Olivia Cooke and Jamie Bell have signed on to star in Takes One To Know One, a contemporary romance from Italian director Nathalie Biancheri (Nocturnal) based on Brooke Baker’s 2022 Black List script.
The Ready Player One and House of the Dragon actress and the All of Us Strangers and Rocketman actor will play Eleanor and Lucas, two people, who meet in Rome and immediately feel a spark, connecting over their shared passion for Italy and art, despite both already being in relationships.
“I’m so excited to work with Olivia and Jamie on this project,” said Biancheri. “The script is such a great combination of sexy, fun but also quite moving and I feel like it really hits a spot people are hungry for in cinema today.”
Potboiler Productions (The Constant Gardener, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind) are producing, together with Bcdf Pictures, and Chippy Tea Productions. Gail Egan,...
The Ready Player One and House of the Dragon actress and the All of Us Strangers and Rocketman actor will play Eleanor and Lucas, two people, who meet in Rome and immediately feel a spark, connecting over their shared passion for Italy and art, despite both already being in relationships.
“I’m so excited to work with Olivia and Jamie on this project,” said Biancheri. “The script is such a great combination of sexy, fun but also quite moving and I feel like it really hits a spot people are hungry for in cinema today.”
Potboiler Productions (The Constant Gardener, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind) are producing, together with Bcdf Pictures, and Chippy Tea Productions. Gail Egan,...
- 5/3/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sffilm on Wednesday unveiled the program slate of the Sloan Science in Cinema Initiative at the 67th San Francisco International Film Festival, which runs April 24–28. Presented in a partnership between the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Sffilm, this year’s program includes three films and participation by Sloan fellows and grant recipients at events throughout the festival.
Curated programs include three titles selected by Jessie Fairbanks, Sffilm’s Director of Programming. First is the world premiere of On the Invention of Species from director Tania Hermida, also being honored as the 2024 recipient of the Sffilm Sloan Science on Screen Award. This award carries a $5,000 cash prize and celebrates the compelling depiction of scientific themes or characters in a narrative feature film.
On the Invention of Species follows Carla, while on the cusp of womanhood and grappling with the loss of her brother, finds herself adrift on the historic archipelago that...
Curated programs include three titles selected by Jessie Fairbanks, Sffilm’s Director of Programming. First is the world premiere of On the Invention of Species from director Tania Hermida, also being honored as the 2024 recipient of the Sffilm Sloan Science on Screen Award. This award carries a $5,000 cash prize and celebrates the compelling depiction of scientific themes or characters in a narrative feature film.
On the Invention of Species follows Carla, while on the cusp of womanhood and grappling with the loss of her brother, finds herself adrift on the historic archipelago that...
- 4/10/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Talented British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor returned to the 2024 Sundance Film Festival with this second feature film. After premiering his first film The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind at Sundance in 2019, Ejiofor brought his second film Rob Peace to the festival in the Utah mountains. It's an inspirational, engaging dramatic thriller based on a true story about a young African-American man who made it into Yale and was on the rise in the field of science. His name is Rob Peace, yes his real name is Robert Peace, that's not just a Hollywood title for this film about an intelligent man from New Jersey who went out to make real change in the world by taking care of his own community. It's a well-made film about injustice and family ties and the cycle of violence in Black communities in America. There's a few generic tropes but the emotional core is so strong I was moved anyway.
- 1/31/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Five years after he made his directorial debut at Sundance, actor and filmmaker Chiwetel Ejiofor returned to the fest Monday with his sophomore feature, Rob Peace. The film is based on Jeff Hobbs’ 2014 book The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace and tells the true story of a Peace, who grew up in Orange, New Jersey and went on to attend Yale majoring in biochemistry.
In the film, Peace sells marijuana at Yale to earn money that he uses to help overturn his father’s murder conviction, and expresses his desires to return the neighborhood where he grew up.
Speaking ahead of the fest, Ejiofor points out that “within the African American experience, the connection to home, the connection to place, the connection to community is somehow less valid.” He continues: “Anybody who actually tries to reinstitute themselves within that community is somehow failing, on some level.”
THR‘s...
In the film, Peace sells marijuana at Yale to earn money that he uses to help overturn his father’s murder conviction, and expresses his desires to return the neighborhood where he grew up.
Speaking ahead of the fest, Ejiofor points out that “within the African American experience, the connection to home, the connection to place, the connection to community is somehow less valid.” He continues: “Anybody who actually tries to reinstitute themselves within that community is somehow failing, on some level.”
THR‘s...
- 1/25/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sundance film festival: A magnificent lead performance from newcomer Jay Will helps to lift a rousing yet often uneven drama based on the life and death of a Yale student
How do you tell the story of Rob Peace? He was an exceptionally smart Black kid living in New Jersey, the product of a hard-working mother and a father who was convicted of murder when he was seven. His intellect and interest in science took him all the way to Yale on a scholarship, but circumstance took him back home and to a period of dealing drugs, a bright star crashing to earth, shot to death at the age of 30.
It’s a horrible, haunting tale, told by his old roommate Jeff Hobbs in the book The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace, and now adapted to the big screen by Chiwetel Ejiofor, in his sophomore feature as director.
How do you tell the story of Rob Peace? He was an exceptionally smart Black kid living in New Jersey, the product of a hard-working mother and a father who was convicted of murder when he was seven. His intellect and interest in science took him all the way to Yale on a scholarship, but circumstance took him back home and to a period of dealing drugs, a bright star crashing to earth, shot to death at the age of 30.
It’s a horrible, haunting tale, told by his old roommate Jeff Hobbs in the book The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace, and now adapted to the big screen by Chiwetel Ejiofor, in his sophomore feature as director.
- 1/23/2024
- by Benjamin Lee in Park City
- The Guardian - Film News
In his feature directorial debut, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chiwetel Ejiofor crafted a humanizing portrait of a gifted Malawian boy who saves his village from famine by building a DIY windmill. That film — based on the true story of inventor William Kamkwamna — leaned into the conventions of inspirational movies to shape a narrative steeped in good-natured earnestness. But it also teased a portrayal of the complicated relationships between fathers and sons.
Ejiofor revisits this theme more forcefully in his latest directorial effort, Rob Peace, about a young man torn between the promise of his future and the responsibilities of his past. Adapted from Jeff Hobbs’ 2014 book The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace, the film offers a sweeping and empathetic depiction of its central character. Through Peace’s story, Ejiofor explores the violent impact of the carceral state and the fraught interdependence of a father and his son.
Ejiofor revisits this theme more forcefully in his latest directorial effort, Rob Peace, about a young man torn between the promise of his future and the responsibilities of his past. Adapted from Jeff Hobbs’ 2014 book The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace, the film offers a sweeping and empathetic depiction of its central character. Through Peace’s story, Ejiofor explores the violent impact of the carceral state and the fraught interdependence of a father and his son.
- 1/23/2024
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brien in Love Lies Bleeding Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival Chiwetel Ejiofor is among the British names heading to Sundance this year. The 12 Years A Slave actor-turned director is returning for the festival’s 40th edition after his previous film The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind premiered there in 2019. He brings biographical tale Rob Peace about a brilliant scientist who led a dual life in academia and research while also earning six figures selling marijuana
Saint Maud director Rose Glass will also present her new film, Love Lies Bleeding, which stars Kristen Stewart and Ed Harris and tells the tale of a relationship between a reclusive gym manager and a bodybuilder. Stewart also stars in Love Me - announced as the winner of the Alfred P Sloan Prize for depiction of science or technology. It tells the unlikely story of a buoy and a...
