Picturestart and Ghetto Film School (GFS) have announced the winners of their “Discover Your Voice” fellowship contest. The winning projects come from filmmakers Zenzele Ojore (grand prize), Danni Juhl (first prize) and Jenna Anderson and Mags Chamberlain (second prize), who were rewarded with prize money totaling $21,000. “Together with Ghetto Film School, we were inspired
Don’t mention the strong female character descriptor to Emily Blunt. During a recent interview with The Telegraph (via IndieWire), the actor rejected the archetype and said she’s “bored” of getting scripts where her character is labeled a “strong female lead.” “It’s the worst thing ever when you open a script and read the words ‘strong
Actor and filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom began her testimony at Harvey Weinstein’s trial Monday, becoming emotional as soon as she took her oath on the stand. The most high-profile witness, named Jane Doe #4 in the case, Siebel Newsom is married to Gov. Gavin Newsom. A public advocate for gender equality and against sexual harassment,
Newen Studios, a division of France’s TF1 Group-owned media banner Newen, has acquired Vanessa Djian’s French production banner Daï Daï Films. The acquisition of Daï Daï Films underscores the company’s strategy to ramp up its presence in the feature film landscape and aggregate talents, following the footsteps of French indie powerhouses such as Mediawan. Djian,
A New York jury on Monday unanimously ordered Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis to pay $2.5 million in punitive damages after finding him liable for raping a film publicist. A civil rape lawsuit was filed against the filmmaker by former film publicist Haleigh Breest, who alleges the filmmaker forced her to perform oral sex on him
Apple TV+ has given a series order to a half-hour comedy from Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck and Alex Gregory. Starring Rogen, the untitled series is about a legacy Hollywood movie studio trying to survive in a world where it is increasingly difficult for art and commerce to live together. In addition to starring,
Maybe what the streaming space really needed was “The Goop Lab” for boys. That’s among the thoughts provoked by “Limitless With Chris Hemsworth,” a new documentary series on Disney+. Here, Hemsworth — like his Marvel-movie stablemate Gwyneth Paltrow — evinces an interest in wellness, and pursues off-the-beaten-path methods to ensure his prolonged health. The “Thor”
The “Yellowstone” Season 5 premiere on Sunday night saw substantial gains in viewership over the show’s fourth season premiere last year. The fifth season opener aired across Paramount Network, CMT, TV Land and Pop, with the same networks having aired the previous premiere as well. On Paramount Network alone, the show drew 8.8 million viewers
Recently graduated from the Beaux-Arts de Paris, French painter Apolonia Sokol heads to the U.S. in pursuit of the bigger picture. She finds it, after a fashion, as a wealthy collector commissions her to churn out 10 canvases a month. It’s an industrial approach to art that docmaker Lea Glob views skeptically: “Why only buy
Rod Stewart revealed he turned down over a million dollars to perform at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, adding to the growing air of uncertainty and criticism surrounding the tournament, which is set to kick off this upcoming weekend in Qatar. The decision to host the World Cup in Qatar has shone a spotlight on the
Christina Applegate attended her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony on Monday, Nov. 14, which notably marked the Emmy winner’s first public appearance since disclosing her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in spring 2021. Applegate was originally set to receive her star on the Walk of Fame in 2020, but the pandemic delayed the ceremony. She announced her
The Kardashian family media approach used to be Swiss-watch precise: First, an event in the public life of the family happened, and was covered by the tabloid press in its moment. Then, some months later, the event would be the subject of an episode of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” their E! reality show, in
British production companies such as Left Bank, Carnival Pictures and Eleven Film have already signed up to a slew of new writing projects comprising the annual Brit List. Just 5 out of the 19 scripts this year are still without a production company attached. The U.K. platform for emerging British screenwriting talent and their unproduced
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Six-time Grammy winner Elton John will perform for the last time in North America this Sunday — a grand finale that will be captured in a Disney+ live broadcast titled “Elton John Live: Farewell
In writing the harrowing story of a Romanian stowaway trying to reach America aboard a cargo ship while hiding from merciless Taiwanese officers, Mihai Mincan found inspiration in the overwhelming fear that he once felt in his own dire predicament. “To the North,” which screens in competition at the Thessaloniki Film Festival, is loosely
The Songwriters Hall of Fame has announced its slate of nominees to be voted upon for induction at its 54th Annual Induction & Awards Gala on June 15, 2023, in New York City: a complete list of nominees and the songs for which they are best known appears below, but it includes such legendary artists as
