Disappointment hung in the air a few days into the 2024 Cannes Film Festival when no main competition films had universally wowed industry and press. But you have to know where to look, which often means going outside the official selection and into sidebars like Un Certain Regard and Directors’ Fortnight in search of gems.
By the end of the festival, though, more than a few stunners had emerged. The competition’s final days brought a series of potentially historic and beloved-on-the-ground Palme contenders: Mohammad Rasolouf’s searing Iranian drama “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” Payal Kapadia’s day-in-the-life Mumbai portrait “All We Imagine as Light,” and Sean Baker’s wild and crazy sex worker odyssey “Anora.”
Elsewhere, movies like Matthew Rankin’s Abbas Kiarostami homage “Universal Language” and Mahdi Fleifel’s “To a Land Unknown,” the only Palestinian movie to play Cannes this year, impressed in Directors’ Fortnight, the...
By the end of the festival, though, more than a few stunners had emerged. The competition’s final days brought a series of potentially historic and beloved-on-the-ground Palme contenders: Mohammad Rasolouf’s searing Iranian drama “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” Payal Kapadia’s day-in-the-life Mumbai portrait “All We Imagine as Light,” and Sean Baker’s wild and crazy sex worker odyssey “Anora.”
Elsewhere, movies like Matthew Rankin’s Abbas Kiarostami homage “Universal Language” and Mahdi Fleifel’s “To a Land Unknown,” the only Palestinian movie to play Cannes this year, impressed in Directors’ Fortnight, the...
- 5/27/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio and David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Newsflash: Iran has invaded the sleepy Canadian city of Winnipeg. Correction: Iranian cinema has actually invaded Winnipeg. Precision: Two Iranian movies that launched the nation onto the international film scene, Abbas Kiarostami’s Where Is the Friend’s House? (1987) and Jafar Panahi’s The White Balloon (1995), have somehow found their way into the capital of Manitoba.
What exactly they’re doing there is never explained. Nor is it really the point of director Matthew Rankin’s bizarre and enchanting experimental comedy Universal Language, which picked up the first-ever audience award in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight. Starring the director himself alongside a cast of Farsi-speaking locals both young and old, the film is rather hard to describe on paper, but let’s give it a shot.
We’re in snow-covered Winnipeg, which half-resembles the drab, midsized Canadian city, and half looks like a neigborhood somewhere in Tehran — not present-day Tehran, but Tehran circa the 1980s and 90s.
What exactly they’re doing there is never explained. Nor is it really the point of director Matthew Rankin’s bizarre and enchanting experimental comedy Universal Language, which picked up the first-ever audience award in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight. Starring the director himself alongside a cast of Farsi-speaking locals both young and old, the film is rather hard to describe on paper, but let’s give it a shot.
We’re in snow-covered Winnipeg, which half-resembles the drab, midsized Canadian city, and half looks like a neigborhood somewhere in Tehran — not present-day Tehran, but Tehran circa the 1980s and 90s.
- 5/27/2024
- by Jordan Mintzer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kodak, which had a momentous 2023 with more than 60 movies shot on film has gotten off to a promising start in 2024 with Luca Guadignino’s “Challengers” and Jane Shoenbrun’s “I Saw the TV Glow, which A24 released wide May 17. Upcoming releases include Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” and Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu.”
Meanwhile, Kodak premiered 33 movies shot on film at Cannes. These included nine winners, including Sean Baker’s “Anora,” which earned the Palme d’Or prize, Matthew Rankin’s “Universal Language”, which took the first Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award, and “Grand Tour,” which grabbed Best Director for Miguel Gomes. In addition, Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness” earned Jesse Plemons Best Performance by an Actor, and “Armand” won the Caméra d’or Prize for director Halfdan Ullmann Tondel.
Also, 16mm film continues to prove its popularity and relevance, with 26 of the on-film titles at the festival choosing it as their capture medium.
Meanwhile, Kodak premiered 33 movies shot on film at Cannes. These included nine winners, including Sean Baker’s “Anora,” which earned the Palme d’Or prize, Matthew Rankin’s “Universal Language”, which took the first Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award, and “Grand Tour,” which grabbed Best Director for Miguel Gomes. In addition, Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness” earned Jesse Plemons Best Performance by an Actor, and “Armand” won the Caméra d’or Prize for director Halfdan Ullmann Tondel.
Also, 16mm film continues to prove its popularity and relevance, with 26 of the on-film titles at the festival choosing it as their capture medium.
- 5/27/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
The 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival has now concluded, with Sean Baker’s Anora taking home the Palme d’Or. While our coverage will continue with a few more reviews this week––and far beyond as we provide updates on the journey of these selections––we’ve asked our contributors on the ground to share favorites.
See their picks below, and explore all of our coverage here.
Leonardo Goi (@LeonardoGoi)
1. Grand Tour (Miguel Gomes)
2. All We Imagine As Light (Payal Kapadia)
3. Misericordia (Alain Guiraudie)
4. Anora (Sean Baker)
5. Eephus (Carson Lund)
6. Viet And Nam (Trương Minh Quý)
7. Christmas Eve In Miller’s Point (Tyler Taormina)
8. Black Dog (Guan Hu)
9. Megalopolis (Francis Ford Coppola)
10. Good One (India Donaldson)
Read all of Leonardo’s reviews here.
Luke Hicks (@lou_hicks)
1. Anora (Sean Baker)
2. Caught by the Tides (Jia Zhangke)
3. Oh, Canada (Paul Schrader)
4. Viet and Nam (Trương Minh Quý)
5. The Seed of the Sacred Fig...
See their picks below, and explore all of our coverage here.
Leonardo Goi (@LeonardoGoi)
1. Grand Tour (Miguel Gomes)
2. All We Imagine As Light (Payal Kapadia)
3. Misericordia (Alain Guiraudie)
4. Anora (Sean Baker)
5. Eephus (Carson Lund)
6. Viet And Nam (Trương Minh Quý)
7. Christmas Eve In Miller’s Point (Tyler Taormina)
8. Black Dog (Guan Hu)
9. Megalopolis (Francis Ford Coppola)
10. Good One (India Donaldson)
Read all of Leonardo’s reviews here.
Luke Hicks (@lou_hicks)
1. Anora (Sean Baker)
2. Caught by the Tides (Jia Zhangke)
3. Oh, Canada (Paul Schrader)
4. Viet and Nam (Trương Minh Quý)
5. The Seed of the Sacred Fig...
- 5/27/2024
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Despite being set in a parallel-universe Winnipeg where the people talk in Farsi and the world around them seems as if it’s been frozen in time since the mid-1980s, the haunted but hopeful “Universal Language” is an unmistakably modern film at heart.
Described by writer-director Matthew Rankin as a piece of “autobiographical hallucination,” this wonderfully deadpan whatsit is the work of a white 43-year-old Canadian man who fell in love with the movies a time when “foreign” cinema was becoming more available to people outside major cultural hubs. He found that Kanoon-style fables like “Where Is the Friend’s House?” and “The White Balloon” spoke to him in a way that few English-language films ever had. That discovery sparked a cross-cultural dialogue that eventually compelled Rankin to visit Tehran in an effort to locate the auteurs who had inspired him and learn why their films had whispered in his ear.
Described by writer-director Matthew Rankin as a piece of “autobiographical hallucination,” this wonderfully deadpan whatsit is the work of a white 43-year-old Canadian man who fell in love with the movies a time when “foreign” cinema was becoming more available to people outside major cultural hubs. He found that Kanoon-style fables like “Where Is the Friend’s House?” and “The White Balloon” spoke to him in a way that few English-language films ever had. That discovery sparked a cross-cultural dialogue that eventually compelled Rankin to visit Tehran in an effort to locate the auteurs who had inspired him and learn why their films had whispered in his ear.
