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Telefilm Canada-backed feature Jude & The Jinn has completed principal photography in Cairo and Toronto, with Alexander Siddig starring for writer-director Rolla Tahir.

Financed by Telefilm’s Talent to Watch programme and the multi-national New Dawn fund, the magic realist tale stars Siddig and newcomer Azza Abbaro in the story of thirty-something Nubian woman Jude, who is stuck in bureaucratic hell after immigrating to Canada. When her father is deported, Jude falls into a depression until she meets and befriends a mysterious jinn. Also starring are Deena Nina, Emmanuel Kabongo and Hudson Wurster.

As well as making her feature directing debut,...

BBC Making Sarah Everard Documentary

The BBC is making a documentary about the investigation into the tragic murder of Sarah Everard, which led to a major reckoning over misogyny and bad behavior in London’s Metropolitan police force. Sarah Everard: The Search For Justice looks into Everard’s murder, how the devastating crime unfolded and its impact. Everard was killed by a serving police officer, Wayne Couzens, who abducted her as she walked home in March 2021, and this became a watershed moment for the nation. There were mass protests against male violence towards women and the narrative of ‘one bad apple’ in the police force was destroyed. The force was placed in special measures and a major review of the Met Police found a culture of denial, widespread bullying, discrimination, institutional homophobia, misogyny and racism. BBC Studios is behind the single doc, which is being EP-d by Emily Lawson and Kirsty Cunningham.

Exclusive: Demetrius Grosse (Cabinet of Curiosities) has signed on for a role in George Tillman Jr.’s untitled George Foreman biopic for Sony Pictures and Affirm Films.

He joins a cast that also includes Khris Davis, Sullivan Jones, Forest Whitaker, Jasmine Mathews, Sonja Sohn, John Magaro, Shein Mompremier, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Sam Trammell, Erica Tazel, Matthew Glave and Al Sapienza, as previously announced.

The film will follow the remarkable life and times of Foreman (Davis), from Olympic Gold medalist to World Heavyweight champion, the Rumble in the Jungle fight with Muhammad Ali in Zaire, to finding his faith, retiring, and becoming a preacher. When financial hardship hits his family and church, he steps back in the ring and regains the championship at age 45, becoming the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history.

Grosse is playing Foreman’s biological father, Leroy Moorehead. Though he’s proud that he’s never missed watching...

Some friends get together to play games, watch movies, eat food, play sports, and lots of other things. But when the group of friends in this trailer for the upcoming horror film, Extracurricular, get together they enjoy killing people in elaborate ways. That’s their little hobby, and as you might expect, with a hobby like this, you know things are going to go wrong.

Here’s the synopsis:

Miriam, Derek, Ian, and Jenny are overachieving high school students and friends doing everything by the book. Straight A's, sports, yearbook, band, and - when coursework allows - planning and executing elaborate murders. But when one of their plans goes shockingly awry, the relationship between the group is put to the test.

The horror thriller comes from director Ray Xue (Transcendent) ,and stars Keenan Tracey, Brittany Raymond, Spencer Macpherson, Brittany Teo, Stephen Bogaert, Emmanuel Kabongo, and Luke Goss.

This is going...

"Did you see the look on that lady's face?!" Samuel Goldwyn Films has debuted an official trailer for an indie horror film titled Extracurricular, the latest feature from filmmaker Ray Xue (Transcendent). This horror-thriller originally premiered at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival last year, only now getting a direct-to-vod release in January for those still interested. Four overachieving high school students and best friends have a secret pastime: planning and executing murders (while wearing different masks). But when one of their plans goes shockingly awry, the relationship between them is put to the test. Starring Keenan Tracey, Brittany Raymond, Spencer Macpherson, Brittany Teo, Stephen Bogaert, Emmanuel Kabongo, and Luke Goss. This looks way darker than expected, not much comedy, nothing but murders. Here's the first official trailer (+ two posters) for Ray Xue's Extracurricular, direct from YouTube: Miriam, Derek, Ian, and Jenny are overachieving high school students and friends doing everything by the book.

Stars: Luke Goss, Keenan Tracey, Brittany Raymond, Spencer Macpherson, Brittany Teo, Stephen Bogaert, Emmanuel Kabongo, Joshua Joel Bailey, Richard Clarkin | Written by Matthew Abrams, Padgett Arango | Directed by Ray Xue

Four high school seniors feel their day-to-day lives at school are getting a little dull. So they made a pact to plan and execute a series of perfect, elaborate murders and get some thrills behind them before heading off to college. However when their latest homicidal plan hits some unexpected speed bumps, the situation turns deadly, violent and bloody.

In the same vein as Tragedy Girls, Extracurricular essentially tells that same story as The Strangers (and a multitude of other home invasion/slasher movies) but from the perspective of the masked killers rather than their victims. That these killers happen to be a small group of high-school kids only adds to the depth of this particular tale… and one that...

From TorontoFilm.Net, Sneak Peek "Imperium", the next episode of "Taken", based on the film of the same name, airing April 20, 2018:

"...when a dangerous weapons dealer smuggles his wares into New York City...

"...'Bryan' (Clive Standen) teams up with the 'FBI' in a race to stop him before he reaches the safety of international waters..."

Cast also includes Jennifer Beals, Adam Goldberg, Jessica Camacho, Ryan Blaney, Peter Outerbridge, Murry Peeters, Adoni Maropis, Joris Jarsky, Emy Aneke and Emmanuel Kabongo.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Taken: Imperium"...

Here’s your daily dose of an indie film, web series, TV pilot, what-have-you in progress, as presented by the creators themselves. At the end of the week, you’ll have the chance to vote for your favorite.

