News

Roschdy Zem, Sandrine Kiberlain and Elodie Bouchez have signed to star in Unchained, a prison-set dance feature to be directed by France’s Valerie Muller and choreographed by Angelin Preljocaj. Le Pacte is handling international sales.

Muller and Preljocaj previously collaborated on 2016 ballet drama Polina that screened in Venice’s Giornate degli Autori.

Zem will play an international renowned choreographer who launches a dance workshop in prison and guides inmates to break free of the chains binding them through dance as they seek redemption among their families outside the prison walls.

Unchained is being produced by Nicolas Mauvernay’s Mizar Films.

It’s been a robust year for genre film. Horror’s continued dominance at the box office has effectively spilled over into fantasy, thrillers, and sci-fi in ways that defy easy classification. So much so that it’s difficult to overlook the 2023 genre movies that employ horror techniques, draw inspiration from our favorite genre, or simply dabble in it.

These horror adjacent movies may not fully plunge into the genre, but they’re also not afraid to wear their horror influences on their sleeves, whether through style or bloodletting.

Here are the top ten best horror adjacent movies of 2023.

10. A Haunting in Venice

Director and star Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot gets reeled into another whodunnit, but this time Branagh leans into the Halloween setting with stunning style to infuse this murder mystery with atmospheric mood. A Haunting in Venice looks and feels like a vintage ghost story, complete with nods to Edgar Allan Poe.

Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s latest pic, The Beasts (As bestas), dominated the main prizes, taking home nine gongs, including best film and director at the 37th edition of Spain’s Goya awards Saturday evening.

The pic debuted at Cannes last year and led the Goya award nominations with 17 nods. The film’s story follows a middle-aged French couple who move to a small village, seeking closeness with nature. However, their presence inflames two locals to the point of outright hostility and shocking violence.

The Beasts also picked up wins for best screenplay, leading actor, and supporting actor.

Movistar+’s Modelo77 from Alberto Rodriguez, which trailed The Beasts with 15 nods, picked up five wins, all of them in technical categories. Carla Simón’s Golden Bear winner Alcarràs had 11 nominations but left empty-handed.

In other major wins, Alauda Ruiz de Azúa...

Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s modern-day feminist Western, “The Beasts,” already a box office breakout in France and Spain, swept nine prizes including film, director, and original screenplay on Saturday at a celebratory 37th Goya Awards, given Spain’s big fest prizes and rally at its home box office.

The upbeat mood was tempered inevitably by the death of Carlos Saura, one of Spanish cinema’s greats and this year’s Goya of Honor, on Friday.

In a rare departure, a foreign actor, France’s Denis Ménochet (“Inglorious Basterds”) took best actor, winning for his marvellous turn in the conflict-negotiation themed “The Beasts,” as a French settler in modern-day deep Galicia who finally refuses to back down when taunted by locals. His attitude contrasts pointedly with his wife’s.

Produced by Movistar+ and Atípica Films, “Prison 77,” the movie of clearest big production ambitions – the sort of film which will probably now only be made by platform,...

Unicorn Wars: "It’s Bambi meets Apocalypse Now in this provocative and strangely beautiful horror comedy from acclaimed filmmaker and illustrator Alberto Vazquez (Birdboy: The Forgotten Children), who uses its outrageous candy-colored premise to explore religious zealotry, the tortured legacies of military fascism, and the depths of the soul.

For ages, teddy bears have been locked in an ancestral war against their sworn enemy, the unicorns, with the promise that victory will complete the prophecy and usher in a new era. Aggressive, confident teddy bear Bluet and his sensitive, withdrawn brother Tubby could not be more different. As the rigors and humiliation of teddy bear bootcamp turn to the psychedelic horrors of a combat tour in the Magic Forest, their complicated history and increasingly strained relationship will come to determine the fate of the entire war."

Director/Writer/Art Director: Alberto Vázquez Executive Producers: Chelo Loureiro, Iván Miñambres, Nicolas Schmerkin...

Goya and Annecy Cristal-winning director Alberto Vásquez (Birdboy: The Forgotten Children) is back with another genre-bending animated feature for adults, Unicorn Wars, and a new trailer asks you to bear witness to the adorable yet grim battle ahead.