- 5/24/2024
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Der kanadische Regisseur Matthew Rankin ist für sein Drama „Universal Language“ mit dem Publikumspreis der Quinzaine des Cinéastes ausgezeichnet worden, mit dem in diesem Jahr erstmals auf dem Festival de Cannes ein Publikumspreis vergeben wurde.
Publikumspreisgewinner der Quinzaine des Cinéastes: „Universal Language“ von Matthew Rankin (Credit: Quinzaine des Cinéastes)
In diesem Jahr wurde im Rahmen der Quinzaine des Cinéastes der erste Publikumspreis auf dem Festival de Cannes verliehen. Die mit 7.500 Euro dotierte und von der Chantal Akerman Foundation gestiftete Auszeichnung ging an den kanadischen Regisseur Matthew Rankin für sein persisch- und französischsprachiges Drama „Universal Language“.
In seinem Drama verknüpft Rankin die Geschichten mehrerer Charaktere miteinander: die Grundschüler Negin und Nazgol, die im Eis eine höhere Geldsumme finden und versuchen, an sie ran zu kommen, Massoud, der eine Gruppe Touristen durch Winnipeg führt und Matthew, der seinen bedeutungslosen Job in einem Büro der Regierung von Quebec kündigt und sich auf eine...
Publikumspreisgewinner der Quinzaine des Cinéastes: „Universal Language“ von Matthew Rankin (Credit: Quinzaine des Cinéastes)
In diesem Jahr wurde im Rahmen der Quinzaine des Cinéastes der erste Publikumspreis auf dem Festival de Cannes verliehen. Die mit 7.500 Euro dotierte und von der Chantal Akerman Foundation gestiftete Auszeichnung ging an den kanadischen Regisseur Matthew Rankin für sein persisch- und französischsprachiges Drama „Universal Language“.
In seinem Drama verknüpft Rankin die Geschichten mehrerer Charaktere miteinander: die Grundschüler Negin und Nazgol, die im Eis eine höhere Geldsumme finden und versuchen, an sie ran zu kommen, Massoud, der eine Gruppe Touristen durch Winnipeg führt und Matthew, der seinen bedeutungslosen Job in einem Büro der Regierung von Quebec kündigt und sich auf eine...
- 5/24/2024
- by Jochen Müller
- Spot - Media & Film
Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language and late French director Sophie Fillieres’ This Life Of Mine both won prizes in the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight sidebar.
Rankin’s second feature Universal Language took the first-ever Audience Award in the section, which came with a €7,500 cash prize sponsored by the Chantal Akerman Foundation. It is the first audience award across the major Cannes sections, with no audience prizes given in the Official Selection or Critics’ Week sections.
The Persian- and French-language film is a comedy in which various storylines intertwine, including two women trying to retrieve some frozen cash; a tour guide leading...
Rankin’s second feature Universal Language took the first-ever Audience Award in the section, which came with a €7,500 cash prize sponsored by the Chantal Akerman Foundation. It is the first audience award across the major Cannes sections, with no audience prizes given in the Official Selection or Critics’ Week sections.
The Persian- and French-language film is a comedy in which various storylines intertwine, including two women trying to retrieve some frozen cash; a tour guide leading...
- 5/23/2024
- ScreenDaily
Universal Language from director Matthew Rankin has won the first-ever Chantal Akerman award, an audience prize presented to the best film in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the Cannes film festival.
The prize is named after the Belgian auteur, who died in 2015, director of Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, which was voted the greatest film of all time by the latest Sight and Sound critics poll.
Professionals and industry attendees, as well as ordinary moviegoers, picked Rankin’s experimental drama, a surrealistic tribute to Persian cinema, as the best film in the Cannes sidebar this year. The prize comes with €7,500 ($8,100) in prize money from the Chantal Akerman Foundation. Best Friend Forever is handling sales on Universal Language.
Arthouse cinema group the Europa Cinema Label gave its top prize in the Directors’ Fortnight section to Jonas Trueba’s debut The Other Way Around, an anti-romantic comedy about a young Spanish...
The prize is named after the Belgian auteur, who died in 2015, director of Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, which was voted the greatest film of all time by the latest Sight and Sound critics poll.
Professionals and industry attendees, as well as ordinary moviegoers, picked Rankin’s experimental drama, a surrealistic tribute to Persian cinema, as the best film in the Cannes sidebar this year. The prize comes with €7,500 ($8,100) in prize money from the Chantal Akerman Foundation. Best Friend Forever is handling sales on Universal Language.
Arthouse cinema group the Europa Cinema Label gave its top prize in the Directors’ Fortnight section to Jonas Trueba’s debut The Other Way Around, an anti-romantic comedy about a young Spanish...
- 5/23/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Canadian director Matthew Rankin’s Persian and French-language drama Universal Language has won the inaugural Audience Award of Directors’ Fortnight.
This is the first official prize launched by Directors’ Fortnight which does not have a jury. The €7,500 cash award, is also the first audience award to be launched in Cannes, across the Official Selection and the parallel sections.
It is being sponsored by the Chantal Akerman Foundation, which preserves the legacy of the director who retained strong ties with Directors’ Fortnight throughout her career, after screening breakthrough film Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce – 1080 Brussel in the section in 1975.
Described as taking place “somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg”, Universal Language intertwines multiple characters.
Gradeschoolers Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen in the winter ice and try to claim it, while Massoud leads a group of befuddled tourists through the monuments and historic sites of Winnipeg and Matthew quits...
This is the first official prize launched by Directors’ Fortnight which does not have a jury. The €7,500 cash award, is also the first audience award to be launched in Cannes, across the Official Selection and the parallel sections.
It is being sponsored by the Chantal Akerman Foundation, which preserves the legacy of the director who retained strong ties with Directors’ Fortnight throughout her career, after screening breakthrough film Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce – 1080 Brussel in the section in 1975.
Described as taking place “somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg”, Universal Language intertwines multiple characters.
Gradeschoolers Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen in the winter ice and try to claim it, while Massoud leads a group of befuddled tourists through the monuments and historic sites of Winnipeg and Matthew quits...
- 5/23/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Late screenwriter-director Sophie Fillières’ seventh and final feature, “This Life of Mine” was the opening film at this year’s Directors’ Fortnight and today wrapped things up as the France Writers’ Guild’s favorite French-language feature, winning the Sacd Authors’ Favorite Prize.
In the film, Barbie, once a devoted mother and partner, faces the realities of middle age as she turns 55. Following a classic three-act structure, the film advances from comedy to tragedy to epiphany, at times toying with the absurd.
Said Anne Villacèque, Sacd administrator: “This year, we had to decide from a particularly eclectic selection. Choosing between novel and poetry, right arm and left arm, grandiose or more modest films. We chose the film whose heart beat the strongest and continued to move us long after seeing it.
“A daring, delicate, unpredictable film, the culmination of a work full of dissonance and side steps, as its director liked to say,...
In the film, Barbie, once a devoted mother and partner, faces the realities of middle age as she turns 55. Following a classic three-act structure, the film advances from comedy to tragedy to epiphany, at times toying with the absurd.
Said Anne Villacèque, Sacd administrator: “This year, we had to decide from a particularly eclectic selection. Choosing between novel and poetry, right arm and left arm, grandiose or more modest films. We chose the film whose heart beat the strongest and continued to move us long after seeing it.
“A daring, delicate, unpredictable film, the culmination of a work full of dissonance and side steps, as its director liked to say,...
- 5/23/2024
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
In Universal Language, a man makes a journey to his childhood home and meets the family now living there––these are at least the broad strokes. The director is Matthew Rankin, a Canadian filmmaker whose work usually requires less-basic terms. In his previous film The Twentieth Century, Rankin reimagined the life of Canada’s longest-serving prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, through a lens of German expressionism: a trippy Brazil with a masturbation complex. Much of the casting was done either cross-gender or color-blind: “In a school play you can have a Filipino Captain von Trapp and a transgender Artful Dodger and it’s fine,“ Rankin explained at the time. ”In film, I don’t understand why there’s this pressure to always link an actor to their exact demographic profile.”
