Ben Aldridge (“Knock at the Cabin”) and Martina Garcia (“The Hidden Face”) have joined the cast of “Dear Paris,” Marjane Satrapi’s (“Persepolis”) ensemble drama which is one Studiocanal’s highlights at this week’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous showcase, along with Gilles Lellouche’s sprawling romance thriller “Beating Hearts.”
“Dear Paris” (“Paris Paradis”), produced by Vito Films, is a dark comedy set in the French capital where a flurry of charming characters confront death only to embrace life once again. The film also stars Monica Bellucci as a narcissistic Italian opera singer and Rossy De Palma as an eccentric elderly Colombian woman, as well as Eduardo Noriega, André Dussollier, Alex Lutz, Roschdy Zem and singer-turned-actor Gwendal Marimoutou (“Sam”).
The biggest title on Studiocanal’s roster is “Beating Hearts” (“L’amour ouf”), the highly anticipated epic love story starring François Civil, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Mallory Wanecque and Malik Frikah. The unconventional movie, now in post production,...
“Dear Paris” (“Paris Paradis”), produced by Vito Films, is a dark comedy set in the French capital where a flurry of charming characters confront death only to embrace life once again. The film also stars Monica Bellucci as a narcissistic Italian opera singer and Rossy De Palma as an eccentric elderly Colombian woman, as well as Eduardo Noriega, André Dussollier, Alex Lutz, Roschdy Zem and singer-turned-actor Gwendal Marimoutou (“Sam”).
The biggest title on Studiocanal’s roster is “Beating Hearts” (“L’amour ouf”), the highly anticipated epic love story starring François Civil, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Mallory Wanecque and Malik Frikah. The unconventional movie, now in post production,...
- 1/16/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
When people think of Star Wars, the name that springs to mind is George Lucas. He is, after all, the director and creator of the franchise. His name is literally in the production company Lucasfilm Ltd. One name that might not come immediately to mind is that of Kathleen Kennedy.
Kennedy is easily one of the most successful producers of all time, having been attached to some of the most iconic movies in current film history. She has also been acting president of Lucasfilm for the past decade. Though she was a natural fit to take the reins back in 2012, her tenure as president of Lucasfilm has been equal parts productive and complicated. Fans have been critical of her handling of their beloved Star Wars property. While some of these criticisms are warranted, others are rooted in something more sinister - sexism.
So, who exactly is Kathleen Kennedy, and how...
Kennedy is easily one of the most successful producers of all time, having been attached to some of the most iconic movies in current film history. She has also been acting president of Lucasfilm for the past decade. Though she was a natural fit to take the reins back in 2012, her tenure as president of Lucasfilm has been equal parts productive and complicated. Fans have been critical of her handling of their beloved Star Wars property. While some of these criticisms are warranted, others are rooted in something more sinister - sexism.
So, who exactly is Kathleen Kennedy, and how...
- 1/13/2024
- by Richard Fink, Amanda Minchin
- MovieWeb
Former French President François Hollande is part of the voice cast for “Silex & the City – The Movie,” a big-screen spinoff of the popular short-format animated series set in the Stone Age.
“Silex & the City” is adapted from the comic book series by the same name created by French cartoonist Jul, which has sold over a million copies. The animated series, meanwhile, has been a hit on Franco-German network Arte, airing on primetime.
Written and co-directed by Jul alongside Jean-Paul Guigue, the film will blend 2D animation with live-action sequences. Besides Hollande, the well-known voice cast includes Bruno Solo, Julie Gayet, Stéphane Bern, Léa Drucker, Frédéric Beigbeder, Guillaume Gallienne, Léa Salamé and Amélie Nothomb. Now in production, the film is expected to be completed by spring 2024.
“Silex & the City – The Movie” follows the adventure of the Dotcom family — which consists of hunting professor Blog, geography teacher Spam and their rebellious children...
“Silex & the City” is adapted from the comic book series by the same name created by French cartoonist Jul, which has sold over a million copies. The animated series, meanwhile, has been a hit on Franco-German network Arte, airing on primetime.
Written and co-directed by Jul alongside Jean-Paul Guigue, the film will blend 2D animation with live-action sequences. Besides Hollande, the well-known voice cast includes Bruno Solo, Julie Gayet, Stéphane Bern, Léa Drucker, Frédéric Beigbeder, Guillaume Gallienne, Léa Salamé and Amélie Nothomb. Now in production, the film is expected to be completed by spring 2024.
“Silex & the City – The Movie” follows the adventure of the Dotcom family — which consists of hunting professor Blog, geography teacher Spam and their rebellious children...
- 12/7/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The pioneering French-Iranian producer and sales agent leaves behind a long-lasting legacy
Pioneering producer and celebrated Celluloid Dreams founder Hengameh Panahi died on November 5 following a long illness, sending shockwaves of sadness throughout the international film community and leaving a long-lasting legacy of both championing auteur cinema and shaking up the status quo in her wake.
The revered French-Iranian industry executive was known for finding and following emerging directors and accompanying their films to festival glory and international acclaim. Her career spanned four decades and more than 800 films.
She worked alongside iconic directors from across the globe including Jacques Audiard,...
Pioneering producer and celebrated Celluloid Dreams founder Hengameh Panahi died on November 5 following a long illness, sending shockwaves of sadness throughout the international film community and leaving a long-lasting legacy of both championing auteur cinema and shaking up the status quo in her wake.
The revered French-Iranian industry executive was known for finding and following emerging directors and accompanying their films to festival glory and international acclaim. Her career spanned four decades and more than 800 films.
She worked alongside iconic directors from across the globe including Jacques Audiard,...
- 11/10/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
News of the death of Celluloid Dreams CEO Hengameh Panahi has sparked an outpouring of admiration and tributes from the independent film community.
Panahi, a pivotal figure in the global art house scene, died Nov. 5, aged 67. In her decades in the business — as a producer, co-financier and sales agent — Panahi introduced the world to international auteurs from Iran (Jafar Panahi, Marjane Satrapi), Europe (Jacques Audiard, François Ozon, Gaspar Noé, Marco Bellocchio, Aleksandr Sokurov, the Dardenne brothers) and across Asia (Takeshi Kitano, Naomi Kawase, Jia Zanghke, Hirokazu Kore-eda).
“She took films that were challenging, that were difficult to make, to sell, to promote, and she fought for them,” says Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor) who knew and worked with Panahi for more than 30 years. “She was a unique part of the film ecosystem. She was really inspirational, with the films that she enabled to be made, and seen.”
Celluloid Dreams,...
Panahi, a pivotal figure in the global art house scene, died Nov. 5, aged 67. In her decades in the business — as a producer, co-financier and sales agent — Panahi introduced the world to international auteurs from Iran (Jafar Panahi, Marjane Satrapi), Europe (Jacques Audiard, François Ozon, Gaspar Noé, Marco Bellocchio, Aleksandr Sokurov, the Dardenne brothers) and across Asia (Takeshi Kitano, Naomi Kawase, Jia Zanghke, Hirokazu Kore-eda).
“She took films that were challenging, that were difficult to make, to sell, to promote, and she fought for them,” says Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor) who knew and worked with Panahi for more than 30 years. “She was a unique part of the film ecosystem. She was really inspirational, with the films that she enabled to be made, and seen.”
Celluloid Dreams,...
- 11/10/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hengameh Panahi, the French-Iranian producer and sales agent who founded Celluloid Dreams and was a pivotal figure in bringing works from such auteurs as Jacques Audiard, Jafar Panahi (no relation), François Ozon, Marjane Satrapi and Todd Haynes to the world, has died. She was 67.
Viviana Andriani, a press attaché who had worked with Panahi for many years, confirmed Thursday that Panahi died on November 5 after battling a long illness.
