News

Producer Tendeka Matatu’s London and South Africa-based production company Ten10 Films is expanding and rebranding as Ten10 Entertainment.

The Ten10-produced neo-noir thriller “Cold Harbour” is currently streaming on Netflix.

The name change reflects the outfit’s rapidly growing global slate of original series and film projects, which will be overseen by new head of development Jafta Mamabolo, an actor, writer, director and producer from Johannesburg.

Based out of South Africa, Mamabolo’s primary mandate is to expand the company’s Africa-focused entertainment slate. The first projects that he will oversee include young adult series “Abel & Ashanti” with producer Bill Borden; the African-futuristic “Akebul-an Chronicles” with Fremantle; and a limited series based on the book “Call Me American” by Abdi Nor Iftin.

Mamabolo first found continental acclaim in Africa at age 11 when he landed a prime role on “Soul Buddyz,” then Southern Africa’s most-watched youth program. His acting...

Just around 10 million people speak isiZulu, a language out of South Africa. So how did a song in the little-known dialect become a hit with billions of people around the world?

The song in question is “Jerusalema,” created by 24-year-old Limpopo native Master Kg with the vocals of singer Nomcembo Zikode in 2019. It became an anthem of South Africa’s summer (which was the Northern hemisphere’s winter) and entered Shazam’s Global Top 200 chart in December — but it wasn’t until this year that it exploded in earnest. For the last few weeks,...

While international film and TV shoots have been halted in South Africa for the past six months due to a ban on foreign flights during the Covid-19 pandemic, members of the local industry have found a novel way to lift their spirits.

On Thursday, hundreds of South African actors and crew members will come together to make a feature film centering on the “Jerusalema” dance craze that has swept the world. The shoot coincides with Heritage Day, which celebrates the Rainbow Nation’s multiple cultures.

The film, shot over two days on a custom-built set at Cape Town Film Studios, will consist of two elements: a scripted narrative and a mass dance sequence. In the latter, performers will dance to “Jerusalema,” the upbeat gospel-inspired song, which features the voice of singer Nomcebo Zikode and was produced by Master Kg. The film will be directed by Calvin Hayward alongside Abongwe L.

Media entrepreneurs Marie Lora-Mungai (also founder web and mobile African video-on-demand platform, Buni.tv) and Tendeka Matatu (producer "Jerusalema," "Cold Harbor") have announced a partnership that will see the creation of a global studio engaged in all aspects of development, finance, production, distribution and exhibition of African content, within and outside Africa. Per the press release... Called Restless Global (www.restless.global), the collaboration will bring together Matatu’s and Lora-Mungai’s existing companies - Restless Talent Management, Ten10 Films (production and distribution), Buni Media (production,...

The 18th annual Fantasia International Film Festival will be taking place once again in Montreal and the first wave of programming has been announced, revealing an eclectic mix of genre films from around the world:

“Montreal, June 19, 2014 – The 18th annual Fantasia International Film Festival is gearing up to take Montreal by storm with three weeks of inspiration and excitement starting July 17 until August 5, 2014. Our full 2014 lineup of programming and special events will be revealed shortly, but in the meantime, here’s an early First Wave Announcement of several selected highlights and info to whet your appetite.

Unveiling Our 2014 Poster Art: Fantasia Pays Tribute To Three Legendary Figures Of The Fantastic

On May 7 of last year, Ray Harryhausen, filmmaker and stop-motion special effects pioneer, passed away at the age of 92. Mr. Harryhausen created some of the most beloved and innovative fantastic film imagery of all time in such classics as The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad...

The grandaddy of all film fests, Fantasia 2014, is set to kick off on July 17th, and we have this year's artwork to share along with the first wave of event and film announcements.

From the Press Release:

The 18th annual Fantasia International Film Festival is gearing up to take Montreal by storm with three weeks of inspiration and excitement starting July 17 until August 5, 2014. Our full 2014 lineup of programming and special events will be revealed shortly, but in the meantime here’s an early First Wave Announcement of several selected highlights and info to whet your appetite.

For this year’s edition and onwards, Fantasia will be returning to the freshly renovated Concordia Hall Cinema as its main base, which now features an even larger screen, new seating, and upgraded projection and sound.

Unveiling Our 2014 Poster Art: Fantasia Pays Tribute To Three Legendary Figures Of The Fantastic

On May 7 of last year,...