For Universal Language, Rankin takes that idea to a different place: the Winnipeg of this film is, for wont...
For Universal Language, Rankin takes that idea to a different place: the Winnipeg of this film is, for wont...
- 5/23/2024
- by Rory O'Connor
- The Film Stage
Chinese filmmaker Zou Jing has won the €2,500 Next Step Hildegarde award from Cannes’ Critics’ Week for her upcoming debut feature A Girl Unknown. Didar Domehri of France’s Maneki Films has come on to co-produce the film with Yan Wang of China-France production house Memoria Films.
The film is a coming-of-age tale about identity that follows the journey of a young Chinese girl from age six through her thirties who lives with three different families.
It explores how China’s one-child policy affected generations of abandoned girls in the country from the 1980s to the 2000s.
The writer-director previously won...
The film is a coming-of-age tale about identity that follows the journey of a young Chinese girl from age six through her thirties who lives with three different families.
It explores how China’s one-child policy affected generations of abandoned girls in the country from the 1980s to the 2000s.
The writer-director previously won...
- 5/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
Chinese writer and director Jing Zou’s feature film project A Girl Unknown has won the top prize at the Next Step initiative of Cannes Critics’ Week, aimed at supporting filmmakers as they make the move from short films to their first feature.
Inspired by the true phenomenon of generations of girls who were abandoned in China as a result of the country’s one-child policy, A Girl Unknown depicts a young Chinese woman from the age of six through to her thirties, living in three different families.
It is billed as an intimate coming-of-age story that explores existential pain, self-discovery, and how one learns to love. The film is produced by Wang Yang at Paris-based Memoria Films, which works between France and China.
Born in 1984, Zou is a Chinese director and writer based out of Shanghai and Los Angeles. She comes from a literature background, but she found her...
Inspired by the true phenomenon of generations of girls who were abandoned in China as a result of the country’s one-child policy, A Girl Unknown depicts a young Chinese woman from the age of six through to her thirties, living in three different families.
It is billed as an intimate coming-of-age story that explores existential pain, self-discovery, and how one learns to love. The film is produced by Wang Yang at Paris-based Memoria Films, which works between France and China.
Born in 1984, Zou is a Chinese director and writer based out of Shanghai and Los Angeles. She comes from a literature background, but she found her...
- 5/22/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
There are plenty of North American filmmakers influenced by the giants of international cinema. These filmmakers import stylistic references, different tones and rhythms, perhaps key collaborators, such as a cinematographer, to films that nonetheless are born of their own local filmmaking cultures. For his second feature, following the anarchic political satire of his The Twentieth Century, Canadian director Matthew Rankin has imagined a different approach. His formally precise and very funny Universal Language, a Cannes’s Directors Fortnight discovery this year, is not only influenced by the Iranian cinema of Abbas Kiarostami and Jafar Panahi, among others, but considers a Winnipeg […]
The post “We Wanted to Film These Beige Structures the Way Terrence Malick Films a Sunset”: Director Matthew Rankin on the Canadian/Iranian Interzone of his Cannes-Premiering Universal Language first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “We Wanted to Film These Beige Structures the Way Terrence Malick Films a Sunset”: Director Matthew Rankin on the Canadian/Iranian Interzone of his Cannes-Premiering Universal Language first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/19/2024
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
There are plenty of North American filmmakers influenced by the giants of international cinema. These filmmakers import stylistic references, different tones and rhythms, perhaps key collaborators, such as a cinematographer, to films that nonetheless are born of their own local filmmaking cultures. For his second feature, following the anarchic political satire of his The Twentieth Century, Canadian director Matthew Rankin has imagined a different approach. His formally precise and very funny Universal Language, a Cannes’s Directors Fortnight discovery this year, is not only influenced by the Iranian cinema of Abbas Kiarostami and Jafar Panahi, among others, but considers a Winnipeg […]
The post “We Wanted to Film These Beige Structures the Way Terrence Malick Films a Sunset”: Director Matthew Rankin on the Canadian/Iranian Interzone of his Cannes-Premiering Universal Language first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “We Wanted to Film These Beige Structures the Way Terrence Malick Films a Sunset”: Director Matthew Rankin on the Canadian/Iranian Interzone of his Cannes-Premiering Universal Language first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/19/2024
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
In the Canadian cities of Montreal and Winnipeg, a futile tension exists between French and English speakers — doubly silly, since the country is officially bilingual. In his gently satirical “Universal Language,” writer-director Matthew Rankin imagines a rather fanciful solution, where Farsi is now the region’s dominant tongue. Taking his cues from such Iranian classics as “Children of Heaven” and “The White Balloon,” Rankin mixes the humanism of Majid Majidi, Jafar Panahi, et al. with his own peculiar brand of comedy (as seen in the more off-the-wall “The Twentieth Century”), offering a delightful cross-cultural hybrid designed to celebrate our differences.
Though Rankin shows a genuine affection for all things Persian, the first and most obvious hiccup to his premise is that audiences don’t necessarily share his interest or his references. There’s something inherently provocative — and perhaps even triggering to some — about seeing a nondescript Canadian elementary school where...
Though Rankin shows a genuine affection for all things Persian, the first and most obvious hiccup to his premise is that audiences don’t necessarily share his interest or his references. There’s something inherently provocative — and perhaps even triggering to some — about seeing a nondescript Canadian elementary school where...
- 5/18/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Brussels-based company Best Friend Forever has acquired international rights of Alireza Khatami’s “The Things You Kill.” The film is in post-production.
Khatami is already known for Cannes 2023 Un Certain Regard title “Terrestrial Verses” and “Oblivion Verses,” which was awarded best screenplay in Venice Horizons competition 2017 and won the Fipresci Prize.
Le Pacte will release “The Things You Kill” in France.
In the film, Ali, a university professor, is haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, and coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance. As long-buried family secrets resurface, the police tighten their noose, and doubts begin eroding his conscience, Ali has no choice but to look into the abyss of his own soul.
The star-studded Turkish cast includes Ekin Koç (“Burning Days”), Erkan Kolçakköstendil, Hazar Ergüçlü (“The Wild Pear Tree”) and Ercan Kesal (“Once Upon a Time in Anatolia”).
Khatami said: “‘The Things...
Khatami is already known for Cannes 2023 Un Certain Regard title “Terrestrial Verses” and “Oblivion Verses,” which was awarded best screenplay in Venice Horizons competition 2017 and won the Fipresci Prize.
Le Pacte will release “The Things You Kill” in France.
In the film, Ali, a university professor, is haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, and coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance. As long-buried family secrets resurface, the police tighten their noose, and doubts begin eroding his conscience, Ali has no choice but to look into the abyss of his own soul.
The star-studded Turkish cast includes Ekin Koç (“Burning Days”), Erkan Kolçakköstendil, Hazar Ergüçlü (“The Wild Pear Tree”) and Ercan Kesal (“Once Upon a Time in Anatolia”).
Khatami said: “‘The Things...
- 5/14/2024
- by Leo Barraclough and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Following the main lineups for the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, a handful of sidebar slates have been unveiled, featuring Directors Fortnight, Critics Week, and Acid. Notable highlights include the Sundance favorite Good One (read our review here), Tyler Taormina’s Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point starring Michael Cera, the first film in over a decade from James White director Josh Mond, the Christopher Abbott-led It Doesn’t Matter, Eat the Night from Jessica Forever duo Caroline Poggi & Jonathan Vinel, Carson Lund’s Eephus, Patricia Mazuy’s Visting Hours, The Hyperboreans, a new film from The Wolf House directors Cristobal Leo & Joaquin Cocina, Matthew Rankin’s The Twentieth Century follow-up Universal Language, and more.
Check out the lineups below.
