After decades of honoring the best in independent film, the Gotham Awards have formally branched out into television. In recent years the Gothams have included a handful of TV awards alongside their film races, but 2024 marks the first time the Gothams have dedicated an awards show specifically to television. Held on June 4 at 7:00pm Eastern in New York City, the awards celebrated the best new comedies, dramas, limited series and nonfiction programs of the season. So how did the inaugural event go? Who were the big winners? And what were the biggest surprises at these juried awards? The complete list of winners is below, updated throughout the night.
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Breakthrough Comedy Series
“Bodkin”
Jez Scharf, creator; Tonia Davis, Nne Ebong, David Flynn, Paul Lee, Alex Metcalf, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Jez Scharf, executive producers; (Netflix)
X — “Colin from Accounts”
Patrick Brammall,...
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Breakthrough Comedy Series
“Bodkin”
Jez Scharf, creator; Tonia Davis, Nne Ebong, David Flynn, Paul Lee, Alex Metcalf, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Jez Scharf, executive producers; (Netflix)
X — “Colin from Accounts”
Patrick Brammall,...
- 6/4/2024
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Cinetic Media has launched a new unit that will oversee the re-licensing of many of the iconic titles that drove the independent film revolution of the 1980s and the 1990s. The move comes as the distribution landscape in Hollywood is being reshaped. Dubbed Cinetic Library Services, the division will identify innovative ways to reach new audiences and disseminate titles across subscription streamers, transactional VOD, direct-to-consumer and theatrical re-releases. The division will be overseen by Isadora Johnson and Leah Harris, two longtime Cinetic executives.
Cinetic has been a force in the indie film world. The company has managed the sale of more than 600 films including “Napoleon Dynamite,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” “The Kids Are All Right,” “Precious,” “Summer of Soul” and “Amy.” More recently, it scored major deals for Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man,” which Netflix is releasing this summer, as well as “Super/Man,” a documentary about actor and activist Christopher Reeve,...
Cinetic has been a force in the indie film world. The company has managed the sale of more than 600 films including “Napoleon Dynamite,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” “The Kids Are All Right,” “Precious,” “Summer of Soul” and “Amy.” More recently, it scored major deals for Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man,” which Netflix is releasing this summer, as well as “Super/Man,” a documentary about actor and activist Christopher Reeve,...
- 6/4/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: As his acclaimed comedic thriller Hit Man approaches its June 7 release on Netflix, filmmaker Richard Linklater may have identified his next project, as sources tell Deadline that he’s in development on a film called Blue Moon.
Taking its name from the 1934 ballad written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, the film follows Hart as he attempts to save face while celebrating his former partner Rodgers’ great success on the night of his musical Oklahoma!‘s Broadway opening. While it’s believed that this will end up being Linklater’s next film, that’s not entirely clear at present.
We’re told that Robert Kaplow — co-writer of Linklater’s 2008 film Me and Orson Welles — penned the script for Blue Moon and that Linklater will produce the project alongside his manager John Sloss.
A legendary American songwriting duo known for their contributions to musical theater, Rodgers and Hart collaborated between 1919 and the early 1940s,...
Taking its name from the 1934 ballad written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, the film follows Hart as he attempts to save face while celebrating his former partner Rodgers’ great success on the night of his musical Oklahoma!‘s Broadway opening. While it’s believed that this will end up being Linklater’s next film, that’s not entirely clear at present.
We’re told that Robert Kaplow — co-writer of Linklater’s 2008 film Me and Orson Welles — penned the script for Blue Moon and that Linklater will produce the project alongside his manager John Sloss.
A legendary American songwriting duo known for their contributions to musical theater, Rodgers and Hart collaborated between 1919 and the early 1940s,...
- 6/3/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
When Morgan Spurlock, who died May 23 from complications of cancer at age 53, first entered the documentary space in 2004 with “Super Size Me,” he managed to turn the film’s success into a career. A career that was not only prolific, but also lucrative — a rarity, to this day, in the field.
The secret to Spurlock’s success? He was not only a talented filmmaker, but also a brilliant businessman.
Just 11 months after the Sundance premiere of “Super Size Me,” Spurlock partnered with FX on the docuseries “30 Days,” which chronicled the journey of an individual situated in an environment antithetical to his background. The first season of the series began airing in 2005 and included episodes about a Christian living as a Muslim and a conservative heterosexual living with a gay man. In total, FX chairman John Landgraf ordered three seasons of “30 Days,” which was executive produced by Ben Silverman and R.J. Cutler.
The secret to Spurlock’s success? He was not only a talented filmmaker, but also a brilliant businessman.
Just 11 months after the Sundance premiere of “Super Size Me,” Spurlock partnered with FX on the docuseries “30 Days,” which chronicled the journey of an individual situated in an environment antithetical to his background. The first season of the series began airing in 2005 and included episodes about a Christian living as a Muslim and a conservative heterosexual living with a gay man. In total, FX chairman John Landgraf ordered three seasons of “30 Days,” which was executive produced by Ben Silverman and R.J. Cutler.
- 5/24/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
For decades, the Gotham Awards have honored the best in independent film as decided by select committees of industry insiders, festival programmers, and media experts. In recent years they have expanded into TV, but in 2024, for the first time, they are holding a separate awards show dedicated to the best new television programs of the year. Scroll down for the complete list of inaugural nominees. Winners will be presented on Tuesday, June 4, in New York City.
Jeffrey Sharp, The Gotham’s Executive Director, said in a statement, “In a historic moment for The Gotham, we’re thrilled to recognize an extraordinary collection of TV series and the brilliant creators responsible for bringing them to the screen. As an organization dedicated to celebrating and nurturing independent media, we know the inaugural 2024 Gotham TV Awards will honor many truly deserving creatives while widening our reach and expanding our impact. We are enormously...
Jeffrey Sharp, The Gotham’s Executive Director, said in a statement, “In a historic moment for The Gotham, we’re thrilled to recognize an extraordinary collection of TV series and the brilliant creators responsible for bringing them to the screen. As an organization dedicated to celebrating and nurturing independent media, we know the inaugural 2024 Gotham TV Awards will honor many truly deserving creatives while widening our reach and expanding our impact. We are enormously...
- 5/18/2024
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
The Gotham Film & Media Institute announced today the nominations in seven competitive award categories for its inaugural Gotham TV Awards, recognizing a range of series, including Baby Reindeer, Ripley, The Curse, Shōgun, Bodkin, Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Black Twitter: A People’s History as well as performances from Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder in The Curse, Andrew Scott in Ripley, Kristen Wiig in Palm Royale, Richard Gadd in Baby Reindeer, and Lily Gladstone in Under The Bridge, among others. The awards ceremony is set for June 4 in NYC.
“In a historic moment for The Gotham, we’re thrilled to recognize an extraordinary collection of TV series and the brilliant creators responsible for bringing them to the screen,” said Jeffrey Sharp, The Gotham’s Executive Director.
The longstanding Gotham Awards is focused on film but includes three television categories. From here on, they will migrate to the new event.
“In a historic moment for The Gotham, we’re thrilled to recognize an extraordinary collection of TV series and the brilliant creators responsible for bringing them to the screen,” said Jeffrey Sharp, The Gotham’s Executive Director.
The longstanding Gotham Awards is focused on film but includes three television categories. From here on, they will migrate to the new event.
- 5/14/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
The Gotham Film & Media Institute has announced its nominees in seven categories for the inaugural Gotham TV Awards.
Baby Reindeer, Ripley, The Curse, Shōgun, Bodkin, Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Black Twitter: A People’s History are among the nominees, with Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder (The Curse), Andrew Scott (Ripley), Kristen Wiig (Palm Royale), Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer) and Lily Gladstone (Under the Bridge) receiving nods in the acting categories.
“In a historic moment for The Gotham, we’re thrilled to recognize an extraordinary collection of TV series and the brilliant creators responsible for bringing them to the screen,” said Jeffrey Sharp, the Gotham’s executive director. “As an organization dedicated to celebrating and nurturing independent media, we know the inaugural 2024 Gotham TV Awards will honor many truly deserving creatives while widening our reach and expanding our impact. We are enormously proud to celebrate the remarkable talent represented in today’s nominations.
