News

The inaugural World Culture Film Festival kicks off in Los Angeles Thursday, a four-day event “dedicated to showcasing films that inspire, educate, and celebrate diverse cultures.”

Wcff opens with Oscar-shortlisted dramedy The Monk and the Gun, directed by Pawo Choyning Dorji. The Bhutanese filmmaker — whose Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom earned a 2022 Academy Award nomination for Best International Film — will be present for a Q&a to follow The Monk and the Gun screening.

The festival closes with Wim Wenders’ Oscar-nominated Perfect Days, a drama about Hirayama (Koji Yakusho), a man who cleans Tokyo’s public toilets, which are renowned for their immaculate appearance.

‘Perfect Days’

“Hirayama clearly derives enjoyment from performing his work well,” the New York Times wrote in a rave review, “but there’s more to his life than labor, and more to this movie than a simplistic celebration of manual toil.”

The Wcff program includes more than 60 films,...

Outdoor movie screenings and Los Angeles seem to go hand-in-hand.

The city has no shortage of venues to catch a movie under the stars, as several outdoor screening series spend the summer taking over iconic L.A. landmarks.

Having become a Hollywood staple, it’s hard to scroll through social media in the summer without seeing at least one picture taken at Cinespia screening at the iconic Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Meanwhile, Street Food Cinema offers screenings at several venues including Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades and The Autry Museum, located inside Griffith Park.

Whether you’re looking for a fun night out with friends or a family friendly summer activity, there are a slew of screenings around L.A. Check out some of them below.

Cinespia Cinespia at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

The long-running outdoor movie series, currently presented by Amazon MGM Studios, offers a variety of outdoor...

Matthew Vaughn’s spy thriller Argylle is the widest opener at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office in 626 cinemas, with Universal looking to emulate previous successes from the British director.

Directed by Vaughn from a script by Jason Fuchs, Argylle follows a reclusive author of spy novels, who realises the plot of her new book is starting to mirror real world events.

Henry Cavill, pop star Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose, Bryce Dallas Howard, John Cena, Sam Rockwell, Catherine O’Hara, Samuel L. Jason, Bryan Cranston, Sofia Boutella, Louis Partridge and Richard E. Grant are on a star-studded cast list.

Vaughn broke...

Julia Stiles channeled a popular character from her past recently and looked quite shocked by the script all these years later.

Earlier this week, the Mash-Up Americans Book Festival in New York City set up Stiles to revive Katarina “Kat” Stratford from the hit 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You. In the big-screen teen rom-com, Kat reads a “hateful” poem to Patrick Verona, a bad boy portrayed by Heath Ledger.

“I hate the way you’re always right. I hate it when you lie. I hate it when you make me laugh, even worse when you make me cry,” the poem reads in part.

Toward the end of the reading, Stiles appears to get emotional recalling the scene. Her co-star Ledger died in 2008 at the age of 28. 10 Things I Hate About You is one of Ledger’s most popular films alongside A Knight’s Tale, Casanova, The Dark Knight and Brokeback Mountain,...

"10 Things I Hate About You" has its fair share of timeless moments, one of its finest being when Heath Ledger's snazzy, uber-cool Patrick Verona crashes the school's soccer practice to sing and woo Julia Stiles' Kat Stratford. It's so over the top it's almost extraordinary. It's memorable in the most endearing way. Ledger exuded the charm and goofiness necessary to make this scene one of the most classic displays of romance in film over the decades.

When director Gil Junger and his team envisioned the scene, they were inspired by "Showgirls" and Fred Astaire and hoped that Ledger could capture the magnetism for which the late dancer was famous. It wasn't an easy task: Ledger was no dancer, but he did have copious amounts of charm.

An Unforgettable Rendition

In an interview with HuffPost for the film's 20th anniversary, filmmaker Gil Junger, actress Julia Stiles and the rest...

Joseph Gordon-Levitt started acting professionally when most millennials were still learning basic math. At the tender age of 7, Gordon-Levitt began appearing in popular television shows like "Family Ties," "Murder, She Wrote," and "Quantum Leap," which eventually led to roles in the critically acclaimed movie, "A River Runs Through It," and one of my childhood favorites, "Angels in the Outfield." His most notable performance came in 1996 when he landed the part of Tommy Solomon, an alien teenager in the popular series "3rd Rock from the Sun."

A steady gig on a popular sitcom might be enough for some actors, but Gordon-Levitt had loftier goals for his career. He told Vanity Fair in 2020 that he always wanted to act in "serious movies" that would premiere at independent film festivals and end up in art house theaters, but he was a young, attractive, up-and-coming actor during what /Film's Chris Evangelista calls "The Era Of Cool Shakespeare,...

The Golden Angel Awards ceremony in San Gabriel, California, was an occasion that kept politics in the foreground, but which simultaneously managed to downplay the frosty current state of U.S.-China diplomatic relations.

The awards event on Friday night also served as the opening ceremony of the 18th edition of the Chinese American Film Festival (Caff) and Chinese American TV Festival (Catf), annual events which showcase Chinese movies in the home state of American moviemaking.

