Month: February 2025

Germany’s film industry may have been hit hard by the economic slowdown, resulting in an overall gloomy outlook, but it’s still celebrating the biggest number ever of local films and co-productions at this year’s Berlinale and looking forward to a diverse lineup of 2025 releases, among them a number of high-profile sequels. Compounding the sector’s

Philosophy professor-turned-filmmaker Adam J. Graves never imagined his feature directorial debut would land on Netflix and garner an Oscar nomination. But a Dairy Queen run during the pandemic changed everything. “We were coming home from Dairy Queen – it was the only place open – and I turned to my wife and said, ‘You know

Johnny Flynn’s career has taken him from Regency England (“Emma,” “Vanity Fair”) to WWII (“Operation Mincemeat”) to contempo Glasgow (“Lovesick”) to mid-century Italy (“Ripley”) to 1971 David Bowie (“Stardust”), and now the versatile actor-singer-songwriter travels to post Civil War America in “A Prayer for the Dying.” Adapted from the novel by Stewart O’Nan and directed

Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired North American rights to “Obex” following its debut at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The surreal, black-and-white fantasy film was directed by Albert Birney (“Strawberry Mansion”) who wrote the script with Pete Ohs (“Jethica”). Birney also stars in the film. The film was widely praised for its imagination and style, with

Marketing guru Tiziana Rocca, who has close Hollywood ties and is a festivals specialist, has been appointed artistic director of Italy’s Taormina Film Festival in a move that brings her back at the helm of the storied Sicilian event that has had its ups and downs over the years. Rocca will heading Taormina once again

Karla Sofía Gascón, as many might have already presumed, is not expected to attend the BAFTA Film Awards ceremony on Sunday night. The “Emilia Pérez” star — who last month became the first openly trans actress to be nominated for a BAFTA — has been absent from awards shows since her racist posts on social media were

Italian director Francesca Archibugi (“La Storia,” “The Hummingbird”) will direct sex-trafficking drama “Illusion” toplining Jasmine Trinca (“La Storia,” “Supersex”) as an intrepid magistrate investigating a prostitution ring with links to the European parliament. Shooting is set to start next month in central Italy on the roughly $8 million film that will reunite Archibugi with Trinca

Todd Haynes, who is serving as Berlin Film Festival jury president, spoke out against Donald Trump’s administration as the fest kicked off on Thursday. When asked his thoughts on Trump’s second term at the jury press conference, the “May December” director said bluntly: “We’re in a state of particular crisis right now in the United

Ella Balinska, best known for her lead role in the “Charlie’s Angels” reboot, has boarded meta action horror film “The Horror Game,” which will commence production later this year. Greg McLean, who directed “Jungle” starring Daniel Radcliffe as well as the “Wolf Creek” series, is set to direct from a script penned by Gus Krieger

Paris- and Berlin-based sales and production house Salaud Morisset has sold Palestinian-Danish director Mahdi Fleifel’s Palestinian refugee drama “To a Land Unknown,” which premiered at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, to 40 territories. The film is released in the U.K. and Ireland on Friday. Salaud Morisset has signed new deals with Imovision (Brazil), Vertigo Media (Hungary, Czech

New Europe Film Sales has pre-sold Hlynur Pálmason’s family drama “The Love That Remains” to multiple territories. Pálmason’s last film, “Godland,” debuted in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard in 2022, and made it to the Oscar shortlist in the international feature film category. Following its appearance in the work-in-progress showcase at Göteborg’s Nordic Film Market, “The

He may be Hollywood’s newly-crowned It boy thanks to his starring role in “Babygirl” opposite Nicole Kidman, but Harris Dickinson has already made moves behind the camera. The British actor’s directorial feature debut “Urchin” — now in post-production — is heading to the European Film Market in Berlin, with Charades launching sales. Gersh and UTA Independent Film

Oliver Hirschbiegel, the director of Oscar-nominated “Downfall” and European Film Award nominee “The Experiment,” and Peter Harness, the writer, creator and executive producer of Apple TV’s “Constellation,” have boarded the film adaptation of Stanislaw Lem’s sci-fi novel “The Inquest of Pilot Pirx.” They join sci-fi novelist Adrian Tchaikovsky on the project, having been tapped by

A much-needed film funding reform in Germany has become critical for the local industry and for Berlin’s Studio Babelsberg in particular, as it welcomes new management and bids farewell to longtime head of production Henning Molfenter, who has launched a new company. Studio Babelsberg appointed former Warner Bros. exec Joerg Bachmaier as new CEO in

“The Wild Robot” composer Kris Bowers and musicians Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross led the winners at the 6th annual Society of Composers and Lyricists awards. Reznor and Ross took home the top prize for outstanding original song for “Compress/Repress” from “Challengers.” Ross also took home an award for his work on “Shogun.” Composer Daniel

Barcelona studio Filmax has boarded “Another Man,” a comedy-laced romantic drama marking the second feature from Spanish writer-director David Moragas who turned heads on the festival circuit with ‘A Stormy Night,’ a black and white New York-set brief encounter story. Filmax will handle the theatrical release in Spain and international sales on “Another Man.” In

Atresmedia Cine and Buena Vista Intl. have boarded as producers and distributors of Guillermo de Oliveira‘s upcoming Galiacian-language film “A Morte Nos Teus Ollos.” The feature, also produced by Sideral and Sétima, is de Oliveira’s second after his 2019 debut documentary, “Sad Hill Unearthed.” Production will begin this fall, and the film will be released

Specializing in European co-productions, Vienna-based boutique shingle Pont Pictures is spearheading an innovative initiative to boost international collaborations by leveraging Austrian film funding incentives. Pont Pictures head Philipp Mair Vargas has unveiled a model that utilizes the 60% co-production incentive offered by the Austrian Film Institute’s ÖFI Plus subsidy program to help filmmakers overcome what

Uwe Boll’s vigilante thriller “The Dark Knight,” starring Armie Hammer, has added Costas Mandylor (“Saw” franchise) to the cast and unveiled a first look image from the film. Currently shooting in Zagreb, Croatia, “The Dark Knight” follows Sanders (Hammer), a man who takes justice into his own hands as he sets out to hunt down

The U.K.’s National Theatre Live has unveiled the first trailer for its cinematic presentation of “Dr. Strangelove,” the stage adaptation of Stanley Kubrick’s cold war satire, ahead of its worldwide cinema release. The footage showcases seven-time BAFTA winner Steve Coogan‘s celebrated performances as Dr. Strangelove, President Merkin Muffley, Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, and Major TJ

In a wide-ranging conversation at the British Film Institute ahead of his new film “Mickey 17,” Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho revealed that Mark Ruffalo‘s antagonist character bears an uncanny resemblance to a certain U.S. president who once criticized “Parasite’s” historic Academy Awards sweep. “We shot this film in London in 2022 and there’s a