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Greta Lee and Teo Yoo in ‘Past Lives’ (Photo Credit: Jon Pack / Courtesy of A24)

Past Lives took home top film honors at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, held on February 25th in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. The film also earned Celine Song the Best Director award, with American Fiction‘s Cord Jefferson and May December‘s Samy Burch earning screenplay honors.

On the television side, The Last of Us collected two awards: Nick Offerman for Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series and Keivonn Montreal Woodard for Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series. Beef also netted two wins, with Ali Wong awarded Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series and the show earning the Best New Scripted Series award.

2024 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations

Best Feature (Award given to the producer.)

All of Us Strangers

Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin,...

Past Lives was named best feature at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which were handed out Sunday afternoon in Santa Monica.

In addition, Celine Song was named best director for her work on the film.

Elsewhere, Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the Spirit Award for best supporting performance, for her role in The Holdovers, repeating her win from Saturday night’s SAG Awards and other shows this awards season. Her co-star, Dominic Sessa, won the Spirit Award for best breakthrough performance.

American Fiction also collected two trophies: Cord Jefferson won the award for best screenplay, while Jeffrey Wright won for best lead performance.

May December won the award for best first screenplay for Samy Burch (story by Burch and Alex Mechanik). Four Daughters was named best documentary.

On the TV side, Beef was named best new scripted series, while Ali Wong won best lead performance for her role in the show,...

The best in independent film and television were honored at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards!

Plenty of A-List stars were in attendance at the event on Sunday afternoon (February 25) at the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Calif.

Movies are only eligible for a Spirit Award if they have a budget of less than $30 million, so there are some awards favorites like Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Killers of the Flower Moon that are not nominated.

American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives lead the pack this year with five nominations each.

Make sure to check out our post with photos of Every celeb who attended the event! Also check out our best dressed list.

Head inside to see the full list of winners…

Keep scrolling to see the full list of winners…

Best Feature (Award given to the producer)

All of Us Strangers

Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey

American Fiction

Producers: Cord Jefferson,...

The 2024 Independent Spirit Awards took place on Sunday at the traditional Santa Monica beach tent location, with Aidy Bryant hosting. “Past Lives” took home the coveted Best Feature award, with “Beef” being honored as Best New Scripted Series. Check out the full list of winners and nominees below.

Best Feature

“Past Lives”

Producers: David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon

“All of Us Strangers”

Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey

“American Fiction”

Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair

“May December”

Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Grant S. Johnson, Pamela Koffler, Tyler W. Konney, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Christine Vachon

“Passages”

Producers: Michel Merkt, Saïd Ben Saïd

“We Grown Now”

Producers: Minhal Baig, Joe Pirro

Best Lead Performance

Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”

Jessica Chastain, “Memory”

Greta Lee, “Past Lives”

Trace Lysette, “Monica”

Natalie Portman, “May December”

Judy Reyes, “Birth/Rebirth”

Franz Rogowski, “Passages”

Andrew Scott, “All of Us Strangers”

Teyana Taylor,...

Best Feature Passages – Ira Sachs, director; Saïd Ben Saïd, Michel Merkt, producers (Mubi) Past Lives – Celine Song, director; David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon, producers (A24) – Winner Reality – Tina Satter, director; Brad Becker-Parton, Riva Marker, Greg Nobile, Noah Stahl, producers (HBO Films) Showing Up – Kelly Reichardt, director; Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino, Anish

The post “Past Lives” Wins Gotham Awards appeared first on Manny the Movie Guy.

While the likes of Oppenheimer, Barbie, and Killers of the Moon will likely battle it out at the Oscars, Film Independent Spirit Awards is putting the spotlight on the indie productions of the year, with budget ranges from $10,000 to $28 million. May December, Past Lives, and American Fiction lead the nominations for the 39th ceremony, each taking five nods.

Other highlights include All of Us Strangers and Passages for Best Feature, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt and Earth Mama for Best First Feature, Kokomo City and The Mother of All Lies for Best Documentary, Glenn Howerton for BlackBerry, Marin Ireland and Anne Hathaway for Eileen, Marshawn Lynch for Bottoms, How to Blow Up a Pipeline for Best Editing, Godland and Tótem for Best International Film, and more.

See the nominations below ahead of the ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024 (a full two weeks before the Oscars), hosted by Aidy Bryant.

Best...

Erika Alexander stars as Coraline and Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in ‘American Fiction’ (Photo credit: Claire Folger © 2023 Orion Releasing LLC)

American Fiction, Past Lives, and May December lead the list of the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Each of the three films picked up five nominations and will be going head-to-head in the Best Film and Best Supporting Performance categories. Films and TV shows earning four nominations included The Holdovers, I’m a Virgo, The Last of Us, and Passages.

The 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards will be held on February 25 on the beach in Santa Monica. Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live) is on board to host.

