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The complete lineup for the 2022 Berlin International Film Festival, taking place February 10-20, 2022, has been unveiled and it’s a major collection of some of our most-anticipated films of the year. As teased yesterday, Claire Denis’ Fire (which now has the title Avec amour et acharnement (aka Both Sides of the Blade)) will premiere in competition, alongside Hong Sangsoo’s The Novelist’s Film, Carla Simón’s Summer 1993 follow-up Alcarràs, Ulrich Seidl’s Rimini, Rithy Panh’s Everything Will Be Ok, and more.

Elsewhere in the festival is Bertrand Bonello’s Coma, Dario Argento’s Dark Glasses, Andrew Dominik’s Nick Cave & Warren Ellis doc This Much I Know To Be True, Peter Strickland’s Flux Gourmet, Gastón Solnicki’s A Little Love Package, Quentin Dupieux’s Incredible But True, plus new shorts by Lucrecia Martel, Hlynur Pálmason, and more. Also recently announced was the Panorama section, which will open...

The 72nd Berlin International Film Festival (February 10-20) revealed its Competition line-up on Wednesday, scroll down for the full list.

As previously announced, the International Competition opens this year with François Ozon’s Peter Von Kant. Joining the Ozon pic today were 17 further features, including new films from Hong Sang-soo, Claire Denis, Ulrich Seidl, and Rithy Panh.

This marks Denis’ first time in Berlin’s Competition, having been a regular at Cannes over the years, while her last film High Life debuted at Toronto. The director’s new movie Both Sides of the Blade (previously known as Fire) stars Juliette Binoche and Vincent Lindon.

South Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo picked up the Silver Bear for Best Director in 2020 for movie The Woman Who Ran. His latest pic is The Novelist’s Film, which Berlin Artistic Director today said celebrates chance encounters.

The Competition program is 17 world premieres plus one international premiere,...

La ligne

Excluding her docu features, Ursula Meier is now at the three feature film mark with La ligne (The Line) – a project that began lensing in Switzerland around this time last year. Co-written by Stéphanie Blanchoud, Antoine Jaccoud and Meier (with additional help from Robin Campillo and Nathalie Najem), this stars Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, India Hair, Benjamin Biolay and Blanchoud as Margaret — this reunites the filmmaker with with her cinematographer Agnès Godard. Meier moves from shipwrecked family in 2008’s Home to disproportionately supporting one’s sibling in 2012’s L’enfant d’en haut to a film that pokes the family tree with a stick.…...

Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired the U.S. distribution rights for “The Auschwitz Report,” Slovakia’s entry for international film to the Academy Awards.

The movie, directed by Peter Bebjak and based on Alfréd Wetzler’s novel “What Dante Did Not See,” tells the true story of two imprisoned Slovak Jewish men, Rudolf Vrba and Wetzler, who escape Auschwitz and risk their lives to meticulously report the horrific reality of Nazi operations to the world.

“The film is both heartbreaking and inspiring,” said Peter Goldwyn of Samuel Goldwyn Films. “Peter Bebjak crafted this film with great care both towards historical accuracy and the subjective experience of its central characters. The result is a gripping, visually inventive experience. We are honored to be part of the story of this important film.”

Goldwyn, which also is distributing Danish entry “Another Round,” plans to release the film in the U.S. in 2021.

“I...

The streaming war is an epic battle that will rage on for years to come, funded by some of the richest corporations on the planet and being fought solely from the comfort of couches around the world. With the competition only continuing to heat up and new platforms either debuting or being announced on an increasingly regular basis, eventually only those with enough disposable income will be able to experience the full range of over-the-top content on offer.

Having led the charge since the very beginning, it seems unlikely that anyone will be able to dislodge Netflix as the market leaders seeing as they currently have over 100 million more subscribers than their closest competitors at Amazon Prime. That being said, with Disney Plus boasting some of the biggest brands in the industry and making new Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universe shows a priority, along with HBO Max’s focus on their expanded DC universe,...

