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Note: The following story contains spoilers from “9-1-1” Season 8, Episode 3.

“9-1-1” is no stranger to miraculous rescues, but Angela Bassett just pulled off the craziest one yet with Thursday’s plane landing extravaganza.

Concluding the three-episode event that kicked off with the ABC first responder drama’s buzzy Bee-nado, the latest episode followed as Athena Grant (Bassett) piloted a stranded passenger plane to safety with the help of air traffic control over the phone, her husband Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) and a very young video game enthusiast.

“What I love about being a part of ‘9-1-1’ is the ability to not only bring incredible moments of television to viewers, but we as actors get to play, too,” Bassett told TheWrap in an email. “I enjoy filming those intense action scenes and especially with our younger cast members. It’s fun to see the experience through their eyes.”

The rescue involved...

Poland’s American Film Festival is continuing to bet on U.S. independent films, ignoring the Hollywood blockbusters and bigger budget auteur films from the mini-majors.

“The fest selects a very precise type of project – they are real independent films, not in that Independent Spirit Award, less-than-$40 million sense,” says director and producer Rob Rice.

“The people that come with them have a kind of shorthand with each other. We are all up against the same things and we are all trying to trick the industry into mistaking our films for ‘real movies.’”

“There are always lots of interesting things happening in American independent cinema. It’s enough to mention three alumni of [fest’s industry sidebar] U.S. in Progress: Anu Valia (“We Strangers”), India Donaldson (“Good One”) and Sarah Friedland. These are great examples of new female voices speaking about female experiences, and keeping things intimate and personal,” says artistic director Ula Śniegowska.

Roger Vadim's 1968 sci-fi freak-out "Barbarella" is one of the zestiest, sexist, strangest, and most amusing pictures the genre has to offer. Set in the 41st century, "Barbarella" follows the merry caprices of the title heroine (Jane Fonda), a freelance adventurer of the cosmos. Barbarella, frequently undressed, is assigned by the President of Earth (Claude Dauphin) to track down a mysterious, missing scientist named Durand-Durand (Milo O'Shea) who has invented an all-powerful weapon called the positronic ray.

During her quest, Barbarella is attacked by killer dolls, befriends a blind angel (John Philip Law), is forced into a deadly orgasm machine (although she can outlast its mechanical manipulations), and faces off against the Black Queen, the tyrant ruler of Sogo.

The film was based on the erotic comics by Jean-Claude Forest, and possesses all the same sexual energy as the aggressively naughty original, even if it's not quite as sexually explicit.

“The Bear” and “Shogun” were dominant at the 21st annual Gold Derby TV Awards decided by our registered users who represent some of the smartest TV fans and awards pundits on the web. Both FX series won six awards. In fact, FX completely dominated with 15 wins out of our 30 categories. Scroll down to see the full list of winners in all 30 categories.

Watch the fun 37-minute ceremony video above featuring many of this year’s winners delivering exciting acceptance speeches.

“The Bear” claimed Best Comedy Series for the second time, Best Comedy Actor (Jeremy Allen White), Best Comedy Supporting Actor (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Best Comedy Guest Actress (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Best Comedy Episode (“Fishes”). In addition, the FX dramedy claimed Ensemble of the Year, which makes it the first half-hour series to win for its cast since “Community” 12 years ago. Ultimately, “The Bear” only lost three categories. Best Comedy Actress...

The Gotham Film & Media Institute, Filmmaker’s publisher, announced today the opening of its 2024 submissions plus the addition of two competitive categories. For the first time, there will be a Best Director award. Returning this year will be a Breakthrough Performer award, which was last presented in 2022. The other categories are: Best Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best International Feature, Breakthrough Director, Best Screenplay and Outstanding Lead Performance, Outstanding Supporting Performance. Missing this year are the various TV award categories, which will now be presented in a separate Gotham TV Awards ceremony on June 2, 2025. From the press […]

The post Gotham Awards Adds Best Director & Breakthrough Performer Categories first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

The Gotham Film & Media Institute, Filmmaker’s publisher, announced today the opening of its 2024 submissions plus the addition of two competitive categories. For the first time, there will be a Best Director award. Returning this year will be a Breakthrough Performer award, which was last presented in 2022. The other categories are: Best Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best International Feature, Breakthrough Director, Best Screenplay and Outstanding Lead Performance, Outstanding Supporting Performance. Missing this year are the various TV award categories, which will now be presented in a separate Gotham TV Awards ceremony on June 2, 2025. From the press […]

The post Gotham Awards Adds Best Director & Breakthrough Performer Categories first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Filled with viral moments, star-studded competitions and splashy Parisian backdrops, the Paris Olympics racked up more than 1.3 million posts on Tiktok, an increase of 1,828% on the Tokyo Games, according to figures unveiled by the social media platform on Aug. 7.