Saint Maud director Rose Glass will also present her new film, Love Lies Bleeding, which stars Kristen Stewart and Ed Harris and tells the tale of a relationship between a reclusive gym manager and a bodybuilder. Stewart also stars in Love Me - announced as the winner of the Alfred P Sloan Prize for depiction of science or technology. It tells the unlikely story of a buoy and a...
- 12/6/2023
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Exclusive: Chiwetel Ejiofor (Rob Peace), Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) and Jacob Tremblay (The Toxic Avenger) have joined the cast of The Life of Chuck, the latest of many Stephen King adaptations from filmmaker Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep), which kicked off production in Alabama under an interim agreement earlier this month. Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill lead the ensemble of the pic, written and directed by Flanagan, as we were first to tell you.
Also now involved is QWGmire, the production and financing entity known for the indie horror Agnes and the forthcoming Lovely, Dark and Deep, which has made a major equity investment in the independently financed feature.
Stated QWGmire partners Molly C. Quinn, Matthew M. Welty and Elan Gale, “We are thrilled to partner with Mike and Trevor [Macy] on this project. Mike is a master storyteller and we can’t wait to bring his...
Also now involved is QWGmire, the production and financing entity known for the indie horror Agnes and the forthcoming Lovely, Dark and Deep, which has made a major equity investment in the independently financed feature.
Stated QWGmire partners Molly C. Quinn, Matthew M. Welty and Elan Gale, “We are thrilled to partner with Mike and Trevor [Macy] on this project. Mike is a master storyteller and we can’t wait to bring his...
- 10/23/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Jonathan Glazer’s Cannes-winning Holocaust drama The Zone of Interest has been selected as the UK’s entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2024 Oscars.
The film was selected by BAFTA, the organization appointed by the American Academy to choose the UK’s submission. To be eligible, a British film must be predominantly non-English language and released theatrically between 1 December 2022 and 31 October 2023. The Zone Of Interest was shot on location in Poland with largely German and Polish dialogue.
Written and directed by Glazer, based on the novel by the late Martin Amis, the film stars Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller, with a score by Oscar-nominated musician Mica Levi and cinematography by Łukasz Żal (Cold War).
Story follows Rudolf Höss, the commandant of Auschwitz, and his wife Hedwig, who strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.
The film was selected by BAFTA, the organization appointed by the American Academy to choose the UK’s submission. To be eligible, a British film must be predominantly non-English language and released theatrically between 1 December 2022 and 31 October 2023. The Zone Of Interest was shot on location in Poland with largely German and Polish dialogue.
Written and directed by Glazer, based on the novel by the late Martin Amis, the film stars Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller, with a score by Oscar-nominated musician Mica Levi and cinematography by Łukasz Żal (Cold War).
Story follows Rudolf Höss, the commandant of Auschwitz, and his wife Hedwig, who strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.
- 9/21/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: France TV Distribution has unveiled a raft of deals on Andréa Bescond and Éric Métayer’s intergenerational comedy-drama Big Kids.
The film has sold to Brazil (Imovision), Benelux (Cinéart), Spain (Vercine), Switzerland (Agora Films), Poland (Best Film Co), Baltics (Unlimited Media), Central America (Babilla) and Taiwan (Avjet International Media Co.).
Ad Vitam released the film in France in April, achieving a gross of just under $1million.
Inspired by real-life stories in France, the movie revolves around a group of school children who end up spending their lunch breaks at a nearby nursing home while their school cafeteria is being remodelled.
The caretaker, played by Vincent Macaigne, is not happy to see the school children invade his residents’ territory, and an intergenerational clash seems inevitable.
However, shared interests and a series of comical situations foster new friendships between the elderly residents and their young lunchtime guests.
The film has sold to Brazil (Imovision), Benelux (Cinéart), Spain (Vercine), Switzerland (Agora Films), Poland (Best Film Co), Baltics (Unlimited Media), Central America (Babilla) and Taiwan (Avjet International Media Co.).
Ad Vitam released the film in France in April, achieving a gross of just under $1million.
Inspired by real-life stories in France, the movie revolves around a group of school children who end up spending their lunch breaks at a nearby nursing home while their school cafeteria is being remodelled.
The caretaker, played by Vincent Macaigne, is not happy to see the school children invade his residents’ territory, and an intergenerational clash seems inevitable.
However, shared interests and a series of comical situations foster new friendships between the elderly residents and their young lunchtime guests.
- 9/14/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Gas up your hog and prepare to ride alongside Tom Hardy because 20th Century Studios is ready to announce The Bikeriders release date. The motorcycle club drama hits the road in theaters on December 1, 2023, just in time for Oscar season. Jeff Nichols directs from a script he wrote inspired by the Danny Lyon novel. The Bikeriders is an original story set in the 1960s following the rise of a fictional Midwestern motorcycle club. Seen through the lives of its members, the club evolves over a decade from a gathering place for local outsiders into a more sinister gang, threatening the original group’s unique way of life.
Produced by Sarah Green and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, The Bikeriders features a cast that would make any Sons of Anarchy fan drool with envy. Tom Hardy, Boyd Holbrook, Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon, Austin Butler, and Norman Reedus lead the cast. Damon Herriman, Mike Faist,...
Produced by Sarah Green and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, The Bikeriders features a cast that would make any Sons of Anarchy fan drool with envy. Tom Hardy, Boyd Holbrook, Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon, Austin Butler, and Norman Reedus lead the cast. Damon Herriman, Mike Faist,...
- 7/28/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Tulsa King‘s Jay Will has landed the title role in Rob Peace — the second feature from Academy Award-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, on the heels of the Netflix-acquired The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, which he’s directing from his own script.
The film, first announced in 2019, is based on Jeff Hobbs’ best-selling biography The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League. It follows Robert Peace, who made his way to Yale on scholarship after growing up in a crime-ridden section of Newark, New Jersey. He’d major during his time there in molecular biophysics and biochemistry, working in a lab researching cancer and infectious diseases, while at the same time making six figures from the sale of marijuana. While Pearce graduated with honors in 2002, the promise of his future crumbled when he was killed in a...
The film, first announced in 2019, is based on Jeff Hobbs’ best-selling biography The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League. It follows Robert Peace, who made his way to Yale on scholarship after growing up in a crime-ridden section of Newark, New Jersey. He’d major during his time there in molecular biophysics and biochemistry, working in a lab researching cancer and infectious diseases, while at the same time making six figures from the sale of marijuana. While Pearce graduated with honors in 2002, the promise of his future crumbled when he was killed in a...
- 1/30/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Winners include Cynthia Lowen for ‘Light Mass Energy’, abut pioneerin physicist Mileva Maric Einstein.
US not-for-profit scientific organisation the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has selected four filmmakers to receive a combined 70,000 in funding as part of the Sundance Institute’s Science-in-Film intitiative.
Writer John Lopez received the 25,000 Sloan Commissioning Grant for Incompleteness, an adaptation of Rebecca Goldstein’s book. Set in the lead up to the Second World War, the story follows Kurt Godel, a logician who falls in love and discovers two mind-bending proofs that shake mathematics and philosophy to their cores.
Previously a writing fellow at the Sundance Institute’s Episodic Lab,...
US not-for-profit scientific organisation the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has selected four filmmakers to receive a combined 70,000 in funding as part of the Sundance Institute’s Science-in-Film intitiative.
Writer John Lopez received the 25,000 Sloan Commissioning Grant for Incompleteness, an adaptation of Rebecca Goldstein’s book. Set in the lead up to the Second World War, the story follows Kurt Godel, a logician who falls in love and discovers two mind-bending proofs that shake mathematics and philosophy to their cores.
Previously a writing fellow at the Sundance Institute’s Episodic Lab,...
