Screen International, in association with Screen Scotland, has revealed the line-up for the second edition of its Rising Stars Scotland talent spotlight.
The biannual programme started in 2022 and aims to identify and promote the next generation of Scottish filmmakers and actors to the international industry.
Rising Stars Scotland is a joint initiative from Screen Scotland and Screen International, and is an offshoot of Screen’s UK & Ireland Stars of Tomorrow showcase.
The line-up features 10 up-and-coming actors, writers, writer-directors and producers who are on the verge of their first major professional breakthrough. All those selected are either originally from or currently living in Scotland.
The biannual programme started in 2022 and aims to identify and promote the next generation of Scottish filmmakers and actors to the international industry.
Rising Stars Scotland is a joint initiative from Screen Scotland and Screen International, and is an offshoot of Screen’s UK & Ireland Stars of Tomorrow showcase.
The line-up features 10 up-and-coming actors, writers, writer-directors and producers who are on the verge of their first major professional breakthrough. All those selected are either originally from or currently living in Scotland.
- 8/19/2024
- ScreenDaily
‘The Queen of My Dreams’ Review: A Charming and Fanciful Debut Tackles Mother-Daughter Relationships
Fawzia Mirza’s charming debut The Queen of My Dreams begins with a familiar and heartbreaking revelation. “I used to worship my mother,” our protagonist Azra (Amrit Kaur, The Sex Lives of College Girls) says through voiceover. “I thought she was perfect. I tried to be like my mother, but I wasn’t.”
As with most daughters navigating fractious relationships with their mothers, Azra’s entry into adulthood coincided with the shattering realization that her mother is only human. The woman who guided her since infancy and counseled her through challenging moments carries her own traumas. She doesn’t always understand Azra and, perhaps most upsettingly, she might not want to.
The Queen of My Dreams is Mirza’s take on a recognizable theme. It joins a formidable batch of films exploring mother-daughter relationships this festival season, a group that includes Raven Jackson’s gorgeous and poetic film All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt...
As with most daughters navigating fractious relationships with their mothers, Azra’s entry into adulthood coincided with the shattering realization that her mother is only human. The woman who guided her since infancy and counseled her through challenging moments carries her own traumas. She doesn’t always understand Azra and, perhaps most upsettingly, she might not want to.
The Queen of My Dreams is Mirza’s take on a recognizable theme. It joins a formidable batch of films exploring mother-daughter relationships this festival season, a group that includes Raven Jackson’s gorgeous and poetic film All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt...
- 10/17/2023
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Writers, directors and producers will take part in a series of masterclasses, screenings and networking opportunities from October 6-9.
The 15 participants in this year’s BFI Network@Lff professional development programme will include writer-director Abraham Adeyemi, whose directorial debut No More Wings won best narrative short at Tribeca Film Festival, writer Kamal Kaan, who was story, location and cultural consultant on Clio Barnard’s Cannes premiere Ali & Ava, writer-director Lowri Roberts who co-founded production company Rapt with actor Maisie Williams, and writer-director Dan Thorburn whose debut feature Barfly recently won best project at the Galway Film Fleadh marketplace.
Adeyemi is co-developing TV series South London,...
The 15 participants in this year’s BFI Network@Lff professional development programme will include writer-director Abraham Adeyemi, whose directorial debut No More Wings won best narrative short at Tribeca Film Festival, writer Kamal Kaan, who was story, location and cultural consultant on Clio Barnard’s Cannes premiere Ali & Ava, writer-director Lowri Roberts who co-founded production company Rapt with actor Maisie Williams, and writer-director Dan Thorburn whose debut feature Barfly recently won best project at the Galway Film Fleadh marketplace.
Adeyemi is co-developing TV series South London,...