Gkids will release the technicolor feature theatrically in select markets nationwide, and will also be available on demand from March 10, 2023.

Don’t be fooled by Unicorn Wars‘ cuddly characters; there’s nothing adorable about this brutal war.

About the film…

“It’s Bambi meets Apocalypse Now in this provocative and strangely beautiful horror comedy from acclaimed filmmaker and illustrator Alberto Vazquez (Birdboy: The Forgotten Children), who uses its outrageous candy-colored premise to explore religious zealotry, the tortured legacies of military fascism, and the depths of the soul.

“For ages, teddy bears have been locked in an ancestral war against their sworn enemy, the unicorns, with the promise that victory will complete the...

58 feature projects selected for event, which takes place in Bordeaux from March 7-9.

Top international animation directors including Unicorn Wars’ Alberto Vázquez, Copellia trio Jeff Tudor, Steven de Beul and Ben Tesseur, and Bunuel In The Labyrinth Of Turtles’ Salvador Simó will unveil their latest projects at Cartoon Movie2023 from March 7-9.

The selection committee of the pitching and co-production forum, which returns for its 25th edition in Bordeaux, France, has unveiled 58 feature projects selected for the event, which includes 27 French films, nearly half of the selection.

Germany will send seven projects, followed by Spain with five, Italy with four,...

International rights available on all projects at Buenos Aires showcase.

Seven titles with Spanish lead producers comprise the works in progress slate that is being presented under the auspices of Spanish Screenings on Tour at Ventana Sur, which kicked off on Monday in Buenos Aires.

Produced by Fábrica Naranja de Películas, Malandra Films and Germany’s Inselfilm Produktion, Paloma Zapata’s Finding La Singla is a documentary feature about the renowned flamenco dancer Antoñita Singla. Born deaf in the suburbs of Barcelona in 1948, Singla learned to dance without listening to music and used flamenco as a form of therapy.

Sultana...

For a relatively new event, Manchester Animation Festival has cemented its place as a highlight of the UK festival scene. Driven by a passionate team, Maf offers its audience a unique opportunity to celebrate the world of animation through screenings, panels, workshops, masterclasses and more. Returning in-person for the first time in two years, the event runs in various locations throughout the city, from Sunday 13th to Friday 18th November and with over 100 events Festival Director Steve Henderson has declared this their “biggest and most exciting edition yet”. With that in mind, we took a dive into the programme and selected our highlights from all the event has to offer.

The 7 ‘Must Watch’ Short Films of MAF2022

Although we’re intrigued by the complete Maf programme and I could probably spend the whole of this article discussing Alberto Vázquez’s unique feature Unicorn Wars, with an impressive 10 screenings dedicated to shorts – Short Films for Children,...

Organized alongside the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and its MIFA market, Ventana Sur’s Animation! has announced the five Latin American titles that will comprise its 2022 Works in Progress strand, unspooling Nov. 28-Dec. 2 in Buenos Aires.

The section curates feature-length animation projects from Latin America and, since 2020, has expanded its platform, hosting productions from Spain and Portugal.

Brazen animation auteur Brazil’s Otto Guerra and co-director Tania Anaya will present buzz title “The Son Of A Bitch.” Guerra is no stranger to the event: His feature project “City Of Pirates” was an Annecy Works in Progress selection in 2017. “The Son Of A Bitch” stands as the most provocative of the bunch, promising to push the boundaries, something Guerra does well.

Another anticipated selection is “Sultana’s Dream” from Spanish director Isabel Herguera (“La Gallina Ciega”), named a talent to track by Variety in 2017. Galician producer-turned-director Chelo Loureiro, who recently...

Charades handles international sales.

GKids has snapped up North American rights to Annecy selection and horror comedy Unicorn Wars ahead of premieres at Fantastic Fest in Texas and BFI London Film Festival.

Goya and Annecy Cristal-winning Alberto Vázquez (Birdboy: The Forgotten Children) directed the film which takes place at a pivotal juncture in the long war between teddy bears and unicorns.

