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For about five minutes, “The Cut” gives the audience what they’d expect from a movie set in the world of boxing. A fighter played by Orlando Bloom is in the ring, and the action is ferocious, and ferociously photographed in bruising closeups. The punches are thunderous, the blood flows, and you know just what you’re going to get: another tough drama about an over-the-hill boxer getting one last shot at the big time.

And then director Sean Ellis and writer Justin Bull pull the rug out from under the audience – because that opening sequence in the ring is the last time boxing action is going to be center stage in “The Cut.” From there, it becomes a boxing drama in which the focus isn’t the fight, it’s the weigh-in, and in which the real violence isn’t the punching, it’s the dieting.

“The Cut,” which...

Exclusive: Pirates Of The Caribbean and Carnival Row star Orlando Bloom is attached to play a boxer who comes out of retirement in psychological thriller The Cut, which The Exchange is launching ahead of the EFM in Berlin.

Bloom will be the pugilist who is coming out of retirement to vie for his championship title through a grueling and unsanctioned weight cut program with a coach who knows no limits, alienating himself from reality and loved ones, as he spirals out of control. Filming is due to start in summer 2023 in Nevada.

Sean Ellis, director of thriller Anthropoid and BAFTA-nominated crime-drama Metro Manila, will direct an adapted screenplay by Justin Bull (Little Rituals) from a story by Mark Lane.

Producers are James Harris (47 Meters Down) and Mark Lane (47 Meters Down) of Tea Shop Productions and Orlando Bloom and Adam Karasick (3:10 To Yuma) of Amazing Owl.

WME Independent is...

‘Metro Manila‘ is the story of a good man in a bad world. All elements in the movie seems to stem from that core principle and the only question left for the story to answer is if a good man can remain good when all odds are piled against him. And, except for the unconditional love of a family, I really mean all odds. Right off the bat, Oscar Ramirez (Jake Macapagal), an ex-military turned farmer, is forced by the severe rural economic crisis to sell all his few belongings and start anew with his family in the fascinating and colorful chaos of Manila, a gritty and chaotic megalopolis where dreams seems to be forged. Unfortunately, as soon he will discover, the city specializes in bad dreams. The relentless, unmerciful, dog-eat-dog pulse of the streets beats the hope out of the Ramirez family bit by bit, bite by bite, until...

Awards

Renowned singer Shirley Bassey is set to open this year’s BAFTA film awards with a James Bond tribute. Bassey has long been associated with 007, holding the record for an artist who has sung the most Bond theme songs with “Goldfinger” in 1964, “Diamonds Are Forever” in 1971 and “Moonraker” in 1979. The singer will perform “an iconic Bond theme” although which one will only be revealed on the night. This year’s BAFTA Awards will celebrate a number of iconic British film franchises, including Bond and Harry Potter. “Coda” lead Emilia Jones is also set to perform during the ceremony with a rendition of “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell.

The BAFTA Awards will take place in London on March 13.

Animation

Independent production outfit Big Deal Films (“Little Badman”) is teaming with Hoek, Line & Thinker for Big Thinkers, a new initiative to find the next big animated hit authored by diverse U.

On Monday, Spider-Man: No Way Home crawled its way past Avatar’s $760.5 million to become the third highest domestic grosser of all time. With that milestone reached, the baton is ready to be passed to Sony’s Uncharted, the long-awaited video game adaptation that also gives Tom Holland his biggest role yet outside of the MCU. The adventure film, which co-stars Mark Wahlberg, should spark things up at the box office after what has been a soft start to the year.

Ruben Fleischer directs Uncharted after having successfully launched the Venom franchise for Sony (not to mention hitting the jackpot with the Zombieland films). The Indiana Jones-esque tale acts as a prequel to the games, telling the story of a young version of Nathan Drake (played by Holland) before he becomes the full-fledged, world-class treasure hunting hero. He is taken under the wing of Sully (Wahlberg) to find the...

Ld Entertainment announced today that they will release the werewolf-themed gothic thriller “The Cursed” in theaters nationwide on Feb. 18, 2022.

Formerly titled “Eight for Silver,” the film premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and takes place in the late 1800s, following a once-peaceful country village that is under attack by an unknown force. When rumors spread of a cursed land and demonic creatures, a pathologist named John McBride (played by Boyd Holbrook) arrives to investigate the danger and soon finds himself in far deeper than he imagined.

Sean Ellis wrote, directed, produced and shot the film, which has been updated with a new score, new effects and a different edit since its Sundance debut. “Sundance is always an incredible place to showcase your work,” Ellis said in a statement. “In the time that has followed that valuable experience, we took the opportunity to invigorate the film with an updated score by...

When word got out that Metro Manila director Sean Ellis was premiering a film about werewolves at the 2021 Sundance Festival, it immediately became one of the most anticipated films for this year’s fest. Ellis had already proved himself a competent director, both with his BAFTA nominated film Metro Manila as well as his Oscar nominated short film debut Cashback, so the idea of him returning to the festival with his take on one of Hollywood’s most iconic movie monsters was bound to turn some heads.

It is almost unheard of for a monster film to be programmed in the premiere category at Sundance, as most often than not, these films tend to be sequestered to the rowdy and rambunctious crowds that stalk the festival at night. All early indicators showed that this was going to be a horror movie for the ages, and boy did it not disappoint.

At its core, the grim, gritty and blood-soaked “Eight for Silver” is a skillfully fashioned yet philosophically thin twist on the werewolf saga. And yet, in the opening moments of Sean Ellis’ dark-hued and gory gothic horror, you might briefly mistake the monster-themed film you’re about to watch for Sam Mendes’ “1917,” with Ellis’ stylish camera cruising ahead through a crammed trench of masked French soldiers, about to be fatally hit by the mustard gas. It’s a gut-wrenching moment, made even more violent when Edward, among the attack’s bullet-wounded victims, reaches a hospital tent in the next scene, a grubby place replete with merciless buckets of amputated limbs and the screaming bodies from which they’ve been separated. Edward doesn’t survive the “Battle of the Somme,” but an unusually large silver bullet plucked from his body — “not a German bullet,” we overhear — gets sent home to...

