Untamed Talent, the recently launched Arab world management and production company led by former Mister Smith Entertainment executive Antone Saliba is rebranding as 75East and bringing on board Shams Mohajerani, a former acquisitions executive at Cairo-based Mad Solutions, as manager and producer.
The change in name to 75East of the company, which launched last December with backing from Front Row Productions – a joint venture between leading Middle East distribution companies Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Empire Entertainment – is a geographical reference to the wider Southwest Asian and North African (Swana) region from Morocco to Pakistan, “reflecting the company’s commitment to representing talent beyond Arabic-speaking territories,” according to a statement.
The addition of Mohajerani, an Iranian-American raised in Boston, will expand the company’s reach outside the Arab world and commit to its focus on neighboring territories “including the Persian-speaking world, as well as filmmakers with ties to the region...
The change in name to 75East of the company, which launched last December with backing from Front Row Productions – a joint venture between leading Middle East distribution companies Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Empire Entertainment – is a geographical reference to the wider Southwest Asian and North African (Swana) region from Morocco to Pakistan, “reflecting the company’s commitment to representing talent beyond Arabic-speaking territories,” according to a statement.
The addition of Mohajerani, an Iranian-American raised in Boston, will expand the company’s reach outside the Arab world and commit to its focus on neighboring territories “including the Persian-speaking world, as well as filmmakers with ties to the region...
- 5/16/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Mohamed Kordofani’s Goodbye Julia and Kaouther Ben Hania’s Four Daughters lead the nominations for the 8th Critics Awards for Arab Films, which will be held during the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.
Both features picked up seven nominations apiece for the awards, focused on Arab films that were produced and premiered outside of the Arab world in 2023. Overseen and run by the Cairo-based Arab Cinema Centre (Acc), it was voted on by 209 critics from 72 countries and the winners will be announced during Cannes on May 18.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
This year’s nominees range from Sudan,...
Both features picked up seven nominations apiece for the awards, focused on Arab films that were produced and premiered outside of the Arab world in 2023. Overseen and run by the Cairo-based Arab Cinema Centre (Acc), it was voted on by 209 critics from 72 countries and the winners will be announced during Cannes on May 18.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
This year’s nominees range from Sudan,...
- 4/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
London and Paris-based Film Constellation has taken international sales on Egyptian director Abu Bakr Shawky’s hotly anticipated Saudi-set adventure movie “Hajjan,” ahead of its Toronto Film Festival world premiere.
“Hajjan,” which will launch from Toronto’s Discovery section, is a followup to Shawky’s first feature “Yomeddine,” which had the rare distinction of making the competition cut for Cannes.
Somewhat similarly to “Yomeddine” – which involved the desert voyage of a leper, a donkey, and a child – “Hajjan” also involves a journey across the desert, this time embarked upon by a young orphan boy and his beloved camel. The big-budget film, which was shot mostly in the sprawling area situated along Saudi’s Red Sea coast in Tabuk, in the northwest of the kingdom, is about a young boy named Matar who, after the death of his brother on the camel race track, tries to avenge his death. To do...
“Hajjan,” which will launch from Toronto’s Discovery section, is a followup to Shawky’s first feature “Yomeddine,” which had the rare distinction of making the competition cut for Cannes.
Somewhat similarly to “Yomeddine” – which involved the desert voyage of a leper, a donkey, and a child – “Hajjan” also involves a journey across the desert, this time embarked upon by a young orphan boy and his beloved camel. The big-budget film, which was shot mostly in the sprawling area situated along Saudi’s Red Sea coast in Tabuk, in the northwest of the kingdom, is about a young boy named Matar who, after the death of his brother on the camel race track, tries to avenge his death. To do...
- 9/8/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Saudi Arabia’s Ithra Film Productions has launched a new film fund that aims to attract international filmmakers to shoot fully-financed movies in the kingdom on which local talents and crews can cut their teeth.
Ithra Film — which is a unit of The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, financed by Saudi Aramco Oil Company to promote cultural development – is looking to commission and fund up to five films annually. The level of funding was not disclosed, nor was the criteria for selection besides the requirement that they contribute to foster the growth of Saudi Arabia’s embryonic film industry.
“We invite international filmmakers to collaborate with filmmakers in the kingdom and join us on our journey to accelerate talent and sector development in Saudi,” said Majed Z. Samman, who is head of performing arts and cinema at Ithra, announcing the fund at the Cannes market during a panel at the Saudi pavilion.
Ithra Film — which is a unit of The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, financed by Saudi Aramco Oil Company to promote cultural development – is looking to commission and fund up to five films annually. The level of funding was not disclosed, nor was the criteria for selection besides the requirement that they contribute to foster the growth of Saudi Arabia’s embryonic film industry.
“We invite international filmmakers to collaborate with filmmakers in the kingdom and join us on our journey to accelerate talent and sector development in Saudi,” said Majed Z. Samman, who is head of performing arts and cinema at Ithra, announcing the fund at the Cannes market during a panel at the Saudi pavilion.
- 5/23/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Leading Egyptian independent production company Film Clinic is gearing up for the shoot of The Inevitable Journey Of Finding The Wedding Dress by Jaylan Auf.
Yasmin Raeis (Looking for Oum Kulthum) and newcomer Asma Galal co-star as a bride-to-be and her best friend who embark on a mad dash across Cairo in search of a wedding dress after a mishap with the original gown on the eve of the ceremony.
“It’s a social drama about two best friends from a low-income neighborhood,” says Film Clinic founder and head Mohamed Hefzy. “The city is very much part of the story and a character in the film.”
Auf previously worked as assistant director on Egyptian features such as Excuse My French, Décor and The Cat Mouse, while her short film Turning Ten played in Competition at the Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival in 2019.
“We’ve been trying to get...
Yasmin Raeis (Looking for Oum Kulthum) and newcomer Asma Galal co-star as a bride-to-be and her best friend who embark on a mad dash across Cairo in search of a wedding dress after a mishap with the original gown on the eve of the ceremony.
“It’s a social drama about two best friends from a low-income neighborhood,” says Film Clinic founder and head Mohamed Hefzy. “The city is very much part of the story and a character in the film.”
Auf previously worked as assistant director on Egyptian features such as Excuse My French, Décor and The Cat Mouse, while her short film Turning Ten played in Competition at the Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival in 2019.
“We’ve been trying to get...
- 5/23/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Initiative aims to commission and fund up to five films annually.
Saudi outfit Ithra Film Production has launched a new funding initiative to encourage international filmmakers to collaborate with the region and advance its fast-growing film industry.
The King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, known as Ithra, aims to commission and fund up to five films annually. The level of funding was not disclosed and projects will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
An open call for submissions will run until August 4 and projects will be selected by a panel of Arab filmmakers, the names of which have yet to be revealed.
Saudi outfit Ithra Film Production has launched a new funding initiative to encourage international filmmakers to collaborate with the region and advance its fast-growing film industry.
The King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, known as Ithra, aims to commission and fund up to five films annually. The level of funding was not disclosed and projects will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
An open call for submissions will run until August 4 and projects will be selected by a panel of Arab filmmakers, the names of which have yet to be revealed.
- 5/22/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
One of the rarest sightings at the Cannes Film Festival is the first-time filmmaker whose debut feature has been admitted to the exclusive Main Competition lineup. That section is normally the domain of veteran directors who’ve been to Cannes before, but a Senegalese-French director named Ramata-Toulaye Sy has joined the 2023 ranks with “Banel & Adama,” her first feature after one short and a couple of writing credits.
Hers is the first debut film to land in the Main Competition since Mati Diop’s “Atlantics” and Ladj Ly’s “Les Miserables” did so four years ago; the former film made the Oscar shortlist in the Best International Feature Film category and the latter was nominated for that award. In the past decade, the only other first films to crash the competition were Abu Bakr Shawky’s “Yomeddine” in 2018 and Laszlo Nemes’ Oscar-winning “Son of Saul” in 2015.
So Sy is in rarefied company,...