Tiktok, which partnered with Team Gb during the sporting event, is also reporting that 233,440 creators made content under the hashtag #Olympics, an 822% increase on Tokyo. The hashtag #Paris2024, meanwhile, garnered over 526,700 posts. The two biggest viral stars of these Olympics are Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen, aka Muffin Man, and U.S. pommel horse superstar Stephen Nedoroscik.

Christiansen tallied up 83 million video views with his love of chocolate muffins made in the athlete village. The organizing committee said as many 3,000 muffins were eaten daily during the Olympics, although it’s certain Christiansen didn’t eat them all. Nedoroscik, on the other hand, launched the first viral moment when he sparked comparisons with...

On Tuesday July 23 2024, History broadcasts The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch!

Breakthrough; Shock and Awe Season 5 Episode 13 Episode Summary

In this episode of “The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch” on History, titled “Breakthrough; Shock and Awe,” viewers are poised for a groundbreaking moment as the team executes a massive, multi-faceted experiment. This operation holds the potential to uncover long-awaited answers surrounding the mysteries of Skinwalker Ranch. As tensions and anticipation build, the team undertakes their final experiment of the year, employing cutting-edge technology and scientific methods in a concerted effort to unravel the enigmatic phenomena that have plagued the ranch for years.

Audiences can expect riveting moments of discovery and revelation as the episode unfolds, promising unprecedented insights into the paranormal and unexplained occurrences at Skinwalker Ranch. The team’s meticulous approach and collaborative efforts aim to shed light on phenomena that defy conventional explanation, offering a glimpse into realms where science and the supernatural intersect.

Exclusive: M3GAN 2.0 is in production as it heads for a June 27, 2025 theatrical release with Timm Sharp, Aristotle Athari and Jemaine Clement boarding the Blumhouse, Atomic Monster and Divide/Conquer sequel.

Also returning from the original 2023 $181M global grossing movie is Brian Jordan Alvarez as Cole and Jen Van Epps as Tess.

Gerard Johnstone, as we previously told you, is returning to the helm with a screenplay penned by Akela Cooper, who wrote the first film.

Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, and Jenna Davis were previously confirmed to return for the sequel which will also star Ivanna Sakhno.

Jason Blum, James Wan and Williams are producers on M3GAN 2.0. Michael Clear and Judson Scott, of Wan’s Atomic Monster banner, will EP. Blumhouse’s Ryan Turek is also an EP with Mark Katchur. Adam Hendricks and Greg Gilreath, from Divide/Conquer, are also EPs.

Sharp’s acting career started with Undeclared for Fox,...

The team behind Oscar-winning All Quiet on the Western Front is joining forces with The Night Manager producers The Ink Factory on period drama Break, based on the life of 1930s German tennis champion Gottfried von Cramm.

All Quiet star Felix Kammerer will play von Cramm, with Daniel Brühl directing. Brühl, a co-star and executive producer on All Quiet, made his directorial debut with the German drama Next Door in 2021.

Oscar-nominated screenwriter Hossein Amini (Drive, The Wings of the Dove) will pen the script, adapting Marshall Jon Fisher’s non-fiction book A Terrible Splendor: Three Extraordinary Men, a World Poised for War and the Greatest Tennis Match Ever Played. The story will be told in German and English.

Von Cramm’s impressive sporting career — a two-time French Open winner, he was ranked No. 1 in the world in 1937 — was set against the rise of Hitler’s Third Reich, which saw the...

The Critics Choice Association (Cca) presented the inaugural Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television, hosted by Sherry Cola, during Pride Month on Friday, June 7, 2024 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, CA. The show will stream on June 21st on HereTV, the first and largest LGBTQ+ TV and streaming service in the USA.

The celebration honored the finest achievements from the LGBTQ+ entertainment community, both in front of and behind the camera, as well as showcased emerging and established talent. This event marked the newest addition to the Cca’s series of Celebrations. The Celebrations aim to shine a light on work from historically underrepresented talent.

Sponsors of the event included: Delta Air Lines, Fairmont Century Plaza, Fiji Water, Here Media, Milagro Tequila, Nep Sweetwater, and Starz.

Who:

Host Sherry Cola; Honorees Abe Sylvia (Showrunner Award), Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Supporting Performance Award for Television – Series), Chris Perfetti (Breakthrough Performance Award for...

June 6, 2024, marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of the beaches of Normandy, France. Code-named Operation Overlord, it marked the largest amphibious invasion in military history and resulted in the defeat of German Nazi forces at Reims.

Some films portray the soldiers who set foot on the shores of Normandy, portrayed by actors including John Wayne, Tom Hanks, Mark Hamill, Lee Marvin, Matt Damon, Vin Diesel, Tom Sizemore, Ted Danson, Paul Giamatti and more. Others focus on Winston Churchill, who made the call for Britain to join the invasion. Two Churchill biopics, starring Brian Cox and Gary Oldman, came out in 2017 and depict the strenuous decision the prime minister made.

