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Durban FilmMart Head Magdalene Reddy on Africa’s Financing Boom, Transformative Power of Cinema and How to ‘Create a New Vision’ for the Continent
The Durban FilmMart returns to South Africa’s sun-splashed coast this week for its 15th edition, with the thematic banner “African Visions Unleashed” underscoring the event’s focus on the power of the continent’s creative industries and how they can be harnessed to address the day’s pressing issues while also playing a more socially responsible role.Netflix's Ted Sarandos: Generative AI Tools Will Be a 'Great Way for Creators to Tell Better Stories' Magdalene Reddy, director of the Durban FilmMart Institute, says this year’s edition is organized around the overarching question: “How do we create a new vision for Africa?” “There’s a very transformative power...
‘Zone of Interest,’ ‘Horizon’ on the Slate as SF Studios, Warner Bros. Discovery Ink Nordic Max Streaming Pact – Global Bulletin
SCANDINAVIAN STREAMING SURGE SF Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery have entered a content partnership for the Nordic region. The deal grants WBD’s Max streaming service first-run rights to SF Studios’ local and international titles post-theatrical and transactional windows.Netflix Rejects Direct Streaming Bundles With Max, Disney+ Because It 'Already Operates as a Go-To Destination' The agreement aims to bolster SF Studios’ investment in Nordic productions and expand audience reach through Max in the region. Upcoming titles include Tarik Saleh’s “Eagles of the Republic” starring Fares Fares, Norwegian crime adaptation “The Nation’s Gambit,” and Mikkel Serup’s “Kingmaker,” a sequel to 2004’s “Kongekabale.” International films like...
Paul Schrader to Lead Sarajevo Festival Jury, Serving Alongside Noomi Rapace, Juho Kuosmanen, Una Gunjak, Sebastian Cavazza
U.S. director-screenwriter Paul Schrader will serve as president of the features jury of the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival, which runs from Aug. 16 to 23. Schrader will be joined on the jury by Swedish actor and producer Noomi Rapace, Finnish director-writer Juho Kuosmanen, Sarajevo-born, Paris-based director, writer and editor Una Gunjak, and Slovenian actor Sebastian Cavazza.
‘Allen Sunshine,’ About Grieving Music Mogul, Wins Werner Herzog Film Award (EXCLUSIVE)
The Werner Herzog Foundation has revealed that Canadian filmmaker Harley Chamandy will receive the 2024 Werner Herzog Film Prize for his feature “Allen Sunshine.” The annual award, presented in collaboration with the Munich Film Museum, comes with a €5,000 ($5,445) prize.Werner Herzog Leads Film Accelerator in Spain, Voice Acts in Bong Joon Ho's Upcoming Animated Feature (EXCLUSIVE) “Allen Sunshine” follows a former music mogul who retreats to a secluded lake house after his famous wife’s suicide. The protagonist copes with his loss by composing electronic music and forming an unlikely bond with two local boys. His journey through grief is punctuated...
Venice Days Unveils Female-Centric Lineup, Including Electropop Pioneer Doc ‘Peaches Goes Bananas’
Films directed by women dominate the Venice Film Festival’s independently run Giornate Degli Autori, which has unveiled a lineup full of first works and special events including “Peaches Goes Bananas,” French filmmaker Marie Losier’s tribute to iconic Canadian electropop provocateur Peaches.Wistful Romance 'Sidonie in Japan,' Starring Isabelle Huppert, Sells Across Major International Territories (EXCLUSIVE) Shot over the course of 17 years, “Peaches Goes Bananas” provides an intimate portrait of the former schoolteacher, who during the 1980s moved from Canada to Berlin and became a queer feminist icon, breaking taboos and “transforming her body into art,” as the doc’s synopsis puts it. The...
‘The Jetty’ Star Jenna Coleman on Ember’s Murky Past and That Shocking Twist: ‘The Ending Used to Be Extremely Different’
SPOILER ALERT: This story contains major spoilers for “The Jetty,” now streaming on iPlayer in the U.K.All3Media's BBC-Amazon Hit Series 'Boat Story' Set for Indian Adaptation by Locomotive Global (EXCLUSIVE) In new BBC drama “The Jetty” Jenna Coleman (“Doctor Who,” “The Sandman”) plays Detective Ember Manning, whose investigation into an abused teenager sets her onto a cold case relating to another missing teen, Amy Knightly, who disappeared some decades earlier. It’s a case Ember soon realizes she has an intimate connection to. Over four nail-biting episodes showrunner Cat Jones takes viewers on a bumpy ride through Ember’s past and present as an...
