Sean Baker is officially returning to Cannes with his new rom-com “Anora.”
While the plot details remain under wraps, the feature is billed as an adventure rom-com, with the first look image showing a neon-lit club scene. Baker writes and directs the feature, which will debut at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
The cast includes Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karen Karagulian, and Vache Tovmasyan. Drew Daniels served as director of photography and shot the feature on 35mm film. The feature was filmed in Brooklyn and will be released by Neon later this year.
“Making an independent film is never easy no matter how many you have under your belt!” Baker said in a 2023 press statement (via Variety). “I feel so fortunate to have been given the resources and support to fulfill my vision in an uncompromised way. Thank you to my collaborators including Glen Basner and the FilmNation team,...
While the plot details remain under wraps, the feature is billed as an adventure rom-com, with the first look image showing a neon-lit club scene. Baker writes and directs the feature, which will debut at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
The cast includes Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karen Karagulian, and Vache Tovmasyan. Drew Daniels served as director of photography and shot the feature on 35mm film. The feature was filmed in Brooklyn and will be released by Neon later this year.
“Making an independent film is never easy no matter how many you have under your belt!” Baker said in a 2023 press statement (via Variety). “I feel so fortunate to have been given the resources and support to fulfill my vision in an uncompromised way. Thank you to my collaborators including Glen Basner and the FilmNation team,...
- 4/22/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Christopher Abbott is returning to his indie roots and reuniting with his 2015 filmmaking collaborator Josh Mond for upcoming feature “It Doesn’t Matter.”
Abbott, who recently appeared in “Poor Things” and is set to lead Universal’s “Wolfman,” stars opposite Jay Will in the dramedy revolving around the redemptive relationship between a lost man from Staten Island and a young filmmaker.
“It Doesn’t Matter” premieres at the Acid programming section, run by France’s Association for the Diffusion of Independent Cinema (Acid) and takes place parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. “It Doesn’t Matter” is writer/director Mond’s first movie since his breakout Sundance 2015 directorial debut “James White,” which also starred Abbott.
In addition to directing, Mond previously produced Sean Durkin’s “Martha Marcy May Marlene” and Antonio Campos’ “Simon Killer.” “It Doesn’t Matter” is his sophomore film.
Mond teased “It Doesn’t Matter” to IndieWire in 2015, saying that while the...
Abbott, who recently appeared in “Poor Things” and is set to lead Universal’s “Wolfman,” stars opposite Jay Will in the dramedy revolving around the redemptive relationship between a lost man from Staten Island and a young filmmaker.
“It Doesn’t Matter” premieres at the Acid programming section, run by France’s Association for the Diffusion of Independent Cinema (Acid) and takes place parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. “It Doesn’t Matter” is writer/director Mond’s first movie since his breakout Sundance 2015 directorial debut “James White,” which also starred Abbott.
In addition to directing, Mond previously produced Sean Durkin’s “Martha Marcy May Marlene” and Antonio Campos’ “Simon Killer.” “It Doesn’t Matter” is his sophomore film.
Mond teased “It Doesn’t Matter” to IndieWire in 2015, saying that while the...
- 4/16/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Cannes parallel section Acid, run by France’s Association for the Diffusion of Independent Cinema (Acid), has unveiled its 2024 line-up. (scroll down for full list)
This year’s selection world premieres nine features, three of which are documentaries.
They include It Doesn’t Matter, the second feature by U.S. producer and director Josh Mond, who made waves with his first movie James White at Sundance in 2015, and has since focused mainly on producing.
Christopher Abbott and Jay Will star in the drama revolving around the redemptive relationship between a lost man from Staten Island and a young filmmaker.
Launched in 1992, Acid previously showcased the early features of the likes of Oscar winner Justine Triet and Oscar-nominated director Kaouther Ben Hania as well as award winning filmmakers Radu Jude, Guy Maddin and Robert Guediguian.
Cannes 2023 Palme d’Or winner Triet’s first feature Age of Panic (La Bataille de Solférino...
This year’s selection world premieres nine features, three of which are documentaries.
They include It Doesn’t Matter, the second feature by U.S. producer and director Josh Mond, who made waves with his first movie James White at Sundance in 2015, and has since focused mainly on producing.
Christopher Abbott and Jay Will star in the drama revolving around the redemptive relationship between a lost man from Staten Island and a young filmmaker.
Launched in 1992, Acid previously showcased the early features of the likes of Oscar winner Justine Triet and Oscar-nominated director Kaouther Ben Hania as well as award winning filmmakers Radu Jude, Guy Maddin and Robert Guediguian.
Cannes 2023 Palme d’Or winner Triet’s first feature Age of Panic (La Bataille de Solférino...
- 4/16/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: HBO’s Untitled Brad Ingelsby Task Force Project (working title) has three new recurring cast members: Owen Teague (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), Dominic Colón (Power), and Margarita Levieva (The Deuce).
Teague plays Peaches, Robbie and Cliff’s co-worker by day and henchman by night. Colón portrays Deric “Breaker,” the Vice-President of a dangerous biker gang and Jayson’s right hand. Levieva’s character is Eryn, Jayson’s tough and cunning wife.
Mark Ruffalo leads the ensemble as FBI agent Tom. Additional previously announced cast includes Tom Pelphrey as Robbie; Emilia Jones as Maeve; Thuso Mbedu as Aleah; Raúl Castillo as Cliff; Jamie McShane as Perry; Sam Keeley as Jayson; Fabien Frankel as Anthony; and Alison Oliver as Lizzie.
A crime drama based on an original idea from Mare of Easttown creator Ingelsby, the show is set in the working class suburbs outside of Philadelphia, where Ruffalo...
Teague plays Peaches, Robbie and Cliff’s co-worker by day and henchman by night. Colón portrays Deric “Breaker,” the Vice-President of a dangerous biker gang and Jayson’s right hand. Levieva’s character is Eryn, Jayson’s tough and cunning wife.
Mark Ruffalo leads the ensemble as FBI agent Tom. Additional previously announced cast includes Tom Pelphrey as Robbie; Emilia Jones as Maeve; Thuso Mbedu as Aleah; Raúl Castillo as Cliff; Jamie McShane as Perry; Sam Keeley as Jayson; Fabien Frankel as Anthony; and Alison Oliver as Lizzie.
A crime drama based on an original idea from Mare of Easttown creator Ingelsby, the show is set in the working class suburbs outside of Philadelphia, where Ruffalo...
- 3/8/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Ethan Embry (Grace and Frankie) and Margarita Levieva (The Deuce) are in production in Pittsburgh on The Gymnast, a new indie marking the narrative feature debut of writer-director Charlotte Glynn. Starring alongside them is newcomer Britney Wheeler, a gymnast from upstate New York, who was discovered after a nationwide casting search, and Will Mossek (Life & Beth).
Set in Pittsburgh, 1993, The Gymnast follows an aspiring Olympic gymnast and her single father who has dedicated himself to his daughter’s success. When the young athlete suffers a potentially career-ending injury, their relationship suffers as they fight to discover who they are without gymnastics.
Pic’s producer is Ricky Tollman. Max Mooney is co-producing, with Randy Manis, Luke Spears, Henry Simonds, Offer Egozy, Liesl Wilke and Kate Geller serving as executive producers. In addition to the Sundance Institute’s Catalyst program, the project has been...
Set in Pittsburgh, 1993, The Gymnast follows an aspiring Olympic gymnast and her single father who has dedicated himself to his daughter’s success. When the young athlete suffers a potentially career-ending injury, their relationship suffers as they fight to discover who they are without gymnastics.
Pic’s producer is Ricky Tollman. Max Mooney is co-producing, with Randy Manis, Luke Spears, Henry Simonds, Offer Egozy, Liesl Wilke and Kate Geller serving as executive producers. In addition to the Sundance Institute’s Catalyst program, the project has been...
- 12/20/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Photo credit: HBO
The new HBO series “The Gilded Age” hails from “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes, and much like that hit period series, this one features a lot of characters. Several cadres of characters keep the plot pivoting back and forth between households and prominent locations around 1890s New York, as the show tells a story of New York City on the cusp of change, where the battle between old money and new money — as well as old and new ways of doing things — is being fought.
A mix of veteran actors and actresses balance out some newer talent in Julian Fellowes’ latest fictional show — from “Sex and the City’s” Cynthia Nixon to Meryl Streep’s youngest daughter Louisa Jacobson, who plays a main heroine at the heart of aristocratic New York City.
“American Horror Story’s” Taissa Farmiga plays a supporting role with room for growth: Gladys Russell,...
The new HBO series “The Gilded Age” hails from “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes, and much like that hit period series, this one features a lot of characters. Several cadres of characters keep the plot pivoting back and forth between households and prominent locations around 1890s New York, as the show tells a story of New York City on the cusp of change, where the battle between old money and new money — as well as old and new ways of doing things — is being fought.
A mix of veteran actors and actresses balance out some newer talent in Julian Fellowes’ latest fictional show — from “Sex and the City’s” Cynthia Nixon to Meryl Streep’s youngest daughter Louisa Jacobson, who plays a main heroine at the heart of aristocratic New York City.
“American Horror Story’s” Taissa Farmiga plays a supporting role with room for growth: Gladys Russell,...
- 11/6/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Producer Miranda Bailey, known for movies such as Swiss Army Man, Don’t Think Twice and The Diary of a Teenage Girl, says that multiple studios and streamers shied away from acquiring her completed drama series Unconventional due to its queer themes.
Bailey, who declined to name the companies, is instead planning to release the series in 2024 on VOD through distribution label The Film Arcade, which has acquired U.S. rights to the nine-episode season.
Eastsiders creator Kit Williamson is behind the Sundance Lab-developed drama, which follows eccentric, queer siblings Noah and Margot Guillory and their significant others Daniel Charles and Eliza Slate as they try to start an unconventional family while navigating their thirties.
Williamson stars as Noah alongside James Bland (Insecure), Aubrey Peeples (Nashville), Briana Venskus (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Beau Bridges (Masters of Sex), Kathy Griffin (Search Party), Dana Wheeler-Nicholson (Friday Night Lights), Tuc Watkins (Uncoupled), Willam Belli...
Bailey, who declined to name the companies, is instead planning to release the series in 2024 on VOD through distribution label The Film Arcade, which has acquired U.S. rights to the nine-episode season.
Eastsiders creator Kit Williamson is behind the Sundance Lab-developed drama, which follows eccentric, queer siblings Noah and Margot Guillory and their significant others Daniel Charles and Eliza Slate as they try to start an unconventional family while navigating their thirties.
Williamson stars as Noah alongside James Bland (Insecure), Aubrey Peeples (Nashville), Briana Venskus (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Beau Bridges (Masters of Sex), Kathy Griffin (Search Party), Dana Wheeler-Nicholson (Friday Night Lights), Tuc Watkins (Uncoupled), Willam Belli...
- 9/29/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Aubrey Plaza and Christopher Abbott will find love in a Bronx bar with an upcoming Off-Broadway production of John Patrick Shanley’s “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea.”