Switzerland’s Rita Productions, producer of Academy Award-nominated “My Life as a Courgette,” is re-teaming with France’s Silex Films, the company behind France Televisions’ Slash hit series “Stalk,” to develop “Witch!” (“Sorciere!”).

Aiming to rehabilitate the figure of the witch in contemporary society, doc-feature “Witch!” is based on the bestselling essay by Mona Chollet, “Witches, the Undefeated Power of Women.” The essay should hit English-language bookstores later this year.

The doc-feature is being written by TV creator Thalia Rebinsky whose “Nina” is now in its sixth season on France 2, and documentarian Eve Minault, director for French-German public broadcaster Arte of the prescient “Crash: Are You Ready for the Next Crisis?”

Pauline Gygax, Judith Nora, Max Karli and Priscilla Bertin will produce. Minault, Rebinsky and Gygax will present the project on Saturday April 25 as part of an Rts Prize: Documentary Perspectives showcase, organized by the French-language broadcaster at Swiss film festival Visions du Réél,...

New projects by Claire Denis and Asghar Farhadi, the first fiction feature by Alice Diop and a documentary by Régis Sauder will also be co-produced by the cinema branch of the Franco-German channel. The second selection committee for 2020 of Arte France Cinéma (headed by Olivier Père) has chosen to engage in co-production and in pre-buying on five projects. Standing out among them is La Ligne, which will be the third fiction feature from Franco-Swiss director Ursula Meier following Home (Critics’ Week in Cannes in 2008) and Sister (Silver Bear special prize winner at the 2012 Berlinale). For the record, the filmmaker also presented in the Panorama section of the 2018 Berlinale the TV fiction Shock Waves – Diary of My Mind. Written by Ursula Meier together with Stéphanie Blanchoud (who will also be playing the lead role) in collaboration with Antoine Jaccoud and with the participation of Robin Campillo...

Five participants and projects announced.

La-based Vaparaiso Pictures, producers on Pig and The Line, have partnered on an inaugural script lab with organisers Christina Campagnola and Emery Matson.

The 2019 participants in the Writers Out Of Office lab (Wooo), set to take place in Joshua Tree, California, from October 11-14, were announced on Friday (11).

Campagnola of Apa agency (pictured at left), and Matson, a former development executive, launched the lab to champion unique voices, and integrate discussions and wellness activities aimed to strengthen the writers’ sense of self.

Valparaiso Pictures principal David Carrico and head of development Bobby Hoppey are on board as lab partners.

Five participants and projects announced.

La-based Valparaiso Pictures, producers on Pig and The Line, have partnered on an inaugural script lab with organisers Christina Campagnola and Emery Matson.

The 2019 participants in the Writers Out Of Office lab (Wooo), set to take place in Joshua Tree, California, from October 11-14, were announced on Friday (11).

Former literary agent Campagnola (pictured at left), and Matson, a former development executive, launched the lab to champion unique voices, and integrate discussions and wellness activities aimed to strengthen the writers’ sense of self.

Valparaiso Pictures principal David Carrico and head of development Bobby Hoppey are on board as lab partners.

Five participants and projects announced.

La-based Valparaiso Pictures, producers on Pig and The Line, have partnered on an inaugural script lab with organisers Christina Campagnola and Emery Matson.

The 2019 participants in the Writers Out Of Office lab (Wooo), set to take place in Joshua Tree, California, from October 11-14, were announced on Friday (11).

Campagnola of Apa agency (pictured at left), and Matson, a former development executive, launched the lab to champion unique voices, and integrate discussions and wellness activities aimed to strengthen the writers’ sense of self.

Valparaiso Pictures principal David Carrico and head of development Bobby Hoppey are on board as lab partners.

John Malkovich (The New Pope), Ben Schwartz, Diana Silvers and Tawny Newsome are set as series regulars opposite The Office alum Steve Carell in Space Force, Netflix’s new workplace comedy from The Office developer/Ep Greg Daniels. Additionally, Jimmy O. Yang and Alex Sparrow are set to recur in the series from the The Office duo of Carell and Daniels, which echoes President Donald Trump’s Space Force initiative. Additionally, BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Paul King has been tapped to direct two episodes of Space Force, including the pilot.

