 2018 Oscars.
Rahul Jain's Machines,...
- 10/9/2017
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The final deadline for submitting each country’s film for consideration for the foreign-language Oscar was October 2. Last year 85 were finally deemed eligible by the Academy; this year the number is a record 92. Haiti, Honduras, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mozambique, Senegal and Syria are first-time entrants. These films are vying for the initial shortlist of 9, and final five nominations to be announced on January 23. See the final list below.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
- 10/5/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The final deadline for submitting each country’s film for consideration for the foreign-language Oscar was October 2. Last year 85 were finally deemed eligible by the Academy; this year the number is a record 92. Haiti, Honduras, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mozambique, Senegal and Syria are first-time entrants. These films are vying for the initial shortlist of 9, and final five nominations to be announced on January 23. See the final list below.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
- 10/5/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
The Bad Batch (Ana Lily Amirpour)
Ana Lily Amirpour’s second feature shoots for Harmony Korine meets Mad Max and would have nearly almost hit the mark were it not for the gratingly aloof attitude and the swaths of directorial license being taken. The Bad Batch — an ambitious, expansive dystopian sci-fi western which features partying, drugs, and cannibals — might come as music to the ears of diehard fans of...
The Bad Batch (Ana Lily Amirpour)
Ana Lily Amirpour’s second feature shoots for Harmony Korine meets Mad Max and would have nearly almost hit the mark were it not for the gratingly aloof attitude and the swaths of directorial license being taken. The Bad Batch — an ambitious, expansive dystopian sci-fi western which features partying, drugs, and cannibals — might come as music to the ears of diehard fans of...
- 9/29/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Singapore has picked Kirsten Tan’s debut feature Pop Aye to represent the country at the 2018 Oscars in the best foreign-language film category.
A tender but mysterious drama, Pop Aye debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for screenwriting.
Set entirely in Thailand, the film stars Thaneth Warakulnukroh as a down-and-out architect who is reunited with his childhood elephant and embarks on a road trip across the Thai countryside in search of their old home.
"Loneliness, alienation, the ache of nostalgia and the everyday absurdity of life infuse every encounter in...
A tender but mysterious drama, Pop Aye debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for screenwriting.
Set entirely in Thailand, the film stars Thaneth Warakulnukroh as a down-and-out architect who is reunited with his childhood elephant and embarks on a road trip across the Thai countryside in search of their old home.
"Loneliness, alienation, the ache of nostalgia and the everyday absurdity of life infuse every encounter in...
- 9/25/2017
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The music hasn’t stopped playing for Jim Cummings. The 30-year-old writer-director-actor who won Sundance’s short film grand jury prize in 2016 seems to have found the holy grail for up-and-coming filmmakers: steady work. A former freelance line producer for College Humor in Los Angeles, Cummings recently transitioned into writing, directing and acting full time, and now has so many projects going simultaneousy that it’s hard to believe he was an unknown filmmaker just 18 months ago.
Read More‘Valerian’: How Luc Besson Made a $180 Million Indie That Can’t Fail
Shortly after winning Sundance with the 12-minute comedic drama “Thunder Road,” which takes place at a funeral and was shot in just one take, Cummings signed with Wme and landed a deal with subscription streaming company Fullscreen to shoot six additional shorts, all of which would be also shot in a single take, for $150,000. The money covered a...
Read More‘Valerian’: How Luc Besson Made a $180 Million Indie That Can’t Fail
Shortly after winning Sundance with the 12-minute comedic drama “Thunder Road,” which takes place at a funeral and was shot in just one take, Cummings signed with Wme and landed a deal with subscription streaming company Fullscreen to shoot six additional shorts, all of which would be also shot in a single take, for $150,000. The money covered a...
- 7/14/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Evil spreads faster than justice — that’s one of the things that makes it so sinister. It’s hard to contain, it’s always on the offensive, and it isn’t bound by the tactfulness of the truth. Love must be fought for, hate needs only to be permitted. There’s a lot to sort through in Matt Heineman’s profoundly harrowing “City of Ghosts,” the latest in a long line of recent documentaries about the atrocities that are being committed in Syria, but that grim dichotomy emerges from the chaos intact and more striking than ever. Almost everything else is lost in the rubble, sacrificed at the altar of a film whose horrors are so upsetting that they ultimately represent little more than their own madness.
“City of Ghosts” may be concerned with a death-defying group of citizen journalists, but the film isn’t particularly concerned with context — it...
“City of Ghosts” may be concerned with a death-defying group of citizen journalists, but the film isn’t particularly concerned with context — it...
- 7/7/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
All of a sudden the scary decline at the indie box office has reversed. Through the first five months of 2017, only four films opening limited in the standard four New York/Los Angeles theaters opened with a per theater average of $20,000. In the last four weeks, four films have opened strong as “Beatriz at Dinner” (Roadside Attractions), “The Big Sick” (Lionsgate) and “The Beguiled” (Focus) opened well and reached crossover crowds.
This week’s addition, Sundance comedy hit “The Little Hours” (Gunpowder & Sky) is the latest surprise. Loosely inspired by the bawdy 14th-century Boccaccio classic “The Decameron” (The Hollywood version starred Joan Fontaine while Pasolini shocked in 1971), this tale is set in the Medieval Italian countryside with bawdy contemporary dialogue as a randy peasant hides out at a convent after his master catches him with his wife. It did strong business at four theaters on two coasts.
This comes the...
This week’s addition, Sundance comedy hit “The Little Hours” (Gunpowder & Sky) is the latest surprise. Loosely inspired by the bawdy 14th-century Boccaccio classic “The Decameron” (The Hollywood version starred Joan Fontaine while Pasolini shocked in 1971), this tale is set in the Medieval Italian countryside with bawdy contemporary dialogue as a randy peasant hides out at a convent after his master catches him with his wife. It did strong business at four theaters on two coasts.