The “White Lotus” Emmy nominee and “Poor Things” actor, respectively, will star in the revival of the 1984 play, set for the Lucille Lortel Theatre in the West Village this fall. “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea” will start previews on Monday, October 20 with an opening night set for Monday, November 13. Actor Jeff Ward will make his stage directing debut with the production, while Plaza will make her own stage acting debut as well.
Many know John Patrick Shanley for his Oscar-winning original screenplay for “Moonstruck,” but he also won the Pulitzer Prize and Tony for Best Play in 2005 for “Doubt,” which he adapted to the screen in 2008. “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea” first premiered Off-Broadway at Circle in the Square Theatre...
The “White Lotus” Emmy nominee and “Poor Things” actor, respectively, will star in the revival of the 1984 play, set for the Lucille Lortel Theatre in the West Village this fall. “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea” will start previews on Monday, October 20 with an opening night set for Monday, November 13. Actor Jeff Ward will make his stage directing debut with the production, while Plaza will make her own stage acting debut as well.
Many know John Patrick Shanley for his Oscar-winning original screenplay for “Moonstruck,” but he also won the Pulitzer Prize and Tony for Best Play in 2005 for “Doubt,” which he adapted to the screen in 2008. “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea” first premiered Off-Broadway at Circle in the Square Theatre...
- 7/26/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Five of the 2023 WGA Awards nominees will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2023 awards contenders. They will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Wednesday, February 8, at 6:00 p.m. Pt; 9:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our senior editor Daniel Montgomery and a roundtable chat with all of the group together.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following Writers Guild contenders:
Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)
Synopsis: Follows the Garvey sisters, who are bound together by the death of their parents and a promise to always protect each other.
Bio: Sharon Horgan is a two-time WGA nominee for “Bad Sisters.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following Writers Guild contenders:
Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)
Synopsis: Follows the Garvey sisters, who are bound together by the death of their parents and a promise to always protect each other.
Bio: Sharon Horgan is a two-time WGA nominee for “Bad Sisters.
- 2/1/2023
- by Chris Beachum and Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Author: Stefan Pape
One of the very few issues with Trey Edwards Shults’ It Comes at Night is the title. Giving off the impression this nuanced character drama is an archetypal horror flick, instead the talented filmmaker subverts expectations, transcending the tropes of the genre at hand to make for a compelling, candid exploration of the human condition – and the results aren’t pretty.
There’s an illness out there and it’s spreading. Taking away the life of Sarah’s (Carmen Ejogo) father, she returns to the desolate, isolated home with her son Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and partner Paul (Joel Edgerton). They ration food and drink, they have to wear protective masks outside, and most importantly of all, their doors remains locked – as no other human being can be trusted at the risk of catching this killer virus. Until their door is knocked down by Will (Christopher Abbott...
One of the very few issues with Trey Edwards Shults’ It Comes at Night is the title. Giving off the impression this nuanced character drama is an archetypal horror flick, instead the talented filmmaker subverts expectations, transcending the tropes of the genre at hand to make for a compelling, candid exploration of the human condition – and the results aren’t pretty.
There’s an illness out there and it’s spreading. Taking away the life of Sarah’s (Carmen Ejogo) father, she returns to the desolate, isolated home with her son Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and partner Paul (Joel Edgerton). They ration food and drink, they have to wear protective masks outside, and most importantly of all, their doors remains locked – as no other human being can be trusted at the risk of catching this killer virus. Until their door is knocked down by Will (Christopher Abbott...
- 7/5/2017
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The jump from first to second feature is often a tough one for acclaimed filmmakers to make, but for “It Comes at Night” writer and director Trey Edward Shults, it was a seamless one. His first feature, the festival hit “Krisha,” was made for a fraction of his second, the A24-financed horror offering “It Comes at Night,” but one personal vision led directly to the other — literally, as A24 picked up the rights to the new project at the same time that it acquired his debut. The only difference on the second time around was money.
“Now we have an actual budget,” Shults said, laughing during a recent interview as he considered his progress. “It’s not at my mom’s house. It’s not with my family, though I brought as many friends as I could. It’s all funded from a studio.”
It’s a big change...
“Now we have an actual budget,” Shults said, laughing during a recent interview as he considered his progress. “It’s not at my mom’s house. It’s not with my family, though I brought as many friends as I could. It’s all funded from a studio.”
It’s a big change...
- 6/9/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
On a beautiful day at the beach, Cora Tannetti gets up off her blanket, picks up a knife, and repeatedly stabs a random man sitting in front of her. So why does a regular person walk up to a stranger and stab him to death? This is the very basic premise of “The Sinner,” USA Network’s upcoming adaptation of Petra Hammesfahr’s book, starring Jessica Biel (“BoJack Horseman”), Bill Pullman (“Independence Day”), and Christopher Abbott (“James White”).
The murder scene, which happens very early in the pilot, is a shocking, brutal, and blunt moment, foreshadowing more gruesome surprises to come. If the scene marked the start of a traditional series, “The Sinner” would feel like it’s already stringing out its big reveal. There’s too little backstory and too many opaque teases toward Cora’s motivations in the first hour for us to stick around for five seasons...
The murder scene, which happens very early in the pilot, is a shocking, brutal, and blunt moment, foreshadowing more gruesome surprises to come. If the scene marked the start of a traditional series, “The Sinner” would feel like it’s already stringing out its big reveal. There’s too little backstory and too many opaque teases toward Cora’s motivations in the first hour for us to stick around for five seasons...
- 4/26/2017
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Christopher Abbott essentially has two modes: Intense, and way more intense. The former “Girls” star, whose blooming career is still often seen as a response to his brief time on (and tumultuous exit from) that epochal HBO show, has spent the last few years playing one brooding knuckle-dragger after another, like he’s trying to rid himself of whatever cooties Lena Dunham may have left behind.
From “James White” to “Katie Says Goodbye,” the Greenwich, Ct native seems exclusively drawn to characters who could punch a wall at any moment — you can’t take your eyes off the guy, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that he picks his roles by imagining what might happen if Marlon Brando’s Stanley Kowalski walked off the screen and started wandering through the modern indie landscape.
But that’s all about to change, as Jamie M. Dagg’s “Sweet Virginia” brings...
From “James White” to “Katie Says Goodbye,” the Greenwich, Ct native seems exclusively drawn to characters who could punch a wall at any moment — you can’t take your eyes off the guy, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that he picks his roles by imagining what might happen if Marlon Brando’s Stanley Kowalski walked off the screen and started wandering through the modern indie landscape.
But that’s all about to change, as Jamie M. Dagg’s “Sweet Virginia” brings...
- 4/23/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
The Furious 8 crowd is advised to run for the hills. Terence Davies is a poet of cinema, of images, sounds and rhythms that define a life. Davies films move at a pace demanded by the material, not fidgety audiences. His remarkable debut features – 1988's Distant Voices, Still Lives and 1992's The Long Day Closes – are drawn from his own growing up experiences as the youngest of 10 children in a working-class Catholic family in Liverpool. To deal with an abusive father, he escaped into music and movies.
Just one reason that...
Just one reason that...
- 4/12/2017
- Rollingstone.com
Christopher Abbott is a drifter who wreaks havoc on a small Alaskan town in The Hollywood Reporter's exclusive clip of Sweet Virginia.
The Girls alum, who made an impression in Josh Mond's drama James White, goes up against Jon Bernthal (The Punisher, The Walking Dead) in this gritty neo-Western, which premieres this month at New York's Tribeca Film Festival.
In the first clip of the film, Abbott's loner Elwood wanders into a closed diner much to the dismay of one of the locals on staff, Mitchell (Jonathan Tucker). When he is told to leave, Elwood threatens, "Do you have a wife that you...
The Girls alum, who made an impression in Josh Mond's drama James White, goes up against Jon Bernthal (The Punisher, The Walking Dead) in this gritty neo-Western, which premieres this month at New York's Tribeca Film Festival.
In the first clip of the film, Abbott's loner Elwood wanders into a closed diner much to the dismay of one of the locals on staff, Mitchell (Jonathan Tucker). When he is told to leave, Elwood threatens, "Do you have a wife that you...
- 4/6/2017
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Murtada here. With her duties as Alice over, Mia Wasikowska is turning to smaller indies. Announced this week is Piercing, a psychological thriller from director Nicolas Pesce (The Eyes of My Mother). Wasikowska plays a prostitute who tassles with a family man client intent on murder. That part is played by Girls and James White star, Christopher Abbott. This film is so indie it flew under the radar while it was in production. The announcement mentions that it is already completed. Also complete is her other indie Damsel in which she reunites with her Maps to the Stars co-star Robert Pattinson. Directed by David Zellner (Kumiko the Treasure Hunter), little is known about the plot except that it’s a period western.
When Wasikowska appeared on the cover of the Vanity Fair Hollywood issue 4 years ago, alongside Rooney Mara, Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain, we thought she’d be the...
When Wasikowska appeared on the cover of the Vanity Fair Hollywood issue 4 years ago, alongside Rooney Mara, Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain, we thought she’d be the...
- 2/10/2017
- by Murtada Elfadl
- FilmExperience
Mia Wasikowska and Christopher Abbott are set to topline the upcoming film “Piercing.” According to Variety, the pair has wrapped production on the psychological thriller directed by Nicolas Pesce.
Read More: Jack Nicholson to Star in ‘Toni Erdmann’ Remake
Based on Ryu Murakami’s 1994 novel of the same name, “Piercing” follows the story of a man (Abbott) who leaves his wife and daughter at home as he says he’s heading on a business trip. However, he checks into a hotel and calls an escort service with the intention of killing the unsuspecting call girl, played by Wasikowska. After arriving at his room, the seductive and enigmatic prostitute manages to hinder his plan of killing her.
Wasikowska is known for her work in such films as “Jane Eyre,” “The Kids Are All Right” and last year’s “Alice Through the Looking Glass.” Abbot has appeared in films like “James White” and “A Most Violent Year,...
Read More: Jack Nicholson to Star in ‘Toni Erdmann’ Remake
Based on Ryu Murakami’s 1994 novel of the same name, “Piercing” follows the story of a man (Abbott) who leaves his wife and daughter at home as he says he’s heading on a business trip. However, he checks into a hotel and calls an escort service with the intention of killing the unsuspecting call girl, played by Wasikowska. After arriving at his room, the seductive and enigmatic prostitute manages to hinder his plan of killing her.
Wasikowska is known for her work in such films as “Jane Eyre,” “The Kids Are All Right” and last year’s “Alice Through the Looking Glass.” Abbot has appeared in films like “James White” and “A Most Violent Year,...
- 2/8/2017
- by Yoselin Acevedo
- Indiewire
Following up his harrowing debut Eyes of My Mother, according to Variety, director Nicolas Pesce has just finished wrapping his new film Piercing with stars Mia Wasikowska and Christopher Abbott (James White). An adaptation of Ryu Mirakami’s novel, the film follows Abbott’s crazed protagonist who plans on murdering an unsuspecting call girl at a hotel. Unfortunately for him, he becomes allured by the mysterious woman who shows up (Wasikowska), which starts a dangerous game of chance and chase. Mirakami’s works are often dense and psychological, and it will be interesting to see how Pesce handles the material.