Bangladesh Internet in ‘Total Shutdown’ Amid Student Protests and Dozens of Deaths: ‘Things Are Really Turning Bad’
The internet has been shut down and mobile services severely disrupted in Bangladesh amid student protests that began earlier this week. 'John Wick,' 'Hunger Games' on the Menu as Lionsgate Play Partners With Grameenphone to Expand Bangladesh Presence (EXCLUSIVE) The disruptions do not appear to be connected to the global internet outage that is taking place on Friday. But, equally, it is not clear whether the government is attempting to silence critics and prevent organization of anti-regime protests or whether the outages are a consequence of ongoing violence and attacks on infrastructure. The unrest centers on demands to end a quota system...
Sky News Off Air Briefly, Planes Disrupted During Global Microsoft IT Outage Linked to Cybersecurity Firm Crowdstrike
Sky News went off the air briefly on Friday morning amid a global IT outage, which also disrupted flights around the world and train services in the U.K.J.K. Rowling Says 'I'm So Sick of This S---' After Sky News Describes Transgender Killer as a 'Woman': 'This Is Not a Woman. These Are Not Our Crimes' According to the BBC, the disruptions appear to be linked to a software update that went awry for cybersecurity company Crowdstrike’s anti-virus software, which has affected many of Microsoft’s Windows devices. In a statement to the BBC, Microsoft blamed “third-party software,” but did not name the...
Durban Film Festival Opens With Rousing Defense of Personal Freedoms, Power of Cinema as South Africa Reflects on 30 Years of Democracy
The 45th Durban Intl. Film Festival kicked off Thursday, as the world celebrated the birthday of freedom fighter and South Africa’s first Black president Nelson Mandela, with a rousing defense of hard-won personal liberties and an insistence that the art of cinema remains “as vital as ever.” Heartfelt Coming-of-Age Story 'After the Long Rains' Follows a Kenyan Girl Determined to Break Free From Tradition “As we celebrate 30 years of democracy and with this 45th edition of Durban Intl. Film Festival opening on Nelson Mandela Day, we also consider the role of cinema and filmmakers in reflecting society and in creating...
Donald Trump Became a Reality TV Star Again With His Rambling Convention Speech
In a rambling convention speech on Thursday night, Donald Trump — sweaty and with a bandage over his right ear from surviving an assassination attempt on his life — did what he does best. He talked, and talked, and talked. And talked. And talked. And talked.Donald Trump Speech Powers Most-Watched RNC Coverage, Peaking at 28.4 Million Viewers In front of a captive audience — both the true-believer crowd of Republicans in Milwaukee and those still glued to the Trump show at home — the 45th and would-be-47th President said relatively little about what he might accomplish with four more years in...
Why Is Donald Trump So Fixated on Hannibal Lecter?
For a moment, Donald Trump seemed — despite everything — to be a whole new man.Donald Trump Accepts Republican Nomination, Details Assassination Attempt: 'I Had God on My Side,' He Says in Epic Speech We’d been told by speakers throughout the final night of the Republican National Convention that the attempt on his life had changed the 45th president’s outlook and his approach to politics. The experience had made him a unifier. “He turned down the most obvious opportunity in politics to inflame the nation after being shot,” Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News anchor, said in his speech Thursday night, hours...
Big Sean Announces New Album ‘Better Me Than You’ and Drops Single ‘Yes’ Following Album Leak
A day after a disgruntled Kanye West fan leaked a version of his new album, Big Sean has announced the upcoming release of his sixth solo album “Better Me Than You,” dropping August 9 on Def Jam.Big Sean's Alleged Upcoming Album Leaked by Kanye West Fan Over Perceived Diss The rapper, who acknowledged the leak last night by releasing a snippet of a song produced by Alchemist, dropped a new single called “Yes” tonight in tandem with the album announcement, giving a preview of what to expect from the project. Unfortunately, drama has already surrounded the project after Sean gave his “On...
Donald Trump Accepts Republican Nomination, Details Assassination Attempt: ‘I Had God on My Side,’ He Says in Epic Speech
Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination for President Thursday night, striking a softer tone on the heels of his near-death experience five days ago when he narrowly missed an assassin’s bullet at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa.Donald Trump Became a Reality TV Star Again With His Rambling Convention Speech Trump took the stage at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum with theatrical flair and in front of a giant bank of large vanity-style light bulbs that spelled out “Trump.” His words began with a more somber focus on the fallout of the assassination attempt, but after the hour-mark the former President began to...