Celluloid Dreams, which Panahi launched in 1985, was a groundbreaking sales and production company that helped build the global market for international arthouse films. Over the course of three decades, Paris-based Celluloid helped package and sell more than 800 films, including the first works from François Ozon (See The Sea), Gaspar Noé (I Stand Alone), Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis) and Bruno Dumont (The Life of Jesus), among many others.
Alongside many European talents, Panahi, who was born in Iran but moved to Europe aged...
Viviana Andriani, a press attaché who had worked with Panahi for many years, confirmed Thursday that Panahi died on November 5 after battling a long illness.
Celluloid Dreams, which Panahi launched in 1985, was a groundbreaking sales and production company that helped build the global market for international arthouse films. Over the course of three decades, Paris-based Celluloid helped package and sell more than 800 films, including the first works from François Ozon (See The Sea), Gaspar Noé (I Stand Alone), Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis) and Bruno Dumont (The Life of Jesus), among many others.
Alongside many European talents, Panahi, who was born in Iran but moved to Europe aged...
- 11/9/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hengameh Panahi, the celebrated French-Iranian producer who founded Celluloid Dreams and forged long-standing bonds with auteurs around the world, has died. She was 67.
Panahi, who worked with the likes of Jafar Panahi, Jacques Audiard, Hirokazu Kore-eda and Jia Zhangke, died on Nov. 5 after battling a long illness, according to a statement sent by a film publicist who worked with Panahi for many years.
Panahi was born in Iran and lived in Belgium from the age of 12 before moving to France in 1993. That’s where she founded the sales company Celluloid Dreams and played a major role in co-producing, co-financing and selling international rights to a number of politically minded films, such as Panahi’s Berlinale Golden Bear-winning “Taxi Tehran”; Audiard’s “A Prophet” and his Palme d’Or winning “Dheepan”; Ramin Mohseni’s ”From Afar”; Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” and “Chicken With Plums”; and Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami’s “Where...
Panahi, who worked with the likes of Jafar Panahi, Jacques Audiard, Hirokazu Kore-eda and Jia Zhangke, died on Nov. 5 after battling a long illness, according to a statement sent by a film publicist who worked with Panahi for many years.
Panahi was born in Iran and lived in Belgium from the age of 12 before moving to France in 1993. That’s where she founded the sales company Celluloid Dreams and played a major role in co-producing, co-financing and selling international rights to a number of politically minded films, such as Panahi’s Berlinale Golden Bear-winning “Taxi Tehran”; Audiard’s “A Prophet” and his Palme d’Or winning “Dheepan”; Ramin Mohseni’s ”From Afar”; Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” and “Chicken With Plums”; and Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami’s “Where...
- 11/9/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Groundbreaking French-Iranian sales agent and producer Hengameh Panahi, who represented a myriad of renowned Cannes and Venice prize-winning auteur directors, has died at the age of 67.
Paris-based press attaché Viviana Andriani, who handled press campaigns for a number of Panahi’s films, announced the news in a short communiqué.
She said Panahi had died on November 5 after bravely battling a long illness.
Panahi was a force to be reckoned with on the international film industry circuit, who launched dozens of renowned arthouse directors at the beginning of their careers and accompanied them as they won awards and fame.
Born in Iran, Panahi was sent to Belgium to complete her education as teenager.
She got her first big break in the film industry as head of international at Brussels-based animation studio Graphoui.
In an early sign of her flare for scouting promising talent, Panahi connected with John Lasseter and Tim Burton...
Paris-based press attaché Viviana Andriani, who handled press campaigns for a number of Panahi’s films, announced the news in a short communiqué.
She said Panahi had died on November 5 after bravely battling a long illness.
Panahi was a force to be reckoned with on the international film industry circuit, who launched dozens of renowned arthouse directors at the beginning of their careers and accompanied them as they won awards and fame.
Born in Iran, Panahi was sent to Belgium to complete her education as teenager.
She got her first big break in the film industry as head of international at Brussels-based animation studio Graphoui.
In an early sign of her flare for scouting promising talent, Panahi connected with John Lasseter and Tim Burton...
- 11/9/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Following musical sequences in her latest doc “Vika!,” Polish director Agnieszka Zwiefka will turn to animation for an upcoming project under the working title “Runa.”
“What can I say? I really like fusion cuisine,” she laughs.
“I like hybrid films, because this division between documentary and fiction is completely pointless. I see documentary as a very capacious bag. There is room for everything.”
Partially animated “Runa,” produced by Chilli Productions (Poland), Real Lava (Denmark) and Ma.ja.de (Germany) – with Arte and Swr also on board – introduces a Kurdish girl who needs to care for her siblings after their mother dies on the Polish-Belarusian border.
“There is always strength in my characters and she’s probably the strongest one yet,” says Zwiefka, opening up about the film’s visual style developed by Yellow Tapir Films and Marcin Podolec.
“Our reference was ‘Persepolis.’ These black and white forms, almost childlike drawings that,...
“What can I say? I really like fusion cuisine,” she laughs.
“I like hybrid films, because this division between documentary and fiction is completely pointless. I see documentary as a very capacious bag. There is room for everything.”
Partially animated “Runa,” produced by Chilli Productions (Poland), Real Lava (Denmark) and Ma.ja.de (Germany) – with Arte and Swr also on board – introduces a Kurdish girl who needs to care for her siblings after their mother dies on the Polish-Belarusian border.
“There is always strength in my characters and she’s probably the strongest one yet,” says Zwiefka, opening up about the film’s visual style developed by Yellow Tapir Films and Marcin Podolec.
“Our reference was ‘Persepolis.’ These black and white forms, almost childlike drawings that,...
- 10/25/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
What does it even mean, to come of age? The process of growing up can look entirely different from one person to the other, and even more so when we factor in social and political contexts. As much as similarities can be found between kids in various parts of the world, there is no doubt that coming of age in, say, a fascist state in the middle of a war and modern-day Sacramento are completely opposed experiences. And, yet, when it comes to movies, we don’t hesitate to call both Jojo Rabbit and Lady Bird coming-of-age stories. There is, indeed, a constant underlying both tales, and that is that the main character goes through some transformative experience that allows them to gain some level of new understanding about how the world works. Still, there’s no denying that some stories that we categorize as “coming of age” deal with...
- 8/24/2023
- by Elisa Guimarães
- Collider.com
Walt Disney has been synonymous with high-quality animation for nearly a century. Since the groundbreaking release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length animated movie, Disney's animated features have been the gold standard. However, Disney is far from the only one producing high-quality, beautifully designed animated films.
From Disney's main competitors to independent studios, the movie industry has seen the release of many feature films that employ incredible visuals to tell engaging stories. Whether they innovate on previously used animation techniques or create breathtaking landscapes that could belong in a museum, these films delight viewers with their artistry.
Related: 10 Great Animated Movies That Could Never Be Live-Action
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
In Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, the young owl Soren seeks the titular Guardians of Ga'Hoole to defend owlkind from the evil of the Pure Ones. Directed by Zack Snyder,...
From Disney's main competitors to independent studios, the movie industry has seen the release of many feature films that employ incredible visuals to tell engaging stories. Whether they innovate on previously used animation techniques or create breathtaking landscapes that could belong in a museum, these films delight viewers with their artistry.
Related: 10 Great Animated Movies That Could Never Be Live-Action
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
In Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, the young owl Soren seeks the titular Guardians of Ga'Hoole to defend owlkind from the evil of the Pure Ones. Directed by Zack Snyder,...
- 7/31/2023
- by Andrea Sandoval
- Comic Book Resources
“Decorado,” the awaited next animated feature film from Alberto Vázquez, director of 2015’s “Birdboy: The Forgotten Children” and last year’s “Unicorn Wars,” has been boarded by Le Pacte.