It’s a familiar refrain these days: this year’s Sundance Film Festival will look a fair bit different than years past, but the same depth of filmmaking talent appears to still be on offer. And now, for the first time ever, film fans can stream all of the festival’s slate in the safety and comfort of their own homes.

This year’s robust lineup features plenty of familiar names and faces, including Edgar Wright, Lucy Walker, Robin Wright, Betsy West and Julie Cohen, Siân Heder, Sion Sono, Daryl Wein and Zoe Lister-Jones, Ana Katz, Kevin Macdonald, and many more. More than half the lineup is first-time filmmakers, and they range from established names like Rebecca Hall and Jerrod Carmichael to newcomers like Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr. and Carlson Young.

From the slate, we’ve selected 15 of the films we’re most excited to see at this year’s Sundance,...

Jake Macapagal is not yet a household name, but with his recent role in the upcoming film Watch List, he's poised to make a splash on the international indie film scene. Already highly respected for his work in films like Metro Manila (for which he was nominated by The British Independent Film Awards as Most Promising Newcomer for 2013), Macapagal is also a regular star of interntional theatre productions, with roles in productions like Miss Saigon, Rent, and Les Miserables. I spoke with Jake in the run up to the World Premiere of Watch List, which will be at the Seattle International Film Festival on June 7. The film tells the story of Maria, a woman who must fight to protect her family after her...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Yorgos Lamthimos’ twisted period piece “The Favourite” led all films in nominations for the British Independent Film Awards (Bifa), which were announced on Wednesday in London.

The black comedy, which stars Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz in a tale of 18th century palace intrigue in England, was nominated in 13 categories, two shy of the record set last year by “Lady Macbeth.”

Its nominations come on the heels of three nominations and one award at the Gotham Independent Film Awards, which means that the film from a Greek director has been accepted as an American independent film by one awards body and as a British indie by another.

Also Read: 'The Favourite' Film Review: Emma Stone Plays an 18th Century Eve Harrington in a Twisted Historical Farce

Bart Layton’s “American Animals” was runner-up with 11 nominations, while Michael Pearce’s “Beast” received 10 and Lynne Ramsay’s “You Were Never Really Here...

When the Cannes Film Festival unveiled its 2017 Official Selection, the lack of a single title by an Indian director marked the second year running that the biggest film industry in the world has been unrepresented in the main lineup (the last Indian movie in the Official Selection was Neeraj Ghaywan’s “Masaan” in 2015’s Un Certain Regard section).

Indian cinema has never been a complete non-entity at Cannes; ever since Chetan Anand won top honors with “Neecha Nagar” at the inaugural festival in 1946, Indian filmmakers have enjoyed some degree of exposure at Cannes, in or out of competition. In the last decade alone, screenings have included features and shorts from close to 30 Indian filmmakers, including Vikramaditya Motwani, who wowed audiences with “Udaan”; Ritesh Batra with his Grand Golden Rail-winning “The Lunchbox”; and Anurag Kashyap, whose “Ugly,” “Gangs of Wasseypur” and “Raman Raghav 2.0” all opened to applause at various Directors’ Fortnights.

My Happy FamilyDear Josh,With a festival like Sundance, where critics and distributors alike are clamoring to find the next big thing, certain types of films are bound to get lost in the shuffle. Such is the case with Ramona Diaz’s fine, unassuming documentary Motherland. Centering on the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Metro Manila, one of the busiest maternity wards in the Philippines, the film has a wealth of fascinating material. A nurse tallies the number of women and children in the ward; a young mother learns of “Kangaroo Mother Care” (widely used because of a lack of incubators); a nurse attempts to convince various mothers to use an Iud; the ward doctor drones over the Pa system in a strict, motherly tone (the way one would speak to a summer camp group). There’s a great documentary to be made here, so it's somewhat frustrating that Motherland is merely quite good.

MaryAnn’s quick take…

Familiar-feeling tale of a real-life plot to kill a high-ranking Nazi in 1942 Prague manages some suspense thrills but mostly misses the emotional ones. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Anthropoid sounds like it should be a sci-fi creature feature, but in fact it’s yet another let’s-kill-Nazis action drama. This is the true story of how a small band of British-special-ops-trained Czech patriots in exile parachuted back into German-occupied Prague in 1942 on a top-secret mission — code name: Anthropoid — to kill SS General Reinhard Heydrich, regional commander and third-highest ranking Nazi officer after Hitler and Himmler.

Anthropoid could use a lot more exploration of the emotional stress of plotting murderous sedition in a totalitarian state.

Alas, it’s a familiar-feeling tale even if you’ve never heard about this bit of...

Having heard from Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan about one of the main reasons for signing up to Anthropoid being that of director Sean Ellis’s preceding feature Metro Manila, we sat down with the filmmaker himself to discuss his move from the Filipino capital to Prague, depicting a remarkable set of events that took place amidst […]

The post Exclusive: Director Sean Ellis on Anthropoid appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Following Metro Manila, director Sean Ellis now returns with Anthropoid – based on a remarkable true story second during the Second World War. We had the pleasure of sitting down with the film’s co-stars Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan, and the pair told us that seeing the director’s preceding picture played a huge part in […]

The post Exclusive: Cillian Murphy & Jamie Dornan on Anthropoid, Dunkirk & 50 Shades Darker appeared first on HeyUGuys.

War thriller Anthropoid opens film festival in Czech Republic.