“This year’s exciting group of Spirit Award nominees reflect the undeniable strength and vitality of independent storytelling – this is the beating heart of film culture today,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent. “It’s especially thrilling to see so many nominees...

Ceremony to take place on Santa Monica Beach on February 25, 2024.

The 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations have been announced and May December, American Fiction, and Past Lives lead the field with five nods apiece.

The Holdovers earned four and there were three for All Of Us Strangers – winner of seven Bifas at the weekend – as the nominations were announced on Tuesday. A24 leads the studio field with 11 nominations, followed by Netflix on 10.

Andrew Scott for All Of Us Strangers, Jessica Chastain for Memory, Greta Lee for Past Lives, Franz Rogowski for Passages, and Jeffrey Wright for American Fiction are...

Ceremony to take place on Santa Monica Beach on February 25, 2024.

The Film Independent 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced and May December, American Fiction, and Past Lives lead the field with five nods apiece.

The Holdovers earned four and All Of Us Strangers three as the nominations were announced on Tuesday. A24 leads the studio field with 11 nominations, followed by Netflix on 10.

Andrew Scott for All of Us Strangers, Jessica Chastain for Memory, Greta Lee for Past Lives, Franz Rogowski for Passages, and Jeffrey Wright for American Fiction are in the running fort the gender-neutral lead acting category.

The full list of nominations for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards has been announced!

Movies are only eligible for a Spirit Award if they have a budget of less than $30 million, so there are some awards favorites like Maestro and Killers of the Flower Moon that are not nominated here.

Aidy Bryant is set to host the 2024 awards ceremony, which will take place on February 25. The event will no longer air on television and will instead stream on YouTube.

American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives lead the pack this year with five nominations each.

Head inside to check out the full list of nominations…

Keep scrolling to see the full list of nominations…

Best Feature (Award given to the producer)

All of Us Strangers

Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey

American Fiction

Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair

May December

Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell,...

American Fiction, May December and Past Lives lead the nominations for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which were were announced Tuesday morning.

Each film garnered five noms, including best feature. Also nominated in that category are All of Us Strangers, Passages and We Grown Now.

The Robert Altman Award, which is given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast, will be presented to Showing Up, directed by Kelly Reichardt. The casting director is Gayle Keller, and the ensemble cast includes André Benjamin, Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch, Heather Lawless, James Le Gros, John Magaro, Matt Malloy, Amanda Plummer, Maryann Plunkett, Denzel Rodriguez and Michelle Williams.

On the TV side, Jury Duty was tapped for the award of best ensemble in a new scripted series, an honor bestowed on one show (there are no nominees). The cast includes Alan Barinholtz, Susan Berger, Cassandra Blair, David Brown, Kirk Fox, Ross Kimball,...

The final month of the year has arrived, and with it an early Festivus bounty of news (very exciting!) about the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which are happening once again on February 25, back on the beach in Santa Monica. Last week brought tell of our incomparable new Spirit Awards host: SNL funnywoman and Emmy-nominated streaming series auteur Aidy Bryant. Now, the nondenominational secular-humanist Holiday Gnomes have brought us something potentially even more exciting… the nominees!

For the third consecutive year, the Spirit Awards will recognize outstanding achievement in uniqueness of vision, innovation and boldness in TV and streaming in addition to feature film. And for the second year, all acting categories are gender-neutral.

Noms were revealed in a livestream earlier today on Film Independent’s YouTube channel (like and subscribe!) by special guest presenters Joel Kim Booster and Natalie Morales:

Spirit Awards winners are voted on exclusively by Film Independent Members.

“American Fiction,” “May December” and “Past Lives” dominated the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards nominations on Tuesday, picking up five nods apiece. The three movies are all up for best feature, where they will battle it out against “All of Us Strangers,” “Passages” and “We Grown Now.”

The annual honors recognize the best of television, as well as film. “The Last of Us,” a sci-fi epic that was a ratings hit for HBO, and “I’m a Virgo,” an absurdist miniseries from Boots Riley that was produced by Amazon, led the small screen crop, with four nominations each. Only new TV shows that have run for one season and were released between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of this year are eligible for awards. That’s why some big-budgeted fare was deemed eligible or, in the parlance of the show, independent.

That’s not the case on the feature front, where films have to be...

On Monday night, November 27, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, the Gotham Awards presented the winners at their 33rd annual event. “All of Us Strangers” went in with a leading four bids, followed by “Past Lives,” “The Zone of Interest” and the TV limited series “Beef” with three apiece. But who prevailed? Scroll down for the full list, updated throughout the night.

The nominations were decided by panels of film and television critics, journalists, festival programmers and film curators. The winners were then selected by juries of writers, directors, actors, producers, editors and others directly involved in filmmaking. That makes these awards unique and often results in surprising winners like “The Rider” for Best Feature in 2018 over the higher-profile “The Favourite,” or Danielle Deadwyler (“Till”) for Best Lead Performance in 2022 over eventual Oscar winners Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) and Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”). So a...