Cannes Directors Fortnight
Feature films:
“Ma Vie Ma Gueule,” Sophie Fillieres (France) – opening film
“A Son Image,” Thierry de Peretti (France)
“Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,” Tyler Taormina (USA)
“Desert of Namibia,...
Check out the lineups below.
Cannes Directors Fortnight
Feature films:
“Ma Vie Ma Gueule,” Sophie Fillieres (France) – opening film
“A Son Image,” Thierry de Peretti (France)
“Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,” Tyler Taormina (USA)
“Desert of Namibia,...
- 4/16/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Brussels-based company Best Friend Forever (Bff) has acquired international sales rights for Canadian director Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language.
The intriguing Persian and French-language drama is among 21 feature films announced as being selected for the 2024 edition of Cannes parallel section Directors’ Fortnight on Tuesday.
In a first key distribution deal for the movie, Oscilloscope Laboratories have taken U.S. rights. Quebecois distributor Maison4Tiers will release in Canada.
Universal Language is Rankin’s second feature after The Twentieth Century, on which Bff also handled international sales. The surrealist dark comedy won the Berlinale Fipresci Award in 2020 and Best Canadian debut award in TIFF Midnight Madness 2019.
Rankin has also made multiple short films including The Tesla World Light, which premiered in Cannes Critic’s Week 2017.
Going under the Persian title of Avaz boughalamoune (Lovesong for a Turkey), Rankin’s new film Universal Language is described as taking place “somewhere between...
The intriguing Persian and French-language drama is among 21 feature films announced as being selected for the 2024 edition of Cannes parallel section Directors’ Fortnight on Tuesday.
In a first key distribution deal for the movie, Oscilloscope Laboratories have taken U.S. rights. Quebecois distributor Maison4Tiers will release in Canada.
Universal Language is Rankin’s second feature after The Twentieth Century, on which Bff also handled international sales. The surrealist dark comedy won the Berlinale Fipresci Award in 2020 and Best Canadian debut award in TIFF Midnight Madness 2019.
Rankin has also made multiple short films including The Tesla World Light, which premiered in Cannes Critic’s Week 2017.
Going under the Persian title of Avaz boughalamoune (Lovesong for a Turkey), Rankin’s new film Universal Language is described as taking place “somewhere between...
- 4/16/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The Cannes Directors’ Fortnight section has unveiled its lineup for the 2024 festival, which will open with This Life of Mine, the final feature from the late French director Sophie Fillières. The drama features Agnès Jaoui as a woman whose identity starts to unravel when she turns 55. Fillières died shortly after wrapping principal photography on the film and her children finished post-production.
There are four U.S. titles in the feature section of the non-competitive sidebar: Tyler Taormina’s Christmas Eve In Miller’s Point, Carson Lund’s Eephus, India Donaldson’s Good One and Gazer from Ryan J. Sloan.
Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point, starring Michael Cera, Elsie Fisher, Francesca Scorsese. Ben Shenkman, Gregg Turkington, Sawyer Spielberg, Maria Dizzia and newcomer Matilda Fleming, follows four generations as they gather for what might be their last Christmas in the family home. Lund, who lensed Christmas Eve, makes his feature debut with Eephus,...
There are four U.S. titles in the feature section of the non-competitive sidebar: Tyler Taormina’s Christmas Eve In Miller’s Point, Carson Lund’s Eephus, India Donaldson’s Good One and Gazer from Ryan J. Sloan.
Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point, starring Michael Cera, Elsie Fisher, Francesca Scorsese. Ben Shenkman, Gregg Turkington, Sawyer Spielberg, Maria Dizzia and newcomer Matilda Fleming, follows four generations as they gather for what might be their last Christmas in the family home. Lund, who lensed Christmas Eve, makes his feature debut with Eephus,...
- 4/16/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 77th edition of Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight will kick off with “This Life of Mine,” a dramedy directed by Sophie Fillières, a renowned French filmmaker who died last year. Presented posthumously, the film is headlined by French stars including Agnès Jaoui, Philippe Katerine and Valérie Donzelli. The independent selection, which has recently gone through a rebranding and is now spearheaded by artistic director Julien Rejl, will close with another French film, Jean-Christophe Meurisse’s “Plastic Guns,” an offbeat crime comedy headlined by popular actor Jonathan Cohen.
The lineup includes as many as four U.S. features, three of which are feature debuts, including India Donaldson’s coming-of-age film”Good One” which premiered at Sundance and garnered solid reviews. Set in upstate New York, “Good One” follows 17-year-old Sam as she joins her father and his oldest friend, Matt, on their annual backpacking trip in the Catskill Mountains. “Good One” has...
The lineup includes as many as four U.S. features, three of which are feature debuts, including India Donaldson’s coming-of-age film”Good One” which premiered at Sundance and garnered solid reviews. Set in upstate New York, “Good One” follows 17-year-old Sam as she joins her father and his oldest friend, Matt, on their annual backpacking trip in the Catskill Mountains. “Good One” has...
- 4/16/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Directors’ Fortnight has unveiled the selection for its 56th edition heavy on films from first-time US filmmakers, South American titles, and talent including Isabelle Huppert, Michael Cera and Agnès Jaoui.
Artistic director Julien Rejl revealed the line-up at a press conference in Paris on Tuesday (April 16) for the Cannes parallel section run by French directors guild the Srf.
Scroll down for the full selection
After undergoing a complete rebranding for last year’s edition complete with new artistic director Rejl and a new more inclusive female-forward name in French to La Quinzaine des Cinéastes, this year’s selection includes eight...
Artistic director Julien Rejl revealed the line-up at a press conference in Paris on Tuesday (April 16) for the Cannes parallel section run by French directors guild the Srf.
Scroll down for the full selection
After undergoing a complete rebranding for last year’s edition complete with new artistic director Rejl and a new more inclusive female-forward name in French to La Quinzaine des Cinéastes, this year’s selection includes eight...
- 4/16/2024
- ScreenDaily
Cannes parallel section Directors’ Fortnight has unveiled the line-up for its 56th edition running from May 15 to 23, at a press conference in Paris’ Forum des Images cultural center.
The section, launched in 1969 and overseen by the French Directors Guild, will present 21 feature films and 10 short films.
It is the second line-up overseen by Delegate General Julien Rejl, who took up the role last year.
Discoveries of his inaugural edition included Georgian director Elene Naveriani’s late coming-of-age drama Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry; U.S. indie film Riddle Of Fire by Weston Razooli, as well as Vietnamese filmmaker Phạm Thiên Ân’s 2023 Cannes Caméra d’Or winner Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell.
The 2024 edition will open with late director Sophie Fillières’ final feature This Life of Mine, starring Agnès Jaoui as a woman whose sense of self starts to unravel as she turns 55.
Fillières died shortly after completing the shoot and her...
The section, launched in 1969 and overseen by the French Directors Guild, will present 21 feature films and 10 short films.
It is the second line-up overseen by Delegate General Julien Rejl, who took up the role last year.
Discoveries of his inaugural edition included Georgian director Elene Naveriani’s late coming-of-age drama Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry; U.S. indie film Riddle Of Fire by Weston Razooli, as well as Vietnamese filmmaker Phạm Thiên Ân’s 2023 Cannes Caméra d’Or winner Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell.
The 2024 edition will open with late director Sophie Fillières’ final feature This Life of Mine, starring Agnès Jaoui as a woman whose sense of self starts to unravel as she turns 55.
Fillières died shortly after completing the shoot and her...
- 4/16/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Luke Combs is still riding the high of his 2024 Grammys duet with Tracy Chapman. The country star reflected on Sunday’s awards ceremony and his moving performance of “Fast Car” with the singer-songwriter on Instagram, calling the moment “unreal.”
“What an unreal Grammy week to say the least,” Combs wrote. “There were so many laughs, tears, hugs, and cheers that it almost doesn’t seem real. From the hotel hangs and rehearsals, to the dinners and post show pizza, the vibes were High.”
Combs included a series of photos from...
