GLAAD released the 12th installment of its Studio Responsibility Index, a study that tracks the “quantity, quality and diversity” of LGBTQ characters in films released in a calendar year by 10 Hollywood distributors. The report found that most of the companies received low grades and overall representation ticked down just slightly.
To compile the data, GLAAD investigated 256 films released in 2023 by A24, Amazon, Apple TV+, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures Entertainment, the Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Discovery (including subsidiary distribution labels and streaming services). The organization found 70 films out of 256 contained an LGBTQ character (or 27.3 percent), a decrease from last year’s record high of 100 out of 350 films (or 28.5 percent). The 70 films featured a total of 170 LGBTQ characters, a decrease of 122 from last year, and of those 170, 78 represented characters of color, an increase of 6 percent.
The report called it “a welcome uptick” and cited such films as Rustin,...
To compile the data, GLAAD investigated 256 films released in 2023 by A24, Amazon, Apple TV+, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures Entertainment, the Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Discovery (including subsidiary distribution labels and streaming services). The organization found 70 films out of 256 contained an LGBTQ character (or 27.3 percent), a decrease from last year’s record high of 100 out of 350 films (or 28.5 percent). The 70 films featured a total of 170 LGBTQ characters, a decrease of 122 from last year, and of those 170, 78 represented characters of color, an increase of 6 percent.
The report called it “a welcome uptick” and cited such films as Rustin,...
- 9/17/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Another screen project about Iran’s Royal Family is in the works.
“Queen Cleopatra” director Tina Gharavi is set to co-direct a new drama series titled “The Shah, The Spy, The Madman” alongside Iranian-American series creator Shahriar William Raee.
The project, produced by Caspian Pictures, is envisioned as a returning series and aims to bring the story of Iran’s last emperor, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to the screen.
“The Shah, The Spy, The Madman” is set to go into pre-production in late 2024, with the pilot and first season ready to go. Casting is in the works.
The first season will focus on the U.S.’s covert plot to overthrow Pahlavi in the early 1950s as operatives oust his Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh and install a pliable young King in order to thwart the Soviet Union. Two more seasons are also planned.
“This series requires filmmakers experienced in telling stories...
“Queen Cleopatra” director Tina Gharavi is set to co-direct a new drama series titled “The Shah, The Spy, The Madman” alongside Iranian-American series creator Shahriar William Raee.
The project, produced by Caspian Pictures, is envisioned as a returning series and aims to bring the story of Iran’s last emperor, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to the screen.
“The Shah, The Spy, The Madman” is set to go into pre-production in late 2024, with the pilot and first season ready to go. Casting is in the works.
The first season will focus on the U.S.’s covert plot to overthrow Pahlavi in the early 1950s as operatives oust his Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh and install a pliable young King in order to thwart the Soviet Union. Two more seasons are also planned.
“This series requires filmmakers experienced in telling stories...
- 6/25/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Mar 22-24)Total gross to dateWeek 1. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Sony) £4.1m £4.1m 1 2. Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros) £2.6m £30.7m 4 3. Immaculate (Black Bear) £491,000 £522,000 1 4. Wicked Little Letters (Studiocanal) £373,413 £8.2m 5 5. Migration (Universal) £370,415 £19.5m 8
Sony’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire topped the UK-Ireland box office with a £4.1m opening weekend, ending the three-week run of Dune: Part Two atop the chart.
Opening in 687 sites, Frozen Empire took a £5,904 location average. Its opening was up 7.7% on the £3.8m start of 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the first in a reboot of the franchise in 2021, with that film taking a £5,721 location average.
It is also...
Sony’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire topped the UK-Ireland box office with a £4.1m opening weekend, ending the three-week run of Dune: Part Two atop the chart.
Opening in 687 sites, Frozen Empire took a £5,904 location average. Its opening was up 7.7% on the £3.8m start of 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the first in a reboot of the franchise in 2021, with that film taking a £5,721 location average.
It is also...
- 3/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
Spooky titles lead the new openers at the UK and Ireland box office this weekend with Sony’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire unleashing into 687 cinemas.
The fifth addition to the ghoul-hunting franchise is slightly up from its predecessor Ghostbusters: Afterlife which opened in 670 locations in 2021. That film had an opening weekend of £3.7m and ended shy of £12m. It also has more locations than Paul Feig’s female reboot which debuted in 581 sites in 2016 before making £4.4m in its opening weekend.
The first Ghostbusters made an impressive £12.4m at the box office back in 1984 while Ghostbusters II scored £8.3m in 1989.
Gil Kenan...
The fifth addition to the ghoul-hunting franchise is slightly up from its predecessor Ghostbusters: Afterlife which opened in 670 locations in 2021. That film had an opening weekend of £3.7m and ended shy of £12m. It also has more locations than Paul Feig’s female reboot which debuted in 581 sites in 2016 before making £4.4m in its opening weekend.
The first Ghostbusters made an impressive £12.4m at the box office back in 1984 while Ghostbusters II scored £8.3m in 1989.
Gil Kenan...
- 3/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part II” continued its sway atop the U.K. and Ireland box office for a third consecutive weekend with £4 million ($5.1 million), according to numbers from Comscore.
Denis Villeneuve’s anticipated sequel has an all-star cast including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling and Javier Bardem reprising their roles from the first film, with Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken and Léa Seydoux joining them. The film’s total now stands at £26.2 million in the territory.
In second place, in its fourth weekend, Studiocanal’s “Wicked Little Letters” collected £589,610 for a total of £7.3 million. In third position, in its seventh weekend, Universal’s “Migration” earned £574,434 for a total of £19 million.
In fourth place, in its fifth weekend, Paramount’s “Bob Marley: One Love” sang its way to another £509,149 for a total of £16 million. Rounding off the top five was Lionsgate’s...
Denis Villeneuve’s anticipated sequel has an all-star cast including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling and Javier Bardem reprising their roles from the first film, with Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken and Léa Seydoux joining them. The film’s total now stands at £26.2 million in the territory.
In second place, in its fourth weekend, Studiocanal’s “Wicked Little Letters” collected £589,610 for a total of £7.3 million. In third position, in its seventh weekend, Universal’s “Migration” earned £574,434 for a total of £19 million.
In fourth place, in its fifth weekend, Paramount’s “Bob Marley: One Love” sang its way to another £509,149 for a total of £16 million. Rounding off the top five was Lionsgate’s...
- 3/20/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
A narrative trifurcated across decades and generations, Fawzia Mizra’s “The Queen of My Dreams” follows a young Pakistani Canadian coming to terms with her upbringing. It hits all the familiar beats of a first-generation South Asian story and, despite its novel queer bent and tongue-in-cheek casting, it does little to separate itself, thematically or stylistically, from a now repetitive form of “third culture” storytelling.
The sound of a slide projector yanks the film’s opening images into place, as though it were a slideshow of family memories. The year is 1999. The place is Toronto. Azra is a wannabe actress — a profession of which her mother disapproves. She lives with her white, female “roommate” (her parents are none the wiser), to whom she excitedly shows the 1969 Hindi classic “Aradhana” starring Sharmila Tagore. “The Queen of My Dreams” is an English translation of the title of that movie’s most famous song,...
The sound of a slide projector yanks the film’s opening images into place, as though it were a slideshow of family memories. The year is 1999. The place is Toronto. Azra is a wannabe actress — a profession of which her mother disapproves. She lives with her white, female “roommate” (her parents are none the wiser), to whom she excitedly shows the 1969 Hindi classic “Aradhana” starring Sharmila Tagore. “The Queen of My Dreams” is an English translation of the title of that movie’s most famous song,...
- 3/10/2024
- by Siddhant Adlakha
- Variety Film + TV
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best Original Score Killers of the Flower Moon Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone Credit: AppleTV+
Weekly Commentary: It’s Ludwig Göransson taking home another Oscar for “Oppenheimer,” following his first win for “Black Panther.”
Next.
Will Win: “Oppenheimer” (Ludwig Göransson)
Could Win: “Killers of the Flower Moon...