After an elegant fashion show by Chinese womenswear brand Yu Tai Xiang, U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu took to the stage to speak about the upcoming midterm elections in the U.S., talk up Chinese-American history, and to rail against the recent rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in the U.S.

“We need the [U.S.] public to know that Aapi [Asian American and Pacific Islander] history is American history,” she said.

Caff organizer James Su laid down a similarly laudable message.

Despite the many late-90s romantic comedies inspired by classic literature, "10 Things I Hate About You" has stood the test of time unlike any other. Based on "The Taming of the Shrew," the film remained faithful to its Shakespearean roots and was an endearing romantic comedy for the ages. "10 Things I Hate About You" followed the Stratford sisters, whose strict father won't allow his high schooler daughter Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) to date unless her older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) does. Kat is witty, snarky, and rebellious; she has her eyes set on college and doesn't want to waste time with boys. When new student Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) falls for Bianca, he hatches a plan to get Kat to date Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger), a rough-edged outsider with a glorious head of hair and devastatingly deep voice. Kind of a package deal, but Kat doesn't care.

The film remains...

Nothing to hate here! Joseph Gordon-Levitt kicked off the new year by sharing a fun throwback photo on Twitter from the set of the iconic 1999 teen rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You. In the black-and-white snap, the actor, 40, and co-stars Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, David Krumholtz, Andrew Keegen and Susan May Pratt are seen casually hanging out in director's chairs. The photo, which also included director Gil Junger, seems to have been snapped in between takes of filming the movie's pivotal prom scene, as the actors are all dressed up in tuxedos and gowns. "#10ThingsIHateAboutYou," Gordon-Levitt simply captioned his post. In the pic, Gordon-Levitt, who played lovable new student...

Julia Stiles shares legendary on-screen chemistry with Heath Ledger in the 1999 teen classic 10 Things I Hate About You, but it was a different co-star who was the subject of her real-life adoration.  Director Gil Junger was a recent guest on YouTube chat series Mirá a Quién Encontré (Look Who I Found). During the chat, he reminisced about Julia and Joseph Gordon-Levitt having strong feelings for each other throughout the shoot, which led to them briefly dating.  In discussing the scene in which Julia's character, Kat, reads her "10 Things" poem during class, Gil said it only took Julia a single take to shoot it, and that the director himself was...

Exclusive: Buchwald has inked feature film and TV writer-producer-director Gil Junger.

Junger is a veteran TV episodic producer-director who has helmed over 250 episodes, 17 pilots (both half-hour and hour) and four movies for television.

In addition to his Peabody and Humanitas awards, Junger received Emmy and DGA nominations for his work on the transformative “coming out” episode of Ellen, starring Ellen DeGeneres. His TV credits also include Devious Maids, Hot in Cleveland, Hope & Faith, Harry’s Law, According to Jim, Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Blossom and The John Larroquette Show.

In 1999, he made his feature film directorial debut with Touchstone’s teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You which catapulted the careers of Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Heath Ledger.

Other notable feature directing credits followed including Black Knight starring Martin Lawrence and If Only starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Tom Wilkinson.

Most recently, Junger...

Megan Fox and Josh Duhamel Lead a New Breed of Comedy

Premiering in Households Everywhere June 9 from Lionsgate

Don’t miss the paws-itively heartwarming family comedy Think Like a Dog, premiering on Digital, and On Demand June 9 from Lionsgate. The film will be available on Blu-ray (plus Digital), and DVD the same day. A doggone good time for all ages, the film stars Gabriel Bateman (Annabelle, Benji, Playmobil: The Movie), Kunal Nayyar (TV’s “The Big Bang Theory,” Trolls, Ice Age: Continental Drift), Julia Jones (TV’s “The Mandalorian,” “Westworld,” The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), Janet Montgomery (The Space Between Us, TV’s “New Amsterdam”), Bryan Callen, Todd Stashwick as the voice of “Henry”, with Megan Fox (Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Jennifer’s Body), and Josh Duhamel (Transformers: The Last Knight), and is written and directed by Daytime Emmy® nominee Gil Junger and produced by Andrew Lazar, Cory Chen (upcoming The Doorman), and Linshu Zhang.

"I would do anything to acquire this technology." Lionsgate has debuted an official trailer for a fun-for-the-whole-family comedy titled Think Like a Dog, being released direct-to-vod starting in June this summer. A 12-year-old tech prodigy's "hear your thoughts" science experiment goes awry and he forges a telepathic connection with his best friend, his dog named Henry. The duo join forces and use their unique perspectives on life to comically overcome complications of family and school. Starring Gabriel Bateman as the boy, Todd Stashwick as the dog's voice, with Josh Duhamel, Megan Fox, Janet Montgomery, Madison Horcher, and Kunal Nayyar. This looks charming, but also super cheesy and cliche - the same plot we've seen before in all these movies. Don't let evil corporate bad guy steal the tech, save your family, get the girl. Here's the first official trailer for Gil Junger's Think Like a Dog, direct from Lionsgate's...

Production set for March at Nu Boyana Studios in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Megan Fox has signed on to star in Till Death, Millennium Media’s high-concept horror thriller from director S.K. Dale that the company is taking to Efm in an aggressive push to worldwide buyers.