One of France’s most important independent film companies, a distributor in France of Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive” and Ken Loach’s “I: Daniel Blake” among its biggest foreign hits, Le Pacte, headed by Jean and Alice Labadie, has acquired rights to “Decorado” for distribution in France and international sales.
“We picked up ‘Decorado’ because we were in love with ‘Unicorn Wars’ and ‘Decorado is even crazier,” said Jean Labadie. “We love animation and bold projects which are out of boundaries.”
The “Decorado” feature was presented at Cartoon Movie in March where its producers met Le Pacte and initiated discussions after Le Pacte’s expressions of enthusiasm for the story and the project.
Vázquez’s follow-up to “Unicorn Wars,” a Gkids U.
One of France’s most important independent film companies, a distributor in France of Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive” and Ken Loach’s “I: Daniel Blake” among its biggest foreign hits, Le Pacte, headed by Jean and Alice Labadie, has acquired rights to “Decorado” for distribution in France and international sales.
“We picked up ‘Decorado’ because we were in love with ‘Unicorn Wars’ and ‘Decorado is even crazier,” said Jean Labadie. “We love animation and bold projects which are out of boundaries.”
The “Decorado” feature was presented at Cartoon Movie in March where its producers met Le Pacte and initiated discussions after Le Pacte’s expressions of enthusiasm for the story and the project.
Vázquez’s follow-up to “Unicorn Wars,” a Gkids U.
- 7/20/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
The majority of the movie industry is male-dominated, and animation is no exception. Studio heads that found success in early films were continuously given the opportunity to keep writing more stories, often leaving women out of equal opportunities. However, when given the chance, women writers have contributed to creating some of the best animated films to date.
With so many animated movies featuring women leads, it makes sense that having a woman writer only helps to bring a more authentic story to life. From tall tales of heroines to coming-of-age stories and fantasy, women writers are capable of building incredible worlds and writing even better stories.
Related: 10 Best R-Rated Animated Films
Persepolis
Adapted from Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel of the same name, Persepolis centers around the life of a young girl growing up amid the Iranian Revolution. Satrapi's graphic novel is an incredibly touching story. Her ability to...
With so many animated movies featuring women leads, it makes sense that having a woman writer only helps to bring a more authentic story to life. From tall tales of heroines to coming-of-age stories and fantasy, women writers are capable of building incredible worlds and writing even better stories.
Related: 10 Best R-Rated Animated Films
Persepolis
Adapted from Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel of the same name, Persepolis centers around the life of a young girl growing up amid the Iranian Revolution. Satrapi's graphic novel is an incredibly touching story. Her ability to...
- 7/11/2023
- by Lily Emalfarb
- Comic Book Resources
Due to historical reasons, and some economic reasons preceding and following the historical ones, we should know by now that Iranian diaspora in the so-called Western World is large. Also, it is often well-educated and active in arts and culture, sometimes even on the both sides, in both homelands, old and new. Cinema is not an exception, but this list is not about, for instance, Asghar Farhadi working in the context of the French or Spanish cinema, nor is touching some well-established common places of greatness, such as Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis. We bring you five relatively recent films made by the filmmakers coming from the Iranian diaspora that might have flown under the radar somehow, in order of quality.
5. At Any Price
Ramin Bahrani reached greater success both with critics and audiences both before and after this film, either by touching the subjects from the (immigrants') margin, like in...
5. At Any Price
Ramin Bahrani reached greater success both with critics and audiences both before and after this film, either by touching the subjects from the (immigrants') margin, like in...
- 6/23/2023
- by Marko Stojiljković
- AsianMoviePulse
The winds of change are sweeping Iran as the ‘Woman Life Freedom’ protests, provoked by the killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini last September, continue. Here, four Iranian disruptors talk about their struggles, their acts of solidarity for the pro-democracy movement, and their hopes for the future of their country.
Marjane Satrapi Marjane Satrapi
Marjane Satrapi, who was 9 years old when Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in 1979, recalls taking to the streets with her politically active parents to protest against the imposition of the hijab. “My mum went to demonstrate, and I went too, and so did my dad,” recalls the graphic novelist and filmmaker. “He was one of the very few men; they didn’t understand at the time that women’s rights are society’s rights.”
Satrapi’s parents sent her to Europe to study as a teenager and encouraged her to make her permanent home there. Satrapi captured...
Marjane Satrapi Marjane Satrapi
Marjane Satrapi, who was 9 years old when Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in 1979, recalls taking to the streets with her politically active parents to protest against the imposition of the hijab. “My mum went to demonstrate, and I went too, and so did my dad,” recalls the graphic novelist and filmmaker. “He was one of the very few men; they didn’t understand at the time that women’s rights are society’s rights.”
Satrapi’s parents sent her to Europe to study as a teenager and encouraged her to make her permanent home there. Satrapi captured...
- 5/18/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
News that the new Babylon 5 animated movie, Babylon 5: The Road Home, will be rated PG-13 for “some action/violence” has resulted in some manufactured controversy from clickbait factories.
In the UK, the original show was certified 12 by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), so perhaps what people aren't asking for isn’t actually Babylon 5. The show was always more mature and complex than its contemporaries, but being mature doesn’t necessarily mean being ‘unsuitable.’
The PG-13 rating was invented, after all, in the wake of the heart-tearing human sacrifice in Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom (1984) – the first PG-13 was then given to bleak Cold War ‘what-if?’ Red Dawn (1984). A study in 2013 revealed that modern PG-13 movies are more violent than R-rated movies:
Gun violence in PG-13 films has more than tripled since the rating was first introduced in the mid-'80s, say the researchers.
In the UK, the original show was certified 12 by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), so perhaps what people aren't asking for isn’t actually Babylon 5. The show was always more mature and complex than its contemporaries, but being mature doesn’t necessarily mean being ‘unsuitable.’
The PG-13 rating was invented, after all, in the wake of the heart-tearing human sacrifice in Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom (1984) – the first PG-13 was then given to bleak Cold War ‘what-if?’ Red Dawn (1984). A study in 2013 revealed that modern PG-13 movies are more violent than R-rated movies:
Gun violence in PG-13 films has more than tripled since the rating was first introduced in the mid-'80s, say the researchers.
- 5/18/2023
- by James Hoare
- The Companion
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival has unveiled the line-up for its 2023 edition, running from June 11 to 17.
More than 13,000 animation professionals are set to descend on the French festival’s lakeside setting for its traditional mix of screenings programs across all formats, Work-in-Progress and First-Look sneak peeks, and presentations going behind the scenes of upcoming animation productions.
Competition title Sirocco And The Kingdom Of The Winds by French director Benoît Chieux opens the festival. The fantasy follows the adventures of two young sisters as they try to make their way home after getting trapped in the world of their favorite book.
A Cat In Paris and Phantom Boy director Alain Gagnol co-wrote the screenplay for the feature lead produced by Paris-based Sacrebleu Productions.
The film, which world premieres in Annecy, is among 11 titles competing for the festival’s Crystal award.
Another three French productions debut in Competition: Chiara Malta and...
More than 13,000 animation professionals are set to descend on the French festival’s lakeside setting for its traditional mix of screenings programs across all formats, Work-in-Progress and First-Look sneak peeks, and presentations going behind the scenes of upcoming animation productions.
Competition title Sirocco And The Kingdom Of The Winds by French director Benoît Chieux opens the festival. The fantasy follows the adventures of two young sisters as they try to make their way home after getting trapped in the world of their favorite book.
A Cat In Paris and Phantom Boy director Alain Gagnol co-wrote the screenplay for the feature lead produced by Paris-based Sacrebleu Productions.
The film, which world premieres in Annecy, is among 11 titles competing for the festival’s Crystal award.
Another three French productions debut in Competition: Chiara Malta and...