Baby Reindeer, Ripley, The Curse, Shōgun, Bodkin, Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Black Twitter: A People’s History are among the nominees, with Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder (The Curse), Andrew Scott (Ripley), Kristen Wiig (Palm Royale), Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer) and Lily Gladstone (Under the Bridge) receiving nods in the acting categories.
“In a historic moment for The Gotham, we’re thrilled to recognize an extraordinary collection of TV series and the brilliant creators responsible for bringing them to the screen,” said Jeffrey Sharp, the Gotham’s executive director. “As an organization dedicated to celebrating and nurturing independent media, we know the inaugural 2024 Gotham TV Awards will honor many truly deserving creatives while widening our reach and expanding our impact. We are enormously proud to celebrate the remarkable talent represented in today’s nominations.
- 5/14/2024
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Last summer, Paul Schrader was about to start shooting “Oh, Canada,” his adaptation of Russell Banks’ novel about a troubled artist taking stock of his life, when the major actors union went on strike. For a second, it looked like all that hard work, passion and planning might be for nothing — with performers on the picket lines and major studios holding out on their contract demands, it was hard to see how cameras would ever roll on the low-budget indie.
“Everything shut down,” said Brian Beckmann, the CFO and COO of Arclight Films, which is selling international rights to the film. “We were in this position where we had spent all this money and secured all this talent and we weren’t sure we could move forward until the strikes were over.”
Because it was made outside the studio system, “Oh, Canada” was able to get a union waiver and...
“Everything shut down,” said Brian Beckmann, the CFO and COO of Arclight Films, which is selling international rights to the film. “We were in this position where we had spent all this money and secured all this talent and we weren’t sure we could move forward until the strikes were over.”
Because it was made outside the studio system, “Oh, Canada” was able to get a union waiver and...
- 5/14/2024
- by Brent Lang, John Hopewell and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
In the late 1990s Joker writer-director Todd Phillips, then applying his trade as an underground documentary filmmaker shot a non-fiction project titled Frat House, which nabbed the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at Sundance before being promptly acquired by HBO Films.
“The premise of the documentary is that he pledged fraternities at colleges,” John Sloss, producer, founder and CEO of Cinetic Media, told an audience at the Sands Film Festival in St. Andrews, Scotland. He was discussing the pic as part of an onstage Q&a about the current state of documentary filmmaking alongside Molly Thompson, Head of Documentaries and Non-Fiction at Apple TV+, and Oscar-winning producer Melanie Miller.
Sloss had been representing Phillips at the time. Despite the early buzz surrounding the pic, it was never officially released. HBO shelved the project.
“What happened was that a separate chapter of the fraternity he [Phillips] pledged and made look...
“The premise of the documentary is that he pledged fraternities at colleges,” John Sloss, producer, founder and CEO of Cinetic Media, told an audience at the Sands Film Festival in St. Andrews, Scotland. He was discussing the pic as part of an onstage Q&a about the current state of documentary filmmaking alongside Molly Thompson, Head of Documentaries and Non-Fiction at Apple TV+, and Oscar-winning producer Melanie Miller.
Sloss had been representing Phillips at the time. Despite the early buzz surrounding the pic, it was never officially released. HBO shelved the project.
“What happened was that a separate chapter of the fraternity he [Phillips] pledged and made look...
- 4/20/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix has shared the official trailer and poster for director Richard Linklater’s new romantic action comedy Hit Man, starring Glen Powell and Adria Arjona. The film will open in select theaters on Friday, May 24, and then will start streaming on Netflix on June 7.
Based on Skip Hollandsworth’s Texas Monthly article, Hit Man will be available to stream in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, and Iceland. The movie is rated R for language throughout, sexual content, and some violence.
Written by Linklater and Powell, the movie was inspired by an unbelievable true story: a straight-laced professor discovers he has a hidden talent as a fake hitman. He meets his match in a client who steals his heart and ignites a powder keg of deception, delight, and mixed-up identities.
The cast includes Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio,...
Based on Skip Hollandsworth’s Texas Monthly article, Hit Man will be available to stream in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, and Iceland. The movie is rated R for language throughout, sexual content, and some violence.
Written by Linklater and Powell, the movie was inspired by an unbelievable true story: a straight-laced professor discovers he has a hidden talent as a fake hitman. He meets his match in a client who steals his heart and ignites a powder keg of deception, delight, and mixed-up identities.
The cast includes Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
Scotland’s Sands International Film Festival Of St Andrews will open on April 19 with a double-bill screening of British writer-director Naqqash Khalid’s debut feature In Camera and Harry Holland’s short film Last Call, starring Tom Holland.
The titles make up the lineup of the festival’s third edition, which runs April 19-21. The festival will close with Maggie Contreras’ debut feature documentary Maestra, in which five female conductors from across the globe prepare for and compete in La Maestra – the world’s only competition for female conductors.
Elsewhere, Scottish actress and filmmaker Karen Gillan will take part in a talk on April 21 about her career, moderated by actor, playwright, and director Adura Onashile. Gillan is best known for working with the Russo brothers on Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers Endgame. Her other film credits include Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, in which she starred alongside Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black,...
The titles make up the lineup of the festival’s third edition, which runs April 19-21. The festival will close with Maggie Contreras’ debut feature documentary Maestra, in which five female conductors from across the globe prepare for and compete in La Maestra – the world’s only competition for female conductors.
Elsewhere, Scottish actress and filmmaker Karen Gillan will take part in a talk on April 21 about her career, moderated by actor, playwright, and director Adura Onashile. Gillan is best known for working with the Russo brothers on Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers Endgame. Her other film credits include Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, in which she starred alongside Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black,...
- 4/3/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick) reunites with filmmaker Richard Linklater for Netflix’s Hit Man, a dark comedy so weird it’s hard to believe it’s inspired by a true story. The one-minute teaser stars Powell as a hitman who enjoys pie and promises to eliminate a pretty potential client’s problems. But all is not as it seems…
Glen Powell and director Richard Linklater previously worked together on Fast Food Nation, Everybody Wants Some!! and Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood. With Hit Man, Powell also collaborated with Linklater on the screenplay.
“When I was 14, I worked with Rick for the first time,” said Powell in an interview with Netflix’s Tudum. “And at that point, I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, he’s one of the greats. I’m getting to be on a film set, a Richard Linklater film set.’ And now it’s 20 years later,...
Glen Powell and director Richard Linklater previously worked together on Fast Food Nation, Everybody Wants Some!! and Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood. With Hit Man, Powell also collaborated with Linklater on the screenplay.
“When I was 14, I worked with Rick for the first time,” said Powell in an interview with Netflix’s Tudum. “And at that point, I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, he’s one of the greats. I’m getting to be on a film set, a Richard Linklater film set.’ And now it’s 20 years later,...
- 1/23/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
IndieWire proudly announces that Deputy Managing Editor Ryan Lattanzio will join Editor-at-Large Anne Thompson as co-host of our long-running, popular weekly podcast series, “Screen Talk.” Launched in 2014, “Screen Talk” is a weekly dive behind the scenes of the latest industry news while debating and discussing new film and television releases. Thompson previously co-hosted “Screen Talk” with Eric Kohn, who joined filmmaker Harmony Korine’s multidisciplinary design collective Edglrd earlier this fall.
“It’s been a lot of fun to see Ryan grow his career and his voice at IndieWire,” said IndieWire Editor-in-Chief Dana Harris-Bridson. “I’m looking forward to hearing what he brings to ‘Screen Talk’ and his longtime partnership with Anne.”
“I’m thrilled to take the reins of co-hosting ‘Screen Talk’ alongside Anne, my friend and mentor of many years,” Lattanzio said. “Eric shaped such a great legacy for the podcast with his sharp week-by-week analyses and insights.
“It’s been a lot of fun to see Ryan grow his career and his voice at IndieWire,” said IndieWire Editor-in-Chief Dana Harris-Bridson. “I’m looking forward to hearing what he brings to ‘Screen Talk’ and his longtime partnership with Anne.”
“I’m thrilled to take the reins of co-hosting ‘Screen Talk’ alongside Anne, my friend and mentor of many years,” Lattanzio said. “Eric shaped such a great legacy for the podcast with his sharp week-by-week analyses and insights.