Hers is the first debut film to land in the Main Competition since Mati Diop’s “Atlantics” and Ladj Ly’s “Les Miserables” did so four years ago; the former film made the Oscar shortlist in the Best International Feature Film category and the latter was nominated for that award. In the past decade, the only other first films to crash the competition were Abu Bakr Shawky’s “Yomeddine” in 2018 and Laszlo Nemes’ Oscar-winning “Son of Saul” in 2015.
So Sy is in rarefied company,...
- 5/20/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Three categories have been added to this year’s awards.
Moroccan filmmaker Maryam Touzani’s The Blue Caftan leads the nominations in the 7th Critics Awards for Arab Films, which has added categories for best editing, cinematography and music.
The Arabic-language drama, in which a woman and her closeted gay husband hire a young apprentice at their caftan store, secured seven nominations – every category except editing and documentary. The film premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes last year and was Morocco’s submission for the international feature film Oscar, making the shortlist but not final nominations.
A strong showing...
Moroccan filmmaker Maryam Touzani’s The Blue Caftan leads the nominations in the 7th Critics Awards for Arab Films, which has added categories for best editing, cinematography and music.
The Arabic-language drama, in which a woman and her closeted gay husband hire a young apprentice at their caftan store, secured seven nominations – every category except editing and documentary. The film premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes last year and was Morocco’s submission for the international feature film Oscar, making the shortlist but not final nominations.
A strong showing...
- 5/12/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Egyptian director Abu Bakr Shawky, whose first film “Yomeddine” – about a man raised in a leper colony, who embarks with a young sidekick and a donkey on a journey across Egypt – had the rare distinction of making the competition cut for Cannes, is back behind the camera on the ambitious Saudi-set travel movie “Sea of Sands.”
Somewhat similarly to “Yomeddine,” which made a splash on the fest circuit in 2018, “Sea of Sands” involves a journey across the desert, this time embarked upon by a boy and his camel.
“Camels are very much part of the heritage of Saudi culture,” said Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy, who noted that in the “Sea of Sands” storyline the boy in question “is kind of inadvertently thrown into the world of camel racing. “It was never really his intention to become a championship jockey,” Hefzy went on to note. “But somehow, he has to do that to survive.
Somewhat similarly to “Yomeddine,” which made a splash on the fest circuit in 2018, “Sea of Sands” involves a journey across the desert, this time embarked upon by a boy and his camel.
“Camels are very much part of the heritage of Saudi culture,” said Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy, who noted that in the “Sea of Sands” storyline the boy in question “is kind of inadvertently thrown into the world of camel racing. “It was never really his intention to become a championship jockey,” Hefzy went on to note. “But somehow, he has to do that to survive.
- 12/6/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Egypt, which is home to the Middle East and North Africa’s biggest film industry, will not participate in the Best International Film Oscar race this year.
According to Egyptian media reports, confirmed by Deadline, the committee of critics and cinema professionals responsible for selecting the country’s submission decided not to send a film for the lack of a credible candidate.
The four films on the final shortlist comprised Marwan Hamed’s Kira & El Gin, Hadi El-Baghoury’s Full Moon, Sherif Arafa’s The Crime and Magdy Ahmed Ali’s 2 Talaat Harb.
Two films generating potential submission buzz — Nadine Khan’s Abu Saddam and Omar El Zohairy’s Cannes 2021 Critics’ Week winner Feathers — could not be taken into consideration because they did not meet the 2022 theatrical release requirements.
The decision for Egypt to opt out of the race was made at the end of September, but the news has...
According to Egyptian media reports, confirmed by Deadline, the committee of critics and cinema professionals responsible for selecting the country’s submission decided not to send a film for the lack of a credible candidate.
The four films on the final shortlist comprised Marwan Hamed’s Kira & El Gin, Hadi El-Baghoury’s Full Moon, Sherif Arafa’s The Crime and Magdy Ahmed Ali’s 2 Talaat Harb.
Two films generating potential submission buzz — Nadine Khan’s Abu Saddam and Omar El Zohairy’s Cannes 2021 Critics’ Week winner Feathers — could not be taken into consideration because they did not meet the 2022 theatrical release requirements.
The decision for Egypt to opt out of the race was made at the end of September, but the news has...
- 10/4/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Frémaux makes his first trip to Egypt and Saudi Arabia after last visiting the Middle East in 2016.
Cannes Film Festival delegate general Thierry Frémaux is hitting the Arab film festival circuit in December with trips to the Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff) and the inaugural edition of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff).
It will be Frémaux’s first trip to either Egypt or Saudi Arabia. He was last in the Middle East in an official capacity in 2016 when he attended the Dubai International Film Festival with Lumière! The Adventure Of Cinema Begins.
Frémaux is due to...
Cannes Film Festival delegate general Thierry Frémaux is hitting the Arab film festival circuit in December with trips to the Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff) and the inaugural edition of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff).
It will be Frémaux’s first trip to either Egypt or Saudi Arabia. He was last in the Middle East in an official capacity in 2016 when he attended the Dubai International Film Festival with Lumière! The Adventure Of Cinema Begins.
Frémaux is due to...
- 11/17/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Three years after the first movie theater reopened in Saudi Arabia – following removal of a religion-related ban – the kingdom has become the top theatrical market in the Middle East and is turning into a major driver for Arabic film production.
“At the moment Saudi is on a different path from the rest of the world,” says David Hancock, an analyst at London-based Omdia, which sees this new market as having the potential to be ranked among the top 10-15 territories for box office worldwide by 2024.
By 2024 Omdia estimates there will be 1,400 screens in Saudi Arabia, up from a current count of less than 300 screens in 2020 with more than 600 screens expected in 2021. In 2020 Saudi box office was up 3% to $115 million, bucking the downward trend in the rest of the world.
But besides growing box office and screen count, just like in other parts of the world such as China where there is moviegoing growth,...
“At the moment Saudi is on a different path from the rest of the world,” says David Hancock, an analyst at London-based Omdia, which sees this new market as having the potential to be ranked among the top 10-15 territories for box office worldwide by 2024.
By 2024 Omdia estimates there will be 1,400 screens in Saudi Arabia, up from a current count of less than 300 screens in 2020 with more than 600 screens expected in 2021. In 2020 Saudi box office was up 3% to $115 million, bucking the downward trend in the rest of the world.
But besides growing box office and screen count, just like in other parts of the world such as China where there is moviegoing growth,...
- 3/4/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Cameras are set to roll in February on the long delayed Arabic adaptation of hit Italian concept movie “Perfect Strangers” with a high-caliber ensemble cast now in place comprising star Lebanese director/actor Nadine Labaki (“Capernaum”).
After being postponed due to both Covid-19 and political turmoil in Lebanon, the latest in a slew of remakes of the dramedy involving cellphones and personal secrets, is now on track for principal photography to start February 2. It will be directed by Lebanese first-timer Wissam Smayra who has co-written the Arabic “Perfect Strangers” screenplay with Gabriel Yammine.
Along with Labaki, the pan-Arabic “Perfect Strangers” cast also features Egypt’s Mona Zaki; Egypt-based Jordanian actor/director Eyad Nassar (“The Blue Elephant 2”); Lebanon’s Diamand Bou Abboud (“The Fixer”), Adel Karam (“The Insult”), and fellow Lebanese actor/director/playwright/composer Georges Khabbaz, who co-wrote “Capernaum.”
The original “Perfect Strangers” was directed by Italy’s Paolo Genovese...
After being postponed due to both Covid-19 and political turmoil in Lebanon, the latest in a slew of remakes of the dramedy involving cellphones and personal secrets, is now on track for principal photography to start February 2. It will be directed by Lebanese first-timer Wissam Smayra who has co-written the Arabic “Perfect Strangers” screenplay with Gabriel Yammine.
Along with Labaki, the pan-Arabic “Perfect Strangers” cast also features Egypt’s Mona Zaki; Egypt-based Jordanian actor/director Eyad Nassar (“The Blue Elephant 2”); Lebanon’s Diamand Bou Abboud (“The Fixer”), Adel Karam (“The Insult”), and fellow Lebanese actor/director/playwright/composer Georges Khabbaz, who co-wrote “Capernaum.”