The Gotham Film & Media Institute announced today the nominations for the 33rd Annual Gotham Awards! This list includes 20 feature films, 11 series, and 30 performances in 10 award categories. Each nomination represents what the group deems a high point in 2023 across aspects of the entertainment spectrum. The nominations were announced live from Cipriani Wall Street by Jeffrey Sharp, award-winning film producer and the Executive Director of The Gotham, and Kia Brooks, Deputy Director of The Gotham.

“We are proud to announce this year’s Gotham Award nominees and look forward to celebrating these amazing storytellers in a few weeks. The Gotham Awards in many ways reflects the industry and community we serve. Seen by this year’s nominees, storytelling knows no boundaries as our industry continues to find new audiences across the globe,” Sharp said about the upcoming celebration.

While there are several outstanding performances nominated across the board, a few highlights...

A short wretch and slight taste of bile comes upon realizing we are firmly in “awards season,” that time of disgrace and degradation recently portended by the first round of Look Upon My Suffering Narratives––Bradley Cooper took two hours to apply a fake nose, but is that braver than Michael Fassbender never blinking?––and established, now, by the announcement of Gotham Award nominees. Credit where it’s due, though, that this voting body gives a mite more attention to films of substance and note: leading the pack are Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest and Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers, while a director nod went to Raven Jackson for All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, Cristian Mungiu earned a screenplay nomination, and Franz Rogowski might win a best actor prize.

One can find the nominations below, while many are now streaming:

Best Feature

Passages –– Ira Sachs,...

The Gotham Film & Media Institute, Filmmaker‘s parent publisher, today announced the nominees for the 33rd annual Gotham Awards, to be held this Monday, November 27 at Cipriani Wall Street. All of Us Strangers leads the feature film nominations with four total. Click here to watch the live-streamed nominations announcement, or read them below. Best Feature Passages Ira Sachs, director; Saïd Ben Saïd, Michel Merkt, producers (Mubi) Past Lives Celine Song, director; David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon, producers (A24) Reality Tina Satter, director; Brad Becker-Parton, Riva Marker, Greg Nobile, Noah Stahl, producers (HBO Films) Showing Up Kelly Reichardt, director; […]

The post Nominees Announced for 33rd Annual Gotham Awards first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

The Gotham Film & Media Institute, Filmmaker‘s parent publisher, today announced the nominees for the 33rd annual Gotham Awards, to be held this Monday, November 27 at Cipriani Wall Street. All of Us Strangers leads the feature film nominations with four total. Click here to watch the live-streamed nominations announcement, or read them below. Best Feature Passages Ira Sachs, director; Saïd Ben Saïd, Michel Merkt, producers (Mubi) Past Lives Celine Song, director; David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon, producers (A24) Reality Tina Satter, director; Brad Becker-Parton, Riva Marker, Greg Nobile, Noah Stahl, producers (HBO Films) Showing Up Kelly Reichardt, director; […]

The post Nominees Announced for 33rd Annual Gotham Awards first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

All Of Us Strangers by Andrew Haigh led the Gotham Awards Nominations today, with some love for Celine Song’s Past Lives and Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest, and with a Best Performance nod to Ryan Gosling for Barbie after the indie-centric awards removed a longstanding budget cap on eligibility, an opening for big-budget studio and streamer fare to submit for consideration.

All Of Us Strangers was nominated for Best International Feature, Best Screenplay and Outstanding Lead and Supporting Performances for Andrew Scott and Claire Foy. Past Lives was nominated for Best Feature, Breakthrough Director, and Outstanding Lead Performance by Greta Lee.

The disappearance of the decade-old budget cap, which had been set most recently at $35 million, is the biggest change this year. The Gotham Film & Media Institute, announcing the shift last summer, said it was meant “to broaden our reach in terms of recognition and accessibility to the wider community.

On October 24 the Gotham Awards announced their official nominations for their 33rd annual event. Led by “All of Us Strangers” with four bids and followed by “Past Lives” and “The Zone of Interest” with three, the nominees were presented by Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of the Gotham Film and Media Institute, and Kia Brooks, Deputy Director at the Gotham Film and Media Institute, via Variety’s YouTube channel. The awards ceremony for the winners will take place on Monday, November 27, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Scroll down for the full list.

Sharp said in a statement, “We are proud to announce this year’s Gotham Award nominees and look forward to celebrating these amazing storytellers in a few weeks. The Gotham Awards in many ways reflects the industry and community we serve. Seen by this year’s nominees, storytelling knows no boundaries as our industry continues to...

The 2023 Gotham Awards have officially unveiled its nominations. This year’s nominees were announced on Tuesday, October 24 via live broadcast on Variety’s YouTube channel. Nominees were listed off by Jeffrey Sharp, the executive director of the Gotham Film and Media Institute, as well as Kia Brooks, the deputy director at the Gotham Film and Media Institute. Twenty feature films, 11 TV series, and 30 performances in 10 award categories were recognized, with features like “Barbie,” All of Us Strangers,” “Passages,” and “Past Lives” earning the bulk of the nods.