Unicorn Wars is styled as “Bambi meets Apocalypse Now” blend which explores religious zealotry and the tortured legacies of military fascism.

GKids will distribute theatrically in early 2023 after a US awards-qualifying release in autumn. Charades handles international sales.

“There...

Gkids has acquired North American rights to Unicorn Wars — the latest genre-bending animated feature from Goya and Annecy Cristal-winning director Alberto Vázquez (Birdboy: The Forgotten Children) — ahead of its U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest. The horror-comedy will be released in theaters by Gkids in early 2023, following its domestic release in Spain this fall.

Billed as Bambi meets Apocalypse Now, Unicorn Wars‘ logline is as follows:

For ages, teddy bears have been locked in an ancestral war against their sworn enemy, the unicorns, with the promise that victory will complete the prophecy and usher in a new era. Aggressive, confident teddy bear Bluet and his sensitive, withdrawn brother Tubby could not be more different. As the rigors and humiliation of teddy bear bootcamp turn to the psychedelic horrors of a combat tour in the Magic Forest, their complicated history and increasingly strained relationship will come to determine the fate of the entire war.

Gkids has acquired the North American distribution rights to “Unicorn Wars,” ahead of the adult animated film’s U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. The news was announced Thursday.

Set during an ancestral war between teddy bears and unicorns, the horror-comedy film follows Bluet and Tubby, teddy bear brothers who are polar opposites to each other. When their time at teddy bear bootcamp leads to a combat tour in the Magic Forest, Bluet and Tubby’s complicated history and tense relationship could affect the fate of the war, including whether the teddy bears will fulfill the prophecy and usher in a new era.

“Unicorn Wars” is directed and written by illustrator Alberto Vázquez. Prior to this deal, Gkids distributed Vázquez’s Goya Award-winning feature “Birdboy: The Forgotten Children” and animated short “Decorado.”

“There is nobody on Earth who could make a film like ‘Unicorn Wars’ except Alberto Vázquez,...

The market in Buenos Aires has run online and hybrid events since the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020.

Ventana Sur, Latin America’s biggest film and TV market, has pledged to return as a fully-fledged physical event later this year and is launching a new fantasy film script competition.

The 14th edition of the event, a joint venture between Cannes’ Marché du Film and Argentinian film agency Incaa, is set to return to Buenos Aries in Argentina from November 28 to December 2.

It will spotlight the region’s films with screenings, a works-in-progress platform and project presentations while also including screenings of European features.

“Unicorn Wars” (Alberto Vázquez)

Alberto Vázquez, the director of “Birdboy: The Forgotten Children,” a Gkids pickup for North America, delivers an apocalyptic anti-war parable narrating the ancestral war between teddy bears bigots and environmentalist unicorns with irreverent visual exuberance and moments of real horror.

Wip’S

“They Shot the Piano Player” (Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal)

Trueba and Mariscal’s much-awaited new collaboration after their 2012 Oscar-nominated “Chico & Rita” is a co-production with France, Portugal, the Netherlands and Peru. Sold by Film Constellation, project threads “music, politics and documentary as well as fiction, thriller and memory,” Trueba has said. An investigation following the disappearance of awe-inspiring Brazilian pianist Francisco Tenório Jr. on the eve of Argentina’s bloody 1976 coup d’état.

Contrechamp

“My Grandfather’s Demons” (Nuno Beato)

Portuguese animator-producer-director Beato, behind multi-prized short “My Life in Your Hands,” directs his first feature, mixing stop-motion and digital techniques. It follows Rosa...

Roc Espinet

“I’m a big fan of 2D, keeping a handcrafted look and strong emotions, like in Ghibli movies. Having said that, I always want to complement it with a contemporary narrative concept and bold and crazy camera movements,” Catalan animator Espinet says. He’s a regular collaborator of Alberto Vázquez and has worked as an animator and layout artist for HBO (“Deadly Class”) and Amazon (“Niko and the Sword of Light”).