“What an unreal Grammy week to say the least,” Combs wrote. “There were so many laughs, tears, hugs, and cheers that it almost doesn’t seem real. From the hotel hangs and rehearsals, to the dinners and post show pizza, the vibes were High.”
Combs included a series of photos from...
- 2/10/2024
- by Jodi Guglielmi
- Rollingstone.com
Tracy Chapman may keep a remarkably low profile, but she doesn’t live in a vacuum. The singer-songwriter was well aware of the success that Luke Combs’ cover of her song “Fast Car” was having last year. After it won two big awards at the Country Music Association Awards in November, she decided to call him.
It was a private conversation, just Chapman and Combs on the line for about 30 minutes, but it helped plant the seeds for one of the all-time best collaborative performances in Grammy history. On Feb.
It was a private conversation, just Chapman and Combs on the line for about 30 minutes, but it helped plant the seeds for one of the all-time best collaborative performances in Grammy history. On Feb.
- 2/8/2024
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
"You wanna make out?" Epic Pictures has revealed an official trailer for an indie coming-of-age film titled Before I Change My Mind, the feature directorial debut of Canadian filmmaker Trevor Anderson. Set in 1987, while the other students wonder if their new classmate is a boy or a girl, Robin forges a complicated bond with the school bully, making increasingly dangerous choices to fit in. In this innovative screenplay, the main character's gender is never disclosed, and the role is played by a non-binary actor. The film stars Vaughan Murrae as Robin, Dominic Lippa, Lacey Oake, Matthew Rankin, & Shannon Blanchet. This originally premiered at the 2022 Locarno Film Festival a few years back, playing at a number of other festivals in 2022 and 2023. It's finally getting released this year in theaters and on VOD. "Bringing Before I Change My Mind to the screen is not just about representation; it's about celebrating the diverse narratives that shape our world,...
- 2/8/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Critical Zone.International Competition(Jury: Lambert Wilson, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Lesli Klainberg, Charlotte Wells, Matthijs Wouter Knol)Golden Leopard: Critical Zone (Ali Ahmadzadeh)Special Jury Prize: Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World (Radu Jude)Best Direction: Stepne (Maryna Vroda)Best Performance: Dimitra Vlagopoulou (Animal)Best Performance: Renée Soutendijk (Sweet Dreams)Special Mention: Nuit Obscure - Au Revoir Ici, N'importe Où (Sylvain George)Filmmakers Of The PresentGolden Leopard: Dreaming & Dying (Nelson Yeo)Best Emerging Director: Katharina Huber (A Good Place)Special Jury Prize: Camping Du Lac (Éléonore Saintagnan)Best Performance: Clara Schwinning (A Good Place)Best Performance: Isold Halldórudóttir and Stavros Zafeiris (Touched)Special Mentions: Excursions (Una Gunjak), Negu Hurbilak (Colective Negu)First Feature(Jury: Omar El Zohairy, Devika Girish, Isabel Sandoval)First Feature Award: Dreaming & Dying (Nelson Yeo)Pardi Di Domani(Jury: Ewa Puszczyńska, Matthew Rankin, Amos Sussigan)Best...
- 8/12/2023
- MUBI
Aftersun director Charlotte Wells and Holy Spider star Zar Amir Ebrahimi have joined the jury of the 76th Locarno International Film Festival and will judge the 2023 competitors for the festival’s Golden Leopard award. Ebrahimi also stars in Noora Niasari’s Sundance audience award winner Shayda, which will be the closing film in Locarno this year.
French actor Lambert Wilson, known for his performances in the Matrix films, will head up this year’s Locarno international jury as president. Also in the 2023 jury are European Film Academy director and CEO Matthijs Wouter Knol and Lesli Klainberg, President of Film at New York’s Lincoln Center.
The films of Locarno’s Concorso Cineasti del presente sidebar, featuring works from first and second-time directors will be assessed by a three-person jury of Beatrice Fiorentino, general delegate of Film Critics’ Week at the Venice Film Festival, the French-Tunisian director Erige Sehiri (Under the Fig Trees...
French actor Lambert Wilson, known for his performances in the Matrix films, will head up this year’s Locarno international jury as president. Also in the 2023 jury are European Film Academy director and CEO Matthijs Wouter Knol and Lesli Klainberg, President of Film at New York’s Lincoln Center.
The films of Locarno’s Concorso Cineasti del presente sidebar, featuring works from first and second-time directors will be assessed by a three-person jury of Beatrice Fiorentino, general delegate of Film Critics’ Week at the Venice Film Festival, the French-Tunisian director Erige Sehiri (Under the Fig Trees...
- 7/12/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mubi has announced its lineup of streaming offerings for next month, including new restorations of Lars von Trier’s The Kingdom I & II ahead of the third installment beginning to roll out right after Thanksgiving. Additional highlights include Christos Nikou’s Apples, Lorenzo Vigas’ The Box, Paweł Łozińsk’s The Balcony Movie, and Antonio Marziale’s short Starfuckers, along with films by Hou Hsiao-hsien, Park Chan-wook, Lucrecia Martel, and more.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
November 1 – A Married Woman, directed by Jean-Luc Godard | For Ever Godard
November 2 – No Ordinary Man, directed by Aisling Chin-Yee, Chase Joynt | Portrait of the Artist
November 3 – Time to Love, directed by Metin Erksan | Rediscovered
November 4 – Apples, directed by Christos Nikou | Mubi Spotlight
November 5 – The Assassin, directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien | Hou Hsiao-hsien: A Double Bill
November 6 – Daughter of the Nile, directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien | Hou Hsiao-hsien: A Double Bill
November...
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
November 1 – A Married Woman, directed by Jean-Luc Godard | For Ever Godard
November 2 – No Ordinary Man, directed by Aisling Chin-Yee, Chase Joynt | Portrait of the Artist
November 3 – Time to Love, directed by Metin Erksan | Rediscovered
November 4 – Apples, directed by Christos Nikou | Mubi Spotlight
November 5 – The Assassin, directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien | Hou Hsiao-hsien: A Double Bill
November 6 – Daughter of the Nile, directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien | Hou Hsiao-hsien: A Double Bill
November...
- 10/30/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
It is the debut feature of Canadian-Haitian director Charles.
UK grassroots collective T A P E is moving into theatrical distribution, with the release of its first title, Miryam Charles’ debut Cette Maison.
T A P E was founded in 2015 by Isra Al Kassi and Angela Moneke, and curates screening events which respond to the lack of representation on screen. Al Kassi is also head of programmes and audience development at Birds’ Eye View, a UK organisation that campaigns to support women and non-binary people in all aspects of film.
The film was acquired from Berlin-based sales agent Oyster Films.
UK grassroots collective T A P E is moving into theatrical distribution, with the release of its first title, Miryam Charles’ debut Cette Maison.
T A P E was founded in 2015 by Isra Al Kassi and Angela Moneke, and curates screening events which respond to the lack of representation on screen. Al Kassi is also head of programmes and audience development at Birds’ Eye View, a UK organisation that campaigns to support women and non-binary people in all aspects of film.
The film was acquired from Berlin-based sales agent Oyster Films.
- 9/6/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
It is the debut feature of Canadian-Haitian director Charles.
UK grassroots collective T A P E is moving into theatrical distribution, with the release of its first title, Miryam Charles’ debut This House (Cette Maison).
T A P E was founded in 2015 by Isra Al Kassi and Angela Moneke, and curates screening events which respond to the lack of representation on screen. Al Kassi is also head of programmes and audience development at Birds’ Eye View, a UK organisation that campaigns to support women and non-binary people in all aspects of film.
The film was acquired from Berlin-based sales agent Oyster Films.
UK grassroots collective T A P E is moving into theatrical distribution, with the release of its first title, Miryam Charles’ debut This House (Cette Maison).