“We are proud to announce this year’s Gotham Award nominees and look forward to celebrating these amazing storytellers in a few weeks,” Sharp said during the broadcast. “The Gotham Awards in many ways reflects the industry and community we serve. Seen by this year’s nominees, storytelling knows no boundaries as our industry continues to find new audiences across the globe.”

The...

Past Lives, A Thousand and One and All of Us Strangers are among the top film nominees for the 2023 Gotham Awards.

Past Lives and A Thousand and One are both up for best feature, breakthrough director (Celine Song for Past Lives and A.V. Rockwell for A Thousand and One) and best lead performance (Greta Lee for Past Lives and Teyana Taylor for A Thousand and One).

Other best feature nominees are Ira Sachs’ Passages, which is also up for best lead performance (Franz Rogowski); Tina Satter’s Reality; and Kelly Reichardt’s Showing Up.

All of Us Strangers, meanwhile, scored a leading four nominations, the most of any film. The Searchlight title is up for best international feature, best screenplay (writer-director Andrew Haigh), best lead performance (Andrew Scott) and best supporting performance (Claire Foy).

In the TV categories, Beef leads with three nominations, with Anne Rice’s Interview with The Vampire,...

Celine Song’s “Past Lives,” Ira Sachs’ “Passages,” Tina Satter’s “Reality,” Kelly Reichardt’s “Showing Up” and A.V. Rockwell’s “A Thousand and One” have been nominated as best feature of 2023 for the 33rd annual Gotham Awards, which announced its nominations on Tuesday morning in New York City.

In a year in which the Gothams eliminated its longstanding budget cap and allowed films of any budget to enter the race, its nominating committees went small with a thoroughly indie lineup of nominees. Still, bigger films slipped into the Outstanding Supporting Performance category with nominations for Ryan Gosling in “Barbie” and Penelope Cruz in “Ferrari.”

In the Best International Feature category, the nominees are “All of Us Strangers,” “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Poor Things,” “Totem” and “The Zone of Interest.” The nominated documentaries are “20 Days in Mariupol,” “Against the Tide,” “Apolonia, Apolonia,” “Four Daughters” and “Our Body.”

“Past Lives...

Final five nominations to be announced on November 2.

Steve McQueen’s Occupied City, Justine Triet’s Anatomy Of A Fall and Todd Haynes’ May December are among the titles on the latest British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) longlists, for Best Feature Documentary and Best International Independent Film.

15 films are on the documentary longlist, with five of them by first-time directors; with 17 films on the international list.

Scroll down for the longlists

Alongside McQueen’s film combining analysis of Amsterdam during the Second World War with the present day, documentary titles include Kevin MacDonald’s High & Low: John Galliano about the...

The Zurich Film Festival opens Thursday with the European premiere of Kristoffer Borgli’s “Dream Scenario,” starring Nicolas Cage. The festival boasts a strong lineup of international films, among them Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” and Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn,” and high-profile guests who include Jessica Chastain, Ethan Hawke, Todd Haynes, Mads Mikkelsen, Pete Doherty, Diane Kruger and Wim Wenders.

The Zff this year screens a record number of world and European premieres – 52 from a total of 148. Another 52 films are debut works. “This high number reflects the Zff’s growing reputation in the global film industry,” says Zff artistic director Christian Jungen. “The Zurich Film Festival is the perfect festival to boost the prestige of films for the upcoming award season.”

Praising “Dream Scenario,” Jungen observes: “Cinema is like a seismograph that registers the trends in society, what we are talking about, what concerns us, and the...

Many Lives And Deaths Of Christopher Lee

Abacus Media Rights has pre-sold the feature documentary “The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee,” to Sky Arts, Sbs Television Australia; to NonStop Entertainment for Scandinavia, Iceland and the Baltics and to Movistar for Spain.

Lee is known as the Dracula character and for transitioning from 1960s Hammer horror films to a distinguished acting career that encompassed James Bond films, the “Star Wars” and “Lord of the Rings” franchises.

Less well-known are his aristocratic Italian roots, a close family connection to James Bond novelist Ian Fleming, Lee’s wartime experiences in the British and Finnish military, post-war Nazi-hunting adventures and a side career as a heavy metal rock singer. As an actor, Lee achieved a Guinness world record for the highest number of screen appearances.

Produced in association with the British Film Institute and Trigger Films by Canal Cat Films, “Life and Deaths...

Mubi has debuted the trailer for Ira Sachs’ intimate drama ‘Passages.’

Set in Paris, this seductive drama tells the story of Tomas (Rogowski) and Martin (Whishaw), a gay couple whose marriage is thrown into crisis when Tomas begins a passionate affair with Agathe (Exarchopoulos), a younger woman he meets after completing his latest film.

