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Category: International

  • Jennifer Lawrence to play Miracle Mop inventor in David O. Russell’s next

    Jennifer Lawrence to play Miracle Mop inventor in David O. Russell’s next

    MUMBAI: Having already worked together with David O. Russell on The Silver Linings Playbook and recently on American Hustle, Jennifer Lawrence might take up the role of Joy Mangano, the mother of three who became one of America’s most successful entrepreneurs with the invention of the self-wringing Miracle Mop and Huggable Hangers.

     

    Mangano, eventually sold her company, Ingenious Designs, to the Home Shopping Network in a multimillion dollar deal but stayed on as the company president. Currently, she is one of the channel’s most successful presenters and is also known as the inventor of Forever Fragrant and Performance Platforms. Mangano started inventing at a young age, and continued to dream while simultaneously looking after her three children.

     

    Considered as a tale of woman empowerment, the project has a script by Annie Mumolo, who along with Kirsten Wiig was nominated for the Oscar for Bridesmaids and John Davis, John Fox and Ken Mok are the producers.

  • Ex-Oscar president Tom Sherak died at 68

    Ex-Oscar president Tom Sherak died at 68

    MUMBAI: Former president of Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, Tom Sherak passed away on Tuesday, 28 January at his home in Calabas out of complications due to a long battle of 12 years with prostate cancer. At the age of 68, Sherak succumbed to his long suffering illness.

     

    Before serving three consecutive one-year terms as president of the Academy through August 2012, Sherak had a long career at 20th Century FOX and then at Revolution Studios. Sherak brought changes to the awards, expanding the best picture nominations from five to as many as 10. He pushed the Academy to skew its annual awards show to appeal to younger viewers.

     

    Sherak was named Los Angeles film czar by Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti in September to lead Garcetti’s efforts to support the local entertainment industry and increase local production in the city. He also was serving as a trusted adviser to Oscar-nominated American Hustle and producer Megan Ellison (Her) and to her producing brother, David Ellison (World War Z).

     

  • Hugh Jackman to play Blackbeard in the upcoming film Pan

    Hugh Jackman to play Blackbeard in the upcoming film Pan

    MUMBAI: Hugh Jackman, the actor known for his portrayal of one the major classic X-Men characters in the X-Men and Wolverine movie franchise, has been signed on to play the role of the nefarious pirate Blackbeard in Warner Bros’ upcoming film on Peter Pan, based on J. M. Barrie’s classic character.

     

    Pan, scheduled to be released in the US on 17 July 2015, is to be directed by Joe Wright (Anna Karenina, Atonement, Pride & Prejudice) with a screenplay by Jason Fuchs (Ice Age: Continental Drift) and is being produced by Greg Berlanti (Green Lantern, Arrow, The Tomorrow People), Eric Fellner (Rush, Les Misérables) and Paul Webster (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day).

     

    Hugh Jackman, last seen in the psychological thriller Prisoners with Jake Gyllenhaal, will next be seen in Chappie, a sci-fi thriller directed by Neill Blomkamp (District 9), and reprising the character of Wolverine in X-Men: Days of Future Past, which according to MTV, may be the last time he puts on the claws.

     

    According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), X-Men: Days of Future Past will be released in India on 23 May 2014.

  • Uday Chopra’s Grace of Monaco starring Nicole Kidman to open the 67th Cannes

    Uday Chopra’s Grace of Monaco starring Nicole Kidman to open the 67th Cannes

    MUMBAI: French director Olivier Dahan’s Grace of Monaco is to open the next Festival de Cannes. The world preview will take place on Wednesday 14 May, 2014, in the Grand Théâtre Lumi?re of the Palais des Festivals, in the Official Selection category, Out of Competition. Grace of Monaco follows on from The Great Gatsby by Baz Luhrmann.

     
    The film portrays a period in the life of American Actress Grace Kelly (played by Nicole Kidman) who became Princess Grace of Monaco when she married Prince Rainier III (Tim Roth) in 1956, in what was dubbed “the marriage of the century”. An Oscar winner, she was already a huge film star, having worked with the very greatest (John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, Fred Zinnemann) and acclaimed the world over. Six years later, amid occasional difficulties in fulfilling her role, she was invited back to Hollywood by Alfred Hitchcock, to play in his new film Marnie. At the time, France was threatening to tax and even annex Monaco, the tiny Principality whose monarch Kelly had become. Was she still an actress? Was she really Princess of Monaco?
     

