Georgian filmmaker Ana Urushadze, whose debut “Scary Mother” won best first feature at the Locarno Film Festival in 2017, is readying her anticipated sophomore feature, “Supporting Role.” The writer-director is presenting the film this week in the works-in-progress section of CineLink Industry Days, the industry arm of the Sarajevo Film Festival.
The film follows a once-famous star of Georgian cinema, who — triggered by a casting session with a young female director — embarks on a bizarre and fatalistic odyssey of self-transformation. Accustomed to playing charming heroic protagonists, he is insulted by the offer of a supporting role. But gradually, without realizing it himself, he starts getting into character and seemingly unconsciously accepts the role he has been offered to play.
Speaking to Variety in Sarajevo, Urushadze explained that the film was inspired by the auditions for her first feature, when she was searching for an elderly man to play the role of the protagonist’s father.
The film follows a once-famous star of Georgian cinema, who — triggered by a casting session with a young female director — embarks on a bizarre and fatalistic odyssey of self-transformation. Accustomed to playing charming heroic protagonists, he is insulted by the offer of a supporting role. But gradually, without realizing it himself, he starts getting into character and seemingly unconsciously accepts the role he has been offered to play.
Speaking to Variety in Sarajevo, Urushadze explained that the film was inspired by the auditions for her first feature, when she was searching for an elderly man to play the role of the protagonist’s father.
- 8/19/2024
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Principal photography has ended on Georgian writer-director Ana Urushadze’s second film, “Supporting Role.” The first images have been released.
It follows on from the success of Urushadze’s 2017 debut “Scary Mother,” which premiered and won best first feature at Locarno Film Festival before going on to pick up the top prize in Sarajevo. It was nominated for the European Film Academy’s Discovery Award and was Georgia’s entry for the 90th Academy Awards.
The story of “Supporting Role” follows a once-famous star of Georgian cinema, who – triggered by a casting session with a young female director – embarks on a bizarre and fatalistic odyssey of self-transformation. Accustomed to playing charming heroic protagonists, he is insulted by the offer of a supporting role. But gradually, without realizing it himself, he starts getting into character and seemingly unconsciously accepts the role he has been offered to play.
The film stars Dato Bakhtadze,...
It follows on from the success of Urushadze’s 2017 debut “Scary Mother,” which premiered and won best first feature at Locarno Film Festival before going on to pick up the top prize in Sarajevo. It was nominated for the European Film Academy’s Discovery Award and was Georgia’s entry for the 90th Academy Awards.
The story of “Supporting Role” follows a once-famous star of Georgian cinema, who – triggered by a casting session with a young female director – embarks on a bizarre and fatalistic odyssey of self-transformation. Accustomed to playing charming heroic protagonists, he is insulted by the offer of a supporting role. But gradually, without realizing it himself, he starts getting into character and seemingly unconsciously accepts the role he has been offered to play.
The film stars Dato Bakhtadze,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Hong Kong has selected the crime thriller Where the Wind Blows as its official submission to this year’s International Feature Oscar race.
Directed by Philip Yung, the film follows four corrupt police officers who rose to power in 1960s Hong Kong played Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Aaron Kwok, Patrick Tam, and Michael Chow.
Photo Gallery: Best International Feature Film Oscar Winners
With a reported budget of 38m, the crime epic is one of the most expensive Hong Kong films of all time.
The film was set to open the 2021 edition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, but it was pulled from the lineup shortly before its world premiere with festival organizers citing “technical reasons.”
Vague technical issues have increasingly become a common euphemism for last-ditch censorship efforts by Chinese film regulators. Similar “technical issues” were cited when the Shanghai film festival yanked the Huayi Brothers’ big-budget Chinese war drama...
Directed by Philip Yung, the film follows four corrupt police officers who rose to power in 1960s Hong Kong played Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Aaron Kwok, Patrick Tam, and Michael Chow.
Photo Gallery: Best International Feature Film Oscar Winners
With a reported budget of 38m, the crime epic is one of the most expensive Hong Kong films of all time.