- 4/27/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
During “Polite Society,” writer-director Nida Manzoor’s boisterous, shrewdly funny and altogether wonderful coming-of-age action-adventure, you might try to recall the last time you’ve seen a young female on the big screen with as much fire in her belly as Ria. Was it the football-loving and tradition defying Jess in “Bend it Like Beckham,” the precocious rebel Marjane in “Persepolis,” the all-female trash metal stars of the recent documentary “Sirens” or the real-life Syrian sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini in “Swimmers”?
While the lead Pakistani character of “Polite Society”—a die-hard martial arts enthusiast played by a fierce Priya Kansara—isn’t an existing hero based on a real-life story of courage, her defiant spirit is so lovingly and precisely defined by Manzoor that you unreservedly believe in her when Ria claims: “I am the fury!”
Also Read:
2023 Movie Release Dates: A Schedule of Films Coming This Year
Okay,...
While the lead Pakistani character of “Polite Society”—a die-hard martial arts enthusiast played by a fierce Priya Kansara—isn’t an existing hero based on a real-life story of courage, her defiant spirit is so lovingly and precisely defined by Manzoor that you unreservedly believe in her when Ria claims: “I am the fury!”
Also Read:
2023 Movie Release Dates: A Schedule of Films Coming This Year
Okay,...
- 4/27/2023
- by Tomris Laffly
- The Wrap
This article contains potential spoilers for Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has a deep connection to the life of Antonio Banderas that proves that animation is not only for children. Starring Salma Hayek Pinault, Wagner Moura, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Harvey Guillén, and John Mulaney alongside Banderas, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is one of Dreamworks Animation's most successful movies. As well as grossing nearly half a billion dollars worldwide, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has garnered a fantastic response from both critics and audiences alike for its unique storybook-inspired visual style, poignant story, and surprisingly mature themes.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish's reception strongly contrasts that of the rest of the later films in the Shrek franchise. Shrek Forever After and Shrek the Third had considerably more negative reactions than the other films in the series,...
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish's reception strongly contrasts that of the rest of the later films in the Shrek franchise. Shrek Forever After and Shrek the Third had considerably more negative reactions than the other films in the series,...
- 3/5/2023
- by Jack Carter
- ScreenRant.com
Using clean lines, a controlled color palette and a flattened 2D drawing style, Sepidah Farsi’s engrossing Berlin Panorama opener “The Siren” paradoxically creates a story rich with dimensional detail and riven with the tragedy of war. Much like Marjane Satrapi did with 2007’s “Persepolis,” Farsi uses animation as a way to set the acutely painful civilian experience of the Iran-Iraq conflict at enough of a remove to make it bearable: From a distance, like a floating overhead angle or a wide cityscape vista, even smoke clouds and flying rubble can acquire a sort of beauty.
Unlike Satrapi’s film, however, “The Siren” leans into the form’s fictionalizing possibilities until it becomes less an illustrated snapshot of life in post-revolution Iran than a kind of wish-fulfilment fantasy, such as might have been dreamed up by a teenager, in which resourcefulness, resilience and fellowship eventually win out over forces of oppression and violence.
Unlike Satrapi’s film, however, “The Siren” leans into the form’s fictionalizing possibilities until it becomes less an illustrated snapshot of life in post-revolution Iran than a kind of wish-fulfilment fantasy, such as might have been dreamed up by a teenager, in which resourcefulness, resilience and fellowship eventually win out over forces of oppression and violence.
- 2/16/2023
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in Iran, more than 50 French female artists have banded together to show their support of the ongoing protests in Iran.
Amini died in police custody on September 16 after being arrested for not properly wearing her hijab to fully cover her hair. Iranian police said she died of a heart attack, but eyewitnesses claim she was beaten to death. Women around the world have since cut a lock of their hair with #HairForFreedom to show their support for Amini and in solidarity with Iranian women living under the Islamic Republic’s strict theocratic rule.
Juliette Binoche, Marion Cotillard, Isabelle Huppert, Isabelle Adjani, and Charlotte Gainsbourg were among the French actresses to cut their hair in a viral Instagram video. Binoche says “for freedom” when blindly cutting her hair atop her head. A Persian version of Italian anti-fascist resistance ballad “Bella Ciao” is performed by...
Amini died in police custody on September 16 after being arrested for not properly wearing her hijab to fully cover her hair. Iranian police said she died of a heart attack, but eyewitnesses claim she was beaten to death. Women around the world have since cut a lock of their hair with #HairForFreedom to show their support for Amini and in solidarity with Iranian women living under the Islamic Republic’s strict theocratic rule.
Juliette Binoche, Marion Cotillard, Isabelle Huppert, Isabelle Adjani, and Charlotte Gainsbourg were among the French actresses to cut their hair in a viral Instagram video. Binoche says “for freedom” when blindly cutting her hair atop her head. A Persian version of Italian anti-fascist resistance ballad “Bella Ciao” is performed by...
- 10/5/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
More than 1,000 industry professionals also sign letter in solidarity with Iranian women.
The French film industry has rallied together in support of women in Iran who are protesting the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody.
More than 50 of France’s most famous stars, including Juliette Binoche, Marion Cotillard, Isabelle Adjani, Berenice Bejo, Julie Gayet, Isabelle Huppert and Charlotte Gainsbourg, have cut off locks of their hair in a video captioned #Hairforfreedom.
Meanwhile, more than 1,000 French film industry professionals and organisations have signed a strongly-worded letter in solidarity with Iranian women.
The #Hairforfreedom video begins with an image of...
The French film industry has rallied together in support of women in Iran who are protesting the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody.
More than 50 of France’s most famous stars, including Juliette Binoche, Marion Cotillard, Isabelle Adjani, Berenice Bejo, Julie Gayet, Isabelle Huppert and Charlotte Gainsbourg, have cut off locks of their hair in a video captioned #Hairforfreedom.
Meanwhile, more than 1,000 French film industry professionals and organisations have signed a strongly-worded letter in solidarity with Iranian women.
The #Hairforfreedom video begins with an image of...
- 10/5/2022
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
More than 50 French female artists from the worlds of cinema and music have symbolically cut their hair in a video campaign showing support for the ongoing protests in Iran calling for more freedom for women following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, reports ‘Deadline’.
French actresses Isabelle Adjani, Berenice Bejo, Juliette Binoche, Laure Calamy, Marion Cotillard, Julie Gayet, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Isabelle Huppert and Alexandra Lamy were among those sharing images of themselves cutting off their hair.
According to ‘Deadline’, Amini died in police custody on September 16 after being arrested for not wearing her hijab properly in accordance with the country’s strict religious laws and allowing some locks of hair to escape.
Police say she died of a heart attack but eyewitnesses and people who were detained with the young woman said she was severely beaten. ‘Deadline’ further states that women around the world have been cutting a lock of...
French actresses Isabelle Adjani, Berenice Bejo, Juliette Binoche, Laure Calamy, Marion Cotillard, Julie Gayet, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Isabelle Huppert and Alexandra Lamy were among those sharing images of themselves cutting off their hair.
According to ‘Deadline’, Amini died in police custody on September 16 after being arrested for not wearing her hijab properly in accordance with the country’s strict religious laws and allowing some locks of hair to escape.
Police say she died of a heart attack but eyewitnesses and people who were detained with the young woman said she was severely beaten. ‘Deadline’ further states that women around the world have been cutting a lock of...
- 10/5/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
More than 50 French female artists from the worlds of cinema and music have symbolically cut their hair in a video campaign showing support for the ongoing protests in Iran calling for more freedom for women following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
French actresses Isabelle Adjani, Berenice Bejo, Juliette Binoche, Laure Calamy, Marion Cotillard, Julie Gayet, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Isabelle Huppert and Alexandra Lamy were among those sharing images of themselves cutting off their hair.
Amini died in police custody on September 16 after being arrested for not wearing her hijab properly in accordance with the country’s strict religious laws and allowing some locks of hair to escape.