    Produced by Pierre-Ange Le Pogam, Uday Chopra and Arash Amel, who also wrote the screenplay, Grace de Monaco sees Nicole Kidman play the role of Grace, with Tim Roth as Prince Rainier. Their co-stars include Frank Langella, Parker Posey, Jeanne Balibar, Sir Derek Jacobi and Paz Vega, who plays Maria Callas. The film was shot in Scope 2.35 using Kodak 35mm film. The Director of Photography was France’s Eric Gautier and the 16-weeks shoot took place in Monaco, South of France, Paris, Vintimille, Gand and Bruxelles.

     
    Born in 1967 in La Ciotat, Olivier Dahan previously directed La Vie en Rose (2007) which garnered Marion Cotillard the Oscar for Best Actress in 2008. Grace of Monaco will be released on the opening day of the Festival, Wednesday 14 May, in France and in several cities around the world. The opening ceremony will be broadcast to participating cinemas, with the kind cooperation of Canal+.

     
    Grace of Monaco is A Stone Angels and YRF Entertainment production. The film is co-produced by TF1 Films Productions, Gaumont, Lucky Red, OD Shots, Ufilm, and in association with Silver Reel – Ufund. Distributor in France is Gaumont and International Sales is with Lotus Entertainment.

     

  • AMC/Sundance Channel Global Announces Exclusive Acquisitions from 2014 Sundance Film Festival

    AMC/Sundance Channel Global Announces Exclusive Acquisitions from 2014 Sundance Film Festival

    MUMBAI: AMC/Sundance Channel Global, the international division of AMC Networks (NASDAQ: AMCX), has announced numerous acquisitions from the 2014 Sundance Film Festival to premiere exclusively on Sundance Channel internationally shortly after the festival this spring. Bruce Tuchman, President of AMC/Sundance Channel Global, made the announcement from Park City, Utah where Sundance Channel is celebrating its biggest year of growth across its international television networks and video-on-demand (VOD) services.
     

    The company has acquired an exciting line-up of six independent films from the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. The Disobedient, Liar’s Dice, Memphis and This May Be the Last Time have been acquired for all international territories where Sundance Channel is seen. Drunktown’s Finest has been acquired for Asia (excluding Malaysia), Benelux, Eastern Europe, France, Iberia and Latin America. To Kill a Man has been acquired for Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
     

    Tuchman commented, “We’re excited to acquire a terrific selection of movies fresh from the 2014 Sundance Film Festival to debut exclusively on Sundance Channel this spring. The channel shares the same mission as the festival to support the growth of independent film. It also provides a global platform to showcase the compelling work of emerging filmmakers. We’re looking forward to providing an even greater choice of high quality independent films along with first run original drama on Sundance Channel in the months ahead.”
     

    Sundance Channel has experienced tremendous growth internationally in the past year. The network launched for the first time in Latin America and is now seen in seven countries throughout the region on numerous pay-TV platforms. The channel also just launched for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa in 24 countries. In addition, there have been recent agreements to increase distribution of its linear and VOD services throughout Asia and Europe, including Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, France, Belgium, Poland and Hungary.
     

    Below is additional information about each title acquired at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival to premiere on Sundance Channel.
     

    The Disobedient / Serbia (Director and screenwriter: Mina Djukic) — Leni anxiously waits for her childhood friend Lazar, who is coming back to their hometown after years of studying abroad. After they reunite, they embark on a random bicycle trip around their childhood haunts, which will either exhaust or reinvent their relationship. Cast: Hana Selimovic, Mladen Sovilj, Minja Subota, Danijel Sike, Ivan Djordjevic; Distributor: Visit Films

    Drunktown’s Finest / USA (Director and screenwriter: Sydney Freeland) — Three young Native Americans—a rebellious father-to-be, a devout Christian woman, and a promiscuous transsexual—come of age on an Indian reservation. Cast: Jeremiah Bitsui, Carmen Moore, Morningstar Angeline, Kiowa Gordon, Shauna Baker, Elizabeth Francis; Distributor: The Film Sales Co.