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best Original Score Killers of the Flower Moon Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone Credit: AppleTV+
Weekly Commentary: It’s Ludwig Göransson taking home another Oscar for “Oppenheimer,” following his first win for “Black Panther.”
Next.
Will Win: “Oppenheimer” (Ludwig Göransson)
Could Win: “Killers of the Flower Moon...
- 3/7/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Noora Niasari was editing “Shayda” when the world changed — again — for Iranians.
It was September 2022, and Mahsa Amini had just died in police custody, igniting the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Iran. Halfway around the world, Iranian-born filmmaker Niasari struggled to concentrate on completing her film, which she hoped would offer a portrait of female defiance very much in line with the burgeoning movement. She would finish the film that fall and dedicate it to “my mother and the brave women of Iran.”
Since its Sundance 2023 premiere (where it won an audience award and was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics), it has screened at roughly 50 festivals and earned a DGA Award nomination. Last year, Australia picked it as its Best International Feature Film submission.
Set in 1995 during the lead-up to the Persian New Year, “Shayda” marks Niasari’s feature debut. She previously directed a string of shorts films that,...
It was September 2022, and Mahsa Amini had just died in police custody, igniting the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Iran. Halfway around the world, Iranian-born filmmaker Niasari struggled to concentrate on completing her film, which she hoped would offer a portrait of female defiance very much in line with the burgeoning movement. She would finish the film that fall and dedicate it to “my mother and the brave women of Iran.”
Since its Sundance 2023 premiere (where it won an audience award and was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics), it has screened at roughly 50 festivals and earned a DGA Award nomination. Last year, Australia picked it as its Best International Feature Film submission.
Set in 1995 during the lead-up to the Persian New Year, “Shayda” marks Niasari’s feature debut. She previously directed a string of shorts films that,...
- 2/28/2024
- by Soheil Rezayazdi
- Indiewire
“Copa 71,” the Serena Williams-produced documentary that aims to shed light on the 1971 controversially unsanctioned Women’s World Cup, will have its New York premiere at the 14th annual Athena Film Festival, which will return on Feb. 29 and run through March 3.
The festival, hosted by Columbia University’s Barnard College, will feature a lineup of film screenings, conversations and other programming poised at “amplifying women’s leadership through storytelling around women’s sports, Indigenous perspectives, reproductive justice, disability representation and more,” according to the statement.
The Lily Gladstone-starring “Fancy Dance,” directed by Native American Director Erica Tremblay, will make up one of the films screened in the narrative features collection. “The Persian Version,” a film about an Iranian American family brought together by illness and shocked by the revelation of a family secret, “Animalia,” which follows a woman in Morocco who finds her life upended because of a supernatural event and “Dancing Queen,...
The festival, hosted by Columbia University’s Barnard College, will feature a lineup of film screenings, conversations and other programming poised at “amplifying women’s leadership through storytelling around women’s sports, Indigenous perspectives, reproductive justice, disability representation and more,” according to the statement.
The Lily Gladstone-starring “Fancy Dance,” directed by Native American Director Erica Tremblay, will make up one of the films screened in the narrative features collection. “The Persian Version,” a film about an Iranian American family brought together by illness and shocked by the revelation of a family secret, “Animalia,” which follows a woman in Morocco who finds her life upended because of a supernatural event and “Dancing Queen,...
- 1/31/2024
- by Diego Ramos Bechara
- Variety Film + TV
Prime Video has launched the trailer for the Zac Efron-led comedy from Peter Farrelly, ‘Ricky Stanicky.’
When three childhood best friends pull a prank gone wrong, they invent the imaginary Ricky Stanicky to get them out of trouble! Twenty years after creating this ‘friend,’ Dean, Jt, and Wes still use the nonexistent Ricky as a handy alibi for their immature behaviour. When their spouses and partners get suspicious and demand to finally meet the fabled Mr. Stanicky, the guilty trio decides to hire a washed-up actor and raunchy celebrity impersonator “Rock Hard” Rod (John Cena) to bring him to life. But when Rod takes his role of a lifetime too far, they begin to wish they’d never invented Ricky in the first place. From director Peter Farrelly and featuring additional cast members including William H. Macy, Lex Scott Davis, and Anja Savcic.
The film marks Director Peter Farrelly...
When three childhood best friends pull a prank gone wrong, they invent the imaginary Ricky Stanicky to get them out of trouble! Twenty years after creating this ‘friend,’ Dean, Jt, and Wes still use the nonexistent Ricky as a handy alibi for their immature behaviour. When their spouses and partners get suspicious and demand to finally meet the fabled Mr. Stanicky, the guilty trio decides to hire a washed-up actor and raunchy celebrity impersonator “Rock Hard” Rod (John Cena) to bring him to life. But when Rod takes his role of a lifetime too far, they begin to wish they’d never invented Ricky in the first place. From director Peter Farrelly and featuring additional cast members including William H. Macy, Lex Scott Davis, and Anja Savcic.
The film marks Director Peter Farrelly...
- 1/29/2024
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
This year, Sundance saw big deals go down for “A Real Pain”, “It’s What’s Inside”, “Presence” (Neon), and “My Old Ass” as well as smaller acquisitions for “Kneecap” (Sony Pictures Classics), “Ghostlight” (IFC Films), and “Ibelin”(Netflix).
It’s not the same bull market as the old days, but we’ll take it. And while streamers made their presence felt with the two largest acquisitions to date, it’s clear that for most of these films theatrical will be part of their lifecycles. But is that a smart move?
Based on last year’s results, the answer is: Could be. Domestic box office from all Sundance 2023 films was the best for any year since Covid. At around $100 million, it quadrupled the take from 2022 Festival titles (around $25 million). All told, about two thirds of the 2023 films have some sort of domestic distribution, including streaming outlets. Of these, about a dozen films have yet to open.
It’s not the same bull market as the old days, but we’ll take it. And while streamers made their presence felt with the two largest acquisitions to date, it’s clear that for most of these films theatrical will be part of their lifecycles. But is that a smart move?
Based on last year’s results, the answer is: Could be. Domestic box office from all Sundance 2023 films was the best for any year since Covid. At around $100 million, it quadrupled the take from 2022 Festival titles (around $25 million). All told, about two thirds of the 2023 films have some sort of domestic distribution, including streaming outlets. Of these, about a dozen films have yet to open.
- 1/27/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival awards ceremony revealed winners Friday honoring the best of this year’s lineup in Park City.
The U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury prize went to Alessandra Lacorazza’s In the Summers, about two sisters who navigate their loving but volatile father during their yearly summer visits to his home in Las Cruces, Nm. Lacorazza also won a special jury prize for directing.
See the full list of winners below.
Other Grand Jury winners unveiled today in the ceremony at the Ray Theatre included Porcelain War in the U.S. Documentary competition, A New Kind of Wilderness in the World Cinema Documentary competition, and Sujo in the World Cinema Dramatic competition.
Angela Patton and Natalie Rae’s documentary Daughters received the Festival Favorite Award, which Park City audiences select across all new feature films presented at the festival, as well as the Audience Award for the U.
The U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury prize went to Alessandra Lacorazza’s In the Summers, about two sisters who navigate their loving but volatile father during their yearly summer visits to his home in Las Cruces, Nm. Lacorazza also won a special jury prize for directing.
See the full list of winners below.
Other Grand Jury winners unveiled today in the ceremony at the Ray Theatre included Porcelain War in the U.S. Documentary competition, A New Kind of Wilderness in the World Cinema Documentary competition, and Sujo in the World Cinema Dramatic competition.
Angela Patton and Natalie Rae’s documentary Daughters received the Festival Favorite Award, which Park City audiences select across all new feature films presented at the festival, as well as the Audience Award for the U.
- 1/26/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro and Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival winners are in, with films like “In the Summers,” “Didi,” and “Daughters” dominating across the categories. “In the Summers” filmmaker Alessandra Lacorazza, whose film centers on a fractured family in New Mexico, also won the Directing prize in U.S. Dramatic.
On Friday, January 26, the winners of juried prizes were shared out of the competition sections, including the U.S. Dramatic Competition, U.S. Documentary Competition, World Cinema Dramatic Competition, World Cinema Documentary Competition, and the Next lineup.