- 1/24/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: The Outlaws star Charles Babalola is set to headline Showtime’s King Shaka, (fka Shaka: King of the Zulu Nation), executive produced by Antoine Fuqua.
Babalola will play the title role in the epic drama series, centered around one man’s personal journey from stigmatized childhood to warrior king, which hails from writers Olu Odebunmi and Tolu Awosika, Propagate, Fuqua Films and CBS Studios. Production kicks off next month in the historic KwaZulu-Natal (Kzn) South Africa province, the birthplace of King Shaka, and will be fully shot in South Africa for a 2023 debut on Showtime.
Also cast as series regulars in King Shaka are Aïssa Maïga (The Fear Index) as Nandi, Shaka’s devoted mother who will sacrifice everything to fulfill her son’s destiny; and Thando Dlomo (The Woman King) as Pampatha, a herder who finds her fate forever entwined with Shaka’s. Thapelo Mokoena (Bulletproof) will guest star as Gendeyana,...
Babalola will play the title role in the epic drama series, centered around one man’s personal journey from stigmatized childhood to warrior king, which hails from writers Olu Odebunmi and Tolu Awosika, Propagate, Fuqua Films and CBS Studios. Production kicks off next month in the historic KwaZulu-Natal (Kzn) South Africa province, the birthplace of King Shaka, and will be fully shot in South Africa for a 2023 debut on Showtime.
Also cast as series regulars in King Shaka are Aïssa Maïga (The Fear Index) as Nandi, Shaka’s devoted mother who will sacrifice everything to fulfill her son’s destiny; and Thando Dlomo (The Woman King) as Pampatha, a herder who finds her fate forever entwined with Shaka’s. Thapelo Mokoena (Bulletproof) will guest star as Gendeyana,...
- 8/25/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
The Turkish-language film is Fairweather’s feature debut.
Chloe Fairweather’s Turkish-language documentary Dying To Divorce has been selected as the UK’s entry to the international Oscar feature race.
It is Fairweather’s feature debut, with previous credits including Channel 4 docuseries 24 Hours In Police Custody. She has also produced the film alongside Sinead Kirwan.
Dying To Divorce was filmed over five years. It takes a deep dive into Turkey’s gender-based violence crisis – more than one in three Turkish women have experienced domestic abuse – and the political events that have damaged democratic freedoms across the country.
The...
Chloe Fairweather’s Turkish-language documentary Dying To Divorce has been selected as the UK’s entry to the international Oscar feature race.
It is Fairweather’s feature debut, with previous credits including Channel 4 docuseries 24 Hours In Police Custody. She has also produced the film alongside Sinead Kirwan.
Dying To Divorce was filmed over five years. It takes a deep dive into Turkey’s gender-based violence crisis – more than one in three Turkish women have experienced domestic abuse – and the political events that have damaged democratic freedoms across the country.
The...
- 11/11/2021
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
The sheer number of films streaming on Netflix on any given day can make finding and deciding which films to watch an arduous journey through an overabundance of content, navigating with an interface that’s not exactly the most conducive to discovery.
To assist on this cinematic journey, IndieWire runs a monthly series that highlights movies and television shows worth streaming on every major platform in the U.S., including Netflix. But, as an extension of that popular ongoing series, we’ve also curated lists of films that specifically tell Black stories and are streaming on those same major streaming platforms.
Among August’s offerings on Netflix: several feature directorial debuts, including Stefon Bristol’s time-travel adventure, “See You Yesterday” (produced by Spike Lee), and Gerard McMurray’s fraternity hazing drama “Burning Sands,” as well as actors David Oyelowo (“The Water Man”) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind...
To assist on this cinematic journey, IndieWire runs a monthly series that highlights movies and television shows worth streaming on every major platform in the U.S., including Netflix. But, as an extension of that popular ongoing series, we’ve also curated lists of films that specifically tell Black stories and are streaming on those same major streaming platforms.
Among August’s offerings on Netflix: several feature directorial debuts, including Stefon Bristol’s time-travel adventure, “See You Yesterday” (produced by Spike Lee), and Gerard McMurray’s fraternity hazing drama “Burning Sands,” as well as actors David Oyelowo (“The Water Man”) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind...
- 7/31/2021
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Chiwetel Ejiofor will succeed David Bowie as the Man Who Fell To Earth.
The Oscar-nominated 12 Years a Slave actor has been tapped as the lead of Paramount+’s series based on the Walter Tevis novel and Nicolas Roeg’s cult classic 1976 film starring Bowie.
Co-written and executive produced by Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet, The Man Who Fell To Earth will follow a new alien character, played by Ejiofor, who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution and must confront his own past to determine our future.
“Chiwetel Ejiofor’s stage and film career are staggering in their bravery, commitment and quality,” said Kurtzman and Lumet. “He’s everything we could imagine and a million things we can’t. We couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Kurtzman and Lumet serve as co-showrunners alongside executive producer John Hlavin, with Kurtzman set to direct. Rola Bauer, Tim Halkin, Sarah Timberman,...
The Oscar-nominated 12 Years a Slave actor has been tapped as the lead of Paramount+’s series based on the Walter Tevis novel and Nicolas Roeg’s cult classic 1976 film starring Bowie.
Co-written and executive produced by Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet, The Man Who Fell To Earth will follow a new alien character, played by Ejiofor, who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution and must confront his own past to determine our future.
“Chiwetel Ejiofor’s stage and film career are staggering in their bravery, commitment and quality,” said Kurtzman and Lumet. “He’s everything we could imagine and a million things we can’t. We couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Kurtzman and Lumet serve as co-showrunners alongside executive producer John Hlavin, with Kurtzman set to direct. Rola Bauer, Tim Halkin, Sarah Timberman,...
- 2/5/2021
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
The British Film Institute, the UK’s lead organization for film, has posted the advert for one of its top jobs: the Director of BFI Film Fund. Scroll down for the full ad.
The role, which has been vacant for more than a year after Ben Roberts assumed the role of BFI CEO in late 2019, includes leading on strategic investment of Lottery funds and helping to increase diversity. The job spec also calls for more investment in episodic work and new media.
Many of the BFI’s leading roles to date have been considered ‘jobs for life’, a move opposed by those calling for more diversity of voices, but in this instance the role has a fixed term of 3 years “in order to maintain diversity of voice and approach in the leadership of the Film Fund”.
The BFI’s recent investments include The Souvenir, Saint Maud and The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind.
The role, which has been vacant for more than a year after Ben Roberts assumed the role of BFI CEO in late 2019, includes leading on strategic investment of Lottery funds and helping to increase diversity. The job spec also calls for more investment in episodic work and new media.
Many of the BFI’s leading roles to date have been considered ‘jobs for life’, a move opposed by those calling for more diversity of voices, but in this instance the role has a fixed term of 3 years “in order to maintain diversity of voice and approach in the leadership of the Film Fund”.
The BFI’s recent investments include The Souvenir, Saint Maud and The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind.
- 1/12/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
If the Television Academy doesn't give Noma Dumezweni an Emmy for her performance on The Undoing, I'll sculpt a trophy out of gold by hand, fly to England, and deliver the replica to her myself because that is how much she deserves the accolade. The British actress stars in the HBO miniseries as Haley Fitzgerald, a highly sought-after defense attorney hired to represent Jonathan Fraser when he's pinned as the prime suspect in the vicious murder of Elena Alves. Though Dumezweni acts alongside other big-name stars in the show - including Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Donald Sutherland, and Sutherland's unruly eyebrows - she commands attention so powerfully that all other characters fade into the background when she's on screen.
Though Dumezweni acts alongside other big-name stars in the show, she commands attention so powerfully that all other characters fade into the background when she's on screen.