Directed by Ira Sachs (Love is Strange, Little Men) and produced by Saïd Ben Saïd (Elle, Bacarau) and Michel Merkt (Toni Erdmann), the film stars BAFTA-winner Ben Whishaw (Skyfall, Paddington, Women Talking), Franz Rogowski (Great Freedom, Transit, Victoria), and Palme d’Or-winner Adèle Exarchopoulos (Blue is the Warmest Colour, The Five Devils).

Also in trailers – That wasn’t me…” John Boyega stars in full trailer for ‘They Cloned Tyrone’

The film will open theatrically in the UK and Ireland on 1 September 2023.

The post Trailer lands for Ira Sachs’ ‘Passages’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.

What happens when the line between art and love is blurred?

Ira Sachs’ Sundance standout film “Passages” poses the age-old question about commitment and the cruelty of love triangles for the sake of art.

The official synopsis reads: After completing his latest project, filmmaker Tomas (Franz Rogowski) impulsively begins a heated love affair with a young schoolteacher, Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos). For Tomas, the novelty of being with a woman is an exciting experience that he is eager to explore despite his marriage to Martin (Ben Whishaw). But when Martin begins his own affair, the mercurial Tomas refocuses his attentions on his husband. Set in contemporary Paris, “Passages” charts an escalating battle of desire between three people, where want is a constant and happiness is just out of reach.

Saïd Ben Saïd and Michel Merkt serves as producers on the film, which is distributed by Mubi.

“Passages” marks Sachs’ eighth film.

Michel Merkt, the Monaco-based producer and consultant who’s played a key behind-the-scene role in bolstering Cannes’s profile post-pandemic, has been named honorary citizen of the city of Cannes

Merkt, an AMPAS voter who has produced over 50 films, was awarded the diploma prize by Cannes Mayor David Lisnard during an intimate ceremony on May 23. Lisnard paid tribute to the Swiss-born consultant and benefactor’s crucial backing for the city’s cultural and social initiatives.

In the last few years, Merkt has helped reinvigorate Critics Week, the Cannes Film Festival’s sidebar dedicated to first and second films, by financing the renovation of its venue, the Miramar theater. He also lent a precious financing hand to the Cannes Film Festival, Directors Fortnight, as well as Canneseries and helped enlist top-level executives for its industry program, on top of being involved in the city’s plans to build a college campus.

Locarno Film Festival will honor French-Danish producer Marianne Slot with its Raimondo Rezzonico Award, given to figures who have played a major role in international production, at its 76th edition running from August 2 to 12.

Over the course of her 30-year career, Slot has worked with a host of internationally renowned auteurs including Lars von Trier, Lucrecia Martel, Bent Hamer, Malgoska Szumowska, Paz Encina, Lisandro Alonso, Sergei Loznitsa, Naomi Kawase and Benedikt Erlingsson.

Slot broke into producing on the early works of von Trier, taking co-producer credits on the original The Kingdom TV series as well as Breaking The Waves and The Idiots, and has since become a key figure on the international arthouse co-production scene.

The producer will be in Cannes this year with Lisandro Alonso’s ambitious historical drama Eureka starring Viggo Mortensen, which world premieres in the Cannes Premiere section.

“Marianne Slot’s approach to film production has...

Distribution

“The Song of Scorpions,” starring Irrfan Khan, Golshifteh Farahani and Waheeda Rehman, written and directed by Anup Singh, will be released in India by Panorama Films and 70mm Talkies on April 28. The film’s release in India was withheld due to the pandemic in 2021.

“The Song of Scorpions” is a story of twisted love, revenge and the redemptive power of a song. Nooran, carefree and defiantly independent, is a tribal woman learning the ancient art of healing from her grandmother, a revered scorpion-singer. When Aadam, a camel trader in the Rajasthan desert, hears her sing, he falls desperately in love. But even before they can get to know each other better, Nooran is poisoned by a treachery that sets her on a perilous journey to avenge herself and find her song.

The film had its world premiere at Locarno in 2017 and had festival play at Rotterdam, London, Singapore and Dubai among many others.

Deal follows prior acquisition of US, UK, Latin American rights at Sundance.

Mubi has acquired additional territories on Ira Sachs’ Passages, which received its European premiere in the Berlinale’s Panorama strand and screens again on Sunday.

The distributor picked up the film for Germany, Austria, Italy, Turkey and, in partnership with Imagine Film Distribution, Benelux.

Last month Mubi acquired rights for the US, UK & Ireland, and Latin America following the world premiere at Sundance.

Ben Whishaw, Adèle Exarchopoulos and Franz Rogowski star in the story of a gay filmmaker who questions his sexuality and future after he embarks on...

Global indie streamer distributor and producer Mubi has acquired all rights in several key European territories to “Passages,” the erotic drama by Ira Sachs that bowed with a splash at Sundance and just had its European premiere at the Berlin Film Festival.

