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Ava DuVernay’s new indie feature “Origin” had its world premiere at the 2023 Venice Film Festival as the fest was starting to wrap up on Wednesday, September 6. In the process, DuVernay made history as the first African American female filmmaker ever to have a movie perform at Venice in competition. The import of the moment as relates to festival gender diversity wasn’t lost on DuVernay – “Origin’s” writer and producer as well as its director – who on Wednesday told the Venice press corps in advance of the screening, “We are often told you cannot play international film festivals, no one will come, people will not come to your press conference, people will not come to the P&i screenings, you will not get into this festival, don’t apply.”

DuVernay credited the fact the film was made independently for her breaking the female color barrier at such a prestigious festival as Venice.

Ava DuVernay’s past experiences with the Venice Film Festival have been more exclusionary than esteemed, revealed the director during a press conference for her new film “Origin” on Wednesday.

She explicitly told the audience that one time, she was told applying would be a waste of her time, as she wouldn’t get in, according to Variety.

“Origin” follows the story of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson as she investigates a heightened degree of injustice that negatively affects us all, states the film’s synopsis. It stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Jon Bernthal.

Read More: Oprah Tricks Gayle King And Her Friends Into Taking A Very, Very Long Hike

DuVernary comes to the festival with a heavy weight on her shoulders as a history-maker. She’s the first African American woman to have a film compete for the festival’s acclaimed Golden Lion award.

“For Black filmmakers, we’re told...

DuVernay has become the first African American woman to play in Competition at Venice.

Ava DuVernay has highlighted the inequalities that continue across the film circuit saying that Black filmmakers are told “you cannot play international film festivals.”

Speaking at the press conference for her Venice title Origin – through which she becomes the first US Black female filmmaker to have a film in Competition at the festival – DuVernay said, “It’s very rare for two Black filmmakers [herself and producer Paul Garnes] to make a film that leaves the country [the US]. For Black filmmakers, we’re told that people who love films in other...

Release marks second collaboration after Golda.

Bleecker Street has acquired US rights to Waitress: The Musical following its Tribeca world premiere and will partner with Fathom Events on a December 7 nationwide release.

The content was captured live on stage in 2021 during the musical’s reprise on Broadway and stars composer-lyricist Sara Bareilles in the lead role.

Based on the 2007 film directed by Adrienne Shelly and starring Keri Russell, the musical follows an expert pie baker stuck in a small town and loveless marriage who enters a life-changing baking contest.

Brett Sullivan directed the film and Jessie Nelson is creative advisor.

Ava DuVernay is making history today. In Venice with Origin, which world premieres in the Sala Grande this evening, she is the first African American female filmmaker to ever have been selected in competition at the world’s oldest festival. DuVernay earlier told Deadline’s Dominic Patten, “Venice was a big goal. It feels like a real full-circle moment.”

Based on Isabel Wilkerson’s 2020 bestseller Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents, the film stars Oscar nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Wikerson and tracks the Pulitzer Prize winner’s creative and personal journey over several continents through grief, revelation and the evils of historical stratification.

Although it was originally a Netflix project, DuVernay and Paul Garnes produced Origin without a studio. Speaking to Deadline earlier, DuVernay said, “I experienced success within the studios. I experienced this challenge within it. I learned a lot and ultimately the thing that felt best is to...

Neon has revealed a teaser trailer for Ava DuVernay’s next feature ‘Origin.’

Inspired by the New York Times Best-Seller ‘Caste: The Origins of our Discontents, while grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, Isabel sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery. Despite the colossal scope of her project, she finds beauty and bravery while crafting the seminal work.

Ava DuVernay wrote, directed and produced the film which stars Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Nick Offerman, Blair Underwood, Finn Wittrock, Jasmine Cephas-Jones, and Connie Nielsen.

Also in trailers – “I don’t trust you no more…” Final trailer drops for the concluding chapter of ‘Top Boy’

The post Teaser trailer revealed Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.

While much of the talk surrounding this year’s Venice Film Festival has been about three men who stand accused of heinous offenses, the 80th edition of the fest also made history: Ava DuVernay, whose film Origin is premiering at the fest, became the first African American woman to have a film performing in competition on the Lido.

Origin is an adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, which explores how caste systems in different societies across the world have fostered racism. DuVernay...

At the Venice Film Festival press conference for Ava DuVernay’s new film “Origin” on Wednesday, the director revealed that she has previously been told not to apply to the festival because “you won’t get in.”

