Month: October 2021

Despite having never made a documentary, Todd Haynes didn’t hesitate when Universal Music Group’s David Blackman approached him in 2018 to make a nonfiction feature about the enormously influential rock band the Velvet Underground, which was initially mentored by Andy Warhol and launched the careers of Lou Reed, John Cale and Nico. The Oscar-nominated director

The search is on for the next James Bond actor after Daniel Craig finishes his run, but the hunt for the next 007 director already has a new volunteer: Denis Villeneuve. On the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, hosted by Josh Horowitz, Villeneuve said he’s a huge Bond fan and it would be a dream for

INVESTMENT Ex-Skyscanner CEO Gareth Williams, former XIX Entertainment president James Clayton, Hollywood entertainment lawyer Kevin Yorn and multi F1 Grand Prix-winning motor racing driver Mark Webber are among an eclectic group of investors who have together invested £2 million ($2.7 million) in U.K. production and distribution company Noah Media Group. Noah’s credits include Grierson award-nominated

“It’s been a rough year,” Justin Bieber says from the roof of the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The pandemic has forced nontraditional venues to step in for arenas, and livestreams to take the place of in-person gatherings — even on a major holiday like New Year’s Eve. With only 280 people in attendance, and nearly as

A terminally ill prisoner and a despondent hospital worker steal a hearse stuffed with mob money in “Heaven: To the Land of Happiness.” This combination of odd-couple road movie and crime comedy moves along nicely for about half the running time but loses momentum when sentimentality and drawn-out male bonding take precedence over the film’s

With his breathless, soul-piercing “The First Wave,” director Matthew Heineman makes a tough cinematic proposition. He asks his audience to travel back to March 2020 and relive the early, frightening days of the COVID-19 crisis in New York City, when the Big Apple quickly became the world’s coronavirus epicenter through four deadly months. More graphic

Women In Film, Los Angeles hosted its first fundraising event since 2019 following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Formerly named the Crystal + Lucy Awards, the WIF Honors: Trailblazers of the New Normal gala was held on Wednesday night at the recently opened Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in L.A. Ahead of entry, all

The studios have made some concessions on IATSE’s demands regarding long production hours, but an agreement still remains “a ways off,” according to an update from one IATSE local on Thursday. David O’Ferrall, the business agent of IATSE Local 487, told members that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers had agreed to 10-hour

Gravitas Ventures and Kamikaze Dogfight have acquired the U.S. and Canadian rights for Nathan Crooker’s film “Isolation.” The feature-length anthology connects nine stories of people from all over the world confronting their darkest fears during the pandemic. Crooker, who produces the film, tasked 11 filmmakers with creating their stories using only the production equipment and

Leading Korean film sales agent Finecut has taken international rights to stylish genre actioner “Project Wolf Hunting.” The company will launch it at the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Contents and Film Market which starts at the weekend. Directed by Kim Hongsun, the film is set on board a cargo ship which is being used