It is that time of the year again in which we start preparing for our favourite film festival in the world. For the unfamiliar, Sound On Sight has delivered some of the best coverage of the Fantasia Film Festival since we first launched back in 2008. In the past we’ve published up to 55 reviews, dozens of features and recorded six podcasts dedicated entirely to the three and a half week long event. So be sure to come visit us again and again throughout the months of July and August, as we will surely be all over the 2014 edition. The 18th annual Fantasia International Film Festival is taking Montreal by storm, starting July 17 until August 5, 2014. They’ve just released their new poster and along with the first wave of films, and as expected, Fantasia’s programmers aren’t disappointing. Here’s the press release. Enjoy!

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Montreal, June 19, 2014 – The 18th annual Fantasia...

A month ago at Cannes, Restless Talent Management (Rtm) announced its launch, with the executives behind the venture calling it "the first global management company to focus on African talent."Details via press release below:At a time where actors and directors of African descent are resolutely grabbing the headlines in Hollywood, Rtm will be focused on identifying the next Lupita Nyong’o, Chiwetel Ejiofor, or Andrew Dosunmu.Behind Rtm are veteran film producer Tendeka Matatu of Ten10 Films (Gangster’S Paradise: Jerusalema, Material, Crazy Monkey, Cold Harbor) and producer and media entrepreneur Marie Lora-Mungai of Buni Media (The Xyz Show, Ogas At The Top) and leading African VOD...

Buni TV (www.buni.tv), a video-on-demand platform for high quality African content, has launched its premium subscription service, Buni+ today.For $5/month, subscribers to Buni+ will have access to a range of top African movies, like the Kenyan blockbuster Nairobi Half Life, or the hit 2008 South African crime film Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema, as well as compelling television like the South African drama The Mating Game. There's film and TV from the continent, recent hits and not-so recent content for kids and parents.Viewers interested in subscribing can pay via several mobile money services, as well as credit card, or Paypal, and...

The late director David R. Ellis was supposed to reteam with his Snakes on a Plane star for a live-action adaptation of the Japanese anime movie Kite. But since he died just before production was supposed to begin, South African director Ralph Ziman (Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema) had to take over the project. It's been a year since then, and now it sounds like the project is gearing up for the big screen release as Bloody Disgusting has gotten ahold of an early trailer for the film introduced by star Samuel L. Jackson, proclaiming his affection for the original work. There seems to be some cool action, but Jackson could just as easily be playing Shaft again in this film and there wouldn't be much of a difference. Watch it! First trailer for Ralph Ziman's Kite, discovered by Bloody Disgusting (see a 5-minute clip there too): Kite...

Upcoming movie Kite is based on Yasuomi Umetsu's anime that is known for its graphic depictions of sex and violence. Samuel L. Jackson plays Karl Aker, a corrupt detective and India Eisley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Underworld: Awakening) plays Sawa, a young girl who is out to track down those responsible for killing her father with the help of Aker. Callan McAuliffe (I Am Number Four, The Great Gatsby) co-stars. Ralph Ziman (Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema, The Zookeeper) took over as director after the death of David R. Ellis, who worked with Jackson on Snakes On A Plane. Kite was filmed in Johannesburg and the first trailer is embedded below. ...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Samuel L. Jackson stars in Ralph Ziman's remake of Yasuomi Umetsu’s Japanese Ova, Kite. The live-action film stars nineteen-year-old India Eisley (Underworld: Awakening, Maleficent) as Sawa, sixty-four-year-old Samuel L. Jackson (The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) as Karl Aker (Akai) and eighteen-year-old Callan McAuliffe (The Great Gatsby) as Oburi. If you've seen the original Ova, you know why the ages are important here. The project was very nearly shelved when David R. Ellis (Snakes On A Plane) passed away back in February but Ralph Ziman (Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema ) quickly stepped in to keep the project moving. "Kite, is a character-driven action film that charts the story of Sawa (Eisley), a young woman living in a failed state after the financial collapse, where a corrupt security force profits on the trafficking of young women. When Sawa's policeman father is killed, she vows to track the...

World Bank study recommends 51 films using development as a plot device - sometimes at expense of accuracy and complexity

International development is just about at the bottom of the list of things that the average westerner thinks about each day. News organisations are closing their foreign bureaus. One of the big Us television networks turned down more money for global health reporting after a series, entirely funded by grants, led to a dip in viewers. In other words ratings were so bad that the network turned down millions of dollars. It is that tough.