A pick-up from Latido when in in development, “Girl and Wolf” is Espinet’s debut feature, currently in pre-production and based on Espinet’s eponymous graphic novel. Produced by Sygnatia Films and Hampa Studio, it tells the story of an innocent girl who grew up in a medieval orphanage besieged by wolves. Espinet is also developing “Colossal Jane,” set up at Nexus Studios, a comedy series “where musicals, ghost hunting, Kung Fu and womanhood meet in a super energetic way,...

Alberto Vázquez’s “Unicorn Wars” is an Annecy competition frontrunner. “They Shot the Piano Player,” from Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal, weighs in as one of the festival’s most anticipated works in progress.

A bevy of Annecy MIFA unveils and score of Spanish titles, sometimes sneak peeked at other events, form part of a historic growth on Spain’s animation scene.

At March’s Cartoon Movie, only France had a larger number of titles than Spain. At September’s Cartoon forum, a showcase for long-form animation, Spain again ranks among European countries, in number of projects set to be pitched, tying with Ireland.

With an annual turnover of 950 million in 2021, according to Spanish trade promotion board Icex, Spain also has first-class animation schools and specialized events such as Ibero-American Quirino Awards, Valencia’s Weird Market, Pamplona’s Next Lab Finance & Tech and Lleida’s Animac.

Produced with Netflix by Madrid-based Spa Studios,...

Following the success of his dystopian coming-of-age tale “Birdboy,” Spanish illustrator Alberto Vázquez brings another graphic novel to the big screen with his highly anticipated second feature “Unicorn Wars.” The film takes place between two worlds: an unscrupulous and industrial bear Bootcamp, where foul-mouthed pastel warriors prepare for battle, and a serene enchanted forest where black-hued and majestic unicorns frolic alongside pristine tree-lined lakes. The tone grows ever more ominous as the cavalry ride through the woods, drawing nearer, forcing the docile creatures to defend their coveted surroundings.

Sold internationally by Charades and distributed by UFO, “Unicorn Wars” is an apt depiction of humanity’s folly leading to internal and external conflict. Innocence is haphazardly destroyed by the burst of a pink grenade while those in the trenches dig deep to figure out what led them to battle.

A co-production between Spain’s Abano Producións (“Valentina”) and Uniko (“Birdboy”) alongside...

UFO Distribution has acquired French rights to the animated family tale “Perlimps” by Alê Abreu, the Oscar-nominated director of “The Boy and the World.”

Sold by Best Friend Forever, “Perlimps” is having its market premiere at the Marché du Film in Cannes and is set to world premiere at Annecy Animation Film Festival.

The film will be released by Sony Pictures in Latin America with a joint distribution in Brazil together with Vitrine Filmes.

the fantasy adventure film follows the journey of Claé and Bruô, a pair of secret agents from rival kingdoms who must join forces in spite of their differences to search for the Perlimps, mysterious creatures who can ultimately find a way to peace in times of war. The animation for the film was hand-drawn by Abreu and a reduced team who spent four years in a mountain village in Brazil. Abreu collaborated with senior Brazilian animator Sandro Cleuzo.

Twenty titles have been selected for its main feature competitions.

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival has unveiled its main feature competition line-up for the upcoming 2022 edition (June 13-18).

Ten titles have been selected for official competition, including Eric Warin and Tahir Rana’s Charlotte which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2021. Based on the true story of the young Judeo-German artist Charlotte Salomon, the voice cast includes Kiera Knightley, Marion Cotillard, Sam Claflin and Helen McCrory.

Scroll down for the full list of titles

Other titles include Japanese filmmaker Shinya Kawastura’s The House Of The Lost...

France’s Autour de Minuit, Fklg and Canal Plus are teaming to co-produce Théo Grosjean’s “Freaked Out” (“Flippé”), an animated series for adults whose first season was presented – and received an upbeat reception – at September’s Toulouse’s Cartoon Forum.

The producers are currently in talks to greenlight a second season.

The two-minute episode comedy series adapts “The World’s Most Anxious Man,” Grosjean’s autobiographical graphic novel, which revolves around a man’s everyday modern life: Subways, carpooling, parties, taking the plane. Everything sparks a panic attack in his over active mind, which is capable of imagining the worst scenarios for all kinds of situations.