The 2024 Sundance jury consisted of 16 filmmakers and artists across all sections, with the U.S. Dramatic Competition jury made up of “Winter’s Bone” director/co-writer Debra Granik, “Shortcomings” screenwriter Adrian Tomine, and “Master of None” producer Lena Waithe.
“Navalny” producer Shane Boris, “The Disappearance of Shere Hite” director Nicole Newnham, and “The Sentence” director Rudy Valdez serve on the U.S. Documentary Competition jury, with “The Babadook” director Jennifer Kent,...
On Friday, January 26, the winners of juried prizes were shared out of the competition sections, including the U.S. Dramatic Competition, U.S. Documentary Competition, World Cinema Dramatic Competition, World Cinema Documentary Competition, and the Next lineup.
The 2024 Sundance jury consisted of 16 filmmakers and artists across all sections, with the U.S. Dramatic Competition jury made up of “Winter’s Bone” director/co-writer Debra Granik, “Shortcomings” screenwriter Adrian Tomine, and “Master of None” producer Lena Waithe.
“Navalny” producer Shane Boris, “The Disappearance of Shere Hite” director Nicole Newnham, and “The Sentence” director Rudy Valdez serve on the U.S. Documentary Competition jury, with “The Babadook” director Jennifer Kent,...
- 1/26/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson and Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Prime Video has debuted the trailer for the adrenaline-fueled reimagining of the 80s cult classic, ‘Road House.’
Ex-UFC fighter Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal) takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems.
Directed by Doug Liman, the cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnussen, Jessica Williams, Joaquim de Almeida, Conor McGregor, Lukas Gage, Arturo Castro, B.K. Cannon, Beau Knapp, Darren Barnet, Dominique Columbus, Bob Menery, Catfish Jean, Kevin Carroll, Travis Van Winkle, Hannah Lanier.
Also in trailers – Trailer drops for comedy ‘The Persian Version’
The movie hits the streamer on March 21st.
The post Jake Gyllenhaal stars in trailer for the reimagining of ‘Road House’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.
Ex-UFC fighter Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal) takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems.
Directed by Doug Liman, the cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnussen, Jessica Williams, Joaquim de Almeida, Conor McGregor, Lukas Gage, Arturo Castro, B.K. Cannon, Beau Knapp, Darren Barnet, Dominique Columbus, Bob Menery, Catfish Jean, Kevin Carroll, Travis Van Winkle, Hannah Lanier.
Also in trailers – Trailer drops for comedy ‘The Persian Version’
The movie hits the streamer on March 21st.
The post Jake Gyllenhaal stars in trailer for the reimagining of ‘Road House’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.
- 1/25/2024
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Sony Pictures has debuted the trailer for the upcoming comedy ‘The Persian Version,’ which won both the Audience Award and the Best Screenplay Award at this years Sundance Film Festival.
Coming from two countries at odds with each other, Iranian-American Leila (Layla Mohammadi) strives to find balance and embrace her opposing cultures, while boldly challenging the labels society is so quick to project upon her. When her family reunites in New York City for her father’s heart transplant, Leila navigates her relationships from arms length to keep her “real” life separate from her family life. However, when her secret is unceremoniously revealed, so are the distinct parallels between her life and that of her mother Shireen (Niousha Noor).
The story delivers an honest portrayal of a woman who remains unapologetically herself, blended seamlessly into a heartfelt story about family, belonging, and the undeniable influence of pop music.
Written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz,...
Coming from two countries at odds with each other, Iranian-American Leila (Layla Mohammadi) strives to find balance and embrace her opposing cultures, while boldly challenging the labels society is so quick to project upon her. When her family reunites in New York City for her father’s heart transplant, Leila navigates her relationships from arms length to keep her “real” life separate from her family life. However, when her secret is unceremoniously revealed, so are the distinct parallels between her life and that of her mother Shireen (Niousha Noor).
The story delivers an honest portrayal of a woman who remains unapologetically herself, blended seamlessly into a heartfelt story about family, belonging, and the undeniable influence of pop music.
Written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz,...
- 1/24/2024
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The 40th edition of Sundance Film Festival kicks off today, and notably, queer and Himalaya-themed films take over the Asian/Asian diaspora slate of the mountain festival. In previous years, Sundance has been a frontier for Asian diaspora films. Last year alone saw a full slate of Asian diaspora films, with “Past Lives” (Celine Song), “Shortcomings” (Randall Park), “The Persian Version” (Maryam Keshavarz), and more, among others – there are considerably less Asian American films in the primary competition. This year, in the US Dramatic Competition, only one film, “Didi (弟弟)” by Sean Wang stands out amid the crowd.
Films about the Himalayas have taken center-stage in the World Cinema Competitions, however, with three titles this year: “Girls will be Girls” (Shuchi Talati), “Agent of Happiness” (Arun Bhattarai), and “Nocturnes” (Anirban Dutta). Queer Asian diaspora cinema is front and center this year as well, with “Layla” (Amrou Al-Khadi) and “Desire Lines...
Films about the Himalayas have taken center-stage in the World Cinema Competitions, however, with three titles this year: “Girls will be Girls” (Shuchi Talati), “Agent of Happiness” (Arun Bhattarai), and “Nocturnes” (Anirban Dutta). Queer Asian diaspora cinema is front and center this year as well, with “Layla” (Amrou Al-Khadi) and “Desire Lines...
- 1/20/2024
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
Not many directors would choose an apocalyptic sci-fi romance spanning several filmmaking disciplines for their feature debut, but Sam and Andy Zuchero wouldn’t have it any other way when it comes to “Love Me.” The film, which will have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this week, stars Oscar-nominated duo Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun as a buoy and a satellite falling in love a billion years after humans have gone extinct.
Speaking exclusively to Variety, the married filmmaking team say they first thought of the idea for “Love Me” back in 2019, and shortly after the global pandemic had them ruminating on themes of isolation and human connection.
“We thought that the idea of a buoy and a satellite, the two furthest things from each other, having a conversation was really funny,” Sam says when asked about the seeds of the project. “Then we read Ray Kurzweil...
Speaking exclusively to Variety, the married filmmaking team say they first thought of the idea for “Love Me” back in 2019, and shortly after the global pandemic had them ruminating on themes of isolation and human connection.
“We thought that the idea of a buoy and a satellite, the two furthest things from each other, having a conversation was really funny,” Sam says when asked about the seeds of the project. “Then we read Ray Kurzweil...
- 1/19/2024
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety Film + TV
Lots of celebs stepped out to attend the National Board of Review’s 2024 Awards Gala and we have all the red carpet photos!
Anne Hathaway, Zac Efron, Teyana Taylor, Bradley Cooper, and Jessica Chastain were just some of the stars who walked the carpet for the event on Thursday (January 11) at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.
All of the award winners were announced in advance, with Killers of the Flower Moon taking home the most awards with three wins, including Best Film, Best Director for Martin Scorsese, and Best Actress for Lily Gladstone.
NBC News’ Willie Geist hosted the gala and we gathered all the celeb attendees, plus the winners list.
Head inside to see everything…
Check out the winners list below…
Best Film: Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Actor: Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Best Actress: Lily Gladstone,...
Anne Hathaway, Zac Efron, Teyana Taylor, Bradley Cooper, and Jessica Chastain were just some of the stars who walked the carpet for the event on Thursday (January 11) at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.
All of the award winners were announced in advance, with Killers of the Flower Moon taking home the most awards with three wins, including Best Film, Best Director for Martin Scorsese, and Best Actress for Lily Gladstone.
NBC News’ Willie Geist hosted the gala and we gathered all the celeb attendees, plus the winners list.
Head inside to see everything…
Check out the winners list below…
Best Film: Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Actor: Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Best Actress: Lily Gladstone,...
