Month: July 2021

Adam Deacon, the BAFTA-winning star of British indie dramas “Kidulthood” and “Adulthood,” will take on his next directorial project with “Sumotherhood.” Billed as an urban action comedy, the film sees Deacon reteaming with Michael Vu, with whom he collaborated on the 2011 film “Anuvahood” — his first turn in the director’s seat. Joining them for

A hapless romantic learns about the dangers of procrastination while attempting to save his crumbling marriage in “Long Story Short,” Australian actor Josh Lawson’s harmless, heart-filled follow-up to his 2014 directorial debut, “The Little Death.” Though the high-concept relationship movie frequently trips over its own well-meaning sentiments, the sweet, earnest performances and sharp technical craftsmanship

As we enter the second half of 2021, the shortened awards period from March 1 until June 30 doesn’t necessarily suggest we have many movies that can be deemed “Oscar-worthy.” In a denser calendar year, every studio will be angling and fighting for their probable contenders to stand out from the pack. The difference is

America’s creation myths may not be entirely rooted in fact — few of us still believe the story about George Washington chopping down that cherry tree — but they’re considerably less outlandish than “America: The Motion Picture,” an animated comedy in which our first president is a chainsaw-wielding freedom fighter who founds America to avenge

Amazon Prime Video has picked up international rights to “Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time,” the fourth movie in the “Evangelion” hit anime movie franchise. The streaming giant will release the film worldwide, excluding Japan, from Aug. 13, 2021. The film, made by a quartet of helmers including original director Anno Hideaki, was released in

“Together,” a new comedy from “Billy Elliot” director Stephen Daldry, will be distributed by Bleecker Street after the indie studio secured North American rights to the film. “Together” stars James McAvoy (“Wanted”) and Sharon Horgan (“Catastrophe”). The film follows two partners who are forced to re-evaluate themselves and their relationship during lockdown, an experience that

Blumhouse Television’s Mary Lisio is resigning her post. Named executive vice president of alternative and non-scripted programming at Jason Blum’s division in 2018, Lisio is departing the company amicably to pursue other opportunities. Her departure comes as a result of Blumhouse TV’s recent exclusive, multi-year unscripted overall deal with ITV America. The pact was designed

The Willem Dafoe-narrated documentary “River,” from “Sherpa” director Jennifer Peedom, has unveiled its first trailer. Produced by Stranger Than Fiction and Arrow Pictures, “River” is an exploration of the timeless relationship between humanity and rivers. Billed as an orchestral concert film, the doc is an ode to the natural word and a retelling of the

Leading arthouse sales agency and producer The Match Factory has acquired “Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash,” which will receive its world premiere in competition at the 74th Locarno Film Festival in August. The film is directed by Edwin, one of Indonesia’s best known and most well-respected directors. The film centers on Ajo Kawir,

Kamen Rider may not have the international recognition of Godzilla — yet. But Toei, whose first “Kamen Rider” live-action TV series aired in 1971, has announced an ambitious project for raising the profile of its motorbike-riding, insect-faced cyborg hero both at home and abroad on the franchise’s 50th anniversary. Unveiled in April at a splashy

Academy Award-winning director Andrea Arnold (“Big Little Lies,” “American Honey”) will have her feature documentary “Cow” distributed by theatrical distributor and streamer MUBI in select European markets. The global curated film streamer has acquired all rights to the movie in the U.K., Ireland and Turkey. The documentary, which tells the story of life for a

For nearly seven decades, animation studio Toei Animation Co. has relied on recognizable franchises, including pirate adventure “One Piece” and fantasy “Dragon Ball,” in making itself a leader. But publishing platforms are now such that just about anyone can distribute animation, or so be moaned Toei Animation president Katsuhiro Takagi two years ago. “I feel

ARTEF, the anti-racism task force for European film that was initiated in the summer of 2020 by European and U.K. film organizations, is now fully operational. ARTEF’s main aim is to dismantle racist structures and combat all forms of racism in the European film industry and become a task force for change by raising awareness,