In more adaptation news, Léa Seydoux has joined Colin Firth and Matthias Schoenaerts in a film based on the book Kursk, which tells of the gripping real-life events of a Russian submarine disaster, according to Screen Daily. Helmed by director Thomas Vinterberg (The Hunt), Kursk is penned by Robert Rodal...
In more adaptation news, Léa Seydoux has joined Colin Firth and Matthias Schoenaerts in a film based on the book Kursk, which tells of the gripping real-life events of a Russian submarine disaster, according to Screen Daily. Helmed by director Thomas Vinterberg (The Hunt), Kursk is penned by Robert Rodal...
- 2/8/2017
- by Mike Mazzanti
- The Film Stage
Writer/director Trey Edward Shults blew my socks off last year with Krisha. The intimate drama benefited from a spectacular performance from Krisha Fairchild in the titular role but Shults' approach to the storytelling - the movie features Krisha spending the holidays with family she hasn't seen or talked to in years, including her son - made for a movie that plays more like a really taught thriller than a family drama. With his follow-up, Shults has moved squarely into horror territory.
It Comes at Night is a far bigger production than Krisha both in scope and cast. This time around Shults is working with the talents of Joel Edgerton, Riley Keough ("The Girlfriend Experience"), Christopher Abbott (A Most Violent Year, James White) and Carmen Ejogo ( [Continued ...]...
It Comes at Night is a far bigger production than Krisha both in scope and cast. This time around Shults is working with the talents of Joel Edgerton, Riley Keough ("The Girlfriend Experience"), Christopher Abbott (A Most Violent Year, James White) and Carmen Ejogo ( [Continued ...]...
- 2/8/2017
- QuietEarth.us
Beginning now until November 27, cinephiles can enjoy all of Borderline Film’s movies at the Museum of the Moving Image’s seven-film retrospective in New York. To kick off the event, the production company shared a dynamic new trailer composed of all the features that will be screened, which you can check out below.
The celebration kicked off this past Thursday with the NY premiere of “The Eyes of My Mother” with director Nicholas Pesce in person. On Friday, November 18, a special screening of “Christine” was held with star Rebecca Hall in attendance. Since its premiere, the actress has been praised for her performance as the Florida news reporter who killed herself on air.
“With the critical acclaim around Rebecca Hall’s performance and Antonio Campos’s direction of the highly topical character study ‘Christine,’ and the New York premiere of the mesmerizing thriller ‘The Eyes of My Mother,’ this...
The celebration kicked off this past Thursday with the NY premiere of “The Eyes of My Mother” with director Nicholas Pesce in person. On Friday, November 18, a special screening of “Christine” was held with star Rebecca Hall in attendance. Since its premiere, the actress has been praised for her performance as the Florida news reporter who killed herself on air.
“With the critical acclaim around Rebecca Hall’s performance and Antonio Campos’s direction of the highly topical character study ‘Christine,’ and the New York premiere of the mesmerizing thriller ‘The Eyes of My Mother,’ this...
- 11/19/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
As messy as it is effective, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk attempts to be both a celebration and a satire on the American soldier and the way our country receives him or her. In Billy’s brief fling with Dallas cheerleader Faison do we get one of the more biting relationships of the film. The Film Stage spoke with actress Makenzie Leigh, who plays Faison, about injecting satire into character beats, pulling from her own life, and how personal politics play into a performance.
The Film Stage: Had you read the book or known about the [Ben Fountain] novel before filming? Was that something that was in your head?
Makenzie Leigh: I hadn’t. Not at all, because I was just given sides. And, to be honest, the sides were pretty long. I didn’t even have time to really read the script. Which is weird and rare, actually. Usually...
The Film Stage: Had you read the book or known about the [Ben Fountain] novel before filming? Was that something that was in your head?
Makenzie Leigh: I hadn’t. Not at all, because I was just given sides. And, to be honest, the sides were pretty long. I didn’t even have time to really read the script. Which is weird and rare, actually. Usually...
- 11/17/2016
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Easily one of the more unforgettable films I’ve seen this year—genre or otherwise—is writer/director Nicolas Pesce’s The Eyes of My Mother, which follows a young woman named Francisca (Kika Magalhaes) as she copes with her loneliness through some rather depraved and heartbreaking ways.
The Eyes of My Mother recently played at the 2016 Fantastic Fest, and while at the festival, we had a chance to speak with the first-time feature filmmaker about his approach to his haunting character study, working with his incredible lead actress Magalhaes, and how he’s trying to bring back the feeling of the classic horror stories most of us grew up on, but with a bit of a modern twist.
Look for The Eyes of My Mother in December when it’s released by the fine folks over at Magnet Releasing.
I would love to hear about how the project came...
The Eyes of My Mother recently played at the 2016 Fantastic Fest, and while at the festival, we had a chance to speak with the first-time feature filmmaker about his approach to his haunting character study, working with his incredible lead actress Magalhaes, and how he’s trying to bring back the feeling of the classic horror stories most of us grew up on, but with a bit of a modern twist.
Look for The Eyes of My Mother in December when it’s released by the fine folks over at Magnet Releasing.
I would love to hear about how the project came...
- 9/26/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Considering how fashionable a “spiritual sequel” is in Hollywood these days, it’s a pity that those behind Katie Says Goodbye can’t legally flaunt it as one of the prequel variety to Martin Scorsese’s early drama Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Sharing more than just the pink waitress uniforms donned by Olivia Cooke and Ellen Burstyn, respectively, both films explore a seemingly inescapable life below the poverty line in the American southwest, with big dreams to emerge out of the rut. Wayne Roberts‘ directorial debut certainly gets darker than that 1974 drama, but, despite a transfixing performance from Cooke, it’s in search of a more distinctive personality on both the page and screen.
Katie spends most of her time working as a waitress at the local truck stop, seemingly the biggest attraction in her desolate town. At night, she tends to her alcoholic, unemployed mother (Mireille Enos...
Katie spends most of her time working as a waitress at the local truck stop, seemingly the biggest attraction in her desolate town. At night, she tends to her alcoholic, unemployed mother (Mireille Enos...
- 9/12/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Producers Jacob Wasserman and Kimberly Parker have launched Unknown Subject, a production company with a first feature debuting this weekend at the Toronto film festival: Katie Says Goodbye stars Olivia Cooke (Me and Earl and The Dying Girl) and Christopher Abbott (Girls). Wasserman, a coproducer of Sundance 2015’s James White (also starring Abbott), and Parker, a coproducer of the 2015 James Franco-starrer The Adderall Diaries, say their new company will focus “on…...
- 9/10/2016
- Deadline
A popular trend for young, rising actors is to take on the Ya novel franchise, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens star Daisy Ridley is following suit. According to Variety, the young star has joined Lionsgate for an adaptation of Chaos Walking, which is set in a world where all living things can hear each other’s thoughts. The novel are a — wait for it — trilogy, so clearly the studio wants this thing to take off, but the big question will be if Ridley can balance it with the demands of the Star Wars saga commitment. Despite this traditional choice, however, Ridley continues to mix her growing filmography palette with interesting choices, as she can be heard narrating a documentary on a young Mongolian eagle huntress soon, as well as starring in a reimagining of Hamlet from Ophelia’s perspective.
Steven Soderbergh continues to expand his already-star studded next feature Logan Lucky,...
Steven Soderbergh continues to expand his already-star studded next feature Logan Lucky,...
- 8/5/2016
- by Mike Mazzanti
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Josh Mond, who wrote and directed the 2015 Sundance Film Festival pic James White, has been tapped to direct Jake Ellis, 20th Century Fox’s movie adaptation of Nathan Edmonson’s Image Comics graphic novel Who Is Jake Ellis? Chernin Entertainment is producing. This pic will center on Silas, who has his life turned upside down when the voice in his head, Jake Ellis, turns out to be a secret human-experimentation operation. Silas must learn to listen to the voice…...
- 8/5/2016
- Deadline
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit the interwebs. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Aferim! (Radu Jude)
Leave it to a Romanian director to make a movie that best expresses the dangers of the dyed-in-the-wool mindset of modern America. Culled partly from historical documents, Aferim! is a twisted history lesson whose messages transcend its insular time period of 19th-century Romania. Its story concerns Constable Costandin (Teodor Corban) and his son, Ionita (Mihai Comanoiu), who chase after a wanted Gypsy slave...
Aferim! (Radu Jude)
Leave it to a Romanian director to make a movie that best expresses the dangers of the dyed-in-the-wool mindset of modern America. Culled partly from historical documents, Aferim! is a twisted history lesson whose messages transcend its insular time period of 19th-century Romania. Its story concerns Constable Costandin (Teodor Corban) and his son, Ionita (Mihai Comanoiu), who chase after a wanted Gypsy slave...
- 6/24/2016
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Our resident VOD expert tells you what's new to rent and/or own this week via various Digital HD providers such as cable Movies On Demand, Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and, of course, Netflix. Cable Movies On Demand: Same-day-as-disc releases, older titles and pretheatrical exclusives for rent, priced from $3-$10, in 24- or 48-hour periods The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part 2 (Ya action-adventure sequel; Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Julianne Moore, Donald Sutherland, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks; rated PG-13) Daddy’s Home (comedy; Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini; rated PG-13) James White (drama; Christopher Abbott, Cynthia Nixon; rated R) Kill Your Friends (comedy-thriller; Nicholas Hoult, James Corden, Ed Skrein, Rosanna...
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- 3/23/2016
- by Robert B. DeSalvo
- Movies.com
I'm not sure Tina Fey was meant to be a movie star. She is, no question about it, a dazzling wit, and I think she can be very funny onstage as well. So far, though, Hollywood has not figured out what to do with Fey as a leading actress because she simply doesn't fit the cookie-cutter archetypes that so many actresses are forced to play, and it's left her in a weird place as an actress. She's obviously talented, but who's writing the roles that she could play? As it turns out, all it takes are directors like Glenn Ficarra and John Requa and a writer like Robert Carlock, who worked with Fey on 30 Rock and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. I like Ficarra and Requa. I don't think every film they've made is great, but they have a good eye for both character and detail. My favorite film of theirs is still I Love You,...
- 3/4/2016
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
The night before it would go on to win Best Picture at the Oscars, Spotlight wound up having a great night at the Spirit Awards. Yes, Tom McCarthy’s film all but swept the Spirits, beating back what originally seemed like a strong challenge from Todd Haynes’ Carol, not to mention Sean Baker’s Tangerine and Cary Fukunaga’s Beasts of No Nation. Personally, I’m thrilled that Spotlight won here, but it appeared originally like it was an awards show tailor made for Carol. Go figure. It was a night that would mirror the Academy in more ways than one ultimately, so let’s take a look… Obviously, it was a very good night for Spotlight, perhaps its best all season long. Not only did it take Best Feature, but McCarthy won Best Director as well as Best Screenplay, which he of course shares with Josh Singer. The film...