T A P E was founded in 2015 by Isra Al Kassi and Angela Moneke, and curates screening events which respond to the lack of representation on screen. Al Kassi is also head of programmes and audience development at Birds’ Eye View, a UK organisation that campaigns to support women and non-binary people in all aspects of film.
The film was acquired from Berlin-based sales agent Oyster Films.
- 9/6/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Film Review: Before I Change My Mind: An Uneven but Earnest Queer Coming-of-Age Debut [Locarno 2022]
Before I Change My Mind Review — Before I Change My Mind (2022) Film Review from the 75th Annual Locarno Film Festival, a movie directed by Trevor Anderson, written by Anderson and Fish Griwkowsky, starring Vaughan Murrae, Cameron Lippa, Lacey Oake, Matthew Rankin, Shannon Blanchet, Kaitlyn Haugen, Jhztyn Contado, and Anderson. The complexity of adolescence is always a welcome angle, and [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Before I Change My Mind: An Uneven but Earnest Queer Coming-of-Age Debut [Locarno 2022]...
Continue reading: Film Review: Before I Change My Mind: An Uneven but Earnest Queer Coming-of-Age Debut [Locarno 2022]...
- 8/18/2022
- by Jacob Mouradian
- Film-Book
TIFF announced its Short Cuts section today comprised of 39 live-action narrative, documentary, and animated short films from directors repping 18 countries.
Further broken down, the section includes 21 World Premieres and 15 North American Premieres presented in 20 different languages from countries such as Portugal, China, Colombia, Mongolia, Kenya, Ukraine, US, UK, and Canada.
“We’re thrilled to be returning with one of our strongest ever selections of short films by directors from all over the world,” says Jason Anderson, International Programmer for Short Cuts. “We’re always amazed by the breadth, depth, and diversity of the talents working in short-form cinema, whether they’re filmmakers who we’ve already had the privilege of presenting at TIFF or emerging storytellers who we can’t wait to introduce to our audiences. And however different these new works may be, what they share is an incredible sense of clarity and economy – these are films that don...
Further broken down, the section includes 21 World Premieres and 15 North American Premieres presented in 20 different languages from countries such as Portugal, China, Colombia, Mongolia, Kenya, Ukraine, US, UK, and Canada.
“We’re thrilled to be returning with one of our strongest ever selections of short films by directors from all over the world,” says Jason Anderson, International Programmer for Short Cuts. “We’re always amazed by the breadth, depth, and diversity of the talents working in short-form cinema, whether they’re filmmakers who we’ve already had the privilege of presenting at TIFF or emerging storytellers who we can’t wait to introduce to our audiences. And however different these new works may be, what they share is an incredible sense of clarity and economy – these are films that don...
- 8/17/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Toronto International Film Festival has revealed its Short Cuts lineup, featuring 39 live-action narrative, documentary, and animated shorts films from 18 countries.
Presented by TikTok, the program represents a blend of returning filmmakers and newcomers. Alice Rohrwacher’s “Le Pupille,” co-produced by Alfonso Cuarón, will make its Canadian premiere at the festival. Honor Swinton Byrne of “The Souvenir,” which screened at TIFF in 2018, stars in Hazel McKibbin’s “She Always Wins.” Actor Kiawentiio of 2020 TIFF awardee “Beans” is back, this time in Asia Youngman’s “N’xaxaitkw.” Other TIFF alum with new shorts in the program are Sarah McCarthy, Mbithi Masya, Matthew Rankin, Carol Nguyen, Karen Chapman, and Sophy Romvari.
Award-winning animated shorts that made the cut include “The Flying Sailor” and “Ice Merchants.” On the documentary side, “Liturgy of Anti-Tank Obstacles” by Ukrainian director Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, “Anastasia” by Sarah McCarthy of the U.K., and “Quiet Minds Silent Streets” by Toronto...
Presented by TikTok, the program represents a blend of returning filmmakers and newcomers. Alice Rohrwacher’s “Le Pupille,” co-produced by Alfonso Cuarón, will make its Canadian premiere at the festival. Honor Swinton Byrne of “The Souvenir,” which screened at TIFF in 2018, stars in Hazel McKibbin’s “She Always Wins.” Actor Kiawentiio of 2020 TIFF awardee “Beans” is back, this time in Asia Youngman’s “N’xaxaitkw.” Other TIFF alum with new shorts in the program are Sarah McCarthy, Mbithi Masya, Matthew Rankin, Carol Nguyen, Karen Chapman, and Sophy Romvari.
Award-winning animated shorts that made the cut include “The Flying Sailor” and “Ice Merchants.” On the documentary side, “Liturgy of Anti-Tank Obstacles” by Ukrainian director Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, “Anastasia” by Sarah McCarthy of the U.K., and “Quiet Minds Silent Streets” by Toronto...
- 8/17/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Telefilm Canada announces has committed almost 13 million dollars to 21 feature-length films (English market). Almost 300 projects were submitted. At the top of the list is one of our most anticipated feature film debuts in Meryam Joobeur‘s Motherhood. We also find Murmur (2019) Nova Scotian filmmaker Heather Young moving into her sophomore feature drama titled There, There. Former Ioncinema.com contributing writer Jesse Noah Klein moves into a thriller (Best Boy) with his third feature. He previously directed We’re Still Here (2016) and Like a House on Fire (2020). And Winnipegger Matthew Rankin (2019’s The Twentieth Century) is hard at work with Une langue universelle.…...
- 7/27/2022
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
The Criterion Channel has unveiled their March 2021 lineup, which includes no shortage of remarkable programming. Highlights from the slate include eight gems from Preston Sturges, Elaine May’s brilliant A New Leaf, a series featuring Black Westerns, Ann Hui’s Boat People, the new restoration of Ousmane Sembène’s Mandabi.
They will also add films from their Essential Fellini boxset, series on Dirk Bogarde and Nelly Kaplan, and Luchino Visconti’s The Damned and Death in Venice, and more. In terms of recent releases, there’s also Matthew Rankin’s The Twentieth Century and Claire Denis’ Let the Sunshine In.
Check out the lineup below, along with the teaser for the Black Westerns series. For weekly streaming updates across all services, bookmark this page.
The Adventurer, Charles Chaplin, 1917
Bandini, Bimal Roy, 1963
Behind the Screen, Charles Chaplin, 1916
Black Jack, Ken Loach, 1979
Black Rodeo, Jeff Kanew, 1972
Blood Simple, Joel and Ethan Coen,...
They will also add films from their Essential Fellini boxset, series on Dirk Bogarde and Nelly Kaplan, and Luchino Visconti’s The Damned and Death in Venice, and more. In terms of recent releases, there’s also Matthew Rankin’s The Twentieth Century and Claire Denis’ Let the Sunshine In.
Check out the lineup below, along with the teaser for the Black Westerns series. For weekly streaming updates across all services, bookmark this page.
The Adventurer, Charles Chaplin, 1917
Bandini, Bimal Roy, 1963
Behind the Screen, Charles Chaplin, 1916
Black Jack, Ken Loach, 1979
Black Rodeo, Jeff Kanew, 1972
Blood Simple, Joel and Ethan Coen,...
- 2/26/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSThe poster for Hong Sang-soo's latest, Introduction, which will compete at this year's Berlinale. The competition slate for the 71st Berlin International Film Festival features a wide range of heavy hitters, from Hong and Radu Jude to Aleksandre Koberidze and Céline Sciamma. The competing titles, as well as the rest of the lineup, can be found here.The lineup for this year's SXSW Film Festival has been announced. The roster includes the directorial debut of House of Psychotic Women author Kier-La Janisse, a documentary on musician William Basinski's The Disintegration Loops, and a restoration of Les Blank's I Went to the Dance. Recommended VIEWINGFrom February 17 to February 23, the National Gallery of Art is screening the series "The Voice and Vision of Billy Woodberry." The series includes Woodberry's Bless Their Little Hearts, a landmark work of the L.