- 10/3/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
When I caught The Möbius Trip at Glasgow Short Film Festival in March, I was instantly struck by the way it took anxieties surrounding a relatable scenario – a family going on a long car journey – and pushed them into a truly nightmarish scenario. Audiences seemed to agree, with Simone Smith’s film winning a Jury Special Mention award. Using claustrophobic framing, overlapping often foul dialogue and experimenting with hallucinogenic imagery, it expertly depicts a bickering Scottish family trying in vain to find a wedding in the middle of nowhere; striking a chord with anyone who has spent more time than they would wish to with their immediate family. Smith joins us below for a conversation in which we dig into how being with family can bring out your inner madness, shooting almost entirely within the confines of the car, and finding the film’s more visually outré tone in the process of post-production.
- 5/17/2023
- by Redmond Bacon
- Directors Notes
The excellent selection available at this year’s Glasgow Shorts Film Festival, running in-person between the 22-26 March, is everything you would want from a short film festival, and then some. Spanning the personal, political, purely abstract, absurd and metafictional, this year offers a variety of open-hearted expressions, probing both the inner workings of the human experience and how it relates to the wider world.
While the larger selection is far more comprehensive than the small slice of films I had the chance to watch, both the Scottish Shorts and the International Films reflect a strong desire from the Glasgow Shorts programming committee to champion work that challenges, confounds and contradicts commonly-held notions while also never losing sight of highlighting strange and unique cinematic visions. Sifting through nearly 50 films, we have picked ten particularly strong shorts that we believe are definitely worth putting on your radar.
// Scottish Shorts // Outlets – Duncan Cowles...
While the larger selection is far more comprehensive than the small slice of films I had the chance to watch, both the Scottish Shorts and the International Films reflect a strong desire from the Glasgow Shorts programming committee to champion work that challenges, confounds and contradicts commonly-held notions while also never losing sight of highlighting strange and unique cinematic visions. Sifting through nearly 50 films, we have picked ten particularly strong shorts that we believe are definitely worth putting on your radar.
// Scottish Shorts // Outlets – Duncan Cowles...
- 3/21/2023
- by Redmond Bacon
- Directors Notes
It was a star-studded family affair at the 2023 Grammys on Sunday night. As stars gathered at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles to celebrate music's biggest night, several of them were accompanied by their loved ones.
DJ Khaled brought his whole family, including wife Nicole Tuck and their two kids, Asahd and Aalam Khaled. Meanwhile, LL Cool J - who is slated to hit the stage for a special performance celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop - was accompanied by his wife, Simone Smith, and daughter Samaria Smith.
Despite their rumored new romance, Kelsea Ballerini - who is nominated for best country solo performance for "Heartfirst" - didn't bring Chase Stokes as her date. Instead, she was joined by her mom, Carla Ballerini. Others who brought their family along include Brandi Carlile, Future, and Beck Hansen.
As the 2023 Grammy Awards continue to ramp up, see all the celebrity families at the ceremony ahead.
DJ Khaled brought his whole family, including wife Nicole Tuck and their two kids, Asahd and Aalam Khaled. Meanwhile, LL Cool J - who is slated to hit the stage for a special performance celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop - was accompanied by his wife, Simone Smith, and daughter Samaria Smith.
Despite their rumored new romance, Kelsea Ballerini - who is nominated for best country solo performance for "Heartfirst" - didn't bring Chase Stokes as her date. Instead, she was joined by her mom, Carla Ballerini. Others who brought their family along include Brandi Carlile, Future, and Beck Hansen.
As the 2023 Grammy Awards continue to ramp up, see all the celebrity families at the ceremony ahead.
- 2/6/2023
- by Monica Sisavat
- Popsugar.com
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Mastercard is sponsoring “She Run This,” a three-part panel series spotlighting Black female entrepreneurs and musicians. On Friday, Feb. 3, Mastercard’s vp of global sponsorships Laytoya Bennett-Johnson was joined by trailblazing rappers Salt-n-Pepa, emerging rapper Baby Tate, Grammy-nominated rapper Rapsody, entrepreneur Bridgid Coulter Cheadle and journalist Gia Peppers, who moderated the conversation.
The panelists were invited to speak about how they’ve built their brands, the ways in which entrepreneurship and creativity have impacted their businesses and musical careers, how they define success as women working in and around the entertainment industry and more.