DuVernay is making history this year as the first African American woman in the festival’s 80-year existence to have a film compete for the Golden Lion. “Origin,” starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Jon Bernthal, “chronicles the remarkable life and work of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson as she investigates the genesis of injustice and uncovers a hidden truth that affects us all,” according to the film’s official synopsis.

“For Black filmmakers, we’re told that people who love films in other parts of the world don’t care about our stories and don’t care about our films. This is something that we are often told: you cannot play international film festivals,...

Ava DuVernay has made history at the Venice Film Festival, becoming the first female Black U.S. director in the event’s 80 years to have a film in the main competition. DuVernay addressed this milestone head-on at the press conference for Origin, which will have world premiere Wednesday night, explaining that Black U.S. filmmakers are led to believe that international film festivals are simply not places for their work.

“For Black filmmakers, we’re told that people who love films in other parts of the world don’t care about our stories and don’t care about our films,” she said. “This is something that we are often told — ‘You cannot play international film festivals, no one will come, people will not come to your press conference, people will not come to the P&i screenings, they will not be interested in selling tickets, you may not even get into this festival,...

Neon snagged the rights to Oscar nominee Ava DuVernay’s Origin ahead of its premiere at the Venice Film Festival and released the first teaser trailer. With Origin, writer, producer, and director Ava DuVernay becomes the first African-American woman director in competition in Venice Film Festival’s 80-year history.

Oscar nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (King Richard) leads a talented ensemble that includes Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, Vera Farmiga, and Audra McDonald. Nick Offerman, Blair Underwood, Finn Wittrock, Jasmine Cephas-Jones, and Connie Nielsen also star.

“I’ve known Ava for a long time and my love and admiration for her and her work goes back further, even before Middle of Nowhere. I’m truly humbled that it is this movie which has finally brought us together. She has always been a gifted storyteller, and her mastery of her craft shines through in this deeply personal and inspired adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s book,...

Neon has acquired the rights to Ava DuVernay's movie Origin, based on Isabel Wilkerson's book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. The movie, debuting at the Venice International Film Festival, features a star-studded cast including Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, and Nick Offerman. Origin explores the societal impact of the caste system and how power and social classes govern daily life, similar to DuVernay's previous works like Selma and When They See Us.

Neon has acquired the rights for Ava DuVernay's next movie, Origin, based on the highly acclaimed non fiction book written by Isabel Wilkerson, originally titled Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents and published in 2020.

The movie is set to debut this month at the Venice International Film Festival, and stars Jon Bernthal, Aunjanue Ellis, Niecy Nash-Betts, Vera Farmiga, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Nick Offerman, Connie Nielsen, Audra McDonald, Myles Frost, Blair Underwood, Victoria Pedretti, Isha Blaaker, Leonardo Nam,...

Last year, Terror Films announced that writer/director Stephen Cognetti would be continuing his found footage Hell House LLC franchise with the prequel Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor – with the plan being that the finished film would be released through the Shudder streaming service sometime in the fall of this year. Now we know exactly when Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor is going to start streaming on both Shudder and AMC+: Monday, October 30th. It’s going to be a Devil’s Night Premiere!

Terror Films refers to Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor as “the first chapter of what will become known as the Hell House LLC Origin Films”, so it sounds like we’ll have multiple Hell House LLC prequels to look forward to. This one will show what happens when a group of cold case investigators stay at the Carmichael Manor,...

Ava DuVernay is recognized as one of the most visionary directors today. Known for her work on Selma or the series When They See Us, DuVernay has consistently delivered spellbinding and captivating stories that put society under a reflective lens, and she's doing so again with her latest film Origin. Set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival tomorrow, Neon has acquired the film from the Oscar-nominee right before the film is also set to have a gala at the Toronto Film Festival later this week.

One day before its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, the new Ava DuVernay film “Origin” has been acquired by Neon with a release scheduled for later this year. The new film, DuVernay’s first feature as a director since 2018’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” will also screen at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and joins a loaded Neon slate for 2023 that already includes Cannes Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall” as well as “The Royal Hotel,” “La Chimera,” “Perfect Days,” and “Ferrari.”

DuVernay wrote, produced, and directed ‘Origin,’ which Neon noted “is inspired by the remarkable life and work of Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson as she pens her seminal book, ‘Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents.’ While grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, Isabel sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery. Despite the colossal scope of her project, she finds beauty and...