- 3/1/2016
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Yay! My favorite film of 2015 was the big winner at the recently concluded Film Independent Spirit Awards taking home the best feature, director (Tom McCarthy), screenplay, and editing. It was previously announced that the film was the winner of the prestigious Robert Altman Award (ensemble) as well.
Oh and kudos to the Film Independent Spirit Awards for bestowing their Best Supporting Actress Award to Mya Taylor for "Tangerine!" Taylor becomes the first transgender performer to receive major acting award! See her acceptance speech right here.
Let's see if this will continue with tonight's Oscars. See my full Oscar predictions right here.
Here's the complete list of winners of the Film Independent Spirit Awards:
Best Feature
Award given to the Producer; Executive Producers are not awarded.
"Anomalisa"
"Beasts of No Nation"
"Carol"
*** "Spotlight" (Winner)
"Tangerine"
Best Director
Cary Joji Fukunaga, "Beasts of No Nation"
Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson, "Anomalisa"
David Robert Mitchell,...
Oh and kudos to the Film Independent Spirit Awards for bestowing their Best Supporting Actress Award to Mya Taylor for "Tangerine!" Taylor becomes the first transgender performer to receive major acting award! See her acceptance speech right here.
Let's see if this will continue with tonight's Oscars. See my full Oscar predictions right here.
Here's the complete list of winners of the Film Independent Spirit Awards:
Best Feature
Award given to the Producer; Executive Producers are not awarded.
"Anomalisa"
"Beasts of No Nation"
"Carol"
*** "Spotlight" (Winner)
"Tangerine"
Best Director
Cary Joji Fukunaga, "Beasts of No Nation"
Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson, "Anomalisa"
David Robert Mitchell,...
- 2/28/2016
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The 31st Independent Spirt Awards took place this Saturday, February 27 with the fiendishly talented and hilarious Kate McKinnon & Kumail Nanjiani co-hosting the event. Take a look at their parody of one of this year’s best films Room below. The show, as in years past, aligned with the Academy Awards in some moments, but also served to do what the Oscars can’t, or won’t in others. Perhaps that’s just as it should be. Brie Larson won for Best Female Lead for Room, and is very likely to win the Academy Award for Best Actress tomorrow night. However, Spotlight, which won Best Feature, Director, and Screenplay at the Spirit Awards is in a three way race with The Revenant and The Big Short for the top prize at the Oscars. Though it’s likely to take Best Screenplay there as well. Typically, the Academy favors flashier films, so...
- 2/28/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
The Berlin International Film Festival continued to challenge expectations in its 66th edition, landing another auteur heavy competition line-up, albeit a slightly less sensational one than the landmark 2015 program. Although an attempt continues to be made to establish grand motifs between films in competition and the more experimental sidebars, topical issues seemed to be the name of the game across the board, particularly immigration. This culminated with this year’s Golden Bear winner, Gianfranco Rosi’s Fire at Sea, a documentary which was the clear early favorite and remained so up until the awards ceremony. Rosi has now won two major film festivals with his documentary work (previously taking home the top prize at Venice 2013 for Sacro Gra), and further solidifies an argument for the Cannes Film Festival to follow suit and allow documentary titles to play in the main competition. Berlin notably had two documentaries in the main competition this year,...
- 2/22/2016
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
The more “international” body of tastemaker critics have anointed Todd Haynes’ Carol, Hou Hsaio-Hsien’s The Assassin, George Miller’s Mad Max, Sean Baker’s Tangerine and Bruno Dumont’s Li’l Quinquin as the better film items for 2015 and top vote getters with the most noms for 2016 Ics Awards. Winners of the 13th Ics Awards will be announced on February 21, 2016. Here are the noms and all the categories.
Picture
• 45 Years
• Arabian Nights
• The Assassin
• Carol
• Clouds of Sils Maria
• The Duke of Burgundy
• Inside Out
• Li’l Quinquin
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence
• Tangerine
Director
• Sean Baker – Tangerine
• Bruno Dumont – Li’l Quinquin
• Todd Haynes – Carol
• Hou Hsaio-Hsien – The Assassin
• George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road
Film Not In The English Language
• Amour Fou
• Arabian Nights
• The Assassin
• Hard to Be a God
• Jauja
• La Sapienza
• Li’l Quinquin
• Phoenix
• A...
Picture
• 45 Years
• Arabian Nights
• The Assassin
• Carol
• Clouds of Sils Maria
• The Duke of Burgundy
• Inside Out
• Li’l Quinquin
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence
• Tangerine
Director
• Sean Baker – Tangerine
• Bruno Dumont – Li’l Quinquin
• Todd Haynes – Carol
• Hou Hsaio-Hsien – The Assassin
• George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road
Film Not In The English Language
• Amour Fou
• Arabian Nights
• The Assassin
• Hard to Be a God
• Jauja
• La Sapienza
• Li’l Quinquin
• Phoenix
• A...
- 2/8/2016
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
After making a run with Josh Mond’s James White, and less than a day after picking up the docu Life, Animated, Variety reports that The Orchard have reteamed with the Borderline Films folk on the Sundance preemed Christine – Antonio Campos’ third feature film. With a stellar perf from Rebecca Hall, we imagine the company will look to premiere the film at major film fests prior to an awards-friendly theatrical release date later this year.
Gist: Based on true events, ‘Christine’ is about an ambitious 29-year-old news reporter (Hall), in Sarasota, Florida, circa 1974. Relentlessly motivated to succeed, she knows she has talent, but being a driven career woman in the 1970s comes with its own challenges, especially when competition for a promotion, unrequited love for a coworker (Michael C. Hall) and a tumultuous home life lead to a dissolution of self. With ratings in the cellar, the station manager issues...
Gist: Based on true events, ‘Christine’ is about an ambitious 29-year-old news reporter (Hall), in Sarasota, Florida, circa 1974. Relentlessly motivated to succeed, she knows she has talent, but being a driven career woman in the 1970s comes with its own challenges, especially when competition for a promotion, unrequited love for a coworker (Michael C. Hall) and a tumultuous home life lead to a dissolution of self. With ratings in the cellar, the station manager issues...
- 2/4/2016
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
We've reached the end of the Oscar Correlative portion of The Film Bitch Awards... and we're only running like 2 weeks late! Now you can compare nomination stats if you'd so desire. A short take: Mad Max Fury Road is loved in roughly the same dose but The Revenant has only 1 nomination to Carol's 10. You're welcome. That said I do not choose my nominees "in response" to Oscars. The choices are grouped into semi-finalists before the Oscar nominations come out and even when I'm behind schedule I'm still usually only a fifth-slot decision away from my final 5 in each category by that time.
On to what you've been waiting for... Actressing!
the best Best Actress duo since Thelma & Louise? Oh what could have been Academy. What could have been.
Best Actress
Though we continue to despise The Academy's willingness to embrace Category Fraud and thus deny us the pleasure and...
On to what you've been waiting for... Actressing!
the best Best Actress duo since Thelma & Louise? Oh what could have been Academy. What could have been.
Best Actress
Though we continue to despise The Academy's willingness to embrace Category Fraud and thus deny us the pleasure and...
- 1/30/2016
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Istanbul event will host a total of 23 gala screenings, including the latest films from Charlie Kaufman and Jean-Marc Vallee, as well as a David Bowie tribute programme.Scroll down for the full line-up
!f Istanbul Independent Film Festival has revealed its programme for the 2016 edition (February 18-28).
Charlie Kaufman’s Anomalisa, which premiered at Telluride last year, and Jean-Marc Vallee’s Demolition, which opened the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015, will open and close the festival respectively.
!f Istanbul - in its 15th edition - will host screenings, competitions and events dedicated to bringing the best of independent film to the Turkish city.
Other gala presentations will include Luca Guadagnino’s A Bigger Splash, Gaspar Noé’s Love 3D, Jeremy Saulnier’s Green Room and Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s BAFTA-nominated The Assassin.
In memory of the late musician David Bowie, the festival will show remastered versions of his films The Man Who Fell To Earth and The Hunger...
!f Istanbul Independent Film Festival has revealed its programme for the 2016 edition (February 18-28).
Charlie Kaufman’s Anomalisa, which premiered at Telluride last year, and Jean-Marc Vallee’s Demolition, which opened the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015, will open and close the festival respectively.
!f Istanbul - in its 15th edition - will host screenings, competitions and events dedicated to bringing the best of independent film to the Turkish city.
Other gala presentations will include Luca Guadagnino’s A Bigger Splash, Gaspar Noé’s Love 3D, Jeremy Saulnier’s Green Room and Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s BAFTA-nominated The Assassin.
In memory of the late musician David Bowie, the festival will show remastered versions of his films The Man Who Fell To Earth and The Hunger...
- 1/29/2016
- ScreenDaily
And Soon the Darkness: Pesce’s Debut a Superbly Stylized Nightmare
If Portugal were the portal to some Lynchian netherworld of dreams deferred, it would look something like Nicolas Pesce’s sumptuously grotesque directorial debut, The Eyes of My Mother. A striking palette of black and white cinematography from Zach Kuperstein recalls the scarred, destitute lives from the ruins of Arturo Ripstein’s filmography, a macabre yet uncharacteristically sound portrait of psychological unraveling. We all know the kind of potent degeneration to be fashioned on isolated farmhouses where dysfunctional children are paired with musings of surgical practices, as seen in films from Haneke or even last year’s Goodnight Mommy. Pesce, who previously directed multiple music videos, as well as assistant editor on Josh Mond’s James White (2015), debuts a spectacularly gruesome calling card which may deconstruct the notion of the physical lens through which living beings observe the world,...
If Portugal were the portal to some Lynchian netherworld of dreams deferred, it would look something like Nicolas Pesce’s sumptuously grotesque directorial debut, The Eyes of My Mother. A striking palette of black and white cinematography from Zach Kuperstein recalls the scarred, destitute lives from the ruins of Arturo Ripstein’s filmography, a macabre yet uncharacteristically sound portrait of psychological unraveling. We all know the kind of potent degeneration to be fashioned on isolated farmhouses where dysfunctional children are paired with musings of surgical practices, as seen in films from Haneke or even last year’s Goodnight Mommy. Pesce, who previously directed multiple music videos, as well as assistant editor on Josh Mond’s James White (2015), debuts a spectacularly gruesome calling card which may deconstruct the notion of the physical lens through which living beings observe the world,...
- 1/23/2016
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Update with more producer info: Borderline Films, the collective from founders Josh Mond, Sean Durkin and Antonio Campos that has spawned the pics Martha Marcy May Marlene, Afterschool, Simon Killer and James White, is launching a new label. Borderline Presents, will which serve as executive producer to help promote new filmmakers, already has a first pic in the hopper: the Sundance Film Festival Next title The Eyes Of My Mother from Nicolas Pesce. The stylized…...