Aside from advocacy efforts like (the much-criticised) Kony 2012 and Oxfam advertisements, how do people learn about the world around them? The answer could be Hollywood. Reporting on Africa does not get much attention in the Us, but a film staring Leonardo DiCaprio about Sierra Leone does.

A film like Blood Diamond, setting aside its problems, brings...

The Weinstein Company has acquired worldwide sales rights, excluding the U.S., South Africa and India, to the live-action remake of Yasuomi Umetsu’s Japanese anime movie Kite. The film, which has just completed shooting in South Africa, stars Samuel L. Jackson, India Eisley and Australia's Callan McAuliffe and was directed by Ralph Ziman (The Zoo Keeper, Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema). Kite will be sold to international buyers at the Cannes Film Festival next week. The Weinstein Co.'s David Glasser said: "We look forward to showing buyers a first look at some early footage in Cannes.” Anant

read more...

Almost one month ago, the news hit that director David R. Ellis (“The Final Destination,” “Snakes On A Plane”) had been found dead in his Johannesburg hotel room where he was staying while working on “Kite,” a remake of the 1998 Japanese anime film that was set to star Samuel L. Jackson. Now, rest assured that while Ellis is no more, his project will live on. South African director Ralph Ziman is set to take over at the helm. Jackson will stay on board, while India Eisley and Callan McAuliffe have also joined the cast. Ziman’s best-known directing credit is for 2008’s “Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema,” about crime in a post-apartheid black South African neighborhood. The film was generally well-reviewed and praised for its kinetic energy -- something Ziman will need to adapt the dystopian “Kite.” The original anime sparked controversy for its graphic depictions of an orphaned girl turned sex.

When the sudden news of Snakes on a Plane director David R. Ellis passing away surfaced last month, that left the adaptation of he Japanese anime movie Kite, starring Samuel L. Jackson, in limbo. The project was gearing up to start production when Ellis passed away, and it was unclear what would happen. Now a press release (found via The Film Stage) has revealed that South African director Ralph Ziman (Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema) will take over the project. In addition, Maleficent and Underworld: Awakening star India Eisley and The Great Gatsby and Flipped star Callan McAuliffe have both joined the cast. More below! The story doesn't depart too much from the original anime as it follows a young woman (to be played by India Eisley) living in a failed state, post-financial collapse, where the corrupt security force profits on the trafficking of young women. Her father, a police officer,...

As you’ll recall, director David R. Ellis was in South Africa doing pre-production on “Kite”, his adaptation of the Japanese anime by Yasuomi Umetsu when he suddenly passed away last month. The film was set to star Samuel L. Jackson, who was reuniting with Ellis after having worked together on the viral hit (but as it turns out, not box office hit) “Snakes on a Plane”. Well the show must go on, and the producers have hired a replacement director in local filmmaker Ralph Ziman (“Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema”), who will take over directing the film in Johannesburg, with production set to begin sometime later this month. Jackson will remain on the film, and will be joined by young castmembers India Eisley (below, last seen playing Kate Beckinsale’s daughter in “Underworld: Awakening”) and Callan McAuliffe (top, of “I am Number Four” fame). Unlike the sex and violence-heavy offering of the Japanese anime,...

In my interview with Samuel L. Jackson in December, ahead of the release of Django Unchained, he mentioned that one of the projects on his slate was a live-action adaptation of a Japanese anime film called Kite (Yasuomi Umetsu’s 1998 work), which was to be directed by David R. Ellis (who also directed Mr Jackson in Snakes On A Plane). However, as some of you may know, David R. Ellis died on January 7 (this year). Taking over for him, revealed this morning, is South African director Ralph Ziman. Ziman's last film was 2008's Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema, a film I wrote about on my old blog (S&A wasn't around at the time),...

South African filmmaker Ralph Ziman ("Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema") has come onboard to helm the live action remake of Yasuomi Umetsu’s 1998 Japanese anime "Kite".

At the same time, Callan McAuliffe ("Underground: The Julian Assange Story") and India Eisley ("Maleficent") have joined the cast which includes the previously announced Samuel L. Jackson.

The story is a character-driven actioneer about a young woman living in a failed state, post-financial collapse, where the corrupt security force profits in human trafficking.