Production is scheduled to begin in March at Nu Boyana Studios in Sofia, Bulgaria on the story of Emma (Fox), who is left handcuffed to her dead husband as part of a sickening revenge plot and must survive two hired killers on their way to finish the job.

Jason Carvey wrote the ’Blood List’ screenplay and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick,...

In today’s film news roundup, Christopher Walken and Christina Ricci star in a farming drama, Megan Fox is playing a war correspondent and Tania Raymonde has unveiled a dark comedy set in the art world.

Castings

Christopher Walken and Christina Ricci are starring in the farming drama “Percy,” a Scythia Films production that has started shooting in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Clark Johnson is directing from a screenplay written by Hilary Pryor and Garfield L. Miller. “Percy” is produced by Scythia Films’ Daniel Bekerman, Ian Dimerman, Brendon Sawatzky, Pryor and Miller. Executive producers are Ethan Lazar from Scythia Films, William Santor and Andrew Chang-Sang for financier Productivity Media, Kevin Hoiseth for sales agent Concourse Media, Christopher Yurkovich, Alex Ordanis, Deepak Kumar, Mark Gingras and John Laing.

Walken portrays a small-town Saskatchewan farmer; the film follows his unlikely crusade against genetically modified crops. Ricci plays an anti-gmo activist. The cast includes Roberta Maxwell,...

Black Swan actress Janet Montgomery, The Big Bang Theory star Kunal Nayyar and Wind River actress Julia Jones have joined the cast of Think Like a Dog, the new feature from 10 Things I Hate About You director Gil Junger.

Bryan Callen (Ride Along) and Gabriel Bateman (Benji) have also been cast in the upcoming family comedy, which will star Megan Fox and Josh Duhamel. Written and directed by Junger, Think Like a Dog follows teen tech prodigy Oliver (Bateman) whose science-fair experiment goes awry and creates a telepathic connection between himself and his dog. Fox and Duhamel will play...

<em>Black Swan</em> actress Janet Montgomery, <em>The Big Bang Theory</em> star Kunal Nayyar and <em>Wind River </em>actress Julia Jones have joined the cast of <em>Think Like a Dog</em>, the new feature from <em>10 Things I Hate About You</em> director Gil Junger.

Bryan Callen (<em>Ride Along</em>) and Gabriel Bateman (<em>Benji</em>) have also been cast in the upcoming family comedy, which will star Megan Fox and Josh Duhamel. Written and directed by Junger, <em>Think Like a Dog</em> follows teen tech prodigy Oliver (Bateman) whose science-fair experiment goes awry and creates a telepathic connection between himself and his dog. Fox and Duhamel will play Oliver’s parents.

“We’...

Transformer stars Megan Fox and Josh Duhamel are reuniting for the family film, Think Like A Dog, written and directed by Gil Junger (10 Things I Hate About You). The pic, which hails from Double Dutch International, follows 12-year- old tech prodigy, Oliver, whose science fair experiment goes awry and creates a telepathic connection between himself and his dog, Henry. The connection brings them even closer as the duo join forces to comically overcome complications of…...

Production set for May in New Orleans.

Megan Fox and Josh Duhamel will star in the upcoming family film Think Like A Dog that Jason Moring’s Toronto-based Ddi sells internationally.

Gil Junger wrote and will direct the story of a 12-year-old tech prodigy whose science fair experiment goes awry and creates a telepathic connection between himself and his dog.

Principal photography is scheduled for May in New Orleans, Louisiana. Fox and Duhamel will play the roles of the boy’s parents.

Andrew Lazar is producing and previously worked with Junger on 10 Things I Hate About You. Robert Engelman, Cory Chen of M-Star International,...

Simon Brew Nov 24, 2016

10 Things I Hate About Life starting filming in 2012. Four years later, it's disappeared. What's happened?

1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You was one of the prize picks from a rich selection of teen movies of that particular era. Loosely based on William Shakespeare’s The Taming Of The Shrew, the movie starred Julia Stiles and the late Heath Ledger in its lead roles, with an impressive supporting cast including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Allison Janney and Larisa Oleynik.

It was, in hindsight, a modest box office success, bringing in just over $50m off a $30m budget. But for those schooled on 1990s teen cinema, 10 Things I Hate About You is regularly cited as a favourite. With good reason, too: it’s a very good film, that’s stood the test of time well. It’s also one more reason why the world misses Heath Ledger.

The film’s director,...

Double Dutch International (Ddi) has acquired worldwide sales rights to director Gil Junger’s family film Think Like a Dog, the Andrew Lazar (American Sniper) production set for filming this fall. The title will be introduced to buyers at the Toronto International Film Festival later this week. The acquisition was announced by Jason Moring, Ddi’s CEO. The project, currently casting, reunites Lazar with his 10 Things I Hate About You director Junger. “It’s great to see…...

Stars: Mike “The Miz” Mizanin, Annalynne McCord, Paige, Eric Keenleyside, Kathryn Kirkpatrick, Geoff Gustafson, Tom McLaren | Written by James Robert Johnston, Bennett Yellin | Directed by Gil Junger

The WWE have made a name for themselves in the movie world with a spate of well-recieved action and horror movies, however that’s not the only types of filmic fare they’ve put their name to. Back in the burgeoning days of WWE Studios, the company put out a number of comedies and family-friendly films that – looking at the WWE’s cinematic landscape today – don’t quite fit the mold they have built for themselves.