“We were instantly convinced by Grosjean’s talent, loved his humor and his resonance with the zeitgeist. The character embodies a reluctance to abide by the prescriptions of our society, that obsesses over performance and achievement, deifies self-confidence and urges people to exhibit their dream evenings,...

From princesses addicted to smart magic to wolf dogs wary of fake legends, putting a new spin on old tales was the prevailing theme at Ventana Sur’s New Spanish Animation showcase on Monday.

A collaboration between Spanish animation festival Weird Market, Ventana Sur’s Animation! and Spanish film agency Icaa, the best-of-Spain online showcase included two series, three feature projects and a work-in-progress.

Standout projects included “Masked Cinderella” a 26-part series in the mold of “Teen Titans” which reimagines the fairy tale universe for a superhero savvy, smart device-loving six to 12- year-old audience.

Former Imira Entertainment founder, Myriam Ballesteros is directing the 22-minute episode series, a co-production between her company, Mb Productions and the animation producer/distributor Mondo TV Iberoamérica.

This well-formed universe sees Cinderella takes the guise of a masked hero who saves Prince Charming from a falling giant glitterball.

“We felt that for today’s audience...

Among Ventana Sur’s most buzzed titles, and a strong indicator of the heft that animation production now carries, “Unicorn Wars” from Alberto Vazquez, holds the unique distinction of being the first-ever non Latin American animated film to feature at the Argentine event’s Animation! Sidebar.

Having participated at several high-profile international festivals and markets since development, the blood-soaked, cotton candy fantasy feature was picked up by “I Lost My Body” sales agent Charades, which will be looking for distributors at this week’s Ventana Sur. Uniko and Abano Producións in Spain produce with Autour de Minuit and Schmuby Productions from France.

“Unicorn Wars” unspools amidst the apocalyptic war between teddy bears and unicorns who have fought from time immemorial. Teddy bear Private Bluet wants desperately to get his hands on unicorn blood for its legendary powers of preserving eternal beauty, while his brother Tubby just isn’t cut from...

Curated in coordination with the Annecy International Animation Festival and its MIFA market, Animation! at Ventana Sur will feature five productions for its 2020 Works in Progress sidebar, including its first-ever non-Latin American production.

Adult animation is booming, and one figure at the forefront of the movement is Spain’s Alberto Vazquez, the mastermind behind festival hits such as “Birdboy: The Forgotten Children” and one of this year’s darkest animated shorts “Homeless Home,” selected as one of Variety’s ten to watch at June’s Annecy festival.

The medium isn’t leaving kids behind, however, and Gullane’s “Noah’s Ark – A Musical Adventure,” one of the most buzzed animated features to come out of Latin America in recent years which boasts Brazil’s largest-ever budget for an animated film, and the first Brazilian animated feature with an Indian co-producer in Symbiosys Technologies.

This year’s WIPs will be available...

Psiconautas Photo: Courtesy of San Sebastian Film Festival

retrospective dedicated to the work of Spanish animator, illustrator and cartoonist Alberto Vazquez is to be held in Scotland.

Nominated to European Film Awards with his first feature Psiconautas: The Forgotten Children (Birdboy), Vazquez will visit Scotland for the premiere of the film alongside with the director of animation for all his films, Khris Cembe.

The events, organised by guerrilla film collective Cinemaattic, will also feature exhibition Alberto Vazquez Dark Fables: From Comic to Films, at the Cca Glasgow from January 17-28 and then at Edinburgh’s Summerhall from January 29 to February 4.

Vazquez will also give a masterclass on Friday January 26 at Edinburgh College of Art as part of a 48-hour engagement project with Eca Animation students. Students will re-interpret the work of Vazquez, with their pieces being part of the exhibition at Summerhall as well.

Cinemaattic's Alberto Valverde said: "The most exciting thing is.

France animation event eyes permanent home in Bordeaux.

Madrid-based sales company Latido Films is looking to ramp up its animation offering.