Fifty Shades Of Grey star Jamie Dornan and Us actor Willem Dafoe walked the red carpet at the opening of the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Kviff) (July 1-9) tonight.

Dornan, who was met by a legion of fans in the picturesque spa town in the Czech Republic, attended the festival with the world premiere of opening film Anthropoid alongside co-stars Toby Jones, Charlotte Le Bon and local actress Anna Geislerová as well as director Sean Ellis (Metro Manila).

The Second World War thriller stars Dornan and Cillian Murphy as Czech soldiers who plotted to assassinate senior Nazi officer Reinhard Heydrich. The film shot in Prague and Barrandov Studios.

At the opening ceremony, Dornan said: “We realise what an important story this is to Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic. We felt a huge amount of pressure to tell the story in an appropriate way and honour the men...

The day may come when we run out of true World War II stories to make movies about, but it is not this day. Like “Valkyrie” before it, “Anthropoid” dramatizes an attempt to assassinate a high-ranking Nazi — only instead of fellow Germans conspiring against Hitler, it’s exiled Czechoslovak soldiers trying to take down SS General Reinhard Heydrich, third in command of the Third Reich. Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan lead the way in Sean Ellis’ (“Metro Manila”) thriller, the first trailer for which is now available.

Read More: ‘Anthropoid’: Jamie Dornan and Cillian Murphy Prepare For War In New Images Of The Thriller

Set in Prague in 1942, “Anthropoid” follows Murphy and Dornan as they plot to kill Heydrich, one of the main architects of the Holocaust and leader of occupying Nazi forces in what was then Czechoslovakia. Toby Jones, Harry Llyod and Charlotte Le Bon all co-star.

Read...

It was just this week with the arrival of the Denial trailer that we commented it wouldn’t be awards season without a Holocaust drama. While Anthropoid is centered moreso around taking down Nazis and it arrives just before the standard award season, we’ll count it. Coming from director Sean Ellis (Metro Manila, Cashback), the first trailer has now arrived.

Led by Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan, they star as a pair of Allied soldiers who attempt to take down an SS General. Also starring Charlotte Le Bon, Anna Geislerová, Harry Lloyd, Alena Mihulová, Marcin Dorociński, Bill Milner, Sam Keeley, Jiří Simek, Mish Boyko, Václav Neuzil, Andrej Polák and Toby Jones, check out the trailer, photos, and poster below.

Anthropoid is based on the extraordinary true story of Operation Anthropoid, the World War II mission to assassinate SS General Reinhard Heydrich. The Reich’s third in command after Hitler and Himmler, Heydrich was the main architect behind the Final Solution and the leader of occupying Nazi forces in Czechoslovakia whose reign of terror prompted Allied soldiers (Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan) to hatch a top-secret mission that would change the face of Europe forever.

Anthropoid opens on August 12, 2016.

You might not know the name Sean Ellis, but you may know of his work. The director first earned some buzz with his 2006 effort “Cashback,” but it was 2013’s acclaimed thriller “Metro Manila” that truly put him on the radar. Picking up numerous honors for that film, including an Audience Award at the Sundance […]

The post The Mission Begins In First Trailer For WWII Thriller ‘Anthropoid’ Starring Cillian Murphy & Jamie Dornan appeared first on The Playlist.

"Metro Manila" and "Cashback" director Sean Ellis returns with the WW2 thriller "Anthropoid" about an undercover mission by two Czech army soldiers (Cillian Murphy, Jamie Dornan) who parachute into an occupied Prague to assassinate SS officer Reinhard Heydrich - the architect behind the infamous Nazi 'Final Solution'. Charlotte Le Bon, Harry Lloyd, Bill Milner and Toby Jones also star in the project which opens August 12th.

Fifty Shades Of Grey star to attend opening of the festival.

War drama Anthropoid, starring Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders) and Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades Of Grey), is to receive its world premiere as the opening film of the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (July 1-9).

The selection is an apt one for the festival set in the Czech spa town since the story centres on a major event in Czechoslovak history – the assassination of Nazi officer Reinhard Heydrich.

Dornan and Anthropoid director Sean Ellis (Metro Manila) will attend the opening alongside actors Charlotte Le Bon, Aňa Geislerová and Toby Jones.

The war thriller is based on the true story Operation Anthropoid, in which two Czech soldiers - played by Dornan and Murphy – were sent to assassinate the head of the SS in 1941. Heydrich was second only to Himmler and Hitler in the Third Reich’s hierarchy and main architect for the ‘Final Solution’.

“Since the film...

The Internet is still reeling over Steve Harvey's major gaffe during Sunday night's Miss Universe pageant, in which the host mistakenly announced Miss Colombia as the winner, when in fact Miss Philippines was the one who had won the coveted crown.

While Twitter exploded with memes, the two women themselves have both remained gracious throughout the awkward ordeal.

Here's what you need to know about this year's winner, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, and runner-up, Ariadna Gutierrez-Arévalo – or, as Donald Trump has crowned them, the "co-winners."

They're Both TrilingualAccording to their Miss Universe bios, Gutierrez-Arévalo, 21, was born in Colombia on Christmas...

The Internet is still reeling over Steve Harvey's major gaffe during Sunday night's Miss Universe pageant, in which the host mistakenly announced Miss Colombia as the winner, when in fact Miss Philippines was the one who had won the coveted crown. While Twitter exploded with memes, the two women themselves have both remained gracious throughout the awkward ordeal. Here's what you need to know about this year's winner, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, and runner-up, Ariadna Gutierrez-Arévalo - or, as Donald Trump has crowned them, the "co-winners."They're Both TrilingualAccording to their Miss Universe bios, Gutierrez-Arévalo, 21, was born in Colombia on...