When her police father is slain, she vows to track the murderer down with the help of her father's ex-partner - unaware he is the man who had her father killed.

Ziman replaces the late David R. Ellis, and filming aims to begin in Johannesburg later this month.

Moisés Cosio, Alejandro Saevich, Anant Singh and Brian Cox are producing.

Source: Deadline...

Lightning Entertainment has acquired international rights to five feature films and will present the slate of new titles, including the star-studded comedy Struck By Lightning written by and starring Glee.s Chris Colfer, to buyers at the upcoming Cannes Film Market, it was announced today by Robert Beaumont, President of Lightning Entertainment.

Struck By Lightning will make its market premiere at the Marché du Film following its Tribeca Film Festival world debut where it received an overwhelmingly positive response. Servitude will also make its market premiere with promotional footage being shown for family film Heaven.S Door and South African thriller One Last Look. Black South-easter is currently in production.

.We are thrilled to present this eclectic slate of new titles featuring films from across the globe to our buyers at Cannes and we are incredibly excited that both Struck By Lightning and Servitude will be making their market premieres next month,...

The gritty South African-set thriller "Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema" is now available from Anchor Bay Entertainment, written/directed by Ralph Ziman, starring Rapaulana Seiphemo, Robert Hobbs, Kenneth Nkosi, Eugene Khumbanyiwa and Louise Saint-Claire:

"...Inspired by true events, 'Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema" is an unflinching look into the crime and corruption of those struggling to survive in the most crime-infested district of Johannesburg, focusing on 'Lucky Kunene', a bright, inspiring teenager who is forced into a criminal life by those around him.

"By the time he reaches adulthood, Lucky has made a name for himself as a notorious criminal, feared by his enemies and praised by the locals who see him as a modern-day 'Robin Hood'. His high profile, earned by violently and illegeally overthrowing slumlords, attracts the attention of the police, while his evcition of junkies, crackheads and prostitutes, escalates tensions with the local drug lords..."

Click the images to...

Director Ralph Ziman takes us behind-the-scenes of this amazing South African crime thriller

The amazing South African crime drama Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema is finally coming to DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, September 28th. Directed by Ralph Ziman, this intense tale proves to be an unflinching look into the crime, corruption and the transgressions of those looking to survive in the most crime-infested district of Johannesburg.

Compared to classics such as Scarface and Goodfellas, the movie follows young Lucky Kunene (Rapulana Seiphemo) who quickly graduates from small smash and grabs and petty crimes to more aggressive heists, such as armed robbery and carjacking. Soon, Lucky realizes he needs a bigger score to fulfill his goals of making it big, and escaping from the slums, to a dream house by the sea. It's a provocative look at the fifteen-year dissolution of Apartheid, and it has resonated with audiences and critics across the globe.

When you think gangsters, your mind may shoot to Tony Soprano, Don Vito Corleone or the many works of Martin Scorsese.

Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema sheds light on a lifestyle that may not be famliar to most Americans, but is based on all-too-real events in South Africa. Check out this clip from the upcoming movie, which will make you want to go home and immediately confirm that you're grandmother isn't packing an Ak-47.

The movie hits DVD September 28th.

 ...

A look at what's new on DVD today:

"The Thin Red Line" (1998)

Directed by Terrence Malick

Released by Criterion Collection

No, you won't be getting the hours of deleted Adrien Brody or George Clooney footage from Malick's World War II epic, but this Criterion version is most certainly an upgrade from the previous bare-bones DVD edition with 14 minutes of outtakes, new interviews with Sean Penn and composer Hans Zimmer, among others from the cast and crew, an audio commentary with cinematographer John Toll, production designer Jack Fisk and producer Grant Hill and more.

"7 Days" (2010)

Directed by Daniel Grou

Released by Mpi Home Video

French Canadian horror author Patrick Senécal adapts his own novel to celluloid about a doctor (Claude Legault) who intercepts the man (Remy Girard) who raped and murdered his young daughter and turns the tables on him in a cabin in the woods. With a résumé including TV series like "Vampire High,...