Ava DuVernay’s Origin teaser trailer is here to stir your emotions before its world premiere tomorrow at the Venice Film Festival. Breaking ground as the first African-American woman director in competition in Venice Film Festival’s eighty-year history, DuVernay wrote, produced, and directed Origin, which is inspired by the remarkable life and work of Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson as she pens her seminal book, Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents. Neon recently acquired the worldwide rights to Origin, with a gala screening happening at the Toronto International Film Festival.

“While grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, Isabel sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery,” reads the film’s official press release. “Despite the colossal scope of her project, she finds beauty and bravery while crafting one of the defining American books of our time.”

Aunjanue Ellis Taylor leads the cast, with Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald,...

It's not hyperbole to call Ava DuVernay one of the most exciting storytellers working in film and TV right now. Thanks to her efforts behind the camera on the lauded Civil Rights Movement drama "Selma" and criminal justice system documentary "13th" (along with her equally revered work on the 1989 Central Park jogger case miniseries "When They See Us"), DuVernay has emerged as the leading voice in tackling issues of inequality onscreen. Even her flawed venture into fantasy filmmaking with Disney's "A Wrinkle in Time" was far and above more ambitious and interesting than any other live-action film the House of Mouse has put out over the last decade.

Now, five years after "Wrinkle" opened in theaters, DuVernay is finally back with a new feature film: "Origin." The project is based on journalist Isabel Wilkerson's acclaimed 2020 non-fiction book "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents," which examines the history of systematic inequality across the world,...

"All of this is linked..." Wow this looks phenomenal. Neon has unveiled an official teaser trailer for a film titled Origin, the latest work from acclaimed writer / director / producer Ava DuVernay. It's also listed under the title Origins, though the festival is still calling it Origin. It's premiering at the 2023 Venice Film Festival this week, and was also announced for TIFF and London later this fall. The descriptions so far are a bit vague, calling it a love story, but it's more than that. "The unspoken system that has shaped America and chronicles how lives today are defined by a hierarchy of human divisions." Neon adds: Origin, inspired by the remarkable life and work of Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson as she pens her seminal book, "Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents". While grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, Isabel sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery. Despite...

It’s crazy to think that it’s been nine years since the release of Ava DuVernay’s Oscar-nominated film, “Selma.” And over that time, while she has produced quite a bit and even directed an acclaimed limited series, DuVernay has only released one feature film, the underwhelming “A Wrinkle in Time.” However, it would appear the filmmaker is returning in a big, big way with her new film, “Origin.”

Read More: ‘Origin’ First Look: Ava DuVernay’s Adaptation Of ‘Caste’ With Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal & Vera Farmiga Premieres At Venice On September 6

As seen in the new teaser for “Origin,” the film is inspired by the life of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson as she writes the book, “Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents.” The journey to bring that book to life finds Wilkerson traveling all over the world and experiencing various cultures.

Continue reading ‘Origin’ Teaser: Ava DuVernay...

Neon has acquired worldwide rights for Ava DuVernay’s Origin ahead of its world premiere in Competition at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday (September 6).

The studio said it had secured the rights with a competitive bid and is planning a release for late 2023.

DuVernay will make history in Venice as the first African-American female director to premiere a film in competition in the festival’s 80-year history.

She wrote, produced and directed the biopic, which is inspired by the life and work of Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson, following her life as she pens her seminal book, Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents.

Related: Ava DuVernay On ‘Origin’: “Thank Goodness We Made This Film Independently” – Venice

While grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, Isabel sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery. Despite the colossal scope of her project, she finds beauty and bravery while crafting one...

Drama to get nationaiwde theatrical release later this year.

Neon has acquired worldwide rights to Ava DuVernay’s drama Origin starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Jon Bernthal ahead of the world premiere in Venice on Wednesday.

The film marks the first competition entry on the Lido by an African-American woman and will also play as a gala screening at TIFF on September 11 with DuVernay scheduled to attend.

Neon plans a nationwide theatrical release later this year after what it called a competitive bidding situation.

Origin is inspired by the life and work of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson as she sets...

Neon announced Tuesday that they have acquired worldwide distribution rights to Ava DuVernay’s latest directorial effort, “Origin” ahead of its Wednesday premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

Inspired by Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson’s acclaimed novel, “Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents,” DuVernay’s film turns Wilkerson into a real character played by Oscar-nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (“King Richard”). As the official synopsis for the film reads, “While grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, Isabel sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery. Despite the colossal scope of her project, she finds beauty and bravery while crafting one of the defining American books of our time.”