The Internet is still reeling over Steve Harvey's major gaffe during Sunday night's Miss Universe pageant, in which the host mistakenly announced Miss Colombia as the winner, when in fact Miss Philippines was the one who had won coveted crown. While Twitter exploded with memes, the two women themselves have both remained gracious throughout the awkward ordeal. Here's what you need to know about this year's winner, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, and runner-up, Ariadna Gutierrez-Arévalo - or, as Donald Trump has crowned them, the "co-winners."They're Both TrilingualAccording to their Miss Universe bios, Gutierrez-Arévalo, 21, was born in Colombia on Christmas...

Eros International’s Aligarh, the latest film from National award-winning filmmaker Hansal Mehta, has been selected as the opening film at the 17th Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival on October 30th 2015. This pivotal film marks the first time that a Hindi film will open the festival since 1997, the inaugural year of the Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival.

Set in a small town in Uttar Pradesh from which the film takes its name, Aligarh is the story of a professor (Manoj Bajpayee) fired for his sexuality and a young journalist (Rajkummar Rao) who tells his story to the world. Based on true events, the film follows Dr. S R Siras, a professor at the Aligarh Muslim University who, when discovered to be homosexual, was fired from his position. The film depicts the unlikely friendship between Dr. Siras and a reporter investigating his first big story, a relationship that will change them both forever.

Meet some of the best directors working today, who haven't gone down the blockbuster movie route...

Ever find it a bit lame when the same big name directors get kicked around for every high profile project? Christopher Nolan, Jj Abrams, maybe the Russo Brothers? With so much focus on blockbuster films these days, getting a major franchise job seems like the main acknowledgement of success for a filmmaker. And yes, both the financial and creative rewards can be great. But there are plenty of other directors out there, doing their own thing, from art house auteurs to Dtv action specialists.

Here are 25 examples.

Lee Hardcastle

Even if you don’t know his name, you’ve probably seen Lee Hardcastle’s ultraviolent claymations shared on social media. He first started getting noticed for his two-minute remake of The Thing, starring the famous stop motion penguin Pingu. Far from just a cheap one-joke mash-up,...

The first image is up from writer/director/cinematographer Sean Ellis' ("Metro Manila," "Cashback") "Anthropoid," now filming in Czech Republic. Set in 1941, the World War II picture stars Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan and centers on the real-life assassination attempt on SS general and Holocaust engineer Reinhard Heydrich. The film follows two Czech paratroopers tasked with taking out Reinhard, known in their homeland as "The Butcher of Prague." Read More: Netflix War Drama 'Jadotville' Lines Up Macho Cast "Anthropoid" is written by Ellis and Anthony Frewin ("Colour Me Kubrick") and produced by 22h22's Leonard Glowinski, Anita Overland, Chris Curling, Krystof Mucha and David Ondricek.

Toby Jones, Harry Lloyd, Bill Milner and Alena Mihulová join Jamie Dornan, Cillian Murphy, Anna Geislerová and Charlotte Le Bon in Sean Ellis’ Second World War thriller.

Principal photography has begun in the Czech Republic on Anthropoid, a Second World War thriller starring Jamie Dornan (50 Shades Of Grey) and Cillian Murphy (Inception) from Metro Manila director Sean Ellis.

New cast members to sign up to the production include Toby Jones (Infamous), Harry Lloyd (The Theory of Everything), Bill Milner (X-Men: First Class, Son of Rambow), Alena Mihulova and Sam Keeley.

They join Dornan, Murphy, Charlotte Le Bon (Yves Saint Laurent) and Anna Geislerová (Something Like Happiness).

The film is based on the true story of two Czech soldiers - played by Dornan and Murphy - sent to assassinate the head of the SS in 1941.

SS General Reinhard Heydrich was second only to Himmler and Hitler in the Third Reich’s hierarchy and main architect for the ‘Final Solution...

Fifty Shades of Grey star joined by director Sean Ellis at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Irish star Jamie Dornan has revealed how he was “blown away” by the script to Sean Ellis’ upcoming Second World War film Anthropoid and cooly brushed off any comparisons to his role in blockbuster erotic drama Fifty Shades of Grey.

As the film prepares to shoot in Czech Republic over the coming weeks, Ells and Dornan – alongside Czech actress Anna Geislerová and producers Pete Shilaimon and David Ondříček – attended the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Kviff) (July 3-11) to discuss the film.

Dornan is joined by Cillian Murphy in the lead roles of Czech resistance fighters Jan Kubiš and Jozef Gabčík, in the story of Operation Anthropoid – the assassination of the Third Reich’s Reinhard Heydrich, which brought terrible reprisals on the Czech people but also gave new hope to the resistance against Nazi occupation.

“The first I...

Anthropoid film team (from left) Jamie Dornan, Sean Ellis and Czech actress Aňa Geislerová Details of the shoot of new film Anthropoid, featuring Fifty Shades Of Grey star Jamie Dornan as well as Cillian Murphy and Charlotte Le Bon, was unveiled to the media today (July 9) at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Directed by Sean Ellis (The Brøken, Metro Manila), Anthropoid has its roots in Czech history, dealing with the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, protector of Bohemia and Moravia during the Third Reich.

Jamie Dornan plays a Czech war hero in Anthropoid now shooting on location Photo: Film Servis Karlovy Vary Dornan and Murphy play two parachutists Jan Kubiš and Jozef Gabčík who are sent to try to save him. The incident led to an intensification of German repression as well as inspiring further resistance efforts during the Second World War. Operation Anthropoid helped to strengthen feelings of national self-confidence,...

Mickey Liddell's Ld Entertainment has boarded as a financier and producer on Sean Ellis’ Anthropoid, starring Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades Of Grey) and Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders). Also joining the previously announced cast is Charlotte Le Bon (Yves Saint Laurent). Ellis (Metro Manila) also co-wrote the script with Anthony Frewin (Colour Me Kubrick: A True…ish Story). Principal photography will begin on July 13 in Prague. The film tells the story of how the Allied…...