- 1/12/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Considering the recent success of films like “Minari”, “Everything Everywhere All At Once”, and “Past Lives” the necessity for such a list became dire, even though film critics and programmers around the world are still fighting about the genuine origin of the movies that are Asian-themed, but are either produced by companies from countries outside Asia, or by individuals of Asian descent. In that fashion, we also decided to include co-productions where the non-Asian element is quite intense either in terms of production or crew. The +1 is obviously there due to the particular director, although the film is Hollywood in every other aspect.
Without further ado, here are the best Asian Diaspora Movies of 2023, in reverse order, and, as always, with a focus on diversity in style, directors, and country of origin. Some films may have premiered in 2023, but since they mostly circulated in 2023, we decided to include them. When...
Without further ado, here are the best Asian Diaspora Movies of 2023, in reverse order, and, as always, with a focus on diversity in style, directors, and country of origin. Some films may have premiered in 2023, but since they mostly circulated in 2023, we decided to include them. When...
- 1/8/2024
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
The rise of quality in the entries of this list becomes evident every year, with movies from countries such as Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jordan finding a number of way outs through festivals and streamers, winning awards all over. Of course, Iran still heads the region, as its biggest movie industry, but the biggest surprise this year came from Sri Lanka, which produced three films of true quality.
Without further ado, here are the best West-Central Asian (rest of Asia one could say) films of 2023, in random order. Some films may have premiered in 2022, but since they mostly circulated in 2023, we decided to include them.
20. Under the Sky of Damascus by Heba Khaled, Talal Derki, Ali Wajeeh (Syria)
“Under the Sky of Damascus” is a great documentary, a testament to the quality and the impact of the medium, and a movie that truly deserved the International Competition Golden...
Without further ado, here are the best West-Central Asian (rest of Asia one could say) films of 2023, in random order. Some films may have premiered in 2022, but since they mostly circulated in 2023, we decided to include them.
20. Under the Sky of Damascus by Heba Khaled, Talal Derki, Ali Wajeeh (Syria)
“Under the Sky of Damascus” is a great documentary, a testament to the quality and the impact of the medium, and a movie that truly deserved the International Competition Golden...
- 1/4/2024
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
Director Martin Scorsese and Lily Gladstone on the set of ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ (Photo Courtesy of Apple TV+)
The National Board of Review selected Killers of the Flower Moon, based on the bestselling book by David Grann, as the Best Film of 2023. NBR also recognized the drama with the Best Director (Martin Scorsese) and Best Actress (Lily Gladstone) awards.
“Killers of the Flower Moon is a stunning masterpiece from one of our greatest filmmakers, Martin Scorsese. The NBR is proud to award this complex, important, and deeply resonant epic as our Best Film and Scorsese as our Best Director,” stated NBR President Annie Schulhof. “We are also thrilled to honor Bradley Cooper with the NBR Icon Award – an equally impressive actor, writer, producer, and director, who brings his passion, artistry, and dedication to everything he does, including his latest beautifully sublime film, Maestro.”
NBR’s annual Best Of...
The National Board of Review selected Killers of the Flower Moon, based on the bestselling book by David Grann, as the Best Film of 2023. NBR also recognized the drama with the Best Director (Martin Scorsese) and Best Actress (Lily Gladstone) awards.
“Killers of the Flower Moon is a stunning masterpiece from one of our greatest filmmakers, Martin Scorsese. The NBR is proud to award this complex, important, and deeply resonant epic as our Best Film and Scorsese as our Best Director,” stated NBR President Annie Schulhof. “We are also thrilled to honor Bradley Cooper with the NBR Icon Award – an equally impressive actor, writer, producer, and director, who brings his passion, artistry, and dedication to everything he does, including his latest beautifully sublime film, Maestro.”
NBR’s annual Best Of...
- 12/6/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
The National Board of Review is announcing their picks for the best of the best in film!
The organization revealed their choices on Wednesday (December 6).
The winner of NBR’s best film has typically gone on to receive an Oscar nomination for best picture, with only a few exceptions, so awards watchers often look to their picks to indicate what might be winning big during awards season.
NBR’s most recent best film selections include Her, Mad Max: Fury Road and Top Gun: Maverick.
The non-profit organization includes film enthusiasts from New York City as well as critics, academics and consumer members.
The honorees will be celebrated at the NBR Awards Gala, hosted by Willie Geist on January 11 at Cipriani 42nd Street, in New York City.
Keep reading to find out more…
2023 National Board of Review Winners
Best Film: “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)
Best...
The organization revealed their choices on Wednesday (December 6).
The winner of NBR’s best film has typically gone on to receive an Oscar nomination for best picture, with only a few exceptions, so awards watchers often look to their picks to indicate what might be winning big during awards season.
NBR’s most recent best film selections include Her, Mad Max: Fury Road and Top Gun: Maverick.
The non-profit organization includes film enthusiasts from New York City as well as critics, academics and consumer members.
The honorees will be celebrated at the NBR Awards Gala, hosted by Willie Geist on January 11 at Cipriani 42nd Street, in New York City.
Keep reading to find out more…
2023 National Board of Review Winners
Best Film: “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)
Best...
- 12/6/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
The National Board of Review gave its stamp of approval to Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” on Wednesday, bestowing the American epic with four awards including Best Film, Best Director for Scorsese, Best Actress for Lily Gladstone, and Best Cinematography for Rodrigo Prieto (who was also cited for his work on “Barbie”).
“‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is a stunning masterpiece from one of our greatest filmmakers, Martin Scorsese. The NBR is proud to award this complex, important, and deeply resonant epic as our Best Film and Scorsese as our Best Director,” said NBR President Annie Schulhof.
What is the National Board of Review? The group helpfully provided its own origin story in a press release announcing this year’s crop of winners. “Established in 1909, the NBR recognizes excellence in filmmaking. This year, 245 films were viewed by a select group of film enthusiasts, filmmakers, professionals, academics, and students,...
“‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is a stunning masterpiece from one of our greatest filmmakers, Martin Scorsese. The NBR is proud to award this complex, important, and deeply resonant epic as our Best Film and Scorsese as our Best Director,” said NBR President Annie Schulhof.
What is the National Board of Review? The group helpfully provided its own origin story in a press release announcing this year’s crop of winners. “Established in 1909, the NBR recognizes excellence in filmmaking. This year, 245 films were viewed by a select group of film enthusiasts, filmmakers, professionals, academics, and students,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
The National Board of Review has unveiled its 2023 award winners, led by Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, which picked up Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress for Lily Gladstone, and Best Cinematography, which Rodrigo Prieto also received for Barbie. (Read our interview with him here). Elsewhere, Paul Giamatti, Mark Ruffalo, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Teyana Taylor picked up acting nods, while Anatomy of a Fall received Best International Film and Still was awarded Best Documentary.
See the full list of winners below ahead of their awards gala on January 11, 2024.
Best Film
Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Director
Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Actor
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Best Actress
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Supporting Actor
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
Best Supporting Actress
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
NBR Icon Award
Bradley Cooper
Best Original Screenplay
David Hemingson, The...
See the full list of winners below ahead of their awards gala on January 11, 2024.
Best Film
Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Director
Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Actor
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Best Actress
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Supporting Actor
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
Best Supporting Actress
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
NBR Icon Award
Bradley Cooper
Best Original Screenplay
David Hemingson, The...
- 12/6/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Bradley Cooper to receive NBR Icon Award.
Killers Of The Flower Moon’s awards season continues to gather pace in the US as it was named best film, Martin Scorsese best director, and Lily Gladstone best actress in National Board of Review’s (NBR) list of annual honourees on Wednesday.
The film and Gladstone were named best film and lead actress by New York Film Critics Circle last week, and the feature was awarded the Icon & Creator Tribute at the Gothams.
Paul Giamatti was named NBR’s best actor for The Holdovers, with fellow cast member Da’Vine Joy Randolph earning best supporting actress,...
Killers Of The Flower Moon’s awards season continues to gather pace in the US as it was named best film, Martin Scorsese best director, and Lily Gladstone best actress in National Board of Review’s (NBR) list of annual honourees on Wednesday.
The film and Gladstone were named best film and lead actress by New York Film Critics Circle last week, and the feature was awarded the Icon & Creator Tribute at the Gothams.