    Liar’s Dice / India (Director and screenwriter: Geetu Mohandas) — Kamala, a young woman from the village of Chitkul, leaves her native land with her daughter to search for her missing husband. Along the journey, they encounter Nawazudin, a free-spirited army deserter with his own selfish motives who helps them reach their destination. Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Geetanjali Thapa, Manya Gupta; Distributor: 3 Monkeys

    Memphis / USA (Director and screenwriter: Tim Sutton) — A strange singer drifts through the mythic city of Memphis, surrounded by beautiful women, legendary musicians, a stone-cold hustler, a righteous preacher, and a wolf pack of kids. Under a canopy of ancient oak trees and burning spirituality, his doomed journey breaks from conformity and reaches out for glory. Cast: Willis Earl Beal, Lopaka Thomas, Constance Brantley, Devonte Hull, John Gary Williams, Larry Dodson; Distributor: Visit Films

    This May Be the Last Time / USA (Director: Sterlin Harjo) — Filmmaker Sterlin Harjo’s Grandfather disappeared mysteriously in 1962. The community searching for him sang Native American songs of encouragement that were passed down for generations. Harjo explores the origins of these songs as well as the violent history of his people in this moving documentary. Distributor: This Land Films

    To Kill a Man / Chile, France (Director and screenwriter: Alejandro Fernandez Almendras) — When Jorge, a hardworking family man who’s barely making ends meet, gets mugged by Kalule, a neighborhood delinquent, Jorge’s son decides to confront the attacker, only to get himself shot. Even though Jorge’s son nearly dies, Kalule’s sentence is minimal, heightening the friction. Cast: Daniel Candia, Daniel Antivilo, Alejandra Ya?ez, Ariel Mateluna; Distributor: Film Factory

    These deals were negotiated by Gail Gendler, Senior Director of Acquisitions, AMC/Sundance Channel Global.

    Sundance Channel offers audiences a diverse and engaging selection of first run original drama and other iconic programming, award winning and locally appealing independent films and documentaries. It is available to pay-TV operators as a standard and high definition linear television channel, VOD service and via mobile and online authenticated streaming.  Additionally, select VOD program offerings are available during theatrical windows so audiences can watch films that are still in theatres from the comfort of their own homes.  
     

    In addition to Sundance Channel, AMC/Sundance Channel Global offers WE tv in Asia, a women’s lifestyle focused network featuring top industry figures in food, weddings and fashion with acclaimed series by Bobby Flay, Rachael Ray and Joe Zee, inspiring viewers with their expertise and innovation.

  • Sundance Institute and Mahindra choose 4 filmmakers for global recognition

    Sundance Institute and Mahindra choose 4 filmmakers for global recognition

    MUMBAI: With every passing day, the independent filmmakers are becoming a force to reckon with. The young, emerging filmmakers just don’t satisfy their passion for filmmaking but also put across the message they believe in through their films. And if the works of these young filmmakers are recognised, the work just gets better.

    The Sundance Institute and Mahindra did that only by announcing the winners of the 2014 Sundance Institute, Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award, in recognition and support of emerging independent filmmakers from around the world. The four winning directors and projects are: Hong Khaou for the film Monsoon from Vietnam/UK; Tobias Lindholm for A War from Denmark; Ashlee Page for Archive from Australia; and Neeraj Ghaywan for Fly Away Solo from India.

    The awards were presented at a private ceremony at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A. by Mumbai Mantra chairman Rohit Khattar, Feature Film Program, Sundance Institute founding director Michelle Satter, and International Sundance Institute Feature Film Program director Paul Federbush.

    Ecstatic about the honour Neeraj Ghaywan posted on Facebook, “I kept this a secret for a long time but now it’s out. I am at Sundance film festival in Utah. I just got awarded the Global Filmmaker award by Mahindra Sundance. This is for my first feature film Fly Away Solo (Ud Jaayega). This is for us Varun Grover!! Thank you Anurag Kashyap, Dipa De Motwane, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vikas Bahl, Madhu Mantena,Guneet Monga, Aparna Purohit, Avinash Arun, Utpal Pathak, Abhay Tripathi in helping me get to this point. Special thanks to a lot of the cast and crew, who I can’t mention here as of now.”

    Now in its fourth year, the Sundance Institute, Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award is part of a multifaceted collaboration that exemplifies a commitment to and support of world cinema by the Mahindra Group, one of the largest industrial conglomerates in India known throughout the world for its dedication to excellence and to social responsibility, and the nonprofit Sundance Institute, one of the world’s leading cultural organizations.