- 10/11/2023
- by IndieWire Staff
- Indiewire
To fully grasp the dire state of theatrical distribution of independent films, consider the words of John Sloss, founder and CEO of Cinetic Media, who recently told Variety:
“It’s imperative for all of us to get behind reigniting the theatrical experience because I don’t think the streamers are ever going to be behind the new voices and independent films. The only way to really get them out in the world is to put them in a theater where they can be reviewed and where they can sit long enough for word of mouth to really support them. That’s really the dangerous moment we are in, in terms of getting people back in the theaters.”
Suppose there’s a way out of the “dangerous moment” for independent cinema that Sloss describes. In that case, it will probably come about because of talented indie filmmakers like director Potsy Ponciroli and his experienced,...
“It’s imperative for all of us to get behind reigniting the theatrical experience because I don’t think the streamers are ever going to be behind the new voices and independent films. The only way to really get them out in the world is to put them in a theater where they can be reviewed and where they can sit long enough for word of mouth to really support them. That’s really the dangerous moment we are in, in terms of getting people back in the theaters.”
Suppose there’s a way out of the “dangerous moment” for independent cinema that Sloss describes. In that case, it will probably come about because of talented indie filmmakers like director Potsy Ponciroli and his experienced,...
- 10/10/2023
- by Steven Gaydos
- Variety Film + TV
Independent cinema is in trouble.
That’s according to Bob Berney, CEO of Picturehouse, John Sloss, founder and CEO of Cinetic Media, and Eugene Hernandez, director of the Sundance Film Festival and head of public programming. During an Oct. 1 Woodstock Film Festival panel titled the “Current and Future State of Independent Cinema” the trio ruminated on the future of independent film distribution.
Sloss acknowledged that while Netflix heads Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos are progressive, their decision to withhold data from the industry at large “set the industry back 50 years.”
That said, Sloss admitted that he was immediately drawn to the streaming service when they began acquiring independently made films over two decades ago.
“I have 70 films in my office that pay overages, which is not an insignificant amount,” Sloss said. “Then Netflix came in and it was really a conflict because they were paying so much money. From everyone’s standpoint,...
That’s according to Bob Berney, CEO of Picturehouse, John Sloss, founder and CEO of Cinetic Media, and Eugene Hernandez, director of the Sundance Film Festival and head of public programming. During an Oct. 1 Woodstock Film Festival panel titled the “Current and Future State of Independent Cinema” the trio ruminated on the future of independent film distribution.
Sloss acknowledged that while Netflix heads Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos are progressive, their decision to withhold data from the industry at large “set the industry back 50 years.”
That said, Sloss admitted that he was immediately drawn to the streaming service when they began acquiring independently made films over two decades ago.
“I have 70 films in my office that pay overages, which is not an insignificant amount,” Sloss said. “Then Netflix came in and it was really a conflict because they were paying so much money. From everyone’s standpoint,...
- 10/2/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Woodstock Film Festival has added Tony Goldwyn’s comedy drama “Ezra,” starring Bobby Cannavale and Robert De Niro to its 2023 lineup.
In the film, which made its world premiere earlier this month at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival, Cannavale stars as Max, a stand up comic who after recently blowing up his career and marriage is living with his father Stan (De Niro). When Max’s autistic son Ezra is expelled from yet another school, Max makes the controversial decision to take him on a cross-country road trip.
In addition to Cannavale and De Niro, “Ezra” stars Rose Byrne, Vera Farmiga, Whoopi Goldberg and Rainn Wilson. (Mister Smith Entertainment and CAA are handling sales.)
“I am so excited that the Woodstock Film Festival chose to screen ‘Ezra,'” says Goldwyn. “Woodstock is one of the coolest festivals in the country for a filmmaker. After such an enthusiastic reception at TIFF last week,...
In the film, which made its world premiere earlier this month at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival, Cannavale stars as Max, a stand up comic who after recently blowing up his career and marriage is living with his father Stan (De Niro). When Max’s autistic son Ezra is expelled from yet another school, Max makes the controversial decision to take him on a cross-country road trip.
In addition to Cannavale and De Niro, “Ezra” stars Rose Byrne, Vera Farmiga, Whoopi Goldberg and Rainn Wilson. (Mister Smith Entertainment and CAA are handling sales.)
“I am so excited that the Woodstock Film Festival chose to screen ‘Ezra,'” says Goldwyn. “Woodstock is one of the coolest festivals in the country for a filmmaker. After such an enthusiastic reception at TIFF last week,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
As the dual strike continues to chug along, the buzziest title of the fall festivals has found a home. The Richard Linklater-directed Hit Man, which was co-written by and stars Top Gun: Maverick breakout Glen Powell, has landed at Netflix after interest from multiple buyers, mostly the streaming services. Netflix landed it in a $20 million deal.
Hit Man tells the story of a real-life, mild-mannered psychology professor (Powell) who also posed as undercover hitman for the New Orleans police. But when he breaks protocol to help a desperate woman (played by Adria Arjona) trying to flee an abusive boyfriend, the character finds himself becoming one of his false personas, falling for the woman and flirting with turning into a criminal himself. The feature is based on a 2001 Texas Monthly true-crime article from Skip Hollandsworth, who worked with Linklater on Bernie.
Out of the Venice Film Festival, Hit Man received positive reviews.
Hit Man tells the story of a real-life, mild-mannered psychology professor (Powell) who also posed as undercover hitman for the New Orleans police. But when he breaks protocol to help a desperate woman (played by Adria Arjona) trying to flee an abusive boyfriend, the character finds himself becoming one of his false personas, falling for the woman and flirting with turning into a criminal himself. The feature is based on a 2001 Texas Monthly true-crime article from Skip Hollandsworth, who worked with Linklater on Bernie.
Out of the Venice Film Festival, Hit Man received positive reviews.
- 9/18/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix shelled out a staggering $20 million for “Hit Man,” a (sort of) true-crime comedy from director Richard Linklater and star Glen Powell. The streaming service has acquired rights in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and other key international territories.
The movie, which played to enthusiastic crowds at Venice and Toronto film festivals, has been one of the few notable sales from this year’s fall festival circuit. Netflix also acquired Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut “Woman of the Hour” out of TIFF for $11 million, while A24 nabbed the Colman Domingo-led “Sing Sing.” But deals have been slow to come together for other movies on the market, such as Chris Pine’s “Poolman” or Viggo Mortensen’s “The Dead Don’t Hurt.”
“Hit Man” follows Powell as Gary Johnson, a part-time teacher who moonlights as a mysterious gun man for hire. But there’s a catch in hiring him to...
The movie, which played to enthusiastic crowds at Venice and Toronto film festivals, has been one of the few notable sales from this year’s fall festival circuit. Netflix also acquired Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut “Woman of the Hour” out of TIFF for $11 million, while A24 nabbed the Colman Domingo-led “Sing Sing.” But deals have been slow to come together for other movies on the market, such as Chris Pine’s “Poolman” or Viggo Mortensen’s “The Dead Don’t Hurt.”
“Hit Man” follows Powell as Gary Johnson, a part-time teacher who moonlights as a mysterious gun man for hire. But there’s a catch in hiring him to...
- 9/18/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has acquired Richard Linklater and Glen Powell’s buzzy “Hit Man,” TheWrap has learned. With a reported payout of $20 million, this marks the second major buy for the streaming giant amid this year’s Venice and Toronto film festivals following their reported $11 million acquisition of Anna Kendrick’s “Woman of the Hour.”
“Hit Man” stars Powell, who co-wrote the screenplay with Linklater based on a Skip Hollandsworth-penned “Texas Monthly” article. The film concerns an alleged master assassin who is secretly working for the cops. Adria Arjona plays an apparently battered wife who inspires enough sympathy from the faux killer to make him consider doing the job for real.
Ben Croll wrote in his review for TheWrap that the picture “is a deliriously entertaining star vehicle, a throwback to the low-concept, high-reward studio crowd-pleasers built around a comic persona and designed to showcase a gifted performer’s range.”
It...
“Hit Man” stars Powell, who co-wrote the screenplay with Linklater based on a Skip Hollandsworth-penned “Texas Monthly” article. The film concerns an alleged master assassin who is secretly working for the cops. Adria Arjona plays an apparently battered wife who inspires enough sympathy from the faux killer to make him consider doing the job for real.
Ben Croll wrote in his review for TheWrap that the picture “is a deliriously entertaining star vehicle, a throwback to the low-concept, high-reward studio crowd-pleasers built around a comic persona and designed to showcase a gifted performer’s range.”
It...