- 1/21/2016
- Deadline
Unlike some other media outlets who are blasphemously drawing up “most anticipated” Sundance lists that come across as a simple rehash of the entire feature film line-up, over here, Nicholas Bell and I pare down this shared enthusiasm in what are individual must see top five lists. The catch: select five films from five sections. In the decade I’ve been coming down here, the U.S Dramatic Comp section was the sure-fire bet for treasures, the Premieres section offered heavyweights and misfires while you had to look elsewhere for the gems. Last year’s Next was where all the riches were at. James White, Entertainment, Tangerine , Nasty Baby, and the upcoming Take Me to the River reminded me why the Next section has become a robust category in itself but surprisingly it might be the Premieres program (half a dozen offerings I could easily see in Cannes) is poised to get the major attention.
- 1/21/2016
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Despite the initial anticipation or dismay for every annual major film festival line-up, Sundance remains an inherent conjurer of new breakout talent. Though we prefer the more daring, provocative features which tend to filter through the increasingly visible Next section (last year items like James White, Tangerine, and Nasty Baby premiered there first), Sundance returns with a surprising auteur heavy Premieres section (usually the fest’s weakest line-up), featuring names like Kelly Reichardt, Whit Stillman, Anne Fontaine, Ira Sachs, and Kenneth Lonergan, among others. And that’s just the most superficial layer of what promises to be a notable year. Here are five of my most anticipated items this year, each from a different program. [Follow Nicholas Bell during Sundance on twitter/instagram]
5. The Greasy Strangler – Dir. Jim Hosking
Midnight Program
Even though this year’s Midnight section features new offerings from Kevin Smith and Rob Zombie, a definite standout is the directorial debut by Jim Hosking. Described...
5. The Greasy Strangler – Dir. Jim Hosking
Midnight Program
Even though this year’s Midnight section features new offerings from Kevin Smith and Rob Zombie, a definite standout is the directorial debut by Jim Hosking. Described...
- 1/21/2016
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Borderline Films co-founders Josh Mond, Sean Durkin and Antonio Campos have unveiled a label to board projects as executive producers starting with Park City selection The Eyes Of My Mother.
The black-and-white drama explores the dark obsessions of a lonely young woman in the wake of a tragedy in the countryside and premieres in Next on Friday.
Nicolas Pesce presented the concept for his directorial debut to Mond while working on the latter’s Sundance 2015 Next Audience Award winner James White.
Borderline oversaw the process from development through post-production. Jacob Wasserman, Schulyer Weiss and Max Born are the producers.
“We started Borderline Films so that we had each other’s support and felt safe making the films we wanted to make,” said Mond on behalf of the group.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to have all made our first feature and want to use our experience to provide that same kind of support to help other like-minded...
The black-and-white drama explores the dark obsessions of a lonely young woman in the wake of a tragedy in the countryside and premieres in Next on Friday.
Nicolas Pesce presented the concept for his directorial debut to Mond while working on the latter’s Sundance 2015 Next Audience Award winner James White.
Borderline oversaw the process from development through post-production. Jacob Wasserman, Schulyer Weiss and Max Born are the producers.
“We started Borderline Films so that we had each other’s support and felt safe making the films we wanted to make,” said Mond on behalf of the group.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to have all made our first feature and want to use our experience to provide that same kind of support to help other like-minded...
- 1/19/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’ Filmmakers Launch Borderline Presents Label to Executive Produce Projects
Borderline Films, the collective behind “Martha Marcy May Marlene” and “James White,” is launching a new label called Borderline Presents, under which founding members Josh Mond, Sean Durkin and Antonio Campos will executive produce select projects. An expansion of their uniquely collaborative approach to filmmaking, the primary aim of Borderline Presents is to help filmmakers realize their vision. “We started Borderline Films so that we had each other’s support and felt safe making the films we wanted to make,” Mond said on behalf of the group. “We’ve been fortunate enough to have all made our first feature and want to use.
- 1/19/2016
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
Read More: Haunting First Look at 'The Eyes of My Mother' Makes This Sundance Premiere a Must-See Filmmaking collective Boderline Films has become one of the biggest mainstays at major indie festivals over the past couple of years thanks to acclaimed titles like "Simon Killer," "Martha Marcy May Marlene" and "James White," and now they are expanding into the executive production field by officially announcing the founding of Borderline Presents. The new label will see founding members Josh Mond, Sean Durkin and Antonio Campos executive producing select projects to help up-and-coming filmmakers realize their visions. "We started Borderline Films so that we had each other's support and felt safe making the films we wanted to make," said Josh Mond on behalf of the group. "We've been fortunate enough to have all made our first feature and want to use our experience to provide that same kind of support to help other like-minded.
- 1/19/2016
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
A Quiet Passion
Director: Terence Davies
Writer: Terence Davies
In his four decades of filmmaking, British auteur Terence Davies has never unveiled consecutive projects, until now. Following his Toronto Film Festival premiered Sunset Song (which was also the unveiling platform for his 2011 The Deep Blue Sea), Davies has completed A Quiet Passion, a biopic of American poet Emily Dickinson, with Cynthia Nixon starring as the reclusive artist. Strangely enough, 2016 will also see another portrait of Dickinson from American filmmaker Madeleine Olnek with Molly Shannon. Davies seems to be taking a more comprehensive route, and following Nixon’s unforgettable turn in this year’s James White from Josh Mond, we’re anxious to see her take on the iconic poet, a bleak, lonely subject who should fit neatly into Davies’ cinematic interest.
Cast: Cynthia Nixon, Jennifer Ehle, Keith Carradine, Jodhi May, Duncan Duff
Production Co.: Hurricane Films, Indomitable Entertainment, WeatherVane Productions
U.
Director: Terence Davies
Writer: Terence Davies
In his four decades of filmmaking, British auteur Terence Davies has never unveiled consecutive projects, until now. Following his Toronto Film Festival premiered Sunset Song (which was also the unveiling platform for his 2011 The Deep Blue Sea), Davies has completed A Quiet Passion, a biopic of American poet Emily Dickinson, with Cynthia Nixon starring as the reclusive artist. Strangely enough, 2016 will also see another portrait of Dickinson from American filmmaker Madeleine Olnek with Molly Shannon. Davies seems to be taking a more comprehensive route, and following Nixon’s unforgettable turn in this year’s James White from Josh Mond, we’re anxious to see her take on the iconic poet, a bleak, lonely subject who should fit neatly into Davies’ cinematic interest.
Cast: Cynthia Nixon, Jennifer Ehle, Keith Carradine, Jodhi May, Duncan Duff
Production Co.: Hurricane Films, Indomitable Entertainment, WeatherVane Productions
U.
- 1/11/2016
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
If the films of 2015 have a common denominator it’s the fearlessness with which filmmakers approached the medium and took it in new directions proving that innovation is still possible and that not everything, both in content and form, has been explored. From a comedy shot entirely on an iPhone starring transgender actresses, to a film in sign language designed to be screened without subtitles, to a stop-motion animated feature that emanates more humanity than most live-action efforts, to a new immersive vision of the Holocaust from an emerging auteur, or a Brazilian hand-drawn musical odyssey about the dangers of the modern world, all granted us experiences unlike anything we've previously seen.
It’s hard to tell how many films I watched this year but I’m sure they were many. From that vast pool of cinematic works the 30 films below are the ones that stood out the most and remained ingrained in my memory as rewarding, delightful, moving, and even harrowing accomplishments. There were also films that simply didn't connect as strongly with me as they did with other journalists and audiences, thus they don't appear here. This is after all, like all of them, a very personal and subjective list of the films I loved.
Even with such an extensive list there are still other great films that deserve to be mentioned such as "The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet," "Christmas, Again," "Mistress America," "Entertainment," "Felix and Meira," "Victoria," "Mustang," "The Wolfpack," "Xenia," Estonia's Oscar-nominated "Tangerines," "Buzzard," "The Salt of the Earth," "Guidance," "Cheatin'," "Black Souls,""The Mend," "Shaun The Sheep Movie," or "'71." One can only hope audiences will discover them and be compelled by their singular perspectives.
What were your favorite films of 2015?
Special Mention: "World of Tomorrow"
Don Hertzfeldt's thought-provoking and visionary Sundance-winning short "World of Tomorrow" is easily the best short film of the year, animated or otherwise. This 17-minute science fiction journey is a mind-bending study on the essence of humanity and how technology’s ferocious advances to know and control it all endanger our ability to notice what’s truly meaningful.
Read More: 'The 17th Annual Animation Show of Shows' is One of the Most Profound Cinematic Experiences of 2015
30. "It Follows"
The best horror film of the year proves that an intriguing premise embedded into an intelligently written screenplay can bring a refreshing point of view absent in most studio productions. Director David Robert Mitchell takes classic genre conventions and twists them into a terrifying tale with morally ambiguous undertones.
29. "The Gift"
Wearing multiple hats Joel Edgerton demonstrated his storytelling and acting talents in an unpredictable psychological thriller that’s as unassuming as it’s disconcerting. An old friend reappears in a married man’s life apparently seeking to rekindle their past bond, but soon enough his good intentions will unveil much more sinister motives that makes us question who the real villain is. A stunning and perversely brilliant film that thrives on its misguiding simplicity.
28. "Heaven Knows What"
An accomplishment both in technique and emotional power, “Heaven Knows What” is an eye-opening experience brimming with unflinching truth. From the streets to the screen, the unbelievable story of Arielle Holmes is a fascinating example of the rare occurrence when cinema and reality blend almost seamlessly.
Read More: 'Heaven Knows What' Directors Josh and Benny Safdie Are Addicted to the Truth
27. "Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet"
Spearheaded by producer Salma Hayek, director Roger Allers and 8 of the world's most talented independent animators took Gibran's timeless poems and assembled a cinematic out-of-body experience that deconstructs our existential yearnings and translates them into mesmerizing animated wisdom.
Read More: Why 'Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet' is a Cinematic Out-Of-Body Experience Brimming with Animated Wisdom
Read More: Salma Hayek on 'Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet': 'His Poetry Talks About the Simple Things in Life That Unite Us All'
26. "James White"
This emotionally devastating character study put Josh Mond in the director’s chair for the first time and allowed Christopher Abbott and Cynthia Nixon to delve into career-defining roles as a mother and a son struggling to accept each other’s shortcomings in the face of impending tragedy. Mond’s debut is an unforgettable portrait of unconditional love
25. "The Big Short"
The financial crisis and the white-collar criminals behind it are examined in an outrageously humorous and dynamically constructed adaptation of Michael Lewis's book. Director Adam McKay crafted his own visual language to paint a picture of capitalism in America that’s as brutally honest as it’s infuriating. His entire cast, in particular Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, and Steve Carell, play along in this satirical exposé.
24. "The Second Mother"
Anna Muylaert’s crowd-pleasing, yet thematically complex gem delves into the intricacies of class in Brazilian society through the eyes of an endearing live-in maid. Regina Casé, in an Oscar-worthy performance, becomes Val, a diligent and humble housekeeper that has worked with the same wealthy family in Sao Paulo for many years and who only questions her role within this environment when her strange daughter comes to visit.