Speaking to Screen during last week’s Cartoon Movie co-production forum in Bordeaux, Latido’s managing director and founding partner Antonio Saura explained: “I felt that there was something missing in our animation line-up until now, something that corresponded with the other types of movies we were carrying and which involved more adult, entertaining, intelligent movies with a niche quality.”

Latido Films’ sales roster to date has included animation titles Pacific Pirates, Birds Of Paradise, and A Valiant Rooster.

The company will now be handling sales on Salvador Simó Busom’s Bunuel In The Labyrinth Of The Turtles which the director pitched in Bordeaux as a project in development with Manuel Cristóbal’s Sygnatia Films and their joint company The Glow Animation Studio .

The adaptation of the graphic novel by Fermin Solis centres on a chapter...

The nominations for the 29th European Film Awards were announced this Saturday in Seville. Four films which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival are included in the race for Best European Film, including the Palme d’Or winner “I, Daniel Blake” and Paul Verhoeven’s “Elle.”

Maren Ade’s “Toni Erdmann” leads the pack with six nominations including Best Film and Best Director. Among the Best Actress and Actor nominees this year are Isabelle Huppert for her critically acclaimed role in “Elle” and Hugh Grant for his charming performance in “Florence Foster Jenkins.”

Read More: British Independent Film Award Nominations: ‘I, Daniel Blake’ Leads with 7

The Efa, in collaboration with the European Film Academy and Efa Productions, honor the greatest achievements in European cinema.

The 2016 European Film Awards will take place on December 10 in Wroclaw, Poland.

Read More: 2016 Ida Documentary Awards Nominations Include ‘13th,’ ‘The White Helmets’ and ‘Fire At...

Psychonauts, the Forgotten Children is a weird, brutal and lyrical Spanish animated film (with no connection to the Double Fine game of the same name) that feels like the mutant lovechild of Hayao Miyazaki and John Kricfalusi. Alberto Vazquez, adapting his own graphic novel with co-director Pedro Rivero, spins us a tale of cute child animals desperate to escape their nightmare island.

Any suspicions that this is for children vanish pretty quickly in the opening narration, which explains how Cute Animal Island industrialized itself and subsequently suffered a catastrophic nuclear meltdown. In an apocalypse scene reminiscent of Barefoot Gen, the mice workers are scorched into ashen skeletons by a wall of radioactive fire.

The aftermath is a warped world of trash and cruelty. A gigantic no-man’s land rubbish dump inhabited by desperate rats occupies half the island, the other half suffering under a violent police state. So, it’s...

Although there are a few films here and there left to be added to the Cannes 2016 line-up, the slate has now been mostly set thanks to the arrive of the Directors’ Fortnight side-bar line-up. Notable selections includes Paul Schrader‘s drama Dog Eat Dog, starring Nicolas Cage and Willem Dafoe, as well as Laura Poitras‘ Citizenfour follow-up Risk, which looks at Julian Assange.

There’s also Pablo Larraín‘s Gael Garcia Bernal-led biopic Neruda, Alejandro Jodorowsky‘s Endless Poetry, the latest film from Gangs of Wasseypur director Anurag Kashyap, as well as new films from Marco Bellocchio and Joachim Lafosse. Also of interest is War Witch director Kim Nguyen‘s Two Lovers and a Bear, a Canadian drama which teams Tatiana Maslany and Dane DeHaan. Check out the line-up below.

Feature Films

Dog Eat Dog, dir: Paul Schrader – Closing Night Film

Divines, dir: Houda Benyamina*

L’Economie Du Couple,...

The lineup for the 2016 Directors' Fortnight at Cannes has been announced.

