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Over 200 UK independent producers have signed an open letter addressed to BBC Film and Film4, urging the UK’s leading public service broadcasters (PSBs) to “reaffirm their core responsibility to support UK producers and safeguard the future of the UK independent film industry”.

The letter has been compiled over the last 48 hours by producers’ organisation Producers Anonymous. The group says it was written after “growing alarm” over the backing by BBC Film and Film4 for separate Cannes Competition titles without a UK director or production company: Sentimental Value and The History Of Sound.

Read the letter to BBC Film and...

Two years after her debut “How to Have Sex” won Un Certain Regard’s top prize, British director, screenwriter and cinematographer Molly Manning Walker will be back at Cannes Film Festival to preside over the section’s jury.

Manning Walker will be joined by French-Swiss director and screenwriter Louise Courvoisier, who presented her film “Holy Cow” last year at Cannes; Vanja Kaludjercic, the Croatian director of the International Film Festival Rotterdam; Italian filmmaker Roberto Minervini; and Argentinian actor Nahuel Pérez Biscayart (“Bpm Beats Per Minute”). Together, they will hand out the prizes for Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, which centers on films by young auteurs.

“It’s such an honor to return to Cannes as the president of the Un Certain Regard Jury,” Manning Walker said in a statement. “This selection will forever hold a special place in my heart. Being a part of it really changed my world. I...

Cannes Competition titlesSentimental Value, the sixth film from Danish-Norwegian director Joachim Trier, and The History Of Sound, also the sixth film by the acclaimed South African director Oliver Hermanus, have both secured funding from the UK public broadcasters, BBC Film and Film4 respectively.

The financial support from the UK public broadcasters has raisedthe eyebrows of some in the UK independent production community as neither film is directed by a UK filmmaker, has a UK production company, tells a UK story or was majority shot in the UK with a majority UK cast and crew.

As UK funding for independent film...

Cannes Competition titlesSentimental Value, the sixth film from Danish-Norwegian director Joachim Trier, and The History Of Sound, also the sixth film by the acclaimed South African director Oliver Hermanus, have both secured funding from the UK public broadcasters, BBC Film and Film4 respectively.

The financial support from the UK public broadcasters has raisedthe eyebrows of some in the UK independent production community as neither film is directed by a UK filmmaker, has a UK producer or co-producer, tells a UK story or was majority shot in the UK with a majority UK cast and crew.

As UK funding for independent...

Among the lineup for the Cannes Film Festival’s 78th edition are some big names from Hollywood and global cinema. We already knew that Tom Cruise will light the fuse on Paramount/Skydance’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning on May 14 out of competition, while there was plenty of speculation that Scarlett Johansson would have a pair of movies on the Croisette. The latter has now been confirmed with Johansson’s directorial debut Eleanor the Great set for Un Certain Regard, and her acting reteam with Wes Anderson in his latest, The Phoenician Scheme, in Competition. Also confirmed is Ari Aster’s Eddington with Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal and Emma Stone.

Many more stars are potentially in store now that the bulk of the official selection has been revealed. Not everyone is confirmed to attend the Riviera shindig, but here’s a look at some of the possibilities.

Cannes...

Handing in their almost finished homework, we expect an extra of titles to be added to the sixteen titles that were unveiled today. The upcoming Un Certain Regard programme has eight feature debuts with notables in Harris Dickinson (Urchin) and Scarlett Johansson (Eleanor the Great) making the move behind the camera. Also in the newbie club we find the highly anticipated films by Morad Mostafa in Aisha Can’t Fly Away and Diego Céspedes‘ The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo. Charlie Polinger‘s The Plague, Akinola Davies Jr.‘s My Father’s Shadow (a Mubi pick-up), Zuzana Kirchnerová‘s Karavan and Harry Lighton’s Pillion – the A24 Kinky Queer Romance film starring Alexander Skarsgard and Harry Melling are also up for the Camera d’Or prize.…...

The Official Selection for the 78th Cannes Film Festival was revealed Thursday, with 19 movies in Competition. See full lists below.