Co-created by Carell and Daniels and starring Carell, Space Force is centered around the people tasked with creating a sixth branch of the armed services…Space Force.

Malkovich plays Dr. Adrian Mallory, Head Science Advisor, brilliant, arrogant and hoping...

Chicago – Since Chicago is one of the great Irish immigrant cities in the U.S., it stands to reason that a film festival would be dedicated to Irish American films, and Mike Houlihan – a local writer/radio host/playwright/actor/filmmaker – founded this festival in in the Windy City in 2015. The 5th Annual Irish American Movie Hooley will take place September 27th-29th, 2019, at the Gene Siskel Film Center. More information about the three film festival, including tickets, can be accessed by clicking here.

The “Hooley” is not only a nickname for Mike Houlihan, but it also is Irish slang for “party,” and the three day festival takes on that atmosphere as lively conservations take place after the films, with appearances by the filmmakers and subjects of the screenings. Friday, September 27th is Opening Night with “Misty Button,” a narrative black comedy on the propensity of the New York City Irish to create boozy shenanigans.

Running Aug. 29-Sept. 7, the third edition of Venice Vr will spotlight 39 unique projects, with 26 unspooling in the competition overseen by jury president Laurie Anderson and 13 more screening in the non-competitive Best of Vr section.

Once more, curators Michel Reilhac and Liz Rosenthal have divided the Venice Vr competition into two unique sections — one dedicated to 360° linear films and the other to more outwardly interactive projects.

Three of the 12 films competing in the linear category come from last year’s Grand Prize-winning studio, Atlas V.

The Paris-based production house, which took top honors with 2018’s “Spheres,” will bring a new installment of its popular series “BattleScar — Punk Was Invented by Girls.” The coming-of-age narrative is anchored by actress Rosario Dawson. It is also screening “Ex Anima Experience,” an equestrian show made in partnership with French circus artist Bartabas, and “Gloomy Eyes,” a Tim Burton-esque animated film from directors Jorge Tereso and Fernando Maldonado.

The upcoming epic TV series mixes 7th-century historical content with fantasy and supernatural elements. Prolific Slovakian filmmaker Peter Bebjak has been equally busy working on projects for the small screen. He is currently directing several episodes of the ambitious television series The Slavs, the most expensive Slovakian TV series to the date. It is described as a “fictional reconstruction of a historical period with fantasy and supernatural elements”, inspired by Slovakian and Ukrainian myths and fairy tales. The Slavs marks the first foray into quality TV production within the field of Slovakian audiovisual production. Set in the 7th century in the Carpathian Basin, this sword-and-sorcery story takes place between two hill forts and centres on their business and power interests as well as the pressure exerted on them...

Exclusive: In a competitive situation, Valparaiso Pictures and Permut Presentations have snapped up screen rights to Ashley and April Spicer’s hot-read Daily Beast article Centurians Of Rome: How a Bank Robber Made The Most Expensive Gay Porno Of All Time.

Published last month, the article recounts the wild story surrounding George Bosque, a Brink’s security guard who stole $1.85M in the early 80s and disappeared into thin air. During his time on the run, he produced and financed Centurians Of Rome, the cult 1981 gay porn film set during the Roman Empire. Bosque was finally apprehended after a global search. He was prosecuted by a young aggressive attorney named Robert Mueller and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Released in 1986, he died five years later at the age of only 36 of a suspected drug overdose.

This was one of the biggest heists of its day and colorful character Bosque,...

Alex Wolff has been set to star in The Line, a thriller in the works that will be directed by Ethan Berger in his feature narrative debut. John Malkovich, Scoot McNairy, Jessica Barden and Lewis Pullman have also joined the cast of the movie.

Lije Sarki, who won the SXSW audience award for Peanut Butter Falcon, is producing with Valparaiso Pictures’ David Carrico and Adam Paulsen. Bobby Hoppey is executive producer. A fall shooting start is being eyed.

The film, co-written by Berger and Alex Russek, is being described as a coming-of-age thriller at a university that encapsulates the wild excitement of being young and the dangers of living without fear of consequences.