Paul Giamatti was named NBR’s best actor for The Holdovers, with fellow cast member Da’Vine Joy Randolph earning best supporting actress,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The National Board of Review has unveiled its 2023 winners list, with Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” leading the top awards.
Actress Lily Gladstone and director Scorsese were both recognized for their respective work on the period piece, which co-stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. “Killers of the Flower Moon” received Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actress wins.
In addition to the core sweep of “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Paul Giamatti won Best Actor for “The Holdovers,” along with co-star Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who was recognized for Best Supporting Actress. “Poor Things” star Mark Ruffalo won Best Supporting Actor, and “Maestro” writer/director/producer/actor Bradley Cooper was announced to win the NBR Icon Award.
“‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is a stunning masterpiece from one of our greatest filmmakers, Martin Scorsese. The NBR is proud to award this complex, important, and deeply resonant epic...
Actress Lily Gladstone and director Scorsese were both recognized for their respective work on the period piece, which co-stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. “Killers of the Flower Moon” received Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actress wins.
In addition to the core sweep of “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Paul Giamatti won Best Actor for “The Holdovers,” along with co-star Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who was recognized for Best Supporting Actress. “Poor Things” star Mark Ruffalo won Best Supporting Actor, and “Maestro” writer/director/producer/actor Bradley Cooper was announced to win the NBR Icon Award.
“‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is a stunning masterpiece from one of our greatest filmmakers, Martin Scorsese. The NBR is proud to award this complex, important, and deeply resonant epic...
- 12/6/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The National Board of Review has revealed its picks for the top films and performances of 2023.
Killers of the Flower Moon was named best film, the second high-profile honor for the Martin Scorsese-directed movie within the past week after it was also named best film of the year by the New York Film Critics Circle.
The film about the Osage Murders also won best director (Scorsese) and best actress (Lily Gladstone).
And its cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto won best cinematography for his work on both Killers and Barbie, which was named one of the top films of the year.
The Holdovers also won three awards: best actor (Paul Giamatti) and supporting actress (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), original screenplay (David Hemingson) and was named one of the best films of the year.
Poor Things received two awards: best supporting actor (Mark Ruffalo) and adapted screenplay (Tony McNamara) and was named one of...
Killers of the Flower Moon was named best film, the second high-profile honor for the Martin Scorsese-directed movie within the past week after it was also named best film of the year by the New York Film Critics Circle.
The film about the Osage Murders also won best director (Scorsese) and best actress (Lily Gladstone).
And its cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto won best cinematography for his work on both Killers and Barbie, which was named one of the top films of the year.
The Holdovers also won three awards: best actor (Paul Giamatti) and supporting actress (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), original screenplay (David Hemingson) and was named one of the best films of the year.
Poor Things received two awards: best supporting actor (Mark Ruffalo) and adapted screenplay (Tony McNamara) and was named one of...
- 12/6/2023
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Martin Scorsese’s Western historical epic Killers of the Flower Moon on Wednesday was named Best Film by the National Board of Review, the second major awards honor for the Apple Original Films pic this week after it also won the top prize from the New York Film Critics Circle.
Scorsese was also picked as NBR’s Best Director, while Lily Gladstone repeated her Nyfccc feat by being named Best Actress. She stars in the pic as Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman who was married to white settler Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) in the true story about the Reign of Terror in 1920s Oklahoma. Robert De Niro also stars in the script written by Scorsese and Eric Roth based on David Grann’s bestseller.
Flower Moon‘s got four wins today including for Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography; he was cited for his work both for Scorsese and as Dp on Barbie.
Scorsese was also picked as NBR’s Best Director, while Lily Gladstone repeated her Nyfccc feat by being named Best Actress. She stars in the pic as Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman who was married to white settler Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) in the true story about the Reign of Terror in 1920s Oklahoma. Robert De Niro also stars in the script written by Scorsese and Eric Roth based on David Grann’s bestseller.
Flower Moon‘s got four wins today including for Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography; he was cited for his work both for Scorsese and as Dp on Barbie.
- 12/6/2023
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
“As an Iranian-American actor, we don’t get a lot of scripts centering on the Iranian-American experience,” explains Niousha Noor about what immediately appealed to her about the screenplay of “The Persian Version.” The performer says the film – written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz — shines “a good light on Iranians, just as we know our families, our mothers, and all the sacrifices they made… I just loved the fact that it was a family drama, or dramedy, and didn’t have to do with the the typical things we’re used to when we hear ‘Iran’.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
Noor plays Shireen in the film, the mother of the protagonist Leila (Layla Mohammadi), whose life story of challenges and triumphs plays out as Leila learns about a “scandal” from her mother’s past. The actress spoke with Keshavarz’s “inspiring” mother, on whom Shireen is based, and...
Noor plays Shireen in the film, the mother of the protagonist Leila (Layla Mohammadi), whose life story of challenges and triumphs plays out as Leila learns about a “scandal” from her mother’s past. The actress spoke with Keshavarz’s “inspiring” mother, on whom Shireen is based, and...
- 11/29/2023
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Bookmark this page for the latest updates in the territory.
Screen is listing the 2024 release dates for films in the UK and Ireland in the calendar below.
For distributors who wish to add/amend a date on the calendar, please get in touch with Screen here. Screen is also running a calendar for festival and market dates throughout 2024 here.
January
January 5
Priscilla (Mubi), One Life (Warner Bros), Scala! (BFI), Night Swim (Universal), Blank (Sparky)
January 6
Nabucco - Met Opera 23/24 (Trafalgar)
January 12
Poor Things (Disney), The Boys In The Boat (Warner Bros), Freaks Vs The Reich (Miracle/Dazzler), The Beekeeper (Studiocanal...
Screen is listing the 2024 release dates for films in the UK and Ireland in the calendar below.
For distributors who wish to add/amend a date on the calendar, please get in touch with Screen here. Screen is also running a calendar for festival and market dates throughout 2024 here.
January
January 5
Priscilla (Mubi), One Life (Warner Bros), Scala! (BFI), Night Swim (Universal), Blank (Sparky)
January 6
Nabucco - Met Opera 23/24 (Trafalgar)
January 12
Poor Things (Disney), The Boys In The Boat (Warner Bros), Freaks Vs The Reich (Miracle/Dazzler), The Beekeeper (Studiocanal...
- 11/21/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Silver Lining Entertainment has signed Niousha Noor, the star of Maryam Keshavarz’s multiple prize-winning Sundance dramedy The Persian Version, for representation.
Currently in theaters via Sony Pictures Classics and Stage 6 Films, The Persian Version centers on Leila (Layla Mohammadi), an aspiring Iranian American filmmaker who reunites with her family in New York City amidst her father’s heart transplant, coming into conflict with her mother when a personal secret is revealed. Drawing strong reviews out of Sundance 2023, where it laid claim to the fest’s Audience Award and Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, the film has Noor portraying Leila’s conservative mother, Shireen.
Noor can also currently be seen starring alongside Giancarlo Esposito, Rufus Sewell, Paz Vega, Jai Courtney and more in Kaleidoscope, Netflix’s heist show from creator Eric Garcia, which premiered in January. She was seen prior to that in IFC Midnight’s horror thriller The Night,...
Currently in theaters via Sony Pictures Classics and Stage 6 Films, The Persian Version centers on Leila (Layla Mohammadi), an aspiring Iranian American filmmaker who reunites with her family in New York City amidst her father’s heart transplant, coming into conflict with her mother when a personal secret is revealed. Drawing strong reviews out of Sundance 2023, where it laid claim to the fest’s Audience Award and Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, the film has Noor portraying Leila’s conservative mother, Shireen.
Noor can also currently be seen starring alongside Giancarlo Esposito, Rufus Sewell, Paz Vega, Jai Courtney and more in Kaleidoscope, Netflix’s heist show from creator Eric Garcia, which premiered in January. She was seen prior to that in IFC Midnight’s horror thriller The Night,...