- 9/18/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Netflix closed a $20 million deal on Hit Man, making the biggest deal at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and of the year for that matter. After the Richard Linklater-directed noir comic thriller debuted to raves at Venice, the film was expected to fetch the biggest deal of the fall festivals so far. Hit Man did not disappoint. Hit Man stars Top Gun Maverick’s Glen Powell and Adria Arjona (Andor) playing the most unlikely romantic partners, in performances that will boost each of their careers. Especially Powell, who co-wrote with Linklater what will be a major star turn for him. Netflix got US, UK, Australia/New Zealand, India, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, and Iceland. There is also a theatrical component to the deal, I’ve heard.
Heading into its final weekend, TIFF had been slow so far on the deal front, but this...
Heading into its final weekend, TIFF had been slow so far on the deal front, but this...
- 9/18/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
The red carpets and lavish afterparties that send the media flocking to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will be a lot less star-studded this year. That’s a necessary consequence of the actors and writers strikes that are roiling the movie business, leaving major studios and streamers without the kind of celebrity heat they typically rely on to give their awards contenders a flashy launch. But TIFF isn’t just a place to debut a film; it’s also a market for movies looking for distribution. And sales agents are divided on whether or not studios will be as willing to make a deal with all the labor turmoil.
John Sloss, the founder of the production and sales company Cinetic Media, is hitting Toronto looking for a distributor for “Hit Man,” the Richard Linklater movie that scored strong reviews at the Venice Film Festival. He doesn’t seem pessimistic...
John Sloss, the founder of the production and sales company Cinetic Media, is hitting Toronto looking for a distributor for “Hit Man,” the Richard Linklater movie that scored strong reviews at the Venice Film Festival. He doesn’t seem pessimistic...
- 9/7/2023
- by Brent Lang and Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Before cameras ever start rolling on a RadicalMedia movie, staffers are already busy strategizing about where it should eventually premiere. The company, which boasts “The Fog of War” and “Summer of Soul” among its many credits, routinely consults an exhaustive chart that lays out the deadlines to submit a movie to major festivals like Cannes, Sundance and Toronto.
“There’s no guarantee that you’ll get invited, but it’s important to have a plan,” says Jon Kamen, CEO of RadicalMedia. “Each festival has their own unique personality that makes it the perfect fit for certain kinds of work.”
In the case of RadicalMedia’s “Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero,” a documentary that follows the pop star behind “Old Town Road” on his first global tour, that ideal launching spot was always the Toronto International Film Festival.
“Nas X has performed in the city, and he has a huge fanbase there,...
“There’s no guarantee that you’ll get invited, but it’s important to have a plan,” says Jon Kamen, CEO of RadicalMedia. “Each festival has their own unique personality that makes it the perfect fit for certain kinds of work.”
In the case of RadicalMedia’s “Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero,” a documentary that follows the pop star behind “Old Town Road” on his first global tour, that ideal launching spot was always the Toronto International Film Festival.
“Nas X has performed in the city, and he has a huge fanbase there,...
- 9/6/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The conference is taking place from September 26-28.
Mubi’s Bobby Allen, Blueprint Pictures’ Peter Czernin, Killer Films’ Christine Vachon, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates’ Anna Higgs and Netflix’s Teresa Moneo will all attend the second annual Creative Investors’ Conference at the San Sebastian International Film Festival this month.
Organised in collaboration with CAA Media Finance, it is taking place at the festival from September 26-28 and will comprise of a series of panels and discussions open to industry badge holders, under the Spanish Screenings: Financing & Tech strand.
Scroll down for the full list of participants
Roeg Sutherland, Benjamin Kramer and...
Mubi’s Bobby Allen, Blueprint Pictures’ Peter Czernin, Killer Films’ Christine Vachon, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates’ Anna Higgs and Netflix’s Teresa Moneo will all attend the second annual Creative Investors’ Conference at the San Sebastian International Film Festival this month.
Organised in collaboration with CAA Media Finance, it is taking place at the festival from September 26-28 and will comprise of a series of panels and discussions open to industry badge holders, under the Spanish Screenings: Financing & Tech strand.
Scroll down for the full list of participants
Roeg Sutherland, Benjamin Kramer and...
- 9/5/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Netflix’s Teresa Moneo, Mubi’s Bobby Allen, Cinetic Media’s John Sloss, and Jeb Brody, President of Production at Amblin Partners, are among the names set for CAA Media Finance and the San Sebastian Film Festival’s second annual Creative Investors’ Conference.
The conference will take place September 26-28 and include a series of panels and discussions. Roeg Sutherland, Benjamin Kramer, and Sarah Schweitzman from CAA Media Finance will participate in the conference and moderate alongside journalist and San Seb advisor Wendy Mitchell.
Organized in collaboration with CAA Media Finance, other high-profile execs set to attend include Vincent Maraval, President of Goodfellas; Mariano César, SVP of Content Ge Content Latin America at HBO Max; Sarah Colvin, Director of Acquisitions at Neon; Liesl Copland, Executive Vice president, Content and Platform Strategy at Participant Media; Phil Hunt, CEO of Head Gear Films and Co-managing Director of Bankside Films; Fionnuala Jamison, Managing...
The conference will take place September 26-28 and include a series of panels and discussions. Roeg Sutherland, Benjamin Kramer, and Sarah Schweitzman from CAA Media Finance will participate in the conference and moderate alongside journalist and San Seb advisor Wendy Mitchell.
Organized in collaboration with CAA Media Finance, other high-profile execs set to attend include Vincent Maraval, President of Goodfellas; Mariano César, SVP of Content Ge Content Latin America at HBO Max; Sarah Colvin, Director of Acquisitions at Neon; Liesl Copland, Executive Vice president, Content and Platform Strategy at Participant Media; Phil Hunt, CEO of Head Gear Films and Co-managing Director of Bankside Films; Fionnuala Jamison, Managing...
- 9/5/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
San Sebastian Festival’s 2nd Creative Investors’ Conference (Cic), co-organized once more with CAA Media Finance, has lured some of the most prominent names in the international entertainment business, led by CAA Media Finance’s Roeg Sutherland, Goodfellas’ Vincent Maraval and Cinetic Media’s John Sloss.
Sutherland, Nick Ogiony and Sarah Schweitzman from CAA Media Finance will participate in the Conference, held on Sept. 26 and 27 at the Tabakalera, and moderate some of the activities, as will Wendy Mitchell, delegate and advisor of the San Sebastian Festival.
Variety has learned that the VIP international guests will hold private networking lunches/meetings with about 25 leading Spanish producers, includING Mariela Besuievsky of Tornasol Media; Eduardo Carneros, Euskadi Movie Aie; Valérie Delpierre, Inicia Films; Ignasi Estapé, Arcadia; Belén Atienza, Perdición Films; Fernando Bovaira, Mod Prods; Morena Films’ Juan Gordon and Elastica Films’ María Zamora.
Another added bonus is a podcast, jointly produced/hosted by...
Sutherland, Nick Ogiony and Sarah Schweitzman from CAA Media Finance will participate in the Conference, held on Sept. 26 and 27 at the Tabakalera, and moderate some of the activities, as will Wendy Mitchell, delegate and advisor of the San Sebastian Festival.
Variety has learned that the VIP international guests will hold private networking lunches/meetings with about 25 leading Spanish producers, includING Mariela Besuievsky of Tornasol Media; Eduardo Carneros, Euskadi Movie Aie; Valérie Delpierre, Inicia Films; Ignasi Estapé, Arcadia; Belén Atienza, Perdición Films; Fernando Bovaira, Mod Prods; Morena Films’ Juan Gordon and Elastica Films’ María Zamora.
Another added bonus is a podcast, jointly produced/hosted by...
- 9/5/2023
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente and John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
The upcoming Woodstock Film Festival will kick off with Chloe Domont’s “Fair Play” and present a lifetime achievement award to James Ivory.
The 24th edition of the fest, which runs from Sept. 27 to Oct. 1 in New York’s Hudson Valley, about 100 miles north of Manhattan, features a lineup of world, U.S. and New York premieres of feature films directed by filmmakers ranging from Steve Buscemi (“The Listener”) and Wim Wenders (“Anselm”) to Roger Ross Williams (“Stamped From the Beginning”).