Feature Films:Opening Film: Sweet Dreams (Marco Bellocchio)Divines (Houda Benyamina)L'Économie du couple (Joachim Lafosse)L'Effet aquatique (Sólveig Anspach)Like Crazy (Paolo Virzì)Les Vies de Thérèse (Sébastien Lifshitz)Ma vie de courgette (Clause Barras)Mean Dreams (Nathan Morlando)Mercenaire (Sacha Wolff)Neruda (Pablo Larraín)Endless Poetry (Alejandro Jodorowsky)Raman Raghav 2.0 (Anurag Kashyap)Risk (Laura Poitras)Tour de France (Rachid Djaïdani)Two Lovers and a Bear (Kim Nguyen)Wolf and Sheep (Shahrbanoo Sadat)Closing Film: Dog Eat Dog (Paul Schrader)

Shorts:Abigail (Isabel Penoni & Valentina Homem)Chasse Royale (Romane Gueret & Lise Akoka)Decorado (Alberto Vazquez)Habat Shel Hakala (Tamar Rudoy)Happy End (Jan Saska)Hitchhiker (Jero Yun)Import (Ena Sendijarevic)Kindil el Bahr (Damien Ounouri)Léthé (Dea Kulumbegashvili)Listening to Beethoven (Garri Bardine)Zvir (Miroslav Sikavica)...

Shine on, kids! The full schedule for the Stanley Film Festival, which runs at the iconic and historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Co, April 24-27, has been announced; and we have all the details you need right here. Dig it!

From the Press Release

The Stanley Film Festival (Sff), produced by the Denver Film Society and presented by NBC Universal's Chiller, announced today its Opening Night film and several special event highlights and experiences taking place at the four-day event (April 24-27, 2014).

The Stanley Film Festival celebrates the best in independent horror cinema at the hotel that inspired The Shining. The Festival will host a full slate of films, panels, competitions, and special events - all at the beautiful and historically haunted Stanley Hotel.

The Stanley Film Festival will open Thursday, April 24, with a Gala Presentation of an original documentary from EPiX, Doc of the Dead. Directed by Colorado...

The Stanley Hotel launched its first annual Stanley Film Festival last year and put together an impressive group of horror films and guests. After initially announcing Doc of the Dead as their opening film, we now have the full programming list, which includes screenings of The Sacrament, Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead, and much more:

“The Stanley Film Festival (Sff) produced by the Denver Film Society (Dfs) and presented by Chiller, announced today its full line-up and schedule. As previously announced, Doc of the Dead will open Sff. The festival, taking place April 24-27, will close with the mockumentary from Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords), What We Do In The Shadows, about a house of vampires trying to get back in touch with modern society. Throughout the four-day celebration of the best in horror cinema, Sff will showcase a full slate of features, shorts, panels,...

The 52nd annual Ann Arbor Film Festival will be a jam-packed experimental feature and short film screening event running for six days and nights, this time on March 25-30.

Opening Night will feature a reception and an after-party, and stuffed between those will be a block of nine short films, including new ones by Bryan Boyce, Michael Robinson, Jennifer Reeder and Martha Colburn, as well as a never-before-released work by the legendary Bruce Baillie called Little Girl in which Baillie captured scenes of natural beauty.

Special Events scattered throughout the festival include a retrospective of indie filmmaker Penelope Spheeris that will feature her rock ‘n’ roll-based work, including the original The Decline of Western Civilization, plus The Decline of Western Civilization Part III, her influential punk film Suburbia (screening twice) and a collection of short films.

There will also be several films and presentations by filmmaking scholar Thom Andersen, such...

Today sees the latest film from director Wes Anderson, "Moonrise Kingdom," hit theaters, and consistent with the music-obsessed filmmaker's work, it's as much a treat for the ears as it is for the eyes. 'Moonrise' boasts another soundtrack of unexpected cuts assembled with the great music supervisor Randall Poster, including Francoise Hardy, Hank Williams, and for the first time, a significant amount of classical music including Benjamin Britten and Leonard Bernstein. And if that's not enough, there's also additional pieces by Alexandre Desplat and drum percussion by old musical cohort Mark Mothersbaugh.

But as is the case with most films, not everything's on the official soundtrack release, which is in stores now: the movie features three additional Hank Williams songs, and pieces by Mozart and Schubert that aren't included on the disc. Given that Anderson's films are so replete with music, the soundtracks have quite often left out key songs for licensing or other reasons,...

It’s the 50th anniversary of the Ann Arbor Film Festival and they’re preparing an all-out blowout on March 27 to April 1 to celebrate! The fest is crammed to the gills with the latest and greatest in experimental and avant-garde film, in addition to a celebration of classic work from Ann Arbors past.