Exclusive: Calum Gray rejoins Celsius from Independent.

UK sales outfit Celsius Entertainment has appointed former Independent director of sales and acquisitions Calum Gray as head of sales.

Gray rejoins Thierry Wase-Bailey’s Celsius after starting out at the company as a sales co-ordinator.

Whilst at Independent Gray sold titles including Origin Pictures’ family-comedy What We Did On Our Holiday, David Mackenzie’s acclaimed prison drama Starred Up, Sundance Audience Award winner Metro Manila, and Lynne Ramsay’s Cannes competition drama We Need To Talk About Kevin.

Prior to Independent he was head of sales and acquisitions for Mercury Media, the London-based documentary specialist.

Celsius’ slate includes Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood thriller Into the Forest, Alan Cumming drama Any Day Now and comedy-romance The First Time.

National award-winning director Hansal Mehta’s movie Citylights, which narrates a heart-wrenching tale of a couple who migrates to Mumbai from a small town to fulfill their dreams, will be screened at this year’s edition of New York Indian Film Festival (Nyiff). Hansal Mehta, who was obviously thrilled with the news, said the screening dates are yet to be announced.

The acclaimed filmmaker tweeted saying “#Citylights to be screened at #Nyiff…Lovely festival run by some amazing people. Screening date and time to be announced soon (sic)”.

An adaptation of British film ‘Metro Manila’, Citylights is the story of Deepak Singh, a man who is forced to migrate to Mumbai from Rajasthan with his wife and child. He soon discovers the complexities of city life and finds himself living on the streets.

Starring Rajkummar Rao and Patralekha in the lead roles, Citylights received rave reviews when it released last year.

Jamie Dornan is still reeling from his Fifty Shades of Grey success, and he's already got another film lined up! E! News can confirm that the hunky star will star alongside Cillian Murphy in Anthropoid, a film about the 1942 assassination attempt on infamous SS officer Reinhard Heydrich. The actor is set to play a Czechoslovakian soldier who is involved in the plot in the Sean Ellis-directed film. Ellis is well-known for his work on Metro Manila. The future flick is named after the real-life Operation Anthropoid in which two Czech paratroopers attacked Heydrich's car in Prague during the Nazi occupation. And while the attack didn't kill Heydrich at the time, he did pass away several...

Irish actor Jamie Dornan, currently on the big screen in "Fifty Shades of Grey" and on Netflix's moody crime drama "The Fall," has yet another project on his busy horizon. Dornan is set to star opposite Cillian Murphy in Oscar-nominated director Sean Ellis' ("Cashback," "Metro Manila") World War II picture "Anthropoid" about the real-life assassination attempt on SS general and Holocaust engineer Reinhard Heydrich. The film follows two Czech paratroopers tasked with taking out Reinhard, known in their homeland as "The Butcher of Prague." This year, Dornan will also shoot Netflix-acquired historical drama "Jadotville" as a Un commander who fell under siege in the Congo in 1961. The film debuts on the streaming service in 2016. Dornan also has roles in two films currently in post: an untitled John Wells chef comedy and Alexandre Aja's mystery-thriller "The 9th Life of Louis Drax." And of course,...

Exclusive: Sean Ellis to direct, Cillian Murphy to co-star in assassination film.

Jamie Dornan and Cillian Murphy are to lead cast in WWII thriller Anthropoid, about the attempted assassination of prominent Nazi official Reinhard Heydrich.

The film’s title refers to the code-name for the Allied operation to assassinate Heydrich, the head of the SS who was one of the main architects of the Holocaust and was widely considered number three in the Nazi ranks behind Hitler and Himmler .

Operation Anthropoid was led by two soldiers (trained by British forces) from Czechoslovakia’s army-in-exile who were parachuted into their homeland to carry out the mission against the Nazi nicknamed “The Butcher of Prague”.

Oscar and BAFTA-nominated British filmmaker Sean Ellis (Metro Manila, Cashback) will direct from a script co-written by Ellis with Anthony Frewin (Colour Me Kubrick: A True…ish Story).

Producers are Leonard Glowinski (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) for 22h22, Anita Overland ([link...

Among the 3,200 people who made Oscar predictions at Gold Derby, three guys had top scores but weren't eligible to win the $1,000 prize because they aren't U.S. citizens, as required by our contest rules. Therefore, the sum went to Oliver Davidson, a resident of Houston, Texas, who landed in sixth place in our leaderboards. See our profile of him here. Why was Jack Mathews so sure 'Birdman' would win the Oscar for Best Picture? -Break- Two other high-ranked participants were also declared ineligible because they're part of the Gold Derby editorial team: first place Daniel Montgomery and third-ranked Riley Chow ("thedemonhog"). All six of our top-ranked players had impressive scores. See leaderboard at right or click here. How did they do it? Jeremy Parilla (screen name "Jeremy"), age 28, is a copyeditor/proofreader for Metro Manila in the Philippines. He tied Montgomery for highest rate of accuracy: 96%. The only c...'...

Directors, they are the driving force behind the movies. They take the words on the page and bring them to life on screen. They guide the actors, they work with the crew, they create the shots, they create the sound and the songs with the music directors and so much more. Every year there are some directors whose work truly stands out and we like to shine the spotlight on them. So, it’s not strictly a top ten and we have not put them in numerical order as such. Plus there are a few surprise horses, but here are the directors the BollySpice team thought shone through brightest in 2014 and a few personal reasons for why – enjoy!

Hansal Mehta (Citylights)

It was a remake of 2013’s Metro Manila, but relocated to Mumbai. It tells the timeless tale of a village worker migrating to the big city and the struggles which that bring.