“The Line will be a profoundly nuanced portrait of a young man being sucked into this seemingly glamorous, rambunctious and familial unit,” Wolff said. “Its heartbreak echoes a larger issue with men and their painful need for approval,...

Hereditary actor Alex Wolff will star in thriller The Line.

The ensemble cast also includes John Malkovich, Scoot McNairy, Jessica Barden (The Lobster) and Lewis Pullman (Bad Times at the El Royale).

The story is being described as "a coming-of-age thriller at a university that encapsulates both the wild excitement of being young, and the dangers of living without fear of consequences."

Ethan Berger and Alex Russek penned the script, with Berger set to direct the pic. Lije Sarki is producing, alongside David Carrico and Adam Paulsen of Valparaiso Pictures. Bobby Hoppey is executive producing.

Wolff, who is set ...

Lije Sarki and David Carrico and Adam Paulsen of Valparaiso Pictures produce.

Hereditary star Alex Wolff, John Malkovich and Scoot McNairy are among an ensemble that has joined upcoming thriller The Line, set to begin production in autumn.

Jessica Barden, and Lewis Pullman round out the key cast at this stage on the project, described as a coming-of-age thriller set on a university campus.

Ethan Berger, currently in post on an untitled documentary with Uninterrupted, will mark his feature directorial debut from a screenplay he wrote with Alex Russek. Lije Sarki, who produced this month’s SXSW narrative spotlight audience...

Yolanda Ramke.

The former senior VP of acquisitions and co-productions in North America for Cineflix Rights has boarded The Line, an eight-part, female-driven World War II thriller created and written by Yolanda Ramke.

Anthony Kimble is introducing the project from the Essential Media Group via his newly-launched company Fugitive Content, at the Series Mania festival in Lille, northern France.

Screen Australia funded development of the series, originally entitled Zero Night, based on the true story of a crack team of British and Australian soldiers who staged an ingenious escape from a prisoner-of-war camp in Warburg, Germany. A parallel story follows a young woman who led the Belgian resistance movement.

Ramke wrote the second draft while she was co-directing Cargo with Ben Howling. Despite the historical setting, The Line is said to strike a contemporary tone and covers issues about the sexes that still resonate today.

The project is still in...

Since Nancy Schwartzman’s filmography includes the short docs The Line, which explores sexual boundaries and consent, and xoxosms, a love story revolving around teens and tech, it’s obvious that the rape of a teenage girl by members of Ohio’s celebrated Steubenville High School football team back in 2012 would grab this director-producer-media-strategist’s attention. After all, the assault had been documented through Facebook, Twitter, text messaging, and even cell phone recordings by the assailants, and it was subsequently brought to the world’s attention by a female crime blogger. Now, nearly seven years after the crime, Schwartzman takes a deeper look, revisiting […]...

Since Nancy Schwartzman’s filmography includes the short docs The Line, which explores sexual boundaries and consent, and xoxosms, a love story revolving around teens and tech, it’s obvious that the rape of a teenage girl by members of Ohio’s celebrated Steubenville High School football team back in 2012 would grab this director-producer-media-strategist’s attention. After all, the assault had been documented through Facebook, Twitter, text messaging, and even cell phone recordings by the assailants, and it was subsequently brought to the world’s attention by a female crime blogger. Now, nearly seven years after the crime, Schwartzman takes a deeper look, revisiting […]...

Anthony Kimble, formerly of Cineflix, National Geographic, and Viacom’s Channel 5, has launched Fugitive and will develop, finance, and exec produce drama and unscripted TV through the new banner.

Its first projects include “Uncanny Valley: The Truth About Thinking Machines,” which comes from producers Topic and Jigsaw. A series about A.I. and the future of mankind, it will combine non-fiction elements from Alex Gibney and scripted elements from Cory Doctorow.

Fugitive also has a female-driven World War II series, “The Line,” from Australian shingle Essential. It is written by Yolanda Ramke, the screenwriter and director of Netflix’s first Australian feature, “Cargo.”

On the unscripted side the new firm is working with “Intervention” producer Grb and will find partners and finance for new shows on its slate.

