Movies

Set in 1978, in a Kurdish village high in the mountains, Iranian horror entry “Zalava” pits rational, scientific beliefs against superstition and groupthink, a theme that carries a lot of resonance just now. At the same time, it  sports a sly sense of humor before edging into tragedy. Marking a confident, cinema-literate feature debut for

France’s Ministry of Culture gave a French toast to Variety’s Steven Gaydos on Thursday, naming him a chevalier/knight for his decades of work in entertainment. Julie Duhaut-Bedos, consul general of France in Los Angeles, reminded the crowd that only a few such awards are handed out yearly, to “people who have distinguished themselves by their

Ecuador-based Tropico Cine has pounced on the international sales rights to Javier Andrade’s drama “Lo Invisible.” This is Andrade’s second feature after his breakout film “The Porcelain Horse,” which represented Ecuador in the 2013 Academy Awards. “Lo Invisible,” which bows its trailer exclusively in Variety, will have its world premiere Sept. 12 in the Toronto International

Years ago, Catherine Hernandez would attend the Toronto International Film Festival by ushering in ticket-holders at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre for a little more than $6 an hour. This year, the author is back at TIFF as something of a celebrity herself, with the worldwide debut of the film “Scarborough.” When the independent

Mark Duplass is in love with a lot of people. He’s in love with his wife, yes, but he also wants the world to know that you can also be in love with your friends. “Language Lessons” is his and Natalie Morales’ ode to the platonic. As co-writers and co-stars with Morales directing, they developed

Disney announced on Friday that upcoming 2021 films “Eternals,” “The Last Duel,” “West Side Story,” “Ron’s Gone Wrong” and “The King’s Man” will get exclusive, 45-day theatrical windows before moving to digital platforms. Meanwhile, the animated musical “Encanto” will play in theaters for 30 days starting on Nov. 24, before hitting Disney Plus. The decision

Chinese actor Zhang Ziyi will make her directorial debut with a short titled “Poem,” part of a high-profile patriotic omnibus blockbuster set for release on Oct. 1, China’s National Day. The film does not yet have an official English name — unsurprising, given that it will not find an audience beyond the China market —

Benedict Cumberbatch has embarked on a year most stars can only dream about. The Oscar-nominated actor will appear in four films in 2021. Cumberbatch, who earned raves for his performance in Dominic Cooke’s “The Courier” earlier this year, was the man of the hour at the Telluride Film Festival, where two of his movies made

In “The Good House,” Sigourney Weaver plays Hildy, a prickly, well-born Realtor in a wealthy New England town. Hildy is a mother and grandmother, and her family has become concerned with her drinking. When they stage an intervention, the beginning of which you can see in this exclusive clip, Weaver’s Hildy breaks the fourth wall,

National Geographic first approached Liz Garbus at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival about directing a documentary focused on French sea explorer Jacques Cousteau. Garbus, who grew up watching David Wolper’s ABC series “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau,” was intrigued. So, for the next four years she and her production team researched the iconic oceanographer,

At first glance, Brian Robbins doesn’t seem like the typical Hollywood movie mogul. But he might just have the qualities and experience the modern role of film impresario demands. ViacomCBS’ decision to elevate Robbins, an entrepreneur who is as well-versed in the language of social media as he is in backlot politics, to the head

“Dear Evan Hansen” costume designer Sekinah Brown is grateful to actor Ben Platt for keeping the memorable blue-striped polo shirt from the Broadway musical. Platt, who played the titular role onstage, is reprising the part for the film which, opens the Toronto Intl. Film Festival on Sept. 9 and bows in theaters Sept. 24. “He

Lise, 14, walks in a cornfield on a sunny day, her pañm brushing its spikes. Suddenly, the sky darkens and a sinister red cloud builds in the distance, moving ominously towards her, then raining blood on her face. The next day, Lise, the eldest of eight siblings, will become the first in her family to

“Leave No Marks” would be a more apt translation from the Polish title of “Leave No Traces,” referring as it does to a horrifying command from one police officer to another, heard early on in this marathon fact-based drama: “Hit the stomach so you leave no marks, not on the back.” They’re in the middle

Two decades after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America, documentary filmmakers are still trying to make sense of the horrific events — even as aftereffects continue to ripple through the geopolitical landscape. The U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan has renewed political debate over the invasion launched in the wake of the 2001 attacks as conspiracy