Read More: Anna Muylaert on Why the Protagonist of 'The Second Mother' is a Super Hero
23. "Kumiko The Treasure Hunter"
Losing grip on reality Kumiko, a solitary Japanese woman, leaves her monotonous and life and her adorable bunny Bunzo behind to search for the money Steve Buscemi’s character hides in the Cohen Brothers’ film “Fargo.” Knowing very little English and with no American contacts, she ventures in the Minnesotan wilderness. Armed with Rinko Kikuchi ’s outstanding performance, David Zellner and Nathan Zellner managed to create an endearing and poignant adventure at the intersection between fiction and reality.
22. "When Marnie Was There"
Notably current while still unequivocally timeless, Studio Ghibli’s latest film was confected with equal doses of heart-rending drama and life-affirming beauty. More than just a visually delightful tearjerker, "When Marnie Was There" is an animated lullaby that reassures our broken hearts will eventually heal- even from the most indomitable tricks of fate.
Read More: Review: Wondrous 'When Marnie Was There' is One of Ghibli's Most Profoundly Moving Works
21. "The Hateful Eight"
Sharp dialogue and the search for violent retribution are Tarantino staples, and in his latest Western the revered director channels these through a group of deceitful characters confined to a single location. Race relations are examined via the peculiar interactions of the murderous bunch - each with their ulterior motives and frightening reputation. With a magnificent score by Ennio Morricone, impeccable cinematography by Robert Richardson, and tonally perfect performances by the ensemble cast, in which Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kurt Russell are the highlights, “The Hateful Eight” is a highly entertaining addition to Tarantino's selective filmography.
20. "What We Do in the Shadows"
This masterful mockumentary capitalizes on the general public’s obsession with reality shows and the allure of vampirism and its promise of eternal life. Four ancient bloodsuckers share a house in Wellington, New Zealand and decide to let a crew film their day-to-day routines as vampires living in the modern world. What ensues are a series of intelligently written occurrences that transform every known convention about these creatures of the night into hysterical gags.
19. "The Revenant"
To say Alejandro González Iñárritu’s latest is breathtaking would be an understatement. Emmanuel Lubezkii’s work is absolutely astonishing. No other film this year captured this much beauty in every single frame. The Mexican-born Oscar-winning director has reached a new level of artistry here. Leonardo DiCaprio, in one of the best performances of his career, plays Hugh Glass, a man who escapes death to take revenge on the man who killed his son.
18. "Inside Out"
Pixar ventured into the difficult task of decoding the complexity of the human psyche in one of their best features to date. Emotions take on humanoid form in the brain of a young girl adjusting to life in anew city. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust must work together to shape her blossoming personality. “Inside Out” also gifted us Bing Bong, who will go down as one of the most memorable animated characters to ever grace the screen.
17. "Ex Machina"
Artificial intelligence crosses the boundaries of mere functionality to become self-aware and to replicate the behaviors of mortals in Alex Garland “Ex Machina.” The provocative screenplay evolves into a fascinating and often unsettling dissection of what it means to be a human being and the seemingly godlike power that comes from creating technology that resembles such qualities. Alicia Vikander is riveting as Ava - a mysterious female A.I.
16. "The Diary of a Teenager Girl"
Bel Powley is this year’s acting revelation and Marielle Heller the woman behind this charming, uncompromising, and original coming of age film, is one of most exciting new directors to emerge in recent memory. Burgeoning female sexuality is treated without moral judgment or shame, and it’s instead embraced in an empowering manner that overflows with truthfulness and charisma. Both Kristen Wiig and Alexander Skarsgård are outstanding in substantial supporting roles.
15. "Taxi"
Despite being banned from filmmaking by the Iranian government, Jafar Panahi continues to bravely expose the political and social problems of his home country with films shot in secrecy. “Taxi” takes the director through the streets of Tehran as he picks up an array of passengers with distinct concerns, beliefs, and opinions on the Islamic nation’s current situation: a young girl trying to make a “distributable” film, a guy who considers selling pirated films a cultural campaign, or a pair of elderly women whose fate depends on the survival of a couple fish. Though scripted, each encounter exudes honesty.
14. "The Duke of Burgundy"
Intoxicatingly atmospheric and full of evocative imagery, Peter Strickland’s follow up to his similarly unusual debut “Berberian Sound Studio” looks at the psychology of sexual desires with a seductive gaze. The line dividing power and submission is blurred and interchangeable between two lovers whose turbulent relationship is juxtaposed with the nature of butterflies. Eroticism derived from degradation and punishment is elegantly approached that suggest more than it explicitly shows.
13. "Phoenix"
The final sequence in this new collaboration between writer/director Christian Petzold and actress Nina Hoss is one of the best conclusions ever written. It’s subtle, yet strikingly revelatory. Departing from a Hitchcockian mistaken identity plot from the point of view of a concentration camp survivor, Petzold delves into Germany’s post war sentiments of guilt and the beginning of the long road to rebuild a superficially and morally shattered nation. “Phoenix” is also a love story coated in betrayal and the harsh realization that, when tested, even the strongest bond can be destroyed. Hoss gives an awards-deserving, restrained and perfectly nuanced performance.
Read More: Christian Petzold's 'Phoenix' is a Deeply Moving Film About Survivors Rebuilding Their Lives
12. "Timbuktu"
Today, perhaps more than ever, a film like Abderrahmane Sissako’s spellbinding “Timbuktu” is imperative. Capturing some of the most beautiful African landscapes ever seen on film and delicately arranging his stories to create a tapestry of human experiences, Sissako’s latest doesn’t abide by any political or religious dogma. Instead, his vision preaches openness and denounces the terrifying absurdity of the world according to extremist.
Read More: Promoting Tolerance: Abderrahmane Sissako on 'Timbuktu' and a Different Kind of Islam
11. "The Voices"
Playing Jerry, the most charming serial killer you’ll ever meet, Ryan Reynolds gives the best performance of his career in Marjane Satrapi’s wonderfully insane horror comedy. Adding to his already outstanding work as the lovable, if unstable young man, Reynolds also voices both of his character's opinionated pets. Stay tuned after the film for one of the most ridiculous credit sequences ever.
Read More: Too Insane To Ignore: Marjane Satrapi On Her Fascinating Sundance Horror-Comedy 'The Voices'
10. "Güeros"
Using one of the most cosmopolitan and complex cities in the world as his canvas, Mexican filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios delivered an audaciously original story that delves into many unique aspects of Mexican society wrapped up into a road trip adventure that helps two estrange brothers reconnect.
It’s a revitalizing work, and one of the best Mexican films of the last decade.
Read More: In 'Güeros' Dir. Alonso Ruizpalacios Rediscovered Mexico City Via a Unique Road Trip
9. "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl"
Read More: How Alfonso Gomez-Rejon Used Determinación to Go From a Small Town to Nyu to Sundance
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's Sundance champion is a tonally nuanced and visually inventive work that ingeniously beguiles you to fall in love with every instant of its strangely imaginative magic. This tragicomedy invokes tropes from a familiar realm and deconstructs or tailors them to the uniquely poignant circumstances of it's characters. It's nothing short of a cinephile's dream come true.
Read More: This is the Review That Tells You Why 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' is a Cinephile's Dream Come True
8. "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence"
Constructed of gorgeously understated vignettes, which guide us through the grandeur of life by methodically focusing on the smallest but most resonant instants of it, "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence" by Swedish writer/director Roy Andersson won the Golden Lion at last’s year’s Venice Film Festival. Delving into a wide range of quotidian dilemmas via darkly comedic exploits, this episodic tour de force is as insightful as it’s blissfully entertaining and distinctively stylized.
Read More: 7 Reasons Why Roy Andersson's Latest Film is a Must-See Philosophical Wonder
7. "Tangerine"
Sean Baker's riotous and perfectly acted latest film shot on an iPhone “Tangerine” centers on Alexandra (Mya Taylor) and Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), two transgender sex workers on Santa Monica Boulevard who struggle to get by while dealing with heartbreak, revenge, and their dreams.
Baker captured an unseen side of Los Angeles through the eyes of two equally underrepresented characters who get a chance to showcase their comedic brilliance.
Read More: How Sean Baker Used Beautiful Accidents and New Talent to Deliver one of the Best Films of the Year
6. "The Look of Silence"
For “The Look of Silence,” the indispensable companion piece to "The Act of Killing," director Joshua Oppenheimer focused on the survivors, specifically on a brave family that persevered through the immeasurable pain that quietly permeates Indonesian society even half a century after the genocide. The subjects here are often quiet and contemplative, but their anguish transcends even when words fail to describe their tumultuous sentiments.
Read More: 12 Things Joshua Oppenheimer Wants You to Know About 'The Look of Silence'
5. "Anomalisa"
In "Anomalisa," a delicately melancholic observation on loneliness and the flawed human condition, acclaimed writer-director Charlie Kaufman and co-director Duke Johnson use stop-motion animation to tell a story of small proportions and big ideas. These existential observations include our fears, failures, insecurities and our desperate need to be loved by someone who can look pass our conspicuous scars.
Read More: Human at the Seams: Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson Make Yearning Tangible in 'Anomalisa'
4. "The Tribe"
“The Tribe,” by Ukrainian debutant Miroslav Slaboshpitsky, is a film that communicates with its audience in a non-verbal manner. There are no subtitles or any other way to know exactly what the characters on screen are saying, but that’s never an issue for it to powerfully make its message heard. It’s the purest form of cinema because it can be shown anywhere in the world without modification, and the devastating result would be the same.
Read More: Interviewing Yana Novikova, Star of 'The Tribe,' Was a One-of-a-Kind Experience
3. "Boy and the World"
Alê Abreu’s “Boy and the World” is unequivocally the best animated film of the year. Drawn with the finest ends of an artist's heartstrings and painted with the colorful essence of undefeatable hope, Abreu’s utterly lyrical, visually captivating, musically driven, and extraordinarily sophisticated treasure is the animated equivalent of a childhood dream that thrives on sweet innocence and the pure ability to see the world truthfully for its dazzling beauty and its man-made dangers. As it continues to spellbind the globe with its unconventional artistry and thought-provoking observations, an Oscar nomination would be a more than deserved crown jewel.
Read More:Review: Why Alê Abreu's Sublime 'Boy and the World' is the Best Animated Film of the Year
Read More: How "Boy and the World" Director Alê Abreu Handcrafted His Heartfelt & Dazzling Animated Masterpiece
2. "Carol"
Exquisitely photographed and fueled by the two best performances of the year, Todd Haynes “Carol” depicts an ethereal and ravishing romance that’s sure to take your breath away. Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett play two women from opposite worlds that meet serendipitously and fall madly in love for each other in a time yet unwilling to accept them. Carol (Blanchett) is a wealthy mother and wife whose desires are used against her threatening to stripped her of what she loves the most. On the other hand Therese (Mara) is a working class girl discovering herself and who finds the strength to follow her true instincts in Carol. Heartbreak has rarely been portrayed with such a delicate touch, thoughtfulness, and sincerity. Beneath the glossy Christmas-tinted frames is a story as universal as it is particular in which a single pleading look disarms you. Few films will make you feel such tangible and pure yearning to connect with another soul as Haynes masterwork does.
