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On July 11th, a horror film called The Breach – which was executive produced by legendary musician Slash, who also co-produced the score – will be getting a VOD and digital release in the United States. And Variety reports that Slash has already lined up his next horror project: he’s teaming with Steven Schneider of Room 101, Inc. and Spooky Pictures – a producer whose genre credits include Paranormal Activity, Blair Witch, and Old – for a film called Janus.

Jason Zada (The Forest) will be directing Janus from a screenplay he wrote with Nate Atkins. The story centers on three band members seeking refuge in an old farmhouse where they encounter a woman harboring an unspeakable secret.

Alex Neustaedter (American Rust), Natalie Alyn Lind (Big Sky), Jack Kilmer (Lords of Chaos), Grace Van Dien (Stranger Things), and M.C. Gainey (Con Air) have already been cast in the film.

Slash and Schneider are producing...

A new slate of horror movies is on the way from Steven Schneider (Paranormal Activity) and Malkier Studios, with musician Slash on board as well, Variety reports this week.

The collaboration will be focused on “creating IP driven horror, animation and thriller content.”

The first project in the works is a horror film titled Janus from director Jason Zada (The Forest). Written by Nate Atkins, the film will follow three band members seeking refuge in an old farmhouse where they encounter a woman harboring an unspeakable secret.

Alex Neustaedter (“American Rust”), Natalie Alyn Lind (“Big Sky”), Jack Kilmer (“Lords of Chaos”), Grace Van Dien (“Stranger Things”), and M.C. Gainey (“Emperor”) will star.

Slash is producing Janus alongside Steven Schneider.

From there, period horror movie The Worthless Remains is next up. Director X. (Superfly) is directing the project, which was written by Micah Ranum (The Silencing).

Schneider said, “Producing a horror...

Sideshow and Janus Films have picked up U.S. rights to Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Cannes Film Festival competition entry About Dry Grasses, securing the Turkish drama from sales group Playtime.

The film stars Deniz Celiloglu as a young art teacher, sent to a remote village in Anatolia for his final year of compulsory national service, who is overcome with angst and a sense of hopelessness about the future. An encounter with Nuray, another teacher, played by Merve Dizdar, offers the possibility of an escape. Dizdar won best actress honor in Cannes this year for her performance.

Sideshow and Janus Films plan to tour About Dry Grasses through the fall film festivals before releasing the movie in theaters stateside. The distributors took a similar approach with their joint 2021 Cannes acquisition, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car, another slow-burning drama, eventually landing four Oscar nominations, and one win — for best international feature.

This interview was originally published in the Notebook Cannes Special, a limited-edition print publication distributed at the Cannes Film Festival. Read this week's Rushes to learn more.Souleymane Cissé. Photograph courtesy of Mahamadou Coulibaly.The cinematic oeuvre of the monumental Malian filmmaker Souleymane Cissé, this year’s recipient of the Carrosse d’Or, describes and names itself. The unassuming poetry of the titles of his three most recognized films, Baara, Finyè, and Yeelen, harmonize the artistic and political orientation of a filmmaking trajectory shaped around labor, beauty, and transformation. Cissé was born in Bamako in 1940, encountering cinema as a child and captivated from the first instance, eventually joining the ranks of African filmmakers emerging in concert with the 1960s decolonization and national liberation struggles on the continent.A drama about a rural and an urban worker which doubles as a searing diagnosis of the labor movement in Mali, Baara is...

Yes, anytime a film opens over $100 million is a positive event for theaters. And yes, for Marvel and Disney, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is an improvement over the lesser initial take for “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” ($106 million first weekend last February). Correct also is that it’s the second best opening of the year.

But the elephant in the room exists. Since 2013, Disney has opened their top summer season Marvel release on this date: Without even having to adjust for inflation, the new “Guardians,” with $114 million for its U.S./Canada gross, ranks dead last — nine out of nine. The falloff from last year’s entry (“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”) is steep — down $73 million from that one. And “Strange” was a sequel to a lesser series release than “Guardians.” This should be sobering: “Vol. 2,” on this same weekend in 2017, grossed at current ticket prices around $170 million.

In a business that lives and dies by sequels, perhaps the best news about the terrific opening weekend for “John Wick: Chapter 4” (Lionsgate) is that for the third time in four weeks, a sequel opened to a gross better than the previous installment.