The original “Perfect Strangers” was directed by Italy’s Paolo Genovese...
- 12/29/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
After four disappointing sequels in a row, the Terminator franchise should probably be retired for good. The law of diminishing returns set in a long time ago, and in retrospect Jonathan Mostow’s Rise of the Machines was the closest we got to recapturing the magic of James Cameron’s classic two originals.
The third installment ended with Judgement Day proving itself to be inevitable, but none of the following trio of reboots managed to deliver on the promises they’d made. In the space of ten years we were told that Salvation, Genisys and Dark Fate would be the movie the fans had always wanted to see, marking the first chapter of an all-new Terminator trilogy that would restore the flagging series to former glories.
Obviously that didn’t happen, and Dark Fate was one of the 2019’s biggest bombs, while star Mackenzie Davis even admitted people were probably...
The third installment ended with Judgement Day proving itself to be inevitable, but none of the following trio of reboots managed to deliver on the promises they’d made. In the space of ten years we were told that Salvation, Genisys and Dark Fate would be the movie the fans had always wanted to see, marking the first chapter of an all-new Terminator trilogy that would restore the flagging series to former glories.
Obviously that didn’t happen, and Dark Fate was one of the 2019’s biggest bombs, while star Mackenzie Davis even admitted people were probably...
- 12/27/2020
- by Scott Campbell
- We Got This Covered
After dipping its toes in production in the Middle East, Netflix on Thursday launched its most ambitious Arabic show to date with supernatural drama “Paranormal,” directed by young Egyptian helmer Amr Salama (“Sheikh Jackson”).
The six-episode series out of Egypt, which is set in the 1960s, is based on bestselling Arabic horror books by late Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik. It depicts the adventures of lead character Dr. Refaat Ismail, a hematologist whose scientific convictions fall apart when he is faced with paranormal occurrences. Each episode is a standalone story centered around one of the “Paranormal” tomes.
Salama served as showrunner and producer on “Paranormal” in tandem with prominent Egyptian indie producer Mohammed Hefzy, whose Film Clinic shingle is known internationally for churning out a stream of edgy titles such as “Microphone,” “Sheikh Jackson” and “Yomeddine.” Hefzy also heads up the Cairo Film Festival.
“Paranormal” marks a starting point for...
The six-episode series out of Egypt, which is set in the 1960s, is based on bestselling Arabic horror books by late Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik. It depicts the adventures of lead character Dr. Refaat Ismail, a hematologist whose scientific convictions fall apart when he is faced with paranormal occurrences. Each episode is a standalone story centered around one of the “Paranormal” tomes.
Salama served as showrunner and producer on “Paranormal” in tandem with prominent Egyptian indie producer Mohammed Hefzy, whose Film Clinic shingle is known internationally for churning out a stream of edgy titles such as “Microphone,” “Sheikh Jackson” and “Yomeddine.” Hefzy also heads up the Cairo Film Festival.
“Paranormal” marks a starting point for...
- 11/5/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Votes were cast by 141 Arab and international critics from 57 territories.
Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman’s It Must Be Heaven has scooped best film and director in the fourth edition of the Critics Awards for Arab Films.
The comedy originally premiered in Cannes Competition in 2019, garnering a special mention, and was Palestine’s submission for the 2020 Academy Awards.
In other awards, Egyptian-Tunisian actress Hend Sabry was feted with best actress for her performance in Tunisian director Hinde Boujemaa’s Noura’s Dream as a woman trying to escape the clutches of a violent husband.
French-Tunisian actor Sami Bouajila was named best actor...
Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman’s It Must Be Heaven has scooped best film and director in the fourth edition of the Critics Awards for Arab Films.
The comedy originally premiered in Cannes Competition in 2019, garnering a special mention, and was Palestine’s submission for the 2020 Academy Awards.
In other awards, Egyptian-Tunisian actress Hend Sabry was feted with best actress for her performance in Tunisian director Hinde Boujemaa’s Noura’s Dream as a woman trying to escape the clutches of a violent husband.
French-Tunisian actor Sami Bouajila was named best actor...
- 6/26/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦69¦
- ScreenDaily
Fourth edition is based on votes of 142 Arab and international critics hailing from 57 countries.
Elia Suleiman’s It Must Be Heaven and Maryam Touzani’s Adam received four nominations each in the first round of voting in this year’s Critics Awards for Arab Films.
A total of 142 Arab and international film critics from 57 countries are participating in the fourth edition of the awards, organised by the Arab Cinema Centre (Acc).
Suleiman’s comedy-drama It Must Be Heaven, which premiered in Cannes Competition in 2019, has been nominated for best film, director, actor (Suleiman) and screenplay.
Moroccan filmmaker Touzani’s feature directorial debut Adam,...
Elia Suleiman’s It Must Be Heaven and Maryam Touzani’s Adam received four nominations each in the first round of voting in this year’s Critics Awards for Arab Films.
A total of 142 Arab and international film critics from 57 countries are participating in the fourth edition of the awards, organised by the Arab Cinema Centre (Acc).
Suleiman’s comedy-drama It Must Be Heaven, which premiered in Cannes Competition in 2019, has been nominated for best film, director, actor (Suleiman) and screenplay.
Moroccan filmmaker Touzani’s feature directorial debut Adam,...
- 6/17/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦69¦
- ScreenDaily
Rotana’s catalogue of 2,000 titles is one of the biggest in the Arab cinema in the world.
Cairo-based Arab cinema distribution and marketing specialist Mad Solutions has struck a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Rotana Media Group to distribute its film library outside the Arab world.
The Riyadh-based entertainment giant owns one of the biggest catalogues of Arab cinema in the world, spanning 2,000 classic and new films dating from 1939 to 2020.
Under the deal, Mad Solutions will market the catalogue at festivals and markets to find international distribution outlets for the titles.
It will kick off the new relationship with an...
Cairo-based Arab cinema distribution and marketing specialist Mad Solutions has struck a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Rotana Media Group to distribute its film library outside the Arab world.
The Riyadh-based entertainment giant owns one of the biggest catalogues of Arab cinema in the world, spanning 2,000 classic and new films dating from 1939 to 2020.
Under the deal, Mad Solutions will market the catalogue at festivals and markets to find international distribution outlets for the titles.
It will kick off the new relationship with an...
- 2/20/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Most of the hype surrounding the release of last year’s Terminator: Dark Fate was due to the returns of both James Cameron and Linda Hamilton to the long-running sci-fi series, but ultimately, the most recent installment turned out to be the fourth disappointing Terminator movie in a row, with the box office returns resulting in a heavy loss for the studio and perhaps even the final nail in the coffin for the franchise.
The autopsy has since been carried out on why Dark Fate bombed, with director Tim Miller publicly commenting on his disagreements with creator/producer/story developer Cameron, along with a controversial opening scene that split the fans right down the middle. At this point, there hasn’t been a good Terminator for almost 30 years, so now is probably the time to let the adventures of the cybernetic organisms, living tissue over a metal endoskeleton, ride off into the sunset.
The autopsy has since been carried out on why Dark Fate bombed, with director Tim Miller publicly commenting on his disagreements with creator/producer/story developer Cameron, along with a controversial opening scene that split the fans right down the middle. At this point, there hasn’t been a good Terminator for almost 30 years, so now is probably the time to let the adventures of the cybernetic organisms, living tissue over a metal endoskeleton, ride off into the sunset.
- 2/2/2020
- by Scott Campbell
- We Got This Covered
February may be the shortest of the year but Amazon Prime Video has crammed its schedule full of treats. The streaming service has confirmed that “Hunters,” a new series from “Us” director Jordan Peele, will start its run this month. Al Pacino stars in his first TV series as a Nazi hunter working in 1977 New York City with a young crew led by Logan Lerman.
In addition, we get the second half of the first season of “Clifford” as well as the debut of a documentary series about the NFL team in the City of Brotherly Love, “All or Nothing: The Philadelphia Eagles.”
Also look for the premiere of the feature film “Honey Boy.” Shia Labeouf wrote this heartfelt film about his troubled childhood and plays a character inspired by his father.