Familiar names who will launch new works in the Competition include Wes Anderson, who brings his latest flick The Phoenician Scheme; Richard Linklater will launch his Paris-shot Nouvelle Vague; Jochim Trier debuts his latest feature Sentimental Value; and Titane Palme d’Or winner Julia Ducournau returns with Alpha.

Cannes will open this year with Leave One Day by first-time French filmmaker Amelie Bonnin. Thierry Frémaux said during his presser this morning that it was the first time a debut film has been selected to open the festival. Also hitting the Croisette for the first time is horror auteur Ari Aster, who returns to feature filmmaking with his buzzy A24 feature Eddington.

Related: Thierry Frémaux Talks ‘Mission: Impossible’; Star Presence; Hollywood Introspection & Oscar Track Record

Elsewhere, American filmmaker Kelly Reichardt will...

Ahead of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, taking place May 13 to 24, the lineup has now been unveiled. Iris Knobloch, President of the Festival de Cannes, and Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate, have revealed the slate this morning.

Highlights include Ari Aster’s Eddington, Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind, Joachim Trier’s Sentimal Value, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent, Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, Julia Ducournau’s Alpha, Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident, Carla Simon’s Romeria, and more. In other sections we have Rebecca Zlotowski’s Vie Privée, the directorial debuts of Scarlett Johansson and Harris Dickinson, Michael Angelo Covino’s Splitsville, Sebastián Lelio’s The Wave, Sylvain Chomet’s The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol, and more.

See below.

In Competition

After (Oliver Laxe)

Alpha (Julia Ducournau)

The Eagles of the Republic (Tarik Saleh)

Eddington (Ari Aster)

Dossier 137 (Dominik Moll...

Movies from Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, Ari Aster, Julia Ducournau, Kelly Reichardt and more will compete for the prestigious Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The 2025 edition is shaping up to be a glamorous one with a large Hollywood presence — and of course, lots of stars. Earlier this week, it was officially announced that Tom Cruise will be back on the Croisette with “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” which is debuting out of competition. Other big names likely to be in attendance include Jodie Foster, who stars in Rebecca Zlotowski’s out-of-competition crime comedy “Vie Privée”; Josh O’Connor, who is leading two films in competition with Kelly Reichardt’s heist movie “The Mastermind” and Oliver Hermanus’ gay romance “The History of Sound” alongside Paul Mescal; Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal and Austin Butler, who feature in Aster’s A24 competition film “Eddington”; and the...

Last week we updated our readers with the exciting news that award-winning cinematographer Jomo Fray was among the chief crew onboard Kantemir Balagov‘s third feature and English language debut, and with production beginning this week we now learn the identity of a key supporting player. Deadline reports that Harry Melling is joining Barry Keoghan and Riley Keough in Butterfly Jam. We loved Melling’s performance in Antonio Campos’ The Devil All the Time and might be headed to Cannes for Harry Lighton’s feature debut, Pillion.

Formerly titled Monica, this is set against the backdrop of New Jersey’s Circassian community, the film revolves around 15-year-old Pyteh whose father and aunt run a struggling diner specializing in Circassian cuisine.…...

Exclusive: Harry Melling (Wolf Hall) is set to star opposite Barry Keoghan and Riley Keough in Butterfly Jam, the new drama marking the English-language debut of Cannes prize-winner Kantemir Balagov (Beanpole), sources tell Deadline.

Character details are under wraps. Set against the backdrop of New Jersey’s Circassian community, the film revolves around a teenager whose father and aunt run a struggling diner specializing in Circassian cuisine. When he’s not helping out in the restaurant, the boy is training to become a professional wrestler. After one of his father’s misguided schemes goes wrong, he is forced to take on board his father’s failings as he finds himself confronted with a violence that will force him to grow up faster than he would like.

The project hails from Alexander Rodnyansky’s Ar Content, which is financing, as well as Emilia Pérez producer Pascal Caucheteux’s Why Not Productions,...

The Cannes Film Festival will reveal its 2025 lineup on Thursday morning European time and expectations are high for a typically bountiful lineup of starry fare and arthouse treats. Cannes remains the Super Bowl for indie film lovers.

It’s always a nervous waiting game for those connected to Cannes hopefuls. Multiple festival regulars have told us that selectors are later than ever in giving them notice. The festival has often announced a major movie or two by now, but not this year. The identity of Juliette Binoche‘s fellow jury members are still also under wraps.