Powerful messages, stunning cinematography and authentic performances – 2014 was a good year for independent (indie) cinema. Here is a list of some of our favourites which are worth catching if you missed them.

Ilai (Leaf)

Director Rajiv Reddy’s film traced the journey of a young homeless girl in India, Chennai. Ilai was a good exploration of human emotion, survival and regeneration. The performances were outstanding and natural. Profoundly, the protagonist returns to the same place that she had started off at at the beginning of the film; however, this time she sees the world with different eyes. The film highlights how experiences impact the human soul. We saw this at the London Indian Film Festival and our reviewer wrote, “At times, the cinematography will have you spell bound. Artistic shots of the sun and the streets make this film a visual treat: for instance, a particular shot of the heat...

A glittering array of talent turned out this evening for the 17th Moët British Independent Film Awards. The winners were announced at the star-studded ceremony, held at Old Billingsgate, which was hosted by The Inbetweeners star, Simon Bird.

The lucky winners took home the iconic award designed by Fredrikson Stallard and created by Swarovski as well as a personalised, Swarovski crystal encrusted magnum of Moët & Chandon.

Best British Independent Film was won by Pride. Yann Demange won Best Director for ’71, Gugu Mbatha-Raw won Best Actress for Belle and Brendan Gleeson won Best Actor for Calvary. Andrew Scott collected his award for Best Supporting Actor for Pride and Imelda Staunton took home her award for Best Supporting Actress also for her role in Pride.

Pride won the most awards on the night, picking up Best British Independent Film, Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor.

As previously announced, Emma Thompson was...

Filth, Pride and Philomena among film nominees; awards take place on Jan 19 in London.

Sandi Toksvig will present the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain annual Awards at Riba, in London, on Jan 19, 2015.

In the two film categories, Pride (Stephen Beresford), The Selfish Giant (Clio Barnard) and Starred Up (Jonathan Asser) are up for Best First Screenplay, while Filth (Jon S Baird), Metro Manila (Sean Ellis & Frank E Flowers) and Philomena (Jeff Pope & Steve Coogan) will compete for Best Screenplay.

TV programmes up for awards include Line of Duty (Jed Mercurio), Peaky Blinders (Steven Knight), The Great Train Robbery (Chris Chibnall) and House of Fools (Vic Reeves & Bob Mortimer).

A special award for outstanding contribution to writing and writers will be presented on the night.

Full shortlist

TV Drama – Long Form

Line of Duty (Jed Mercurio), Happy Valley (Sally Wainwright), Peaky Blinders (Steven Knight)

TV Drama – Short Form

The Great Train Robbery (Chris Chibnall), Turks & Caicos (David Hare), [link...

The ecosystem of Filipino film festivals can be a confusing one to outside eyes. For unlike pretty much everywhere else in the world - where festivals may commission the occasional work but overwhelmingly show films independently produced outside of the festival itself - film festivals in the Philippines are the principal driver of the local independent film scene with each of the major festivals directly funding each of the films that screens within their events. There are a handful of these events there every year but what you need to know - in the broadest possible terms - about the big three is this: Cinemalaya is most prone to skew arthouse, Metro Manila caters to the mainstream, and Cinema One favors the edgy and quirky...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

The nominations for the 17th annual Moët British Independent Film Awards were announced recently, at St Martins Lane, London by actor Jared Harris .

Joint Directors, The Moët British Independent Film Awards’ Johanna von Fischer & Tessa Collinson said: "This has been a record year for Mbifa with over 250 films submitted giving our dedicated members their toughest challenge to date. Hugely impressed by the quality of films and performances across all categories the shortlist demonstrates how the standard of creativity in British independent filmmaking continues to flourish year on year. The decision of who will walk away with one of the iconic Mbifa trophies* is now in the hands of our distinguished independent jury announced today. We are looking forward to seeing as many of the nominees as possible at the Awards on 7th December, to celebrate their incredible achievements. It will be a very personal celebration for us also, as the last in a wonderful 9 Award Ceremonies as Joint Directors of Bifa.”

The highest number of nominations this year goes to "‘71" with nine nominations including Best British Independent Film; Best Director and Debut Director for Yann Demange; Best Screenplay for Gregory Burke; Best Actor for Jack O’Connell and Best Supporting Actor for Sean Harris. "Pride" picked up seven nominations and "Catch me Daddy,""Frank," and "Mr Turner" picked up five nominations each.

Nominations for Best Actress go to Alicia Vikander for "Testament of Youth;" Cheng Pei Pei for "Lilting;" Gugu Mbatha-Raw for "Belle;" Keira Knightley for "The Imitation Game" and Sameena Jabeen Ahmed for "Catch Me Daddy." Leading men hoping to take home the Best Actor award include Asa Butterfield for "X+Y;" Benedict Cumberbatch for "The Imitation Game"; Brendan Gleeson for "Calvary"; Jack O’Connell for "’71" and Timothy Spall for "Mr Turner."

Best Supporting Actor nominations go to Andrew Scott and Ben Schnetzer, both for "Pride;" Michael Fassbender for "Frank;" Rafe Spall for "X+Y" and Sean Harris for"’71."

Dorothy Atkinson for "Mr Turner;" Imelda Staunton for "Pride;" Maggie Gyllenhaal for "Frank;" Sally Hawkins for "X+Y"and Sienna Guillory for "The Goob" are all nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Award.

Directors who have delivered dynamic debuts this year and are fighting for the Douglas Hickox Award are Daniel Wolfe and Matthew Wolfe for "Catch Me Daddy;" Hong Khaou for "Lilting;" Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard for "20,000 Days on Earth;" Morgan Matthews for "X+Y" and Yann Demange for "’71."