Police say she died of a heart attack but eyewitnesses and people who were detained with the young woman said she was severely beaten.
Women around the world have been cutting a lock of hair and posting the act on social networks around...
French actresses Isabelle Adjani, Berenice Bejo, Juliette Binoche, Laure Calamy, Marion Cotillard, Julie Gayet, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Isabelle Huppert and Alexandra Lamy were among those sharing images of themselves cutting off their hair.
Amini died in police custody on September 16 after being arrested for not wearing her hijab properly in accordance with the country’s strict religious laws and allowing some locks of hair to escape.
Police say she died of a heart attack but eyewitnesses and people who were detained with the young woman said she was severely beaten.
Women around the world have been cutting a lock of hair and posting the act on social networks around...
- 10/5/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Encapsulating humanity’s weighty history and paths toward healing, director Véra Belmont (“Red Kiss”) takes a leap from live-action cinema to animated feature with her latest project, “My Father’s Secrets,” a Holocaust story that tackles generational familial trauma and redemption.
Based on the graphic novel “Second Generation” by Israeli illustrator Michel Kichka, the film is set for its market premiere at the Cannes Marché du Film, with the incentive for international markets of Elliott Gould leading the English voice cast.
“My Father’s Secrets,” set in Belgium, introduces two young brothers, Michel and Charly, who struggle with their father Henri’s reclusive nature surrounding his time at Auschwitz.
Their imaginations get the better of them as their father retreats inward on a personal journey to recoup his life after surviving the tragedies of internment. They hypothesize, snoop and act out in response, causing familial friction.
Sold by Simon Crowe...
Based on the graphic novel “Second Generation” by Israeli illustrator Michel Kichka, the film is set for its market premiere at the Cannes Marché du Film, with the incentive for international markets of Elliott Gould leading the English voice cast.
“My Father’s Secrets,” set in Belgium, introduces two young brothers, Michel and Charly, who struggle with their father Henri’s reclusive nature surrounding his time at Auschwitz.
Their imaginations get the better of them as their father retreats inward on a personal journey to recoup his life after surviving the tragedies of internment. They hypothesize, snoop and act out in response, causing familial friction.
Sold by Simon Crowe...
- 5/18/2022
- by Holly Jones
- Variety Film + TV
Last Sunday, at a very eventful Oscars, it was easy to miss when three actors identified as Disney princesses presented the best animated feature award by reading, “Animated films make up some of our most formative movie experiences as kids. So many kids watch these movies over and over… and over and over and over and over… I think some parents out there know exactly what we’re talking about.”
Framing the five Academy Award nominees for best animated feature as a corporate product for kids that parents must begrudgingly endure could be dismissed as simply careless. But to those of us who have dedicated our lives to making animated films, that carelessness has become routine. The head of a major animation studio once told an assembly of animators that, if we played our cards right, we would one day “graduate to live-action.” Years later, an exec at another studio...
Framing the five Academy Award nominees for best animated feature as a corporate product for kids that parents must begrudgingly endure could be dismissed as simply careless. But to those of us who have dedicated our lives to making animated films, that carelessness has become routine. The head of a major animation studio once told an assembly of animators that, if we played our cards right, we would one day “graduate to live-action.” Years later, an exec at another studio...
- 4/6/2022
- by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
- Variety Film + TV
It’s not unusual for a film to be nominated in multiple categories at the Oscars — a big movie like, say, Dune is up for 10 awards this year, ranging from Best Picture to a slew of technical categories (how many or how much of those likely wins we’ll actually get to watch during the broadcast, however, remains to be seen). It’s a hell of a lot rarer for something to get nominated in a trio of disparate major categories like Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary and Best International Feature.
- 3/20/2022
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
On March 9, LGBTQ employees and allies at Pixar Animation Studios sent a joint statement to Walt Disney Company leadership claiming that Disney executives had actively censored “overtly gay affection” in its feature films. The stunning allegation — made as part of a larger protest over the company’s lack of public response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill — did not include which Pixar films had weathered the censorship, nor which specific creative decisions were cut or altered.
But in at least one case, the statement appears to have made a significant difference.
According to a source close to the production, Pixar’s next feature film, “Lightyear” — starring Chris Evans as the putative real-life inspiration for the “Toy Story” character Buzz Lightyear — does feature a significant female character, Hawthorne (voiced by Uzo Aduba), who is in a meaningful relationship with another woman. While the fact of that relationship was never in question at the studio,...
But in at least one case, the statement appears to have made a significant difference.
According to a source close to the production, Pixar’s next feature film, “Lightyear” — starring Chris Evans as the putative real-life inspiration for the “Toy Story” character Buzz Lightyear — does feature a significant female character, Hawthorne (voiced by Uzo Aduba), who is in a meaningful relationship with another woman. While the fact of that relationship was never in question at the studio,...
- 3/18/2022
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Ballad of a White Cow (Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moghaddam)
The cruelty of the Iranian justice system is in the spotlight again in Ballad of a White Cow, the compelling debut of directing team Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moghaddam that unfurled in competition at Berlin. Just last year, Mohamad Rasoulof won the festival’s top prize for his anti-capital punishment polemic There Is No Evil, a masterful weaving of four storylines that showed how a morally bankrupt state corrodes those forced to carry out its functions, a searing portrait of the banality of evil. – Ed F. (full review)
Where to Stream: Mubi (free for 30 days)
Bigbug (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)
Bigbug is set in the year 2045 and centers on a group of mismatched suburbanites who,...
Ballad of a White Cow (Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moghaddam)
The cruelty of the Iranian justice system is in the spotlight again in Ballad of a White Cow, the compelling debut of directing team Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moghaddam that unfurled in competition at Berlin. Just last year, Mohamad Rasoulof won the festival’s top prize for his anti-capital punishment polemic There Is No Evil, a masterful weaving of four storylines that showed how a morally bankrupt state corrodes those forced to carry out its functions, a searing portrait of the banality of evil. – Ed F. (full review)
Where to Stream: Mubi (free for 30 days)
Bigbug (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)
Bigbug is set in the year 2045 and centers on a group of mismatched suburbanites who,...
- 2/11/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
For our most comprehensive year-end feature we’re providing a cumulative look at The Film Stage’s favorite films of 2021. We’ve asked contributors to compile ten-best lists with five honorable mentions—a selection of those personal lists will be shared in coming days—and from tallied votes has a top 50 been assembled.
So: without further ado, check out our rundown of 2021 below, our ongoing year-end coverage here (including where to stream many of the below picks), and return in the coming weeks as we look towards 2022.
50. This is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection (Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese)
Framed as an epic fable and shot like a myth, Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese’s This is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection is another beautiful, tragic diary entry on the history and people of his home country Lesotho. His focus shifts from the metaphorical relationship of Mother, I am Suffocating, This...
So: without further ado, check out our rundown of 2021 below, our ongoing year-end coverage here (including where to stream many of the below picks), and return in the coming weeks as we look towards 2022.
50. This is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection (Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese)
Framed as an epic fable and shot like a myth, Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese’s This is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection is another beautiful, tragic diary entry on the history and people of his home country Lesotho. His focus shifts from the metaphorical relationship of Mother, I am Suffocating, This...
- 12/29/2021
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
France has been a supreme force in the Oscars’ international feature race for decades. This year, three acclaimed films from women directors — Céline Sciamma, Audrey Diwan and Julia Ducournau — are believed to be at the top of the list to represent the country for the upcoming 94th ceremony, set to take place on March 27. Though France is the most-nominated country in the history of the category, it hasn’t walked away with the prize in nearly 30 years. Can that change this year?
The French submission is decided annually by the National Cinema Center. The committee will hold its first meeting on Thursday to pre-select a shortlist of films, with the producers being “auditioned” by the committee on Oct. 12, before the final choice is made. Sciamma’s “Petite Maman,” Ducournau’s “Titane” and Diwan’s “Happening” are believed to be the favorites for consideration. “Happening” was just acquired by IFC Films...