The film was set to open the 2021 edition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, but it was pulled from the lineup shortly before its world premiere with festival organizers citing “technical reasons.”
Vague technical issues have increasingly become a common euphemism for last-ditch censorship efforts by Chinese film regulators. Similar “technical issues” were cited when the Shanghai film festival yanked the Huayi Brothers’ big-budget Chinese war drama...
- 9/27/2022
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Nazi ghouls have figured in plenty of horror movies, whether preserved (1966’s “The Frozen Dead”), newly bioengineered (1978’s “The Boys from Brazil”) or zombiefied (too many to list). Edging close to that terrain, “Burial” revolves around a corpse — the corpse, as far as WWII’s end was concerned — that does not reanimate or otherwise come “back to life,” but poses a grave threat nonetheless.
Not-quite-horror despite its macabre theme and mood, this sophomore directorial feature for Ben Parker is a handsomely produced period thriller that delivers in terms of action and atmospherics, even if his somewhat convoluted story doesn’t maximally pay off. IFC Midnight is releasing the Estonia-shot U.K. production to limited U.S. theaters and on-demand platforms Sept. 2.
A framing device set in 1991 London has elderly Anna disturbed one night by an intruder. No helpless spinster, she soon has the skinhead-looking young perp (David Alexander) cuffed to her radiator.
Not-quite-horror despite its macabre theme and mood, this sophomore directorial feature for Ben Parker is a handsomely produced period thriller that delivers in terms of action and atmospherics, even if his somewhat convoluted story doesn’t maximally pay off. IFC Midnight is releasing the Estonia-shot U.K. production to limited U.S. theaters and on-demand platforms Sept. 2.
A framing device set in 1991 London has elderly Anna disturbed one night by an intruder. No helpless spinster, she soon has the skinhead-looking young perp (David Alexander) cuffed to her radiator.
- 8/29/2022
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
The intimidating task of adapting and directing Estonia’s landmark novel of the 20th century doesn’t appear to have fazed Tanel Toom in his feature debut “Truth and Justice,” nor has it challenged him to deliver anything but a respectful, well-made literary adaptation. Given that the film was one of six projects chosen by Estonia’s government-backed film-funding body for their celebration of the nation’s centennial, it’s unsurprising this rural epic, based on Anton Hansen Tammsaare’s eponymous five-part classic, hones closely to standard formulas, presenting archetypal characters formed in equal parts by their environment and their epoch. Box office records were broken at home following a late February opening, and while the film’s selection to represent Estonia at the Academy Awards was a no-brainer, its crossover chances on international screens will be limited at best.
Broken down to its essentials, “Truth and Justice” is the multi-decade...
Broken down to its essentials, “Truth and Justice” is the multi-decade...
- 12/16/2019
- by Jay Weissberg
- Variety Film + TV
Gentle period drama “The Little Comrade” is an affecting and richly visualized coming-of-age story set in Soviet Estonia during the Stalinist terror of the 1950s. Adapting two autobiographical novels by Leelo Tungal, one of Estonia’s most beloved authors, documentary maker-turned-feature writer-director Moonika Siimets successfully captures the perplexed perspective of a traumatized 6-year-old who sees her mother, a school principal, arrested and taken away at gunpoint. The film was released in March, became a huge hit and currently ranks No. 4 all time at the Estonian box office. Further festival play is assured after its international premiere in Busan.
Intelligent and inquisitive, young Leelo Tungal (angel-faced Helena-Maria Reisner), can’t wait to start her education at the provincial school where her parents Helmes (Eva Koldits) and Feliks teach. Oblivious to the political portents of the time, Leelo idolizes the school’s red-kerchiefed “young pioneers,” the kids that she sees singing the Soviet anthem and shouting slogans,...
Intelligent and inquisitive, young Leelo Tungal (angel-faced Helena-Maria Reisner), can’t wait to start her education at the provincial school where her parents Helmes (Eva Koldits) and Feliks teach. Oblivious to the political portents of the time, Leelo idolizes the school’s red-kerchiefed “young pioneers,” the kids that she sees singing the Soviet anthem and shouting slogans,...
- 10/3/2018
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.