1. "Son of Saul"
First-time director László Nemes decided to look at the terrifying apparatus behind the Holocaust from the perspective of the Sonderkommando, a group of men whose experience was exponentially more harrowing than that of the average victim. Nemes focuses on a particular man, Saul (Géza Röhrig), a fictional character created from the limited information available on this special group and the filmmaker’s artistic sensibilities.“Son of Saul” is not only the best film of the year, but also the most ambitious debut in ages. Both conceptually and visually, the dynamic, yet organically contemplative vision of one man’s ordeal as he walks through the gates the hell is the work of a master auteur.
Read More: 12 Things Director László Nemes and Star Géza Röhrig Want You to Know About 'Son of Saul'...
It’s hard to tell how many films I watched this year but I’m sure they were many. From that vast pool of cinematic works the 30 films below are the ones that stood out the most and remained ingrained in my memory as rewarding, delightful, moving, and even harrowing accomplishments. There were also films that simply didn't connect as strongly with me as they did with other journalists and audiences, thus they don't appear here. This is after all, like all of them, a very personal and subjective list of the films I loved.
Even with such an extensive list there are still other great films that deserve to be mentioned such as "The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet," "Christmas, Again," "Mistress America," "Entertainment," "Felix and Meira," "Victoria," "Mustang," "The Wolfpack," "Xenia," Estonia's Oscar-nominated "Tangerines," "Buzzard," "The Salt of the Earth," "Guidance," "Cheatin'," "Black Souls,""The Mend," "Shaun The Sheep Movie," or "'71." One can only hope audiences will discover them and be compelled by their singular perspectives.
What were your favorite films of 2015?
Special Mention: "World of Tomorrow"
Don Hertzfeldt's thought-provoking and visionary Sundance-winning short "World of Tomorrow" is easily the best short film of the year, animated or otherwise. This 17-minute science fiction journey is a mind-bending study on the essence of humanity and how technology’s ferocious advances to know and control it all endanger our ability to notice what’s truly meaningful.
Read More: 'The 17th Annual Animation Show of Shows' is One of the Most Profound Cinematic Experiences of 2015
30. "It Follows"
The best horror film of the year proves that an intriguing premise embedded into an intelligently written screenplay can bring a refreshing point of view absent in most studio productions. Director David Robert Mitchell takes classic genre conventions and twists them into a terrifying tale with morally ambiguous undertones.
29. "The Gift"
Wearing multiple hats Joel Edgerton demonstrated his storytelling and acting talents in an unpredictable psychological thriller that’s as unassuming as it’s disconcerting. An old friend reappears in a married man’s life apparently seeking to rekindle their past bond, but soon enough his good intentions will unveil much more sinister motives that makes us question who the real villain is. A stunning and perversely brilliant film that thrives on its misguiding simplicity.
28. "Heaven Knows What"
An accomplishment both in technique and emotional power, “Heaven Knows What” is an eye-opening experience brimming with unflinching truth. From the streets to the screen, the unbelievable story of Arielle Holmes is a fascinating example of the rare occurrence when cinema and reality blend almost seamlessly.
Read More: 'Heaven Knows What' Directors Josh and Benny Safdie Are Addicted to the Truth
27. "Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet"
Spearheaded by producer Salma Hayek, director Roger Allers and 8 of the world's most talented independent animators took Gibran's timeless poems and assembled a cinematic out-of-body experience that deconstructs our existential yearnings and translates them into mesmerizing animated wisdom.
Read More: Why 'Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet' is a Cinematic Out-Of-Body Experience Brimming with Animated Wisdom
Read More: Salma Hayek on 'Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet': 'His Poetry Talks About the Simple Things in Life That Unite Us All'
26. "James White"
This emotionally devastating character study put Josh Mond in the director’s chair for the first time and allowed Christopher Abbott and Cynthia Nixon to delve into career-defining roles as a mother and a son struggling to accept each other’s shortcomings in the face of impending tragedy. Mond’s debut is an unforgettable portrait of unconditional love
25. "The Big Short"
The financial crisis and the white-collar criminals behind it are examined in an outrageously humorous and dynamically constructed adaptation of Michael Lewis's book. Director Adam McKay crafted his own visual language to paint a picture of capitalism in America that’s as brutally honest as it’s infuriating. His entire cast, in particular Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, and Steve Carell, play along in this satirical exposé.
24. "The Second Mother"
Anna Muylaert’s crowd-pleasing, yet thematically complex gem delves into the intricacies of class in Brazilian society through the eyes of an endearing live-in maid. Regina Casé, in an Oscar-worthy performance, becomes Val, a diligent and humble housekeeper that has worked with the same wealthy family in Sao Paulo for many years and who only questions her role within this environment when her strange daughter comes to visit.
Read More: Anna Muylaert on Why the Protagonist of 'The Second Mother' is a Super Hero
23. "Kumiko The Treasure Hunter"
Losing grip on reality Kumiko, a solitary Japanese woman, leaves her monotonous and life and her adorable bunny Bunzo behind to search for the money Steve Buscemi’s character hides in the Cohen Brothers’ film “Fargo.” Knowing very little English and with no American contacts, she ventures in the Minnesotan wilderness. Armed with Rinko Kikuchi ’s outstanding performance, David Zellner and Nathan Zellner managed to create an endearing and poignant adventure at the intersection between fiction and reality.
22. "When Marnie Was There"
Notably current while still unequivocally timeless, Studio Ghibli’s latest film was confected with equal doses of heart-rending drama and life-affirming beauty. More than just a visually delightful tearjerker, "When Marnie Was There" is an animated lullaby that reassures our broken hearts will eventually heal- even from the most indomitable tricks of fate.
Read More: Review: Wondrous 'When Marnie Was There' is One of Ghibli's Most Profoundly Moving Works
21. "The Hateful Eight"
Sharp dialogue and the search for violent retribution are Tarantino staples, and in his latest Western the revered director channels these through a group of deceitful characters confined to a single location. Race relations are examined via the peculiar interactions of the murderous bunch - each with their ulterior motives and frightening reputation. With a magnificent score by Ennio Morricone, impeccable cinematography by Robert Richardson, and tonally perfect performances by the ensemble cast, in which Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kurt Russell are the highlights, “The Hateful Eight” is a highly entertaining addition to Tarantino's selective filmography.
20. "What We Do in the Shadows"
This masterful mockumentary capitalizes on the general public’s obsession with reality shows and the allure of vampirism and its promise of eternal life. Four ancient bloodsuckers share a house in Wellington, New Zealand and decide to let a crew film their day-to-day routines as vampires living in the modern world. What ensues are a series of intelligently written occurrences that transform every known convention about these creatures of the night into hysterical gags.
19. "The Revenant"
To say Alejandro González Iñárritu’s latest is breathtaking would be an understatement. Emmanuel Lubezkii’s work is absolutely astonishing. No other film this year captured this much beauty in every single frame. The Mexican-born Oscar-winning director has reached a new level of artistry here. Leonardo DiCaprio, in one of the best performances of his career, plays Hugh Glass, a man who escapes death to take revenge on the man who killed his son.
18. "Inside Out"
Pixar ventured into the difficult task of decoding the complexity of the human psyche in one of their best features to date. Emotions take on humanoid form in the brain of a young girl adjusting to life in anew city. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust must work together to shape her blossoming personality. “Inside Out” also gifted us Bing Bong, who will go down as one of the most memorable animated characters to ever grace the screen.
17. "Ex Machina"
Artificial intelligence crosses the boundaries of mere functionality to become self-aware and to replicate the behaviors of mortals in Alex Garland “Ex Machina.” The provocative screenplay evolves into a fascinating and often unsettling dissection of what it means to be a human being and the seemingly godlike power that comes from creating technology that resembles such qualities. Alicia Vikander is riveting as Ava - a mysterious female A.I.
16. "The Diary of a Teenager Girl"
Bel Powley is this year’s acting revelation and Marielle Heller the woman behind this charming, uncompromising, and original coming of age film, is one of most exciting new directors to emerge in recent memory. Burgeoning female sexuality is treated without moral judgment or shame, and it’s instead embraced in an empowering manner that overflows with truthfulness and charisma. Both Kristen Wiig and Alexander Skarsgård are outstanding in substantial supporting roles.
15. "Taxi"
Despite being banned from filmmaking by the Iranian government, Jafar Panahi continues to bravely expose the political and social problems of his home country with films shot in secrecy. “Taxi” takes the director through the streets of Tehran as he picks up an array of passengers with distinct concerns, beliefs, and opinions on the Islamic nation’s current situation: a young girl trying to make a “distributable” film, a guy who considers selling pirated films a cultural campaign, or a pair of elderly women whose fate depends on the survival of a couple fish. Though scripted, each encounter exudes honesty.
14. "The Duke of Burgundy"
Intoxicatingly atmospheric and full of evocative imagery, Peter Strickland’s follow up to his similarly unusual debut “Berberian Sound Studio” looks at the psychology of sexual desires with a seductive gaze. The line dividing power and submission is blurred and interchangeable between two lovers whose turbulent relationship is juxtaposed with the nature of butterflies. Eroticism derived from degradation and punishment is elegantly approached that suggest more than it explicitly shows.
13. "Phoenix"
The final sequence in this new collaboration between writer/director Christian Petzold and actress Nina Hoss is one of the best conclusions ever written. It’s subtle, yet strikingly revelatory. Departing from a Hitchcockian mistaken identity plot from the point of view of a concentration camp survivor, Petzold delves into Germany’s post war sentiments of guilt and the beginning of the long road to rebuild a superficially and morally shattered nation. “Phoenix” is also a love story coated in betrayal and the harsh realization that, when tested, even the strongest bond can be destroyed. Hoss gives an awards-deserving, restrained and perfectly nuanced performance.
Read More: Christian Petzold's 'Phoenix' is a Deeply Moving Film About Survivors Rebuilding Their Lives
12. "Timbuktu"
Today, perhaps more than ever, a film like Abderrahmane Sissako’s spellbinding “Timbuktu” is imperative. Capturing some of the most beautiful African landscapes ever seen on film and delicately arranging his stories to create a tapestry of human experiences, Sissako’s latest doesn’t abide by any political or religious dogma. Instead, his vision preaches openness and denounces the terrifying absurdity of the world according to extremist.
Read More: Promoting Tolerance: Abderrahmane Sissako on 'Timbuktu' and a Different Kind of Islam
11. "The Voices"
Playing Jerry, the most charming serial killer you’ll ever meet, Ryan Reynolds gives the best performance of his career in Marjane Satrapi’s wonderfully insane horror comedy. Adding to his already outstanding work as the lovable, if unstable young man, Reynolds also voices both of his character's opinionated pets. Stay tuned after the film for one of the most ridiculous credit sequences ever.
Read More: Too Insane To Ignore: Marjane Satrapi On Her Fascinating Sundance Horror-Comedy 'The Voices'
10. "Güeros"
Using one of the most cosmopolitan and complex cities in the world as his canvas, Mexican filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios delivered an audaciously original story that delves into many unique aspects of Mexican society wrapped up into a road trip adventure that helps two estrange brothers reconnect.