There's free-spirited bad-taste fun in Kick-Ass, while Holly Grainger and Thomas Turgoose impress in The Scouting Book for Boys

While comic-book non-hero Scott Pilgrim battles his heartthrob's evil exes in cinemas in Scott Pilgrim vs The World, Kick-Ass (2010, Universal, 15)

posits another bona-fide dweeb entering a colourfully costumed fantasy world on an extras-packed DVD. Snappily adapted from Mark Millar and John Romita Jr's strip by screenwriter Jane Goldman and director Matthew Vaughn (who previously teamed up on the touching fantasy Stardust), this follows the misadventures of wannabe crime buster Dave Lizewski, aka Kick-Ass (Aaron Johnson), who becomes strangely immune to pain after getting his head very publicly kicked in. An overnight internet sensation, the hapless anti-hero soon finds himself outclassed by Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz), a firebrand young crime-fighter with a flick-knife, a filthy mouth, and a deadly way of dispatching bad guys learned from her fat-Batman father Big Daddy (Nic Cage,...

Everyone loves a wedding, which is what makes it such a universal and relatable topic for a romantic comedy. From classic movies like My Best Friend's Wedding and The Wedding Singer to smash hits like Wedding Crashers and My Big Fat Greek Wedding, everybody understands the craziness that surrounds the big day. So it only makes sense that eventually there would be a movie from South Africa that would accurately represent the chaos that is associated with their ceremonies and customs. White Wedding, which opens in theaters on September 3rd, follows the story of a young groom (Kenneth Nkosi, District 9) and his best man (Rapulana Seiphemo, Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema) who become lost on their way to the wedding and run into a young English doctor played by Jodie Whittaker (Venus). We recently had a chance to sit down with Nkosi and Seiphemo to discuss the new movie, their friendship...

Distributors tell us The Twilight Saga: Eclipse enjoyed the 'highest UK box office opening of 2010', but the picture is hazy

The winner

With an official UK opening of £13.76m, it's no surprise that the local distributor of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is trumpeting the result as a major success. The film has achieved the "highest UK box office opening of 2010", says a press release, and has "exceeded the opening of its predecessor, New Moon".

But you don't have to dig very deep to discover a more complicated picture. Eclipse's £13.76m opening includes £6.37m in previews from Saturday and Sunday 3-4 July. Strip those out, and the opening is a more modest £7.39m. That's not the biggest opening of the year, and nor is it better than the New Moon result.

Back in March, Alice In Wonderland debuted with £10.56m from a standard weekend of play, with no previews. And last November,...

Predators (15)

(Nimród Antal, 2010, Us) Adrien Brody, Alice Braga, Topher Grace, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Trejo. 107 mins.

Twenty-three years and three sequels after the original, the sub-Alien sci-fi movie at last gets a proper follow-up, and even if Brody barely has the bulk to fill one of Schwarzenegger's combat boots, this serves up the semi-guilty action pleasures you'd demand. Brody is one of a gang of random human badasses who wind up in a strange jungle and realise they're now training material for apprentice alien badasses. So who will survive to be the, er, worst ass?

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (12A)

(David Slade, 2010, Us) Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner. 124 mins.

Another teen-conquering exercise in sexless erotica, but at least there's an actual film around it this time. A new vampire threat and Bella's love triangle won't be enough to entice newcomers, but fans will enjoy the unconsummated fantasy thrills they crave.

Cinematical's newest regular continues its look at things happening for UK film fans in a week packed with monster movies, football (not soccer) tournaments and 80s revivals. So without further ado, we continue our new column picking five film-related things with which to occupy your time if you're in the UK.

5. Witness South Africa's Darker Side

Indie pickings are slim this week, what with Twilight and Predators taking up screens, but there are plenty of monsters to be found in Gangsters' Paradise: Jerusalema, set amidst South Africa's criminal underworld. Ralph Ziman's film is rooted in cinema, with its characters taking cues from Heat and Scarface as they strike terror into the hearts of the population of Johannesburg. Based on the true story of shady boss Lucky Kunene, it's a fast paced and frenetic look at crime run rampant in post-Apartheid South Africa.

Filed under: Columns

Continue reading Cinematical's UK Top 5: Vampires,...

Shrek Forever After (U)

(Mike Mitchell, 2010, Us)

Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy. 93 mins.

Like us, Shrek yearns for the good old days here, and – somewhat tellingly – the premise finds the green ogre trying to regain his former fearsome edge. Instead, he gets tricked into an alternate reality where he basically has to re-enact the first film all over again. In some ways, such familiarity is a strength as much as a weakness, and it's nice to see these characters again. Compared to the Toy Story trilogy, though, Shrek is merely The Flintstones to Pixar's Simpsons; fun enough, but really no match.