“Wick 4” opened to $73.5 million, substantially ahead of strong earlier starts for “Creed 3” (MGM) and “Scream 6” (Paramount). That is by far the best initial take in the “Wick” series. And it’s a welcome return to form for Lionsgate, which in past years thrived with huge franchises like “Twilight” and “The Hunger Games.”

This is their biggest film since the final “Hunger Games” in 2015. This company was a vital addition to theater revenues pre-Covid. But since “Knives Out” in 2019, their biggest gross before this was “The Jesus Revolution” with $49 million (and still in release).

Apart from its record-high debut, “Wick 4” also had its best Cinemascore...

In an especially appreciated instance of ask-and-you-shall-receive (and plainly great day for enthusiasts of five-hour Finnish cinema) the World Cinema Project’s restoration of Eight Deadly Shots will begin a theatrical rollout at Film Forum on March 31, courtesy Janus Films.

Long held as a benchmark of its national cinema and praised by the likes of Aki Kaurismäki, Eight Deadly Shots has, almost needless to say, struggled for deeper attention, and this writer’s efforts to see it were somewhat upheld by the promise of a restoration; this and the near-inevitability of Criterion release is more than would’ve seemed possible.

Based on a true story and starring writer-director Mikko Niskanen, Eight Deadly Shots has been praised for its fusion of domestic drama, political tension, and elaborate flashback structure––certainly one of the most ambitious things originally produced for television.

Find preview and poster below:

A long unsung landmark of Finnish cinema,...

Welcome to the weird world of theatrical movies, the weekly scramble to find a formula that fills seats. “Knock at the Cabin” returned Universal to #1 for the first time since October, despite several big hits including “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” and “M3GAN.”

“80 for Brady” closely followed, with most theaters (with Paramount’s encouragement) capping prices all day to matinee cost. It grossed 12.5 million, significantly above expectations, to take second place. After seven weeks at the top, “Avatar: The Way of Water” dropped to #3.

That meant three films over 10 million and its the first time that’s happened on this weekend since 2017. (This February weekend usually faces Super Bowl competition, which we’ll see next week.) In 2017, the #1 film was another M. Night Shylamalan title, “Split.” It also opened to 14 million; with today’s higher ticket prices, it would be around 17 million.

The industry hoped for a bigger...

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Oscar hopefuls have been omnipresent at the Toronto International Film Festival for more than 40 years. Chariots of Fire (1981), American Beauty (1999) and Green Book (2018) all had their world premieres at TIFF and went on to win best picture, as did numerous other films which passed through the fest early in their runs. Indeed, of the last 10 best picture winners, only two, 2014’s Birdman and 2021’s Coda, did not screen at the highest-profile fest north of the border, and of the eight that did, three, 2013’s 12 Years a Slave, Green Book and 2020’s Nomadland, were first honored with TIFF’s People’s Choice Award.

This year’s 47th edition of TIFF is as packed with Oscar hopefuls as any. The highest-profile world premieres include Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans (Universal), which marks the master’s first trip to the fest; two Netflix titles,...

The team behind 'Miss Fisher.s Murder Mysteries', Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger, are back with 'Newton.s Law', starring Claudia Karvan. Eagger talks to If about the show.s development and shooting in the ABC carpark.

How.s Newton.s Law going?

We.re in the middle of a 12-week shoot. Deb [Cox] and I just went to Mipcom and you pay dearly for taking [time off]. We went and came back within a week but a lot of things stockpile.

Did you go there to show footage from the show?

Yeah, ABC Commercial is distributing the show for rest of world, and we did a little Mipcom teaser trailer. It's not our official trailer because not all the material had been shot. And then Deb and I obviously had some meetings with the people they wanted us to. Just to meet some of the North American platforms and talk about what...

Alison Nisselle, Greg Mclean, Ian Anderson, Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger.

Greg Mclean and Alison Nisselle are among the five industry leaders honoured by Film Victoria at last night.s Screen Leader Awards.

The Screen Leader Awards were established by Film Victoria in 2012 to recognise screen professionals who.ve shown leadership through their achievements and a commitment to further developing the industry.

This year saw the addition of two new categories to recognise writing and directing.

The inaugural Fred Schepisi Award was presented to Mclean, acknowledging his achievements in directing from his 2005 debut feature Wolf Creek through to his most recent film The Belko Experiment, which screened at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.