The French submission is decided annually by the National Cinema Center. The committee will hold its first meeting on Thursday to pre-select a shortlist of films, with the producers being “auditioned” by the committee on Oct. 12, before the final choice is made. Sciamma’s “Petite Maman,” Ducournau’s “Titane” and Diwan’s “Happening” are believed to be the favorites for consideration. “Happening” was just acquired by IFC Films...
- 10/7/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "The Voices"
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max
The Pitch: Acclaimed director Marjane Satrapi followed up her Oscar-nominated "Persepolis," a black and white animated feature about a rebellious young Iranian girl navigating life during the Islamic Revolution, with a pitch-black comedy about a happy-go-lucky guy named Jerry romancing a co-worker. The only problem is he's a schizophrenic serial murderer.
"The Voices" is a criminally underseen...
The post The Daily Stream: The Voices Stars a Pre-Deadpool Ryan Reynolds in a Hilariously Disturbing Rom-Com/Serial Killer Story appeared first on /Film.
The Movie: "The Voices"
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max
The Pitch: Acclaimed director Marjane Satrapi followed up her Oscar-nominated "Persepolis," a black and white animated feature about a rebellious young Iranian girl navigating life during the Islamic Revolution, with a pitch-black comedy about a happy-go-lucky guy named Jerry romancing a co-worker. The only problem is he's a schizophrenic serial murderer.
"The Voices" is a criminally underseen...
The post The Daily Stream: The Voices Stars a Pre-Deadpool Ryan Reynolds in a Hilariously Disturbing Rom-Com/Serial Killer Story appeared first on /Film.
- 9/2/2021
- by Eric Vespe
- Slash Film
Shifting to a new country can be a challenging and life-changing experience for many immigrants. Such cultural exoduses have provided for some heartwarming and heartbreaking storytelling in immigration films. Regardless of the genre, these films explore the several aspects of immigration and the long-term impact it leaves on émigrés.
Related: 10 Best Musicals About The Immigrant Experience
When it comes to this film subgenre, literary adaptations are aplenty, with The Namesake and Brooklyn being major successes. On the other hand, immigrant-centric films such as In America and Persepolis also draw largely from real-life stories.
Related: 10 Best Musicals About The Immigrant Experience
When it comes to this film subgenre, literary adaptations are aplenty, with The Namesake and Brooklyn being major successes. On the other hand, immigrant-centric films such as In America and Persepolis also draw largely from real-life stories.
- 8/16/2021
- ScreenRant.com
A highlight at this year’s mostly online Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s Flee picked up the Grand Jury Prize and now ahead of a fall release from Neon, the first trailer has arrived. The animation tells the refugee story of Amin Nawabi, as he grapples with a painful secret he has kept hidden for 20 years, one that threatens to derail the life he has built for himself and his soon-to-be husband.
Christopher Schobert said in his review, “There have, of course, been a great many animated films about deeply serious subjects, many in recent years, from Persepolis to Anomalisa to Waltz With Bashir. Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s Flee can now comfortably fit on this shelf of profoundly affecting films. Indeed, this 2021 Sundance Film Festival premiere ranks as one of the most uniquely memorable animated films of the last decade. It is remarkably successful as...
Christopher Schobert said in his review, “There have, of course, been a great many animated films about deeply serious subjects, many in recent years, from Persepolis to Anomalisa to Waltz With Bashir. Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s Flee can now comfortably fit on this shelf of profoundly affecting films. Indeed, this 2021 Sundance Film Festival premiere ranks as one of the most uniquely memorable animated films of the last decade. It is remarkably successful as...
- 7/19/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
MK2, the venerable family-owned film group which operates a leading arthouse multiplex chain in France and Spain, is emerging from the pandemic stronger, cooler and more ambitious than ever.
Nathanaël and Elisha Karmitz, who succeeded their father Marin at the helm of the company in 2005, have galvanized the MK2 brand with activities ranging from films, art, publishing, technology and lifestyle. The common threads between all these ventures are a taste for singularity, curation and a socially-minded approach.
After scoring big at Cannes in 2019 with Mati Diop’s “Atlantics” and Celine Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” which competed and won prizes, MK2 Films will again boast a fairly large presence for the festival’s comeback edition with nine films across several selections, including the competition with Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World,” the new Cannes Premiere section with Andrea Arnold’s “Cow,” Un Certain Regard...
Nathanaël and Elisha Karmitz, who succeeded their father Marin at the helm of the company in 2005, have galvanized the MK2 brand with activities ranging from films, art, publishing, technology and lifestyle. The common threads between all these ventures are a taste for singularity, curation and a socially-minded approach.
After scoring big at Cannes in 2019 with Mati Diop’s “Atlantics” and Celine Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” which competed and won prizes, MK2 Films will again boast a fairly large presence for the festival’s comeback edition with nine films across several selections, including the competition with Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World,” the new Cannes Premiere section with Andrea Arnold’s “Cow,” Un Certain Regard...
- 7/2/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Art-House Animation
If your eyes are tired of the latest cookie-cutter animation from the Hollywood mill, Criterion is featuring quite a line-up of inventive arthouse offerings in the field. With works by Marcell Jankovics, Satoshi Kon, Ari Folman, Don Hertzfeldt, Karel Zeman, and more, the series includes The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962), Belladonna of Sadness (1973), Fantastic Planet (1973), Watership Down (1978), Son of the White Mare (1981), Alice (1988), Millennium Actress (2001), Mind Game (2004), Paprika (2006), Persepolis (2007), Waltz with Bashir (2008), Mary and Max (2009), It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012), Tower (2016), The Wolf House (2018), No. 7 Cherry Lane (2019), and more.
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
Neo-Noir
One of the greatest series to arrive on the Criterion Channel thus far is this selection of neo-noir offerings, including Brian De Palma’s masterpieces Blow Out and Body Double,...
Art-House Animation
If your eyes are tired of the latest cookie-cutter animation from the Hollywood mill, Criterion is featuring quite a line-up of inventive arthouse offerings in the field. With works by Marcell Jankovics, Satoshi Kon, Ari Folman, Don Hertzfeldt, Karel Zeman, and more, the series includes The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962), Belladonna of Sadness (1973), Fantastic Planet (1973), Watership Down (1978), Son of the White Mare (1981), Alice (1988), Millennium Actress (2001), Mind Game (2004), Paprika (2006), Persepolis (2007), Waltz with Bashir (2008), Mary and Max (2009), It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012), Tower (2016), The Wolf House (2018), No. 7 Cherry Lane (2019), and more.
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
Neo-Noir
One of the greatest series to arrive on the Criterion Channel thus far is this selection of neo-noir offerings, including Brian De Palma’s masterpieces Blow Out and Body Double,...
- 7/2/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Criterion Channel’s July 2021 Lineup Includes Wong Kar Wai, Neo-Noir, Art-House Animation & More
The July lineup at The Criterion Channel has been revealed, most notably featuring the new Wong Kar Wai restorations from the recent box set release, including As Tears Go By, Days of Being Wild, Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, Happy Together, In the Mood for Love, 2046, and his shorts Hua yang de nian hua and The Hand.
Also among the lineup is a series on neo-noir with Body Double, Manhunter, Thief, The Last Seduction, Cutter’s Way, Brick, Night Moves, The Long Goodbye, Chinatown, and more. The channel will also feature a spotlight on art-house animation with work by Marcell Jankovics, Satoshi Kon, Ari Folman, Don Hertzfeldt, Karel Zeman, and more.
With Jodie Mack’s delightful The Grand Bizarre, the landmark doc Hoop Dreams, Orson Welles’ take on Othello, the recent Oscar entries Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time and You Will Die at Twenty, and much more,...