Yet whilst the WWE have found financial and critical success with genre fare such as No One Lives, The Call, See No Evil 2 and Oculus, they haven’t forgot their family-friendly beginnings – producing animated movies with Hanna Barbera featuring WWE Superstars alongside iconic cartoon characters such...

Released just four years after 1995's disarmingly smart Clueless became a teen sleeper hit, 10 Things I Hate About You shared some of its sly, sidelong perspective on high school dynamics, not to mention its literary pedigree. Today marks 16 years since the film's Us release date, meaning 10 Things has officially come of age, but its modern day screwball romance and salty humour hasn't aged a day.

Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew is a less widely-read source text than Jane Austen's Emma, and 10 Things is by necessity a looser adaptation than Clueless - Shrew's much-discussed ending, which concludes that women must learn to be subservient to their husbands, wouldn't fly even as irony in the present day.

Only the skeleton of Shakespeare's plot remains, and proves just how timeless the rom-com conventions which he originated have become. The overprotective father of pretty, popular high schooler Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) forbids her from dating...

If my hot tub was a time machine, I would go back and wipe out this time travel comedy from existence... Black Knight (2001) Director: Gil Junger Stars: Martin Lawrence, Tom Wilkinson, Marsha Thomason Martin Lawrence acts like a jackass in two different time periods. Black Knight was made a decade or two too late. Its style of goofy fish-out-of-water comedy has "late 80s-early 90s" written all over it. It's a truly awful, lowest-common-denominator example...

Get ready to watch, rate and review Amazon’s just-released pilots – a slate of 13 original comedy, drama, docuseries and kids offerings now available on Amazon Instant Video.

The pilots come from a talented creative roster that includes both newcomers discovered through Amazon Studios as well as highly-acclaimed veterans such as Ridley Scott (Blade Runner), Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files), Carlton Cuse (Lost), Randall Wallace (Braveheart), Shawn Ryan (The Shield), Brad Silberling (Jane the Virgin, Lemony Snickets…), Mark Waters (Mean Girls), Academy and Emmy Award winning director Alex Gibney (The Armstrong Lie), Angela Santomero (Blue’s Clues), and Carol Greenwald (Arthur).

Over the course of the next four weeks, viewer feedback will ultimately help to decide which of them get picked up to full series. So your opinions matter! You could help choose the next Golden Globe-winning series, after all.

Check out the synopsis of each of them below, and start watching them here today.

Get ready for our first pilot season of 2015, launching January 15th, when seven new primetime and six new kids pilots will debut on Amazon Instant Video. As with previous pilot seasons, viewers in the Us, UK and Germany will be invited to watch, rate and review them all over the course of four weeks, ultimately helping to decide which of them get picked up to full series.

The new pilots come from both highly-acclaimed and newly-discovered creators, and a legion of talented actors, directors and producers signed on to bring the pilots to life. Here’s a brief summary of each:

Primetime Pilots

The Man in the High Castle – Based on Philip K. Dick’s award-winning novel, and executive produced by Ridley Scott (Blade Runner), The Man in the High Castle explores what it would be like if the Allied Powers had lost WWII, and Japan and Germany ruled the United States.

Amazon Studios has added five new kids' pilots to its growing slate of original series. The third children's pilot season — which will debut in early 2015 — includes three animated shows and two live-action series in addition to the previously announced Sara Solves It pilot. They include whodunit Buddy: Tech Detective from writer Jennifer Hamburg (Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood), book adaptation The Stinky & Dirty Show from writer Guy Toubes (Littlest Pet Shop), comic book adaptation Niko and the Sword of Light from writer Rob Hoegee, live-action lunchroom series Table 58 from director Gil Junger (Greek)

read more...

God Help the Girl is a tale of love and despair through the medium of song and dance, starring Emily Browning and Olly Alexander. Written and directed by Belle & Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch, the film in part follows Alexander’s bewitched James and his adoration of Eve (Browning,) a troubled, medicated songwriter.

To celebrate the film’s release we take a look at some of the best proclamations of love via the magical form of song in cinema.

Pretty in Pink: Try a Little Tenderness Dir. Howard Deutch, 1986

Admittedly this sequence is mimed, but mimed to Otis Redding and with such panache that Jon Cryer’s Duckie is easily forgiven. Besotted with his best friend and sadly not as bold with his feelings as he is with his sense of fashion, Duckie’s extravagant routine is as a means of impressing his audience; a bewildered Andie (Molly Ringwald)and the quietly impressed Iona.

A preschool whodunit. A hilarious friendship between dirty trucks. An epic quest to defeat darkness. An ousted crowd who navigates middle school cafeteria dynamics. And a trio who discover the power of magic.

These are the five kids’ stories Amazon Studios has ordered to pilot, officially announced today. Early next year, all five will showcase their first episodes for viewer feedback on Amazon Instant Video.