We first meet Dumezweni...
Though Dumezweni acts alongside other big-name stars in the show, she commands attention so powerfully that all other characters fade into the background when she's on screen.
We first meet Dumezweni...
- 11/30/2020
- by Victoria Messina
- Popsugar.com
Exclusive: Oscar-nominated 12 Years a Slave actor Chiwetel Ejiofor is to narrate a film about the world’s water shortage crisis, which is funded by an executive from Chinese tech giant Tencent and co-directed by Emmy-winner Kevin Sim.
Housed at Keo Films and OoS Pictures, Day Zero is the brainchild of Tencent’s chief exploration officer David Wallerstein, who personally financed the production after becoming fascinated by the status of Earth’s water supplies.
Tencent will carry the film in China, while Fremantle has been brought on board to distribute internationally. The company has been shopping Day Zero to buyers during Mipcom.
Wallerstein, who is one of Tencent’s earliest executives, became obsessed with researching the water-crisis challenge and wanted to unbury dry scientific information from white papers in an accessible way.
“It started dawning on me that you could make a documentary movie that is scientifically important but also...
Housed at Keo Films and OoS Pictures, Day Zero is the brainchild of Tencent’s chief exploration officer David Wallerstein, who personally financed the production after becoming fascinated by the status of Earth’s water supplies.
Tencent will carry the film in China, while Fremantle has been brought on board to distribute internationally. The company has been shopping Day Zero to buyers during Mipcom.
Wallerstein, who is one of Tencent’s earliest executives, became obsessed with researching the water-crisis challenge and wanted to unbury dry scientific information from white papers in an accessible way.
“It started dawning on me that you could make a documentary movie that is scientifically important but also...
- 10/14/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
In more ways than one, Chiwetel Ejiofor is at an interesting point in his career arc. After his acclaimed debut as writer-director via The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Ejiofor is all the more intrigued by the possibilities that exist not just in front of the camera but behind it as well. In fact, the English multihyphenate already has his next project as writer-director in the works alongside Antoine Fuqua and Stephan James. Despite catching the directing bug, Ejiofor is still just as interested in exploring character for other filmmakers, including his most recent return to the screen in Gina Prince-Bythewood'...
- 7/10/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
In more ways than one, Chiwetel Ejiofor is at an interesting point in his career arc. After his acclaimed debut as writer-director via The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Ejiofor is all the more intrigued by the possibilities that exist not just in front of the camera but behind it as well. In fact, the English multihyphenate already has his next project as writer-director in the works alongside Antoine Fuqua and Stephan James. Despite catching the directing bug, Ejiofor is still just as interested in exploring character for other filmmakers, including his most recent return to the screen in Gina Prince-Bythewood'...
- 7/10/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chiwetel Ejiofor has confirmed he will be returning to the character of Karl Mordo in the sequel ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’.
Ejiofor revealed the news during an interview with ComicBook.com in which he stated he was happy that Sam Raimi was now at the helm for the second movie.
“He’s coming on. I’m very, very excited about that. Obviously, we’ve been sort of interrupted as the whole world has been in the pandemic but hopefully, we are back on track with that and continuing quite soon, so I’m very excited about it.”
Also in news – Toronto Film Festival unveils its 2020 plans
Raimi replaced Scott Derrickson who parted ways with Marvel due to that most beloved phrase of “creative differences”. Derrickson will however still be on board as an executive producer.
Benedict Cumberbatch will return as Stephen Strange, the good doctor-turned-master of the mystic arts,...
Ejiofor revealed the news during an interview with ComicBook.com in which he stated he was happy that Sam Raimi was now at the helm for the second movie.
“He’s coming on. I’m very, very excited about that. Obviously, we’ve been sort of interrupted as the whole world has been in the pandemic but hopefully, we are back on track with that and continuing quite soon, so I’m very excited about it.”
Also in news – Toronto Film Festival unveils its 2020 plans
Raimi replaced Scott Derrickson who parted ways with Marvel due to that most beloved phrase of “creative differences”. Derrickson will however still be on board as an executive producer.
Benedict Cumberbatch will return as Stephen Strange, the good doctor-turned-master of the mystic arts,...
- 6/26/2020
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The winners of the 51st NAACP Image Awards were announced last night during a live broadcast on Bet, from the Pasadena Civic Center Auditorium in California. The live special was hosted by “Black-ish” star Anthony Anderson, who also doubled as a nominee.
The big winners of the night were “Just Mercy” in the motion picture categories, and “Black-ish” in the television categories. “Just Mercy” took home four trophies, including the top award of the night for Outstanding Motion Picture, as well as Outstanding Actor for Michael B. Jordan, and Outstanding Supporting Actor for Jamie Foxx.
Meanwhile, “Black-ish” topped all television winners for the second year in a row, with six awards, including Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for Anderson, Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for Tracee Ellis Ross, and Outstanding Comedy Series.
Additional winning highlights included Ava DuVernay’s critically acclaimed limited series “When They See Us,” which...
The big winners of the night were “Just Mercy” in the motion picture categories, and “Black-ish” in the television categories. “Just Mercy” took home four trophies, including the top award of the night for Outstanding Motion Picture, as well as Outstanding Actor for Michael B. Jordan, and Outstanding Supporting Actor for Jamie Foxx.
Meanwhile, “Black-ish” topped all television winners for the second year in a row, with six awards, including Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for Anderson, Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for Tracee Ellis Ross, and Outstanding Comedy Series.
Additional winning highlights included Ava DuVernay’s critically acclaimed limited series “When They See Us,” which...
- 2/23/2020
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Lizzo was named Entertainer of the Year at the 51st NAACP Image Awards on Saturday. The singer-rapper edged out Angela Bassett, Billy Porter, Regina King and Tyler Perry for the night’s top prize.
Warner Bros.’ legal drama “Just Mercy,” meanwhile, nearly swept the top film awards, taking home best motion picture, ensemble, best actor (Michael B. Jordan) and supporting actor (Jamie Foxx). Lupita N’yongo was named best actress for Jordan Peele’s home invasion thriller “Us.”
Rihanna, accepting the President’s Award for her philanthropy work, called for unity during her remarks onstage.
“We can only fix this world together – we can’t do it divided,” she said to thunderous applause.
On Friday night, in a pre-telecast ceremony, some of the other winners were announced. Own’s “Greenleaf” nabbed the best drama series prize while ABC’s “black-ish” was named best comedy.
Beyonce, who led all 2020 NAACP nominees with 8 nods in total,...
Warner Bros.’ legal drama “Just Mercy,” meanwhile, nearly swept the top film awards, taking home best motion picture, ensemble, best actor (Michael B. Jordan) and supporting actor (Jamie Foxx). Lupita N’yongo was named best actress for Jordan Peele’s home invasion thriller “Us.”
Rihanna, accepting the President’s Award for her philanthropy work, called for unity during her remarks onstage.
“We can only fix this world together – we can’t do it divided,” she said to thunderous applause.
On Friday night, in a pre-telecast ceremony, some of the other winners were announced. Own’s “Greenleaf” nabbed the best drama series prize while ABC’s “black-ish” was named best comedy.
Beyonce, who led all 2020 NAACP nominees with 8 nods in total,...
- 2/23/2020
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
The nominees for the 51st NAACP Image Awards were announced Thursday, the prelude to the two-hour live televised awards airing on Bet on February 2 at 8 Pm Et/Pt.
The Image Awards honors the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of TV, music, literature, and film and also recognizes individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Voting is now open to the public to determine winners.