“I am thrilled to have Fugitive up and running and most delighted that my first projects are such strong titles – and...

It’s been a good couple of years for Deathstroke fans as the iconic supervillain showed up briefly in Justice League, as played by Joe Manganiello, and has also put in appearances on several seasons of Arrow, with Manu Bennett’s portrayal widely considered to be the best Arrowverse big bad to date. And then there’s also Will Arnett’s more comedic version in Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, which was very enjoyable, too.

Now, however, it appears as if we’re about to get another iteration of the Terminator in season 2 of DC Universe’s Titans. We’d already heard that both Deathstroke and his son Jericho would be showing up in the next run and today, Deadline reports that Esai Morales has snagged the role of Slade Wilson.

According to the producers, here’s what we can expect from their take on the character:

“Slade Wilson...

The Titans just made a killer cast addition: Esai Morales will portray Deathstroke, the fan-favorite assassin and archenemy of Teen Titans leader Dick Grayson.

The Titans, the first original programming franchise for the DC Universe subscription steaming site, launched in September and finished its first season in December. The weekly show follows the superhero squad that’s led by Batman’s former sidekick, Robin, aka Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites), and includes the hot-tempered alien princess Starfire (Anna Diop), the mysterious empath Raven (Teagan Croft), and the green-skinned shape-shifter Beast Boy (Ryan Potter).

That Titans line-up of characters was introduced with much fanfare in the pages of DC Comics back in 1980. The team, created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez, didn’t have to wait long to find their signature antagonist: Deathstroke the Terminator was introduced in issue No. 2 of The New Teen Titans in December 1980.

The character bio from the...

If you’re like me and love showcasing your love of the genre through the artwork you adorn your walls with, then today’s installment of Daily Dead’s Holiday Gift Guide should be right up your proverbial alley. We’re shining the spotlight on several familiar sites that have some excellent horror and sci-fi themed prints and original art that pay tribute to some of the greatest cinematic genre films of all time. Also, we’re featuring several new sites (and artists) that I’ve come across this year, as there just seems to be an endless array of talent out there that I’m hoping more folks will discover.

And while the holiday season might be all about the spirit of giving, I don’t think Santa will be too mad if you end up doing a little shopping from this handy guide for yourself, so be sure...

Kate Bush issued a heartfelt statement about the late Lindsay Kemp, referring to the British dancer and choreographer – with whom she once studied and collaborated – as “truly original” and a “great artist of the stage.”

“To call him a mime artist is like calling Mozart a pianist,” she said in a note on her website. “He was very brave, very funny and above all, astonishingly inspirational. There was no-one quite like Lindsay. I was incredibly lucky to study with him, work with him and spend time with him. I loved...

Lindsay Kemp, a British dancer and choreographer who acted as a mentor and collaborator to David Bowie, died Saturday in Tuscany, Italy at the age of 80.

Nendi Pinto-Duschunsky, the director of the in-production documentary Lindsay Kemp’s Last Dance, confirmed Kemp’s death in a Facebook post where she noted he died at his home after a “perfect” day rehearsing with students. “He was very happy and it was very sudden,” Pinto-Duschunsky wrote, the Associated Press reported.

In addition to his own renowned work as a dancer and choreographer, Kemp...

Slovakia has selected Martin Sulik’s tragic war comedy The Interpreter to represent it in the Foreign Language Oscar race.

The film, directed by Gypsy director Sulik, stars Toni Erdmann’s Peter Simonischek and Jiří Menzel. Menzel stars as 80-year-old translator Ali Ungár, who comes across a book written by a former SS officer recounting his war experiences in Slovakia. Ali realises that one of the chapters may well describe his own parents’ execution. And so, armed with a pistol, he sets off to Vienna to look for the SS man and take his revenge. But once there, the only person he encounters is the man’s 70-year-old son Georg, a former teacher played by Simonischek, who has spent his whole life avoiding his father and suffering from an addiction to alcohol.

The translator’s visit arouses Georg’s curiosity and he decides to invite Ali on a trip through Slovakia.