Opening up what could be a rich vein in Spanish movies coming onto the open market, Film Factory Entertainment has acquired world sales rights outside Spain to “Modelo 77,” the next film by Alberto Rodríguez, director of “Marshland” and “The Plague.” A potential jewel in Spanish cinema’s 2022 crown, “Modelo 77” is produced by Spanish

There is a tone shift midway through “The Alpinist,” subtle and unmistakable. Fellow mountain climbers have been singing the praises of Marc-André Leclerc throughout Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen’s riveting documentary. The 23-year-old Canadian was pulling off unheard of feats soloing peaks and older, wiser rock stars were taking notice, often with their proverbial jaws

The latest James Bond film, “No Time To Die,” will have its chance to blow up the Chinese box office this year, as it has now passed local censorship and has a ticket into the world’s largest film market, official local media confirmed on Friday. Although no specific release date has been set, the development

MGM has picked up several global territories on well-regarded comedy-drama “Queen Bees,” starring Ellen Burstyn, Jane Curtin, Loretta Devine, Ann-Margret and James Caan. The film is directed by Michael Lembeck and written by Donald Martin. Arclight Films has sold distribution rights to MGM for the territories of Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Iceland, U.K., Middle East,

“Dating & New York” has a natural feel for its Manhattan milieu and the various ways in which cell phones and dating apps have reconfigured courtship dynamics. Unfortunately, those are the only fresh components of this otherwise routine romantic comedy, which despite a number of self-conscious touches that suggest an innovative approach to familiar material,

In an ornate palace ballroom overhung by an immense chandelier, a gang of strapping, shaven-headed young men play volleyball on a makeshift court. Stripped down to their undershirts, the game degenerates into vigorous roughhousing, and finally into a wrestling match. As flesh slaps flesh, amid the fading grandeur of Old Russia and the grunts and

Colcoa, the Los Angeles-based French film festival, will be launching a competitive documentary section at its upcoming 25th edition. The documentary lineup will tackle contemporary and historical topics such as climate change, immigration, transgender inclusion, holocaust revelations and centenary celebration. Seven documentaries will vie for the 2021 COLCOA Best Documentary Award. “Documentary films have grown

The journey from franchise to a competition slot at the Venice Film Festival to HBO series was the subject of Thursday’s Venice Production Bridge conference, “From the Philippines to the World: The ‘On the Job’ Franchise and Exploring New Ways of Global Content Distribution.” In good spirits in a market cocktail that followed on Thursday

Mongolia is to launch film production incentives from early next year. The move adds to the attractions of a varied and little-exploited country. The country’s parliament in Ulaanbaatar approved the measures in late August in the hope of expanding its creative industries. “We have been promoting Mongolia as a location since 2017 when we joined

Italian auteur Mario Martone is a Venice aficionado. He was recently in competition on the Lido in 2018 with “Capri Revolution,” and then again in 2019 with “The Mayor of Rione Sanità,” a contemporary adaptation of the play about organized crime by late Neapolitan playwright Eduardo De Filippo. The Naples native is vying for the

With “Dear Evan Hansen,” a divisive Broadway musical sticks its neck out in movie form, trusting a shelf full of Tonys to sweep it from improbable stage success to mainstream glory — except when does that work? In a year with a well-above-average number of musicals popping up on the big screen (“In the Heights,”

The Toronto International Film Festival marked a poignant in-person return on Thursday evening, with the opening night title “Dear Evan Hansen.” Before a single frame of the cathartic tearjerker starring Ben Platt was screened, festival co-heads Cameron Bailey and Joana Vicente primed the room at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall. Normally packed to the gills in

Sony Pictures announced Thursday it has blocked out an awards-friendly spot on Dec. 23, 2022 for the Whitney Houston biopic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” starring Naomi Ackie. Coming up first on Oct. 29 is the novel adaptation “A Mouthful of Air,” starring Amanda Seyfried, Finn Wittrock, Amy Irving and Paul Giamatti. Amy Koppelman wrote

Time’s Up has dissolved an advisory board that included several A-list Hollywood actors, including Jessica Chastain and Reese Witherspoon, as the organization continues to face an existential crisis. The advocacy group — formed with much fanfare just three years ago at the height of the #MeToo movement — has been profoundly harmed by its mishandling

Christopher Nolan has had discussions with several major studios about his next film, revolving around J. Robert Oppenheimer and his involvement developing the atom bomb during World War II. While Nolan’s last few films were all at Warner Bros., the director was not pleased when WarnerMedia made the decision to put its entire 2021 slate