Opening night “Fair Play,” an erotic thriller about a power-hungry couple contending for power at a cutthroat financial firm, was acquired by Netflix for $20 million after debuting at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Wff will be held at venues in Woodstock, Rosendale and Saugerties, all of which are Hudson Valley towns where many Academy members own homes, making the fest an award season campaign hotspot.
Additional narrative feature...
The 24th edition of the fest, which runs from Sept. 27 to Oct. 1 in New York’s Hudson Valley, about 100 miles north of Manhattan, features a lineup of world, U.S. and New York premieres of feature films directed by filmmakers ranging from Steve Buscemi (“The Listener”) and Wim Wenders (“Anselm”) to Roger Ross Williams (“Stamped From the Beginning”).
Opening night “Fair Play,” an erotic thriller about a power-hungry couple contending for power at a cutthroat financial firm, was acquired by Netflix for $20 million after debuting at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Wff will be held at venues in Woodstock, Rosendale and Saugerties, all of which are Hudson Valley towns where many Academy members own homes, making the fest an award season campaign hotspot.
Additional narrative feature...
- 8/29/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The Sands International Film Festival of St Andrews will return for a third edition set to run from April 19 – 21, 2024.
Next year’s dates see the festival take a slight shift in the calendar, with the start date just under a week later than 2023’s edition, which ran April 14 – 16.
Last year saw the fest unravel over three days, with a series of official screenings and industry talks from filmmakers and artists such as director Joe Russo, who opened the fest with a world premiere screening of his Prime Video series Citadel. Other highlights included Q&As with Stanley Tucci, who screened his 1996 culinary comedy Big Night; Reinaldo Marcus Green, who brought his 2018 thriller Monsters and Men and veteran casting director Margery Simkin. The festival also hosted a packed keynote industry-focused panel chaired by Deadline’s Mike Fleming featuring Joe Russo,...
Next year’s dates see the festival take a slight shift in the calendar, with the start date just under a week later than 2023’s edition, which ran April 14 – 16.
Last year saw the fest unravel over three days, with a series of official screenings and industry talks from filmmakers and artists such as director Joe Russo, who opened the fest with a world premiere screening of his Prime Video series Citadel. Other highlights included Q&As with Stanley Tucci, who screened his 1996 culinary comedy Big Night; Reinaldo Marcus Green, who brought his 2018 thriller Monsters and Men and veteran casting director Margery Simkin. The festival also hosted a packed keynote industry-focused panel chaired by Deadline’s Mike Fleming featuring Joe Russo,...
- 8/15/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Canadian director Atom Egoyan is bringing his latest movie, Seven Veils, to the Toronto Film Festival for a world premiere, with Amanda Seyfried in the lead role as a tortured opera director.
Seyfried reteamed with her Chloe director Egoyan for the opera-themed drama where she plays Jeanine, a theatre director remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, an adaptation of the opera Salome from composer Richard Strauss, based on the play by Oscar Wilde. As Jeanine reenters the opera world after years away, she is haunted by dark and disturbing memories from her past as her repressed trauma colors the present.
Rebecca Liddiard, Douglas Smith, Mark O’Brien and Vinessa Antoine also star in Seven Veils, which was shot in and around Toronto earlier this year. Should the ongoing strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA continue into the fall, American actors will be barred from publicizing any big-ticket studio movies...
Seyfried reteamed with her Chloe director Egoyan for the opera-themed drama where she plays Jeanine, a theatre director remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, an adaptation of the opera Salome from composer Richard Strauss, based on the play by Oscar Wilde. As Jeanine reenters the opera world after years away, she is haunted by dark and disturbing memories from her past as her repressed trauma colors the present.
Rebecca Liddiard, Douglas Smith, Mark O’Brien and Vinessa Antoine also star in Seven Veils, which was shot in and around Toronto earlier this year. Should the ongoing strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA continue into the fall, American actors will be barred from publicizing any big-ticket studio movies...
- 7/19/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Point Road Productions, led by filmmaker Billy Raftery and NBA legend Grant Hill, unveiled a new slate of projects, including an animated series, a video game and a sports documentary.
Point Road Productions is a full-service production company that also provides gap financing and development funds, and is incubating a slate of high-profile, socially conscious and character-driven documentaries and scripted projects set to launch in Q4 2023 and 2024.
As part of its newest slate, Point Road has optioned Andrew Archer’s Edo Ball, a graphic novel that’s a collection of artwork that integrates modern basketball visuals with traditional Japanese art and aesthetics from the Edo era. They are adapting the IP into an animated series and video game. Talent will be announced in the coming weeks.
Additionally, Point Road is releasing a sports documentary, Nothing But Net, featuring NBA superstar Kevin Garnett and sports television personality Jay Bilas in a meta-cinematic approach,...
Point Road Productions is a full-service production company that also provides gap financing and development funds, and is incubating a slate of high-profile, socially conscious and character-driven documentaries and scripted projects set to launch in Q4 2023 and 2024.
As part of its newest slate, Point Road has optioned Andrew Archer’s Edo Ball, a graphic novel that’s a collection of artwork that integrates modern basketball visuals with traditional Japanese art and aesthetics from the Edo era. They are adapting the IP into an animated series and video game. Talent will be announced in the coming weeks.
Additionally, Point Road is releasing a sports documentary, Nothing But Net, featuring NBA superstar Kevin Garnett and sports television personality Jay Bilas in a meta-cinematic approach,...
- 6/22/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: After an old-style all-night auction, Netflix is finalizing an $11 million deal for North American rights to May December, the Todd Haynes-directed drama that stars Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman. It is far and away the big deal of Cannes so far, and a deal of this size ought to send a jolt of optimism that the North American marketplace for Cannes films is still alive and well, after a slow start here.
The deal is being finalized by CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group, with Rocket Science brokering international deals. The film premiered at Cannes last Saturday evening, and received an eight-minute standing ovation and positive notices. It is most unusual for Netflix to take North American rights, so this is an exceptional situation.
Director Haynes reacted to our scoop almost in real time when we interviewed him this morning in Cannes, saying the deal made...
The deal is being finalized by CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group, with Rocket Science brokering international deals. The film premiered at Cannes last Saturday evening, and received an eight-minute standing ovation and positive notices. It is most unusual for Netflix to take North American rights, so this is an exceptional situation.
Director Haynes reacted to our scoop almost in real time when we interviewed him this morning in Cannes, saying the deal made...
- 5/23/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Once upon a time, Todd Haynes’ hot Cannes Competition title “May December” — a psychological drama based on the Mary Kay Letourneau case, starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore — would already have a North American distributor. (A source placed its budget just under $20 million.) However, we no longer live in a world where buyers will overpay for a film before they can gauge its theatrical value: The risk is just too great.
That’s why sellers CAA and UTA opted to not show the film to distributors before the festival. Instead, they’re betting that an enthusiastic response from Cannes media and audiences will boost its sale price.
“People are being skittish about paying top dollar for a movie as easily as they did in the past,” said Sony Pictures Classics co-president Michael Barker. At Cannes, SPC will screen the Pedro Almodovar gay western short “Strange Way of Life” starring Ethan Hawke...
That’s why sellers CAA and UTA opted to not show the film to distributors before the festival. Instead, they’re betting that an enthusiastic response from Cannes media and audiences will boost its sale price.
“People are being skittish about paying top dollar for a movie as easily as they did in the past,” said Sony Pictures Classics co-president Michael Barker. At Cannes, SPC will screen the Pedro Almodovar gay western short “Strange Way of Life” starring Ethan Hawke...
- 5/12/2023
- by Anne Thompson and Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Last month, the Croisette, the glamorous boulevard that serves as the central artery of Cannes, was a maze of construction that made it nearly unnavigable in places. Thin wire barriers were the only things separating the sun-speckled tourists and shoppers from gaping holes that exposed a warren of underground pipes being labored over by government crews. But as the Cannes Film Festival rapidly approaches, workers have been racing to finish the job, with city officials confident that the Croisette will be back in glittering form in time for the red-carpet rollout on May 16.
Other problems facing Cannes, though, won’t be as easily paved over. With the Writers Guild of America on strike, film and TV production is expected to taper off. If the Directors Guild or the Screen Actors Guild follow the WGA when their contracts expire in June, that slowdown could become a shutdown. And since Cannes doesn...