21Cf Global Inclusion, which nurtures diverse voices and stories in front of and behind the camera, announced today that Tesia Walker has been selected as this year’s Fox Writers Lab Fellow. Out of the seventh annual group of Fox Writers Lab writers, she has landed a script development deal with Fox Broadcasting Company.

Originally from New York, Walker graduated from Columbia University’s Film M.F.A. program, where she won Best Teleplay Pilot for her drama script, The Border and received the Jesse Thompkins III Writing Fellowship. Her short film, Search Party, was awarded an HBO Production Grant, and also was a semi-finalist in NBC Universal’s 2016 Shorts Fest. Her pilot, The Line, was a recipient of the 2017 Showtime Tony Cox Screenplay Competition for Best One-Hour Teleplay.

The Fox Writers Lab (Fwl) program includes a four-month curriculum which writers re-write an original comedy or drama pilot script and...

At&T announced the 2018 lineup of mentors and mentees for its diversity-focused Hello Lab Mentorship Program.

In its second year, the At&T Hello Lab Mentorship Program is all about the next generation of storytellers. It pairs entertainment industry leaders with aspiring filmmakers from groups traditionally underrepresented in entertainment as they create films showcasing authentic stories. The filmmakers will debut their short films on the Hello Lab channel on Directv and Directv Now later this year.

The 2018 mentors are:

Emmy Award Winner Lena Waithe

Academy Award and Emmy Award Winner Common

Shelby Stone

Emmy Award Winner Cary Fukunaga

Taika Waititi

Tessa Thompson

Rachel Morrison

The Mentorship Program will be featured on the Entertainment Stage of the 2018 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in a session called, “Action!: Diversity in Filmmaking — Beyond Empowerment to Execution” on Thursday, June 21 at 3 p.m. Cet. The session’s speakers include program mentor Waithe; Matthew Castellanos,...

Lena Waithe seems to be doing all she can to discover and mentor diverse filmmakers.

The actress, writer and producer from such shows as Netflix’s “Master of None” and Showtime’s “The Chi” is teaming up with Fullscreen and At&T’s Hello Lab to mentor diverse aspiring filmmakers.

“The only way change can happen is by helping to create it. And that’s exactly why I’ve invested in this mentorship program,” Waithe said in a statement. “These diverse and talented filmmakers need guidance to get them where they need to be. We’re here to help them find their place in this business and tell their story.”

Also Read: Lena Waithe Is 'Tired of White Folks Telling My Stories'

Earlier this month, Waithe also joined Eva Longoria, Franklin Leonard of “The Black List” and Charles King’s production house Macro to launch an initiative to discover and advance...

At&T Hello Lab’s filmmaker mentoring program — aimed at supporting the creative voices of those underrepresented by Hollywood — is back for a second year, with Common and Lena Waithe among the lineup of mentors for projects from six up-and-coming directors.

The filmmakers, comprising five women and one man, will debut their short films on the Hello Lab channel on At&T’s DirecTV and DirecTV Now streaming service later this year. The 2017 films can currently be viewed there.

The seven 2018 mentors are: actor-writer-producer Lena Waithe; Oscar-winning hip-hop artist and actor Common; producer Shelby Stone “The Chi,” “Bessie”); Cary Fukunaga (“True Detective”); director Taika Waititi; actor Tessa Thompson; and cinematographer Rachel Morrison.

The mentors selected the filmmakers they wanted to support; two of the projects have ties to Showtime’s “The Chi” drama series set on Chicago’s South Side. At&T Hello Lab enlisted Fullscreen (owned by At&T and...

Peter Bebjak’s “The Line,” Slovakia’s submission for the foreign-language Oscar last year, has been acquired by Walk This Way, an initiative by digital distributor Under the Milky Way funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe – Media program, which will release the movie across digital platforms in Benelux, Italy and Spain.

“The Line” tells the story of a Slovakian cigarette smuggler whose business is jeopardized by the E.U.’s plan to redraw the borders of the Schengen zone, which allows for visa-free travel between member states. The first official co-production between Ukraine and Slovakia, the pic world premiered in competition in Karlovy Vary last year and became Slovakia’s second-highest grossing film of all time, behind only “Avatar.” Bebjak’s fourth feature, which screened this week at the Transilvania Intl. Film Festival, will also get a digital release through E-Cinema in France.