Netflix leads the TV category nominations with 30 mentions, thanks to series like When They See Us (nine noms), with an additional 12 in the motion picture categories (Dolemite Is My Name leads there with seven) for a total of 42. Universal leads the motion picture categories with 15 nominations, paced by Us and Queen & Slim.
In the marquee Entertainer of the Year category, the nominees are Angela Basset, Billy Porter, Lizzo, Regina King and Tyler Perry.
Nominees were revealed this morning at a...
The Image Awards honors the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of TV, music, literature, and film and also recognizes individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Voting is now open to the public to determine winners.
Netflix leads the TV category nominations with 30 mentions, thanks to series like When They See Us (nine noms), with an additional 12 in the motion picture categories (Dolemite Is My Name leads there with seven) for a total of 42. Universal leads the motion picture categories with 15 nominations, paced by Us and Queen & Slim.
In the marquee Entertainer of the Year category, the nominees are Angela Basset, Billy Porter, Lizzo, Regina King and Tyler Perry.
Nominees were revealed this morning at a...
- 1/9/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that 344 feature films are eligible for the 2019 Academy Awards.
To be eligible for the consideration, the films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by Dec. 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days. Academy rules also state that a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.
Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. The ceremony takes place on Sunday, Feb. 9, airing live from Hollywood on ABC.
“Abominable”
“Ad Astra”
“Adam”
“The Addams Family”
“The Aeronauts”
“After the Wedding”
“The Aftermath”
“Aga”
“Aladdin”
“Alita: Battle Angel”
“Always Be My Maybe”
“The Amazing Johnathan”
“American Factory”
“American Woman”
“Angel Has Fallen”
“The Angry Birds Movie 2”
“Anna”
“Annabelle Comes Home...
To be eligible for the consideration, the films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by Dec. 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days. Academy rules also state that a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.
Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. The ceremony takes place on Sunday, Feb. 9, airing live from Hollywood on ABC.
“Abominable”
“Ad Astra”
“Adam”
“The Addams Family”
“The Aeronauts”
“After the Wedding”
“The Aftermath”
“Aga”
“Aladdin”
“Alita: Battle Angel”
“Always Be My Maybe”
“The Amazing Johnathan”
“American Factory”
“American Woman”
“Angel Has Fallen”
“The Angry Birds Movie 2”
“Anna”
“Annabelle Comes Home...
- 12/18/2019
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
The annual Palm Springs International Film Festival in California is always an opportunity to catch up on many of the contenders for the Best International Feature — née Best Foreign-Language — Film Academy Award. Now in its 31st edition, the festival this year has 51 of them, from favorite-to-beat “Parasite” from South Korea and Senegal’s “Atlantics,” to other films quietly making strides in the race: Czech Republic’s “The Painted Bird,” Sweden’s “And Then We Danced,” Russia’s “Beanpole,” Romania’s “The Whistlers,” North Macedonia’s documentary contender “Honeyland,” Norway’s “Out Stealing Horses,” and many more.
The festival will screen 188 films from 81 countries, including 51 premieres, from January 2-13, 2020. The Awards Buzz section includes a special jury of international film critics, who will review these films to present the Fipresci Award for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, as well as Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay in this category.
The festival will screen 188 films from 81 countries, including 51 premieres, from January 2-13, 2020. The Awards Buzz section includes a special jury of international film critics, who will review these films to present the Fipresci Award for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, as well as Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay in this category.
- 12/10/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
One hundred eighty-eight films films from 81 countries including 51 premieres highlight the lineup for the 31st annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, which kicks off January 2 with a star-studded gala that has become a must-stop during awards season for Oscar hopefuls. The festival, which runs through January 13, also is known for showcasing a large number of submissions in the Motion Picture Academy’s International Film (formerly Foreign Language) competition and will feature 51 of those entries.
The opening-night film on January 3 is the Italian farce An Almost Ordinary Summer, while the closer is director Peter Cattaneo’s heartwarming dramedy Military Wives in which Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan and Jason Flemyng lead a superb ensemble cast. The film had its world premiere at September’s Toronto International Film Festival and became an instant crowd-pleaser. Bleecker Street releases it in 2020.
Among the previously announced honorees at the January 2 gala are Antonio Banderas, Renee Zellweger,...
The opening-night film on January 3 is the Italian farce An Almost Ordinary Summer, while the closer is director Peter Cattaneo’s heartwarming dramedy Military Wives in which Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan and Jason Flemyng lead a superb ensemble cast. The film had its world premiere at September’s Toronto International Film Festival and became an instant crowd-pleaser. Bleecker Street releases it in 2020.
Among the previously announced honorees at the January 2 gala are Antonio Banderas, Renee Zellweger,...
- 12/10/2019
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Chiwetel Ejiofor didn’t set out to make “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” his feature film directorial debut. Instead, the decision came about gradually as he started to visualize how the story should look. But directing the film, Ejiofor says, changed how he approaches acting.
“Directing, and moving into that I think changes me as an actor, which I’ve started to notice — that I’m evolving as an actor in a slightly different way,” Ejiofor told TheWrap editor in chief Sharon Waxman following TheWrap’s Awards Screening Series.
“The sort of microscopic nature of looking at this film making all of these choices and really examining a film and breaking a film down and creating the film does inform the way that I look at character and the way that I look at physical production now and the idea of giving an editor choices and, or limiting choices if you want,...
“Directing, and moving into that I think changes me as an actor, which I’ve started to notice — that I’m evolving as an actor in a slightly different way,” Ejiofor told TheWrap editor in chief Sharon Waxman following TheWrap’s Awards Screening Series.
“The sort of microscopic nature of looking at this film making all of these choices and really examining a film and breaking a film down and creating the film does inform the way that I look at character and the way that I look at physical production now and the idea of giving an editor choices and, or limiting choices if you want,...
- 12/5/2019
- by Trey Williams
- The Wrap
Chiwetel Ejiofor’s directorial debut, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, is this year’s British entry for Oscar’s recently renamed Best International Feature Film category. But the same rules apply: the film must be predominantly in a language other than English. In the case of Ejiofor’s film, that language is Chichewa, the local Bantu language of Malawi. It was a language Ejiofor didn’t speak and had to learn when he decided to take on a role in the film.
The true story follows William Kamkwamba (Maxwell Simba), a young schoolboy in Kasungu, Malawi, whose family struggles to pay for his schooling when a drought leads to a devastating famine and they are unable to farm the land. It’s his enterprising thirst for science—and a desire to teach himself even when he is refused a place at school—that leads him to design a windmill...
The true story follows William Kamkwamba (Maxwell Simba), a young schoolboy in Kasungu, Malawi, whose family struggles to pay for his schooling when a drought leads to a devastating famine and they are unable to farm the land. It’s his enterprising thirst for science—and a desire to teach himself even when he is refused a place at school—that leads him to design a windmill...
- 12/4/2019
- by Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
’The Personal History Of David Copperfield’ finished with five awards, the highest of the night, from 11 nominations.
For Sama and The Personal History Of David Copperfield were the big winners at the 2019 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs).
The ceremony was hosted by actress and comedian Aisling Bea and held at London’s Old Billingsgate tonight (Dec 1).
Syrian civil war documentary For Sama scooped the night’s top prize, best British independent film, as well as best director for Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts, best documentary, and best editing at the previously announced craft awards last month.
The Personal History Of David Copperfield...
For Sama and The Personal History Of David Copperfield were the big winners at the 2019 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs).
The ceremony was hosted by actress and comedian Aisling Bea and held at London’s Old Billingsgate tonight (Dec 1).
Syrian civil war documentary For Sama scooped the night’s top prize, best British independent film, as well as best director for Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts, best documentary, and best editing at the previously announced craft awards last month.
The Personal History Of David Copperfield...