- 11/14/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Layla Mohammadi as Leila, Niousha Noor as Shirin in The Persian Version. Photo credit: Yiget Eken. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
Growing up with a foot in two cultures can be a tricky experience, so why not turn it into a comedy? The Persian Version is writer/director Maryam Keshavars’ semi-autobiographical comedy/family drama with a heart, that sets out to do just that. The Persian Version is more irreverently, laugh-out-loud funny than you might expect, but it also contains a moving story about the director’s mother, which almost could have made an epic drama on its own.
The main character in The Persian Version, Leila (Layla Mohammadi), describes herself as too American for Iran and too Iranian for America. American-born but growing up in a very Iranian immigrant family of all boys, with her as the sole daughter, Leila was the disrupter of expectations from the start. Leila...
Growing up with a foot in two cultures can be a tricky experience, so why not turn it into a comedy? The Persian Version is writer/director Maryam Keshavars’ semi-autobiographical comedy/family drama with a heart, that sets out to do just that. The Persian Version is more irreverently, laugh-out-loud funny than you might expect, but it also contains a moving story about the director’s mother, which almost could have made an epic drama on its own.
The main character in The Persian Version, Leila (Layla Mohammadi), describes herself as too American for Iran and too Iranian for America. American-born but growing up in a very Iranian immigrant family of all boys, with her as the sole daughter, Leila was the disrupter of expectations from the start. Leila...
- 11/3/2023
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers from Focus Features pulled in an estimated $200k on six screens in New York and LA for a per-screen average of $33.3k, a good limited opening on an upbeat specialty weekend that also saw A24’s Priscilla by Sofia Coppola off to a fine start.
We’re in anomalous times with the ongoing actors strike. The Holdovers will benefit in expansion if the work stoppage ends. Priscilla less since it has a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement — although a rising tide lifts all boats.
SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP are working, with both sides taking “a deep dive” into the issues in an attempt to end the 100+-day strike. The guild was awaiting a response from studios to its latest proposal.
One distributor noted that weekend festivities for Halloween (which falls on Tuesday) can pinch the weekend specialty box office a bit, especially Saturday.
The Holdovers, which premiered at Telluride,...
We’re in anomalous times with the ongoing actors strike. The Holdovers will benefit in expansion if the work stoppage ends. Priscilla less since it has a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement — although a rising tide lifts all boats.
SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP are working, with both sides taking “a deep dive” into the issues in an attempt to end the 100+-day strike. The guild was awaiting a response from studios to its latest proposal.
One distributor noted that weekend festivities for Halloween (which falls on Tuesday) can pinch the weekend specialty box office a bit, especially Saturday.
The Holdovers, which premiered at Telluride,...
- 10/29/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
In Maryam Keshavarz’s Sundance Audience Award winner The Persian Version, the choices, traumas and joys of multiple Iranian and Iranian American women are traced through a single bloodline.
For the writer-director, the project is a deeply personal one, charting the emotional truth of her own experiences and that of her family while straddling life in America and Iran during periods of intense Islamophobia and anti-Iranian sentiment as well as restrictions on cultural and women’s rights.
The film is told primarily through the perspective of Leila (Layla Mohammadi), a young, queer Iranian-American woman and filmmaker who discovers she’s pregnant after one unexpected night with a man. It’s a shocker in more ways than one, particularly for her mother, Shireen (Niousha Noor), who — along with remaining emotionally distant from her daughter — has harbored queerphobic feelings about Leila’s romantic relationships with women.
When Leila’s father lands in the hospital,...
For the writer-director, the project is a deeply personal one, charting the emotional truth of her own experiences and that of her family while straddling life in America and Iran during periods of intense Islamophobia and anti-Iranian sentiment as well as restrictions on cultural and women’s rights.
The film is told primarily through the perspective of Leila (Layla Mohammadi), a young, queer Iranian-American woman and filmmaker who discovers she’s pregnant after one unexpected night with a man. It’s a shocker in more ways than one, particularly for her mother, Shireen (Niousha Noor), who — along with remaining emotionally distant from her daughter — has harbored queerphobic feelings about Leila’s romantic relationships with women.
When Leila’s father lands in the hospital,...
- 10/26/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tokyo’s International Film Festival returned this evening for its first completely unrestricted, post-covid-19 edition with a well-attended screening of Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days.
Fresh from an appearance at Thierry Frémaux’s Lumière Film Festival in Lyon, Wenders, who is also the head of the competition jury at Tokyo this year, was in attendance and introduced the pic alongside most of his cast, including leading man Koji Yakusho. Yakusho won the best actor award at Cannes for his performance in the pic.
During a comedic opening speech, Wenders told the audience inside Tokyo’s Takarazuka Theatre that he had long dreamt of completing a feature shot entirely in Japan, with Yakusho as the lead actor, and a premiere screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival. However, Wenders said there was one milestone he never thought the film would achieve.
“I didn’t dare dream that it was going to be...
Fresh from an appearance at Thierry Frémaux’s Lumière Film Festival in Lyon, Wenders, who is also the head of the competition jury at Tokyo this year, was in attendance and introduced the pic alongside most of his cast, including leading man Koji Yakusho. Yakusho won the best actor award at Cannes for his performance in the pic.
During a comedic opening speech, Wenders told the audience inside Tokyo’s Takarazuka Theatre that he had long dreamt of completing a feature shot entirely in Japan, with Yakusho as the lead actor, and a premiere screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival. However, Wenders said there was one milestone he never thought the film would achieve.
“I didn’t dare dream that it was going to be...
- 10/23/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
A trio of Indian films led by Leo: Bloody Sweet, at no. 8, and two Fathom events bulked up the specialty box office this weekend as The Persian Version debuted, Anatomy Of A Fall entered week two and Dicks: The Musical expanded nationwide.
Prathyangira Cinemas opened Tamil-language thriller Leo: Bloody Sweet in 720 locations to a hefty weekend debut of $2.14 million and a domestic cume through Sunday of $4.68 million, according to Comscore. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the film, with prints in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu, did huge numbers this week in Toronto, Seattle, Dallas, Austin, San Francisco, New York and Montreal. It’s the latest Indian film since Jawan last month to leap Stateside. Jawan, by Atlee Kumar and starring Shah Rukh Kahn (Srk) opened Sept. 8 on 800 screens to a $6.2 million weekend and $7.56 total.
Fans have been looking forward to the pairing of Kanagaraj and star Thalapathy Vijay in a film that...
Prathyangira Cinemas opened Tamil-language thriller Leo: Bloody Sweet in 720 locations to a hefty weekend debut of $2.14 million and a domestic cume through Sunday of $4.68 million, according to Comscore. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the film, with prints in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu, did huge numbers this week in Toronto, Seattle, Dallas, Austin, San Francisco, New York and Montreal. It’s the latest Indian film since Jawan last month to leap Stateside. Jawan, by Atlee Kumar and starring Shah Rukh Kahn (Srk) opened Sept. 8 on 800 screens to a $6.2 million weekend and $7.56 total.
Fans have been looking forward to the pairing of Kanagaraj and star Thalapathy Vijay in a film that...
- 10/22/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Taylor Swift retained her box office title with a second weekend at number-one, as Martin Scorsese‘s “Killers of the Flower Moon” didn’t pose as big a threat as some may have expected. Read on for the weekend box office report.
Although Scorsese’s first movie in four years was met with a lot of excitement, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” continued to bring in business even with a large second weekend drop from its opening. In its second weekend it has made an estimated $31 million in 3,855 theaters, down 67% while bringing its domestic total to $129.8 million after reopening on Thursday.
Apple (via Paramount Pictures) released Martin Scorsese‘s three-and-a-half-hour true-crime drama “Killers of the Flower Moon,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone, into 3,628 theaters months after it first debuted to acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival in May. With a certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes,...
Although Scorsese’s first movie in four years was met with a lot of excitement, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” continued to bring in business even with a large second weekend drop from its opening. In its second weekend it has made an estimated $31 million in 3,855 theaters, down 67% while bringing its domestic total to $129.8 million after reopening on Thursday.
Apple (via Paramount Pictures) released Martin Scorsese‘s three-and-a-half-hour true-crime drama “Killers of the Flower Moon,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone, into 3,628 theaters months after it first debuted to acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival in May. With a certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes,...