For those looking for TV shows about the operation, Band of Brothers starring Scott Grimes, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston is a must-watch. HBO’s miniseries about Easy Company also features Andrew Scott, James McAvoy, Colin Hanks, Simon Pegg,...

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,...

Insiders Reveal That Nupur Sanon Has Been Approached By The Makers For Bigg Boss Ott 3. (Photo Credit – IMDb/Instagram)

It’s Bigg Boss O’Clock. A new season of Bigg Boss Ott will start streaming on Jio Cinema soon. A brand new season brings a lot of new changes, with a brand new host stepping in for Salman Khan; this season promises to take things up a notch. Anil Kapoor will make his hosting debut on Bigg Boss Ott Season 3. With so much hype and anticipation around the new season, there is a lot of curiosity about who the contestants will be. And we have an exclusive update about the show. Insiders have revealed that Filhaal fame, Nupur Sanon, has been approached to participate in the show.

Bigg Boss Ott 3 is making a spectacular return. As confirmed in the show’s latest promo, Anil Kapoor will take over as host.

As absurd as it is to say about a film that ends with an onscreen Qr code imploring viewers to “Pay It Forward,” “Sight” probably would be better if it was preachier. At the very least, it would be more memorable.

The latest project from Angel Studios, “Sight” certainly looks and feels like the type of cheap contemporary Christian cinema that both its production company and its director specialize in. But whenever the movie looks like it might go full Christian medical drama a la the inexplicably Oscar-nominated “Breakthrough,” it always pulls back from launching into a sermon. Sure, there’s a kindly nun and an unbearable syrupy sweet church scene, but by the end of “Sight,” it’s not particularly clear how devout main character Ming Wang is to Christianity, or if he’s even a believer in the first place.

The lack of aggressive shilling for the world...

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.

It’s an indie grab bag and a fun one this weekend with the widely pummeled TIFF-premiering Poolman, (the people will decide), Jamie Foxx in comedy Not Another Church Movie, and Eric Bana’s Force of Nature: The Dry 2 sequel. Mubi and Strand Releasing are testing the market with limited openings Gasoline Rainbow and A Prince. A24 begins a slow rollout of I Saw The TV Glow.

The widest release on 1,180+ screens is Briarcliff’s Not Another Church Movie directed by Johnny Mack, starring Jamie Foxx, Vivica A. Fox, Kevin Daniels and Mickey Rourke. Daniels is Taylor Pherry (silent p), an ambitious young man on a holy mission from God (Foxx) — to tell his family’s stories and inspire his community. But the Devil (Rourke) has plans of his own.

Vertical’s Poolman at 160+ locations is Pine’s directorial debut andhe also stars as Darren, a native Angeleno who...

The 50-strong cohort for the fourth iteration of the TV Collective’s groundbreaking Breakthrough Leaders program has been unveiled.

The initiative is in partnership with Fremantle, BBC Studios, Amazon, Sky, and ITV Studios. The program has identified and will empower 50 exceptional individuals from Black, Asian and global majority backgrounds who are poised to become the future leaders of the U.K. TV industry.

This year’s selection process saw a significant increase in female leaders and a broader geographic representation beyond London. Among those recognized are BAFTA-nominated screenwriter and director Shiva Raichandani, documentary filmmaker Georgie Yukiko-Donovan and Ellie Sabine-Singh, head of development at Chatterbox Media. The full list of leaders is here.

The leaders will have access to a year-round curated program designed to advance their progression and leadership in the industry. It includes exclusive access to 10 masterclasses, direct engagement with headline sponsors and their top decision-makers and networking with prominent industry figures.

Tyler Perry and DeVon Franklin are teaming up to produce faith-based films under a multi-year and multi-picture first-look deal at Netflix.

The films will be produced by the duo in conjunction with Tyler Perry Studios in the latest expansion of Perry’s creative partnership at Netflix, inked as a first-look film deal in October 2023 and has broadened to include scripted and unscripted TV projects.

“I’m so excited to be working with DeVon on this and future projects,” said Perry in a statement announcing the partnership. “I think in this polarizing world, and at a time where the world seems to be growing colder everyday, we both share the common goal of wanting to spread some good. And there’s no better place than Netflix.”

Added Franklin, “Tyler and I have been great friends for over 15 years, so when he called me to team up on movies that can uplift the human spirit,...

SeriesFest, the television event in Denver, drew dozens of independent creators over the last few days and has now handed out some awards for its pilot competition.

Some 45 pilots from around the world were in competition at the tenth iteration of the festival.

Check back later this week to hear from a number of the creators about their plans to breakthrough with their own independent projects.

Winners included Shazia Javed’s Potluck Ladies and Jesse Toledano’s Broken Toilets, while Anna Camp-starring Neo-Dome, from Mark and Matt Pfeffer scooped the audience award.