Below is the full schedule of everything that is coming to Amazon Prime Video in February 2020. Unlike Netflix,...
In addition, we get the second half of the first season of “Clifford” as well as the debut of a documentary series about the NFL team in the City of Brotherly Love, “All or Nothing: The Philadelphia Eagles.”
Also look for the premiere of the feature film “Honey Boy.” Shia Labeouf wrote this heartfelt film about his troubled childhood and plays a character inspired by his father.
Below is the full schedule of everything that is coming to Amazon Prime Video in February 2020. Unlike Netflix,...
- 2/1/2020
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Jordan Peele’s upcoming show “Hunters” is among the slew of new movies and TV series that will be added to Amazon Prime Video next month.
Peele executive produced “Hunters,” a drama following a group of Nazi hunters in New York City in 1977. The first season, created by David Weil, stars Al Pacino, Logan Lerman and Kate Mulvany.
On the film front, Amazon Prime will add a mix of critical favorites and popcorn flicks like “Dick Tracy,” “Magic Mike,” and “Precious.” Recently released movies such as “47 Meters Down: Uncaged,” “The Farewell” and “Honey Boy” will also become available to stream on the platform later in the month.
See everything coming to Amazon Prime Video in February below:
Feb. 1
Beat the Devil
Bridget Jones’s Diary
Buffalo ‘66
Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter
Cheech & Chong’s Still Smokin’
Crashing Through Danger
Dick Tracy
Earth Girls Are Easy
Emergency Landing
Father Steps...
Peele executive produced “Hunters,” a drama following a group of Nazi hunters in New York City in 1977. The first season, created by David Weil, stars Al Pacino, Logan Lerman and Kate Mulvany.
On the film front, Amazon Prime will add a mix of critical favorites and popcorn flicks like “Dick Tracy,” “Magic Mike,” and “Precious.” Recently released movies such as “47 Meters Down: Uncaged,” “The Farewell” and “Honey Boy” will also become available to stream on the platform later in the month.
See everything coming to Amazon Prime Video in February below:
Feb. 1
Beat the Devil
Bridget Jones’s Diary
Buffalo ‘66
Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter
Cheech & Chong’s Still Smokin’
Crashing Through Danger
Dick Tracy
Earth Girls Are Easy
Emergency Landing
Father Steps...
- 1/29/2020
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Next month, Hulu will ring in Valentine’s Day with some counterprogramming. The streaming service will debut its original series “High Fidelity,” a gender-swapped reimagining of Nick Hornby’s novel of the same name. Previously, the book was adapted into a 2000 movie from Stephen Frears starring John Cusack. Zoë Kravitz stars as Rob Brooks, a music-obsessive record store owner in Brooklyn re-examining her previous romantic relationships to figure out what went wrong.
On the film front, the “Bridget Jones” trilogy, “Buffalo ’66,” “The Fugitive,” “Ghost” and “When Harry Met Sally” are among the new selections being offered in February. Releases from last year, like “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” and “Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral,” are also making their way onto the platform.
New seasons of reality series like “The Voice” and “American Idol” will also be available to stream later in the month.
See the complete list below.
On the film front, the “Bridget Jones” trilogy, “Buffalo ’66,” “The Fugitive,” “Ghost” and “When Harry Met Sally” are among the new selections being offered in February. Releases from last year, like “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” and “Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral,” are also making their way onto the platform.
New seasons of reality series like “The Voice” and “American Idol” will also be available to stream later in the month.
See the complete list below.
- 1/29/2020
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Hulu is out with its list of all the content that’s coming and going to the streaming service in February.
Highlights include the series premiere of Zoë Kravitz’s “High Fidelity” reboot, coming on Valentine’s Day, in which she stars as a record store owner in a gentrified Brooklyn neighborhood, revisiting past relationships through music and trying to get over her one true love. Her character was played by John Cusack in the 2000 film, and both are based on Nick Hornby’s 1995 novel of the same name.
There is also a new episode of “Into the Dark” titled “My Valentine,” which will be released on Feb. 7, in which a pop singer’s ex-boyfriend and manager steals her songs and gives them to his new protégé.
Also Read: Why Hulu Programming Chief Is Ok Sharing Classic Content Like 'Svu' With Rival Streamers
Season 1 of Hulu Original “Utopia Falls” comes out Feb.
Highlights include the series premiere of Zoë Kravitz’s “High Fidelity” reboot, coming on Valentine’s Day, in which she stars as a record store owner in a gentrified Brooklyn neighborhood, revisiting past relationships through music and trying to get over her one true love. Her character was played by John Cusack in the 2000 film, and both are based on Nick Hornby’s 1995 novel of the same name.
There is also a new episode of “Into the Dark” titled “My Valentine,” which will be released on Feb. 7, in which a pop singer’s ex-boyfriend and manager steals her songs and gives them to his new protégé.
Also Read: Why Hulu Programming Chief Is Ok Sharing Classic Content Like 'Svu' With Rival Streamers
Season 1 of Hulu Original “Utopia Falls” comes out Feb.
- 1/21/2020
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that 344 feature films are eligible for the 2019 Academy Awards.
To be eligible for the consideration, the films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by Dec. 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days. Academy rules also state that a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.
Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. The ceremony takes place on Sunday, Feb. 9, airing live from Hollywood on ABC.
“Abominable”
“Ad Astra”
“Adam”
“The Addams Family”
“The Aeronauts”
“After the Wedding”
“The Aftermath”
“Aga”
“Aladdin”
“Alita: Battle Angel”
“Always Be My Maybe”
“The Amazing Johnathan”
“American Factory”
“American Woman”
“Angel Has Fallen”
“The Angry Birds Movie 2”
“Anna”
“Annabelle Comes Home...
To be eligible for the consideration, the films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by Dec. 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days. Academy rules also state that a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.
Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. The ceremony takes place on Sunday, Feb. 9, airing live from Hollywood on ABC.
“Abominable”
“Ad Astra”
“Adam”
“The Addams Family”
“The Aeronauts”
“After the Wedding”
“The Aftermath”
“Aga”
“Aladdin”
“Alita: Battle Angel”
“Always Be My Maybe”
“The Amazing Johnathan”
“American Factory”
“American Woman”
“Angel Has Fallen”
“The Angry Birds Movie 2”
“Anna”
“Annabelle Comes Home...
- 12/18/2019
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
El Gouna Ff 2019: CineGouna Platform AwardsCineGouna Platform, part of El Gouna Film Festival bestows its awards to various projects by directors and producers from the Arab world who were in competition seeking creative and financial support. The projects involved include some in development and others in post-production.Participants of the 3rd Edition of CineGouna Platform
The Springboard Jury of experts in filmmaking from all over the world chose a winner in both the projects in development and the ones in post-production. The winners receive a CineGouna Platform Certificate and a cash prize of Us $15,000. Additional awards are presented through local and regional institutions for a total of $250,000 Us.
In Post-Production — Watch for these as they appear in the next editions of top international film festivals!
Captains of Za’atari, an Egyptian film in post-production directed by Ali El-Arabi won an award worth $10,000 from New Century Production and another reward...
The Springboard Jury of experts in filmmaking from all over the world chose a winner in both the projects in development and the ones in post-production. The winners receive a CineGouna Platform Certificate and a cash prize of Us $15,000. Additional awards are presented through local and regional institutions for a total of $250,000 Us.
In Post-Production — Watch for these as they appear in the next editions of top international film festivals!
Captains of Za’atari, an Egyptian film in post-production directed by Ali El-Arabi won an award worth $10,000 from New Century Production and another reward...
- 10/5/2019
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Festival chief Intishal Al Tamimi says El Gouna Film Festival has built solid foundations.
Sudanese drama You Will Die At Twenty has scooped the top prize at the third edition of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, the $50,000 El Gouna Golden Star for narrative film. The festival ran in the Red Sea resort from September 17-27.
The debut feature of Dubai-born Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abu Alala is a contemporary drama about a young man raised to believe that will die at the age of 20-years-old.
You Will Die At Twenty world premiered in Venice where it won the Lion of...