- 10/22/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
Editors note: This review was originally published after its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. It hits theaters Friday via Sony Pictures Classics.
The Persian Version, directed and written by Maryam Keshavarz, stars Layla Mohammadi and Niousha Noor as a mother and daughter at odds with one another.
The Persian Version starts with Lelia (Mohammadi) at a costume party in a self-made Burkini. This is where she meets Maximillian (Tom Byrne), a Broadway actor-singer dressed as Hedwig, and they have sex. When she wakes up the next morning, she starts with voice-over about her Persian upbringing, and Iran’s relationship with the United States. She details how she grew up in Brooklyn, but her parents are from Iran, and the country forbid everything with American influence, thought on her childhood trips back to the country, she smuggled Cyndi Lauper cassettes (cut to a young Lelia dancing with her mother...
The Persian Version, directed and written by Maryam Keshavarz, stars Layla Mohammadi and Niousha Noor as a mother and daughter at odds with one another.
The Persian Version starts with Lelia (Mohammadi) at a costume party in a self-made Burkini. This is where she meets Maximillian (Tom Byrne), a Broadway actor-singer dressed as Hedwig, and they have sex. When she wakes up the next morning, she starts with voice-over about her Persian upbringing, and Iran’s relationship with the United States. She details how she grew up in Brooklyn, but her parents are from Iran, and the country forbid everything with American influence, thought on her childhood trips back to the country, she smuggled Cyndi Lauper cassettes (cut to a young Lelia dancing with her mother...
- 10/20/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
“The Persian Version,” in line with “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and “Moonstruck,” sets out to capture the conflicting cultures of being a first-generation American, especially through the perspective of a coming-of-age story. And while the Sundance Award-winning film has a certain early 2000s charm to it, it tries to do too much too fast in terms of educating audiences about Iranian politics through the personal history of rising matriarch (yet current angsty outsider) Leila (Layla Mohammadi).
The “sort of” true story opens with Leila donning a burqa over a bikini (a “burq-ini”), hooking up with a “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” Broadway performer (Tom Byrne), and breaking the fourth wall to explain just how complicated her life as a queer Iranian-American woman is. It’s the kind of “Fleabag” commentary that feels too trendy and too convenient for a film with this amount of tonal shifts, zinging between Leila...
The “sort of” true story opens with Leila donning a burqa over a bikini (a “burq-ini”), hooking up with a “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” Broadway performer (Tom Byrne), and breaking the fourth wall to explain just how complicated her life as a queer Iranian-American woman is. It’s the kind of “Fleabag” commentary that feels too trendy and too convenient for a film with this amount of tonal shifts, zinging between Leila...
- 10/19/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Filmmaker Martin Scorsese returns to theaters just in time to take on Taylor Swift in the second weekend of her record-setting “The Eras Tour” concert movie. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.
“Killers of the Flower Moon” is Scorsese’s first movie since “The Irishman” in 2019, which ultimately ended up on Netflix. Adapted from David Grann‘s 2017 true-crime novel, it’s about a group of unscrupulous white men in the 1920s trying to rob the Osage Nation of Oklahoma out of their oil money.
“Killers” reunites Scorsese with two of the actors with whom he’s collaborated the most, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, though this is only the second time they star in one of his movies together.
See Grab the popcorn and sound off in our movie forums
De Niro’s relationship with Scorsese goes back 50 years to “Mean Streets,” but one of their...
“Killers of the Flower Moon” is Scorsese’s first movie since “The Irishman” in 2019, which ultimately ended up on Netflix. Adapted from David Grann‘s 2017 true-crime novel, it’s about a group of unscrupulous white men in the 1920s trying to rob the Osage Nation of Oklahoma out of their oil money.
“Killers” reunites Scorsese with two of the actors with whom he’s collaborated the most, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, though this is only the second time they star in one of his movies together.
See Grab the popcorn and sound off in our movie forums
De Niro’s relationship with Scorsese goes back 50 years to “Mean Streets,” but one of their...
- 10/18/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
Jason Blum is weighing in on the “Antihero” versus “The Exorcist.”
The mega-producer behind Blumhouse films’ “The Exorcist: Believer” told Entertainment Weekly that despite the “amazing” opportunity to open the new franchise installment on Friday, October 13, he eventually “bowed” to Taylor Swift after she announced the surprise “Eras Tour” concert documentary for the same date.
“We had this amazing Friday the 13th in October, which is the single best day to release a scary movie,” Blum said. “Obviously, we moved off that [date] and we bowed our head to Taylor Swift.”
Blum originally tweeted, “Look what you made me do,” citing a Swift lyric, about moving “The Exorcist: Believer” to October 6, one week ahead of schedule. Blum further campaigned for an #ExorSwift double feature in the vein of “Barbenheimer.”
Now, Blum said, “It was too risky to see if ‘Exorswift’ was going to take or not. People will still have the Exorswift opportunity,...
The mega-producer behind Blumhouse films’ “The Exorcist: Believer” told Entertainment Weekly that despite the “amazing” opportunity to open the new franchise installment on Friday, October 13, he eventually “bowed” to Taylor Swift after she announced the surprise “Eras Tour” concert documentary for the same date.
“We had this amazing Friday the 13th in October, which is the single best day to release a scary movie,” Blum said. “Obviously, we moved off that [date] and we bowed our head to Taylor Swift.”
Blum originally tweeted, “Look what you made me do,” citing a Swift lyric, about moving “The Exorcist: Believer” to October 6, one week ahead of schedule. Blum further campaigned for an #ExorSwift double feature in the vein of “Barbenheimer.”
Now, Blum said, “It was too risky to see if ‘Exorswift’ was going to take or not. People will still have the Exorswift opportunity,...
- 9/28/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Tokyo International Film Festival undertook a series of bold changes in 2020 to enhance its international reach, including a location change and major shakeups across staffing and programming. For the global film community, however, much of the overhaul went unfelt due to the travel restrictions of the pandemic. The Tokyo festival’s chairman, Hiroyasu Ando, emphasized at a press conference in the Japanese capital Wednesday that the event “aims to take a bigger leap” this year with its upcoming 36th edition, making good on its ambitions for a transformation.
“We’re really focussing on international interaction,” Ando said, noting that the festival would welcome some 600 overseas guests this year, including filmmakers, jury members and industry professionals, a major uptick from the 104 international industry VIPs who attended in 2022.
The Tokyo International Film Festival will open Oct. 23 with a gala screening of acclaimed German auteur Wim Wenders’ Tokyo-set drama Perfect Days, which...
“We’re really focussing on international interaction,” Ando said, noting that the festival would welcome some 600 overseas guests this year, including filmmakers, jury members and industry professionals, a major uptick from the 104 international industry VIPs who attended in 2022.
The Tokyo International Film Festival will open Oct. 23 with a gala screening of acclaimed German auteur Wim Wenders’ Tokyo-set drama Perfect Days, which...
- 9/27/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The full lineup has been unveiled for the festival’s 36th edition.
The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) today revealed the lineup for its 36th edition, including 20 world premieres across its two competition strands.
The festival, set to run October 23 to November 1, will feature 15 titles in its main Competition section led by Japan and China, which each have three films in the selection.
Scroll down for full list
From China are crime drama A Long Shot from debut feature director Gao Peng; Snow Leopard by late Tibetan filmmaker Pema Tseden, which premiered at Venice; and Dwelling By The West Lake by Gu Xiaogang,...
The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) today revealed the lineup for its 36th edition, including 20 world premieres across its two competition strands.
The festival, set to run October 23 to November 1, will feature 15 titles in its main Competition section led by Japan and China, which each have three films in the selection.
Scroll down for full list
From China are crime drama A Long Shot from debut feature director Gao Peng; Snow Leopard by late Tibetan filmmaker Pema Tseden, which premiered at Venice; and Dwelling By The West Lake by Gu Xiaogang,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
The Virginia Film Festival has announced the lineup for its 36th year, which will take place in Charlottesville from Oct. 25-29. Netflix’s Maestro — written, produced and directed by and starring Bradley Cooper as legendary composer Leonard Bernstein — will be the festival’s opening night film. Makeup effects artist Kazu Hiro, a two-time Academy Award winner for Bombshell and Darkest Hour, will receive the Vaff Craft Award at the screening.