The film also stars Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Nick Offerman, Blair Underwood, Finn Wittrock, Jasmine Cephas-Jones and Connie Nielsen.

Accompanying the release is a brief first teaser of the movie, giving audiences their first glimpse of Ellis-Taylor’s Isabel.

Neon has acquired worldwide rights to Ava DuVernay’s “Origin” ahead of its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival.

The movie, starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal and Niecy Nash-Betts, will also screen at the Toronto International Film Festival. “Origin” will be released in theaters later this year.

DuVernay is the first African American woman director in competition in Venice’s 80-year history. She wrote, produced and directed the film, which is inspired by the life and work of Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson as she pens her seminal book “Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents.” A press release describes the plot as such: “While grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, Isabel sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery. Despite the colossal scope of her project, she finds beauty and bravery while crafting one of the defining American books of our time.” Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald,...

A day before its much-anticipated premiere at the Venice Film Festival, Ava DuVernay’s Origin has sold to Neon for worldwide distribution.

DuVernay wrote, produced and directed Origin and is breaking ground in Venice as the first Black U.S. female director in the festival’s 80-year history to have a feature in competition. (Watch the trailer below.)

Neon described the sales process as “competitive” and said it will release the movie across the U.S. later this year. The film is getting a North American premiere in Toronto after Venice and ahead of the theatrical release.

Origin is inspired by the remarkable life and work of Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson — played by Oscar nominee Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard) — as she pens her seminal book, Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents. While grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, Wilkerson sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery. Despite...

Neon has landed the first major acquisition out of the fall festivals, as the shingled has picked up the worldwide distribution rights to Ava DuVernay’s next film, “Origin.” The film makes its world premiere tomorrow in competition at the Venice Film Festival and, just over the weekend, was added to the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival lineup.

Neon is planning a theatrical release for later this year. The distributor has also released the first teaser for the film, which you can watch below.

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor stars in “Origin” as Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson, who wrote the seminal non-fiction book “Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents.” The book compares racism in America to the caste systems of both India and Nazi Germany and examines how hierarchy, inclusion, and exclusion have shaped our society’s views on race. The film stars Ellis-Taylor as Wilkerson as she grapples with a personal...

While receiving amfAR’s Award of Inspiration at the AIDS nonprofit’s Venice gala on Sunday night, Ava DuVernay recalled the first time she fell in love with movies.

“It was the original ‘West Side Story,'” DuVernay said. “The colors, the Brown people, the romance, warring gangs, dance fighting, Maria and Tony… it ignited my passion for film and led me to leave Compton, Calif. and speak to all of you in a 16th century old school building in Venice.”

Held at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, an imposing building featuring walls embossed with centuries-old Venetian art, this year’s amfAR Venezia kicked off with a cocktail hour where guests could admire the art that would be on auction later that night, including pieces from Andy Warhol and Slim Aarons. The event included performances from Leona Lewis and Rita Ora, backed by a live string orchestra, while guests including Bella Thorne,...

Ava DuVernay’s Origin, the first film by an African American woman to play in Competition at the Venice Film Festival, will have a Gala screening at Roy Thomson Hall at TIFF on Monday, September 11. DuVernay will be in attendance for the screening of the film, which she wrote, produced and directed.

Origin chronicles the remarkable life and work of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson, played by Oscar nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, as she investigates the genesis of injustice and uncovers a hidden truth that affects us all. Origin stands as a unique account of the intimacy within a writer’s quest for truth. DuVernay creates powerful cinematic images from the stories that Wilkerson brought to light in her non-fiction work Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, as well as the tragic moments of her personal life which framed her writing. It results in a deeply moving portrait of grief and...

The amfAR gala at the Venice Film Festival saw many celebrities come out and support the foundation for AIDS research. Rita Ora and Leona Lewis were set to perform at the event that would also honor Ava DuVernay.

The black-tie event was attended by stars like Camila Mendes, Jesse Williams, Bella Thorne, Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Kate Beckinsale, Alejandro Nones, Luke Evans and many more.

Related: Venice Film Festival 2023: All Of Deadline’s Movie Reviews

amfAR is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to supporting AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education and advocacy. The organization has invested $635 million in its programs and has awarded more than 3,500 grants worldwide since 1985.