It’s a revitalizing work, and one of the best Mexican films of the last decade.
Read More: In 'Güeros' Dir. Alonso Ruizpalacios Rediscovered Mexico City Via a Unique Road Trip
9. "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl"
Read More: How Alfonso Gomez-Rejon Used Determinación to Go From a Small Town to Nyu to Sundance
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's Sundance champion is a tonally nuanced and visually inventive work that ingeniously beguiles you to fall in love with every instant of its strangely imaginative magic. This tragicomedy invokes tropes from a familiar realm and deconstructs or tailors them to the uniquely poignant circumstances of it's characters. It's nothing short of a cinephile's dream come true.
Read More: This is the Review That Tells You Why 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' is a Cinephile's Dream Come True
8. "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence"
Constructed of gorgeously understated vignettes, which guide us through the grandeur of life by methodically focusing on the smallest but most resonant instants of it, "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence" by Swedish writer/director Roy Andersson won the Golden Lion at last’s year’s Venice Film Festival. Delving into a wide range of quotidian dilemmas via darkly comedic exploits, this episodic tour de force is as insightful as it’s blissfully entertaining and distinctively stylized.
Read More: 7 Reasons Why Roy Andersson's Latest Film is a Must-See Philosophical Wonder
7. "Tangerine"
Sean Baker's riotous and perfectly acted latest film shot on an iPhone “Tangerine” centers on Alexandra (Mya Taylor) and Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), two transgender sex workers on Santa Monica Boulevard who struggle to get by while dealing with heartbreak, revenge, and their dreams.
Baker captured an unseen side of Los Angeles through the eyes of two equally underrepresented characters who get a chance to showcase their comedic brilliance.
Read More: How Sean Baker Used Beautiful Accidents and New Talent to Deliver one of the Best Films of the Year
6. "The Look of Silence"
For “The Look of Silence,” the indispensable companion piece to "The Act of Killing," director Joshua Oppenheimer focused on the survivors, specifically on a brave family that persevered through the immeasurable pain that quietly permeates Indonesian society even half a century after the genocide. The subjects here are often quiet and contemplative, but their anguish transcends even when words fail to describe their tumultuous sentiments.
Read More: 12 Things Joshua Oppenheimer Wants You to Know About 'The Look of Silence'
5. "Anomalisa"
In "Anomalisa," a delicately melancholic observation on loneliness and the flawed human condition, acclaimed writer-director Charlie Kaufman and co-director Duke Johnson use stop-motion animation to tell a story of small proportions and big ideas. These existential observations include our fears, failures, insecurities and our desperate need to be loved by someone who can look pass our conspicuous scars.
Read More: Human at the Seams: Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson Make Yearning Tangible in 'Anomalisa'
4. "The Tribe"
“The Tribe,” by Ukrainian debutant Miroslav Slaboshpitsky, is a film that communicates with its audience in a non-verbal manner. There are no subtitles or any other way to know exactly what the characters on screen are saying, but that’s never an issue for it to powerfully make its message heard. It’s the purest form of cinema because it can be shown anywhere in the world without modification, and the devastating result would be the same.
Read More: Interviewing Yana Novikova, Star of 'The Tribe,' Was a One-of-a-Kind Experience
3. "Boy and the World"
Alê Abreu’s “Boy and the World” is unequivocally the best animated film of the year. Drawn with the finest ends of an artist's heartstrings and painted with the colorful essence of undefeatable hope, Abreu’s utterly lyrical, visually captivating, musically driven, and extraordinarily sophisticated treasure is the animated equivalent of a childhood dream that thrives on sweet innocence and the pure ability to see the world truthfully for its dazzling beauty and its man-made dangers. As it continues to spellbind the globe with its unconventional artistry and thought-provoking observations, an Oscar nomination would be a more than deserved crown jewel.
Read More:Review: Why Alê Abreu's Sublime 'Boy and the World' is the Best Animated Film of the Year
Read More: How "Boy and the World" Director Alê Abreu Handcrafted His Heartfelt & Dazzling Animated Masterpiece
2. "Carol"
Exquisitely photographed and fueled by the two best performances of the year, Todd Haynes “Carol” depicts an ethereal and ravishing romance that’s sure to take your breath away. Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett play two women from opposite worlds that meet serendipitously and fall madly in love for each other in a time yet unwilling to accept them. Carol (Blanchett) is a wealthy mother and wife whose desires are used against her threatening to stripped her of what she loves the most. On the other hand Therese (Mara) is a working class girl discovering herself and who finds the strength to follow her true instincts in Carol. Heartbreak has rarely been portrayed with such a delicate touch, thoughtfulness, and sincerity. Beneath the glossy Christmas-tinted frames is a story as universal as it is particular in which a single pleading look disarms you. Few films will make you feel such tangible and pure yearning to connect with another soul as Haynes masterwork does.
1. "Son of Saul"
First-time director László Nemes decided to look at the terrifying apparatus behind the Holocaust from the perspective of the Sonderkommando, a group of men whose experience was exponentially more harrowing than that of the average victim. Nemes focuses on a particular man, Saul (Géza Röhrig), a fictional character created from the limited information available on this special group and the filmmaker’s artistic sensibilities.“Son of Saul” is not only the best film of the year, but also the most ambitious debut in ages. Both conceptually and visually, the dynamic, yet organically contemplative vision of one man’s ordeal as he walks through the gates the hell is the work of a master auteur.
Read More: 12 Things Director László Nemes and Star Géza Röhrig Want You to Know About 'Son of Saul'...
- 12/31/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
For our final year-end feature, we’re providing a cumulative look at The Film Stage’s favorite films of 2015. We’ve asked our contributors to compile ten-best lists with five honorable mentions — those can all be seen on the last page — and, after tallying the votes, a top 50 has been assembled.
It should be noted that, unlike our previous year-end features, we placed no requirement on a selection being a U.S theatrical release, so you may see some repeats from last year and a few we’ll certainly be discussing more during the next year. So, without further ado, check out our most comprehensive rundown of 2015 below, our complete year-end coverage here (including where to stream many of the below picks), and return in the coming weeks as we look towards 2016. For those on Letterboxd, one can find the list here.
50. The Big Short (Adam McKay)
Co-writer / director Adam McKay...
It should be noted that, unlike our previous year-end features, we placed no requirement on a selection being a U.S theatrical release, so you may see some repeats from last year and a few we’ll certainly be discussing more during the next year. So, without further ado, check out our most comprehensive rundown of 2015 below, our complete year-end coverage here (including where to stream many of the below picks), and return in the coming weeks as we look towards 2016. For those on Letterboxd, one can find the list here.
50. The Big Short (Adam McKay)
Co-writer / director Adam McKay...
- 12/30/2015
- by TFS Staff
- The Film Stage
After discussing the year’s breakthrough directors, it’s time to traverse to the other side of the camera. Whether it’s their very first performances or a talent who’s been seen in a variety of features yet, for whatever reason, hadn’t been allowed to command the screen, this year’s breakthrough actors are an eclectic group. Ranging from some of the highest-grossing features of the year to minuscule independent dramas, check out our rundown of a dozen breakthrough actors that left the biggest impression on us in 2015.
Christopher Abbott (James White)
In the five months found within James White, our title character is at the most difficult chapter of his life thus far. Grieving the loss of his father and attempting to assist his ailing mother, the drama authentically depicts the brutality of the process. Commanding every scene of the film — and in most sequences, nearly all...
Christopher Abbott (James White)
In the five months found within James White, our title character is at the most difficult chapter of his life thus far. Grieving the loss of his father and attempting to assist his ailing mother, the drama authentically depicts the brutality of the process. Commanding every scene of the film — and in most sequences, nearly all...
- 12/21/2015
- by TFS Staff
- The Film Stage
Best Picture
Brooklyn
Carol
Ex Machina
Inside Out
Mad Max: Fury Road -- Winner
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Sicario
Spotlight
Best Animated Feature
Anamolisa
The Good Dinosaur
Inside Out -- Winner
The Peanuts Movie
Shaun the Sheep Movie
Best Film Not in the English Language
The Assassin . Taiwan -- Winner
Goodnight Mommy . Austria
Mustang . France
Phoenix . Germany
Son of Saul . Hungary
Best Documentary
Amy
Best of Enemies
Cartel Land
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
The Look of Silence -- Winner
Best Director
Todd Haynes . Carol
Tom McCarthy . Spotlight
George Miller . Mad Max: Fury Road -- Winner
Ridley Scott . The Martian
Denis Villeneuve . Sicario
Best Actor
Matt Damon . The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio . The Revenant
Michael Fassbender . Steve Jobs -- Winner
Michael B. Jordan . Creed
Ian McKellen . Mr. Holmes
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett . Carol -- Winner
Brie Larson . Room
Charlotte Rampling . 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan . Brooklyn
Charlize Theron . Mad Max: Fury Road...
Brooklyn
Carol
Ex Machina
Inside Out
Mad Max: Fury Road -- Winner
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Sicario
Spotlight
Best Animated Feature
Anamolisa
The Good Dinosaur
Inside Out -- Winner
The Peanuts Movie
Shaun the Sheep Movie
Best Film Not in the English Language
The Assassin . Taiwan -- Winner
Goodnight Mommy . Austria
Mustang . France
Phoenix . Germany
Son of Saul . Hungary
Best Documentary
Amy
Best of Enemies
Cartel Land
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
The Look of Silence -- Winner
Best Director
Todd Haynes . Carol
Tom McCarthy . Spotlight
George Miller . Mad Max: Fury Road -- Winner
Ridley Scott . The Martian
Denis Villeneuve . Sicario
Best Actor
Matt Damon . The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio . The Revenant
Michael Fassbender . Steve Jobs -- Winner
Michael B. Jordan . Creed
Ian McKellen . Mr. Holmes
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett . Carol -- Winner
Brie Larson . Room
Charlotte Rampling . 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan . Brooklyn
Charlize Theron . Mad Max: Fury Road...
- 12/18/2015
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
George Miller's "Mad Max: Fury Road" blazed across the Chicago Film Critics Association nomination announced this morning. The action tale received seven nominations including best picture! Todd Haynes' "Carol" came next with 5 nods.
Winners will be announced Wednesday!
Here's the complete list of the Chicago Film Critics Association nominations:
Best Picture
Carol
Inside Out
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Spotlight
Best Director
Todd Haynes, Carol
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, The Revenant
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Adam McKay, The Big Short
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Actor
Christopher Abbott, James White
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl
Jason Segel, The End of the Tour
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Supporting Actor
Benicio Del Toro, Sicario
Sam Elliott, Grandma
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Michael Shannon,...
Winners will be announced Wednesday!
Here's the complete list of the Chicago Film Critics Association nominations:
Best Picture
Carol
Inside Out
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Spotlight
Best Director
Todd Haynes, Carol
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, The Revenant
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Adam McKay, The Big Short
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Actor
Christopher Abbott, James White
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl
Jason Segel, The End of the Tour
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Supporting Actor
Benicio Del Toro, Sicario
Sam Elliott, Grandma
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Michael Shannon,...
- 12/14/2015
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
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