The festival’s centerpiece film will be Focus Features’ The Holdovers, directed by Alexander Payne and starring Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and newcomer Dominic Sessa. Giamatti stars as a curmudgeonly teacher at a New England prep school who forms an unexpected bond with one of his unruly students (Sessa) during Christmas break. The film’s Academy Award-winning producer Mark Johnson (Rain Man), also the Vaff’s advisory board chair, will appear for a post-screening discussion.
Netflix’s American Symphony,...
The festival’s centerpiece film will be Focus Features’ The Holdovers, directed by Alexander Payne and starring Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and newcomer Dominic Sessa. Giamatti stars as a curmudgeonly teacher at a New England prep school who forms an unexpected bond with one of his unruly students (Sessa) during Christmas break. The film’s Academy Award-winning producer Mark Johnson (Rain Man), also the Vaff’s advisory board chair, will appear for a post-screening discussion.
Netflix’s American Symphony,...
- 9/26/2023
- by Tyler Coates
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The North American box office has been a challenge to track the past couple of years, first with movie theaters shuttering along with almost everything else due to the Covid pandemic, and then in 2023, just when thing were returning to normal, a pair of Hollywood strikes has further complicated studios’ release-date strategies.
Still, as of last weekend of August, the 2023 domestic box office is already past $6.6 billion in grosses, up 25% over the same frame a year ago, and there are still busy festival and holiday seasons to help boost awareness — and attendance.
Check out 2023’s latest U.S release date schedule for the major and specialty studios below and keep checking back for the latest updates.
September Friday, September 1
The Equalizer 3
Sony Pictures (Wide)
The Good Mother
Vertical Entertainment (Moderate)
Cheta Singh
Seven Colors America (Limited)
Don’t Look Away
Level 33 (Limited)
Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia
Gkids...
Still, as of last weekend of August, the 2023 domestic box office is already past $6.6 billion in grosses, up 25% over the same frame a year ago, and there are still busy festival and holiday seasons to help boost awareness — and attendance.
Check out 2023’s latest U.S release date schedule for the major and specialty studios below and keep checking back for the latest updates.
September Friday, September 1
The Equalizer 3
Sony Pictures (Wide)
The Good Mother
Vertical Entertainment (Moderate)
Cheta Singh
Seven Colors America (Limited)
Don’t Look Away
Level 33 (Limited)
Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia
Gkids...
- 8/28/2023
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
“The Persian Version” captures the split between two worlds in a coming-of-age drama, complete with dance numbers and top pop hits.
The film, written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz, debuted at 2023 Sundance, where it won the U.S. Dramatic Competition Audience Award and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.
Layla Mohammadi stars as an Iran-American woman who tries to find balance in her opposing cultures. Yet things become more complicated with her family travels from Iran to New York City and her family and friends collide.
Per the official synopsis, when her family reunites in New York City for her father’s heart transplant, Leila navigates her relationships from arm’s length in an effort to keep her “real” life separate from her family life. However, when her secret is unceremoniously revealed, so are the distinct parallels between her life and that of her mother Shireen (Niousha Noor).
The film also stars Kamand Shafieisabet,...
The film, written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz, debuted at 2023 Sundance, where it won the U.S. Dramatic Competition Audience Award and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.
Layla Mohammadi stars as an Iran-American woman who tries to find balance in her opposing cultures. Yet things become more complicated with her family travels from Iran to New York City and her family and friends collide.
Per the official synopsis, when her family reunites in New York City for her father’s heart transplant, Leila navigates her relationships from arm’s length in an effort to keep her “real” life separate from her family life. However, when her secret is unceremoniously revealed, so are the distinct parallels between her life and that of her mother Shireen (Niousha Noor).
The film also stars Kamand Shafieisabet,...
- 8/15/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
"We were the All-American family." Sony Pictures Classics has revealed the full official trailer for the indie comedy The Persian Version, made by Iranian-American filmmaker Maryam Keshavarz. Winning both the Audience Award and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, writer / director / producer Maryam Keshavarz delivers a universal and timely story of the Iranian and the Iranian-American experience. When a large Iranian-American family gathers, a family secret is uncovered that catapults the estranged mother and daughter into an exploration of the past, and to discover they are more alike than they know. The film stars Layla Mohammadi, Niousha Noor, Bella Warda, Kamand Shafieisabet, Bijan Daneshmand, Chiara Stella, and Shervin Alenabi. This earned rave reviews at the festival, and also played at the Munich Film Festival. Set for release starting in October this fall. This is a super spunky, upbeat trailer with some great footage.
- 8/15/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Even though there’s a lot of questions surrounding which films are arriving this fall, due to the ongoing WGA and SAG strikes, at least there are bright spots like “The Persian Version” to look forward to.
As seen in the new trailer for “The Persian Version,” the film follows the story of a young woman trying to find balance in her life as both an American and Iranian. This balance is threatened when her family reunites due to a family emergency, as the young woman tries to keep her “real” life separate from her family life.
Continue reading ‘The Persian Version’ Trailer: Maryam Keshavarz’s Sundance Hit Arrives In Theaters This October at The Playlist.
As seen in the new trailer for “The Persian Version,” the film follows the story of a young woman trying to find balance in her life as both an American and Iranian. This balance is threatened when her family reunites due to a family emergency, as the young woman tries to keep her “real” life separate from her family life.
Continue reading ‘The Persian Version’ Trailer: Maryam Keshavarz’s Sundance Hit Arrives In Theaters This October at The Playlist.
- 8/15/2023
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Sundance Institute has laid off nearly a dozen staffers across its departments, representing about 6% of its 180-strong workforce, Deadline has confirmed. The cuts are part of a three- to five-year strategic plan to strengthen the organization amid a challenging economic landscape.
Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, the nonprofit institute runs the annual Sundance Film Festival in Park City — which will run January 19-28 next year — along with labs, fellowships and mentorships that support more than 1,000 artists each year. It also hosts many public programs in the U.S. and around the world.
Related: Take Two: Hammond And McCarthy Talk The Highs And Lows Of A Sundance That Was A Welcome Return To Normal
The Sundance film fest returned to an in-person event in 2023 after two years away from Park City, bringing deals, cash and some hope to a thawing post-Covid market.
Matt Grobar contributed to this report.
Related: Sundance...
Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, the nonprofit institute runs the annual Sundance Film Festival in Park City — which will run January 19-28 next year — along with labs, fellowships and mentorships that support more than 1,000 artists each year. It also hosts many public programs in the U.S. and around the world.
Related: Take Two: Hammond And McCarthy Talk The Highs And Lows Of A Sundance That Was A Welcome Return To Normal
The Sundance film fest returned to an in-person event in 2023 after two years away from Park City, bringing deals, cash and some hope to a thawing post-Covid market.
Matt Grobar contributed to this report.
Related: Sundance...
- 6/28/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Titles include Vincent Perez’s ‘The Edge Of The Blade’ and Leo Leigh’s ‘Sweet Sue’.
Filmest München has secured six world premieres for its upcoming 40th anniversary edition, including Vincent Perez’sThe Edge Of The Blade and Leo Leigh’s UK comedy drama Sweet Sue, recently acquirred by Curzon.
The festival in Munich has long been a staging ground for the world premieres of German films but is now looking to establish itself as a launchpad for more international titles, building on last year’s world premiere of Marcelo Gomes’ Brazilian drama Paloma.
Swiss actor-director Perez will travel to...
Filmest München has secured six world premieres for its upcoming 40th anniversary edition, including Vincent Perez’sThe Edge Of The Blade and Leo Leigh’s UK comedy drama Sweet Sue, recently acquirred by Curzon.
The festival in Munich has long been a staging ground for the world premieres of German films but is now looking to establish itself as a launchpad for more international titles, building on last year’s world premiere of Marcelo Gomes’ Brazilian drama Paloma.
Swiss actor-director Perez will travel to...
- 6/7/2023
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.