Also among the lineup is a series on neo-noir with Body Double, Manhunter, Thief, The Last Seduction, Cutter’s Way, Brick, Night Moves, The Long Goodbye, Chinatown, and more. The channel will also feature a spotlight on art-house animation with work by Marcell Jankovics, Satoshi Kon, Ari Folman, Don Hertzfeldt, Karel Zeman, and more.
With Jodie Mack’s delightful The Grand Bizarre, the landmark doc Hoop Dreams, Orson Welles’ take on Othello, the recent Oscar entries Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time and You Will Die at Twenty, and much more,...
- 6/24/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
"You're in danger! They're coming for you!" GKids has posted another US trailer with English dubbing for the French animated film April and The Extraordinary World, known as Avril et le monde truqué. This originally premiered at the 2015 Annecy Film Festival and already opened in 2016, so we're a few years behind on this. But that doesn't matter. It's always nice to catch up with lovely films from around the world! From the creators of the Academy Award-nominated Persepolis and the mind of renowned graphic novelist Jacques Tardi comes a riveting sci-fi adventure set in an alternate steampunk universe. It's 1941 but France is trapped in the nineteenth century, governed by steam power and Napoleon V, where many scientists vanish mysteriously. April goes in search of her missing scientist parents. This is already available to watch in French (featuring the voice of Marion Cotillard as Avril) with subtitles. Or you can watch...
- 3/26/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
A version of this story about “My Favorite War” first appeared in the Oscar Nominations Preview issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
An animated documentary that mixes history and a personal story in the manner of the 2007 Oscar-nominated film “Persepolis,” “My Favorite War” finds Latvian director Ilze Burkovska Jacobsen examining her childhood during the Cold War, when Latvia was under Soviet occupation. And while that’s not typical subject matter for an animated feature, its director envisioned it as that from the start.
“When I got the idea that I will make a film summarizing those 20 years before we gained our independence and freedom (with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991), I knew that animation was the only possibility to make it,” she said. “I knew it would be an animated documentary, and I saw that animation would be maybe 75% of the film. It became 85%, and I’m very happy with that.
An animated documentary that mixes history and a personal story in the manner of the 2007 Oscar-nominated film “Persepolis,” “My Favorite War” finds Latvian director Ilze Burkovska Jacobsen examining her childhood during the Cold War, when Latvia was under Soviet occupation. And while that’s not typical subject matter for an animated feature, its director envisioned it as that from the start.
“When I got the idea that I will make a film summarizing those 20 years before we gained our independence and freedom (with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991), I knew that animation was the only possibility to make it,” she said. “I knew it would be an animated documentary, and I saw that animation would be maybe 75% of the film. It became 85%, and I’m very happy with that.
- 3/5/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Gemma Arterton (Their Finest) and Jason Tobin (Warrior) will lead the cast of comedy Enter The Dragons for Oscar-nominated director Marjane Satrapi, with the film shooting this summer in the UK.
Set in the small English town of Coalshaw in 1979, the film follows Gloria Grimshaw (Gemma Arterton). The most she can hope for from life is selling cosmetics and having a baby, but when the close-knit community of women come under threat, Gloria is forced to defend herself – by learning martial arts from Hao (Tobin) at the Chinese takeaway.
As Gloria begins to take control of her life, her friends notice this transformation and want to join in. Soon women of all ages are learning to fight together with Gloria and Hao, becoming the ‘Coalshaw Dragons’ and using their new skills to stand up to the men in their lives.
The screenplay has been penned by Joy Wilkinson...
Set in the small English town of Coalshaw in 1979, the film follows Gloria Grimshaw (Gemma Arterton). The most she can hope for from life is selling cosmetics and having a baby, but when the close-knit community of women come under threat, Gloria is forced to defend herself – by learning martial arts from Hao (Tobin) at the Chinese takeaway.
As Gloria begins to take control of her life, her friends notice this transformation and want to join in. Soon women of all ages are learning to fight together with Gloria and Hao, becoming the ‘Coalshaw Dragons’ and using their new skills to stand up to the men in their lives.
The screenplay has been penned by Joy Wilkinson...
- 2/25/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
With nearly every feature film at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival reviewed, it’s time to wrap up the first major cinema event of the year. We already got the official jury and audience winners here, and now it’s time to highlight our favorites.
One will find our picks (in alphabetical order) to keep on your radar, followed by the rest of our reviews. Check out everything below and stay tuned to our site, and specifically Twitter, for acquisition and release date news on the below films in the coming months.
Ailey (Jamila Wignot)
Has any choreographer mattered more to American dance than Alvin Ailey? The documentary Ailey, directed by Jamila Wignot, makes a good case that there has not. Comprised of amazing archival footage, peer interviews, and choreographer Rennie Harris prepping a modern-day performance in honor of the artist, Wignot paints a full picture of a complicated man. Born...
One will find our picks (in alphabetical order) to keep on your radar, followed by the rest of our reviews. Check out everything below and stay tuned to our site, and specifically Twitter, for acquisition and release date news on the below films in the coming months.
Ailey (Jamila Wignot)
Has any choreographer mattered more to American dance than Alvin Ailey? The documentary Ailey, directed by Jamila Wignot, makes a good case that there has not. Comprised of amazing archival footage, peer interviews, and choreographer Rennie Harris prepping a modern-day performance in honor of the artist, Wignot paints a full picture of a complicated man. Born...
- 2/8/2021
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
There have, of course, been a great many animated films about deeply serious subjects, many in recent years, from Persepolis to Anomalisa to Waltz With Bashir. Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s Flee can now comfortably fit on this shelf of profoundly affecting films. Indeed, this 2021 Sundance Film Festival premiere ranks as one of the most uniquely memorable animated films of the last decade. It is remarkably successful as a study of the refugee experience, as a coming-of-age drama set against a backdrop of fear and danger, and as a tribute to one individual’s ability to survive and even flourish.
Flee is the story of Amin Nawabi, a refugee from Afghanistan who arrived as a teenager seeking asylum in 1990s Denmark. Onscreen, he is always referred to simply as Amin. As an adult, he is stocky, quiet, contemplative. Soon to be married to his boyfriend, Kasper, Amin carries with him memories of great suffering,...
Flee is the story of Amin Nawabi, a refugee from Afghanistan who arrived as a teenager seeking asylum in 1990s Denmark. Onscreen, he is always referred to simply as Amin. As an adult, he is stocky, quiet, contemplative. Soon to be married to his boyfriend, Kasper, Amin carries with him memories of great suffering,...
- 2/5/2021
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
Once Upon a Time in Belgium: Paronnaud Goes into the Woods for Violent Retro-Fairytale
The notion of the wolf in sheep’s clothing busts into blurred territory with Hunted, the latest offering from director Vincent Paronnaud, an effort which attempts to shake-up the familiar woman-in-peril through the lens of fairytale tropes. Revered for his co-directed efforts with Marjane Satrapi, including 2007’s animated Persepolis and their hybrid follow-up Chicken with Plums (2011), the noted French comic book writer and artist makes his first solo effort since 2009’s Villemolle 81 (under his pseudonym Winshluss).
Co-written by Lea Pernollet and rooted in unspecified Euro climes (though it was shot in Belgium), a hodge-podge of Belgian and Irish actors speaking accented English instills a sense of timelessness and disorientation, like a parallel universe where violence against women, of course, continues to be a given.…...
The notion of the wolf in sheep’s clothing busts into blurred territory with Hunted, the latest offering from director Vincent Paronnaud, an effort which attempts to shake-up the familiar woman-in-peril through the lens of fairytale tropes. Revered for his co-directed efforts with Marjane Satrapi, including 2007’s animated Persepolis and their hybrid follow-up Chicken with Plums (2011), the noted French comic book writer and artist makes his first solo effort since 2009’s Villemolle 81 (under his pseudonym Winshluss).