Following the world premiere of “Passages” at Sundance Mubi last month snapped up all rights for the U.S., U.K., Ireland and Latin America to the U.S. indie darling director’s first film shot in France.

Now Mubi has acquired additional European territories on “Passages” including for Germany, Austria, Italy, Turkey and Benelux. The Benelux pickup is in partnership with Belgium’s Imagine Film Distribution.

In line with Mubi’s business model, which is open to integrating theatrical and streaming play, Mubi will be releasing “Passages” theatrically in these territories, according to a company rep.

The “Passages” deal for these territories was sealed between Mubi and Sbs Films International,...

Ira Sachs’ latest feature film, ‘Passages,’ has been acquired by Mubi for all distribution rights in the U.S., UK, Ireland and Latin America. “Passages” will be released theatrically in 2023.

The picture, set in modern-day Paris, concerns a filmmaker who impulsively has an affair with a young school teacher. For Tomas (Rogowski), the novelty of being with a woman is an exciting experience that he is eager to experience despite his marriage to Martin (Whishaw). But when Martin begins his own affair, Tomas refocuses his attention on his husband.

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Produced by Saïd Ben Saïd and Michel Merkt, ‘Passages’ stars Ben Whishaw of ‘Skyfall’ and ‘Paddington’ alongside Franz Rogowski and Palme d’Or-winner Adèle Exarchopoulos. The film will have its International Premiere in the Berlin Film Festival’s Panorama section next month.

Ira Sachs’ romantic drama “Passages” has been acquired by Mubi out of the film’s premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The distributor will bring the film to the Berlin Film Festival’s panorama section for an international premiere in February; additionally, it has set a theatrical release for later in 2023.

WME Independent and Sbs International led talks for the final deal with Mubi.

The film, starring Ben Whishaw, Franz Rogowski and Adèle Exarchopoulos, marks Sachs’ sixth feature film and his first since 2019’s “Frankie,” starring Isabelle Huppert. Sachs rose to prominence as an independent filmmaker at Sundance in 1997, debuting his first feature “The Delta” at the festival.

“For me to find a home with a company and a group of people who love this film as much as they do — and maybe even more importantly, love the kind of cinema that has been most important to me in my...

Drama plays in Berlin’s Panorama section next month.

Mubi has acquired Ira Sachs’ Sundance Premieres entry Passages for the US, UK & Ireland and Latin America, in the latest deal to emerge from Park City.

Ben Whishaw, Adèle Exarchopoulos and Franz Rogowski star in the story of a gay filmmaker who questions his sexuality and future after he has a torrid love affair with a woman.

Passages is produced by Saïd Ben Saïd and Michel Merkt and will receive its international premiere in Berlin’s Panorama section next month.

Sachs hailed Mubi’s love for “the kind of cinema that...

After screening at the Sundance Film Festival, the Ira Sachs film Passages has landed at Mubi in the US, UK, Ireland and Latin America.

The synopsis for the film reads: “After completing his latest project, filmmaker Tomas (Franz Rogowski) impulsively begins a heated love affair with a young school teacher, Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos). For Tomas, the novelty of being with a woman is an exciting experience that he is eager to explore despite his marriage to Martin (Ben Whishaw). But when Martin begins his own affair, the mercurial Tomas refocuses his attention on his husband.”

Saïd Ben Saïd (Elle, Bacarau) and Michel Merkt (Toni Erdmann) produced the movie, which is bound for the Berlin Film Festival in the Panorama section.

The Hollywood Reporter’s Sundance review of the film calls it a “wise and unusually wounding work from a beloved indie auteur.”

Mubi is planning a 2023 theatrical release for the film in the acquired territories,...

Mubi has taken U.S., UK, Ireland and Latin America rights to the Ira Sachs-directed Passages, which made its world premiere in the Premieres section of this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Related Story ‘Passages’ Sundance Film Review: Ira Sachs’ Relationship Drama Excites & Frustrates Related Story Sundance Review: Randall Park's Heartwarming 'Shortcomings' Related Story 'Talk To Me' Directing Duo Danny & Michael Philippou Sign With WME Following Film's Midnight Premiere At Sundance

In contemporary Paris, German filmmaker Tomas (Franz Rogowski) embraces his sexuality through a torrid love affair with a young woman named Agathe (Palme d’Or winner Adèle Exarchopoulos), an impulse that blurs the lines that define his relationship with his husband, Martin (Ben Whishaw). When Martin begins an extramarital affair of his own, he successfully gains back his husband’s attention while simultaneously unearthing Tomas’ jealousy. Grappling with contradicting emotions, Tomas must either embrace the...

