It is a first for the United States of America to have a former president being held guilty on several counts of felony. Former President Donald Trump, also a popular presidential candidate for this year’s elections, has been found guilty of 34 counts by a New York court in Lower Manhattan.
Former President of USA Donald Trump (PC: Gage Skidmore | Wikimedia Commons)
As he awaits sentencing, his Sebastian Stan-starrer biopic has been struggling to land distributors. While the problem is more of an economic and political one, the controversial biopic has already been sent a cease-and-desist letter by Trump’s lawyers to withhold its release.
Sebastian Stan’s Donald Trump Biopic Fails to Land Distributors
A still from The Apprentice | StudioCanal UK
In a historic event, Former President Donald Trump has just become the first American President to be convicted on 34 charges. On Thursday, a New York jury found...
Former President of USA Donald Trump (PC: Gage Skidmore | Wikimedia Commons)
As he awaits sentencing, his Sebastian Stan-starrer biopic has been struggling to land distributors. While the problem is more of an economic and political one, the controversial biopic has already been sent a cease-and-desist letter by Trump’s lawyers to withhold its release.
Sebastian Stan’s Donald Trump Biopic Fails to Land Distributors
A still from The Apprentice | StudioCanal UK
In a historic event, Former President Donald Trump has just become the first American President to be convicted on 34 charges. On Thursday, a New York jury found...
- 6/1/2024
- by Maria Sultan
- FandomWire
Exclusive: Mike Goodridge’s growing UK production company Good Chaos, which is in Cannes with Un Certain Regard title Santosh, has had a minority equity investment from Cameron Lamb’s Paris-based audio platform Alexander.
The investment will give Alexander an opportunity to develop its growing non-fiction IP library, across film and TV formats, while Good Chaos has been able to grow its headcount, operations and production reach.
The companies’ first joint film project is Wife, Witch, Poisoner, Whore, a period thriller based on the Alexander audiobook by Katherine Rundell, and narrated by Helena Bonham Carter.
The official synopsis reads: “Beautiful, rich, clever, and determined English noblewoman Frances Howard was a dazzling celebrity at the court of James I. But when the unhappy teenage bride rebelled against the patriarchy of her day, she was put on trial for witchcraft, infidelity and murder – very nearly at the expense of her life.”
Good Chaos is on a roll.
The investment will give Alexander an opportunity to develop its growing non-fiction IP library, across film and TV formats, while Good Chaos has been able to grow its headcount, operations and production reach.
The companies’ first joint film project is Wife, Witch, Poisoner, Whore, a period thriller based on the Alexander audiobook by Katherine Rundell, and narrated by Helena Bonham Carter.
The official synopsis reads: “Beautiful, rich, clever, and determined English noblewoman Frances Howard was a dazzling celebrity at the court of James I. But when the unhappy teenage bride rebelled against the patriarchy of her day, she was put on trial for witchcraft, infidelity and murder – very nearly at the expense of her life.”
Good Chaos is on a roll.
- 5/14/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Cate Blanchett is to receive San Sebastian’s highest honorary award, the Donostia Award, at the Spanish film festival’s 72nd edition which runs from September 20-28.
It will be Blanchett’s first visit to San Sebastian, but the festival has already screened a number of her films including Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Babel in 2007 and Joel Schumacher’s Veronica Guerin in 2003.
Blanchett is the second Australian actor to receive the Donostia award after Hugh Jackman in 2013.
Blanchett will also feature on San Sebastian’s official poster, created by graphic designer José Luis Lanzagorta based on a photograph by Gustavo Papaleo.
It will be Blanchett’s first visit to San Sebastian, but the festival has already screened a number of her films including Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Babel in 2007 and Joel Schumacher’s Veronica Guerin in 2003.
Blanchett is the second Australian actor to receive the Donostia award after Hugh Jackman in 2013.
Blanchett will also feature on San Sebastian’s official poster, created by graphic designer José Luis Lanzagorta based on a photograph by Gustavo Papaleo.
- 5/9/2024
- ScreenDaily
“Emmanuelle,” a new feature from French writer-director Audrey Diwan, will world premiere in competition as the opening film for the 72nd San Sebastian Film Festival, which kicks off on September 20.
Inspired by the eponymous erotic novel by Emmanuelle Arsan, the film tells the story of a woman looking for a lost pleasure. During a business trip to Hong Kong, she meets several new people, including a man named Kei, who constantly eludes her. According to the director, the story was conceived as an exploration of pleasure in the post #MeToo era.
Diwan, a Venice Golden Lion winner for her 2021 film “Happening,” co-wrote “Emmanuelle” with fellow filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski, whose 2013 feature “Grand Central” screened in competition at Cannes and won the François Chalais Award.
Chantelouve, Rectangle Productions and Goodfellas (formerly Wild Bunch) produce. “Emmanuelle” will be distributed by Pathé in France, where it will debut on September 25, and Beta Fiction in Spain.
Inspired by the eponymous erotic novel by Emmanuelle Arsan, the film tells the story of a woman looking for a lost pleasure. During a business trip to Hong Kong, she meets several new people, including a man named Kei, who constantly eludes her. According to the director, the story was conceived as an exploration of pleasure in the post #MeToo era.