Sudanese drama You Will Die At Twenty has scooped the top prize at the third edition of Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, the $50,000 El Gouna Golden Star for narrative film. The festival ran in the Red Sea resort from September 17-27.
The debut feature of Dubai-born Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abu Alala is a contemporary drama about a young man raised to believe that will die at the age of 20-years-old.
You Will Die At Twenty world premiered in Venice where it won the Lion of...
- 9/30/2019
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Yomeddine movie review is here. The 2018 Egyptian drama directed by Abu Bakr Shawky was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Featuring Rady Gamal and Ahmed Abdelhafiz, Yomeddine is releasing in India on August 23, 2019 through PVR cinemas in association with In2Infotainment, Kahwa films and Vkaao. Here is the review of Yomeddine ? nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
Immediate reaction when the end credits
Can a story featuring a real outcast ? a leper who still lives in a leper colony travels all roads and gain universal appeal?.Constantly hum a sweet violin on humanity and acceptance?. Gift us something that constantly reminds us on our sinful practices of discrimination amongst humans?. Abu Bakr Shawky?s Yomeddine does that and how!
The Story of Yomeddine
Beshay (Rady Gamal) a man cured of leprosy, has never left the leper colony in the Egyptian...
Immediate reaction when the end credits
Can a story featuring a real outcast ? a leper who still lives in a leper colony travels all roads and gain universal appeal?.Constantly hum a sweet violin on humanity and acceptance?. Gift us something that constantly reminds us on our sinful practices of discrimination amongst humans?. Abu Bakr Shawky?s Yomeddine does that and how!
The Story of Yomeddine
Beshay (Rady Gamal) a man cured of leprosy, has never left the leper colony in the Egyptian...
- 8/20/2019
- GlamSham
Relatively few new limited releases are launching against the likes of Rocketman and Godzilla this weekend. Sony Pictures Classics is rolling out The Fall Of The American Empire, from French-Canadian filmmaker Denys Arcand and starring Alexandre Landry, in New York and Los Angeles, and after more than a decade of very limited screenings at a few film festivals, British filmmaker Gerald Fox’s doc Leaving Home, Coming Home: A Portrait of Robert Frank is finally getting a regular theatrical release. Indie Rights is heading out with satirical comedy Loners in Los Angeles, and Strand Releasing is launching Cannes 2018 title Yomeddine by Abu Bakr Sawky in New York.
Among other limited release titles headed to theaters this weekend are Mouthpiece from Crucial Things and First Generation Films, and Dogwoof’s For The Birds and Vertical Entertainment’s Rich Boy, Rich Girl.
The Fall Of the American Empire
Director-writer: Denys Arcand
Cast: Alexandre Landry,...
Among other limited release titles headed to theaters this weekend are Mouthpiece from Crucial Things and First Generation Films, and Dogwoof’s For The Birds and Vertical Entertainment’s Rich Boy, Rich Girl.
The Fall Of the American Empire
Director-writer: Denys Arcand
Cast: Alexandre Landry,...
- 5/31/2019
- by Brian Brooks
- Deadline Film + TV
Yomeddine was named Best Film at the Arab Cinema Awards Photo: Desert Highway Pictures The Arab Cinema Centre announced the winners of its third Annual Critics Awards at a fringe event in Cannes last week.
Egyptian director Abu Bakr Shawky won the award for Best Film for his directorial debut Yomeddine, which tells the story of a quirky road trip by a cured leper and a young orphan who stows away on his donkey cart. The Best director award went to Nadine Labaki's much-garlanded Lebanese film Capernaum, about a child who rebels against the life imposed on him.
The Best Documentary award went to Talal Derki, who embedded himself in a radical Islamic family to make Of Fathers And Sons.
Moroccan film Sofia was a double winner, taking home the Best Screenplay award for Meryem Benm'Barek and Maha Alemi named Best Actress for her role in the film that...
Egyptian director Abu Bakr Shawky won the award for Best Film for his directorial debut Yomeddine, which tells the story of a quirky road trip by a cured leper and a young orphan who stows away on his donkey cart. The Best director award went to Nadine Labaki's much-garlanded Lebanese film Capernaum, about a child who rebels against the life imposed on him.
The Best Documentary award went to Talal Derki, who embedded himself in a radical Islamic family to make Of Fathers And Sons.
Moroccan film Sofia was a double winner, taking home the Best Screenplay award for Meryem Benm'Barek and Maha Alemi named Best Actress for her role in the film that...
- 5/27/2019
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Both titles premiered at Cannes 2018.
Egyptian director A. B. Shawky’s road movie Yomeddine, about a leper who travels across Egypt in a bid to reconnect with his long-lost family, has scooped best film at the Arab cinema Critics Awards.
The film won the François Chalais Award and went onto tour a slew of festivals, winning the top prize in Tunisia’s Carthage Film Festival, following its premiere in Competition in Cannes last year.
Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki won best director for her 2018 Cannes jury prize winner Capernaum, about the plight of a young refugee boy living in the slums of Beirut.
Egyptian director A. B. Shawky’s road movie Yomeddine, about a leper who travels across Egypt in a bid to reconnect with his long-lost family, has scooped best film at the Arab cinema Critics Awards.
The film won the François Chalais Award and went onto tour a slew of festivals, winning the top prize in Tunisia’s Carthage Film Festival, following its premiere in Competition in Cannes last year.
Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki won best director for her 2018 Cannes jury prize winner Capernaum, about the plight of a young refugee boy living in the slums of Beirut.
- 5/18/2019
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Majid Al Futtaim and Mbc Studios have announced a new alliance.
Top Gulf companies Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Majid Al Futtaim and Mbc Studios have announced a new alliance pooling their resources and expertise on film and TV projects across the Middle East, with a focus on Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt.
The first two productions to be supported under the new partnership will be vampire family drama Three Four Eternity, produced by Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy, and Hwjn, an adaption of the best-selling book by Arabic sci-fi pioneer Ibraheem Abbas, combining folklore and fantasy.
Top Gulf companies Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Majid Al Futtaim and Mbc Studios have announced a new alliance pooling their resources and expertise on film and TV projects across the Middle East, with a focus on Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt.
The first two productions to be supported under the new partnership will be vampire family drama Three Four Eternity, produced by Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy, and Hwjn, an adaption of the best-selling book by Arabic sci-fi pioneer Ibraheem Abbas, combining folklore and fantasy.
- 5/15/2019
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Production company Image Nation Abu Dhabi, exhibitor Vox Cinemas and broadcaster Mbc have entered a production partnership that “in essence creates a fully integrated studio” for Middle East film and TV projects, said Mbc Studios managing director Peter Smith.
The alliance between the trio of Middle East heavyweights, unveiled Wednesday in Cannes, is focused on the nascent Saudi Arabia market, but also the UAE and Egypt, which now cumulatively form a regional audience “well in excess of 100 million people,” said Image Nation CEO Michael Garin.
Image Nation is already the leading regional producer, the company behind landmark Abu Dhabi-set legal drama “Justice,” which plays on Netflix, and this year’s Oscar-winning doc, “Free Solo.” Vox operates 400 Middle East screens, while Mbc is the top Arabic free-tv broadcaster and also runs a streaming service.
In Cannes, the trio announced two feature film projects: a “vampire family drama” titled “Three Four Eternity,...
The alliance between the trio of Middle East heavyweights, unveiled Wednesday in Cannes, is focused on the nascent Saudi Arabia market, but also the UAE and Egypt, which now cumulatively form a regional audience “well in excess of 100 million people,” said Image Nation CEO Michael Garin.
Image Nation is already the leading regional producer, the company behind landmark Abu Dhabi-set legal drama “Justice,” which plays on Netflix, and this year’s Oscar-winning doc, “Free Solo.” Vox operates 400 Middle East screens, while Mbc is the top Arabic free-tv broadcaster and also runs a streaming service.
In Cannes, the trio announced two feature film projects: a “vampire family drama” titled “Three Four Eternity,...
- 5/15/2019
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Moez Masoud will helm “Hello Brother,” a movie about the deadly terror attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The film will follow a family facing death and destruction in Afghanistan who escape with their lives. Their story meshes with that of the recent attacks by a 28-year-old white supremacist on the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic center. The shootings claimed the lives of 51 worshipers and were partly live-streamed on social media. The title of the project is based upon the words of the gunman as he entered the first mosque.