White Material (15)

(Claire Denis, 2009, Fra/Cam)

Isabelle Huppert, Christopher Lambert, Isaach De Bankolé. 106 mins.

After the touchy-feely 35 Shots Of Rum, Denis switches to stronger medicine with a sparse evocation of wartorn west Africa. Huppert is a defiant colonial matriarch striving to keep her family and plantation together.

CrimeFighters (Nc)

(Miles Watts,...

Anchor Bay have just sent us this brand new hard hitting trailer for their new movie, Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema. Inspired by a true story, Gangsters Paradise: Jerusalema is an unflinching look into the crime, corruption and the transgressions of those looking to survive in the most crime-infested district of Johannesburg.

The movie is directed by Ralph Ziman and stars Daniel Buckland, Robert Hobbs, Eugene Khumbanyiwa, Motlatsi Mahloko and Jafta Mamabolo. It’s scheduled for release 9th July.

Check out the trailer below and tell us your thoughts in the comments.

This week on Film Weekly we talk to Jason Isaacs about his supporting role in Nick Whitfield's Skeletons, which took the top award at this year's Edinburgh film festival. Isaacs, entombed in his trailer on the set of the latest Harry Potter movie, tries to pin down the film – about a pair of psychic cleaners in a spot of bother.

Also, we look at Jerusalema, a gangster film set in Johannesburg, by South African director Ralph Ziman.

Jason also reviews some of this week's other releases including Shrek Forever After, Claire Denis's latest film, White Material, starring Isabelle Huppert, Gallic romcom Heartbreaker, and Tom Dicillo's Doors documentary When You're Strange.

Jason SolomonsJason Phipps...

Solitary Man expanded again and rose to the top of the limited release heap. Foreign movies The Secret in Their Eyes and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo showed few signs of fatigue, while new releases Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work and Winter's Bone got off to above average starts. Increasing 31 locations to 53, Solitary Man was up 112 percent to $369,703. The Michael Douglas vehicle is expanding faster and with greater per theater averages than distributor Anchor Bay's recent limited hit City Island, indicating that the movie could be poised for a solid run this summer. Through its third weekend, Solitary Man has grossed $871,081. The Secret in Their Eyes and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo continued to post decent returns, despite being in their ninth and 13th weekends, respectively. Best Foreign Language Oscar winner The Secret in Their Eyes dipped 13 percent, earning $347,925 for a total of $4.5 million. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,...

A gangster epic with a geopolitical twist, Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema prefaces its portrait of a young man's rise in the criminal underworld with the assurance that the story was "inspired by real events." The picture was shot in South Africa and spans almost 15 years between post-apartheid and present day; the country's struggle for freedom and free enterprise informs much of the action. And yet there is a competing sense that the "real events" that served as inspiration occurred in a series of theaters in which writer/director Ralph Ziman took in the gangster canon, from Scarface to Shaft and all the way to Gomorrah. Al Capone is invoked early and often, hip hop-style, giving the mistaken impression that Ziman might not intend to play the genre's clichés absolutely, numbingly straight.

If you head to the multiplex this weekend, you might think you stepped into a time machine with The A-Team and The Karate Kid being the two major releases. It seems unlikely that either film will break the cold spell that we've had at theatres so far this summer, but perhaps one of them will surprise us. If for some reason '80s nostalgia doesn't appeal to you, there are a few other choices in limited release including the IFC documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, the bleak indie drama Winter's Bone and the South African crime flick Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema, out just in time for the World Cup! Will any of these flicks be getting your hard-earned money this weekend? The A-Team [1] The Karate Kid [2] Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work [3] (limited) Winter's Bone [4] (limited) Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema [5] (limited) The Lottery [6] (limited) Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky [7] (limited) [1] http://www.

Have you ever wondered what are the films that inspire visionary directors of our time? As part of our monthly Ioncinephile profile, we ask the filmmaker the incredibly arduous task of identifying their top ten list of all time favorite films. This June we profile Ralph Ziman who will see his third film, Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema receive a limited release in New York, Los Angeles and Houston on June 11th. Here's his Top 10 as of June 2010. - Have you ever wondered what are the films that inspire visionary directors of our time? As part of our monthly Ioncinephile profile (read here), we ask the filmmaker the incredibly arduous task of identifying their top ten list of all time favorite films. This June we profile Ralph Ziman who will see his third film, Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema receive a limited release in New York, Los Angeles and Houston on June 11th via Anchor Bay Ent.