    The partnership, which also includes the establishment of the Mumbai Mantra, Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab in India, began in 2011. The Screenwriters Lab will announce the selection for its third edition in March. The lab brings together eight Indian screenwriters from across the world to develop their works under the guidance of accomplished international screenwriters in an environment that encourages storytelling at the highest level.
    Each of the four winning filmmakers will receive a cash award of $10,000, attendance at the Sundance Film Festival for targeted industry and creative meetings, year-round mentoring from Institute staff and creative advisors, eligibility to participate in a Sundance Institute Lab, and ongoing creative and strategic support from Sundance Institute’s renowned Feature Film Program.

    “Sundance Institute shares with Mahindra Group a joint global commitment to nurturing new artists,” said Sundance Institute President and Founder Robert Redford.  “India is one of the most extraordinary cultures in the world, with the support of Anand Mahindra and his group, Sundance Institute screenwriters’ lab can support the next generation of their storytellers.”

    “At a time when there is no dearth of issues around the world that are crying out to be heard, the Global Filmmaking award recognizes independent film-makers who give expression to those voices. The Mahindra Group is proud to assist the Sundance Institute in this endeavour, which, in line with the Group’s ‘Rise’ philosophy, aims to drive a positive change in communities across the world,” said Mahindra Group chairman & managing director Anand Mahindra.

     

  • Producers Guild Award creates history with a tie in Outstanding Picture category

    Producers Guild Award creates history with a tie in Outstanding Picture category

    MUMBAI: On Sunday, 19 January, the Producers Guild Awards (PGA) was announced at the Beverley Hilton with a major twist. For the first time in the 25 years of PGA history, two films have won the coveted statuette. Alfonso Cuaron’s space epic Gravity and the harrowing historical drama 12 Years a Slave shared the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures.

     

    In the past week, 12 Years a Slave landed wins from the Golden Globes (drama film) and the Critics’ Choice Awards. American Hustle won the Globe (comedy film) and the SAG Ensemble prize.

     

    Gravity has been hailed as an Oscar front-runner since its release with 10 Oscar nominations in its kitty. However, it had not scored any high-profile top prizes until Sunday. The PGA win is a giant leap for the film.

     

    Frozen, Disney’s latest animated feature film which surpassed box office records worldwide, won the award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures. This does not come as a surprise since it also won a Golden Globe award in the same category.

     

    On the television front, Breaking Bad won The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama, while Modern Family won The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy. The Michael Douglas and Matt Damon HBO movie, Behind the Candelabra won The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television.

  • Sundance Institute receives $5 million grant from Open Society Foundations

    Sundance Institute receives $5 million grant from Open Society Foundations

    Park City, Utah: Innovative documentary films addressing some of the most important issues facing the world today received a boost with a $5 million grant to the Sundance Institute. Christopher Stone, president of the Open Society Foundations, announced the dollar-for-dollar matching grant at the Sundance Film Festival.

     

    “My foundations have long supported arts and culture-especially film-as a means to build and strengthen open societies around the world,” said George Soros, Founder and Chairman of the Open Society Foundations. “This support will help bring open society issues to a wider audience.”

     

    The Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program advances nonfiction storytelling on a broad range of contemporary social issues and provides leading support for independent documentary filmmakers worldwide. 

     

    The Open Society Foundations in 1996 launched the Documentary Film Program, which was made part of Sundance Institute in 2002.

     

    “Documentary films profoundly impact our culture; they challenge the traditional role of journalism by illuminating stories that inform, inspire and connect us as members of a global community, said Robert Redford, Founder and President of Sundance Institute. “The continued support from George Soros and the Open Society Foundations speaks to our shared belief in the value and power of documentary film.” 

     

    Through a suite of year-round programs including direct grants to filmmakers, Labs, creative and tactical resources, and a variety of partnerships and international initiatives, the program provides a unique, global resource for contemporary independent documentary film. 

     

     “The Open Society Foundations have long been one of the world’s leading supporters of those defending and promoting human rights,” said Chris Stone, President of the Open Society Foundations. “We believe that film can intensify conversations on rights, justice, and social ills.”

     

    For nearly three decades, Sundance Institute has promoted independent storytelling to inform and inspire audiences across political, social, religious and cultural differences. Through labs, funding, special projects with key partners and the Sundance Film Festival, the Institute serves as the leading advocate for independent artists worldwide. 