In the meantime: Is this a project you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments.

teenagers

Logline: Unhindered by politics or network censorship, “teenagers” is a dark, fresh and educational web series that authentically illustrates the world of millennial youth, written and created by filmmakers who have experienced it first-hand.

Elevator Pitch:

“Degrassi meets HBO.” We dig deeper than shows like “Degrassi,” moving beyond the censored “polish” of most teen dramas, creating a series that is authentic, cinematic and exciting for teenagers and adults. Think John Hughes’ “The Breakfast Club” meets Larry Clark’s “Kids” in a series of short, punchy, thrilling, and digestible episodes. “teenagers” (purposefully spelt with a...

Leading today’s Horror Highlights is four clips from IFC Midnight’s Antibirth. Following Danny Perez’s trippy debut, is a new trailer for Daylight’s End, Kickstarter information on Steve Johnson’s Rubberhead Sex, Drugs, and Special FX, and release details for a Slime City double feature Blu-ray.

Watch Four Clips from Antibirth: “Hard-drinking, pill-popping, bong-ripping Lou (Natasha Lyonne) and her best friend Sadie (Chloë Sevigny) spend their days adrift in a druggy haze. But one wild night out becomes a bad trip that never ends when Lou wakes up with symptoms of an unexplained, highly abnormal pregnancy. Who—or what—is growing inside her? As her due date approaches with alarming swiftness, the fear, paranoia, and conspiracy theories begin to pile up. Spiked with blasts of hallucinatory color, surreal shocks, and subversive comedy, the audacious feature debut from Danny Perez is a no-holds-barred descent into delirium.”

Written and directed by Danny Perez,...

Best friends Lou (Natasha Lyonne) and Sadie (Chloe Sevigny) enjoy hard nights out on the town, but after one crazy night of partying, Lou discovers that she is pregnant! Watch all of this madness play out in the new poster and the rather intense trailer for Danny Perez’s Sundance darling, Antibirth, coming out in select theaters and on VOD this September courtesy of IFC Midnight.

Synopsis: “Hard-drinking, pill-popping, bong-ripping Lou (Natasha Lyonne) and her best friend Sadie (Chloë Sevigny) spend their days adrift in a druggy haze. But one wild night out becomes a bad trip that never ends when Lou wakes up with symptoms of an unexplained, highly abnormal pregnancy. Who—or what—is growing inside her? As her due date approaches with alarming swiftness, the fear, paranoia, and conspiracy theories begin to pile up. Spiked with blasts of hallucinatory color, surreal shocks, and subversive comedy, the audacious...

"Yeah I don't think anyone's seen something like this before..." IFC Midnight has released a trailer for the weird Sundance Midnight film Antibirth, a wacky drug-trip-gone-wrong horror-comedy starring Natasha Lyonne and Chloë Sevigny. The twisted pregnancy plot involves a "wild-eyed stoner" waking up after a seriously "wild night of partying with symptoms of a strange illness and recurring visions as she struggles to get a grip on reality." The full cast includes Meg Tilly, Emmanuel Kabongo, Corey Pascall and Mark Webber. There's some totally frickin' wacky, disgusting and completely insane stuff in this trailer, I don't even know what to make of it. But if you're into trippy, crazy, unlike-anything-else horror - give this a shot. Here's the first official trailer for Danny Perez's Antibirth, direct from IFC Midnight's YouTube: Hard-drinking, pill-popping, bong-ripping Lou (Lyonne) and her best friend Sadie (Sevigny) spend their days adrift in a druggy haze.

You may have had some rough nights of partying a little too hard, but they surely don’t compare to what Natasha Lyonne goes through in her latest film. Premiering as part of the Midnight section at Sundance Film Festival this past year, Danny Perez‘s Antibirth finds the actress experiencing immaculate conception that turns quite evil. Ahead of a release next month from IFC Midnight, the first trailer has now arrived.

We said in our review, “With a background in music videos and shorts, director Danny Perez strings together a few sequences that seem to work. The opening moments are punk rock trashy as is the film’s over-the-top sequences. Style creeps in over substance in the more surreal moments which, despite the presence of Lyonne and Sevigny, extend their reach. Mysterious figures follow Lou as she goes about her business, either imagined or perhaps real people lurking in...

The 38th Toronto International Film Festival has released an incredible guest list of celebrated talent from around the globe. Filmmakers expected to present their world premieres in Toronto include: Catherine Breillat, Nicole Garcia, Pawel Pawlikowski, Bertrand Tavernier, Steve McQueen, Godfrey Reggio, Denis Villeneuve, Bill Condon, Jean-Marc Vallée, John Wells, Ralph Fiennes, Richard Ayoade, Atom Egoyan, Matthew Weiner, John Carney, Jason Reitman, Jason Bateman, Yorgos Servetas, Liza Johnson, Megan Griffiths, Fernando Eimbcke, Alexey Uchitel, Johnny Ma, Biyi Bandele, Rashid Masharawi, Paul Haggis, Ron Howard, Eli Roth, Álex de la Iglesia, Bruce McDonald, Jennifer Baichwal, John Ridley, and Justin Chadwick.

The Festival also welcomes thousands of producers and other industry professionals bringing films to us.

The following filmmakers and artists are expected to attend the Toronto International Film Festival:

Ahmad Abdalla, Hany Abu-Assad, Yuval Adler, Akosua Adoma Owusu, Alexandre Aja, Bruce Alcock, Gianni Amelio, Thanos Anastopoulos, Madeline Anderson, Nimród Antal, Louise Archambault,...