This comes the...
- 7/2/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Anyone who thinks the house always wins hasn’t seen “The House.” Not that anyone who goes to see this movie, ostensibly a comedy but in reality a bizarre endurance test, wins either — Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler’s latest is a zero-sum game in which the odds are never in your favor.
After learning that the scholarship that was going to send their daughter to college no longer exists, the happily married couple played by Ferrell and Poehler do what any caring parents would do: start an illegal casino in their friend’s (Jason Mantzoukas) house. That most of the patrons they aim to get rich off of are their neighbors and friends never seems to be an issue, nor is it the source of either comedy or tension.
Read More: Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler Make Crime Pay In First Trailer For ‘The House’ — Watch
What follows plays...
After learning that the scholarship that was going to send their daughter to college no longer exists, the happily married couple played by Ferrell and Poehler do what any caring parents would do: start an illegal casino in their friend’s (Jason Mantzoukas) house. That most of the patrons they aim to get rich off of are their neighbors and friends never seems to be an issue, nor is it the source of either comedy or tension.
Read More: Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler Make Crime Pay In First Trailer For ‘The House’ — Watch
What follows plays...
- 6/30/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Jean-Luc Godard once wrote that all one needs to make a film are a girl and a gun. Kirsten Tan’s “Pop Aye” suggests that a guy and an elephant will serve just as well.
A kind of love story, the film introduces its interspecies friends via a modified meet-cute: Thana (Thaneth Warakulnukroh) drives past the pachyderm in question one night and is instantly taken by its majestic presence, not least because he recognizes the creature from his childhood. Its current owner assures the aging architect that this elephant has had many names over the years, but he’s currently known as Chang Beer — a moniker that Thana quickly reverts back to Popeye upon buying him.
Read More: ‘Pop Aye’ Trailer: A Man Finds Himself with the Help of an Elephant in Sundance Drama — Watch
Elephants, with their imposing size and gentle nature, are among the most cinematic of all animals.
A kind of love story, the film introduces its interspecies friends via a modified meet-cute: Thana (Thaneth Warakulnukroh) drives past the pachyderm in question one night and is instantly taken by its majestic presence, not least because he recognizes the creature from his childhood. Its current owner assures the aging architect that this elephant has had many names over the years, but he’s currently known as Chang Beer — a moniker that Thana quickly reverts back to Popeye upon buying him.
Read More: ‘Pop Aye’ Trailer: A Man Finds Himself with the Help of an Elephant in Sundance Drama — Watch
Elephants, with their imposing size and gentle nature, are among the most cinematic of all animals.
- 6/29/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Some men buy a Ferrari when they’re in the throes of a midlife crisis. Thana (Thaneth Warakulnukroh), the successful architect who’s at the center of writer-director Kirsten Tan’s wistful feature debut Pop Aye, buys an elephant. And although at first this appears to be an act of portentous quirkiness, it turns out that the elephant, Pop Aye—played by an elephant named Bong, one of three actors listed in the film’s credits—is the same one Thana grew up with on his uncle’s farm in the Thai countryside, and the duo’s long walk back to Thana’s hometown is not just a homecoming; it’s an act of penance.
Dissatisfied and feeling as though life is leaving him behind, Thana longs for a simpler time, one less beholden to modern conveniences and consumerist luxuries. The film takes a similarly leisurely tack, ambling along at...
Dissatisfied and feeling as though life is leaving him behind, Thana longs for a simpler time, one less beholden to modern conveniences and consumerist luxuries. The film takes a similarly leisurely tack, ambling along at...
- 6/29/2017
- by Katie Rife
- avclub.com
When you cut through all of the spandex and special effects, superhero movies are really just high school movies with bigger muscles, bigger budgets, and bigger constraints. Indeed, the best moments in the giddy, fitfully entertaining “Spider-Man: Homecoming” are the ones that gleefully conflate the likes of Stan Lee and John Hughes, delighting in the extent to which both of their signature genres tend to revolve around emotionally unsure young people who are struggling to juggle their double lives.
“Homecoming” takes Peter Parker all the way back to his sophomore year, (re)re-introducing the endlessly rebootable web-slinger (a wide-eyed and overeager Tom Holland) as a 15-year-old pipsqueak who splits his time between anchoring the the academic decathlon team and auditioning to be an Avenger. The Queens sophomore can barely bring himself to talk to the girl he likes (Laura Harrier as Liz), but once he puts on his signature red...
“Homecoming” takes Peter Parker all the way back to his sophomore year, (re)re-introducing the endlessly rebootable web-slinger (a wide-eyed and overeager Tom Holland) as a 15-year-old pipsqueak who splits his time between anchoring the the academic decathlon team and auditioning to be an Avenger. The Queens sophomore can barely bring himself to talk to the girl he likes (Laura Harrier as Liz), but once he puts on his signature red...
- 6/29/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
While much attention has currently (and rightfully) been drawn toward Bong Joon Ho’s Okja within the realm of human-and-beast cinema, Kirsten Tan’s Pop Aye is a worthy companion. Intimately canvassed and drawn with raw etchings of humanity and human error, Tan’s film is both a road movie and a buddy film, a familial drama and a study of the ever-evolving, industrialized landscapes where not everyone fits in. Through her insistent gaze on the human (and non-human) figures at its center, Tan never forgets why this story is being told. This focus makes Pop Aye a film that is heartwarming in its human-to-animal gaze, and yet crushing in its understanding of a human’s flaws.