Potluck Ladies won the drama awards. It follows Sumaira, Azra, and Ruby, who live in “The Wives Condos” in the suburbs of Toronto with their children, while their husbands work in other countries. They initially meet at potluck lunches, a weekly guilt-free escape from the loneliness of immigrant life. At first glance, they seem to be living perfect lives,...

International television festival and non-profit organization SeriesFest revealed the winners of its Season 10 Independent Pilot Competition at an awards presentation on Sunday in Denver, capping off the 2024 event. Jurors screened 45 pilots from creative voices around the globe at this year’s milestone celebration and selected winners in categories including “Independent Pilot,” which receives $25K in-kind post production support from Company 3, “Digital Short Series,” “Late Night” and “Pitch-a-Thon.”

The winners of this year’s SeriesFest Independent Pilot Competition include:

Independent Pilot – Drama: Potluck Ladies

Independent Pilot – Comedy: Broken Toilets

Independent Pilot – Unscripted: Breakthrough

Digital Shorts: Problematic

Late Night: Miracle Wood

Pitch-a-Thon: The Haunting of Trisha Lozada

“Our Independent Pilot Competition embodies the very essence of SeriesFest and aligns with our core mission – to champion independent artists,” Randi Kleiner, CEO and Co-Founder of SeriesFest, said in a statement. “With ten seasons under our belt, we’ve been able to establish a platform for showcasing up-and-coming creators,...

Ilayaraja’s Copyright Dispute Rocks Lokesh Kanagaraj’s ‘Coolie’ ( Photo Credit – Facebook )

Ilayaraja has taken swift legal action against the producers of ‘Coolie’ for the unauthorized use of his music in the teaser. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and featuring Rajinikanth, ‘Coolie’ showcased a recreation of Ilayaraja’s song ‘Va va pakkam va’ from ‘Thanga Magan’ from 1983, not the 2015 ‘Thanga Magan,’ which has music composed by Anirudh Ravichander. This move has stirred controversy, with Ilayaraja determined to protect his copyrights.

According to reports, the notice highlighted the absence of formal permission from Ilaiyaraaja, the original owner of the song ‘Va Va Pakkam Va,’ and its music used in the teaser. This act is deemed a violation under the Copyright Act of 1957. The complaint explicitly targets director Lokesh Kanagaraj, alleging habitual involvement in such infringements. Previously, Kanagaraj should have sought permission for the song ‘Vikram Vikram’ in Vikram. Similarly, the music of...

British actress Amy Tara has been cast in a leading role in the U.S. mystery-thriller “Dream.”

The film tells the story of a group of friends who are led by a dream to uncover what they believe might be a trafficking industry in their small working-class town.

“Dream” is written and directed by Ben Pauling, and co-directed by Sam Pauling. The film is financed through ArchAge Pictures. Executive producers are Jon Pauling, Micheal Flaherty, co-founder of Walden Media, and producer of “Everest” and a production executive on “Chronicles of Narnia,” Brian Rogers, producer of Legendary’s “Godzilla” franchise, and Samuel Rodriguez.

Other cast include Ben Pauling, Steven Cox, Christopher Ammanuel and Cameron Hanes.

Tara, who previously appeared in stage play “Indigo Giant,” will next be seen in Stuart Brennan’s action-fantasy feature film “Assassin’s Guild,” in which she plays alongside Ryan Gage (“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug...

Avatar actress Cch Pounder and Academy Award-nominated producer Paul Garnes will attend the inaugural Cross Continental International Co-production Forum (Ccf) in Barbados.

They’ll join media executives and high level producers from Canada, the UK, South Africa and several Caribbean countries at the event, which aims to encourage collaboration, business development, and co-productions.

Pounder and Garnes will add some heavyweight fire power to proceedings. Known for roles in the likes of ER, NCIS: New Orleans, The X Files and The Shield, she has picked up four Primetime Emmy nominations.

Garnes is best known for his work on 2014 feature Selma, which was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. He was a producer on Ava DuVernay’s 2023 feature Origin, a drama on the life of Isabel Wilkerson that will be screened at the Ccf.

The CeventCF is being billed as a first-of-its-kind venture established by CaribbeanTales Media Group, Imagine Media International,...

Amazon is finally bringing two of its entertainment divisions closer together in the world of podcasts, film and TV.

Amazon MGM Studios will adapt a number of Audible podcasts for TV and film as part of a deal to co-develop and co-produce projects.

The move includes the adaptation of podcasts including The Prophecy, Hot White Heist, Nut Jobs, Oracle, Daniel X: Genesis, Words + Music and Breakthrough.

Randy McKinnon is attached to write supernatural thriller The Prophecy, which has been acquired by ABC Signature and Amazon MGM Studios as a one-hour drama series with Simpson Street, QCode and Station26 attached to produce.

John Riggi and Adam Goldman are attached to adapt comedy Hot White Heist as a half-hour series with Broadway Video and Alan Cumming attached to produce alongside Amazon MGM Studios.