Masoud is a producer, Cambridge scholar and noted public speaker. His movie, “Clash,” was the opening film in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard in 2016.
“In Christchurch, on March 15, the world witnessed an unspeakable crime against humanity,” Masoud said. “The story that ‘Hello Brother’ will bring to audiences is just one step in the healing process, so that we...
The film will follow a family facing death and destruction in Afghanistan who escape with their lives. Their story meshes with that of the recent attacks by a 28-year-old white supremacist on the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic center. The shootings claimed the lives of 51 worshipers and were partly live-streamed on social media. The title of the project is based upon the words of the gunman as he entered the first mosque.
Masoud is a producer, Cambridge scholar and noted public speaker. His movie, “Clash,” was the opening film in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard in 2016.
“In Christchurch, on March 15, the world witnessed an unspeakable crime against humanity,” Masoud said. “The story that ‘Hello Brother’ will bring to audiences is just one step in the healing process, so that we...
- 5/14/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Chinese distributor Time in Portrait has snagged China rights to three Cannes Competition titles even before they were chosen to gun for the Palme d’Or: Ken Loach’s “Sorry We Missed You,” Arnaud Desplechin’s “Oh Mercy!” and Elia Suleiman’s “It Must Be Heaven.” The company boarded the films last year when the projects were still at the script stage. France’s Wild Bunch handled the sales.
It’s the second year in a row that Beijing-based Time in Portrait has nabbed China rights to a number of films ahead of their selection to compete in Cannes. Last year, it bought Lee Chang-dong’s “Burning,” Matteo Garrone’s “Dogman,” Eva Husson’s “Girls of the Sun” and Abu Bakr Shawky’s “Yomeddine.”
“We buy some films every year from Cannes, a festival that we attach a lot of importance to,” Time in Portrait general manager Sally Yihua Li told Variety.
It’s the second year in a row that Beijing-based Time in Portrait has nabbed China rights to a number of films ahead of their selection to compete in Cannes. Last year, it bought Lee Chang-dong’s “Burning,” Matteo Garrone’s “Dogman,” Eva Husson’s “Girls of the Sun” and Abu Bakr Shawky’s “Yomeddine.”
“We buy some films every year from Cannes, a festival that we attach a lot of importance to,” Time in Portrait general manager Sally Yihua Li told Variety.
- 5/14/2019
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
One part whodunnit, one part character drama, Jake Scott’s “American Woman” follows its eponymous leading lady over the course of a decade, one marked by heartbreak and a terrible crime. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall, where Miller’s performance earned her some of the best reviews of her career yet.
The film picks up as Miller’s Deb Callahan approaches her mid-thirties in a poor Rust Belt town, mixed up in a life that’s already been marred by some terrible choices. Deb is barely holding things together, from her thankless job as a supermarket cashier to her ill-advised romance with a local married man, and her teenage daughter Bridget (Sky Ferreira) seems doomed to repeat her mom’s mistakes. As the two Callahan women try to carve out a better life for Bridget’s own baby, tragedy strikes when Bridget goes missing.
The film picks up as Miller’s Deb Callahan approaches her mid-thirties in a poor Rust Belt town, mixed up in a life that’s already been marred by some terrible choices. Deb is barely holding things together, from her thankless job as a supermarket cashier to her ill-advised romance with a local married man, and her teenage daughter Bridget (Sky Ferreira) seems doomed to repeat her mom’s mistakes. As the two Callahan women try to carve out a better life for Bridget’s own baby, tragedy strikes when Bridget goes missing.
- 5/6/2019
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Egyptian-Austrian filmmaker A.B. Shawky makes his feature directorial debut with “Yomeddine,” an underdog story about an outsider who sets out to make sense of the world that refuses to accept him as he is. The film had its world premiere in competition at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, and was the official Egyptian entry for foreign language film consideration at the 91st Academy Awards.
Acquired by Strand Releasing (all North American rights), “Yomeddine” is now set to open later this month in New York and Los Angeles.
The film’s plot follows Beshay — a man cured of leprosy — who has never left the leper colony in the Egyptian desert where he has lived since childhood. Following the death of his wife, he decides to go in search of his roots and confront the world, with his modest possessions strapped to a donkey cart and a traveling companion named Obama, an outcast...
Acquired by Strand Releasing (all North American rights), “Yomeddine” is now set to open later this month in New York and Los Angeles.
The film’s plot follows Beshay — a man cured of leprosy — who has never left the leper colony in the Egyptian desert where he has lived since childhood. Following the death of his wife, he decides to go in search of his roots and confront the world, with his modest possessions strapped to a donkey cart and a traveling companion named Obama, an outcast...
- 5/3/2019
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
"Let's go find our family." Strand Releasing has debuted an official Us trailer for the Egyptian indie drama Yomeddine, from Egyptian-Austrian filmmaker A.B. Shawky making his feature directorial debut. This little film premiered in-competition at the Cannes Film Festival last year, and it's a buddy road trip comedy from Egypt about a couple of misfits who venture out into the world hoping to find a bit of hospitality and maybe a family. Rady Gamal stars as Beshay, a man cured of leprosy who has never left the leper colony in the Egyptian desert where he has lived since childhood. The small cast includes Ahmed Abdelhafiz, Osama Abdallah, Mohamed Abdel Azim, and Shahira Fahmy. This soulful story is full of heart and joy, despite their circumstances, and it is indeed a "life-affirming" and "cheerful" film worthy of discovering. Here's the official Us trailer (+ poster) for A.B. Shawky's Yomeddine, direct from...
- 5/1/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The 72nd Cannes Film Festival is announcing the films chosen for “official selection” — including those competing for the event’s coveted Palme d’Or prize — in a press conference Thursday starting at 11 a.m. in Paris.
The livestream of the press conference is available here. (Please note that the broadcast seldom starts on time.)
Last year, Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux surprised many by selecting fewer of the older, established auteurs than expected, in order to make room for rising talents, including a debut film from an emerging Egyptian director (“Yomeddine”); cutting-edge queer cinema (“Knife + Heart”); a batch of strong Asian entries; and three films made by women.
What will this year’s edition hold? This much we already know: The festival will open with Jim Jarmusch’s zombie satire “The Dead Don’t Die,” with Bill Murray, Chloe Sevigny, and Adam Driver, as Variety exclusively revealed. Elton John biopic...
The livestream of the press conference is available here. (Please note that the broadcast seldom starts on time.)
Last year, Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux surprised many by selecting fewer of the older, established auteurs than expected, in order to make room for rising talents, including a debut film from an emerging Egyptian director (“Yomeddine”); cutting-edge queer cinema (“Knife + Heart”); a batch of strong Asian entries; and three films made by women.
What will this year’s edition hold? This much we already know: The festival will open with Jim Jarmusch’s zombie satire “The Dead Don’t Die,” with Bill Murray, Chloe Sevigny, and Adam Driver, as Variety exclusively revealed. Elton John biopic...
- 4/18/2019
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
The Arab Cinema Center (Acc) announced that the Arab Cinema Personality of The Year award, presented by The Hollywood Reporter, is awarded to Screenwriter and Producer Mohamed Hefzy. Hefzywill receive his award during this year’s Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), where the Acc is also celebrating its five year anniversary.
In 2018, Mohamed Hefzy was appointed as the President of the 40th Cairo International Film Festival(Ciff), becoming the youngest to ever be appointed for this post. He was also selected as a jury member of the Horizons (Orizzonti) section at the 75th Venice International Film Festival. Hefzy produces films that receives critical and audience acclaim, such as Yomeddine, which world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was Egypt’s official submission to the Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film.
The film marked the third time in a row that a film produced by Hefzy gets submitted to the...
In 2018, Mohamed Hefzy was appointed as the President of the 40th Cairo International Film Festival(Ciff), becoming the youngest to ever be appointed for this post. He was also selected as a jury member of the Horizons (Orizzonti) section at the 75th Venice International Film Festival. Hefzy produces films that receives critical and audience acclaim, such as Yomeddine, which world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was Egypt’s official submission to the Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film.