Walk This Way’s project coordinator...

Plzen winnners also announced.

Rainer Sarnet’s dark folklore fairytale November received the €10,000 Golden Lily award for best film at goEast’s closing ceremony in Wiesbaden, Germany on Tuesday (24 April).

The International Jury headed by Golden Bear winner Ildikó Enyedi praised the Estonian filmmaker’s third feature ”for the powerful vision, the true poetry, the free humour” as well as “the courage of the producer [Katrin Kissa] to fight for this vision.”

Produced by Homeless Bob Production, November is handled internationally by the UK-based sales company One Eyed Films.

Meanwhile, the City of Wiesbaden’s Best Director Award went to...

Exclusive: In a spring season that has already seen Disney launch ESPN+ and Turner announce Bleacher Report Live, a new sports challenger is entering the subscription video on demand (Svod) ring: Sports Illustrated TV.

The over-the-top (Ott) service linked with the noted magazine will now be available direct to consumers via Roku, iOS, Android and web browsers for $4.99 a month. Si TV launched last November on Amazon Channels and recently was added to fuboTV’s skinny-bundle service.

Josh Oshinsky, head of programming for Si TV at Meredith Corp., told Deadline that he views the flurry of new sports video apps as a positive sign. “As a sports fan, I am excited that there is such a healthy and a lot of different ways to engage with sports content,” he said. “I don’t think it’s an either-or between ESPN+ or BRLive or us. We do things that they don’t.

Oscar-winning director Jan Svěrák will open the seventh edition of the Czech That Film Festival with his new film “Barefoot” at 4 p.m. on April 14 at Real D theater in Beverly Hills.

Svěrák’s film is a coming-of-age story that takes place in Czechoslovakia during the Nazi occupation. The director was previously presented the 2018 Czech Lion Film Fan Award for his work on the film.

The newly restored sci-fi parody “Accumulator,” also directed by Svěrák, will premiere at the festival, which spans across 18 cities in North America. A panel with Svěrák and lead actress Edita Brychta of the film will follow the 8 p.m. screening April 14 at Real D.

Svěrák received the Academy Award for foreign-language film in 1996 for his “Kolya.” The screenplay for the film was written by Jan’s father, Zdeněk, who frequently works with his son and has had roles in his films.

“Ice Mother,” which was...

TheWrap is reporting that Image Comics series Savage is getting a big screen adaptation, and the main selling point is this: Bigfoot vs. Werewolves. La Linea 's James Cotten will direct the film, which is based on the comic created by Jeff Frank. E. Thompson, and John Adams of Pathbenders will produce. No screenwriter, cast or release date has been set yet, but check back here for further details. Co-written by Frank, Dan Wickline and 30 Days of Night 's Steve Niles and with art by Mike Mayhew, the original comic series is described as follows: "Peter is a shoe salesman desperate for a life transformation. Sam is a hunter of things that would scare the hell out of lesser men. These two collide in the middle of an epic battle between vicious...

Andy Garcia, Mario Van Peebles, Luke Goss and Aidan Quinn will star in the independent crime film "The Exodus of Charlie Wright." According to The Hollywood Reporter, R. Ellis Frazier is writing, directing and producing the film. Geoffrey Ross is also producing. Frazier wrote and produced "The Line" and "Confessions of a Pit Fighter."Shooting is set to begin next week in Mexico and Los Angeles. The plot focuses on a billionaire financial whiz from Los Angeles named Charlie (Quinn) whose empire collapses when it is revealed that he was running a Ponzi scheme. He hides out in Tijuana while being pursued by a Mexican gangster (Garcia), a U.S. federal agent (Van Peebles), and thugs sent by a former client (Goss).

Andy Garcia, Mario Van Peebles, Luke Goss and Aidan Quinn are set to star in "The Exodus of Charlie Wright." R. Ellis Frazier is writing, directing and producing the indie crime drama.