“Before you step into this business you’ve got to know who you are and which lines you won’t cross,” Rapsody said to the group and guests. “When I was young and looking at what I thought was success — platinum plaques and sold-out arenas — [I later realized] those are materialistic things.
The panelists were invited to speak about how they’ve built their brands, the ways in which entrepreneurship and creativity have impacted their businesses and musical careers, how they define success as women working in and around the entertainment industry and more.
“Before you step into this business you’ve got to know who you are and which lines you won’t cross,” Rapsody said to the group and guests. “When I was young and looking at what I thought was success — platinum plaques and sold-out arenas — [I later realized] those are materialistic things.
- 2/5/2023
- by Evan Nicole Brown
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley, David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future and Danis Goulet’s Night Raiders lead nominees for the upcoming Dgc Awards with three each.
The Directors of Guild of Canada unveiled nominations for its 21st Dgc Awards on Nov. 5 on Friday. Del Toro, who shot Nightmare Alley mostly in and around Toronto, did not receive a nomination for best feature film direction.
But del Toro’s tribute to the film noir genre, which starred Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett, did earn Oscar-nominated production designer Tamara Deverell a Dgc Awards nod in the same category, Cam McLauchlin a nomination for feature best picture editing, and best sound editing nominations for Nathan Robitaille, Jill Purdy, Dashen Naidoo, Josh Brown, Nelson Ferreira, Kayla Stewart, Craig MacLellan and Kevin Banks.
Cronenberg received a best film director nomination for Crimes of the Future,...
Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley, David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future and Danis Goulet’s Night Raiders lead nominees for the upcoming Dgc Awards with three each.
The Directors of Guild of Canada unveiled nominations for its 21st Dgc Awards on Nov. 5 on Friday. Del Toro, who shot Nightmare Alley mostly in and around Toronto, did not receive a nomination for best feature film direction.
But del Toro’s tribute to the film noir genre, which starred Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett, did earn Oscar-nominated production designer Tamara Deverell a Dgc Awards nod in the same category, Cam McLauchlin a nomination for feature best picture editing, and best sound editing nominations for Nathan Robitaille, Jill Purdy, Dashen Naidoo, Josh Brown, Nelson Ferreira, Kayla Stewart, Craig MacLellan and Kevin Banks.
Cronenberg received a best film director nomination for Crimes of the Future,...
- 9/23/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Rock’s daughter Simone Johnson, known as Ava Raine in WWE, poses for a selfie. Pic credit: @avarainewwe/Instagram
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been away from the WWE wrestling ring for years, but his family is looking to keep the tradition of superstars going strong.
Simone Johnson, The Rock’s daughter, is currently working her way up the rankings within WWE as Ava Raine, and on Saturday, she was celebrating her birthday.
A friend of Simone’s shared a fun birthday snap on Instagram with a message for her good pal Ava Raine, who reshared the b-day shoutout on her Ig Story.
In the beach throwback photo, Simone poses in a sports-themed dark bikini with white bands and straps. Her friend rocks a pair of open jean shorts with a bikini top featuring a green and black design as she keeps an arm on Simone’s shoulder and the other raised joyously.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been away from the WWE wrestling ring for years, but his family is looking to keep the tradition of superstars going strong.
Simone Johnson, The Rock’s daughter, is currently working her way up the rankings within WWE as Ava Raine, and on Saturday, she was celebrating her birthday.
A friend of Simone’s shared a fun birthday snap on Instagram with a message for her good pal Ava Raine, who reshared the b-day shoutout on her Ig Story.
In the beach throwback photo, Simone poses in a sports-themed dark bikini with white bands and straps. Her friend rocks a pair of open jean shorts with a bikini top featuring a green and black design as she keeps an arm on Simone’s shoulder and the other raised joyously.
- 8/14/2022
- by Matt Couden
- Monsters and Critics
Exclusive: The New York-based Visit Films has acquired world rights excluding Canada to the video store dramedy I Like Movies, which will debut as part of the Discovery program at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.