Suits duo Aaron Korsh and Rick Muirragui are behind heist drama Nut Jobs, which is in the works at...

Audible Inc. has pacted with its sibling Amazon MGM Studios unit to develop TV series based on a slew of podcasts and other original audio-only content featuring such notables as Kerry Washington, author James Patterson, “Suits” creator Aaron Korsh and more.

The deal brings together two high-profile content operations under the Amazon umbrella in the hopes of hitting a few home runs by by developing series from podcasts and other Audible-produced originals that have been successful with listeners in the U.S. and elsewhere. Among the properties in development are the scripted podcasts “The Prophecy,” “Hot White Heist,” “Oracle” and “Nut Jobs” and unscripted concepts such as “Words+Music,” a look at award-winning tunesmiths, and “Breakthrough,” a singing competition.

Audible, the audio entertainment pioneer that Amazon acquired in 2008, will co-develop and co-produce the projects with Amazon MGM Studios. The titles will be shopped to sibling outlets Amazon Prime Video...

Exclusive: DeVon Franklin is staying in business with CBS Studios and has sold his latest show.

The founder of Franklin Entertainment is developing detective drama Grace for CBS after reupping his deal with the studio for another two years.

Franklin, who was behind the Eva Longoria-directed Flamin’ Hot movie, signed his first deal with CBS Studios in 2020 and it was renewed in 2022.

Grace follows a true-blue detective known for his brash, cynical style and a passionate, community-focused pastor who wears her heart on her sleeve reluctantly partner to solve complex crimes as they debate their divergent beliefs while attempting to ignore their growing chemistry.

It is being written by Devon Greggory, showrunner of Paramount+’s revival of The Game who also has a deal at the studio, and Corey Moore, who has written on series including All Rise and NCIS: New Orleans. The pair will exec produce alongside Franklin.

Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Kelsea Ballerini, and Zach Bryan are all in the running for multiple prizes at the 2024 CMT Music Awards, taking place April 7 at the Moody Center in Austin, and airing live on CBS.

Jelly Roll, Wilson, and Ballerini, alongside Megan Moroney and Cody Johnson, all tied for the most nominations this year with three each. All five artists will compete for Video of the Year, alongside other artists like Bryan, Brothers Osborne, Kacey Musgraves, and last year’s winner Kane Brown, who features on Mickey Guyton’s “Nothing Compares to You.

by Nathaniel R

Kerry O'Malley in "The Killer" © Netflix

In the interest of wrapping up before Oscar night please note that there are multiple new categories posted at the 24th annual Film Bitch Awards. Tonight, let's talk the "extra" acting categories of which we have Limited Performances (for people with very short screen time --usually one or two scenes only), Breakthrough Performers, a special Body of Work award and much more.  I have such fun thinking about these categories all year as I watch movies that I fear I missed my calling to be a casting director. Maybe in the next life...

Exclusive: Pop and screen star Demi Lovato is joining Rose Byrne and The Holdovers breakout Dominic Sessa in Stephanie Laing’s feature Tow.

The project will see Grammy nominee Lovato take on her first dramatic role in a feature and marks BAFTA-nominee Sessa’s next project — my colleague Baz had the initial scoop on that casting last month — after his acclaimed screen debut in five-time Oscar nominee The Holdovers.

As we revealed ahead of the European Film Market, Tow will see Golden Globe and Emmy nominee Byrne portray the true story of Amanda Ogle, an unhoused Seattle woman who fought her way out of tow-company hell to reclaim her life and the car that held it all together after receiving a tow bill for $21,634. Ogle also serves as an executive producer on the film.

Laing previously described Ogle as “a true champion” and her story as one of “tenacity and...

Exclusive: This Is Us lead Chrissy Metz has joined the cast of Bank of Dave: The Sequel, director Chris Foggins’ follow-up to his 2023 British feel-good comedy Bank of Dave, based on a true story.

Among those confirmed to return for the sequel, from the same creative team, are Rory Kinnear and Jo Hartley. Stay tuned for further castings to be announced imminently.

Hitting North American theaters last year via Samuel Goldwyn Films, Bank of Dave is inspired by the true story of Dave Fishwick (Kinnear), a self-made millionaire from the British town of Burnley. Pic chronicles the myriad challenges he faces in setting out to establish a community bank, with an eye toward bolstering small local businesses.

Picking up two years later, the sequel finds Dave taking on an even more dangerous and formidable opponent than the big banks — Payday Loan Companies. After recruiting Jessica (Metz), an American investigative reporter,...

Welcome to our weekly rundown of the best new music — featuring big singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more. This week, Sza looks to outer space in search of a better world, Selena Gomez channels a flirty French alter ego, and Quavo returns with his first single of 2024. Plus, new music from Saweetie, Mgmt with Christine and the Queens, and Central Cee.