- 12/1/2019
- by 1101184¦Orlando Parfitt¦38¦
- ScreenDaily
Change is afoot in the Oscars’ foreign-language race this year, and not only because the title of the category was switched to Best International Feature Film. For the first time, all eligible Academy members will be able to vote for the final five nominees. They will choose from a shortlist that has been upped to 10 from the traditional nine, seven of which will now be selected by the committee currently viewing all entries, along with three “saves” selected by the executive committee.
There has been controversy, though, about the name switch from Best Foreign Language Film, because the rules of eligibility haven’t changed. When the list of official submissions was released in early October, it included 93 films, which were then pared down by the expulsion of Austria’s Joy and Nigeria’s Lionheart, because they have predominantly English-language dialogue tracks.
So, we now have 91 features vying for the coveted...
There has been controversy, though, about the name switch from Best Foreign Language Film, because the rules of eligibility haven’t changed. When the list of official submissions was released in early October, it included 93 films, which were then pared down by the expulsion of Austria’s Joy and Nigeria’s Lionheart, because they have predominantly English-language dialogue tracks.
So, we now have 91 features vying for the coveted...
- 11/29/2019
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
The Critics Choice Association announced today that it will celebrate more than 100 years of black cinema and honor the achievements of 2019 at the Celebration of Black Cinema on Monday, December 2 at the new Landmark Annex (part of The Landmark theatre complex) in Los Angeles. The event will honor four individuals for their outstanding achievements in film this year.
Eddie Murphy will receive the Career Achievement Award as a tribute to his extraordinary roles over the years. Recognized most recently for his brilliant portrayal of the legendary Rudy Ray Moore in Netflix’s Dolemite Is My Name, Murphy’s performance helps shed light on an era when black artists were pioneering new-found ways to reach black audiences and tell their own stories. He has continued to impress critics and audiences alike, all while blazing the trail for those who have come after him.
Nia Long will be honored for her performance...
Eddie Murphy will receive the Career Achievement Award as a tribute to his extraordinary roles over the years. Recognized most recently for his brilliant portrayal of the legendary Rudy Ray Moore in Netflix’s Dolemite Is My Name, Murphy’s performance helps shed light on an era when black artists were pioneering new-found ways to reach black audiences and tell their own stories. He has continued to impress critics and audiences alike, all while blazing the trail for those who have come after him.
Nia Long will be honored for her performance...
- 11/20/2019
- Look to the Stars
Eddie Murphy will receive the Career Achievement Award, and Nia Long, Chiwetel Ejiofor and director Kasi Lemmons will also be honored December 2 at the Celebration of Black Cinema presented by the Critics Choice Association (formerly known as the Broadcast Film Critics Association).
The event at the new Landmark Annex, part of the Landmark Theatre complex in Los Angeles, is designed to toast more than 100 years of black cinema and will be feting four individuals for their outstanding achievements in film in 2019, which is also the 100-year anniversary of The Homesteader from director Oscar Micheaux, credited by many as the first African American to make a feature-length film. He would go on to produce and/or direct another 44 films between 1919-1948.
Former Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Cheryl Boone Isaacs will host the evening, which benefits the UCLA Film & Television Archive and its commitment to the preservation of cinema.
The event at the new Landmark Annex, part of the Landmark Theatre complex in Los Angeles, is designed to toast more than 100 years of black cinema and will be feting four individuals for their outstanding achievements in film in 2019, which is also the 100-year anniversary of The Homesteader from director Oscar Micheaux, credited by many as the first African American to make a feature-length film. He would go on to produce and/or direct another 44 films between 1919-1948.
Former Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Cheryl Boone Isaacs will host the evening, which benefits the UCLA Film & Television Archive and its commitment to the preservation of cinema.
- 11/19/2019
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Eddie Murphy is set to receive the Career Achievement Award from the Critics Choice Association as part of a celebration of black cinema, the awards group announced Tuesday.
Nia Long, Kasi Lemmons and Chiwetel Ejiofor will also be honored as part of a ceremony for the Celebration of Black Cinema on Monday, Dec. 2 at the new Landmark Annex as part of the Landmark Theatres complex in Los Angeles.
Murphy is being recognized following his work as blaxploitation film star Rudy Ray Moore in the film “Dolemite Is My Name,” which the Critics Choice Association says helps sheds light on an era when black artists were pioneering new-found ways to reach black audiences and tell their own stories.
Also Read: Eddie Murphy Says Barack Obama Pushed Him to Return to Standup
Long will be honored for her performance as Eunice Garrett in Apple’s “The Banker,” a story about African Americans...
Nia Long, Kasi Lemmons and Chiwetel Ejiofor will also be honored as part of a ceremony for the Celebration of Black Cinema on Monday, Dec. 2 at the new Landmark Annex as part of the Landmark Theatres complex in Los Angeles.
Murphy is being recognized following his work as blaxploitation film star Rudy Ray Moore in the film “Dolemite Is My Name,” which the Critics Choice Association says helps sheds light on an era when black artists were pioneering new-found ways to reach black audiences and tell their own stories.
Also Read: Eddie Murphy Says Barack Obama Pushed Him to Return to Standup
Long will be honored for her performance as Eunice Garrett in Apple’s “The Banker,” a story about African Americans...
- 11/19/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
The Academy has bumbled its way into another snafu in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category, disqualifying the Austrian entry, “Joy,” a week after declaring that Nigeria’s “Lionheart” was ineligible.
Like “Lionheart,” “Joy” ran afoul of a rule that states a film must have “a predominantly non-English dialogue track” to compete in the category that until this year was known as Best Foreign Language Film.
“Joy,” which deals with an African woman caught up in sex trafficking in Vienna, is in a mixture of German and English, including a version of pidgin English that is subtitled in the film but understandable to English-speaking viewers.
Also Read: Academy Disqualifies Nigeria's Oscar Entry 'Lionheart'
The Academy ruled that “Joy” was not predominantly non-English, and could therefore not compete in the category. The second disqualification drops the total number of films in the category from 92 to 91, and the total number of...
Like “Lionheart,” “Joy” ran afoul of a rule that states a film must have “a predominantly non-English dialogue track” to compete in the category that until this year was known as Best Foreign Language Film.
“Joy,” which deals with an African woman caught up in sex trafficking in Vienna, is in a mixture of German and English, including a version of pidgin English that is subtitled in the film but understandable to English-speaking viewers.
Also Read: Academy Disqualifies Nigeria's Oscar Entry 'Lionheart'
The Academy ruled that “Joy” was not predominantly non-English, and could therefore not compete in the category. The second disqualification drops the total number of films in the category from 92 to 91, and the total number of...
- 11/12/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The disqualification of Nigeria’s “Lionheart” in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category is not a case of the Academy being unfair to Nigeria.
Instead, it’s a case of the Nigerian committee that submitted the film not following clear rules in the category.
And the people who are now lobbying for those rules to be changed may be inadvertently advocating for a category in which a non-u.S.-produced film like “The Favourite” could have won last year and “The King’s Speech,” “Dunkirk,” “The Theory of Everything” and lots more English-language movies could have been nominees and likely winners.
That would really be a way to push out countries like Nigeria.
Also Read: Academy Disqualifies Nigeria's Oscar Entry 'Lionheart'
If the minor tempest that followed Monday’s disqualification — a tempest that included a tweet from director Ava DuVernay and expressions of support from her followers — shows anything,...
Instead, it’s a case of the Nigerian committee that submitted the film not following clear rules in the category.
And the people who are now lobbying for those rules to be changed may be inadvertently advocating for a category in which a non-u.S.-produced film like “The Favourite” could have won last year and “The King’s Speech,” “Dunkirk,” “The Theory of Everything” and lots more English-language movies could have been nominees and likely winners.