Passages

A project we thought might drop in ’22 is leading the gem offerings from the beginning of ’23 instead. American indie filmmaker Ira Sachs has been working with foreign coin on several projects now and in this case – he lassoed the trio Ben Whishaw, Franz Rogowski and Adèle Exarchopoulos from adjoined countries for what is Passages. Production took place in October of 2021. Saïd Ben Saïd and Michel Merkt produced the project. Josée Deshaies was the cinematographer here.

Gist: Co-written by Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias, set in contemporary Paris, German filmmaker Tomas (Franz Rogowski) embraces a love affair with a young woman named Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos), an impulse that blurs the lines which define his relationship with his husband, Martin (Ben Whishaw).…...

Austrian filmmaker Ulrich Seidl is set to debut a new combined version of his 2022 films Rimini and Sparta at the Rotterdam Film Festival later this month.

The new pic is titled Wicked Games Rimini Sparta and runs 205 minutes long. A description of the pic on the Rotterdam festival website states that footage from both films is “tightly interwoven,” creating a “devastatingly bleak vision of lost childhood as a state of mind.”

Rimini debuted at Berlin 2022. Sparta was set to screen at Toronto but was pulled from the lineup following a report in the German magazine Der Spiegel that raised concerns about the treatment of younger cast members during the production. Filmfest Hamburg also scrapped plans to give its prestigious Douglas Sirk Prize to the director following the newspaper report. However, the film continued to screen at San Sebastian.

Sparta follows a German man battling his inclination to pedophilia who seeks...

Austrian director Ulrich Seidl, who faced allegations of on-set impropriety and child exploitation last year, will attend the world premiere of a “new” film, titled “Wicked Games Rimini Sparta,” at the Intl. Film Festival Rotterdam later this month. Seidl has strenuously denied the allegations made against him.

A festival spokesperson told Variety that the plan was for Seidl to arrive at the festival on Jan. 29, and stay for three nights, but the details were still being finalized. IFFR runs Jan. 25-Feb. 5.

The new film, with a running time of 205 minutes, combines footage from his twinned 2022 films “Rimini” and “Sparta,” the latter of which was the focus of the allegations. In the films, Seidl follows the lives of two brothers, Richie and Ewald, respectively. The former is a crooner, long past his prime yet still beloved by hordes of late-middle-aged female fans who can buy his sexual services; the latter is...

Writer/director David Cronenberg’s latest body horror film Crimes of the Future was released earlier this year – but even before Crimes of the Future reached theatres, it had been announced that Cronenberg was re-teaming with Eastern Promises and A Dangerous Method cast member Vincent Cassel on an afterlife thriller called The Shrouds. Now Deadline reports that Cronenberg, speaking during a press conference at the San Sebastian film festival, describes The Shrouds as “autobiographical”. Here’s the quote, which reveals that Léa Seydoux is following Cronenberg from Crimes of the Future to The Shrouds: “The new film I’ll be making is called The Shrouds and it stars Vincent Cassel and Léa Seydoux. Despite that, it’s not a French film. It’s a very personal project for me. People who know me will know parts of it are autobiographical. The idea is to shoot that in the Spring in Toronto.

David Cronenberg described his next film, The Shrouds, as a personal and partly autobiographical project, during a press conference at the San Sebastian film festival Wednesday.

Cronenberg teased the project while speaking to the press at the festival, where he is set to receive a prestigious Donostia Award.

“The new film I’ll be making is called The Shrouds and it stars Vincent Cassel and Lea Seydoux. Despite that, it’s not a French film,” he said. “It’s a very personal project for me. People who know me will know parts of it are autobiographical. The idea is to shoot that in the Spring in Toronto.”

As Deadline reported in May, FilmNation and CAA Media Finance launched sales on The Shrouds at the Cannes market. Industry veterans Saïd Ben Saïd (Sbs Productions), Martin Katz (Prospero Pictures), and Michel Merkt are producing the film. FilmNation is repping international and CAA is aboard for domestic.

Julia Murat’s film is second from Brazil to win festival’s top honour.

The Golden Leopard at Locarno Film Festival’s 75th anniversary edition (August 3-13) has gone to Julia Murat’s Rule 34 (Regra 34), which had its world premiere in the Swiss festival’s international competition.

The award includes a cash prize of Chf 75,000 to be shared equally between the film’s director and producer.

Rule 34 is the story of a young law student whose sexual desires lead her into a world of violence and eroticism. It was part of the 2019 Berlinale Co-Production Market and last year received...

“Rule 34,” a challenging and sexually explicit film from Brazilian director Julia Murat, has emerged as the surprise winner of the Golden Leopard award at this year’s Locarno Film Festival — an edition where typically audacious and formally ambitious work dominated the program. Marking a strong ceremony for female filmmakers, the main competition jury at the Swiss festival also handed an impressive three awards — best director and a brace of acting prizes — to gritty coming-of-age drama “I Have Electric Dreams,” an auspicious debut feature from Costa Rican writer-director Valentina Maurel.