Other problems facing Cannes, though, won’t be as easily paved over. With the Writers Guild of America on strike, film and TV production is expected to taper off. If the Directors Guild or the Screen Actors Guild follow the WGA when their contracts expire in June, that slowdown could become a shutdown. And since Cannes doesn...
- 5/9/2023
- by Brent Lang and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The topic of streaming loomed large over the keynote industry session of the Sands Film Festival’s second edition, featuring Joe Russo and Cinetic Media founder John Sloss.
The pair were joined on stage by British writer-director Adura Onashile (Girl), with Deadline’s Mike Fleming on hosting duties, and he launched the panel by asking the group whether they believe it is now easier to cut through as a new filmmaker following the explosion of the streaming market.
“It was easier 15 years ago,” said indie veteran Sloss, whose credits include Boyhood, Boys Don’t Cry, and Green Book. “Even though there is more money than ever for content, because of the pandemic and the interruption of all rights distribution, most of that money comes from the streamers, and they aren’t looking to discover new voices. They love it if they have a foolproof chance of that, but that’s not their business.
The pair were joined on stage by British writer-director Adura Onashile (Girl), with Deadline’s Mike Fleming on hosting duties, and he launched the panel by asking the group whether they believe it is now easier to cut through as a new filmmaker following the explosion of the streaming market.
“It was easier 15 years ago,” said indie veteran Sloss, whose credits include Boyhood, Boys Don’t Cry, and Green Book. “Even though there is more money than ever for content, because of the pandemic and the interruption of all rights distribution, most of that money comes from the streamers, and they aren’t looking to discover new voices. They love it if they have a foolproof chance of that, but that’s not their business.
- 4/17/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Douglas Smith (Big Little Lies), Mark O’Brien (Arrival), Rebecca Liddiard (Alias Grace) and Vinessa Antoine have been cast opposite Amanda Seyfried (The Dropout) in Seven Veils, the new feature from filmmaker Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter).
The project wrapped principal photography in Toronto last week.
Seven Veils follows Jeanine (Seyfried), an earnest theatre director, who has been given the daunting task of remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera Salome. Haunted by dark and disturbing memories from her past, Jeanine allows her repressed trauma to color the present as she re-enters the opera world after so many years away.
Smith and Seyfried previously worked together on HBO series Big Love, playing siblings Ben and Sarah Henrickson.
Pic is written and directed by Egoyan, who also produces alongside Niv Fichman (Enemy), Simone Urdl (The Captive), Fraser Ash (BlackBerry) and Kevin Krikst (BlackBerry).
The project is a...
The project wrapped principal photography in Toronto last week.
Seven Veils follows Jeanine (Seyfried), an earnest theatre director, who has been given the daunting task of remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera Salome. Haunted by dark and disturbing memories from her past, Jeanine allows her repressed trauma to color the present as she re-enters the opera world after so many years away.
Smith and Seyfried previously worked together on HBO series Big Love, playing siblings Ben and Sarah Henrickson.
Pic is written and directed by Egoyan, who also produces alongside Niv Fichman (Enemy), Simone Urdl (The Captive), Fraser Ash (BlackBerry) and Kevin Krikst (BlackBerry).
The project is a...
- 3/14/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
“The Dropout” star Amanda Seyfried has joined Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan’s “Seven Veils.”
The latest from the “Chloe” director is set to begin filming in Toronto next week. In the film, Seyfried plays Jeanine, an earnest theater director who’s been given the daunting task of remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera “Salome.”
Haunted by dark memories from her past, Jeanine allows her repressed trauma to color the present as she re-enters the opera world after many years.
“Seven Veils” is written and directed by Egoyan, who also produces the film alongside Niv Fichman, Simone Urdl, Fraser Ash and Kevin Krikst.
“Seven Veils” is a Rhombus Media and Ego Film Arts production, produced with the participation of Telefilm Canada, in association with Cinetic Media, Ipr.Vc, XYZ Films and the Canadian Opera Company. XYZ’s Aram Tertzakian, Nate Bolotin, Maxime Cottray and Nick Spicer will executive produce,...
The latest from the “Chloe” director is set to begin filming in Toronto next week. In the film, Seyfried plays Jeanine, an earnest theater director who’s been given the daunting task of remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera “Salome.”
Haunted by dark memories from her past, Jeanine allows her repressed trauma to color the present as she re-enters the opera world after many years.
“Seven Veils” is written and directed by Egoyan, who also produces the film alongside Niv Fichman, Simone Urdl, Fraser Ash and Kevin Krikst.
“Seven Veils” is a Rhombus Media and Ego Film Arts production, produced with the participation of Telefilm Canada, in association with Cinetic Media, Ipr.Vc, XYZ Films and the Canadian Opera Company. XYZ’s Aram Tertzakian, Nate Bolotin, Maxime Cottray and Nick Spicer will executive produce,...
- 2/7/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Production scheduled to start in Toronto next week.
Atom Egoyan will direct Amanda Seyfried in Seven Veils, which the project’s co-financier XYZ Films will introduce to worldwide buyers at the EFM next week.
Production is scheduled to start in Toronto next week on the feature that sees Seyfried star as an earnest theatre director tasked with remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera Salome, as she struggles with repressed trauma.
Seven Veils reunites XYZ Films with Ipr.Vc and Rhombus Media after their collaboration on the upcoming Berlin world premiere BlackBerry.
The project announcement also dovetails with...
Atom Egoyan will direct Amanda Seyfried in Seven Veils, which the project’s co-financier XYZ Films will introduce to worldwide buyers at the EFM next week.
Production is scheduled to start in Toronto next week on the feature that sees Seyfried star as an earnest theatre director tasked with remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera Salome, as she struggles with repressed trauma.
Seven Veils reunites XYZ Films with Ipr.Vc and Rhombus Media after their collaboration on the upcoming Berlin world premiere BlackBerry.
The project announcement also dovetails with...
- 2/7/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Production scheduled to start in Toronto next week.
Atom Egoyan will direct Amanda Seyfried in Seven Veils, which the project’s co-financier XYZ Films will introduce to worldwide buyers at the EFM next week.
Production is scheduled to start in Toronto next week on the feature that sees Seyfried star as an earnest theatre director tasked with remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera Salome, as she struggles with repressed trauma.
Seven Veils reunites XYZ Films with Ipr.Vc and Rhombus Media after their collaboration on the upcoming Berlin world premiere BlackBerry.
The project announcement also dovetails with...
Atom Egoyan will direct Amanda Seyfried in Seven Veils, which the project’s co-financier XYZ Films will introduce to worldwide buyers at the EFM next week.
Production is scheduled to start in Toronto next week on the feature that sees Seyfried star as an earnest theatre director tasked with remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera Salome, as she struggles with repressed trauma.
Seven Veils reunites XYZ Films with Ipr.Vc and Rhombus Media after their collaboration on the upcoming Berlin world premiere BlackBerry.
The project announcement also dovetails with...
- 2/7/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Amanda Seyfried is reteaming with her Chole director Atom Egoyan on Seven Veils, an opera-themed drama that will begin shooting in Toronto next week.
The Mank and The Dropout star will play Jeanine, an earnest theatre director tasked with remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, an adaptation of the opera Salome from composer Richard Strauss, based on the play by Oscar Wilde. As she reenters the opera world after so many years away, Jeanine is haunted by dark and disturbing memories from her past and allows her repressed trauma to color the present.
Rhombus Media (Possessor, Enemy) will produce Seven Veils together with Ego Film Arts in association with Cinetic Media, Ipr.Vc, XYZ Films and the Canadian Opera Company. XYZ Films is selling worldwide rights to the film, introducing the project to buyer at Berlin’s European Film Market February 16. Elevation Pictures will release Seven Veils in Canada.
The Mank and The Dropout star will play Jeanine, an earnest theatre director tasked with remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, an adaptation of the opera Salome from composer Richard Strauss, based on the play by Oscar Wilde. As she reenters the opera world after so many years away, Jeanine is haunted by dark and disturbing memories from her past and allows her repressed trauma to color the present.
Rhombus Media (Possessor, Enemy) will produce Seven Veils together with Ego Film Arts in association with Cinetic Media, Ipr.Vc, XYZ Films and the Canadian Opera Company. XYZ Films is selling worldwide rights to the film, introducing the project to buyer at Berlin’s European Film Market February 16. Elevation Pictures will release Seven Veils in Canada.