Sza, “Saturn” (YouTube)

Selena Gomez, “Love On” (YouTube)

Quavo, “Himothy” (YouTube)

Saweetie, “Richtivities” (YouTube)

Mgmt feat Christine and the Queens, “Dancing In Babylon” (YouTube)

Central Cee,...

Jonathan Glazer hasn't made a feature film since 2013's Under The Skin, but his big return to screens with The Zone Of Interest has certainly been winning praise and attention. And so it continued with the 44th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards, where Zone took film of the year, director and technical achievement.

Yet it shared the limelight with Andrew Haigh's All Of Us Strangers, which won British/Irish film of the year, saw Andrew Scott nab a well deserved acting award and his co-star Paul Mescal go home with the award for his various excellent performances of last and this year.

Charles Melton, who has been largely unlucky at other awards ceremonies, went home with a supporting actor award, while some more regular winners such as Anatomy Of A Fall's writing team of director Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, plus Emma Stone and The Holdovers' Da'Vine Joy Randolph all repeated.

The 44th annual London Critics’ Circle Film Awards were held this afternoon at London’s May Fair Hotel.

The awards are given by the 210-member Film Section of the Critics' Circle, the UK's longest-standing and most prestigious critics' organisation. The vast majority of Film Review’s roster of critics are members of the London Film Critics’ Circle, including Executive Editor James Cameron-Wilson, Mansel Stimpson, Michael Darvell, George Savvides and Wendy Lloyd.

This year All of Us Strangers led with 9 nominations, followed by Oppenheimer with 7 nominations. Jonathan Glazer's German-language drama The Zone of Interest and Andrew Haigh's All of Us Strangers brought home the most wins at three each. In this year's awards, critics voted in two new categories: Animated Film and Breakthrough Performance. The inaugural Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation was presented to cinematic trailblazer Colman Domingo and Jeffrey Wright became the 33rd recipient of the London Critics' top honour,...

Jonathan Glazer’s German-language drama The Zone of Interest claimed the top honor, film of the year, at the 44th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards on Sunday, along with the best director and a technical award. Emma Stone was honored as actress of the year for her work in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things.

Meanwhile, All of Us Strangers star Andrew Scott picked up the actor of the year award, with the Andrew Haigh drama overall claiming three nods, just like The Zone of Interest. The London critics also named Da’Vine Joy Randolph supporting actress of the year for her role in The Holdovers and May December‘s Charles Melton supporting actor of the year. Stone, Randolph and Melton accepted their awards via video messages.

Among the other winners of the night were Paul Mescal, honored as British/Irish performer for his body of work in 2023, and Mia McKenna-Bruce who received...

Justice Smith’s career has taken him to the forefront of major Hollywood tentpoles such as “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” and “Pokémon: Detective Pikachu,” but it has never taken him to the Sundance Film Festival until now. The 28-year-old actor was one of five honorees at the Variety & Golden Globes Breakthrough Artists Party presented by Adobe, and earning a breakthrough artist award was “a really warm welcome” to the annual Park City event. Smith has two films world premiering at Sundance: A24’s “I Saw the TV Glow” and Focus Features’ “The American Society of Magical Negroes.”

“I have a note in here to ask if this award shows up on my IMDb, because all that is there is a Razzie nomination,” Smith told the audience to much laughter. “So I would really appreciate if that could make it on there. This is the...

Barbie led all films with eight wins at the Astra Film Awards on Saturday night, but the biggest winner of all may have been the Hca — an organization of “critics, entertainment journalists, content creators, industry insiders and creatives” formerly known as the Hollywood Critics Association and recently rebranded as the Hollywood Creative Alliance — which appears to have weathered external criticisms and internal dissension, given the sizable talent turnout at its flagship event.

Among those who came to the Biltmore in downtown L.A. to collect honors during a weekend packed with awards season activities leading up to the Golden Globe Awards: Barbie’s Greta Gerwig, who collected the best picture and best original screenplay prizes, the former with producer David Heyman, who, in turn, collected Margot Robbie’s best actress prize; Mark Ronson, who accepted best original song (“I’m Just Ken”) and, on behalf of Ryan Gosling, best supporting...

Andrew Haigh’s “All of Us Strangers” led the nominations at the 44th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards with nine nods, followed by Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” with seven.

Celine Song’s “Past Lives,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” and Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” have six nominations each, while Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie received five.

All of these films are contenders for film of the year alongside Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall,” Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers,” Todd Haynes’ “May December” and Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Cast members from these films vie for acting honors, including Andrew Scott, Paul Giamatti, Cillian Murphy, Lily Gladstone, Sandra Hüller, Greta Lee and Emma Stone.

Jeffrey Wright, who is nominated this year as lead actor in “American Fiction,” will be presented with the London Critics’ top honor The Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film.

The...

Andrew Haigh’s drama All of Us Strangers has landed nine London Critics’ Circle Awards nominations, ahead of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which has scored seven.