Have you ever wondered what are the films that inspire visionary directors of our time? As part of our monthly Ioncinephile profile (read here), we ask the filmmaker the incredibly arduous task of identifying their top ten list of all time favorite films. This June we profile Ralph Ziman who will see his third film, Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema receive a limited release in New York, Los Angeles and Houston on June 11th via Anchor Bay Ent. Here's his Top 10 as of June 2010. Apocalypse Now - Francis Ford Coppola (1979) "War is hell. Coppola’s masterpiece. Saw it when it came out. It was mind blowing." A Clockwork Orange - Stanley Kubrick (1971) "Stanley Kubrick at his best. Perverse, insane, and technically brilliant." Das Boot - Wolfgang Petersen (1981) "Made me understand how war affects the people who fight it. Claustrophobic and masterful. So cinematic, yet shot in such a small environment." Heat -...

Weekend Box Office

1Shrek Forever After$25.3 million2Get Him to the Greek$17.4 million3Killers$16.1 million4Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time$13.9 million5Sex and the City 2$12.6 million6Marmaduke$11.3 million7Iron Man 2$7.7 million8Splice$7.4 million9Robin Hood$5.1 million10Letters to Juliet$3 million#1#2#3#4#5#6#7#8#9#10

The summer movie season continues to heat up with four new high profiles films, Get Him to the Greek, Killers, Marmaduke and Splice, all entering the box office race this weekend. However none of them seemed to be real competition for last weekend's box office champ, Shrek Forever After, as the DreamWorks animated film took the top spot for a third week in a row with an additional $25.3 million.

The forth installment of DreamWorks Animation's phenomenally successful Shrek series, was predicted to take the top spot this weekend with $29.6 million but instead earned around $25.3 million. The film, stars the returning voice talents of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas and Eddie Murphy.

We have a brand new exclusive clip from the powerful new film Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema, which will arrive in theaters on June 11 in limited release. Click below to watch this exclusive clip from the film, which was directed by Ralph Ziman.

Exclusive: Anyone With Me, Raise Your Hands

Inspired by a true story, Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema is an unflinching look into the crime, corruption and the transgressions of those looking to survive in the most crime-infested district of Johannesburg.

Starting off with simple smash and grabs, and petty crime, Lucky Kunene quickly graduates to more aggressive heists such as armed robbery and carjacking. Soon, Lucky realizes he needs a bigger score to fulfill his goals of making it big, and escaping from the slums, to a dream house by the sea. Kunene hatches an elaborate and violent plan to make his fortune - hijacking buildings from landlords of Johannesburg tenements...

Director Ralph Ziman takes a fascinating look at violence in Johannesburg in this new urban gangster film

Writer/director Ralph Ziman's latest film, Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema, which opens in theaters on June 11th is an intriguing and remarkable look at the violence and corruption that affects the most crime-infested district in Johannesburg. The film follows the rise and fall of South African gangster Lucky Kunene (Rapulana Seiphemo) who eventually graduates from petty crime to more aggressive heists like armed robbery and carjacking. In order to realize his dream of a house by the sea, Lucky hatches an elaborate and violent plan to make his fortune hijacking buildings from landlords of Johannesburg tenements by convincing the tenants to let him hold their rent hostage from the landlords. His high-profile real estate acquisitions attract the attention of the police, as well as escalating a war between local drug lords. Things get...

It was a matter of time before someone invented Sollywood, but making only positive films is an artistic straitjacket

There's Hollywood, and Bollywood, and Nollywood (Nigeria's nascent film industry), so perhaps it was only a matter of time before someone invented Sollywood. This is the name of what aspires to be a new movement in film-making in South Africa.

The Sollywood website sets out an agenda that includes: making films on topics important to the South African community, making movies that end on a positive note for the community and the African people and, in capital letters, "Make Africans Feel Good About Being Africans".

Last week I caught the first Sollywood offering, Ingxoxo: The Negotiation – a romantic comedy but not as Richard Curtis would know it. The plot turns on the African custom of lobola, in which the family of a bride is compensated for her loss with a payment,...