During the last kids’ pilot season, one of the highest-rated pilots was Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, which was created by pre-school teacher David Anaxagoras, a first-time writer who was discovered through Amazon Studios’ open-door submission process. In November, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street will launch as a full series on Amazon Prime.

In a few months, viewers will have the chance to discover the next hit kids show. “We’re very excited to be working with such talented creative minds...

Our International Sales Agent (Isa) of the Day coverage is back again for this year's Cannes Film Festival. We will feature successful, upcoming, innovative and trailblazing agents from around the world, and cover the latest trends in sales and distribution. Beyond the numbers and deals, this segment will also share inspirational and unique stories of how these individuals have evolved and paved their way in the industry, and what they envision for the new waves in global cinema.

Isa's of the Day will be posted regularly during Cannes, but the buzz has already begun with the recent release of the festival lineup -- so expect to see Isa updates over the coming weeks.

The first Isa of the Day is Lise Romanoff, Managing Director and CEO of Worldwide Distribution at Vision Films. Based in Sherman Oaks, California, Vision Films is an independent Worldwide Sales Agent and VOD Aggregator of over 500 Feature Films, 500 Documentaries and 100 different Music Programs from some of the most prolific independent film producers in the world.

In early 2013, Vision Films expanded into the world of domestic distribution with the creation of their own DVD/ VOD label, releasing films day-and-date on DVD and VOD through all cable and digital platforms such as Comcast, Directv, Dish, At&T, iTunes and Amazon, and retailers including RedBox, Walmart, Best Buy and Target. It is one of the few independent companies with a worldwide presence to also have a domestic division. Vision Films works directly with all its platforms and has no middlemen, releasing at least 2 - 3 titles on DVD and 3 - 4 titles on VOD every month.

Since opening their doors as a DVD/ VOD label, Vision Films has released an array of independent feature films including Hamlet And Hutch with Burt Reynolds; Wreckers, a coming-of-age story starring Benedict Cumberbatch; The Employer, an intense thriller starring Malcolm McDowell; Contract Killers is a non-stop martial arts action picture; and Sunset Strip, a music and pop culture documentary that chronicles Strip from its origins in the 1920s through today featuring Slash, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Dan Aykroyd, Keanu Reeves, Ozzy Osbourne, Hugh Hefner, and music from Jane’s Addiction, Smashing Pumpkins, and more.

The Vision Films catalog also has stories of global consciousness, including Comedy Warriors, a documentary where Zach Galifianakis, Lewis Black and Bob Saget help disabled soldiers heal through humor by teaching them stand-up comedy; Finding Happiness by Ted Nicholaou, a spiritual journey starring Elisabeth Röhm; Femme: Women Healing The World with Sharon Stone by Emmanuel Itier; and Shirin In Love, a romantic comedy starring Nazanin Boniadi by Ramin Niami about a quirky Iranian-American young woman who goes against tradition to follow her heart.

Lise Romanoff recently took the time to speak with SydneysBuzz:

What are buyers looking for?

2014 has been a vibrant year! Buyers are looking for product that can play across all channels of distribution: Theatrical, Home Video, VOD and Television. VOD has opened up a lot of doors for “niche” product because the Internet is the best way to find a specific fan base. We are offering star-studded feature films and top-notch documentaries that entertain and inspire. We attend all of the film markets, as well as the TV markets, and even the specialty territory-specific regional markets.

Where are the strongest markets?

U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, Germany, France, Italy and Japan are the strongest countries, but for the most part, sales are evenly spread around the world.

How are sales going?

Sales are up about 30% this year, but we are working harder than ever. Many of the films that we started pre-selling last year are now completed.

What are your intentions for Cannes?

We're looking to sell the films we are bringing to Cannes, and we're looking to acquire new family, action and animated features.

What is your line-up for Cannes?

Vision Films’ Cannes line-up includes God Loves Caviar, the journey of Ioannis Varvakis from humble Greek pirate to international caviar millionaire with Catherine Deneuve and John Cleese; The Identical, earmarked for a wide screen theatrical release this fall in the U.S. stars Ashley Judd, Seth Green and Ray Liotta and introduces Blake Rayne as the identical twin of the biggest rock star in the world; As Dreamers Do, a bio pic about the early years of Mr. Walt Disney; 10 Things I Hate About You is the sequel to Gil Junger’s 10 Things I Hate About Life starring Evan Rachel Wood and Thomas McDonell; Fear Clinic with Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger) will bring a new meaning to phobias this fall; and Mantervention, a sexy comedy with Chloe Bridges, where Travis Van Winkle shows Nick Roux how to get over his ex and #ontothenext.

Why include globally conscious films in your catalog?

A lot of documentaries make you think. It's important to take a few minutes and look at the world around us. Documentaries traditionally don’t garner as much revenue as feature films, but it makes me feel very good to have them in our catalog. I also feel that if I have this type of product, I'll attract other companies that have the same mission to release films that give back to the world.

We'll always continue to sell good horror or action films, but selling films with good messages makes me very happy at this point in my career.

As far as distribution is concerned, VOD is a good type of niche for this programming. On the long-term view... as the Internet develops, and people have go-to sites for these types of films, it will work. We will be able to develop these channels, bring like-minded communities together, and generate more money for the filmmakers so they can continue to produce these kinds of films.