Celine Song’s Past Lives, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things and Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest garnered six noms apiece, while Greta Gerwig’s Barbie notched five. Scroll down for full list of nominations.

All of the films are in the running for the critics’ Film of the Year accolade, alongside the French courtroom drama Anatomy of a Fall, Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, Todd Haynes’ May December and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.

In the acting categories, Andrew Scott, Paul Giamatti and Cillian Murphy and lead actresses Lily Gladstone, Sandra Hüller, Greta Lee and Emma Stone all feature.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on February 4 with actor-writer-comic Anna Leong Brophy reprising her role as host.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in partnership with Netflix, has today unveiled 10 upcoming individuals from the screen industries selected for BAFTA Breakthrough in India. In this historic first, BAFTA simultaneously introduces its UK, USA, and India participants, with 42 talented individuals selected globally.

The ten names for BAFTA Breakthrough India were selected by a distinguished jury of industry experts, including Jury Chair and BAFTA Breakthrough Ambassador Guneet Monga Kapoor, Manvendra Shukul, Monika Shergill, Rajiv Menon (Filmmaker), Naman Ramachandran (Critic & Journalist), Sid Roy Kapur (Founder of Roy Kapur Films & Producer), Shaunak Sen (Filmmaker) and Ratna Pathak Shah.

The list of BAFTA Breakthrough India participants for 2023 is:

Abhay Koranne | Writer – Rocket Boys Abhinav Tyagi | Editor – An Insignificant Man Don Chacko Palathara | Director/Writer – Joyful Mystery Kislay| Writer – Soni Lipika Singh Darai | Director/Writer – Some Stories Around Witches Miriam Chandy Menacherry | Producer – From the Shadows and The Leopard’s Tribe...

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in partnership with Netflix, has today unveiled 10 upcoming individuals from the screen industries selected for BAFTA Breakthrough in India. In this historic first, BAFTA simultaneously introduces its UK, USA, and India participants, with 42 talented individuals selected globally.

The ten names for BAFTA Breakthrough India were selected by a distinguished jury of industry experts, including Jury Chair and BAFTA Breakthrough Ambassador Guneet Monga Kapoor, Manvendra Shukul, Monika Shergill, Rajiv Menon (Filmmaker), Naman Ramachandran (Critic & Journalist), Sid Roy Kapur (Founder of Roy Kapur Films & Producer), Shaunak Sen (Filmmaker) and Ratna Pathak Shah.

The list of BAFTA Breakthrough India participants for 2023 is:

Abhay Koranne | Writer – Rocket Boys Abhinav Tyagi | Editor – An Insignificant Man Don Chacko Palathara | Director/Writer – Joyful Mystery Kislay| Writer – Soni Lipika Singh Darai | Director/Writer – Some Stories Around Witches Miriam Chandy Menacherry | Producer – From the Shadows and The Leopard’s Tribe...

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) unveiled 10 upcoming individuals from the screen industries selected for BAFTA Breakthrough in India. Actor Shardul Bharadwaj, who is known for his poignant film ‘Eeb Allay Ooo!’, and Abhay Koranne, the writer of the streaming series ‘Rocket Boys’ have found a place in the list.

This is the first time when BAFTA simultaneously introduced its UK, USA, and India participants, with 42 talented individuals selected globally. The ten names for BAFTA Breakthrough India were selected by a jury of industry experts, including Jury Chair and BAFTA Breakthrough Ambassador Guneet Monga Kapoor, Manvendra Shukul, Monika Shergill, Rajiv Menon, Naman Ramachandran, Sid Roy Kapur, Shaunak Sen and Ratna Pathak Shah.

The initiative in partnership with Netflix provides international opportunities for professional development and networking.

Jane Millichip, Chief Executive Officer, BAFTA, said: “BAFTA Breakthrough is a gold standard programme. And the fact that we are celebrating...

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) unveiled 10 upcoming individuals from the screen industries selected for BAFTA Breakthrough in India. Actor Shardul Bharadwaj, who is known for his poignant film ‘Eeb Allay Ooo!’, and Abhay Koranne, the writer of the streaming series ‘Rocket Boys’ have found a place in the list.

This is the first time when BAFTA simultaneously introduced its UK, USA, and India participants, with 42 talented individuals selected globally. The ten names for BAFTA Breakthrough India were selected by a jury of industry experts, including Jury Chair and BAFTA Breakthrough Ambassador Guneet Monga Kapoor, Manvendra Shukul, Monika Shergill, Rajiv Menon, Naman Ramachandran, Sid Roy Kapur, Shaunak Sen and Ratna Pathak Shah.

The initiative in partnership with Netflix provides international opportunities for professional development and networking.

Jane Millichip, Chief Executive Officer, BAFTA, said: “BAFTA Breakthrough is a gold standard programme. And the fact that we are celebrating...