Pop Aye Follows Thana (Thaneth Warakulnukroh), an architect who lives a somewhat dissatisfied life with his wife. There seems to be little love between them — at least not as much love as was...
Pop Aye Follows Thana (Thaneth Warakulnukroh), an architect who lives a somewhat dissatisfied life with his wife. There seems to be little love between them — at least not as much love as was...
- 6/28/2017
- by Mike Mazzanti
- The Film Stage
Sundance may just be a film festival, but it’s also an economic engine that generates a staggering amount of business every year in the ski town of Park City, Utah. The flagship annual event of Robert Redford’s non-profit Sundance Institute, the 2017 festival contributed more than $150 million in gross domestic product for the state of Utah, according to a recent study from research and data company Y2 Analytics. (That’s more than the projected 2017 Gdp for Nauru, the island country in Micronesia).
Read More: Sundance 2017 Breakouts: Here Are The Movies You Can Expect To See In Next Year’s Oscar Race
Nearly 72,000 descended upon Park City this January, with slightly more than half coming from out of state. Most attendees spent four days or less at the festival, filling roughly 205,000 seats at screenings and events.
Though Sundance relies on more than 1,800 volunteers every year, the festival creates around 2,800 jobs for Utah residents,...
Read More: Sundance 2017 Breakouts: Here Are The Movies You Can Expect To See In Next Year’s Oscar Race
Nearly 72,000 descended upon Park City this January, with slightly more than half coming from out of state. Most attendees spent four days or less at the festival, filling roughly 205,000 seats at screenings and events.
Though Sundance relies on more than 1,800 volunteers every year, the festival creates around 2,800 jobs for Utah residents,...
- 6/14/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
May kicked off the summer movie season, but June brings some studio tentpoles actually worth seeing (yes, we didn’t like that one everyone else did last month). Along with popcorn entertainment, there’s some of the finest independent films of the year, ranging from a long-delayed final feature from a late master to Sundance favorites and more. We should also note that, despite getting a release last year, IFC seems to be putting the Palme d’Or-winning I, Daniel Blake back in theaters this week, and we recommend seeking it out if you missed it.
Matinees to See: Past Life (6/2), Band Aid (6/2), My Cousin Rachel (6/9), Megan Leavey (6/9), Score: A Film Music Documentary (6/16), Maudie (6/16), Harmonium (6/16), The Journey (6/16), All Eyez on Me (6/16), Lost in Paris (6/16), Pop Aye (6/28), The House (6/30), and The Little Hours (6/30).
15. It’s Only the End of the World (Xavier Dolan; June 30)
Synopsis: It would have been a lovely family dinner.
Matinees to See: Past Life (6/2), Band Aid (6/2), My Cousin Rachel (6/9), Megan Leavey (6/9), Score: A Film Music Documentary (6/16), Maudie (6/16), Harmonium (6/16), The Journey (6/16), All Eyez on Me (6/16), Lost in Paris (6/16), Pop Aye (6/28), The House (6/30), and The Little Hours (6/30).
15. It’s Only the End of the World (Xavier Dolan; June 30)
Synopsis: It would have been a lovely family dinner.
- 6/1/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
FX has released the trailer for the fourth and final season of its original horror series “The Strain.” The series is co-created by horror master Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth,” “Hellboy”) and Chuck Hogan (“The Town,” “13 Hours”), based off of their best-selling “The Strain Trilogy.” Check out the trailer below (via Bloody Disgusting).
Read More: Cannes: Guillermo del Toro Talks Real-Life Monsters in Political-Leaning Speech
Set in New York City, the series follows Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll), the head of the Disease Control Canary Team, who are initially tasked with investigating a viral outbreak that contains ancient, evil strains of vampirism. In an attempt to save humanity, Dr. Goodweather and his team wage war against these vampires.
Season 4 picks up nine months after an explosion at the end of season 3, which caused a global nuclear apocalypse. Dr. Goodweather and his team have lost against the strigoi, who now have complete control,...
Read More: Cannes: Guillermo del Toro Talks Real-Life Monsters in Political-Leaning Speech
Set in New York City, the series follows Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll), the head of the Disease Control Canary Team, who are initially tasked with investigating a viral outbreak that contains ancient, evil strains of vampirism. In an attempt to save humanity, Dr. Goodweather and his team wage war against these vampires.
Season 4 picks up nine months after an explosion at the end of season 3, which caused a global nuclear apocalypse. Dr. Goodweather and his team have lost against the strigoi, who now have complete control,...
- 5/24/2017
- by Yoselin Acevedo
- Indiewire
After premiering in the World Dramatic section at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, “Pop Aye” is ready for its theatrical release this summer.
Kino Lorber, which holds the North American rights to the film, has revealed the official trailer for the elephant dramedy, which marks the debut feature for Singaporean writer-director Kirsten Tan, who had previously written and helmed seven short films, including 2014’s “Granny” and 2007’s “Fonzi.”
Read More: The 20 Highest Grossing Indies of 2017 (A Running List)
Set in Thailand, “Pop Aye” follows a once-successful architect in the midst of a midlife crisis. After running into an elephant he knew growing up, he buys the animal and the two embark on a road trip across Thailand, back to the small village where they grew up. Along the way, they meet some interesting characters, including a lonely transgender sex worker and a very wise drifter. The film was developed at Berlinale Talents Program,...
Kino Lorber, which holds the North American rights to the film, has revealed the official trailer for the elephant dramedy, which marks the debut feature for Singaporean writer-director Kirsten Tan, who had previously written and helmed seven short films, including 2014’s “Granny” and 2007’s “Fonzi.”