A character study of a young female law student pursuing a parallel calling in amateur online pornography — while defending female abuse victims in her day job — “Rule 34’s” title stems from the popular online meme that “if it exists, there’s a porn version of it.” Murat’s film wasn’t among the buzzier entries in this year’s competition,...

Rule 34International Competition(Jury: Michel Merkt, Laura Samani, Prano Bailey-Bond, Alain Guiraudie, William Horberg)Golden Leopard: Rule 34 (Julia Murat)Special Jury Prize: Gigi la legge (The Adventures of Gigi the Law) (Alessandro Comodin)Best Direction: Valentina Maurel (Tengo sueños eléctricos)Best Actress: Daniela Marín Navarro (Tengo sueños eléctricos)Best Actor: Reinaldo Amien Gutiérrez (Tengo sueños eléctricos)Filmmakers Of The Present( Jury: Annick Mahnert, Gitanjali Rao, Katriel Schory )Golden Leopard: Svetlonoc (Nightsiren) (Tereza Nvotová)Special Jury Prize: Yak Tam Katia? (How Is Katia?) (Christina Tynkevych)Prize for Best Emerging Director: Juraj Lerotić (Sigurno mjesto (Safe Place))Best Actress: Anastasia Karpenko (How Is Katia?)Best Actor: Goran Marković (Safe Place)Special Mention: Den siste våren (Franciska Eliassen)First Feature(Jury: Boo Junfeng, Shahram Mokri, Madeline Robert)Best First Feature: Sigurno mjesto (Safe Place) (Juraj Lerotić)Special Mention: Love Dog (Bianca Lucas) and De noche los gatos son pardos (Valentin Merz)Pardi Di Domani(Jury: Walter Fasano,...

The jury comprised of Michel Merkt, Prano Bailey-Bond, Alain Guiraudie, William Horberg and Laura Samani have bestowed the big daddy prize of them all in the Golden Leopard to Brazilian filmmaker Julia Murat‘s Regra 34. Her third fiction feature tells the story of Simone, a 23-year-old who studies criminal law and advocates for women’s rights and at night she performs in front of a live sex cam. One night watching a film awakens her dark impulses for a more dangerous means of sexual gratification.



The jury gave the Special Jury Prize to Alessandro Comodin for Gigi La Legge while Belgium/France/Costa Rica co-production Tengo Sueños Eléctricos was handsomely rewarded with three prizes winning by Best Direction (Valentina Maurel), Best Actress (Daniela Marín Navarro) and Best Actor (Reinaldo Amien Gutiérrez).…...

Brazilian filmmaker Julia Murat clinched the Golden Leopard prize in the main international competition of the 75th Locarno Film Festival with her latest feature Rule 34.

The film follows Simone, a young law student who finds a passion for defending women in abuse cases. Yet her own sexual interests lead her to a world of violence and eroticism.

Rule 34 is Murat’s third feature film after Pendular, which picked up the Fipresci Prize at the 2017 Berlinale. The Brazillian filmmaker’s first film, Found Memories, debuted at Venice.

Locarno’s Golden Leopard comes with a Chf 75,000 cash prize to be shared equally between the director and the producer. Murat produced the film alongside Tatiana Leite.

This year’s Golden Leopard competition jury was comprised of Swiss producer Michel Merkt, British filmmaker Prano Bailey-Bond, French filmmaker Alain Guiraudie, American producer William Horberg, and Italian director Laura Samani.

In other main competition awards, the...

Ten world premieres among 17 international competition titles.

The Locarno Film Festival (August 3-13) has revealed the line-up for its 75th edition, which includes the world premiere of Russian filmmaker Aleksandr Sokurov’s Fairytale.

The international competition will comprise 17 films, including 10 world premieres, which will vie for the coveted Golden Leopard awards.

Scroll down for full line-up

These titles include Fairytale, a Belgium-Russia co-production written and directed by Sokurov, whose films have played in Competition at Cannes five times with features including Russian Ark in 2002. His debut The Lonely Voice Of a Man received the Bronze Leopard in Locarno in 1987.

The...

The Locarno Film Festival has announced the full line-up and juries for its 75th edition, which is due to unfold August 3-13.

The festival will get a starry kick-off on August 3 with the international festival premiere of David Leitch’s action-comedy Bullet Train, starring Brad Pitt alongside an ensemble cast featuring Joey King, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Sandra Bullock, Hiroyuki Sanada, Andrew Koji and Benito A Martínez Ocasio.

The film will be given a gala screening in the festival’s trademark 8,000-seat, open-air Piazza Grande arena.

Other titles due to get a splash on the Piazza Grande include Laurie Anderson’s Home Of The Brave, U.K. director Thomas Hardiman’s Medusa Deluxe and German director Kilian Riedhof’s French-language drama You Will Not Have My Hate, based on the memoir of a man on how he and his son coped following the death of his wife in the 2015 Bataclan terror attack.