Movies

Myanmar director Maung Sun says he fears for the future of his writing and producing partner Ma Aeint who now faces charges brought by the military junta. Ma Aeint was arrested in early June in Yangon and was held for a month in judicial detention. She has since been transferred to the notorious Insein Prison,

The latest edition of the Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors section, which highlights new projects and fresh voices from Asia, feels like a culmination in more ways than one. After an entirely remote affair last time around, Open Doors is adopting a hybrid in-person and online approach this time around, welcoming more than half of

Amazon hired advertising creative veteran Remy Merriex, most recently at Facebook, as the newest member of the Prime Video marketing team. Ukonwa Ojo, chief marketing officer of Prime Video and Amazon Studios, announced that Merriex will join Prime Video’s marketing team as global executive creative director. In the new role, he will oversee development of

It seems like every year there’s a new plea for equality and better treatment in Hollywood. Why? The answer is simple: Things aren’t equal, and they haven’t been for a very, very long time. From who gets hired as director on a blockbuster (sometimes with no feature work on their resume) to the person being

Big World Pictures has picked up Romanian auteur Radu Jude’s “Uppercase Print,” which premiered last year in the Berlinale’s Forum section. The sale was handled by Brussels-based Best Friend Forever. The director’s “Bad Luck Banging” won the 2021 Golden Bear at the Berlinale. An adaptation of a 2013 play, “Tipografic majuscul” by Romanian playwright Gianina

Emmy winner Kerry Washington is gearing up for a new adventure, set to star in and produce “Rockaway” for Netflix. The feature film adaptation of Diane Cardwell’s memoir, “Rockaway: Surfing Headlong Into a New Life,” will be written by NAACP Image Award winner Nichelle Tramble Spellman (creator of Apple TV Plus’ “Truth Be Told”). In

Nicholas Hoult is set to star in Universal’s “Renfield,” a monster movie centering on Dracula’s notorious lackey. Chris McKay, the filmmaker behind “The Tomorrow War” and “The Lego Batman Movie,” is directing and producing “Renfield,” which serves as an origin story for Dracula’s unhinged henchman. Based on an original script by Robert Kirkman, the screenplay

Marcia Nasatir, a trailblazing female executive and producer who elbowed her way into a male-dominated Hollywood, shattering conventions and an important glass ceiling in the process, died on Tuesday morning. She was 95. In a career of firsts, Nasatir worked for United Artists, Orion Pictures and Carson Productions, while producing the likes of “The Big

Pedro Almodóvar’s “Parallel Mothers” has been tapped as the closing night selection of the 59th New York Film Festival. The melodrama, which reunites the Spanish auteur with one of his greatest cinematic muses, Penélope Cruz, will make its North American premiere October 8 at Alice Tully Hall. “Parallel Mothers” is making its world debut as

In the first trailer for “Cinderella,” the latest retelling of the classic fairytale, Camila Cabello’s princess isn’t searching for Prince Charming. No, the young woman, who glamorized the glass slipper, dreams of building her own fashion empire. The upcoming movie, which debuts on Amazon Prime Video in September, gives a modern spin on the familiar

London-based world film sales and production company Taskovski Films has picked up Karol Palka’s feature-length documentary “Bucolic,” which plays in the Critics’ Week section of the Locarno Film Festival. The Polish film is described as “a parable about people living in a different way, an affectionate observation that invites curiosity about their world and a

Vienna-based sales outfit Square Eyes has acquired Saeed Taji Farouky’s “A Thousand Fires,” which will open the Locarno Film Festival’s Critics’ Week section. Set in the Magway region of Myanmar, which is home to one of the oldest oil industries in the world, “A Thousand Fires” is a portrait of a family in flux and

Tony Hawk, the skateboarding superstar whose name has become virtually synonymous with the now-Olympic sport, will be the subject of a major forthcoming feature documentary, Variety can reveal. The as-yet-untitled film will focus on the life and career of the 53-year-old ‘Birdman,’ and is being directed by filmmaker-photographer Sam Jones (“I Am Trying to Break

Cameras have begun rolling on David Cronenberg’s sci-fi thriller “Crimes of the Future” with Tanaya Beatty (“Yellowstone”) and Nadia Litz (“Big Muddy”) joining the cast alongside Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux and Kristen Stewart. Principal photography has begun on the movie in Athens, Greece, where shooting will run until September. Additional cast members include Scott Speedman,

With Academy Award-winning “Roma” and “Gravity” director Alfonso Cuarón already a fan, Charlotte Colbert’s feature debut “She Will” will no doubt similarly impress audiences when it premieres at the Locarno Film Festival this week. A psychological horror, the film stars Alice Krige (“Star Trek: First Contact”) as Veronica, a double mastectomy patient seeking respite at