Filmmaker Bruce Baillie was there at the first Aaff — and numerous times since. He’s back this year with a major retrospective of his entire career that spans three separate programs. Baillie, who’ll be in attendance of course, will present a brand-new restored version of his epic pseudo-Western Quick Billy, plus screenings of his classic short movies such as Castro Street, Yellow Horse, Quixote, To Parsifal and more.

There’s also a program dedicated to the films of the late Robert Nelson, including Bleu Shut and Special Warning, as well as sprinklings of underground classics throughout...

On April 22-23, Asbury Park, NJ will once again be taken over by the most toxic film festival in the world! (That’s a good thing.) The 12th annual Tromadance is two days and nights filled with depraved cinematic abuses that will leave you a shattered, emotional wreck. (That’s a good thing, too.)

This year, the fest will screen three feature films, a buttload of shorts, plus two mini-retrospectives.

The features are: 1. Drew Bolduc and Dan Nelson‘s gonzo The Taint, a social satire filled with so much gore and sexual degeneracy you might want to wear a raincoat to the screening; 2. Joshua Grannell‘s horror spoof All About Evil, starring Natasha Lyonne and Cassandra Peterson about a psychotic film auteur who kills people on camera; 3. Miguel Angel Vivas’ brutal assault film Kidnapped.

Some of the short film highlights include Victoria Cook‘s triumphant return to Tromadance with Devil...

The following is a list of New York–area stage and film acting schools, teachers, and coaches organized by category and alphabetically. Each of the entries contains the following information, if applicable: name of teacher or school, address, phone and fax numbers, email address and/or website, average number of students per class, whether beginning, intermediate, or advanced students are taught, whether auditing is permitted, whether classes are ongoing or by sessions, any special emphasis used in classes or coaching, whether a work/study program is offered. Descriptions of the class, school, or coaching are provided by the instructor or institution and edited by Back Stage. Schools or teachers who have been omitted may contact, in writing, Listings, c/o Back Stage, 5055 Wilshire Blvd., 6th floor, Los Angeles, CA 90036, so that we may include you in our next list. Acting Technique/Scene Study29th Street Repertory School Of THEATRETim Corcoran,...

The following is a list of New York–area stage and film acting schools, teachers, and coaches organized by category and alphabetically. Each of the entries contains the following information, if applicable: name of teacher or school, address, phone and fax numbers, email address and/or website, average number of students per class, whether beginning, intermediate, or advanced students are taught, whether auditing is permitted, whether classes are ongoing or by sessions, any special emphasis used in classes or coaching, whether a work/study program is offered. Descriptions of the class, school, or coaching are provided by the instructor or institution and edited by Back Stage. Schools or teachers who have been omitted may contact, in writing, Listings, c/o Back Stage, 5055 Wilshire Blvd., 6th floor, Los Angeles, CA 90036, so that we may include you in our next list.Acting Technique/Scene Study29th Street Repertory School of TheatreTim Corcoran,...

Following is Back Stage's comprehensive list of New York acting schools and career counselors. 29th Street Repertory School Of THEATRE56 Seventh Ave.Studio 5HNew York, NY 10011(212) 712-8712, Fax: (212) 242-900810 per class. Beginners and intermediate. Auditing is permitted Ongoing.Classes focus on learning to make truthful acting choices using contemporary material and personal life experience, preparing students to become working actors.Acting School Category: Acting Technique; Monologue/Audition/Coaching; On-Camera (Film/TV/Commercial).A Class Act NYJessica Rofe, Artistic Director80 Park Ave., Ste. 5-ENew York, NY 10016jessica@aclassactny.comwww.aclassactny.com(212) 479-848012-14 per class. All levels. Ongoing.Focuses primarily on musical theatre, drama, and on-camera weekend workshops for kids and teens. Educators are professional industry folk including Broadway veterans as well as casting directors and talent agents. Private coaching also available. Classes held at Ripley Grier Studios, 131 W. 72nd St., NYC.Acting School Category: Children/Teens.Gregory ABELS120 Washington Pl.