In terms of films in the running, much of the reporting we did in February in our Cannes and Venice prediction piece has either come to pass or is shaping up as we forecast. You can read that story here.

Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning remains the most likely big Hollywood studio splash.

Alexander Skarsgård has been a lot of things in his career. From a vampire in True Blood and a Viking in The Northman, to a Swedish CEO in Succession and Randall Flagg in Stephen King's The Stand. Now, he's playing a security robot in the new Apple TV+ sci-fi series Murderbot, and we have some first-look images to share of Skarsgård in his latest small-screen offering.

The images (seen below) come courtesy of Apple and showcase a little of what we can expect from Skarsgård in the new series. Based on the bestselling books by author Martha Wells, Murderbot focuses on a self-hacking security construct who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients. Played by Skarsgård, Murderbot must hide its free will and complete a dangerous assignment when all it really wants is to be left alone to watch futuristic soap operas and figure out its place in the universe.

While the official lineup of films at the Cannes Film Festival taking place in May won’t be made public until mid-April, there are already some early rumblings of what projects we should expect to see on that list and there are plenty of reasons to get excited.

That group of potential entries as compiled by Deadline includes directorial debuts with Kristen Stewart‘s “The Chronology Of Water” (still a chance it might not be completed in time), and Scarlett Johansson‘s “Eleanor The Great.”

Read More: Tom Cruise’s ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Potentially Eyeing Cannes Film Festival Screening

Notable and high-profile films that are expected to screen at Cannes, pending official confirmation: Jim Jarmusch‘s latest effort “Father, Mother, Sister, Brother,” Spike Lee‘s “Highest 2 Lowest” (a remake of the Akira Kurosawa kidnap drama that stars Lee’s longtime muse Denzel Washington), Wes Anderson‘s...

A24 has bought U.S. distribution right to “Pillion,” a film described as a “fun and filthy romance with heart” and starring Alexander Skarsgard and Harry Melling (“The Pale Blue Eye,” “The Queen’s Gambit”).

Produced by multi-Oscar-winning powerhouse Element Pictures, “Pillion” — which wrapped earlier this summer — marks the feature debut of Harry Lighton, whose short “Wren Boys” was nominated for best British short at the 2018 BAFTAs, was nominated for a BIFA and had its U.S. premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

“Pillion” follows Colin (Melling), a weedy wallflower letting life pass him by. That is until Ray (Skarsgård), the impossibly handsome leader of a motorbike club, takes him on as his submissive. Ray uproots Colin from his dreary suburban life, introducing him to a community of kinky, queer bikers and taking all sorts of virginities along the way. But as Colin steps deeper into Ray’s world of rules and mysteries,...

A24 has acquired U.S. distribution rights to the “funny, filthy romance” film “Pillion,” which stars Alexander Skarsgard and Harry Melling. The film marks the feature debut of Batfa-nominated writer/director Harry Lighton (“Wren Boys”).

“Pillion,” which wrapped filming this summer, chronicles the love story between “the impossibly handsome leader of a bike gang and the wallflower he takes on as his submissive.”

The film is an Element Pictures production financed by BBC Film, BFI, in association with Fremantle, Picturehouse Entertainment and September Film who will handle distribution in the UK and Benelux respectively. The screenplay was developed with BBC Film and is based on Adam Mars-Jones’ “Box Hill” which was the 2019 Fitzcarraldo Editions Nobel Prize winner.

Cornerstone handles worldwide sales and distribution.

Element Pictures’ Emma Norton, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe are producing together with Lee Groombridge. BBC Film’s Eva Yates, Louise Ortega for the BFI, Fremantle’s Christian Vesper,...

A24 has taken acquired US distribution rights to Element Pictures’ filthy and comedic romance Pillion, starring Harry Melling and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Alexander Skarsgård.

The debut feature from BAFTA-nominated writer/director Harry Lighton (Wren Boys) follows an impossibly handsome leader of a bike gang and the wallflower he takes on as his submissive. Production wrapped this summer. The screenplay was developed with BBC Film and is based on Adam Mars-Jones’ Box Hill which was the 2019 Fitzcarraldo Editions Nobel Prize winner.