Read More: The 20 Highest Grossing Indies of 2017 (A Running List)
Set in Thailand, “Pop Aye” follows a once-successful architect in the midst of a midlife crisis. After running into an elephant he knew growing up, he buys the animal and the two embark on a road trip across Thailand, back to the small village where they grew up. Along the way, they meet some interesting characters, including a lonely transgender sex worker and a very wise drifter. The film was developed at Berlinale Talents Program,...
- 5/24/2017
- by Yoselin Acevedo
- Indiewire
Get the tissues out, this one is going to tug at your heartstrings. (Unless you’re a monster).
In the first official trailer for “Wonder,” Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson play the parents of Auggie, a fifth grader born with severe facial differences who is struggling to fit in at a new school. Played by up-and-comer Jacob Tremblay, who wowed audiences for his performance in “Room,” Auggie just wants to be treated like any other kid. His concerned parents know how cruel children can be, but maybe it’s really the adults who have the problem.
Read More: ‘The Book of Henry’ Trailer: Colin Trevorrow Returns to Indie Filmmaking Between ‘Jurassic World’ and ‘Star Wars’
Another literary adaptation from “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” director Stephen Chbosky, “Wonder” is based on the 2012 New York Times bestseller by R.J. Palacio (née Raquel Jaramillo). Palacio began writing the book after an...
In the first official trailer for “Wonder,” Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson play the parents of Auggie, a fifth grader born with severe facial differences who is struggling to fit in at a new school. Played by up-and-comer Jacob Tremblay, who wowed audiences for his performance in “Room,” Auggie just wants to be treated like any other kid. His concerned parents know how cruel children can be, but maybe it’s really the adults who have the problem.
Read More: ‘The Book of Henry’ Trailer: Colin Trevorrow Returns to Indie Filmmaking Between ‘Jurassic World’ and ‘Star Wars’
Another literary adaptation from “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” director Stephen Chbosky, “Wonder” is based on the 2012 New York Times bestseller by R.J. Palacio (née Raquel Jaramillo). Palacio began writing the book after an...
- 5/24/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Selected projects include works from producers Soros Sukhum and Prachya Pinkaew and filmmaker Jakrawal Nilthamrong.
Leading Thai producers Soros Sukhum and Prachya Pinkaew and award-winning filmmaker Jakrawal Nilthamrong have been selected to present projects at this year’s Thai Pitch in Cannes.
Organised by Thailand’s Ministry of Culture, the event will take place May 22-23 at the Thai Pavilion in the International Village. Producer and film festival programmer Raymond Phathanavirangoon is coordinating the event.
Soros Sukhum is producing artist and filmmaker Taiki Sakpisit’s first feature film The Edge Of Daybreak, about a former army general who is forced to confront the past through a series of intensive sessions of electroshock therapy.
Sukhum’s recent producing credits include Anocha Suwichakornpong’s By The Time It Gets Dark, Davy Chou’s Diamond Island and Kirsten Tan’s Pop Aye[pictured], the latter two projects as a co-producer.
Prachya Pinkaew, best known as director of worldwide action hit Ong...
Leading Thai producers Soros Sukhum and Prachya Pinkaew and award-winning filmmaker Jakrawal Nilthamrong have been selected to present projects at this year’s Thai Pitch in Cannes.
Organised by Thailand’s Ministry of Culture, the event will take place May 22-23 at the Thai Pavilion in the International Village. Producer and film festival programmer Raymond Phathanavirangoon is coordinating the event.
Soros Sukhum is producing artist and filmmaker Taiki Sakpisit’s first feature film The Edge Of Daybreak, about a former army general who is forced to confront the past through a series of intensive sessions of electroshock therapy.
Sukhum’s recent producing credits include Anocha Suwichakornpong’s By The Time It Gets Dark, Davy Chou’s Diamond Island and Kirsten Tan’s Pop Aye[pictured], the latter two projects as a co-producer.
Prachya Pinkaew, best known as director of worldwide action hit Ong...
- 5/1/2017
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
What a surprising city Rotterdam is and the Festival and Cinemart are full of surprises too.
Being in The Netherlands is like a homecoming for me. My first major job in the film industry was with 20th Century Fox International and City Fox Films in Amsterdam in 1975 which is when I first attended the International Film Festival of Rotterdam, three years after its founding by Huub Bals. It was much smaller then. Iffr’s logo is a tiger, loosely based on the M.G.M. lion as an alternative. From the beginning, the festival has profiled itself as a promoter of alternative, innovative and non-commercial films, with an emphasis on the Far East and developing countries. It has become one of the most important events in the film world, an integral part of the winter circuit of Sundance, Rotterdam and Berlin Film Festivals.
“Fox and HIs Friends”
Except for my...
Being in The Netherlands is like a homecoming for me. My first major job in the film industry was with 20th Century Fox International and City Fox Films in Amsterdam in 1975 which is when I first attended the International Film Festival of Rotterdam, three years after its founding by Huub Bals. It was much smaller then. Iffr’s logo is a tiger, loosely based on the M.G.M. lion as an alternative. From the beginning, the festival has profiled itself as a promoter of alternative, innovative and non-commercial films, with an emphasis on the Far East and developing countries. It has become one of the most important events in the film world, an integral part of the winter circuit of Sundance, Rotterdam and Berlin Film Festivals.
“Fox and HIs Friends”
Except for my...