Cheng Pei-pei, ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ and ‘Come Drink With Me’ Star, Dies at 78
Cheng Pei-pei, the Chinese-born action film icon who starred in Ang Lee’s Oscar-nominated “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and King Hu’s seminal wuxia feature “Come Drink With Me,” has died. She was 78.Film Review: 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny' Cheng, considered a pioneer of martial arts roles for female actors, died in the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday. She had long suffered from a degenerative brain disease and has donated her brain to medical research. Born in Shanghai on Jan. 6, 1946, Cheng moved to Hong Kong in 1962. With her ballet and dance training, she was soon working with...
Alec Baldwin Could Sue ‘Rust’ Investigators: ‘This Is Open and Shut’
Alec Baldwin could file a civil rights lawsuit against the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, after a judge dismissed his manslaughter case due to withheld evidence.'Rust' Armorer Wants Conviction Overturned After Alec Baldwin Case Collapses Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer found the state “highly culpable” for failing to disclose a batch of bullets to the defense. Baldwin could sue under the New Mexico Civil Rights Act, the state Tort Claims Act, or the federal Civil Rights Act of 1871. “This is open and shut in my mind,” said Taylor Smith, an attorney in Albuquerque who has sued police agencies across New Mexico. “I...
‘Crumb Catcher’ Review: The Honeymoon’s Over Before It Starts in Black-Comedy Thriller
Even Mario Bava’s succinctly titled horror “Hatchet for the Honeymoon” 54 years ago did not imagine a more vividly unpleasant entrée to wedlock than “Crumb Catcher,” Chris Skotchdopole’s feature directorial bow. In this mix of home-invasion thriller and grotesque comedy, a just-hitched young couple already on each other’s last nerves are surprised by uninvited visitors, causing the night to go from bad to very much worse. If you can withstand spending nearly two hours in the company of these grating, argumentative characters, there are rewards to be had in a skillfully wrought, twisty suspense tale that releases to limited U.S....
Susan Sarandon Doesn’t Know Who She’ll Support for President, But Thinks Joe Biden Should Drop Out
Susan Sarandon, the Academy Award winning actress, does not think that President Joe Biden can win his bid for reelection against former president Donald Trump — and that the incumbent president should step down from his party’s ticket. Susan Sarandon Apologizes for Remarks at Pro-Palestine Rally: My 'Phrasing Was a Terrible Mistake' “Yes,” she said enthusiastically when asked Wednesday evening if the president should withdraw. “Obviously there are a lot of people within the party who feel the same way.” “I don’t think the dust has settled on our choices” she told Variety on Thursday night at the New York premiere for “The Fabulous Four,”...
Tucker Carlson Says Donald Trump Has Been ‘Changed’ by Assassination Attempt; Hulk Hogan Revs Up RNC Crowd
Former President Donald Trump has been “changed” by the assassination attempt against his life, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson told the Republican National Convention on Thursday night.JD Vance Rallies RNC Crowd in First Address as Donald Trump's Running Mate: 'This Could Have Been a Day of Heartbreak and Mourning' Speaking to the crowd at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum, Carlson praised Trump for his resilience and toughness and invoked the sentiment that divine intervention played a part in keeping the bullet from taking him out. On July 13 at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., Trump was shot at by a 20-year-old...
MGK Enlists Jelly Roll for John Denver-Inspired New Single ‘Lonely Road’
MGK has announced his new single “Lonely Road” featuring Jelly Roll, slated for release on July 26.Toby Keith Tribute Special Set at NBC Featuring Carrie Underwood, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan and More The song, which may signal a pivot into country for MGK, is clearly inspired by John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” the iconic country standard released as a single in 1971 off his fourth studio album “Poems, Prayers & Promises,” with the pair referencing the melody and lyrics from the song. To give fans a taste of what to expect, the sometimes-rapper, sometimes-rocker released a teaser of...
‘Cobra Kai’ Bosses on Johnny and Daniel’s ‘Bad Marriage’ and [SPOILER] Turning to the Dark Side
SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers about Season 6 Part 1 of “Cobra Kai,” now streaming on Netflix.'The Boys' Cast Answers Burning Questions About Season 4's Devastating Ending and That Mid-Credits Scene “Cobra Kai” never dies…until it does. Part 1 of the sixth and final season of “Cobra Kai” — the Netflix hit set in the “Karate Kid” universe — has dropped, at long last. And this time, the drama revolves around the ultimate championship for the show’s characters, at the international karate tournament, Sekai Taikai. The catch is that only six of the Miyagi-Do fighters can make it to the world...
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