- 2/7/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Amanda Seyfried has signed on to star in Seven Veils, the new film from Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan. The pic is set to start shooting next week in Toronto with XYZ selling world rights at the upcoming European Film Market.
In the pic, Seyfried plays Jeanine, an earnest theatre director, who has been given the task of remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera Salome. Haunted by dark and disturbing memories from her past, Jeanine allows her repressed trauma to color the present as she re-enters the opera world after so many years away. Elevation Pictures will distribute the film in Canada.
Seven Veils is written and directed by Egoyan, who also produces alongside Niv Fichman (Enemy), Simone Urdl (The Captive), Fraser Ash (BlackBerry), and Kevin Krikst (BlackBerry). The pic is a Rhombus Media and Ego Film Arts production, produced...
In the pic, Seyfried plays Jeanine, an earnest theatre director, who has been given the task of remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera Salome. Haunted by dark and disturbing memories from her past, Jeanine allows her repressed trauma to color the present as she re-enters the opera world after so many years away. Elevation Pictures will distribute the film in Canada.
Seven Veils is written and directed by Egoyan, who also produces alongside Niv Fichman (Enemy), Simone Urdl (The Captive), Fraser Ash (BlackBerry), and Kevin Krikst (BlackBerry). The pic is a Rhombus Media and Ego Film Arts production, produced...
- 2/7/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Sundance Wraps Up Its In-Person Return With Mega-Deals, High Anxiety and Controversy Over Captioning
On Jan. 22, the sales agents of WME Independent braced themselves for an all-night negotiation at the Sundance Film Festival. Once a staple of major film festivals, where million-dollar price tags soar as high as the altitude in the Utah mountains, these kind of marathon bidding wars had gone digital during the pandemic, or disappeared nearly entirely.
For the first time since 2020, the agents stocked their chalet with pizza bites, cookies and sugary soda to fuel these talks. Their mission was to find the right studio home for “Theater Camp,” a backstage send-up that scored a raucous reception at Sundance, where co-directors Nick Leiberman and Molly Gordon were joined by cast-members Ben Platt and Noah Galvin. The film entertained offers and fielded interest from several bidders, including some streamers. Deborah McIntosh, co-head of WME Independent Film, said the team was exhilarated to be back in the room together with potential buyers...
For the first time since 2020, the agents stocked their chalet with pizza bites, cookies and sugary soda to fuel these talks. Their mission was to find the right studio home for “Theater Camp,” a backstage send-up that scored a raucous reception at Sundance, where co-directors Nick Leiberman and Molly Gordon were joined by cast-members Ben Platt and Noah Galvin. The film entertained offers and fielded interest from several bidders, including some streamers. Deborah McIntosh, co-head of WME Independent Film, said the team was exhilarated to be back in the room together with potential buyers...
- 1/28/2023
- by Brent Lang, Tatiana Siegel and Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
The IndieWire Sundance 2023 Bible: Every Review, Interview, and News Item Posted During the Festival
Film and Television Reviews Interviews
Gael García Bernal on Playing ‘Cassandro,’ the Gay Wrestler Adored by Mexico’s Macho Men
Features
Sundance Film Festival Cancels Plans for New Frontier Program in 2023
It’s Time to Destroy the Old Myth of the Sundance Breakout for a New One (Column)
Lineup and Pre-Festival Announcements and News
Sundance Unveils 2023 Online Platform, Ticketing Details
Sundance 2023 Lineup: New Films from Nicole Holofcener, Brandon Cronenberg, Jonathan Majors, & More
Sundance Sets Restorations of ‘Slam’ and Gregg Araki’s ‘Doom Generation’ for 2023 Fest
Xavier Dolan, Paul Feig, and Willie Nelson Doc Among 2023 Sundance Shorts and Episodic Additions
Sundance Adds John Carney Musical and More World Premieres to 2023 Lineup
Sundance Adds Dakota Johnson, Barry Jenkins, and More to Beyond Film Talks Lineup
Jeremy O. Harris, Marlee Matlin, Destin Daniel Cretton Headline 2023 Sundance Juries
Pre-Festival Analysis
Sundance Wish List: 40 Films We Hope Will Premiere at the 2023 Festival
Oscar Hopefuls and...
Gael García Bernal on Playing ‘Cassandro,’ the Gay Wrestler Adored by Mexico’s Macho Men
Features
Sundance Film Festival Cancels Plans for New Frontier Program in 2023
It’s Time to Destroy the Old Myth of the Sundance Breakout for a New One (Column)
Lineup and Pre-Festival Announcements and News
Sundance Unveils 2023 Online Platform, Ticketing Details
Sundance 2023 Lineup: New Films from Nicole Holofcener, Brandon Cronenberg, Jonathan Majors, & More
Sundance Sets Restorations of ‘Slam’ and Gregg Araki’s ‘Doom Generation’ for 2023 Fest
Xavier Dolan, Paul Feig, and Willie Nelson Doc Among 2023 Sundance Shorts and Episodic Additions
Sundance Adds John Carney Musical and More World Premieres to 2023 Lineup
Sundance Adds Dakota Johnson, Barry Jenkins, and More to Beyond Film Talks Lineup
Jeremy O. Harris, Marlee Matlin, Destin Daniel Cretton Headline 2023 Sundance Juries
Pre-Festival Analysis
Sundance Wish List: 40 Films We Hope Will Premiere at the 2023 Festival
Oscar Hopefuls and...
- 1/19/2023
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
When Joana Vicente was a producer and later an independent film executive, she would take her young children with her to Sundance so they could learn to ski while she saw the latest movies. The plane trip from New York City to Utah was always a festive occasion, as artists and executives greeted each other and talked excitedly about that year’s lineup. But it gave her children a false sense of what air travel is really like. On a subsequent vacation, Vicente’s son had a question for his mother.
“My son was surprised that we didn’t know anyone on the plane,” remembers Vicente. “He was so used to what happened when we went to Sundance. And the plane is where the conversation starts. Where there’s a sense of a community coming together with expectation and excitement about seeing what’s new and what’s going to rattle you.
“My son was surprised that we didn’t know anyone on the plane,” remembers Vicente. “He was so used to what happened when we went to Sundance. And the plane is where the conversation starts. Where there’s a sense of a community coming together with expectation and excitement about seeing what’s new and what’s going to rattle you.
- 1/18/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have set their next Netflix project hot off the heels of the last one, an interview series about the people whose “actions shape our world” inspired by Nelson Mandela. Scroll down for the trailer.
Netflix unveiled trailer in the past hour for Live to Lead, presented by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which will feature interviews with the likes of Greta Thunberg, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Ruth Bader Ginsburg amongst others.
Dropping on December 31, the seven-part series comes from the Duke and Duchess’s Archewell, the producer of this month’s controversial Harry & Meghan doc series. It is inspired by the legacy of Nelson Mandela and the Nelson Mandela Foundation has already tweeted link to the trailer.
“Extraordinary leaders reflect on their legacies and share messages of courage, compassion, humility, hope and generosity,” tweeted the foundation.
Harry and Meghan’s...
Netflix unveiled trailer in the past hour for Live to Lead, presented by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which will feature interviews with the likes of Greta Thunberg, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Ruth Bader Ginsburg amongst others.
Dropping on December 31, the seven-part series comes from the Duke and Duchess’s Archewell, the producer of this month’s controversial Harry & Meghan doc series. It is inspired by the legacy of Nelson Mandela and the Nelson Mandela Foundation has already tweeted link to the trailer.
“Extraordinary leaders reflect on their legacies and share messages of courage, compassion, humility, hope and generosity,” tweeted the foundation.
Harry and Meghan’s...
- 12/19/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Hot on the heels of their Netflix docuseries “Harry & Meghan,” Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex have set a new docuseries with the streamer titled “Live to Lead.”
They will executive produce the series and may also make an appearance in it if the trailer is anything to go by. The couple both appear in the almost two-minute long preview clad in black against a white background.
“This was inspired by Nelson Mandela, who once said ‘What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived,'” the British royal says before Meghan adds: “It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”
“It’s about people who have made brave choices,” Harry continues at the end of the trailer.
Meghan adds: “To fight for change and to become leaders” before...
They will executive produce the series and may also make an appearance in it if the trailer is anything to go by. The couple both appear in the almost two-minute long preview clad in black against a white background.