Diwan, a Venice Golden Lion winner for her 2021 film “Happening,” co-wrote “Emmanuelle” with fellow filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski, whose 2013 feature “Grand Central” screened in competition at Cannes and won the François Chalais Award.
Chantelouve, Rectangle Productions and Goodfellas (formerly Wild Bunch) produce. “Emmanuelle” will be distributed by Pathé in France, where it will debut on September 25, and Beta Fiction in Spain.
- 5/7/2024
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
NewFest, a New York LGBTQ+ film and media organization, revealed the full lineup for their fourth annual NewFest Pride summer film series. NewFest’s five-day festival kicks off LGBTQ+ Pride Month from May 30 – June 3, 2024, in-person in New York and streaming throughout the United States, and will feature a mix of premieres and conversations, virtual screenings, and social events. The announcement came today from NewFest’s Executive Director David Hatkoff and Director of Programming Nick McCarthy.
“It’s no accident that this year’s NewFest Pride starts on May 30; it’s part of our not-so-secret mission to celebrate Pride 365 days a year,” said NewFest Executive Director David Hatkoff. “We can’t wait to provide a space for the community to come together for bold new films and series, thought-provoking conversations, and joyful social gatherings. This moment calls for celebration and resistance, and we intend to offer opportunities for both in equal measure.
“It’s no accident that this year’s NewFest Pride starts on May 30; it’s part of our not-so-secret mission to celebrate Pride 365 days a year,” said NewFest Executive Director David Hatkoff. “We can’t wait to provide a space for the community to come together for bold new films and series, thought-provoking conversations, and joyful social gatherings. This moment calls for celebration and resistance, and we intend to offer opportunities for both in equal measure.
- 5/3/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Sundance hit My Old Ass with Aubrey Plaza and BFI Flare London Film Festival selection and sophomore feature We Forgot To Break Up bookend the 34th Toronto 2Slgbtq+ Film Festival running May 24 to June 1.
The festival at TIFF Lightbox and online will showcase 106 films from 25 countries including 30 features and five world premieres.
The world premiere of Susie Yankou’s Sisters, about two best friends who want to be sisters until one of them discovers she has a long lost half-sister, is this year’s 2024 Re:Focus Gala selection.
The Centerpiece Gala selection this year will be the Canadian premiere of Anthony Schatteman...
The festival at TIFF Lightbox and online will showcase 106 films from 25 countries including 30 features and five world premieres.
The world premiere of Susie Yankou’s Sisters, about two best friends who want to be sisters until one of them discovers she has a long lost half-sister, is this year’s 2024 Re:Focus Gala selection.
The Centerpiece Gala selection this year will be the Canadian premiere of Anthony Schatteman...
- 5/3/2024
- ScreenDaily
Ishana Night Shyamalan’s feature debut The Watchers is headed to theaters on June 7 from New Line Cinema, and the film has received its official MPA rating this week.
The Watchers is rated “PG-13” for…
“Violence, terror and some thematic elements.”
The film follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night.
[Related] AreYouWatching.com: ‘The Watchers’ Interactive Website Is Full of Easter Eggs
The Watchers stars Dakota Fanning (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Georgina Campbell (Barbarian), Oliver Finnegan (“Creeped Out”) and Olwen Fouere (The Northman).
The upcoming mystery-horror film is produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan and Nimitt Mankad. The executive producers are Jo Homewood and Stephen Dembitzer.
Joining writer/director Shyamalan behind-the-camera are director of photography Eli Arenson, production designer Ferdia Murphy,...
The Watchers is rated “PG-13” for…
“Violence, terror and some thematic elements.”
The film follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night.
[Related] AreYouWatching.com: ‘The Watchers’ Interactive Website Is Full of Easter Eggs
The Watchers stars Dakota Fanning (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Georgina Campbell (Barbarian), Oliver Finnegan (“Creeped Out”) and Olwen Fouere (The Northman).
The upcoming mystery-horror film is produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan and Nimitt Mankad. The executive producers are Jo Homewood and Stephen Dembitzer.
Joining writer/director Shyamalan behind-the-camera are director of photography Eli Arenson, production designer Ferdia Murphy,...
- 5/1/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
In the wake of this week’s brand new trailer, Ishana Night Shyamalan’s upcoming horror movie The Watchers once again has a new release date. And as the headline of this article suggests, New Line Cinema has moved it back to its original release date. Say what?!
The Watchers had originally been set for theatrical release on June 7 before being recently bumped to June 14. But we’ve learned tonight that it’s been moved back into the June 7 slot.
That’s Hollywood for ya. In any event, watch this week’s new trailer below.
[Related] AreYouWatching.com: ‘The Watchers’ Interactive Website Is Full of Easter Eggs
The film follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night.
The Watchers stars Dakota Fanning...
The Watchers had originally been set for theatrical release on June 7 before being recently bumped to June 14. But we’ve learned tonight that it’s been moved back into the June 7 slot.
That’s Hollywood for ya. In any event, watch this week’s new trailer below.
[Related] AreYouWatching.com: ‘The Watchers’ Interactive Website Is Full of Easter Eggs
The film follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night.
The Watchers stars Dakota Fanning...