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” reaffirmed Disney and Marvel’s box office might with its blockbuster $181 million debut in North America. The comic book sequel generated another $150 million internationally, bringing its global tally to a staggering $331 million. Those ticket sales fell short of its predecessor, 2018’s “Black Panther,” which became an instant cultural phenomenon
Pakistan’s “Joyland” could still qualify for the upcoming Academy Awards for best international feature, despite being banned in its native country, which was announced on Nov. 12. The government of Pakistan banned Saim Sadiq’s Oscar contender — which is Pakistan’s Oscar entry —for containing “highly objectionable” material. An order dated Nov. 11 from Pakistan’s Ministry
Roberta Flack, the 85-year-old singer known for songs such as “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” has ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which has made it impossible to sing and restricted her speaking ability, according to her manager. “It will take a lot more than ALS to silence this icon,” her manager Suzanne
We all have that friend you share good news with first. Their reaction is jubilant, fizzing, maybe even a little OTT. They’re happier for you than you are for yourself. That was Lyra McKee for director Alison Millar. McKee, an investigative journalist from Belfast, was just 29 years old when she was shot in the
Check out the official trailer for Sr. starring Robert Downey Sr. & Robert Downey Jr.! ► Visit Fandango: https://www.fandango.com/?cmp=Trailers_YouTube_Desc Subscribe to the channel and click the bell icon to be notified of all the hottest trailers: http://bit.ly/2CNniBy US Release Date: December 2, 2022 Starring: Robert Downey Sr. & Robert Downey Jr. Director: Chris Smith Synopsis:
Check out the official Trailer for Empire of Light starring Olivia Colman! ► Buy Tickets to Empire of Light on Fandango: https://www.fandango.com/empire-of-light-2022-228836/movie-overview?cmp=Trailers_YouTube_Desc Subscribe to the channel and click the bell icon to be notified of all the hottest trailers: http://bit.ly/2CNniBy US Release Date: December 9, 2022 Starring: Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Toby Jones, and Colin
Longtime media executives David Levy and Chris Weil are launching a marketing agency alongside Horizon Media, one aimed at capitalizing on the shift they see already underway for sports advertising. Horizon Sports & Experiences (HS&E) plans to focus on marketing beyond TV commercials and in-stadium signage, which Levy called “table stakes.” Instead, it will look
Impact, the LinkedIn-like professional network for the entertainment biz founded by filmmakers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, raised $15 million in Series B funding. The L.A.-based company, founded in 2020, has now landed more than $21 million in total funding. The Series B round was led by venture-capital firm Shasta Ventures with participation from Silicon
Vendôme Pictures, the production house behind Sian Heder’s Oscar-winning film “CODA,” is set to produce “Ibelin,” a feature film which will be directed by Morten Tyldum (“The Imitation Game”). Penned by Kyle Killen (“Halo”), the film will be inspired by the real-life story of Mats Steen, a disabled boy from Norway who went by ‘Ibelin’
D.C. Comics new superhero Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson) calls on the Egyptian gods for hissuperpowers in “Black Adam.” One sequence sees Black Adam in a stand-off with the Justice Society of America — Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Cyclone and Atom Smasher — in a street battle scene. Weta FX stepped in for the first of many
Quiver Distribution has acquired the U.S. rights for Toronto-premiering drama “Blueback,” starring Mia Wasikowska, Radha Mitchell and Eric Bana. Directed by Robert Connolly (“The Dry,” “Paper Planes”), “Blueback” world premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this fall. Based on Tim Winton’s novel of the same name, the story follows novice diver Abby (Wasikowska),
Apple is hitting the pitch for the 2022 FIFA World Cup with “After the Whistle,” an exclusive podcast hosted by Brendan Hunt, co-creator and star of Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso,” and NBC Sports’ Rebecca Lowe. Apple says “After the Whistle,” produced in partnership with Meadowlark Media, will provide “an entertaining and informative take” on
Facing a slowdown in sales, Amazon plans to lay off about 10,000 employees in corporate and technology positions, starting as soon as this week, the New York Times reported. Citing anonymous sources, the Times reported that the layoffs will be concentrated on Amazon’s devices group, including the Alexa voice assistant, along with its retail and
Magnolia Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to “Joyride,” a road-trip comedy starring Oscar-winner Olivia Colman and Charlie Reid. The indie studio will release the film in theaters and on demand on Dec. 23. The picture was directed by Emer Reynolds (“Songs for While I’m Away”) and written by Ailbhe Keogan (“Bad Sisters). The cast also