A galaxy of 42 emerging creative talents from across the U.S., U.K. and India have been unveiled as the 2023 BAFTA Breakthrough cohort.

The selected talents have worked on some of the most lauded projects over the last several months including “The Last of Us,” “1923,” “Blue Jean,” “Rye Lane,” “Rocket Boys” and “Joyland.”

Breakthrough is BAFTA’s flagship new talent initiative in partnership with Netflix, drawn from creatives working in film, games and television. Awarded to those in the midst of, or on the cusp of their breakthrough moment, the year-long initiative includes one-to-one meetings and career guidance, full voting membership, access to BAFTA events and screenings, as well as networking events, both in the U.K. and internationally.

This year’s cohort comprises creatives spanning craft specialisms from hair and make up, production, editing and games design, to performance, directing and cinematography and is from diverse ethnic backgrounds and abilities.

Six of the 20 UK talents have previously been named Screen Stars of Tomorrow.

Actors Bella Ramsey and Vivian Oparah, and filmmakers Adjani Salmon and Raine Allen-Miller are among 32 talents selected for the 10th anniversary edition of the Bafta Breakthrough programme.

The 2023 edition of the talent-spotting scheme includes 20 UK names, and 12 individuals from the US.

Scroll down for the full 2023 Breakthrough list

Those selected from the UK include Game Of Thrones and The Last Of Us star Ramsey, Dreaming Whilst Black creator Salmon, and Allen-Miller and Oparah, director and star of Rye Lane.

Also included are Blue Jean writer-director Georgia Oakley...

A24’s Past Lives, the debut film from director Celine Song, won Best Feature tonight at the 33rd Gotham Awards in Manhattan. Check out the full winners list for one the first ceremonies of the movie-kudos season below.

Past Lives follows two deeply connected childhood friends (Greta Lee and Teo Yoo) who are wrested apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Twenty years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny. Here is Song’s acceptance speech:

Lily Gladstone took home the Outstanding Lead Performance award — not for Killers of the Flower Moon but for Music Box Films’ The Unknown Country (watch her acceptance speech here) — and Charles Melton won the Supporting prize for Netflix’s May December (speech video here). Both are gender-neutral categories.

Neon’s Anatomy of a Fall picked up the first two trophies of the night...

Lily Gladstone, Charles Melton, Ali Wong take acting honours.

Celine Song’s Past Lives at A24 was named best feature while Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winner Anatomy Of A Fall at Neon collected two honours at the 33rd Gotham Awards in New York on Monday night.

In the first major awards ceremony of the season – with actors in attendance since the end of the 118-day strike –Triet’s crime mystery Anatomy Of A Fall was crowned best international feature, and Triet and Arthur Harari took home the award for best screenplay.

Lily Gladstone won the prize in the...

Past Lives took the top prize of best feature at the 2023 Gotham Awards on Monday night. The film went into the night up for three awards.

Fellow three-time and best feature nominee A Thousand and One picked up the breakthrough director award, in the all-female category, as helmer A.V. Rockwell gave an emotional speech about the challenges of telling authentic stories about certain identities.

“Maybe one of the biggest things actually was telling a very truthful, authentic, very raw experience that can be so hard when it’s culturally specific and I felt like I fought tooth and nail for every inch of, every piece of what you’ve seen on screen,” Rockwell said, tearing up. “Just to be frank, it is very hard to tell a very culturally specific story when you look like this,” she added, touching the skin on the back of her hand.

All of Us Strangers...

As the second season nears its end, Invasion continues to meaninglessly meander along the same formulaic plot structure, making it incredibly frustrating to continue just watching the same thing repeated over and over. Basically, there are three sets of events that are repeated in every episode with little variation: Mitsuki is guilt-ridden and discovers something new about aliens, which puts humanity one step forward and immediately two steps back; everyone is convinced Caspar is the chosen one who will terminate the alien invasion for good, yet he never shows up when it is necessary; Aneesha just moves around places while trying to reunite her family and gets into problematic situations either by prejudice of outsiders or machinations of the government. At this point, even pointing out the same shortcomings feels tiresome and repetitive, but the makers don’t seem to bother about the apparent absence of a plotline.

Previously, Nikhil Kapur...

Since 2013, Bafta Breakthrough has paired upcoming stars with established mentors. Alumni such as Rose Ayling-Ellis and Susan Wokoma share what it was like to meet their heroes, the best piece of advice they’ve received, and how they’re managing their rising fame

For many of the people coming through Bafta’s unassuming front door today, it will feel as though they have arrived at a school reunion. There are old friends to greet and catch up with and familiar corridors to walk down, while each new room they enter holds memories of a life-changing and formative time. We are at the gathering to mark 10 years of the Bafta Breakthrough new talent initiative – now in partnership with Netflix – which since 2013 has guided more than 200 people from the film, TV and gaming industry through a head-spinning year of pitch meetings, mentoring opportunities (each participant can ask for introductions to up to...