- 4/24/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
From producer M. Night Shyamalan comes “The Watchers,” written for the screen and directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan and based on the novel by A.M. Shine. The film follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night.
You can’t see them, but they see everything.
“The Watchers” stars Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan and Olwen Fouere. The film is produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan and Nimitt Mankad. The executive producers are Jo Homewood and Stephen Dembitzer.
Joining writer/director Shyamalan behind-the-camera are director of photography Eli Arenson, production designer Ferdia Murphy, editor Job ter Burg and costume design by Frank Gallacher. The music is by Abel Korzeniowski.
New Line Cinema presents “The Watchers,” set to open in theaters...
You can’t see them, but they see everything.
“The Watchers” stars Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan and Olwen Fouere. The film is produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan and Nimitt Mankad. The executive producers are Jo Homewood and Stephen Dembitzer.
Joining writer/director Shyamalan behind-the-camera are director of photography Eli Arenson, production designer Ferdia Murphy, editor Job ter Burg and costume design by Frank Gallacher. The music is by Abel Korzeniowski.
New Line Cinema presents “The Watchers,” set to open in theaters...
- 4/23/2024
- by Kristyn Clarke
- Age of the Nerd
Dave Bautista and Josh Brolin feature in supporting roles in Dune: Part Two, which is currently taking the world by storm with its inventive storytelling and impressive visuals. While the film continues to gain fan appreciation, some viewers could not help but notice the co-incidence of Bautista and Broling appearing in a film together after their stint in the MCU.
Josh Brolin as Thanos in Avengers: Endgame
Fans took to social media to praise the on-screen charisma of the two actors who have previously appeared together in the Avengers franchise. However, fans still couldn’t get enough of the two and expressed a desire to continue seeing them working together on future projects. Here is what fans are saying about Dave Bautista and Josh Brolin’s on-screen magic.
Fans Relish Watching Dave Bautista and Josh Brolin On-screen in Avengers and Dune Franchises Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two...
Josh Brolin as Thanos in Avengers: Endgame
Fans took to social media to praise the on-screen charisma of the two actors who have previously appeared together in the Avengers franchise. However, fans still couldn’t get enough of the two and expressed a desire to continue seeing them working together on future projects. Here is what fans are saying about Dave Bautista and Josh Brolin’s on-screen magic.
Fans Relish Watching Dave Bautista and Josh Brolin On-screen in Avengers and Dune Franchises Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two...
- 3/17/2024
- by Pratik Handore
- FandomWire
Former Flanders Image manager Christian De Schutter has joined Tine Klint’s Denmark-based Scandinavian sales and aggregation company LevelK as festival consultant.
De Schutter left Flanders Image suddenly in December last year, announced via a short email from Flanders Audiovisual Fund CEO Koen Van Bockstal. Over 150 leading international industry figures then signed an open letter in support of De Schutter.
De Schutter had worked at Flanders Image since 2003, with responsibility for promoting Flemish films and TV dramas internationally. The organisation boosted the careers of filmmakers including Lukas Dhont, Fien Troch and Felix Van Groeningen, and scored Oscar nominations for films including Bullhead,...
De Schutter left Flanders Image suddenly in December last year, announced via a short email from Flanders Audiovisual Fund CEO Koen Van Bockstal. Over 150 leading international industry figures then signed an open letter in support of De Schutter.
De Schutter had worked at Flanders Image since 2003, with responsibility for promoting Flemish films and TV dramas internationally. The organisation boosted the careers of filmmakers including Lukas Dhont, Fien Troch and Felix Van Groeningen, and scored Oscar nominations for films including Bullhead,...
- 3/11/2024
- ScreenDaily
Kino Lorber has acquired North American rights to Bruno Dumont’s recent Berlinale selection The Empire.
‘The Empire’: Berlin Review
Anamaria Vartolomei, Camille Cottin, Lyna Khoudri, and Fabrice Luchini star in the sci-fi farce about extraterrestrial forces who descend on Earth after the birth of a baby in a French village triggers a secret intergalactic war.
The film won the Silver Bear Jury Prize in Berlin and is a Tessalit Productions production in co-production with Red Balloon Film, Ascent Film, Novak Prod, Rosa Filmes, and Furyo Films.
Jean Bréhat and Bertrand Faivre produced, and the co-producers are Dorothe Beinemeier,...
‘The Empire’: Berlin Review
Anamaria Vartolomei, Camille Cottin, Lyna Khoudri, and Fabrice Luchini star in the sci-fi farce about extraterrestrial forces who descend on Earth after the birth of a baby in a French village triggers a secret intergalactic war.
The film won the Silver Bear Jury Prize in Berlin and is a Tessalit Productions production in co-production with Red Balloon Film, Ascent Film, Novak Prod, Rosa Filmes, and Furyo Films.
Jean Bréhat and Bertrand Faivre produced, and the co-producers are Dorothe Beinemeier,...
- 3/7/2024
- ScreenDaily
Kino Lorber has acquired North American distribution rights to Bruno Dumont’s “The Empire,” a sci-fi satire starring Anamaria Vartolomei (“Happening”), Camille Cottin (“Call My Agent!”), Lyna Khoudri (“The Three Musketeers”) and Fabrice Luchini.