The film marked the third time in a row that a film produced by Hefzy gets submitted to the...
- 2/18/2019
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
It took a long journey before Egyptian-Austrian director Abu Bakr Shawky managed to bring his unconventional road movie “Yomeddine,” which is Egypt’s candidate for the foreign-language Oscar, to the big screen.
This ultimately uplifting drama in which a middle-aged man raised in a leper colony embarks with a sidekick and a donkey on a journey across Egypt to try to reconnect with his family was tough to finance and shoot. But Shawky and producer Dina Emam’s efforts paid off handsomely in May when “Yomeddine” world-premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, a rare case of a first feature making the fest’s official competition cut. Shawky, who is an NYU Film School graduate and the recipient of Variety’s Mena Talent of the Year Award, spoke to Variety during the Cairo Film Festival about the impressive progression of his unique labor of love and how he chose,...
This ultimately uplifting drama in which a middle-aged man raised in a leper colony embarks with a sidekick and a donkey on a journey across Egypt to try to reconnect with his family was tough to finance and shoot. But Shawky and producer Dina Emam’s efforts paid off handsomely in May when “Yomeddine” world-premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, a rare case of a first feature making the fest’s official competition cut. Shawky, who is an NYU Film School graduate and the recipient of Variety’s Mena Talent of the Year Award, spoke to Variety during the Cairo Film Festival about the impressive progression of his unique labor of love and how he chose,...
- 12/4/2018
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Kent Jones’ “Diane,” Eva Trobisch’s “All Good” and Lila Aviles’ “The Chambermaid” are among the 14 features competing at the revamped Marrakech Film Festival, which opened Friday and runs to Dec. 8.
“Diane,” which world premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won three awards, stars Mary Kay Place (“The Big Chill”) as a mother desperately trying to bond with her son, who suffers from drug addiction. The movie was executive produced by Martin Scorsese.
“All Good,” Trobisch’s debut, revolves around a young woman who is raped but refuses to be a victim. The movie was a standout at Locarno, where it won the first-feature competition.
“The Chambermaid,” from Mexican theater actress-turned-helmer Aviles, premiered in Toronto’s Discovery section and won two awards at the Morelia Film Festival. The movie portrays Eve, a young chambermaid working at Mexico City’s classy Hotel Presidente Internacional. Trobisch and Aviles’ pics are among...
“Diane,” which world premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won three awards, stars Mary Kay Place (“The Big Chill”) as a mother desperately trying to bond with her son, who suffers from drug addiction. The movie was executive produced by Martin Scorsese.
“All Good,” Trobisch’s debut, revolves around a young woman who is raped but refuses to be a victim. The movie was a standout at Locarno, where it won the first-feature competition.
“The Chambermaid,” from Mexican theater actress-turned-helmer Aviles, premiered in Toronto’s Discovery section and won two awards at the Morelia Film Festival. The movie portrays Eve, a young chambermaid working at Mexico City’s classy Hotel Presidente Internacional. Trobisch and Aviles’ pics are among...
- 11/30/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
‘Gurrumul’.
Director Paul Williams and producer Shannon Swan’s portrait of the late blind Indigenous musician Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, Gurrumul, won Best Documentary Feature Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) in Brisbane last night.
It was the first time an Australian film has won in the category, with Gurrumul beating out Amal, Of Fathers and Sons (Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon, Qatar, Germany), Of Love & Law (Japan, UK, France) and Up Down & Sideways
Accepting the award together with Williams, Swan described the moment as bittersweet knowing that Gurrumul wasn’t there to share in it.
“To G, thank you so much for inviting us into your life and trusting us with your story,” he said.
Gurrumul also won Feature Documentary of the Year at last week’s Screen Producers Australia Awards, and is also nominated for five awards at next week’s AACTAs, including for Best Feature Documentary alongside Mountain,...
Director Paul Williams and producer Shannon Swan’s portrait of the late blind Indigenous musician Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, Gurrumul, won Best Documentary Feature Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) in Brisbane last night.
It was the first time an Australian film has won in the category, with Gurrumul beating out Amal, Of Fathers and Sons (Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon, Qatar, Germany), Of Love & Law (Japan, UK, France) and Up Down & Sideways
Accepting the award together with Williams, Swan described the moment as bittersweet knowing that Gurrumul wasn’t there to share in it.
“To G, thank you so much for inviting us into your life and trusting us with your story,” he said.
Gurrumul also won Feature Documentary of the Year at last week’s Screen Producers Australia Awards, and is also nominated for five awards at next week’s AACTAs, including for Best Feature Documentary alongside Mountain,...
- 11/30/2018
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Festival to kick off with Julian Schnabel’s At Eternity’s Gate.
The Marrakech International Film Festival (Nov 30-Dec 8) has revealed its 2018 line-up, jury and honorary awards.
The Moroccan festival has been running since 2001, but took a year off in 2017 to “reflect on its editorial line”.
The competition line-up features 14 films from first or second-time directors. Six of the films competing for the Marrakech Etoile d’Or (or the Gold Star) are directed by women. Among the line-up is Sudabeh Mortezai’s Joy, Kent Jones’ Diane and Eva Trobisch’s All Good.
The festival opens with a gala screening of...
The Marrakech International Film Festival (Nov 30-Dec 8) has revealed its 2018 line-up, jury and honorary awards.
The Moroccan festival has been running since 2001, but took a year off in 2017 to “reflect on its editorial line”.
The competition line-up features 14 films from first or second-time directors. Six of the films competing for the Marrakech Etoile d’Or (or the Gold Star) are directed by women. Among the line-up is Sudabeh Mortezai’s Joy, Kent Jones’ Diane and Eva Trobisch’s All Good.
The festival opens with a gala screening of...
- 11/19/2018
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
A version of this story about “Yomeddine” first appeared in the Foreign Language Issue of TheWrap’s Oscar magazine.
A rare debut film to be accepted into the Cannes Film Festival’s main competition, A.B. Shawky’s road movie “Yomeddine” follows a man searching for the family who left him in a leper colony decades ago, and the young boy who accompanies him on his trip.
The film is Egypt’s entry in this year’s Oscar foreign-language race, and this interview is one in a series of conversations TheWrap had with directors of the foreign contenders.
Also Read: 'Yomeddine' Film Review: First Time's a Charmer for Egyptian Drama
This film began as a short documentary that you made in film school, right?
A. B. Shawky: Yes, I made it 10 years ago at undergraduate film school in Cairo. I’d heard about leper colonies when I was a kid,...
A rare debut film to be accepted into the Cannes Film Festival’s main competition, A.B. Shawky’s road movie “Yomeddine” follows a man searching for the family who left him in a leper colony decades ago, and the young boy who accompanies him on his trip.
The film is Egypt’s entry in this year’s Oscar foreign-language race, and this interview is one in a series of conversations TheWrap had with directors of the foreign contenders.
Also Read: 'Yomeddine' Film Review: First Time's a Charmer for Egyptian Drama
This film began as a short documentary that you made in film school, right?
A. B. Shawky: Yes, I made it 10 years ago at undergraduate film school in Cairo. I’d heard about leper colonies when I was a kid,...
- 11/18/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Ash Mayfair’s Vietnamese film “The Third Wife” won best film at the 24th Kolkata international film festival’s international competition on Saturday. Mayfair’s debut feature previously won awards at Toronto, San Sebastian and Chicago. Mayfair was present to collect her award, presented by actress Tabu (“Life of Pi”) and filmmaker Shoojit Sircar.
Kolkata’s international competition is known for its generous prize money. Mayfair took home $71,000 for her win. Egyptian/Austrian filmmaker Abu Bakr Shawky won best director and a purse of $30,000 for “Yomeddine.” India’s Churni Ganguly won a jury special mention in the international competition for “A Timeline”, alongside Hungary’s Arpad Bogdan for “Genesis.”
Praveen Morchhale’s “Widow of Silence” won best film in Kolkata’s Indian competition. The film had its world premiere at Busan in October. Arijit Biswas won best director for “Sun Goes Around The Earth.”
Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam’s...
Kolkata’s international competition is known for its generous prize money. Mayfair took home $71,000 for her win. Egyptian/Austrian filmmaker Abu Bakr Shawky won best director and a purse of $30,000 for “Yomeddine.” India’s Churni Ganguly won a jury special mention in the international competition for “A Timeline”, alongside Hungary’s Arpad Bogdan for “Genesis.”
Praveen Morchhale’s “Widow of Silence” won best film in Kolkata’s Indian competition. The film had its world premiere at Busan in October. Arijit Biswas won best director for “Sun Goes Around The Earth.”
Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam’s...
- 11/18/2018
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The Cairo Film Festival, for its 40th edition, is reinventing itself.
With Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy at the helm who, at 43, is its youngest president, the oldest fest in the Arab and African worlds is undergoing a radical revamp in a major effort to get its mojo back after a decade of decline due to the country’s post-revolution turbulence.
Hefzy, who is known internationally for the steady stream of edgy top notch titles birthed by his Film Clinic shingle — most recently Cannes standout “Yomeddine,” which is Egypt’s current candidate for the foreign-language Oscar — is the first Cairo fest chief chosen from within the country’s film industry ranks. Since being appointed in March he has been working incessantly in tandem with respected critic and academic Youssef Sherif Rizkalla, who remains the fest’s artistic director.
Eight months later, the signs of renewal are visible. Starting from a reconfiguration...
With Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy at the helm who, at 43, is its youngest president, the oldest fest in the Arab and African worlds is undergoing a radical revamp in a major effort to get its mojo back after a decade of decline due to the country’s post-revolution turbulence.
Hefzy, who is known internationally for the steady stream of edgy top notch titles birthed by his Film Clinic shingle — most recently Cannes standout “Yomeddine,” which is Egypt’s current candidate for the foreign-language Oscar — is the first Cairo fest chief chosen from within the country’s film industry ranks. Since being appointed in March he has been working incessantly in tandem with respected critic and academic Youssef Sherif Rizkalla, who remains the fest’s artistic director.
Eight months later, the signs of renewal are visible. Starting from a reconfiguration...
- 11/13/2018
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
“Yomeddine,” a road-trip movie about an Egyptian leper and a young orphan journeying in search of family, won the Reflet d’Or for best feature film at the 24th Geneva Intl. Film Festival Saturday. The character-driven drama, Egyptian-Austrian director A.B. Shawky’s feature debut, premiered in competition in Cannes, and is Egypt’s candidate for the foreign-language Oscar.
The features jury, led by Malian filmmaker Souleymane Cissé, gave a special mention to Bi Gan’s languorous noir love story “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.” The director’s sophomore feature tracks a lovelorn drifter’s return to his hometown in Southwest China.
“Autonomies,” written and created by Yehonatan Indursky and Ori Elon, and directed by Indursky, received the Reflet d’Or for best TV series. In the alternate-reality drama, Israel has split in two states: Jerusalem is ultra-Orthodox, while Tel Aviv is a secular state. The action focuses on two...
The features jury, led by Malian filmmaker Souleymane Cissé, gave a special mention to Bi Gan’s languorous noir love story “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.” The director’s sophomore feature tracks a lovelorn drifter’s return to his hometown in Southwest China.
“Autonomies,” written and created by Yehonatan Indursky and Ori Elon, and directed by Indursky, received the Reflet d’Or for best TV series. In the alternate-reality drama, Israel has split in two states: Jerusalem is ultra-Orthodox, while Tel Aviv is a secular state. The action focuses on two...
- 11/10/2018
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Among the Middle East’s 10 submissions, three of which are helmed by women, are several titles that are likely to be competitive in the foreign-language category. These include the Cannes jury prize-winner “Capernaum,” from Lebanon’s helmer-actress Nadine Labaki, and “The Cakemaker” from Israel’s Ofir Raul Grazier. While the lineup includes some films that premiered at major festivals such as Berlin, Venice and Cannes, nearly all of the regional entries, with the exception of the Yemeni title “10 Days Before the Wedding,” have screened in multiple smaller festivals and nabbed several awards.
Labaki’s third feature, “Capernaum,” is the story of an impoverished Beirut boy who launches a lawsuit against his parents for bringing him into the world. It has a lot going for it: It’s a heart-tugging social-issues drama with adorable non-pro child actors, and it plays like, er, a “Slumdog Beirut.” Moreover, the film, due out Stateside in December,...
Labaki’s third feature, “Capernaum,” is the story of an impoverished Beirut boy who launches a lawsuit against his parents for bringing him into the world. It has a lot going for it: It’s a heart-tugging social-issues drama with adorable non-pro child actors, and it plays like, er, a “Slumdog Beirut.” Moreover, the film, due out Stateside in December,...
- 11/8/2018
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
The Middle East premiere of U.S. director Peter Farrelly’s “Green Book” will open the revamped Cairo Film Festival, where Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” is also set to launch in the region and Ralph Fiennes will be feted with a career award.
Cairo’s upcoming 40th edition, which will run Nov. 20-29, bears the stamp of a big push by its new president, Egyptian producer Mohammed Hefzy, to give the oldest film fest in the region new luster following a period of decline partly due to the country’s post-revolution turbulence.
Hefzy and artistic director Youssef Cheriff Rizkallah have unveiled a large lineup mixing recent standout titles plucked from the international circuit with a rich assortment of fresh Arabic fare.
Kazakh writer-director Sergey Dvortsevoy and actress Samal Yeslyamova will be coming to Cairo for a gala screening of drama “Ayka,” which competed in Cannes; Argentine director will be making...
Cairo’s upcoming 40th edition, which will run Nov. 20-29, bears the stamp of a big push by its new president, Egyptian producer Mohammed Hefzy, to give the oldest film fest in the region new luster following a period of decline partly due to the country’s post-revolution turbulence.
Hefzy and artistic director Youssef Cheriff Rizkallah have unveiled a large lineup mixing recent standout titles plucked from the international circuit with a rich assortment of fresh Arabic fare.
Kazakh writer-director Sergey Dvortsevoy and actress Samal Yeslyamova will be coming to Cairo for a gala screening of drama “Ayka,” which competed in Cannes; Argentine director will be making...
- 10/30/2018
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Smash hit Italian concept movie “Perfect Strangers” is set to be adapted for the Arab world, following a flurry of remakes worldwide.
Dubai-based Middle East distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment and sister company Kuwait National cinema have acquired Arabic remake rights from Italy’s Medusa Film to director Paolo Genovese’s 2016 ensemble dramedy involving smartphones and personal secrets.
Front Row will co-produce the Arabic version with prominent Egyptian shingle Film Clinic, whose latest titles include Cannes competition entry “Yomeddine,” and with Lebanese distributor Empire International.
The deal was negotiated by Front Row’s Gianluca Chakra with sales agent Faruk Alatan for Medusa. Besides Chakra, Film Clinic chief Mohamed Hefzy, Kuwait National’s Hisham Alghanim, and Empire’s Mario Haddad Jr. are also attached to produce and finance.
Chakra told Variety that the plan is for the adaptation to be ready in 2019 and have pan-Arabic elements that can appeal to Egyptian...
Dubai-based Middle East distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment and sister company Kuwait National cinema have acquired Arabic remake rights from Italy’s Medusa Film to director Paolo Genovese’s 2016 ensemble dramedy involving smartphones and personal secrets.
Front Row will co-produce the Arabic version with prominent Egyptian shingle Film Clinic, whose latest titles include Cannes competition entry “Yomeddine,” and with Lebanese distributor Empire International.
The deal was negotiated by Front Row’s Gianluca Chakra with sales agent Faruk Alatan for Medusa. Besides Chakra, Film Clinic chief Mohamed Hefzy, Kuwait National’s Hisham Alghanim, and Empire’s Mario Haddad Jr. are also attached to produce and finance.
Chakra told Variety that the plan is for the adaptation to be ready in 2019 and have pan-Arabic elements that can appeal to Egyptian...
- 10/23/2018
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
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