Nisselle, whose credits include television dramas Phoenix, Janus, Bed of Roses and the feature film Healing, received the Jan Sardi Award for her significant achievement as a screenwriter.

Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger, the duo behind Miss...

The lushly beautiful The Light Between Oceans is a three-hankie historic drama set on the coast of Western Australia. With heart-tugging performances by an attractive trio of Oscar nominees (with two winners), Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Rachel Weisz, the film is an adaptation of M. I. Stedman’s 2012 bestseller of the same name. The tale set in a remote corner of the world, in the years after the devastation of World War I, which nearly wiped out a generation of young men in Europe and left those who survived scarred by this most brutal of wars.

Derek Cianfrance, whose previous films include Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond The Pines, both wrote the script and directs, and it is hard to imagine a more perfect director for this moody historic tale of moral choice. The title refers to the story’s setting, a remote lighthouse in Western Australia, at...

It took scriptwriter Alison Nisselle and director/co-writer Craig Monahan 10 years to make Healing, a redemptive drama which opens in Australian cinemas on May 8.

Nisselle is hoping her next project, a feature on Julia Gillard, will happen rather more quickly.

But she tells If it will take at least two years to complete her research and finish the script on the former Prime Minister.s reign and ousting by Kevin Rudd.

It was announced last year that Rachel Griffiths will play Gillard in Stalking Julia, based partly on Kerry-Anne Walsh's book The Stalking of Julia Gillard. Wtfn.s Richard Keddie is the producer and Emma Freeman (Puberty Blues, Offspring and the Bob Hawke telemovie Hawke) is attached to direct.

Nisselle got the idea for Healing after reading a Philippa Hawker story in The Age about a rehabilitation program caring for wounded eagles, falcons and owls run by the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary and Prisons Victoria.

.Australian feature Healing, starring Hugo Weaving, Don Hany and Xavier Samuel, is set to start shooting in Victoria on February 18.

The tale of redemption is inspired by a true story, writer-director-producer Craig Monahan said in a statement. .The script is inspired by true events and the powerful connection forged by humans with birds and animals..

Healing follows Viktor Khadem (Don Hany in his first major feature role), who has spent 16 years in prison and has almost given up on life. For his final 18 months, he is sentenced to a low-security, pre-release prison farm, where senior officer Matt Perry (Hugo Weaving) has established a unique program to rehabilitate broken men by giving them the responsibility for the rehabilitation of injured eagles, falcons and owls. Against all odds, Matt takes on Viktor as his number one test case, introducing him to Yasmine, a majestic Wedge-tailed Eagle, revealing a new path of inspiration and hope.

The calm before the summer blockbuster storm is here. We have a few bigger budget pictures to recommend, but April mostly includes limited releases from film festivals finally getting their theatrical debuts. Check out the list to see below and matinees on the next page.

See:

10. Your Highness (David Gordon Green; April 8th)

Synopsis: A fantasy-comedy about an arrogant, lazy prince (McBride) who must complete a quest in order to save his father’s kingdom.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: It isn’t as funny as Pineapple Express, but anything from this collective is worth checking out. Danny McBride and his bud Ben Best wrote the screenplay for this outrageous medieval/action/adventure/stoner comedy. I hope at least one of those words piques your interest.

9. Ceremony (Max Winkler; April 8th)

Synopsis: Sam Davis (Angarano) coerces his estranged friend to spend a weekend together in a beachside town, though...

The South by Southwest Film Festival announced its feature film line-up Wednesday, piling heaps of cinematic goodness on an already stellar program that includes Jodie Foster’s The Beaver, Duncan Jones’ Source Code, Ti West’s The Innkeepers, Conan O’Brien’s tour documentary, and the latest Simon Pegg-Nick Frost comedy, Paul, with Seth Rogen.

Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight) returns to the festival with her latest film, Red Riding Hood starring Amanda Seyfried, after the writer-director spoke on a screenwriting panel in 2009.

Plus a few favorites from the Sundance Film Festival last month, like Tom McCarthy’s Win Win, Morgan Spurlock’s The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, and Max Winkler’s Ceremony.

I’m extremely excited, even if I’m already having flashbacks to intense sleep deprivation. Like the last two years, I’ll be on the ground covering as much of the festival as I can within the packed 9 days of screenings,...