“The Empire” just world premiered in competition at the Berlin Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear Jury Prize. The movie marks Dumont’s follow up to “France,” a dark comedy starring Léa Seydoux which competed at the Cannes Film Festival.
Kino Lorber is planning a theatrical release later this year, followed by a home video, educational and digital release on all major platforms. The acquisition of “The Empire” marks the sixth time that Kino Lorber has collaborated with Dumont, with previous releases including “Li’l Quinquin,” “Coincoin and the Extra-Humans,” “Slack Bay,” “Camille Claudel 1915” and, most recently, “France.”
The film is set in a quiet and picturesque fishing village in Northern France, where a special...
“The Empire” just world premiered in competition at the Berlin Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear Jury Prize. The movie marks Dumont’s follow up to “France,” a dark comedy starring Léa Seydoux which competed at the Cannes Film Festival.
Kino Lorber is planning a theatrical release later this year, followed by a home video, educational and digital release on all major platforms. The acquisition of “The Empire” marks the sixth time that Kino Lorber has collaborated with Dumont, with previous releases including “Li’l Quinquin,” “Coincoin and the Extra-Humans,” “Slack Bay,” “Camille Claudel 1915” and, most recently, “France.”
The film is set in a quiet and picturesque fishing village in Northern France, where a special...
- 3/7/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
From producer M. Night Shyamalan comes The Watchers, written and directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan and based on the novel by A.M. Shine.
The film follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night. You can’t see them, but they see everything.
The Watchers stars Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan and Olwen Fouere.
Ishana Night Shyamalan has trained with the best – her father, M. Night Shyamalan. The two worked together on Apple TV’s mysterious “Servant” series as well as the 2021 film Old as Second Unit Director.
Check out this interview with the filmmaker.
The film is produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan and Nimitt Mankad. The executive producers are Jo Homewood and Stephen Dembitzer. Joining writer/director Shyamalan...
The film follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night. You can’t see them, but they see everything.
The Watchers stars Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan and Olwen Fouere.
Ishana Night Shyamalan has trained with the best – her father, M. Night Shyamalan. The two worked together on Apple TV’s mysterious “Servant” series as well as the 2021 film Old as Second Unit Director.
Check out this interview with the filmmaker.
The film is produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan and Nimitt Mankad. The executive producers are Jo Homewood and Stephen Dembitzer. Joining writer/director Shyamalan...
- 2/27/2024
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Sundance queer drama “Sebastian,” directed by up-and-coming Finnish-British director Mikko Mäkelä, has been bought by Kino Lorber for U.S. distribution, along with a string of international buyers.
Represented in international markets by LevelK, the film made its world premiere in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
“Sebastian” follows Max (Ruaridh Mollica), a 25-year-old freelance writer and aspiring novelist who seems well on his way to success in London’s cultural spheres. Yet by night, he finds a different kind of exhilaration as a sex worker with the pseudonym Sebastian, meeting men via an escorting platform. Max uses his experiences as Sebastian to fuel his stories, and the worthy debut novel that he has been longing to write finally seems within reach. But Max increasingly struggles to remain in control of his double-life, leading him to reckon with whether Sebastian is merely a...
Represented in international markets by LevelK, the film made its world premiere in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
“Sebastian” follows Max (Ruaridh Mollica), a 25-year-old freelance writer and aspiring novelist who seems well on his way to success in London’s cultural spheres. Yet by night, he finds a different kind of exhilaration as a sex worker with the pseudonym Sebastian, meeting men via an escorting platform. Max uses his experiences as Sebastian to fuel his stories, and the worthy debut novel that he has been longing to write finally seems within reach. But Max increasingly struggles to remain in control of his double-life, leading him to reckon with whether Sebastian is merely a...
- 2/27/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Over the last seven years or so, the ever more capitalized Catalan industry, much based in capital Barcelona, has driven into domestic co-production with other parts of Spain. One result: an exciting new generation of young directors and producers, often women, which have scored a Berlin Golden Bear (Carla Simon’s “Alcarràs”) and best lead performance.
The Catalan film-tv industry is now, however, in the throes of a gathering industry makeover which is showing its first fruits. One driver, as so often in Europe, is public sector funding.
In 2019, total allocated Catalan government audiovisual funding stood at €12.6 million ($13.7 million). It rose to €40.8 million ($44.5 million) in 2022 and will rise again to an estimated €50 million ($54.5 million) in 2024, if the Catalan Parliament approves the budget, says Edgar Garcia, director of the governmental culture industry unit Icec.
In response to ramped-up funding, Catalonia industry has grown vibrantly. 130 execs and talent, representing 80 companies, attend 2024’s Berlin Film Market.
The Catalan film-tv industry is now, however, in the throes of a gathering industry makeover which is showing its first fruits. One driver, as so often in Europe, is public sector funding.
In 2019, total allocated Catalan government audiovisual funding stood at €12.6 million ($13.7 million). It rose to €40.8 million ($44.5 million) in 2022 and will rise again to an estimated €50 million ($54.5 million) in 2024, if the Catalan Parliament approves the budget, says Edgar Garcia, director of the governmental culture industry unit Icec.
In response to ramped-up funding, Catalonia industry has grown vibrantly. 130 execs and talent, representing 80 companies, attend 2024’s Berlin Film Market.