- 3/8/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
As the film-business-crowds move through meetings designed to meet all sorts of movie-related objectives in this vast mix of people, and the movie-going public lines up for films in the Competition, Out-of-Competition, Panorama, Forum and Retrospectives; and families attend the Generation series, some for kindergarteners and others for preteens and some for those 14 and up, and as the constant exchange of ideas continues, there is lots of buzz, mostly positive about the Hungarian Competition film “On Body and Soul”.“On Body and Soul” by Ildikó Enyedi
Buzz continues the next day both pro and con about Oren Moverman’s Competition film, “The Dinner” which is definitely a must-see for each to decide on one’s own response to it. As Scott Roxborough in The Hollywood Reporter says, it “looks like just the political dish the times demand.” Produced by Caldecot Chubb, the script was originally to be written by Moverman for Cate Blanchett to direct.
Buzz continues the next day both pro and con about Oren Moverman’s Competition film, “The Dinner” which is definitely a must-see for each to decide on one’s own response to it. As Scott Roxborough in The Hollywood Reporter says, it “looks like just the political dish the times demand.” Produced by Caldecot Chubb, the script was originally to be written by Moverman for Cate Blanchett to direct.
- 2/28/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Why Sundance Goers, and Audiences at Every Festival, Should Embrace World Cinema Over Popular Main-Slate Titles“God’s Own Country”
Eager to brave the extreme amounts of snow piling on every sidewalk and road in Park City, scores of freezing, malnourished, and often overworked film journalists and industry professionals line up hours in advance in order to secure a satisfying seat to that star-studded, Oscar-friendly, English-language stunner people have been raving about at every party or bus top around town. It’s understandable, they are desperate to become conquerors and be the first to plant their flag on the year’s big discovery. Trendsetting is a currency that in film criticism, like in many other occupations, is vital to acquire a certain level of recognition and validation.
However, even though being able to predict the future and to see the merits of a film before the crowd has sunk their...
Eager to brave the extreme amounts of snow piling on every sidewalk and road in Park City, scores of freezing, malnourished, and often overworked film journalists and industry professionals line up hours in advance in order to secure a satisfying seat to that star-studded, Oscar-friendly, English-language stunner people have been raving about at every party or bus top around town. It’s understandable, they are desperate to become conquerors and be the first to plant their flag on the year’s big discovery. Trendsetting is a currency that in film criticism, like in many other occupations, is vital to acquire a certain level of recognition and validation.
However, even though being able to predict the future and to see the merits of a film before the crowd has sunk their...
- 2/17/2017
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Exclusive: Thailand-set film goes to France, Germany, Australia and Sweden.
Crowd-pleasing Sundance opener Pop Aye – about a disenchanted architect who sets on a trip across Thailand with this childhood elephant – is also proving a hit with buyers.
Sales company Cercamon is reporting brisk sales on the film following its Sundance premiere, with deals closing for France (Happiness Distribution), Germany and Austria (Nfp), Switzerland (Frenetic), Australia (Madman) and Sweden (Folkets Bio).
Kino Lauber announced it had acquired North American rights during Sundance.
“Pop Aye is totally exotic and at the same time truly universal. Everybody falls in love with Pop Aye, the elephant,” said Cercamon’s founding chief Sebastien Chesneau.
The Thailand-set film is the debut feature of Singaporean director Kirsten Tan.
It won the Special Jury Award for Screenwriting at Sundance and also clinched the Vpro Big Screen Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) where it made its European premiere.
Crowd-pleasing Sundance opener Pop Aye – about a disenchanted architect who sets on a trip across Thailand with this childhood elephant – is also proving a hit with buyers.
Sales company Cercamon is reporting brisk sales on the film following its Sundance premiere, with deals closing for France (Happiness Distribution), Germany and Austria (Nfp), Switzerland (Frenetic), Australia (Madman) and Sweden (Folkets Bio).
Kino Lauber announced it had acquired North American rights during Sundance.
“Pop Aye is totally exotic and at the same time truly universal. Everybody falls in love with Pop Aye, the elephant,” said Cercamon’s founding chief Sebastien Chesneau.
The Thailand-set film is the debut feature of Singaporean director Kirsten Tan.
It won the Special Jury Award for Screenwriting at Sundance and also clinched the Vpro Big Screen Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) where it made its European premiere.
- 2/9/2017
- ScreenDaily
Films and projects travel from Sundance to Rotterdam and Rotterdam’s love affair with Latin America becomes apparent.
Making their way from Sundance to Rotterdam, “Lemon” was Opening Night in the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Sloan Prize Winner “Marjorie Prime” played in Voices while director Michael Almereyda was on the Jury of the Hivos Tiger Competition. His documentary, “Escapes” also played in the Regained section of the festival.
“Marjorie Prime”: Director Michael Almereyda, Lois Smith and Jon Hamm
“Chile’s “Family Life” by Alicia Scherson and Cristian Jimenez, Singapore’s “Pop Aye”, “Lady Macbeth” and “Sami Blood” all screened here after premiering in Sundance as well.
Pop Aye director Kirsten Tan won the Big Screen Competition and in addition to the cash prize may also count on a guaranteed release in Dutch cinemas and on TV.
“The Wound” by John Trengove has even longer legs, reaching from Sundance World...
Making their way from Sundance to Rotterdam, “Lemon” was Opening Night in the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Sloan Prize Winner “Marjorie Prime” played in Voices while director Michael Almereyda was on the Jury of the Hivos Tiger Competition. His documentary, “Escapes” also played in the Regained section of the festival.
“Marjorie Prime”: Director Michael Almereyda, Lois Smith and Jon Hamm
“Chile’s “Family Life” by Alicia Scherson and Cristian Jimenez, Singapore’s “Pop Aye”, “Lady Macbeth” and “Sami Blood” all screened here after premiering in Sundance as well.
Pop Aye director Kirsten Tan won the Big Screen Competition and in addition to the cash prize may also count on a guaranteed release in Dutch cinemas and on TV.