‘Tapping into the cultural zeitgeist,’ at SXSW 2011

Austin, Texas – The SXSW 2011 Feature Film Lineup was unveiled Wednesday afternoon. The festival lineup will consist of 130 features, in nine full days of programming, promising to deliver a film-going experience unlike previous years.

With a reputation for taking chances on relatively unknown filmmakers, the SXSW panel of judges carefully picked 130 films from 1,792 feature-length film submissions, (1,323 U.S. and 469 international). The program consists of 60 World Premieres, 12 North American Premieres and 16 U.S. Premieres.

The main competition categories return with eight Narrative Features, and eight Documentary Features, both competing for their respective Grand Jury Prize. New for films in competition this year, are awards for screenplay, editing, cinematography, music, and acting.

(The Midnighters and SXFantastic feature sections, along with the short film program, will be announced next week.)

Here are a few of the Features to be screened, among many others.

Narratives:

The Beaver (World Premiere)

Dir.

Readers of Sound On Sight can be sure that we will indeed be covering the SXSW Film Festival once again. As previously reported, Duncan Jones’ latest film Source Code is opening the festival and there will also be premieres for the documentary Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop, Greg Mottola’s Paul, and Jodie Foster’s The Beaver. Now the full line-up has been announced it is incredible.

Hit the jump to check out the line-up, and be sure to visit our site during the event.

The 2011 SXSW Film Festival runs from March 11 – 19th in Austin, Texas.

SXSW Film Announces 2011 Features Lineup

Austin, Texas – February 2, 2011 – The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival is thrilled to announce the features lineup for this year’s Festival, March 11 – 19, 2011 in Austin, Texas. The 2011 lineup continues the SXSW tradition of tapping into the cultural zeitgeist, highlighting emerging talent and breakthrough performances and supporting first-time filmmakers.

The South By Southwest Film Conference and Festival announced this year's features lineup. The festival takes place March 11-19 in Austin, Texas.

There are a total of 130 features screening this year including 60 world premieres, 12 North American premieres and 16 U.S. premieres! This year the a total of 1,792 feature-length films were submitted, which is the most ever.

There are going to be some amazing films shown this yea. Opening night kicks off with Duncan Jones' Source Code (Moon). The fest rolls on with Jodie Foster‘s The Beaver, Greg Mottola‘s Paul, Sundance Grand Prize doc winner How to Die in Oregon, Errol Morris‘ Tabloid, Victoria Mahoney‘s Yelling to the Sky, Azazel Jacob‘s Terri. There will also be a special screening of Catherine Hardwicke‘s Red Riding Hood.

The Midnight and SXFantastic sections will be announced with the shorts program next week.

See the complete lineup below via...

The South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) just announced their entire 2011 feature film lineup, and there’s isn’t a lot of note, with regards to this blog’s focus.

Titles you should be aware of – all of which we’ve previously profiled on Shadow And Act – include, Victoria Mahoney’s feature film debut, Yelling To The Sky (which will actually make its world debut at the Berlin Film Festival later this month); plus Blacktino, the first feature film from writer/director Aaron Burns, a self-described “blacktino nerd from Austin, Texas,” who got his start at Robert Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios doing visual effects; Benda Bilili, a documentary about a band of homeless, disabled Congolese; and last, but not least, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey, a documentary about the black man that happens to be the man behind the puppet (which also played at Sundance).

There might be...

The South by Southwest Film Festival has announced their features lineup for the 2011’s Festival, which will take place March 11th to the 19th in Austin Texas. Read the full press release after the jump. SXSW Film Announces 2011 Features Lineup Austin, Texas – February 2, 2011 – The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival is thrilled to announce the features lineup for this year’s Festival, March 11 – 19, 2011 in Austin, Texas. The 2011 lineup continues the SXSW tradition of tapping into the cultural zeitgeist, highlighting emerging talent and breakthrough performances and supporting first-time filmmakers. The Midnighters and SXFantastic feature sections, along with the short film program, will be announced next week. “This is the most exciting moment for us. After a fantastic festival of discovery in 2010, we can finally unveil the line up for this year’s event,” says Film Conference and Festival Producer Janet Pierson. “SXSW prides itself on taking chances, sifting for...