How did Vision Films start?

Founded in 1997 and based in Sherman Oaks, California, Vision Films started in the garage of it founder, and now has grown to become an independent Worldwide Distributor and VOD Aggregator of thousands of feature films, documentaries and music Programs. Vision Films manages all available rights from Theatrical, Video, Television and VOD/ Digital Media in both the International and domestic marketplaces. Vision works closely with producers to develop a special marketing plan as well as a strategy to license their film(s) to the right distributors around the world through relationships cultivated over nearly 24 years.

*Additional Information for Vision Films

Mission Statement

Vision Films’ mission is to provide top-notch independent feature films, documentaries and music programming that entertain, inspire, and informs audiences. Vision Films invests time and effort to keep on top of the latest cutting-edge technological innovations of the rapidly growing digital domain. We treat each release as special and unique. We respect our filmmakers and involve them in the release of their films, as today it’s all about reaching the core audience and we believe producers know how to do just that.

Principles

Lise Romanoff is the Managing Director/ CEO of Worldwide Distribution and has been in the feature film and television distribution business for more then 20 years. Lise specializes in North America (U.S. and Canada), U.K., France, Italy, Australia/ N.Z., and Africa markets, focuses on the company’s expansion into domestic DVD and Video On Demand (VOD) distribution. Lise also serves as a Chairperson/ Secretary to Ifta’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors. Adam Wright is the Executive Vice President/ International Sales and Acquisitions who specializes in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America markets. Adam was formerly President of Regent Worldwide Sales and a sales executive at Porchlight and Turner. Alexandra Sparer is a Sales Associate who specializes in Eastern and Central Europe including Russia, as well as Scandinavia, India, Turkey, Greece markets. Alex Saveliev is the Director of Domestic Distribution for Vision Films’ DVD/ VOD label. Nathan Ross is the Director of Servicing and Digital Operations.Jasmine Abrams is the Contracts Manager.Monique Green is the Director of Finance.Jennifer Schultz is the Sales and Marketing Coordinator.

You love to hate them, you hate to love them. There is an irresistible quality to the bad men in film, whose dastardly ways lure you in and keep you rooting for them until the bitter end.

With the remake of 1981’s turbulent Endless Love out this Valentine’s Day, starring Alex Pettyfer as a boy in love with a criminal past, we celebrate some of cinema’s most notorious, sometimes misunderstood scoundrels and their paths to retribution.

John Bender – The Breakfast Club

Dir. John Hughes, 1985

Spending the majority of John Hughes’ fantastic teen film slumped over a desk and setting things on fire, Judd Nelson’s juvenile Bender is the definition of angst. Criminally minded, troubled and at times malicious, Hughes still urges you not to give up on him, with glimmers of a better person under that grubby coat and a victory that will have you punching the...

Whether you have known your loved ones your entire life or just recently met them, unquestionably helping and protecting your family and friends comes instinctively to many people. That’s not only the case for the main character, former bounty hunter Tory Bell, in the new original ABC Family action-comedy movie, ‘Christmas Bounty,’ but also the core cast members of the film, including ‘The Secret Life of The American Teenager’ actress Francia Raisa and WWE Superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanin. The movie, which was directed by Gil Junger, is part of the cable network’s annual “Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas” programming event, and premieres tonight at 7:00pm Et/Pt. ‘Christmas Bounty’ [ Read More ]

The post Interview: Mike Mizanin and Francia Raisa Talk Christmas Bounty appeared first on Shockya.com.

Since 10 Things I Hate About You was released in 1999, it's become one of the last great high school romantic comedies, and not just because the death of Heath Ledger makes his heartthrob performance that much more treasured. Now Gil Junger, the writer and director of the original film, is back with a pseudo-sequel/spin-off called 10 Things I Hate About Life. However, it doesn't look like the film has any connections to the original with the exception of the title. Originally, Hayley Atwell was attached to this project, but it's Evan Rachel Wood in the lead along with Thomas McDonnell as two lost people who find love in each other when they meet after each of them fails to commit suicide. Now isn't that charming? Yes, it sounds much darker than the first film, but there you have it. Now we have some first look photos from Vision Films (via SlashFilm...

After a failed TV reboot, 10 Things I Hate About You is coming back from the grave again.

The film's director Gil Junger will write and direct a spin-off film, entitled 10 Things I Hate About Life, Vulture reports. Evan Rachel Wood and Suburgatory's Thomas McDonell will star as two people who meet-cute right when they are about to commit suicide.

Read More >...

This movie had been declared dead, but Deadline reports “10 Things I Hate About Life” is back on with stars Evan Rachel Wood and Thomas McDonnell in place, and have even shared the first photo of the duo from the indie drama. The film is being produced and directed by writer/director Gil Junger and producer [...]

The post First Photo of Evan Rachel Wood and Thomas McDonnell in Resurrected “10 Things I Hate About Life” appeared first on Up and Comers.