- 2/15/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
In an exclusive uInterview, Ruaridh Mollica and Mikko Makela open up about their new Sundance film, Sebastian.
Sebastian follows the secret double life of Mollica’s character, Max, who assumes an alias and begins a career as a sex worker to inspire his first novel.
Makela, who directed the film, said that he wanted to create something that did not “problematize sex.”
“Sex was such an important part of the story, the power of sexuality and the empowering potential of self-discovery through sexuality,” Makela told uInterview founder Erik Meers. “I think we’ve seen so many sex worker films and portraits; some are really amazing, inspiring films. But sex work is still problematized and seen as a result or cause of trauma. I wanted to make a film with a character for whom sex work was a conscious choice rather than something done for lack of choices or economic prerogative.
Sebastian follows the secret double life of Mollica’s character, Max, who assumes an alias and begins a career as a sex worker to inspire his first novel.
Makela, who directed the film, said that he wanted to create something that did not “problematize sex.”
“Sex was such an important part of the story, the power of sexuality and the empowering potential of self-discovery through sexuality,” Makela told uInterview founder Erik Meers. “I think we’ve seen so many sex worker films and portraits; some are really amazing, inspiring films. But sex work is still problematized and seen as a result or cause of trauma. I wanted to make a film with a character for whom sex work was a conscious choice rather than something done for lack of choices or economic prerogative.
- 2/8/2024
- by Ava Lombardi
- Uinterview
Swann Arlaud, recently seen as Sandra Hüller’s lawyer in “Anatomy of a Fall,” and Woody Norman, who appeared alongside Joaquin Phoenix in 2021 crowdpleaser “C’mon C’mon,” are set to lead the cast of “Sukkwan Island.”
Ruaridh Mollica, who turned heads in this year’s Sundance following his lead turn in “Sebastian,” and Alma Pöysti, who was recently Golden Globe-nominated for Aki Kaurismäki’s “Fallen Leaves,” will also star in the film, being directed by Vladimir de Fontenay, marking the French filmmaker’s first feature since his Cannes-bowing “Mobile Homes” in 2017.
Set to start shooting in Norway in the coming weeks, “Sukkwan Island” is based on the semi-autobiographical novella by American author David Vann, part of his 2010 collection “Legend of a Suicide.” The story follows a haunted young man’s travels to a wild and secluded Island to reconnect with his father. Ten years before, they shared a harrowing and life...
Ruaridh Mollica, who turned heads in this year’s Sundance following his lead turn in “Sebastian,” and Alma Pöysti, who was recently Golden Globe-nominated for Aki Kaurismäki’s “Fallen Leaves,” will also star in the film, being directed by Vladimir de Fontenay, marking the French filmmaker’s first feature since his Cannes-bowing “Mobile Homes” in 2017.
Set to start shooting in Norway in the coming weeks, “Sukkwan Island” is based on the semi-autobiographical novella by American author David Vann, part of his 2010 collection “Legend of a Suicide.” The story follows a haunted young man’s travels to a wild and secluded Island to reconnect with his father. Ten years before, they shared a harrowing and life...
- 1/31/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Unlike other film festivals around the globe, Sundance has been ahead of the curve when it comes to telling Lgbtqia+ stories whether in narrative or documentary form. That was once again evident in 2024 with the festival selecting films such as “Layla,” “Sebastian,” “My Old Ass,” “Stress Positions” and “Ponyboi.” One Next slate selection that attempted to cross the lines of both documentary and drama is Jules Rosskam’s “Desire Lines.” Sadly, like many world premieres in its genre this year, it comes up disappointingly short.
Continue reading ‘Desire Lines’ Review: A Messy Drama-Documentary Hybrid On Trans Male History at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Desire Lines’ Review: A Messy Drama-Documentary Hybrid On Trans Male History at The Playlist.
- 1/29/2024
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
The Sundance Film Festival 2024, beloved by independent film enthusiasts, opens the film festival circuit with a bustling calendar of parties, thought-provoking panels, and red-carpet premieres.
Celebrating its 40th milestone, the lineup boasts diversity across various categories, featuring 53 short films, 35 documentary features, and 83 feature films. The award-winning films for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival were announced today at The Ray Theatre in Park City during a ceremony.
The jury and audience-awarded prizes include Grand Jury Prizes awarded to In The Summers (U.S. Dramatic Competition), Porcelain War (U.S. Documentary Competition), Sujo (World Cinema Dramatic Competition), and A New Kind of Wilderness (World Cinema Documentary Competition). The Next Innovator Award presented by Adobe was awarded to Little Death.
Related: Sundance Film Festival Awards: ‘In The Summers’, ‘Didi’, ‘Daughters’ Top Winners List
Audiences came together in person over the weekend in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Sundance Resort with talent that included June Squibb,...
Celebrating its 40th milestone, the lineup boasts diversity across various categories, featuring 53 short films, 35 documentary features, and 83 feature films. The award-winning films for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival were announced today at The Ray Theatre in Park City during a ceremony.