“This was inspired by Nelson Mandela, who once said ‘What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived,'” the British royal says before Meghan adds: “It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”
“It’s about people who have made brave choices,” Harry continues at the end of the trailer.
Meghan adds: “To fight for change and to become leaders” before...
- 12/19/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
They came, they saw 10 higher-end Spanish movie pitches and maybe they were conquered. Just turning up, however, was maybe the most important factor.
Never in the history of the San Sebastian Festival have so many high-powered U.S. execs descended on the Spanish resort as for the two days of the first Creative Investors Conference, taking place over Sept. 19-20 and co-organized by CAA Media Finance.
At the Conference, investors debated with a level of candour above run-of-the-mill seminars, the state and future of the movie business across a total eight panels, moderated with verve by consultant Wendy Mitchell.
Since these are many of the guys running or making the running in the international part of that business, it was well worth noting some of their takeaways:
Europe’s Big Hope: Platforms Really Embracing Cinema
In the U.S., the platforms already buy big when it comes to movies. Think Sundance.
Never in the history of the San Sebastian Festival have so many high-powered U.S. execs descended on the Spanish resort as for the two days of the first Creative Investors Conference, taking place over Sept. 19-20 and co-organized by CAA Media Finance.
At the Conference, investors debated with a level of candour above run-of-the-mill seminars, the state and future of the movie business across a total eight panels, moderated with verve by consultant Wendy Mitchell.
Since these are many of the guys running or making the running in the international part of that business, it was well worth noting some of their takeaways:
Europe’s Big Hope: Platforms Really Embracing Cinema
In the U.S., the platforms already buy big when it comes to movies. Think Sundance.
- 9/21/2022
- by John Hopewell and Pablo Sandoval
- Variety Film + TV
Industry stalwarts John Sloss of Cinetic Media and Killer Films’ Christine Vachon offered a dynamic and inventive survey of contemporary film production and financing during the closing keynote of San Sebastian’s Creators Investors’ Conference Tuesday.
At the start of the session, the pair discussed their personal experiences of navigating the US independent scene in 2022, during which Vachon said she continues to see a dramatic drop in the value of her films on the international market.
“We’ve taken things to market that feel extremely undervalued,” she said. “What happens more these days is that we take something out and we’re a little shocked that the market is like ‘Okay, we like it. But we like it for about two-thirds of what you actually need to get it made.’”
Vachon said this downward trend directly affects her work with cast and crew members who she said have yet to...
At the start of the session, the pair discussed their personal experiences of navigating the US independent scene in 2022, during which Vachon said she continues to see a dramatic drop in the value of her films on the international market.
“We’ve taken things to market that feel extremely undervalued,” she said. “What happens more these days is that we take something out and we’re a little shocked that the market is like ‘Okay, we like it. But we like it for about two-thirds of what you actually need to get it made.’”
Vachon said this downward trend directly affects her work with cast and crew members who she said have yet to...
- 9/20/2022
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
No feature film has it easy in the modern theatrical and digital landscape, but 2022 has been particularly fraught. Warner Bros. is outright shelving pricey titles like “Batgirl,” Netflix has gone back to the drawing board thanks to its stock stumble and Amazon is focusing its resources on the almost-billion-dollar rollout of its “Lord of the Rings” TV series.
For fledgling indie movies that come to film markets, like the one currently underway in Toronto, the streamers used to be a safe and lucrative bets for distribution. As these now-legacy companies scramble to cut costs and boost subscriptions to please stockholders, the indie film industrial complex has once again been forced to pivot.
“It feels like we’re at the tail end of a wait-and-see period,” said John Sloss, founder and CEO of the sales agency Cinetic. “I think there was a reset this summer, and we’re all waiting for...
For fledgling indie movies that come to film markets, like the one currently underway in Toronto, the streamers used to be a safe and lucrative bets for distribution. As these now-legacy companies scramble to cut costs and boost subscriptions to please stockholders, the indie film industrial complex has once again been forced to pivot.
“It feels like we’re at the tail end of a wait-and-see period,” said John Sloss, founder and CEO of the sales agency Cinetic. “I think there was a reset this summer, and we’re all waiting for...
- 9/10/2022
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Films presented include Baltasar Kormákur’s Whaleman (At The Ends Of The Earth) and Gerardo Herrero’s Raqqa.
Executives from Wild Bunch, A24, Netflix and Focus Features are among those who will attend the inaugural two-day Creative Investors’ conference taking place at the San Sebastian International Film Festival (Ssiff), organised in collaboration with CAA Media and running from September 19-20.
Participants will include A24 Europe’s head of film and head of TV, respectively, Rose Garnett and Piers Wenger; Netflix’s head of international original film Teresa Moneo; Focus Features’ president of production and acquisitions Kiska Higgs; Mubi’s VP...
Executives from Wild Bunch, A24, Netflix and Focus Features are among those who will attend the inaugural two-day Creative Investors’ conference taking place at the San Sebastian International Film Festival (Ssiff), organised in collaboration with CAA Media and running from September 19-20.
Participants will include A24 Europe’s head of film and head of TV, respectively, Rose Garnett and Piers Wenger; Netflix’s head of international original film Teresa Moneo; Focus Features’ president of production and acquisitions Kiska Higgs; Mubi’s VP...
- 8/23/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Co-organized with CAA Media Finance, a new San Sebastian Festival Creative Investors’ Conference will see many of the good and great of the international film business descend on September’s fest edition to be pitched 10 higher-budget Spanish movies by their producers.
The Conference will run Sept.19-20. In a cosmopolitan lineup, titles pitched include international co-productions such as “Whalemen (At the Ends of the Earth)” from “Everest” director Baltasar Kormákur as well as the latest from “Amama” helmer Asier Altuna and “Raqa,” from Gerardo Herrero, an Academy Award wining producer for “The Secret in Their Eyes.”
The conference’s high-profile international investors, producers, agents and executives take in Mubi’s Bobby Allen, Piers Wenger at A24 Europe, Focus Features’s Kiska Higgs, 30West’s Trevor Groth, Vincent Maraval at Wild Bunch International and Netflix’s Teresa Moneo.
Also confirmed are the Elysian Film Group’s Danny Perkins, Neon CEO Tom Quinn,...
The Conference will run Sept.19-20. In a cosmopolitan lineup, titles pitched include international co-productions such as “Whalemen (At the Ends of the Earth)” from “Everest” director Baltasar Kormákur as well as the latest from “Amama” helmer Asier Altuna and “Raqa,” from Gerardo Herrero, an Academy Award wining producer for “The Secret in Their Eyes.”
The conference’s high-profile international investors, producers, agents and executives take in Mubi’s Bobby Allen, Piers Wenger at A24 Europe, Focus Features’s Kiska Higgs, 30West’s Trevor Groth, Vincent Maraval at Wild Bunch International and Netflix’s Teresa Moneo.
Also confirmed are the Elysian Film Group’s Danny Perkins, Neon CEO Tom Quinn,...
- 8/23/2022
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
The 18th edition of the Camden Intl. Film Festival, kicking off Sept. 15, will feature a handful of award-contending documentaries fresh off showings at Telluride and the Toronto film festivals. The Maine-based festival will unfold in a hybrid format, with both in-person events over a three-day period concluding Sept. 18, and online screenings available from Sept. 15 to Sept. 25 to audiences across North America.
This year’s Ciff highlights include the U.S. premiere of Tamana Ayazi and Marcel Mettelsiefen’s Netflix release “In Her Hands,” which follows one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors during the months leading up to the Taliban takeover the country in 2021; Chris Smith’s “Sr.,” centered on the life and career of Robert Downey Sr. and his relationship to his son, Robert Downey Jr.; and Steve James’ “A Compassionate Spy,” about Manhattan Project physicist, Soviet spy and University of Chicago alum Theodore Hall. Each of the three...
This year’s Ciff highlights include the U.S. premiere of Tamana Ayazi and Marcel Mettelsiefen’s Netflix release “In Her Hands,” which follows one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors during the months leading up to the Taliban takeover the country in 2021; Chris Smith’s “Sr.,” centered on the life and career of Robert Downey Sr. and his relationship to his son, Robert Downey Jr.; and Steve James’ “A Compassionate Spy,” about Manhattan Project physicist, Soviet spy and University of Chicago alum Theodore Hall. Each of the three...
- 8/22/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
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