Talks of a 10 Things I Hate About You sequel have been going around for a while now; however, it finally seems like it’s really happening. Entitled 10 Things I Hate About Life, the film will be written and directed by the original’s director Gil Junger. (It’s unclear what William Shakespeare’s contribution will be this time around.) It stars Evan Rachel Wood and Thomas McDonell as two people who are about to commit suicide before they meet and fall in love with each other. No, they aren’t playing Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger’s characters from the original, making the film less a direct sequel and more a “thematic spinoff.” As long as someone cries and reads a numeric poem, call it whatever you want.

Following the footsteps of the box office smash hit, Ten Things I Hate About You, the creative team of Producer, Andrew Lazar (Bound, Get Smart) and Gil Junger (Ten Things I Hate About You, Black Knight) recommence with their eagerly awaited follow up called 10 Things I Hate About Life starring Evan Rachel Wood (Charlie Countryman, The Wrestler) and Thomas McDonell (The Forbidden Kingdom, Prom).

Previously, Gil Junger and Andrew Lazar brought the audience a unique insight into navigating a complicated high school life in the process launching the careers of Heath Ledger and Julia Styles and featuring a hilarious and memorable performance from Joseph Gordon Levitt.

10 Things I Hate About Life is the comedic story of a boy and girl who meet and fall in love – just when they are about to kill themselves!! Their crazy shared experiences and similar emotional state forms a bond that draws them both into...

Vision Films has come on to handle worldwide rights to 10 Things I Hate About Life starring Evan Rachel Wood and Thomas McDonell.

Producers Andrew Lazar and director Gil Junger have reprised their roles on the follow-up to 10 Things I Hate About You that starred the late Heath Ledger and Julia Styles.

10 Things I Hate About Life tells of two youngsters contemplating suicide who fall for each other.

Filming will recommence in and around La on December 11 and wrap by April. Polaris Pictures’ Jeremy Wall arranged the financing with investor Legacy Point Capital.

It's been in the works for a while now, but it looks like the "10 Things I Hate About You" spinoff is finally getting off the ground.

The movie, called "10 Things I Hate About Life," isn't a sequel so much as a continuation of the beloved teen flick, described as "advanc[ing] situations from the original film." In its current iteration, it stars Evan Rachel Wood and Thomas McDonell ("Fun Size," ABC series "Suburgatory") as two people who meet just as they're about to commit suicide, and end up falling in love.

Production had started a year ago before shooting was shut down, but now filming is expected to begin again in December. A previous version of the movie had "Captain America" star Hayley Atwell attached in Wood's role.

"10 Things I Hate About Life" will be helmed by "10 Things I Hate About You"'s director, Gil Junger. Here's hoping Junger finds a...

Producers Andrew Lazar and Gil Junger have today revealed the first still from their thematic sequel to the 1999 hit 10 Things I Hate About You . In the gallery viewer below, you can check out Evan Rachel Wood ( The Wrestler , Charlie Countryman ) and Thomas McDonell ( The Forbidden Kingdom , Prom ) in 10 Things I Hate About Life . 10 Things I Hate About Life is the comedic story of a boy and girl who meet and fall in love . just when they are about to kill themselves!! Their crazy shared experiences and similar emotional state forms a bond that draws them both into happiness and takes them on a rollercoaster ride of young love in a world where emotions run high. .We are immensely happy and excited to continue to work with acclaimed actor Evan Rachel Wood in the title...

Joss Whedon's black-and-white take on the Shakespeare comedy is too tasteful for its own good

To follow up his Avengers smash, Joss Whedon has chosen a high-minded new project: an odd, self-conscious, modern-dress movie adaptation of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing – said to have pioneered the Hollywood "meet-cute" with its sparky, smart-alecky love-affair between Beatrice and Benedick. It looks very different from the Tuscan glow of Kenneth Branagh's honey-dew version of 20 years ago. This is shot in black and white, perhaps to look like a 1930s screwball, or for general added classiness, and everyone involved speaks clearly, carefully, conscientiously. The noblemen and courtiers wear dark suits, resembling something from Aaron Sorkin, though each looks more like a secret-service guy than the actual president; they show up in SUVs at Leonato's residence, a big house in what appears to be a gated residential community.

As Benedick, Alexis Denisof is...

Sneak Peek director Gil Junger's comedy fantasy feature "Black Knight", now available on DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment, starring Martin Lawrence, Marsha Thomason and Tom Wilkinson:

"...a fast-talking maintenance worker (Lawrence) is in for a royally rude awakening when an unfortunate moat mishap at the 'Medieval World' theme park transports him back in time to 14th century England.

"Now, armed with only his modern-day street smarts, he must deal with damsels in distress, an evil king – and really bad plumbing. The knight life has never been more hilarious..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Black Knight"...

I’m sure you already remember our previous report about the upcoming indie comedy titled 10 Things I Hate About Life. The movie already stars Evan Rachel Wood, Janet Montgomery and Thomas McDonnell, and today we’re here to add another great name to that list ’cause we’ve just learned that Billy Campbell has joined the project as well!

So, as you already know, the movie (currently shooting in Los Angeles) comes from director Gil Junger, and follows a young woman (Wood) and man (McDonnell) who meet while attempting to commit suicide at the same jumping-off point.

But, apparently, that’s just the beginning of the story and things get complicated when the McDonnell’s ex-girlfriend re-enters his life just as his budding rock band is on the verge of signing a record deal.