The jury and audience-awarded prizes include Grand Jury Prizes awarded to In The Summers (U.S. Dramatic Competition), Porcelain War (U.S. Documentary Competition), Sujo (World Cinema Dramatic Competition), and A New Kind of Wilderness (World Cinema Documentary Competition). The Next Innovator Award presented by Adobe was awarded to Little Death.
Related: Sundance Film Festival Awards: ‘In The Summers’, ‘Didi’, ‘Daughters’ Top Winners List
Audiences came together in person over the weekend in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Sundance Resort with talent that included June Squibb,...
- 1/26/2024
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
Finnish filmmaker Mikko Mäkelä takes us into the shadow worlds of niche sexuality and queer sex work in London’s most sterile apartments and grayly desolate hotels in his new film “Sebastian.” This provocative, explicit, and ultimately tender drama stars newcomer Ruaridh Mollica as Max, a 25-year-old literary journalist writing a novel about a sex worker named Sebastian — and to get to the root of the thing, Max decides that he, too, must submerge himself in that very underworld.
As a psychological portrait of an aspiring writer who gets too immersed in his own project, “Sebastian” is never as piercing as star Mollica’s eyes and chiseled face. But the performance is affecting, and Mäkelä brandishes an ambient, lulling sense of style that evokes the loneliness at Max’s core. Internationally savvy gay film fans with a taste for the kinky and sad will want to check out this understated...
As a psychological portrait of an aspiring writer who gets too immersed in his own project, “Sebastian” is never as piercing as star Mollica’s eyes and chiseled face. But the performance is affecting, and Mäkelä brandishes an ambient, lulling sense of style that evokes the loneliness at Max’s core. Internationally savvy gay film fans with a taste for the kinky and sad will want to check out this understated...
- 1/22/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
It’s notoriously difficult to make films about writers. Writing — literally sitting down at a keyboard and banging out words — is about as fun to watch as paint drying. So filmmakers make much of the research process, the uneven economics, the epic highs and lows of creative life. “Sebastian,” the second feature from Mikko Mäkelä (“A Moment in the Reeds”), takes these liberties to new, bizarre heights, as its scribe protagonist turns to sex work to gin up inspiration for his forthcoming novel
Read More: Sundance 2024: The 23 Most Anticipated Movies To Watch
Our author is Max (Ruaridh Mollica), a navel-gazing 25-year-old who escorts online under the name Sebastian.
Continue reading ‘Sebastian’ Review: A Nakedly Solipsistic Quarter-Life Crisis About A Sex Worker [Sundance] at The Playlist.
Read More: Sundance 2024: The 23 Most Anticipated Movies To Watch
Our author is Max (Ruaridh Mollica), a navel-gazing 25-year-old who escorts online under the name Sebastian.
Continue reading ‘Sebastian’ Review: A Nakedly Solipsistic Quarter-Life Crisis About A Sex Worker [Sundance] at The Playlist.
- 1/22/2024
- by Lena Wilson
- The Playlist
There is plenty in Sebastian, written and directed by Mikko Mäkelä, that is provocative. It’s a focused, often handsome piece of work. It’s also never entirely convincing as a character study. Max (Ruaridh Mollica) is a young, aspiring writer in London. He’s got a plum gig writing for a respected magazine and a short-story collection set to be published. Next up is his debut novel, and Max is determined to examine the inner life of the sex worker. To do this, he begins a double life: writer by day, escort by night.
Mäkelä is confronting questions of license here. To what degree does one need to embody that which they are writing about? If at all? Max––whose nocturnal pseudonym is Sebastian––clearly believes that in order to understand the subject you’re writing about your must immerse yourself. This decision will of course come with sacrifices...
Mäkelä is confronting questions of license here. To what degree does one need to embody that which they are writing about? If at all? Max––whose nocturnal pseudonym is Sebastian––clearly believes that in order to understand the subject you’re writing about your must immerse yourself. This decision will of course come with sacrifices...
- 1/22/2024
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
In Sebastian, Finnish-British writer-director Mikko Mäkelä’s follow-up to 2017’s A Moment in the Reeds, 25-year-old Max enters the world of sex work as research for his debut novel. These experiences alter Max’s sense of self as Max moves from hesitant to exhilarated as he throws himself deeper into his “double life.” Cinematographer Iikka Salminen, who also worked with Mäkelä on A Moment in the Reeds, discusses how he complemented the observational nature of the film by shooting it like a “moving portrait.” See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the […]
The post “I Prepared Myself by Digesting a Lot of Close-Ups and Portraits”: Dp Iikka Salminen on Sebastian first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Prepared Myself by Digesting a Lot of Close-Ups and Portraits”: Dp Iikka Salminen on Sebastian first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/21/2024
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
In Sebastian, Finnish-British writer-director Mikko Mäkelä’s follow-up to 2017’s A Moment in the Reeds, 25-year-old Max enters the world of sex work as research for his debut novel. These experiences alter Max’s sense of self as Max moves from hesitant to exhilarated as he throws himself deeper into his “double life.” Cinematographer Iikka Salminen, who also worked with Mäkelä on A Moment in the Reeds, discusses how he complemented the observational nature of the film by shooting it like a “moving portrait.” See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the […]
The post “I Prepared Myself by Digesting a Lot of Close-Ups and Portraits”: Dp Iikka Salminen on Sebastian first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Prepared Myself by Digesting a Lot of Close-Ups and Portraits”: Dp Iikka Salminen on Sebastian first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/21/2024
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Exclusive: Ruaridh Mollica says he had a year to prepare for his “role of a lifetime — so far” in Finnish filmmaker Mikko Makela’s powerful new film Sebastian, which premieres at Sundance on Sunday.