- 2/19/2021
- MUBI
Matthew Rankin's The Twentieth Century is showing exclusively on Mubi in many countries starting February 15, 2021 in the series Festival Focus: Berlinale.The Twentieth Century is my first feature. As with all my short films, directing this film was akin to willfully relaunching the Hindenberg knowing full well that it’s going to blow up. Like a rutting salmon hurling himself ridiculously upstream, yearning to actually Die in the moment of his most creative outpouring, the images I am chasing are so difficult that they might well exceed my reproductive competence. Such was my process on this movie. The resultant film is an unbridled surrealist epic, an insurgent attack upon the biopic form and a lament for 21st Century nihilism. It is also an encyclopaedic effort to irritate my fellow Canadians.The film takes as its subject the youthful obsessions of Canada’s longest-serving prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King...
- 2/14/2021
- MUBI
Pompous political history is rewritten in surreal style under the rule of avant garde director Matthew Rankin
Matthew Rankin is an experimental Canadian film-maker now presenting his debut feature, and the director he most obviously resembles is the silent-movie pasticheur Guy Maddin – a comparison some will find intriguing and others heart-sinking. For me, it’s somehow both. But there are interesting signs that Rankin has something Maddin does not: a sense of humour. We get one or two actual laughs.
Related: 52 perfect comfort films – to watch again and again...
Matthew Rankin is an experimental Canadian film-maker now presenting his debut feature, and the director he most obviously resembles is the silent-movie pasticheur Guy Maddin – a comparison some will find intriguing and others heart-sinking. For me, it’s somehow both. But there are interesting signs that Rankin has something Maddin does not: a sense of humour. We get one or two actual laughs.
Related: 52 perfect comfort films – to watch again and again...
- 2/8/2021
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Chicago – In a world gone a bit madder and sadder, the films of 2020 were a welcome escape from the travails of weekly reality. Without theater exhibition by and large, films had to be experienced on smaller home screens, shrinking bold cinematography and emphasizing the story.
Reflected in my 10 Best Films Of 2020 are those storyteller films, the escapes that told tales of our possibilities and hope. In lieu of complete normalcy in 2021, let’s at least get back to the theaters.
I begin by ranking the 25th film favorites through the 11th, with the option to click on the highlighted titles for reviews or associated interviews… 25th - Eurovision Song Contest, 24th - Da Five Bloods (Delroy Lindo symbolized a whole war in his performance), 23rd - Wonder Woman 1984 (we have met the villains and they are us), 22nd - The Hunt (sharpest satire in the tool shed), 21st - The Nest...
Reflected in my 10 Best Films Of 2020 are those storyteller films, the escapes that told tales of our possibilities and hope. In lieu of complete normalcy in 2021, let’s at least get back to the theaters.
I begin by ranking the 25th film favorites through the 11th, with the option to click on the highlighted titles for reviews or associated interviews… 25th - Eurovision Song Contest, 24th - Da Five Bloods (Delroy Lindo symbolized a whole war in his performance), 23rd - Wonder Woman 1984 (we have met the villains and they are us), 22nd - The Hunt (sharpest satire in the tool shed), 21st - The Nest...
- 1/3/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Following our top 50 films of 2020 and more year-end coverage, we’re pleased to share personal top 10s of 2020 from our contributors.
Yes, 2020 will forever be known as the year with an asterisk etched next to it. This strange 12-month span saw a pandemic grip the world, cinemas shuttered, tentpoles delayed, and the advent of new, potentially devastating streaming models. Even so, there were numerous masterful films and dynamic performances––as well as more VOD dreck than ever before.
On a personal level, the move to virtual festivals gave me the opportunity to cover a number of festivals from home: Toronto, New York, AFI, and Chicago. Several of the entries on my top 10 (and five honorable mentions) list were festival selections, and the memory of watching them on my sofa next to my snoring terrier is rather surreal, and also rather wonderful.
Two additional notes: My initial hope was to have...
Yes, 2020 will forever be known as the year with an asterisk etched next to it. This strange 12-month span saw a pandemic grip the world, cinemas shuttered, tentpoles delayed, and the advent of new, potentially devastating streaming models. Even so, there were numerous masterful films and dynamic performances––as well as more VOD dreck than ever before.
On a personal level, the move to virtual festivals gave me the opportunity to cover a number of festivals from home: Toronto, New York, AFI, and Chicago. Several of the entries on my top 10 (and five honorable mentions) list were festival selections, and the memory of watching them on my sofa next to my snoring terrier is rather surreal, and also rather wonderful.
Two additional notes: My initial hope was to have...
- 12/30/2020
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
‘Nomadland’ Tops Indiana Film Journalists Association, Leslie Odom Jr. Wins for ‘One Night in Miami’
Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” continued its reign this weekend, winning four awards — including best film, director, actress (Frances McDormand) and adapted screenplay — at the Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards.
Zhao won director at all five critics awards handed out in the last week.
Leslie Odom Jr. picked up his first prize for his portrayal of Sam Cooke in Regina King’s “One Night in Miami,” with Chadwick Boseman being named the runner-up in both lead and supporting categories for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Da 5 Bloods.”
Other winners were also repeats from past critics groups, including Delroy Lindo nabbing best actor for “Da 5 Bloods” and Maria Bakalova taking supporting actress for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” Eliza Hittman netted a win for “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” in best original screenplay — the second trophy for the film in that race this season.
The full list of winners and runners-up are below:...
Zhao won director at all five critics awards handed out in the last week.
Leslie Odom Jr. picked up his first prize for his portrayal of Sam Cooke in Regina King’s “One Night in Miami,” with Chadwick Boseman being named the runner-up in both lead and supporting categories for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Da 5 Bloods.”
Other winners were also repeats from past critics groups, including Delroy Lindo nabbing best actor for “Da 5 Bloods” and Maria Bakalova taking supporting actress for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” Eliza Hittman netted a win for “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” in best original screenplay — the second trophy for the film in that race this season.
The full list of winners and runners-up are below:...
- 12/21/2020
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
By: Patrick Gratton
Canadian history remembers William Lyon Mackenzie King as one of our most defining statesmen. King was the longest running Prime Minister to hold office in Ottawa, and a central ally to both Winston Churchill and Fdr, in mobilizing Canada in World War II. Historians commend Mackenzie King as a central rallying cry for a divided country, whose skill set helped him reach across the aisle, mending multiple differences and helping grow Canada’s Independence even as it remained a British colony.
In his feature film debut The Twentieth Century, Winnipeg-born Matthew Rankin subverts this story. Set in 1899 and told in ten chapters, the film omits all of the soon-to-be Prime Minister’s triumphs, focusing instead on Mackenzie King’s (Dan Bierne) candidacy to be the country’s leader. Rankins shows a steady hand, confidently orchestrating a film that’s equal parts German expressionism, 1920s melodrama and absurdist satire.
Canadian history remembers William Lyon Mackenzie King as one of our most defining statesmen. King was the longest running Prime Minister to hold office in Ottawa, and a central ally to both Winston Churchill and Fdr, in mobilizing Canada in World War II. Historians commend Mackenzie King as a central rallying cry for a divided country, whose skill set helped him reach across the aisle, mending multiple differences and helping grow Canada’s Independence even as it remained a British colony.
In his feature film debut The Twentieth Century, Winnipeg-born Matthew Rankin subverts this story. Set in 1899 and told in ten chapters, the film omits all of the soon-to-be Prime Minister’s triumphs, focusing instead on Mackenzie King’s (Dan Bierne) candidacy to be the country’s leader. Rankins shows a steady hand, confidently orchestrating a film that’s equal parts German expressionism, 1920s melodrama and absurdist satire.