On the other hand, Billy Campbell jumps in to play McDonnell’s father, a wealthy and entitled lawyer,...

10 Things I Hate About Life

Billy Campbell (TV's "The Killing") has joined the cast of Gil Junger's indie rom-com "10 Things I Hate About Life" currently shooting in Los Angeles. Evan Rachel Wood and Thomas McDonnell play a young woman and man who meet while attempting to commit suicide at the same jumping-off point.

Complications ensue when the man’s ex-girlfriend re-enters his life just as his budding rock band is on the verge of signing a record deal. Campbell will play McDonnell’s father, a wealthy and entitled lawyer who doesn’t approve of his son dropping out of law school. [Source: THR]

Max Rose

Jerry Lewis begins work tomorrow on Daniel Noah's indie drama "Max Rose," which will mark Lewis' first starring role since "Funny Bones" in 1995. Lewis plays a jazz pianist who has recently lost his wife of over five decades.

A discovery made days before her death...

• Bradley Cooper is attached to produce and star in Dark Invasion, a historical thriller about the effort to stop a crew of German spies sent to the U.S. in 1915 to keep it out of joining World War I. Cooper would play a New York police captain assigned to lead the effort. The story is based on an unpublished non-fiction book by Howard Blum, aiming to arrive in bookstores on the freighted date of Sept. 11, 2013. [Deadline]

• Anne Hathaway is set to star in a modern-day version of William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, because after singing live in one take,...

Fresh off her Golden Globe win for her performance in Tom Hooper's Les Miserables, Anne Hathaway has landed a brand new part. The actress has been cast in a brand new adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. Similar to the 1999 Gil Junger film 10 Things I Hate About You, the new film will also be set in modern day. According to The Wrap, the script is being written by Abi Morgan, who is best known for scripting 2011's Phyllida Lloyd's The Iron Lady and Steve McQueen's Shame. She most recently adapted Claire Tomalin's book The Invisible Woman for director Ralph Fiennes and the film is currently in post-production. The article doesn't mention which role in the film Hathaway will play in the comedy, but one can assume she will portray Bianca . The story is about two sisters: Bianca, the younger sister who is...

Billy Campbell, who starred on AMC’s The Killing, has joined the cast of indie film 10 Things I Hate About Life. Gil Junger, the veteran TV director-producer, is helming the romantic comedy, which stars Evan Rachel Wood and Thomas McDonnell (Fun Size) as a young woman and man who meet while attempting to commit suicide at the same “jumping-off point.” Complications ensue when the man’s ex-girlfriend re-enters his life just as his budding rock band is on the verge of signing a record deal. Photos: On the Set of AMC's 'The Killing' Campbell will play

read more...

Janet Montgomery isn’t having a lot of luck cracking Us telly leading status. Her role in the rebooted ensemble for action show Human Target didn’t get beyond a season and, more recently, her legal vehicle Made In Jersey was unceremoniously cancelled after six episodes. Still, her film career is still alight and she’s signed to star alongside Evan Rachel Wood in 10 Things I Hate About Life.Writer/director Gil Junger is squeezing a little more life out of the film (10 Things I Hate About You) he brought to the world back 1999. This one, however, won’t be a direct sequel or a remake, like the TV version; it’s more channeling the themes of boy-meets-girl, and without the Shakespearian undertones this time around.Wood will play a young woman who meets a guy right as they’re both attempting to commit suicide. In place of offing themselves,...

10 Things I Hate About Life sounds like… 10 Things I Hate About You, right? Well, it just sounds. It’s not going to be a sequel to that movie. But it’s going to be a comedy, and two great ladies are on board to star in the whole thing! We’ve just learned that Janet Montgomery will join the previously announced Evan Rachel Wood in an upcoming indie project which comes from director Gil Junger. Confused? Check out the rest of this report to learn more…

So, we all know that Gil Junger stands behind 10 Things I Hate About You. And now, he will direct 10 Things I Hate About Life. Now you say – well, of course it’s going to be a sequel! And Junger says – no guys, it will be a story that advances the situations.

What’s the difference? I have no idea!

The only thing I know...

Cinderella

Saoirse Ronan ("Atonement"), Alicia Vikander ("Anna Karenina") and Gabriella Wilde ("The Three Musketeers") are all set to test for the title role in Mark Romanek's live-action take on "Cinderella" at Disney.

Cate Blanchett is already in negotiations to play the evil stepmother. Chris Weitz penned the script. [Source: Variety]

Mercy

Chandler Riggs ("The Walking Dead") and Joel Courtney ("Super 8") are set to join Peter Cornwell's horror thriller "Mercy" at Blumhouse, Wonderland Sound and Vision, and Universal Pictures. The story is an adaptation of Stephen King's 1984 short story "Gramma."

The young actors will play brothers who go with their mother (Frances O’Connor) to take care of their grandma. Unbeknownst to them, the grandmother is a witch, who made an evil deal using black magic years earlier. [Source: Heat Vision]

10 Things I Hate About Life

Janet Montgomery ("Jersey Girl," "Spies of Warsaw") has signed on to star opposite Evan Rachel Wood...