That would really be a way to push out countries like Nigeria.
Also Read: Academy Disqualifies Nigeria's Oscar Entry 'Lionheart'
If the minor tempest that followed Monday’s disqualification — a tempest that included a tweet from director Ava DuVernay and expressions of support from her followers — shows anything,...
- 11/5/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The nominations for the 2019 British Independent Film Awards have been revealed, and it was a huge morning for Armando Iannucci’s Charles Dickens adaptation “The Personal History of David Copperfield” and Tom Harper’s musical drama “Wild Rose.” “Copperfield” led all movies with 11 nominations, including Best British Indie Film, Best Actor for Dev Patel, and Best Screenplay for Iannucci and co-writer Simon Blackwell. Fox Searchlight has U.S. distribution rights to the movie and has announced a 2020 theatrical release.
“Wild Rose,” which earned a second-best 10 nominations, will also compete for Best British Indie Film against “Bait,” “For Sama,” and “The Souvenir.” “Wild Rose” breakout Jessie Buckley landed a Best Actress nomination opposite Renee Zellweger for “Judy,” which Buckley just so happens to have a supporting role in.
While Zellweger landed in the Best Actress field (which she is widely expected to do all awards season thanks to her acclaimed leading...
“Wild Rose,” which earned a second-best 10 nominations, will also compete for Best British Indie Film against “Bait,” “For Sama,” and “The Souvenir.” “Wild Rose” breakout Jessie Buckley landed a Best Actress nomination opposite Renee Zellweger for “Judy,” which Buckley just so happens to have a supporting role in.
While Zellweger landed in the Best Actress field (which she is widely expected to do all awards season thanks to her acclaimed leading...
- 10/30/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Armando Iannucci’s take on the Charles Dickens classic “David Copperfield” is a strong front-runner in the British Independent Film Awards, scoring 11 nominations.
Dev Patel is up for best actor for his starring role in “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” and his co-stars, Tilda Swinton and Hugh Laurie, compete in their respective supporting categories.
“Wild Rose,” featuring Jessie Buckley as a rising singer, is also a major contender, with 10 nominations. Horror thriller “In Fabric” follows with nine, and Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir” with eight. Dance music feature “Beats,” biopic “Judy,” and documentaries “For Sama” and “Diego Maradona” landed five nods apiece.
British actors Naomi Ackie and Joe Cole unveiled the 2019 nominations in London on Wednesday.
Renee Zellweger gets a best actress nom for her turn as late-career Judy Garland. She will vie with Buckley, Holliday Grainger, Sally Hawkins and Vicky Knight for the award.
For the best actor prize,...
Dev Patel is up for best actor for his starring role in “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” and his co-stars, Tilda Swinton and Hugh Laurie, compete in their respective supporting categories.
“Wild Rose,” featuring Jessie Buckley as a rising singer, is also a major contender, with 10 nominations. Horror thriller “In Fabric” follows with nine, and Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir” with eight. Dance music feature “Beats,” biopic “Judy,” and documentaries “For Sama” and “Diego Maradona” landed five nods apiece.
British actors Naomi Ackie and Joe Cole unveiled the 2019 nominations in London on Wednesday.
Renee Zellweger gets a best actress nom for her turn as late-career Judy Garland. She will vie with Buckley, Holliday Grainger, Sally Hawkins and Vicky Knight for the award.
For the best actor prize,...
- 10/30/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Armando Iannucci’s The Personal History Of David Copperfield and Tom Harper’s Wild Rose lead the nominees pool for the 2019 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), which were unveiled in London this morning. Scroll down for the full list.
Copperfield has 11 nods including best film and director as well as actor for star Dev Patel. Wild Rose has 10 including best film and director, and actress for Jessie Buckley.
Peter Strickland’s In Fabric has nine and Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir, which is up for best film, has eight.
Judy missed out on best film but did take a nom for star Renee Zellweger and has five in total.
The best film category is completed by Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts’ Syria doc For Sama, and Mark Jenkin’s micro-budget Bait, which has been a surprise box office hit in the UK, grossing $520k.
Other notable nominees include Chiwetel Ejiofor,...
Copperfield has 11 nods including best film and director as well as actor for star Dev Patel. Wild Rose has 10 including best film and director, and actress for Jessie Buckley.
Peter Strickland’s In Fabric has nine and Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir, which is up for best film, has eight.
Judy missed out on best film but did take a nom for star Renee Zellweger and has five in total.
The best film category is completed by Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts’ Syria doc For Sama, and Mark Jenkin’s micro-budget Bait, which has been a surprise box office hit in the UK, grossing $520k.
Other notable nominees include Chiwetel Ejiofor,...
- 10/30/2019
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
She played Harry Potter‘s Hermione Granger in London and on Broadway, and now Noma Dumezweni has been tapped for a series regular role in HBO Max’s Made For Love, opposite Ray Romano in the half-hour series adaptation of Alissa Nutting’s dark, absurd and cynically poignant novel of divorce and revenge.
Dumezweni will play the role of ‘Fiffany,’ described as a lovestruck marine biologist who supplies the brains behind the Made For Love technology. She joins the previously cast Romano and Christin Milioti. Patrick Somerville (Netflix’s Maniac) is the showrunner for Made for Love.
In addition to originating the Hermione role for London’s and Broadway’s award winning Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Dumezweni won an Olivier Award for her West End performance in A Raisin in the Sun, and played the title role in Linda at the Royal Court, among many other productions.
Recent...
Dumezweni will play the role of ‘Fiffany,’ described as a lovestruck marine biologist who supplies the brains behind the Made For Love technology. She joins the previously cast Romano and Christin Milioti. Patrick Somerville (Netflix’s Maniac) is the showrunner for Made for Love.
In addition to originating the Hermione role for London’s and Broadway’s award winning Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Dumezweni won an Olivier Award for her West End performance in A Raisin in the Sun, and played the title role in Linda at the Royal Court, among many other productions.
Recent...
- 10/28/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The British Independent Film Awards — better known as the BIFAs — have unveiled the 2019 nomination longlists for the four emerging talent categories: breakthrough producer, debut screenwriter, most promising newcomer and debut director.
Like last year, the longlists, which will be shaved down to five names in each category when the official nominations are unveiled Oct. 30, show a strong female presence, particularly among the breakthrough producers, and include a sprinkling of recognizable names.
Perhaps most notable is Oscar-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, who went behind the camera for his Sundance-bowing directorial debut The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, as did ...
Like last year, the longlists, which will be shaved down to five names in each category when the official nominations are unveiled Oct. 30, show a strong female presence, particularly among the breakthrough producers, and include a sprinkling of recognizable names.
Perhaps most notable is Oscar-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, who went behind the camera for his Sundance-bowing directorial debut The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, as did ...
- 10/16/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The British Independent Film Awards — better known as the BIFAs — have unveiled the 2019 nomination longlists for the four emerging talent categories: breakthrough producer, debut screenwriter, most promising newcomer and debut director.
Like last year, the longlists, which will be shaved down to five names in each category when the official nominations are unveiled Oct. 30, show a strong female presence, particularly among the breakthrough producers, and include a sprinkling of recognizable names.
Perhaps most notable is Oscar-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, who went behind the camera for his Sundance-bowing directorial debut The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, as did ...
Like last year, the longlists, which will be shaved down to five names in each category when the official nominations are unveiled Oct. 30, show a strong female presence, particularly among the breakthrough producers, and include a sprinkling of recognizable names.
Perhaps most notable is Oscar-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, who went behind the camera for his Sundance-bowing directorial debut The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, as did ...