- 12/17/2020
- by Patrick Gratton
- FilmExperience
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com features an audio review of the newly released “The Twentieth Century,” the debut of Canadian filmmaker Matthew Rankin. The film is a surreal retelling of Canadian history, specifically regarding former Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Dan Beirne is the real-life Canadian Pm, recognized as one of the greatest prime ministers in Canadian history, having served 27 years non-consecutively in the role during the first half of the 20th Century – the most time in that office ever – including guiding Canada through the World War II years. In the film, he is shown at the beginning of his career in 1899, vying for first time political office against his rival Arthur Meighen (an icy Brent Skagford).
“The Twentieth Century” is available now through Music Box at Home through MusicBoxTheatre.com. Check local listings for additional theaters and show times. For more information, click here. Featuring Dan Beirne,...
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Dan Beirne is the real-life Canadian Pm, recognized as one of the greatest prime ministers in Canadian history, having served 27 years non-consecutively in the role during the first half of the 20th Century – the most time in that office ever – including guiding Canada through the World War II years. In the film, he is shown at the beginning of his career in 1899, vying for first time political office against his rival Arthur Meighen (an icy Brent Skagford).
“The Twentieth Century” is available now through Music Box at Home through MusicBoxTheatre.com. Check local listings for additional theaters and show times. For more information, click here. Featuring Dan Beirne,...
- 12/1/2020
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Amazon is set to find the beat with the upcoming Sound of Metal starring Riz Ahmed which hits select theaters today before moving to Prime Video on December 4.
The film marks the feature directorial debut of Darius Marder, who co-wrote the movie with Abraham Marder. Sound of Metal follows punk-metal drummer Ruben (Ahmed) who begins to experience intermittent hearing loss. When a specialist tells him his condition will rapidly worsen, he thinks his music career and his life is over.
As Ruben, a recovering heroin addict, navigates his diagnosis he runs the risk of relapsing. Enter his girlfriend and bandmate Lou (Olivia Cooke). She checks him into a secluded sober house for the deaf in hopes it will prevent a relapse and help him learn to adapt to his new situation. After being welcomed into a community that accepts him just as he is, Ruben has to choose between his...
The film marks the feature directorial debut of Darius Marder, who co-wrote the movie with Abraham Marder. Sound of Metal follows punk-metal drummer Ruben (Ahmed) who begins to experience intermittent hearing loss. When a specialist tells him his condition will rapidly worsen, he thinks his music career and his life is over.
As Ruben, a recovering heroin addict, navigates his diagnosis he runs the risk of relapsing. Enter his girlfriend and bandmate Lou (Olivia Cooke). She checks him into a secluded sober house for the deaf in hopes it will prevent a relapse and help him learn to adapt to his new situation. After being welcomed into a community that accepts him just as he is, Ruben has to choose between his...
- 11/20/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
We are rather thrilled that Matthew Rankin's debut feature film The Twentieth Century finally arrives in Virtual Cinemas tomorrow thanks to the fine folks at Oscilloscope Laboratories. You might say that its a sliver of Canadian pride breaking through our polite facade. True. We also think that it's just a damn fine movie all set to weird you out and make you second guess your neighbours to the North. Toronto, 1899. Aspiring young politician Mackenzie King (Dan Beirne) dreams of becoming the Prime Minister of Canada. But his romantic vacillation between a British soldier and a French nurse, exacerbated by a fetishistic obsession, may well bring about his downfall. In his quest for power, King must gratify the expectations of his imperious Mother, the...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 11/19/2020
- Screen Anarchy
Indebted to Guy Maddin, German Expressionism, and Elaine May all at once, . Whereas even the most revisionist takes on American history are shaped by a myopic sense of divine importance and the dick-measuring that tends to come with it, director Matthew Rankin’s leaky snow globe of a movie leans on Canada’s pathological fixation with being second-best; with “simping,” being friend-zoned, and elevating its reputation for polite submission into something that almost seems patriotic if you squint hard enough. “Canada is just one failed orgasm after another,” someone laments towards the end of this unclassifiable wonder, but there’s something to be said for impotence after watching an(other) American president fuck the entire world.
A student of Canadian history in addition to being an accomplished maker of short films, the Winnipeg-born Rankin comes into his debut feature with the confidence of someone who’s been working towards this bugnuts spectacle his entire life,...
A student of Canadian history in addition to being an accomplished maker of short films, the Winnipeg-born Rankin comes into his debut feature with the confidence of someone who’s been working towards this bugnuts spectacle his entire life,...
- 11/18/2020
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Gff award winner Arracht Glasgow Film Festival has announced its 17th edition, which will run from February 24 to March 7 next year, will be a hybrid edition. Cinema screenings will run alongside an online streaming platform, Glasgow Film At Home.
The streaming platform will be launched on November 23 and will operate year-round, with the aim of bringing festival films to audience at home. The first programme will feature four films, including 2020 Audience Award winner Arracht, an Irish drama set against the backdrop of the potato famine, directed by Tom Sullivan. Rúnar Rúnarsson's portrait of modern Iceland, Echo, will also be featured, along with Mattie Do's The Long Walk and Matthew Rankin's faux biopic The Twentieth Century.
Allison Gardner, Glasgow Film CEO and co-director of Glasgow Film Festival, said: “We are delighted to be bringing Glasgow Film Festival back in 2021 in as safe as possible a way. Gff...
The streaming platform will be launched on November 23 and will operate year-round, with the aim of bringing festival films to audience at home. The first programme will feature four films, including 2020 Audience Award winner Arracht, an Irish drama set against the backdrop of the potato famine, directed by Tom Sullivan. Rúnar Rúnarsson's portrait of modern Iceland, Echo, will also be featured, along with Mattie Do's The Long Walk and Matthew Rankin's faux biopic The Twentieth Century.
Allison Gardner, Glasgow Film CEO and co-director of Glasgow Film Festival, said: “We are delighted to be bringing Glasgow Film Festival back in 2021 in as safe as possible a way. Gff...
- 11/13/2020
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
This strange year is now winding down, and while for much of the month all eyes will be turned towards the U.S. election and its aftermath, as we take a glance at the film offerings, there’s no shortage of worthwhile releases.
From the first batch of five new Steve McQueen films to David Fincher’s first feature in six years to new work by Werner Herzog, Clea DuVall, Gabriel Mascaro, Francis Lee, and more, it’s a stellar line-up as we enter into the final stretch of 2020.
We should also note that some theatrical-only releases earlier this fall are making their digital debuts, such as The Nest and Possessor, so be sure to follow our streaming column for weekly updates.
15. The Giant (David Raboy; Nov. 13)
A highlight at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, David Raboy’s directorial debut The Giant––which follows a young woman who...
From the first batch of five new Steve McQueen films to David Fincher’s first feature in six years to new work by Werner Herzog, Clea DuVall, Gabriel Mascaro, Francis Lee, and more, it’s a stellar line-up as we enter into the final stretch of 2020.
We should also note that some theatrical-only releases earlier this fall are making their digital debuts, such as The Nest and Possessor, so be sure to follow our streaming column for weekly updates.
15. The Giant (David Raboy; Nov. 13)
A highlight at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, David Raboy’s directorial debut The Giant––which follows a young woman who...
- 11/2/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
After several acclaimed short films, Canadian filmmaker Matthew Rankin makes his feature-length debut with “The Twentieth Century.” The film’s release comes after a massively successful festival run that began with its premiere in the midnight madness section of the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.
Read More: 2020 Fall Film Preview: 40 Most Anticipated Films To Watch
Rankin won the prestigious Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film at TIFF, and the movie’s critical acclaim hasn’t stopped there.
Continue reading ‘The Twentieth Century’ Trailer: A Canadian Politician’s Rise To Power Gets An Expressionist Twist at The Playlist.
Read More: 2020 Fall Film Preview: 40 Most Anticipated Films To Watch
Rankin won the prestigious Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film at TIFF, and the movie’s critical acclaim hasn’t stopped there.
Continue reading ‘The Twentieth Century’ Trailer: A Canadian Politician’s Rise To Power Gets An Expressionist Twist at The Playlist.
- 10/31/2020
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
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