Geoffrey Ross also is producing the project, which begins shooting next week in Mexico and Los Angeles.

The story centers on Charlie (Quinn), a Los Angeles billionaire financial whiz who goes into self-imposed exile in Tijuana after his empire is revealed to have been a Ponzi scheme. While looking for the woman he abandoned there 25 years before, Charlie is pursued by a Mexican gangster (Garcia), a federal agent (Van Peebles) and thugs sent by a former client (Goss) looking to retrieve his money.

Garcia, repped by Paradigm and Brillstein Entertainment Partners, next appears in the Renny Harlin-directed drama "Georgia."

Van Peebles, repped by Fortitude, next appears in and helms "Things Fall Apart," from co-writer/star 50 Cent.

Goss,...

Maya Entertainment, a multifaceted company that produces, distributes, and exhibits Latino films, has teamed up with Blockbuster to present the Maya Inaugural Indie Film Series. These seven full-length films include La linea (The Line), a drama about a drug cartel in Tijuana; it packs an impressive cast, including Andy Garcia, Esai Morales, Valerie Cruz, Armand Assante, Ray Liotta, and Danny Trejo.

The film series just started in Los Angeles and kicks off in NYC August 1st, expanding across the Us this September. Read the official list and descriptions after the jump.Filed under: Foreign Language, Independent, New Releases, Distribution, Movie Marketing

Continue reading Blockbuster and Maya Entertainment Toe 'The Line'

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The New York International Latino Film Festival, which runs from July 27 to Aug. 2, will kick off with Peter Bratt's "The Mission," starring Benjamin Bratt; include a tribute to John Leguizamo; and conclude with John Cotten's Mexican crime drama "La Linea" (The Line).

Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the fest will utilize a number of new venues in New York City like the Clearview Cinemas Chelsea 9 and the School of Visual Arts Theater.

"The Nyilff began as a dream to showcase our talent and to empower Latinos," fest exec director Calixto Chinchilla said. "We've been fortunate to have grown in size and stature. This year, we have everything; highly anticipated Hollywood premieres to independent films from filmmakers across the globe, industry forums, music showcases and free outdoor events for everyone."

"La Mission," the opening night film, is set in San Francisco's Mission District and stars Benjamin Bratt as a reformed inmate...

Los Angeles-based Maya Entertainment has acquired U.S. distribution rights to the crime drama "La Linea," starring Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta and Esai Morales.

Directed by James Cotten, the film is set in in Tijuana and follows a veteran assassin, played by Liotta, as he tracks down the head of a crime cartel, played by Esai Morales, who has taken over from a character played by Andy Garcia.

The cast also includes Armand Assante, Joe Morton, Bruce Davison, Jason Connery, Michael DeLorenzo, Valerie Cruz, Jordi Vilasuso, Danny Trejo, Kevin Gage and Gary Daniels.

It was produced by Geoffrey G. Ross and R. Ellis Frazier, who also wrote the screenplay.

Endeavor repped the producers in the deal, which was negotiated for Maya by executive vp Jose Martinez Jr. and Alex Raminfar.

A release date has not yet been announced.

Ever Carradine has joined Sci Fi Channel's Eureka in a recurring role.

In other recurring role news, Mark L. Young will appear on HBO's polygamy drama Big Love, and Valerie Cruz is joining Showtime's Dexter.

Carradine will play Lexi, the free-spirited sister of Sheriff Carter (Colin Ferguson), on the UMS-produced Eureka. She will appear in at least four of eight episodes of the upcoming summer season, which debuts July 29. Carradine most recently appeared on ABC's Women's Murder Club.

On Big Love, Young will play a troubled kid who gets thrown out of the Juniper Creek compound for kissing a girl earmarked for an elder. Young, repped by Kohner and Precision, next appears in Lionsgate's The Lucky Ones and Summit's Untitled Teen Sex Comedy.

In Dexter, Cruz will play the wife of Assistant District Attorney Miguel Prado (the recently cast Jimmy Smits). Cruz, repped by Innovative and John Carrabino Management, next appears in the film La Linea.