Co-written by Lea Pernollet and rooted in unspecified Euro climes (though it was shot in Belgium), a hodge-podge of Belgian and Irish actors speaking accented English instills a sense of timelessness and disorientation, like a parallel universe where violence against women, of course, continues to be a given.…...
- 1/18/2021
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
In a move that dramatically changes the way the Oscars choose nominees in the Best International Feature Film category, an executive committee will not be selecting three films to go on the shortlist from which nominations in the category are made this year.
The shortlist will also be expanded from 10 to 15 films, allowing more films than ever before to move to a second round of voting.
The rule change, which was revealed to members of the committee on Friday, could alter the kind of films that move to the second round of Oscar voting in the category, hurting the more challenging films in favor of ones that appeal to a broader audience.
Under the former system, any member who views a minimum number of the eligible films could vote for during a preliminary round referred to as Phase 1. Those members make up the category’s “general committee” — and after their votes are tallied,...
The shortlist will also be expanded from 10 to 15 films, allowing more films than ever before to move to a second round of voting.
The rule change, which was revealed to members of the committee on Friday, could alter the kind of films that move to the second round of Oscar voting in the category, hurting the more challenging films in favor of ones that appeal to a broader audience.
Under the former system, any member who views a minimum number of the eligible films could vote for during a preliminary round referred to as Phase 1. Those members make up the category’s “general committee” — and after their votes are tallied,...
- 1/15/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
If you thought last year's Shudder releases were impressive, wait until you see what they have in store for 2021, including eleven weeks of movie premieres. Here's the official press release, detailing all of their upcoming releases that include The Dark and the Wicked, Violation, and many more:
New York, NY – January 14, 2021 – Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, today announced its unbeatable lineup of eleven new Shudder Original and Shudder Exclusive films set to premiere on the service over the next eleven weeks: Hunted, The Queen of Black Magic, A Nightmare Wakes, After Midnight, Shook, The Dark & the Wicked, Lucky, Stay Out of the F**king Attic, Slaxx, Koko-di Koko-da and Violation that together span five countries on three continents and range from dark comedy to survival horror to period psychological thrillers. The eleven films represent vibrant, creative passion driving independent and international genre cinema today,...
New York, NY – January 14, 2021 – Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, today announced its unbeatable lineup of eleven new Shudder Original and Shudder Exclusive films set to premiere on the service over the next eleven weeks: Hunted, The Queen of Black Magic, A Nightmare Wakes, After Midnight, Shook, The Dark & the Wicked, Lucky, Stay Out of the F**king Attic, Slaxx, Koko-di Koko-da and Violation that together span five countries on three continents and range from dark comedy to survival horror to period psychological thrillers. The eleven films represent vibrant, creative passion driving independent and international genre cinema today,...
- 1/15/2021
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Zaven Najjar’s animated road movie will teeter between drama and black comedy, telling an epic tale akin to Kirikou and the Sorceress and oozing Persepolis-like satire. One of the beneficiaries of the Film Fund Luxembourg’s latest round of funding (during which €13 million were split among 29 projects) is the first film adaptation of the Ivorian novel Allah Is Not Obliged. Revolving around a child soldier in Liberia in the 1990s, this critically acclaimed story by Ahmadou Kourouma won the Renaudot Award and the Goncourt High-school Student Award when it was published in 2000. The feature-length animated project, which was presented in 2018 at Cartoon Movie in Bordeaux, at Cee Animation in Trebon and at the Mia 2019 in Rome, today boasts a budget of €4.7 million, financed by three countries: France, Luxembourg and Belgium. France’s Sébastien...
"The company of wolves is better than that of man." Shudder has debuted an official US trailer for an indie French horror thriller titled Hunted, which originally premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival earlier this year. The film is the first solo directorial gig for filmmaker Vincent Paronnaud following work co-directing Persepolis and Chicken with Plums with Marjane Satrapi before. Described as a "modern and radical take on the Little Red Riding Hood fable, Hunted is an exhilarating, transcendent, and frequently brutal survival tale that elevates itself with the power of myth and magic, while still holding an exacting mirror to present-day society." Lucie Debay stars as a woman forced on the run into a forest pursued by two men. The cast includes Arieh Worthalter, Ciaran O'Brien, and Jean-Mathias Pondant. Hot damn this looks gnarly! Nothing original in terms of horror, but it does look like a killer revenge tale.
- 12/9/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Presents A New Shudder Original Hunted Vincent Paronnaud’s Fevered Survival Horror Coming Exclusively to AMC Networks’ Shudder January 14th New Poster & Trailer Released! Don’t miss the new feature from the co-director of the Cannes award-winning and Academy nominated Persepolis! Starring Lucie Debay (The Confession) and Arieh Worthalter (Girl) Synopsis: What started as a flirtatious …
The post New Trailer & Poster Released for Hunted, a film by Vincent Paronnaud – Fevered Survival Thriller Coming to Shudder January 14th...
The post New Trailer & Poster Released for Hunted, a film by Vincent Paronnaud – Fevered Survival Thriller Coming to Shudder January 14th...
- 12/4/2020
- by Adrian Halen
- Horror News
In today’s Global Bulletin, BBC Studios sells “A Perfect Planet” around the world, Channel 4 announces a World Mental Health Day musical special, “A Space in Time” finds U.K. distribution, Arri relocates to new Munich headquarters and Evolution Mallorca releases full program details for its 2020 festival.
Sales
BBC Studios has pre-sold its new natural history series “A Perfect Planet” in several major territories. The series will also feature on BBC Studios Content, a virtual platform where buyers participating in this year’s virtual Mipcom can access the BBC’s premium content offerings.
The globe-spanning series examines natural phenomena such as weather patterns, ocean currents, volcanoes and more, and how they shape and impact life on the planet.
Produced by Silverback Films for BBC One and Discovery, several international partners co-produced the series, including Tencent Penguin Pictures, Zdf German Television, China Media Group CCTV9, France Télévisions and The Open University.
Sales
BBC Studios has pre-sold its new natural history series “A Perfect Planet” in several major territories. The series will also feature on BBC Studios Content, a virtual platform where buyers participating in this year’s virtual Mipcom can access the BBC’s premium content offerings.
The globe-spanning series examines natural phenomena such as weather patterns, ocean currents, volcanoes and more, and how they shape and impact life on the planet.
Produced by Silverback Films for BBC One and Discovery, several international partners co-produced the series, including Tencent Penguin Pictures, Zdf German Television, China Media Group CCTV9, France Télévisions and The Open University.
- 10/7/2020
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The festival will take place as a physical-online hybrid.
Marjane Satrapi’s Marie Curie biopic Radioactive and Gregory Kirchhoff’s Germany comedy Baumbacher Syndrome will bookend the ninth Majorca International Film Festival (Emiff), which will take place both physically and online from October 23-29.
Radioactive debuted at Toronto 2019, and stars Rosamund Pike and Sam Riley. French-Iranian filmmaker Satrapi was previously announced as the recipient of the festival’s Vision award, while she will also be honoured at the centrepiece gala tribute and screening.
Baumbacher Syndrome stars Tobias Moretti, whose credits include Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life, and Elit Iscan,...
Marjane Satrapi’s Marie Curie biopic Radioactive and Gregory Kirchhoff’s Germany comedy Baumbacher Syndrome will bookend the ninth Majorca International Film Festival (Emiff), which will take place both physically and online from October 23-29.
Radioactive debuted at Toronto 2019, and stars Rosamund Pike and Sam Riley. French-Iranian filmmaker Satrapi was previously announced as the recipient of the festival’s Vision award, while she will also be honoured at the centrepiece gala tribute and screening.
Baumbacher Syndrome stars Tobias Moretti, whose credits include Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life, and Elit Iscan,...
- 10/7/2020
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
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