- 10/16/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Bong Joon-Ho’s dark comedy “Parasite,” which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, has launched with a spectacular $376,264 at three U.S. theaters.
Neon opened “Parasite” at The Landmark and Arclight Hollywood in Los Angeles and at the IFC Center in New York, where it broke the opening record set by 2014’s “Boyhood.” Its per-screen average of $125,421 is the highest since the opening of “La La Land” in 2016, and it’s also the largest per screen average for any foreign language film.
“Parasite” is a return to Korean-language film for Joon-Ho following “Okja” and “Snowpiercer.” It is also his fourth collaboration with Song Kang-Ho, who stars in the film. The film also stars Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik and Park So-dam. Jessica Kiang called the film “brilliant” in her review for Variety out of Cannes.
The story centers on the interactions between two families — one...
Neon opened “Parasite” at The Landmark and Arclight Hollywood in Los Angeles and at the IFC Center in New York, where it broke the opening record set by 2014’s “Boyhood.” Its per-screen average of $125,421 is the highest since the opening of “La La Land” in 2016, and it’s also the largest per screen average for any foreign language film.
“Parasite” is a return to Korean-language film for Joon-Ho following “Okja” and “Snowpiercer.” It is also his fourth collaboration with Song Kang-Ho, who stars in the film. The film also stars Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik and Park So-dam. Jessica Kiang called the film “brilliant” in her review for Variety out of Cannes.
The story centers on the interactions between two families — one...
- 10/13/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Which film will follow on from ‘Roma’ in winning the prize?
The 93 submissions for the best international feature award at the 2020 Oscars have been announced, and Screen has kept a list of all the entries below.
This is the first year the award will be given under the new name of ‘best international feature film’, after a change in April from ‘foreign-language film’.
Scroll down for latest entries
The eligibility rules remain the same: an international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the Us with a predominantly non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
The 93 submissions for the best international feature award at the 2020 Oscars have been announced, and Screen has kept a list of all the entries below.
This is the first year the award will be given under the new name of ‘best international feature film’, after a change in April from ‘foreign-language film’.
Scroll down for latest entries
The eligibility rules remain the same: an international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the Us with a predominantly non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
- 10/8/2019
- by 1101321¦Ben Dalton¦26¦¬0¦Emma Kiely, Nancy Epton¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Expanded shortlist of 10 films to be announced on December 16.
The Academy on Monday (7) confirmed that 93 countries have submitted films for consideration in the international feature film category for the 92nd Academy Awards.
Ghana, Nigeria and Uzbekistan are first-time entrants with Kwabena Gyansah’s Azali, Genevieve Nnaji’s Lionheart, and Umid Khamdamov’s Hot Bread, respectively.
Earlier this year, the Academy board voted to rename the category formerly known as foreign language film, and expand the shortlist from nine to 10 films.
The shortlist will be announced on December 16. Nominations for the 92nd Oscars will be unveiled on January 13, 2020, and the Oscars...
The Academy on Monday (7) confirmed that 93 countries have submitted films for consideration in the international feature film category for the 92nd Academy Awards.
Ghana, Nigeria and Uzbekistan are first-time entrants with Kwabena Gyansah’s Azali, Genevieve Nnaji’s Lionheart, and Umid Khamdamov’s Hot Bread, respectively.
Earlier this year, the Academy board voted to rename the category formerly known as foreign language film, and expand the shortlist from nine to 10 films.
The shortlist will be announced on December 16. Nominations for the 92nd Oscars will be unveiled on January 13, 2020, and the Oscars...
- 10/7/2019
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
A record-breaking total of 93 countries have submitted entries to be considered for best international film nominations at the Academy Awards.
The Academy announced the full list of eligible films and countries on Monday. Ghana, Nigeria and Uzbekisztan are competing for the first time in the category, which was previously known as the best foreign-language film category.
The previous high for submissions was 92 in 2017. A total of 87 films were submitted last year. Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” won the category this year, becoming the first Mexican entry to win the award.
High-profile entries include South Korea’s “Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho’s black comedy which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival; Spain’s “Pain and Glory” from Pedro Almodovar with Antonio Banderas starring as a film director; Japan’s “Weathering With You,” the country’s first animated entry since “Princess Mononoke”; Senegal’s “Atlantics” from director Mati Diop,...
The Academy announced the full list of eligible films and countries on Monday. Ghana, Nigeria and Uzbekisztan are competing for the first time in the category, which was previously known as the best foreign-language film category.
The previous high for submissions was 92 in 2017. A total of 87 films were submitted last year. Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” won the category this year, becoming the first Mexican entry to win the award.
High-profile entries include South Korea’s “Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho’s black comedy which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival; Spain’s “Pain and Glory” from Pedro Almodovar with Antonio Banderas starring as a film director; Japan’s “Weathering With You,” the country’s first animated entry since “Princess Mononoke”; Senegal’s “Atlantics” from director Mati Diop,...
- 10/7/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
A record-breaking total of 93 countries will be competing in the Oscar race for Best International Feature Film, the new name for what previously has been known as the Best Foreign-Language Film category.
The Academy announced the full list of eligible films and countries on Monday, with three countries — Ghana, Nigeria and Uzbekistan — competing in the category for the first time.
The previous high for submissions was 92 films, which was set in 2017. This year’s field also sets a new record for the number of women with films in the race, with 29 female directors responsible for 28 of the qualifying films.
One film, Algeria’s “Papicha,” needed a special ruling from the Academy to retain its eligibility. The film was scheduled to open in Algeria in late September, but the Algerian government cancelled the screenings without explanation just before they were scheduled to happen, presumably because it was uncomfortable with a film...
The Academy announced the full list of eligible films and countries on Monday, with three countries — Ghana, Nigeria and Uzbekistan — competing in the category for the first time.
The previous high for submissions was 92 films, which was set in 2017. This year’s field also sets a new record for the number of women with films in the race, with 29 female directors responsible for 28 of the qualifying films.
One film, Algeria’s “Papicha,” needed a special ruling from the Academy to retain its eligibility. The film was scheduled to open in Algeria in late September, but the Algerian government cancelled the screenings without explanation just before they were scheduled to happen, presumably because it was uncomfortable with a film...
- 10/7/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Funa Maduka, Netflix’s director of international original films and acquisitions, is to leave the streaming giant Friday, Variety has confirmed.
Her acquisitions included films that brought the company early awards recognition, such Houda Benyamina’s “Divines,” a Cannes Camera d’Or winner and Golden Globes nominee, and Ildiko Enyedi’s “On Body and Soul,” a Golden Bear winner at Berlin and an Academy Awards nominee. Other titles she brought to the company included “Happy As Lazzaro,” “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” and “I Lost My Body.”
Scott Stuber, Netflix’s VP of original film, said: “Funa has been integral to building our international film catalog. She has a great creative eye and the ability to connect deeply with filmmakers. We’re excited to see what challenge she takes on next – and know that whatever Funa does, she’ll continue helping storytellers from around the world have their voices heard.
Her acquisitions included films that brought the company early awards recognition, such Houda Benyamina’s “Divines,” a Cannes Camera d’Or winner and Golden Globes nominee, and Ildiko Enyedi’s “On Body and Soul,” a Golden Bear winner at Berlin and an Academy Awards nominee. Other titles she brought to the company included “Happy As Lazzaro,” “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” and “I Lost My Body.”
Scott Stuber, Netflix’s VP of original film, said: “Funa has been integral to building our international film catalog. She has a great creative eye and the ability to connect deeply with filmmakers. We’re excited to see what challenge she takes on next – and know that whatever Funa does, she’ll continue helping storytellers from around the world have their voices heard.
- 8/2/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
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