“The Wound” by John Trengove has even longer legs, reaching from Sundance World...
- 2/8/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Sundance is over and the prizes are won. People have dispersed to their homes and the realities that await them there.
This was a Sundance like no other I can remember, and I have attended every single one since 1986! The cold was extreme; and the political engagement and disgust was extreme. Not only did we have the Inauguration the first day, but the Women’s March the second day had probably 6,000 people marching and on that day the first of many deplorable executive orders (this one against women of the world and their control over their own bodies) began flying off the desk of our current president, who has continued to issue at least one every day, each one more despicable than the previous. Politics and women took center stage.
Chelsea Handler leads the women’s march in Park City, Utah. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
The Sundance slant...
This was a Sundance like no other I can remember, and I have attended every single one since 1986! The cold was extreme; and the political engagement and disgust was extreme. Not only did we have the Inauguration the first day, but the Women’s March the second day had probably 6,000 people marching and on that day the first of many deplorable executive orders (this one against women of the world and their control over their own bodies) began flying off the desk of our current president, who has continued to issue at least one every day, each one more despicable than the previous. Politics and women took center stage.
Chelsea Handler leads the women’s march in Park City, Utah. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
The Sundance slant...
- 2/8/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
This first feature of Kirsten Tan premiered in Sundance ‘17 World Cinema Dramatic Competition. Its provenance is Singapore but it takes place in Thailand. It continued onward to the Hivos Tiger Competition at Iffr (R’dam).
The thrill of interviewing here in Sundance is that you see a film; you have an impression and while it is still fresh you meet the filmmakers without having much time for any research or reflection. And then you get to see them again as “old friends” when you meet again in Rotterdam.
As Kirsten, her producer Weijie Lai and I sat down at the Sundance Co-op on Main Street here in Park City, I really had little idea of where the interview would take us, somewhat analogously to her film in which an architect, disenchanted with life in general, being put aside as “old” in his own highly successful architectural firm and in a stale relationship with his wife,...
The thrill of interviewing here in Sundance is that you see a film; you have an impression and while it is still fresh you meet the filmmakers without having much time for any research or reflection. And then you get to see them again as “old friends” when you meet again in Rotterdam.
As Kirsten, her producer Weijie Lai and I sat down at the Sundance Co-op on Main Street here in Park City, I really had little idea of where the interview would take us, somewhat analogously to her film in which an architect, disenchanted with life in general, being put aside as “old” in his own highly successful architectural firm and in a stale relationship with his wife,...
- 2/7/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Sexy Durga, Rey and Moonlight win top prizes.
The winners at the 46th International Film Festival Rotterdam (25 Jan-5 Feb) have been announced.
Sexy Durga (pictured) by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan won the Hivos Tiger competition, which comes with a $40,000 cash prize.
The jury report said of the film: “The particular use of camera and acting give a sense of immediacy and momentum, while providing an insight into multi-layered power dynamics of gender, class and authority.”
Rey director Niles Atallah won this year’s $10,000 special jury award for exceptional artistic achievement in the competition.
The jury was; Michael Almereyda, Diana Bustamante Escobar, Amir Muhammad, Fien Troch, Newsha Tavakolian.
The Oscar-nominated Moonlight won the Warsteiner audience award. The $10,000 prize is voted for buy Iffr visitors.
The Vpro big screen award went to Pop Aye by Kirsten Tan. The competition is judged by a five-person audience jury and awards a cash prize to one of the eight films having their international...
The winners at the 46th International Film Festival Rotterdam (25 Jan-5 Feb) have been announced.
Sexy Durga (pictured) by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan won the Hivos Tiger competition, which comes with a $40,000 cash prize.
The jury report said of the film: “The particular use of camera and acting give a sense of immediacy and momentum, while providing an insight into multi-layered power dynamics of gender, class and authority.”
Rey director Niles Atallah won this year’s $10,000 special jury award for exceptional artistic achievement in the competition.
The jury was; Michael Almereyda, Diana Bustamante Escobar, Amir Muhammad, Fien Troch, Newsha Tavakolian.
The Oscar-nominated Moonlight won the Warsteiner audience award. The $10,000 prize is voted for buy Iffr visitors.
The Vpro big screen award went to Pop Aye by Kirsten Tan. The competition is judged by a five-person audience jury and awards a cash prize to one of the eight films having their international...
- 2/5/2017
- ScreenDaily
So far it’s a solid mix of narratives and documentaries.Step
It’s safe to say that the ultimate Sundance dream is to sell a film (second to Ava DuVernay casually walking by you, of course). Filmmakers want to sell their films so that their work can reach more audiences and they can hopefully go on to make bigger and better films. Studios want to buy films so that they can compete in the industry. Patrons especially want sales so that when their friends later ask if they want to see this new indie film that just came out they can casually go, “Is that finally out? It seems like Ages since I saw it at Sundance. Also did I tell you that Ava DuVernay walked by me this year? I did? Okay.”
The 2017 Sundance Film Festival is entering closing weekend with a decent number of those dream sales already under its belt. As...
It’s safe to say that the ultimate Sundance dream is to sell a film (second to Ava DuVernay casually walking by you, of course). Filmmakers want to sell their films so that their work can reach more audiences and they can hopefully go on to make bigger and better films. Studios want to buy films so that they can compete in the industry. Patrons especially want sales so that when their friends later ask if they want to see this new indie film that just came out they can casually go, “Is that finally out? It seems like Ages since I saw it at Sundance. Also did I tell you that Ava DuVernay walked by me this year? I did? Okay.”
The 2017 Sundance Film Festival is entering closing weekend with a decent number of those dream sales already under its belt. As...