Pillion is an Element Pictures production financed by BBC Film, BFI (awarding National Lottery funding), in association with Fremantle, Picturehouse Entertainment and September Film who will handle distribution in the UK and Benelux respectively. Cornerstone has worldwide sales and distribution.

Element Pictures’ Emma Norton, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe are producing together with Lee Groombridge. BBC Film’s Eva Yates, Louise Ortega for the BFI, Fremantle’s Christian Vesper,...

A24 has picked up U.S. distribution rights to Pillion, the debut feature of British director Harry Lighton (Wren Boys) from Poor Things producers Element Pictures starring Harry Melling (The Pale Blue Eye) and Alexander Skarsgård (The Northman, Succession).

Described as a “funny, filthy romance,” Pillion sees Skarsgård play Ray, an ” impossibly handsome leader of a bike gang” who takes on Colin (Melling), a weedy wallflower, to be his new submissive. Ray uproots Colin from his dreary suburban life and introduces him to a community of kinky, queer bikers. But as Colin dives deeper into Ray’s world, he begins to question whether the life of a 24/7 submissive is really for him.

Lighton, BAFTA-nominated for his 2017 short Wren Boys, directed Pillion from his own script which is loosely inspired by Adam Mars-Jones’ 2019 novel Box Hill. The film wrapped production this summer.

Element Pictures, a Fremantle company, produced Pillion with financing...

A24 has acquired US distribution rights to Harry Lighton’s UK feature debut Pillion starring Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgard.

The distributor acquired the film from worldwide sales agent Cornerstone Films. Release plans are not yet confirmed.

Pillion shot this summer in the UK and is currently in post-production. Based on Adam Mars-Jones’ novel Box Hill, the film follows a romance between a shy young man and the handsome leader of a kinky, queer motorbike club.

Element Pictures’ Emma Norton, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe are producing the film with Lee Groombridge.

The film is financed by BBC Film and the BFI,...

On Friday nights, IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.

First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.

Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.

The Pitch: Bikers and Beatniks and Bisexuals, Oh My!

Last month, the internet — or, at the very least, my queer film-obsessed corner of the internet — broke with the announcement of “Pillion,” a romance film starring Harry Melling as a stick-in-the-mud who becomes the submissive boy toy of a leather-clad biker hottie. The prospect of watching Melling, an underrated actor best known for his childhood role of the bratty Dudley Dursley, under the thumb of Alexander Skarsgård in fetish gear is no doubt enticing. But the hubbub over the film also served as...

Mia Bays, director of the BFI Filmmaking Fund, is extending her contract to October 2026, after initially taking up the post for three years.

“Change takes time, film is slow to evolve,” said Bays. “The more I thought about it at the midpoint [of the contract], the more I felt there was more for me to do. The team has changed, it’s all quite recent. You need longer to do the finessing of the evolution. I can still see some gaps. It felt like the right thing, so I proposed it, and the upper echelons of the BFI agreed.”

She does not plan...

Pim Herrmeling, head of Benelux- based September Films has warned the territory’s buyers are becoming more cautious due to high asking prices.

“Normally, all Cannes Competition films are pre-sold for Benelux. This year, a lot of films were still available,” Herrmeling noted. “On the hot films, there is still a lot of competition but not as early as it used to be.”

As of press time, Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope was unsold in the region.

“MGs have gone up in general, which is a bit strange,” said Hermeling

“Home entertainment/VoD is completely gone. SVoD is Ok on the...

Picturehouse managing director Clare Binns says the company’s move into film financing is due to a changing industry, in which Picturehouse can “help films actually get over the line.”

The distributor-exhibitor is kicking off its financing activities with Harry Lighton’s feature debut Pillion starring Alexander Skarsgard and Harry Melling, shooting this summer for Element Pictures, developed and co-financed by BBC Film.

Without revealing exact figures, Binns says Picturehouse put “a little bit into the pot” after Element sent Binns the script. This built on the strong relationship between Picturehouse and Element dating back to Yorgos Lanthimos’ 2015 The Lobster,...