The Raindance Award nominees for 2014 include: "Flim: The Movie;" "Gregor;" "Luna;" "Keeping Rosy"and "The Beat Beneath My Feet." This award honours exceptional achievement for filmmakers working against the odds, often with little or no industry support. Elliot Grove, Founder of Raindance Film Festival and Moët British Independent Film Awards added: "The breadth and quality of the British films selected this year suggests a bumper year for British films. Raindance congratulates all the talented filmmakers whose wonderful films make up this year's Mbifa nominations.”

The Pre-Selection Committee of over 70 members viewed a record breaking 250 plus films this year, out of which they selected the nominations, which were decided by ballot.

The winners of The Moët British Independent Film Awards are decided by an independent jury comprised of leading professionals and talent from the British film industry.

It was also announced that the Oscar® and BAFTA - winning Director Tom Hopper, whose film "The King’s Speech" picked up five awards, including Best British Independent Film at the 2010 Moët British Independent Film Awards, will chair the Jury who will decide the winners of the 2014 awards.

Hooper commented: "I am honoured to preside over the Moët Bifa jury this year. It has been an extremely strong year for filmmaking here in Britain and I am looking forward to helping the very best of this year's independent films, get the recognition they deserve."

The Jury for 2014 includes: Jury Chair – Tom Hooper (Director), Jonathan Romney (Writer, Director), Jon S. Baird (Writer, Director), Luke Treadaway (Actor), Mary Burke (Producer), Sean Ellis (Writer, Director), Shira Macleod (Film Programming Consultant), Stanley Tucci (Actor, Director), Thea Sharrock (Director), Tinge Krishnan (Director) Tracy O’Riordan (Producer) and Zawe Ashton (Actor, Director).

Elsa Corbineau, Marketing Director Moët & Chandon, commented: “The pool of talents recognized by the Moët British Independent Film Awards has continuously inspired us with the richness it represents. With Moët & Chandon being the champagne of choice for celebration at international film festivals and award ceremonies, we are delighted to toast to the success of all nominees, including those for the ‘Best British Independent Film’ award sponsored by Moët & Chandon.”

The winners will be announced at the much anticipated 17th awards ceremony on Sunday 7 December at the impressive Old Billingsgate in London.

The Moët British Independent Film Awards is proud to announce the following nominees for this year’s awards:

Best British Independent Film

Sponsored by Moët & Chandon

"'71"

"Calvary"

"Mr Turner"

"Pride"

"The Imitation Game"

Best Director

Sponsored by AllCity & Intermission

John Michael McDonagh – "Calvary"

Lenny Abrahamson – "Frank"

Matthew Warchus – "Pride"

Mike Leigh – "Mr Turner"

Yann Demange – "'71"

The Douglas Hickox Award [Best Debut Director]

Sponsored by 3 Mills Studios

Daniel Wolfe, Matthew Wolfe – "Catch Me Daddy"

Hong Khaou – "Lilting"

Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard – "20,000 Days on Earth"

Morgan Matthews – "X+Y"

Yann Demange – "'71"

Best Screenplay

Sponsored by BBC Films

Graham Moore – "The Imitation Game"

Gregory Burke – "'71"

John Michael McDonagh – "Calvary"

Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan – "Frank"

Stephen Beresford – "Pride"

Best Actress

Sponsored by M.A.C Cosmetics

Alicia Vikander – "Testament of Youth"

Cheng Pei Pei – "Lilting"

Gugu Mbatha-Raw – "Belle"

Keira Knightley – "The Imitation Game"

Sameena Jabeen Ahmed – "Catch Me Daddy"

Best Actor

Sponsored by Movado

Asa Butterfield – "X+Y"

Benedict Cumberbatch – "The Imitation Game"

Brendan Gleeson – "Calvary"

Jack O'Connell – "'71"

Timothy Spall – "Mr Turner"

Best Supporting Actress

Dorothy Atkinson – "Mr Turner"

Imelda Staunton – "Pride"

Maggie Gyllenhaal – "Frank"

Sally Hawkins –"X+Y"

Sienna Guillory – "The Goob"

Best Supporting Actor

Sponsored by St Martins Lane

Andrew Scott – "Pride"

Ben Schnetzer – "Pride"

Michael Fassbender – "Frank"

Rafe Spall – "X+Y"

Sean Harris – "‘71"

Most Promising Newcomer

Ben Schnetzer – "Pride"

Cara Delevingne – "The Face of An Angel"

Gugu Mbatha-Raw – "Belle"

Liam Walpole – "The Goob"

Sameena Jabeen Ahmed – "Catch Me Daddy"

Best Achievement In Production

"'71"

"20,000 Days on Earth"

"Catch Me Daddy"

"Lilting"

"The Goob"

Best Technical Achievement

Chris Wyatt - Editing - "'71"

Dick Pope - Cinematography -"Mr Turner"

Robbie Ryan - Cinematography - "Catch Me Daddy"

Stephen Rennicks - Music – "Frank"

Tat Radcliffe - Cinematography - "'71"

Best DocumentarY

"20,000 Days on Earth"

"Next Goal Wins"

"Night Will Fall"

"The Possibilities Are Endless"

"Virunga"

Best British Short

"Crocodile"

"Emotional Fusebox"

"Keeping Up With The Joneses"

"Slap"

"The Kármán Line"

Best International Independent Film

"Blue Ruin"

"Boyhood"

"Fruitvale Station"

"Ida"

"The Badadook"

The Raindance Award

"Flim: The Movie..".

"Gregor"

"Luna"

"Keeping Rosy"

"The Beat Beneath My Feet"

The Richard Harris Award (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film)

To Be Announced

The Variety Award

To Be Announced

The Special Jury Prize

Announced at the Moët British Independent Film Awards on Sunday 7th December

Now in its 17th year, the Awards were created by Raindance in 1998 and set out to celebrate merit and achievement in independently funded British filmmaking, to honour new talent, and to promote British films and filmmaking to a wider public.