The film was co-written and directed by first-time filmmaker Chandler Levack who negotiated the deal with Ryan Kampe of Visit Films alongside producer Lindsay Blair Goeldner and co-producer Evan Dubinsky.
Set in Burlington, Ontario, in 2003, the film follows hyper-ambitious teenage cinephile Lawrence Kweller, who dreams of attending film school at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. In order to raise the hefty tuition fee, he gets his dream job at the local video store, Sequels. Wracked with anxiety about his future, Lawrence begins alienating the most important people in his life, including his best friend, Matt Macarchuck, and his single mother, Terri, all while developing a complicated friendship with his older female manager, Alana.
The film was co-written and directed by first-time filmmaker Chandler Levack who negotiated the deal with Ryan Kampe of Visit Films alongside producer Lindsay Blair Goeldner and co-producer Evan Dubinsky.
Set in Burlington, Ontario, in 2003, the film follows hyper-ambitious teenage cinephile Lawrence Kweller, who dreams of attending film school at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. In order to raise the hefty tuition fee, he gets his dream job at the local video store, Sequels. Wracked with anxiety about his future, Lawrence begins alienating the most important people in his life, including his best friend, Matt Macarchuck, and his single mother, Terri, all while developing a complicated friendship with his older female manager, Alana.
- 8/10/2022
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
LL Cool J has been in the spotlight since the '80s. In addition to a successful rap career, the star is also an actor, author, TV host, and entrepreneur. While we all know and love him as LL Cool J, it turns out that that isn't his real name, nor is it short for his real name. LL was born James Todd Smith, but after he began his career in music, he decided he needed a more appropriate stage name. LL initially wanted to call himself J-Ski but ultimately decided against it because rappers who used "Ski" or "Blow" in their stage names were associated with the rise of cocaine culture in the '80s. He then settled on "timeless" LL Cool J, which stands for - wait for it - Ladies Love Cool James. "It seems like 'cool' has been around since the beginning of time," he said of the name.
- 1/22/2017
- by Caitlin Hacker
- Popsugar.com
Most of us will be in a turkey-and-mashed-potatoes-induced food coma on Thanksgiving, wearing PJs as we flip between Friends re-runs and home shopping networks so we don’t miss out on amazing deals from celebrity fashion lines. In fact, there are so many cool specials to be had we wanted to find out more about how your favorite shopping destinations prep for the busiest season of the year. We asked Hsn, QVC and Evine all those nosy questions you’ve always wanted to know. What top-selling item surprised them the most? How do they prep their inventory for the high-traffic season?...
- 11/23/2016
- by Colleen Kratofil
- PEOPLE.com
LL Cool J's son Najee Smith was arrested early this morning in New York City, E! News confirms. The NYPD tells E! News that they were called to an altercation at 3:15 a.m. on Tuesday at a restaurant in the Meatpacking District on Ninth Ave. near W. 13th Street. Upon arrival, police were told that Smith, 26, was asked to leave and refused. He then, according to police, fought with workers who tried to escort him out and became combative with security, at which point he was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing. LL Cool J, who stars on NCIS: Los Angeles, has four children with wife Simone Smith. Najee is his only son.
- 9/29/2015
- E! Online
Simone Smith, wife of "NCIS: Los Angeles" star LL Cool J, has launched her own jewelry line, Simone I. Smith. "Extra" was at the launch and talked with Smith about her designs for women who love big hoop earrings. Watch!
For more information, go to SimoneISmith.com!
For more information, go to SimoneISmith.com!
- 4/12/2011
- Extra
On screen, Ryan Reynolds had no choice but to put a ring on it (Sandra Bullock coerced him!) in The Proposal. But for these stars in their off-screen lives, no charades were involved - and in one case no ring, either - when the big question was popped … just a nude beach and a sports car to help set the mood. Jason Biggs, married to Jenny Mollen: "I proposed twice. I proposed once spontaneously - I didn't even have a ring. I used an earring. We were in St. Martin. I just bought her these earrings and I took...
- 6/25/2009
- by Christina Tapper
- PEOPLE.com
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