The film follows a culture journalist who goes undercover and leads a double life as a sex worker to research a debut novel. The 24-year-old Mollica, born to a Scottish mother and an Italian father, gives a superlative performance in his first feature film lead role, as he assumes the split personalities of Max, a young wannabe literary sensation, and Sebastian, who hires himself out to desirous older male clients.
The intimate moments, though at times full-on, actually serve the narrative to reflect Max/Sebastian’s state of mind.
Between his initial self-tape, first audition and screen tests, Mollica had 12 months to enter into full character research mode before officially being handed the part, and the...
The film follows a culture journalist who goes undercover and leads a double life as a sex worker to research a debut novel. The 24-year-old Mollica, born to a Scottish mother and an Italian father, gives a superlative performance in his first feature film lead role, as he assumes the split personalities of Max, a young wannabe literary sensation, and Sebastian, who hires himself out to desirous older male clients.
The intimate moments, though at times full-on, actually serve the narrative to reflect Max/Sebastian’s state of mind.
Between his initial self-tape, first audition and screen tests, Mollica had 12 months to enter into full character research mode before officially being handed the part, and the...
- 1/19/2024
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Finnish-British director Mikko Mäkelä isn’t shying away from sexual content in “Sebastian,” which has its world premiere on Sunday at Sundance Film Festival.
“As was already the case with ‘A Moment in the Reeds,’ I wanted to provide a very frank and honest portrayal of queer sexuality,” he tells Variety, referencing his 2017 debut.
“For so long, queer sexuality has been shied away from and censored. It has been such a balancing act for queer filmmakers and a very unfair one, because we want to provide representation for ourselves, but we also don’t want to alienate audiences and people who finance our films. Luckily, things have improved a great deal.”
In Mäkelä’s sophomore film – competing in Sundance’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition – aspiring writer Max (Ruaridh Mollica) leads a double life as sex worker Sebastian, hoping to use his experiences in a novel. But while Max tries to...
“As was already the case with ‘A Moment in the Reeds,’ I wanted to provide a very frank and honest portrayal of queer sexuality,” he tells Variety, referencing his 2017 debut.
“For so long, queer sexuality has been shied away from and censored. It has been such a balancing act for queer filmmakers and a very unfair one, because we want to provide representation for ourselves, but we also don’t want to alienate audiences and people who finance our films. Luckily, things have improved a great deal.”
In Mäkelä’s sophomore film – competing in Sundance’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition – aspiring writer Max (Ruaridh Mollica) leads a double life as sex worker Sebastian, hoping to use his experiences in a novel. But while Max tries to...
- 1/19/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
UK film companies are now eligible to apply for the BBC’s £1.5m Small Indie Fund.
How To Have Sex production outfit Wild Swim Films, Emily Morgan’s Quiddity Films and Scotland-based barry crerar are among the 57 companies being supported this year through the BBC’s Small Indie Fund.
It was launched in 2020, and supports the growth of small independent production companies from across the UK with turnovers below £10m. It has previously focused on drama, entertainment, comedy, factual, daytime and children’s TV content outfits, however this year, for the first time, it has included BBC Film..
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How To Have Sex production outfit Wild Swim Films, Emily Morgan’s Quiddity Films and Scotland-based barry crerar are among the 57 companies being supported this year through the BBC’s Small Indie Fund.
It was launched in 2020, and supports the growth of small independent production companies from across the UK with turnovers below £10m. It has previously focused on drama, entertainment, comedy, factual, daytime and children’s TV content outfits, however this year, for the first time, it has included BBC Film..
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- 1/16/2024
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Festival will play upcoming Netflix series Supersex about pornstar Rocco Siffredi.
South Korean action title The Roundup: Punishment and Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding starring Kristen Stewart are among 12 additions to the Berlinale Special line-up, ahead of next month’s Berlin Film Festival (February 15-25).
Directed by Heo Myeong-haeng, Punishment will have its world premiere in Berlin. It is the fourth instalment in The Roundup action franchise, in which Don Lee plays detective Ma Seok-do.
Scroll down for the full list of new Special titles
Third title The Roundup: No Way Out took $69m in just three weeks at the...
South Korean action title The Roundup: Punishment and Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding starring Kristen Stewart are among 12 additions to the Berlinale Special line-up, ahead of next month’s Berlin Film Festival (February 15-25).
Directed by Heo Myeong-haeng, Punishment will have its world premiere in Berlin. It is the fourth instalment in The Roundup action franchise, in which Don Lee plays detective Ma Seok-do.
Scroll down for the full list of new Special titles
Third title The Roundup: No Way Out took $69m in just three weeks at the...
- 1/15/2024
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Festival will play upcoming Netflix series Supersex about pornstar Rocco Siffredi.
South Korean action title The Roundup: Punishment and Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding starring Kristen Stewart are among 12 additions to the Berlinale Special line-up, ahead of next month’s Berlin Film Festival (February 15-25).