- 1/30/2017
- by Siân Melton
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Change may be coming slowly to the entertainment industry, but at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, a desire for diversity and inclusion amongst female filmmakers went beyond buzzwords.
Thirty-four percent of all films that screened at Sundance this year were directed by women – in years past, the average has hovered around 25 percent – and female filmmakers were prominent across all sections, with women debuting films in not just the competition sections, but also the forward-thinking Next section, the wild Midnight category (which played home to the long-gestating anthology “Xx,” featuring four shorts directed by women) and even the starry Premieres docket.
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible: Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
The rise of female-directed films was particularly felt at this year’s awards ceremony as two of the four juried competition directing awards went to women: “Beach Rats” helmer Eliza Hittman picked up the award in the U.
Thirty-four percent of all films that screened at Sundance this year were directed by women – in years past, the average has hovered around 25 percent – and female filmmakers were prominent across all sections, with women debuting films in not just the competition sections, but also the forward-thinking Next section, the wild Midnight category (which played home to the long-gestating anthology “Xx,” featuring four shorts directed by women) and even the starry Premieres docket.
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible: Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
The rise of female-directed films was particularly felt at this year’s awards ceremony as two of the four juried competition directing awards went to women: “Beach Rats” helmer Eliza Hittman picked up the award in the U.
- 1/30/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The Sundance 2017 juries and audiences unveiled their picks on Saturday night.
In the grand jury prizes, Macon Blair’s I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore claimed the Us dramatic award and Dina by Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini won U.S. documentary.
Tarik Saleh’s The Nile Hilton Incident won world dramatic and Last Men In Aleppo by Feras Fayyad and Steen Johannessen prevailed in the world documentary category.
In the audience awards, Matt Ruski’s Crown Heights and Jeff Orlowski’s Chasing Coral were the favourites in the Us dramatic and documentary strands.
World cinema selections I Dream In Another Language by Ernesto Contreras and Joe Piscatella’s Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower emerged victorious in the dramatic and documentary sections.
“This has been one of the wildest, wackiest and most rewarding festivals in recent memory,” said festival director John Cooper. “From a new government to the independently organised Women’s March On Main...
In the grand jury prizes, Macon Blair’s I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore claimed the Us dramatic award and Dina by Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini won U.S. documentary.
Tarik Saleh’s The Nile Hilton Incident won world dramatic and Last Men In Aleppo by Feras Fayyad and Steen Johannessen prevailed in the world documentary category.
In the audience awards, Matt Ruski’s Crown Heights and Jeff Orlowski’s Chasing Coral were the favourites in the Us dramatic and documentary strands.
World cinema selections I Dream In Another Language by Ernesto Contreras and Joe Piscatella’s Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower emerged victorious in the dramatic and documentary sections.
“This has been one of the wildest, wackiest and most rewarding festivals in recent memory,” said festival director John Cooper. “From a new government to the independently organised Women’s March On Main...
- 1/29/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The 2017 Sundance Film Festival is coming to a close with tonight’s awards ceremony. While we’ll have our personal favorites coming early this week, the jury and audience have responded with theirs, topped by Macon Blair‘s I don’t feel at home in this world anymore., which will arrive on Netflix in late February, and the documentary Dina. Check out the full list of winners below see our complete coverage here.
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Larry Wilmore to:
Dina / U.S.A. (Directors: Dan Sickles, Antonio Santini) — An eccentric suburban woman and a Walmart door-greeter navigate their evolving relationship in this unconventional love story.
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Peter Dinklage to:
I don’t feel at home in this world anymore. / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Macon Blair) — When a depressed woman is burglarized, she...
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Larry Wilmore to:
Dina / U.S.A. (Directors: Dan Sickles, Antonio Santini) — An eccentric suburban woman and a Walmart door-greeter navigate their evolving relationship in this unconventional love story.
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Peter Dinklage to:
I don’t feel at home in this world anymore. / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Macon Blair) — When a depressed woman is burglarized, she...
- 1/29/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
From working with non-professionals to writing roles for specific actors to hiring a top casting director, there is no one way to find a great cast for an independent film. IndieWire checked in with the Dramatic Competition and Next directors of Sundance 2017 to find out their secrets.
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible: Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
Gillian Robespierre, “Landline” Jenny Slate was attached from the beginning. I wrote the role of Donna in “Obvious Child” for Jenny, and when sitting down to write the next project it was a no-brainer to write another role for her. We then built the family around her with the help of two incredible casting directors, Doug Aibel and Stephanie Holbrook.
Zoe Lister-Jones, “Band Aid” Almost all the actors in the film were either friends or people I had personal connections to, so it was a relatively easy process.
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible: Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
Gillian Robespierre, “Landline” Jenny Slate was attached from the beginning. I wrote the role of Donna in “Obvious Child” for Jenny, and when sitting down to write the next project it was a no-brainer to write another role for her. We then built the family around her with the help of two incredible casting directors, Doug Aibel and Stephanie Holbrook.
Zoe Lister-Jones, “Band Aid” Almost all the actors in the film were either friends or people I had personal connections to, so it was a relatively easy process.
- 1/28/2017
- by Annakeara Stinson and Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
IndieWire reached out to the filmmakers behind the feature-length narrative and documentary films premiering this week to find out what cameras they used and why they chose them. Here are their responses.
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible – Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
Dramatic Competition & Next
Cory Finley, “Thoroughbred”
Arri Alexa Mini. Panavision G-Series lenses.
The Dp, Lyle Vincent, was very particular about getting a hold of both. They gave us flexibility in shooting and helped create the very precise, high-contrast, and slightly dreamy look we were going for.