     

     “As the landscape of non-fiction storytelling continues to evolve, independent documentary filmmakers are increasingly exploring new forms and formats.” said Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute. “With the support of Open Society Foundations, Sundance Institute will continue to seek out and support inventive artists whose work pushes the boundaries of non-fiction story telling and whose stories redefine existing notions of human rights.” 

      

    Putnam added “Sundance is also committed to providing access to platforms for artists to creatively distribute their films and inspire and engage audiences around the world.” 

     

    The Open Society Foundations, founded by George Soros, works in more than 100 countries to promote vibrant and tolerant democracies. The original Documentary Film Program paved the way for numerous contributions to storytelling and impact around human rights issues, seeding films that appeared globally in festivals, conferences, on public broadcasting and on cable and other outlets internationally, reaching millions of viewers and mainstreaming the importance of human rights considerations into prevailing social discourse. Its very existence helped establish the emerging primacy of documentary film in galvanizing and consolidating interest and action around key human rights issues, proving to be a model for other funds and initiatives. 

  • ‘Gravity’ and ‘American Hustle’ lead the 2014 Oscar Nominations

    ‘Gravity’ and ‘American Hustle’ lead the 2014 Oscar Nominations

    MUMBAI: The 86th Academy Awards nominations were announced on the morning of 16 January in Beverly Hills, Calif. The nominations were led by the 3-D space odyssey Gravity and the con artist caper American Hustle, both with 10 nominations. The harrowing historical epic – 12 Years a Slave trailed closely with nine nominations.

     

    The three are among the nine films nominated for Best Picture. The other nominees are Captain Phillips, ‘Dallas Buyers Club, Her, Nebraska, The Wolf of Wall Street and Philomena.

     

    The best director nominees are David O. Russell for American Hustle, Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity, Alexander Payne for Nebraska, Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave, and Martin Scorsese for Paramount’s The Wolf of Wall Street.

     

    The Best Actor nominees include Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave, Bruce Dern for Nebraska, Leonardo DiCaprio for The Wolf of Wall Street, Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club and Christian Bale for American Hustle. The 77-year-old Dern is an Oscar nominee for the second time, 35 years after his nomination for Hal Ashby’s Coming Home. 

     

    The Best Actress nominees are Amy Adams for American Hustle, Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine, Sandra Bullock for Gravity, Judi Dench for Philomena and Meryl Streep for August: Osage County. With her nomination, Streep pads her record for most acting nominations. This is her 18th nod, including three wins, the last for 2011’s The Iron Lady.

     

    Woody Allen scored his record 16th screenwriting nomination for Blue Jasmine. Also up for original screenplay is American Hustle, Dallas Buyers Club, Her and Nebraska. In the adapted screenplay category are Before Midnight, Captain Phillips, Philomena, 12 Years a Slave and The Wolf of Wall Street.

     

    Pixar, usually a mainstay in the Best Animation category, wasn’t in the list this time. Monsters University, however, ruled the segment with Frozen, The Wind Rises, Despicable Me 2, The Croods and Ernest & Celestine.

     

    The first original song finalist announced was the title song from a rookie film called Alone Yet Not Alone in the mix with U2, Pharrell Williams, Karen O and the traditional Disney entry.

  • Adam Sandler’s ‘Grown Ups 2’ tops Razzies

    Adam Sandler’s ‘Grown Ups 2’ tops Razzies

    MUMBAI: The Raspberry Awards, better known as the Razzies, since the last 33 years have worked as the flipside of the Academy Awards. While the latter recognises the good work done in Hollywood, the former rips apart those who were not up to the mark.

     

    This time around when Razzies announced the nominations, Adam Sandler’s Grown Ups 2 led the charts. The film is up for nine Razzie awards this year that includes Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay and Worst Actor for Sandler and Worst Ensemble Cast.

     

    Apparently, it isn’t the first time for the actor to be nominated in the Razzies. His movie Jack and Jill created history by collecting 10 awards in 2011.

     

    However, coming to the others, actor Johnny Depp who till now has had a fairly good reviews in his kitty for his work, has made an opening at the Razzies for his performance in The Lone Ranger this time.

     

    Sci-fi movie After Earth starring Will Smith and his son Jaden has been nominated in six categories, so is Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas and Movie 43.

     

    Scary Movie 5, Runner Runner and The Host are other films to have been nominated.