Directed by Heo Myeong-haeng, Punishment will have its world premiere in Berlin. It is the fourth instalment in The Roundup action franchise, in which Don Lee plays detective Ma Seok-do.
Scroll down for the full list of new Special titles
Third title The Roundup: No Way Out took $69m in just three weeks at the...
South Korean action title The Roundup: Punishment and Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding starring Kristen Stewart are among 12 additions to the Berlinale Special line-up, ahead of next month’s Berlin Film Festival (February 15-25).
Directed by Heo Myeong-haeng, Punishment will have its world premiere in Berlin. It is the fourth instalment in The Roundup action franchise, in which Don Lee plays detective Ma Seok-do.
Scroll down for the full list of new Special titles
Third title The Roundup: No Way Out took $69m in just three weeks at the...
- 1/15/2024
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The queer drama is directed by UK-Finnish director Mikko Makela.
LevelK has boarded international sales rights to UK feature Sebastian ahead of its world premiere in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at Sundance Film Festival this month.
The film is the second feature from UK-Finnish director Mikko Makela. It follows a freelance writer rising through London’s cultural world who finds exhilaration at night as a sex worker under the pseudonym Sebastian.
Ruaridh Mollica leads the cast, alongside Screen Rising Stars Scotland talent Hiftu Quasem and Jonathan Hyde.
September Films will distribute the film in the Netherlands, with Aurora handling distribution for Finland.
LevelK has boarded international sales rights to UK feature Sebastian ahead of its world premiere in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at Sundance Film Festival this month.
The film is the second feature from UK-Finnish director Mikko Makela. It follows a freelance writer rising through London’s cultural world who finds exhilaration at night as a sex worker under the pseudonym Sebastian.
Ruaridh Mollica leads the cast, alongside Screen Rising Stars Scotland talent Hiftu Quasem and Jonathan Hyde.
September Films will distribute the film in the Netherlands, with Aurora handling distribution for Finland.
- 1/15/2024
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Sebastian is now streaming on Tubi and Amazon Prime Video and we have the trailer, poster, and synopsis.
The crime-driven horror film in which a serial killer ravages a city stars horror icon Jamie Bernadette (I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu), Darius McCrary (Family Matters), Torrei Hart (Hollywould), and Luca Della Valle (Distant Vision). The supporting cast includes Clifton Powell (Ray), Cocoa Brown (9-1-1), Jermaine Hopkins (Lean on Me), Jayson Warner Smith (The Walking Dead), Tracey Graves (Super Turnt), Michael Emery (Station 19), and Jermel Howard (Luke Cage). The film is written and directed by Mann Robinson (Super Turnt).
Sebastian is already climbing Tubi’s most-watched lists, having gone viral on social media the day of its release with opinion leaders in film openly praising the movie. Noted film producer Jan O’Connell (I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu) compared the film to the popular 1995 film “Se7en...
The crime-driven horror film in which a serial killer ravages a city stars horror icon Jamie Bernadette (I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu), Darius McCrary (Family Matters), Torrei Hart (Hollywould), and Luca Della Valle (Distant Vision). The supporting cast includes Clifton Powell (Ray), Cocoa Brown (9-1-1), Jermaine Hopkins (Lean on Me), Jayson Warner Smith (The Walking Dead), Tracey Graves (Super Turnt), Michael Emery (Station 19), and Jermel Howard (Luke Cage). The film is written and directed by Mann Robinson (Super Turnt).
Sebastian is already climbing Tubi’s most-watched lists, having gone viral on social media the day of its release with opinion leaders in film openly praising the movie. Noted film producer Jan O’Connell (I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu) compared the film to the popular 1995 film “Se7en...
- 1/11/2024
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
For those missing the billionaire voyeurism of “Succession,” Sundance film “Veni Vidi Vici” is poised to be a more sinister remedy.
Directed by Julia Niemann and Daniel Hoesl (and written by Hoesl), the film centers on the Maynard family, who live an “almost perfect” billionaire lifestyle, per the official synopsis. Patriarch Amon is a passionate hunter, but doesn’t shoot animals, as the family’s wealth allows them to live totally free from consequences, as the logline for the social satire dark comedy teases.
“Destructive strength is creative strength,” a character says in the trailer. “But don’t predatory cats belong in the wild?”
The hunt for whomever the dangerous hunter with no regard for human life is takes over a community, as all fingers seem to point to the elite family at the center of the drama. Yet the whodunit takes on another social issue: When the presumed wealthy “madman” killer is revealed,...
Directed by Julia Niemann and Daniel Hoesl (and written by Hoesl), the film centers on the Maynard family, who live an “almost perfect” billionaire lifestyle, per the official synopsis. Patriarch Amon is a passionate hunter, but doesn’t shoot animals, as the family’s wealth allows them to live totally free from consequences, as the logline for the social satire dark comedy teases.
“Destructive strength is creative strength,” a character says in the trailer. “But don’t predatory cats belong in the wild?”
The hunt for whomever the dangerous hunter with no regard for human life is takes over a community, as all fingers seem to point to the elite family at the center of the drama. Yet the whodunit takes on another social issue: When the presumed wealthy “madman” killer is revealed,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
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