Gillian Robespierre, “Landline”
Arri Alexa with some vintage lenses
“Landline” takes place in 1990’s Manhattan. My Dp Chris Teague and I talked a lot about what shooting a period movie from a recent period would look and feel like. Unfortunately, we were not able to shoot on film, and added a texture of LiveGrain during color...
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible – Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
Dramatic Competition & Next
Cory Finley, “Thoroughbred”
Arri Alexa Mini. Panavision G-Series lenses.
The Dp, Lyle Vincent, was very particular about getting a hold of both. They gave us flexibility in shooting and helped create the very precise, high-contrast, and slightly dreamy look we were going for.
Gillian Robespierre, “Landline”
Arri Alexa with some vintage lenses
“Landline” takes place in 1990’s Manhattan. My Dp Chris Teague and I talked a lot about what shooting a period movie from a recent period would look and feel like. Unfortunately, we were not able to shoot on film, and added a texture of LiveGrain during color...
- 1/25/2017
- by Annakeara Stinson and Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Kino Lorber has acquired the North American rights to the elephant dramedy “Pop Aye,” which premiered in the Sundance Film Festival’s World Dramatic section on the opening night of the festival. The movie marks the debut feature for Singaporean writer-director Kirsten Tan and the first film from a Singaporean director to land an opening night slot at Sundance.
Set in Thailand, “Pop Aye” tells the story of a once-illustrious architect struggling with the impending demolition of his proudest work and the waning affection of his wife. After encountering his childhood pet elephant in the streets of Bangkok, he embarks on a quest across Thailand to return his old friend to the small village where they grew up.
“’Pop Aye’ is poetically profound, but the elephant in the room is really its warm heart,” Kino Lorber CEO Richard Lorber said in a statement. “We’re immensely pleased to be working...
Set in Thailand, “Pop Aye” tells the story of a once-illustrious architect struggling with the impending demolition of his proudest work and the waning affection of his wife. After encountering his childhood pet elephant in the streets of Bangkok, he embarks on a quest across Thailand to return his old friend to the small village where they grew up.
“’Pop Aye’ is poetically profound, but the elephant in the room is really its warm heart,” Kino Lorber CEO Richard Lorber said in a statement. “We’re immensely pleased to be working...
- 1/24/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
The distributor has acquired North American rights to Singaporean writer-director Kirsten Tan’s debut feature.
Pop Aye takes place in Thailand and centres on an architect’s efforts to bring his long-lost elephant back to their rural hometown.
The film opened the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section when it premiered on Thursday and screens again on Wednesday and Friday.
Kino Lorber CEO Richard Lorber brokered the deal with Sébastien Chesneau, senior partner at the film’s sales agent Cercamon.
The distributor plans a summer theatrical release before VOD and home entertainment later in the year.
“My producers and I have long admired the library of Kino Lorber,” said Tan. “We are very excited for Pop Aye to be in the company of wonderful films such as Dogtooth, Days Of Being Wild, and Jafar Panahi’s Taxi. We look forward to sharing the film with Us audiences.”
”Pop Aye is currently charming Park City,” said Chesneau...
Pop Aye takes place in Thailand and centres on an architect’s efforts to bring his long-lost elephant back to their rural hometown.
The film opened the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section when it premiered on Thursday and screens again on Wednesday and Friday.
Kino Lorber CEO Richard Lorber brokered the deal with Sébastien Chesneau, senior partner at the film’s sales agent Cercamon.
The distributor plans a summer theatrical release before VOD and home entertainment later in the year.
“My producers and I have long admired the library of Kino Lorber,” said Tan. “We are very excited for Pop Aye to be in the company of wonderful films such as Dogtooth, Days Of Being Wild, and Jafar Panahi’s Taxi. We look forward to sharing the film with Us audiences.”
”Pop Aye is currently charming Park City,” said Chesneau...
- 1/24/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The journey to Sundance is an all-consuming endeavor and most filmmakers don’t lift their heads until they land in Park City with their Dcp in hand.
For some filmmakers, this year was different. The election of Donald Trump, which snapped so many into a new reality they hadn’t imagined, came just two weeks before most Sundance directors received their golden ticket to the festival. So we asked this year’s directors: Did the election change how you thought about your film, and your career as a filmmaker?
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible – Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
John Trengove, “The Wound:” The Us election was a big reason why we chose to premiere in Sundance. With race and Lgbt rights being such heated issues in the Us, we thought it would be meaningful to bring a queer film from South Africa, together...
For some filmmakers, this year was different. The election of Donald Trump, which snapped so many into a new reality they hadn’t imagined, came just two weeks before most Sundance directors received their golden ticket to the festival. So we asked this year’s directors: Did the election change how you thought about your film, and your career as a filmmaker?
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible – Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
John Trengove, “The Wound:” The Us election was a big reason why we chose to premiere in Sundance. With race and Lgbt rights being such heated issues in the Us, we thought it would be meaningful to bring a queer film from South Africa, together...
- 1/20/2017
- by Annakeara Stinson and Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
When Thana (Thaneth Warakulnukroh) suddenly decides to walk with an elephant through the countryside to his childhood home, nobody seems to notice or much care. His wife, Bo (Penpak Sirikul), is frankly glad he’s out of the house, while the younger staff at the office mostly just want to know where his files are. Writer/director Kirsten Tan doesn’t fuss or overexplain these details, and quickly gets to what everyone wants to see: a man and his elephant on an unlikely journey.
Continue reading ‘Pop Aye’ Is An Engaging, Charming Road Trip With A Man And His Elephant [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Pop Aye’ Is An Engaging, Charming Road Trip With A Man And His Elephant [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
- 1/20/2017
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
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