Today, we are premiering the poster along with seven images for the South African gritty crime drama Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema. Described as “American Gangster set in South Africa, Johannesburg,” the film follows Lucky Kunene, an aspiring crime lord who attempts to hijack buildings from their owners and then hold the tenants’ rent hostage. However, this lands Kunene in the middle of police brutality and an escalating war with a local druglord. Kunene has to stay one step ahead in order to keep his empire and his life.

Hit the jump to check out the poster and images in high-resolution plus the official synopsis. Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema hits theaters in limited release on June 11th.

Click on the poster to see it in high resolution.

Here’s the official plot synopsis for Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema:

Inspired by a true story, Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema is an unflinching look into the crime,...

Kristin Thompson caught Jerusalema at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and describes it as “Michael Mann shooting a gritty Hong Kong action film, but setting it among Johannesburg gangs.” Many are agog at the film’s City of God-like depiction of South Africa as an urban war zone, but director Ziman told audiences at a Q and A at the festival that Johannesburg really is that bad. South African audiences apparently agree, as it was submitted as South Africa’s Oscar contender for the year. Ziman talks a bit in this interview about the title of the film, which comes from an African hymn about Jerusalem being described as the Promised Land throughout the Bible. The bitter subtext here refers to all the ways in which Johannesburg has failed to become the “new Jerusalem” envisioned by the end of apartheid. Instead what remains is an endless cycle of criminals...

What is the international watch list you ask? In their own words it's "an unofficial list of the American film industry's favorite foreign feature and short films from the past year." which is compiled from over fifty Us film executives and their assistants who vote for five foreign features and shorts. Why are we sharing this with you? Well first off to show that there are some people in Hollywood who actually have some good taste in film (shocking, I know) and the other is that we've actually covered many of the films and shorts on this list, and in fact were the first news site (at least among the larger English film community) to bring you news of the top short film with 10 votes, Afterville, and two of the features on the list, Before the Fall and The Square. Not surprisingly, Let the right one in is the top...

A record 67 countries have submitted films for consideration for best foreign-language film for the 81st Academy Awards, Academy president Sid Ganis said Friday. Nominations will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 22, and the awards will be presented on Sunday, Feb. 22.

The complete list of foreign-language submissions follows. For more details on some of the films, visit THR.com/foreignoscars.

Afghanistan, "Opium War," Siddiq Barmak

Albania, "The Sorrow of Mrs. Schneider," Piro Milkani and Eno Milkani

Algeria, "Masquerades," Lyes Salem

Argentina, "Lion's Den," Pablo Trapero

Austria, "Revanche," Gotz Spielmann

Azerbaijan, "Fortress," Shamil Nacafzada

Bangladesh, "Aha!," Enamul Karim Nirjhar

Belgium, "Eldorado," Bouli Lanners

Bosnia and Herzegovina, "Snow," Aida Begic

Brazil, "Last Stop 174," Bruno Barreto

Bulgaria, "Zift," Javor Gardev

Canada, "The Necessities of Life," Benoit Pilon

Chile, "Tony Manero," Pablo Larrain

China, "Dream Weavers," Jun Gu

Colombia, "Dog Eat Dog," Carlos Moreno

Croatia, "No One's Son," Arsen Anton Ostojic

Czech Republic, "The Karamazovs," Petr Zelenka

Denmark,...

BERLIN -- Soren Kragh-Jacobsen's Danish political thriller What No One Knows, South African crime drama Jerusalema by Ralph Ziman, Love & Other Crimes by Serbia's Stefan Arsenijevic's and apocalyptic fantasy Before Fall from Spain's Javier Gutierrez are among the titles that have been selected for the Berlin International Film Festival's Panorama sidebar.

The 2008 lineup, which also features the sci-fi dystopia of Mexican director Alex Rivera's Sleep Dealer and the China-to-Moscow murder chase in Brad Anderson's thriller Transsiberian, includes several genre titles amidst the usual mix of serious art house films (represented this year by such titles as Beautiful by Korea's Jaihong Juhn and Russian director Anna Melikyan's Mermaid.)

One of the highlights of this year's Panorama is certain to be the world premiere of Madonna's directorial debut -- the drama Filth And Wisdom, starring Stephen Graham and Richard E. Grant.

Organizers will announce the full Panorama lineup in the coming days.