Tribeca Festival has announced its 21st edition will take place from June 8 through June 19. The annual event dropped the word “Film” from its title last year in an effort to embrace storytelling across movies, television, virtual reality, gaming and podcasts. Starting on Sept. 20, Tribeca will open submissions for all categories, including feature

Screen Media has acquired North American rights to James Nunn’s “One Shot,” a thriller about a team of trapped Navy SEALs that unfolds in real time. The movie features martial arts star Scott Adkins, who previously worked with Nunn on “Eliminators,” “Tower Block,” and “Green Street 3.” The cast also includes Ashley Greene Khoury of

Italian director Ferdinando Cito Filomarino first made a splash in Locarno in 2010 when his atmospheric short “Diarchia,” starring Louis Garrel, Riccardo Scamarcio and Alba Rohrwacher, scooped the Leopard of Tomorrow prize and went on to earn an honorable mention at Sundance. His feature debut, “Antonia,” was an intimate portrait of Italian poet Antonia Pozzi

French distributor Pathé has delayed the release of its big-budget historical drama “Eiffel,” starring Romain Duris (“Vernon Subutex,” “Mood Indigo”). The film is one of several that have been hanging in the balance as the French box office takes a major hit due to a mandatory COVID health pass for cinemas. The film, which will

German sales outfit Patra Spanou Film has acquired the international sales rights to “Blue Moon,” the feature debut of Romanian director Alina Grigore, which will world premiere in main competition at September’s San Sebastian Film Festival. “Blue Moon” follows the psychological journey of a young woman, played by Ioana Chitu, who struggles to receive a

The Jerusalem Film Festival is gearing up for a late August start, with celebrated Cannes title “Where is Anne Frank?” set to open the 38th edition of the fest. Directed by Ari Folman, the animated film centres on Kitty, Anne Frank’s imaginary friend whom her diary was addressed to, who magically comes to life at

The Locarno Film Festival, long known as a safe haven for indie cinema, is taking a turn into genre territory while remaining true toits origins. “People know what the mission is for Locarno,” says the fest’s new artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro, referring to the prestige of the event — the 74th edition runs Aug.

Memento International has acquired the international sales rights to “Captain Volkonogov Escaped,” from Russian writing and directing duo Natasha Merkulova and Aleksey Chupov, which will world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival, Variety can reveal. The film tells the story of the titular Captain Volkonogov, a well-respected and obedient law enforcer in the

The 2021 edition of the Sydney Film Festival in Australia has been postponed again and is now expected to take place in November. The move follows a new lockdown in Sydney caused by a COVID-19 resurgence. “In light of the Sydney lockdown extension announced by the NSW Government last week, Sydney Film Festival will postpone

O. J.Marika Gerrard, Zoey Tur, Katy Tur, Jamie Tur, Lawrence Welk III. Simpson’s Bronco chase. Madonna flipping off paparazzi on her wedding day to Sean Penn. Michael Jackson’s sequined glove wanly waving as the pop star was wheeled to a burn unit. Whenever a big breaking news story overtook the Los Angeles TV airwaves in

Chinese director Chen Kaige’s U.S.-born son Arthur Chen Feiyu has swapped his American citizenship out for a Chinese one, a change widely viewed locally as a savvy move to boost his burgeoning career in the mainland. The move comes as Chinese public opinion about celebrities has hinged upon questions of nationality. For instance, Beijing banned

The Imagen Foundation has announced nominations for the 36th annual Imagen Awards, honoring film and TV shows that celebrate Latino talent. In the best feature film field, Netflix landed two: “Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado” (photo, above) and “Ya No Estoy Aqui” / “I’m No Longer Here.” The streamer also received TV

Matt Damon is insisting that he has never used the “f-slur” following backlash from a recent interview. In an article posted by the U.K.’s Sunday Times, the “Stillwater” star was quoted saying he had stopped using the offensive term “months ago” when his daughter wrote him a “treatise” on “how that word is dangerous.” But

Dylan O’Brien has joined the cast of the upcoming feature satire “Not Okay.” Star of “The Maze Runner” and “Love and Monsters,” O’Brien joins previously-announced leading lady Zoey Deutch in the project from writer-director Quinn Shephard. Brad Weston and Negin Salmasi’s Makeready are producing the film, which will premiere exclusively on Disney’s DTC platforms (Hulu

The HBO film “Days of Abandonment,” starring Oscar winner Natalie Portman, is dead. On Monday, the network announced that Portman has stepped down from the film, and production will not be moving forward. “Due to unforeseen personal reasons, Natalie Portman has stepped down from HBO Films’ ‘Days of Abandonment’ prior to the start of filming.