Previous winners of the prestigious Best British Independent Film Award include "Metro Manila," "Tyrannosaur," "The King's Speech," "Moon," "Control," "Slumdog Millionaire," "The Constant Gardener" and "This is England"

Proud supporters and patrons of The Moët British Independent Film Awards include Mike Figgis, Tom Hollander, Adrian Lester, Ken Loach, Ewan McGregor, Helen Mirren, Samantha Morton, James Nesbitt, Michael Sheen, Trudie Styler, Tilda Swinton, Meera Syal, David Thewlis, Ray Winstone and Michael Winterbottom.

The Moët British Independent Film Awards would like to thank all its supporters, especially: Moët & Chandon, 3 Mills Studios, BBC Films, M.A.C Cosmetics, Movado, Raindance, St Martins Lane, Soho House, Swarovski, Variety, AllCity, Intermission.

The British Independent Film Awards announced its nominees this Monday morning and it was good news for films that may not have the muscle to break into the Academy Awards contest. The Irish political thriller “’71” and “Pride,” the story of gay activism and mineworker strikes that fits snuggly the time-honored British sociopolitical dramedy genre, earned the most nominations. In honors that will likely replicate themselves stateside, “Imitation Game” also earned a Best British Independent Film nod, with stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley finding love in the Best Actor and Actress categories, respectively. Other Best British Independent Film nominees include Mike Leigh’s “Mr. Turner” and John Michael McDonagh’s “Calvary.” Picking up multiple nominations were Lenny Abrahamson’s “Frank,” documentarian Morgan Matthews’ narrative debut “X+Y,” and the Nick Cave documentary “20,000 Days on Earth.” There’s little conformity to the British Independent Film Awards. Compared to previous years, the 2014 nominations are downright populist.

‘Metro Manila‘ is the story of a good man in a bad world. All elements in the movie seems to stem from that core principle and the only question left for the story to answer is if a good man can remain good when all odds are piled against him. And, except for the unconditional love of a family, I really mean all odds. Right off the bat, Oscar Ramirez (Jake Macapagal), an ex-military turned farmer, is forced by the severe rural economic crisis to sell all his few belongings and start anew with his family in the fascinating and colorful chaos of Manila, a gritty and chaotic megalopolis where dreams seems to be forged. Unfortunately, as soon he will discover, the city specializes in bad dreams. The relentless, unmerciful, dog-eat-dog pulse of the streets beats the hope out of the Ramirez family bit by bit, bite by bite, until...

Metro Manila

Written by Sean Ellis & Frank E. Flowers

Directed by Sean Ellis

UK/Philipines, 2013

Manila has the highest population density on the planet. Per square mile there are 111,002 people; by comparison my home of Chicago is only 11,868. While many economists look at the Phillipines as an marketon the rise, the disparity in wealth is the worst in Asia, with the richest families accounting for over 50% of the country’s total family income while the poorest account for less than 5%. In Manila, the rich live in gated communities while the poor live in slums, squatting on abandoned government-owned land. It’s important to know these facts when approaching Sean Ellis’ Metro Manila, because the city plays such a large role in determining the destiny of its characters.

Oscar Ramirez (Jake Macapagal) and his wife Mai (Althea Vega) are rice farmers who decide moving to the city will yield better opportunities...

A Better Life: Ellis’ Latest a Masterful Drama of Sacrifice

British director Sean Ellis brings us to the Philippines with his third feature film, Metro Manila, a bleak and often harrowing portrait of a family’s struggle to build a better life for themselves. Ellis first made headlines for his 2006 debut, romantic comedy Cashback, followed by the international led cast of his oblique 2008 horror film, The Broken, and his latest only proves he’s a filmmaker of varying and styles and techniques. Ellis, also serving as cinematographer for the first time, brings us a grim exercise set in the urban underbelly of Manila and it is as desperately moving as it is unpredictable.

When the price of rice drops significantly, poverty stricken Oscar Ramirez (Jake Macapagal) and wife Mia (Althea Vega) decide to move with their two children to Manila to see if they might have better luck in the urban metropolis.

This is a reprint of our review from the 2013 Fantasia Film Festival. If you're not into niche genre stuff like indie slasher films, Asian action flicks and ridiculously over-the-top monster movies then it's likely that you haven't even heard of the Fantasia Film Festival. For close to three full weeks this international festival descends upon the city of Montreal like a tidal wave of cinematic weirdness. The titles alone speak a thousand words: "Big Ass Spider!," "Zombie Hunter," "Curse of Chucky," "Drug War" etc. So when a movie like Sean Ellis' "Metro Manila" parachutes its way into the program, it almost feels like taking the first breaths of oxygen after a plastic bag's been lifted. Maybe it's the festival widening its range to include the sub-genres of drama, or it could be that they've succumbed to the temptation of premiering the 2013 Sundance Audience Award winner in Canada. Whatever the reason is,...

Bollywood’s famous Bhatt camp has made hugely successful remakes of Hollywood films (Ghulam, Murder and Raaz, to name a few) but have not always been generous in giving credit to the original source. However, they have made a clean break with past tradition in their latest offering CityLights. The fact that the film is a remake of the British thriller Metro Manila is mentioned right in the opening credits at least half a dozen times. And it’s a welcome irony that this fully credited desi copy of a much acclaimed original is one of the most authentic products from the Bhatt camp in a long time.

CityLights, produced by Mukesh Bhatt and directed by Hansal Mehta (Shahid), is a novel and refreshing take on crime in the maximum city that eschews many clichés in favor of a moving, original human drama.

The film’s central character is Deepak Singh...