DuVernay is not only being honored by amfAR but is making history at the Venice Film Festival with Origin, the first film by an African-American woman to play in Competition. The film is directed and written by DuVernay based on...

What to do with a broken violin peg, or a leaky euphonium? For students in the Los Angeles Unified School District, such a predicament doesn’t mean catastrophe. They have at their disposal a repair shop where a quartet of dedicated individuals attend to damaged instruments, restoring them to exemplary condition.

This repair shop is the focus of a new documentary directed by Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers (Oscar-nominated for A Concerto Is a Conversation), The Last Repair Shop, which made its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on Saturday. The finality of the title alludes to a salient fact about this shop tucked away in an unprepossessing corner of Los Angeles: “It is… the last American city to provide freely repaired instruments to its public school students.”

Kris Bower

Bowers is a pianist and composer who has scored numerous films and television series, including Green Book, King Richard,...

When it comes to the 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival, there’s any number of in-competition titles that could win the coveted Golden Lion. But a top sleeper pick may be Ava DuVernay‘s “Origin,” which has its world premiere on the Lido on September 6. Based on Isabel Wilkerson‘s 2020 bestseller “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” the film isn’t an adaptation so much as a fictionalized account of how Wilkerson prepared to write a book that examines American racism as a caste system.

Continue reading ‘Origin’ First Look: Ava DuVernay’s Adaptation Of ‘Caste’ With Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal & Vera Farmiga Premieres At Venice On September 6 at The Playlist.

The Venice Film Festival on Tuesday released a star-studded and A-list heavy lineup of films that will debut at the 2023 Biennale, including the films vying for this year’s Golden Lion. This was done despite the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors and WGA writers strike.

Read More: ‘Challengers,’ Starring Zendaya, Will Skip Venice Premiere Due To Actors Strike, Moves To 2024

This fall’s Venice International Film Festival will mark the world premieres of a number of films, including Ava DuVernay’s “Origin,” Michael Mann’s “Ferrari,” David Fincher’s “The Killer” and Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein drama “Maestro.”

The ménage à trois tennis thriller “Challengers,” directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, was originally scheduled to open the 2023 Venice Film Festival in an out-of-competition position.

However, it was dropped last week when MGM stated it would delay the tennis drama’s release date to April 26, 2024.

The...

Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera is in a good mood after Tuesday’s lineup announcement managed to stave off the impact of the SAG-AFTRA strike, something which could have been “devastating” to the event, he says. In the end, the only U.S. film that skipped the Lido is Luca Guadagnino’s Zendaya-starrer “Challengers,” which Barbera says was against Guadagnino’s wishes.

And though it remains to be seen how many U.S. stars will make the trek, Barbera, in a conversation with Variety, vows that the Venice red carpet won’t be bare. Below, he also addresses showing films by controversial directors Roman Polanski and Woody Allen at this year’s edition of the festival.

Did you see the possible impact of the actors’ strike coming?

Not before it was officially called. The day after it was called, conversations started about the negative repercussions it could have on festivals.

The Venice Film Festival, known officially in Italian as Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, has officially announced its selection of films playing at the historic film festival in 2023. Celebrating their 80th year (the oldest film festival in the world), Venezia 2023 is returning with strong line-up and great selection of films from around the world. Venice 2023 runs from August 30th to September 9th in just a few months. The biggest highlights are a bountiful line-up of competition films: David Fincher's The Killer, Michel Franco's Memory, Yorgos Lanthimos's Poor Things (watch the trailer), Ava DuVernay's Origin (!!), Matteo Garrone's Io Capitano, Bertrand Bonello's The Beast, Pablo Larrain's El Conde, Michael Mann's Ferrari. And, of course, plenty of other films to encounter when they premiere on the Lido in Venice in a few months. I'll be back again as always for this fall festival.

The lineup for the 80th Venice International Film Festival has been unveiled, with the likes of David Fincher, Michael Mann, Yorgos Lanthimos, Ava DuVernay, and Bradley Cooper all competing for the Golden Lion, one of the most coveted prizes in cinema.

Films in the main competition at this year’s Venice Film Festival include some major ones, many of which are hoping to be hits at the Oscars as well: Fincher is bringing thriller The Killer, while Lanthimos has sci-fi dramedy Poor Things. DuVernay has the drama Origin, while both Mann and Cooper have biopics in Ferrari (about Enzo Ferrari) and Maestro (Cooper also plays Leonard Bernstein). You can see the full lineup on the festival’s official website.

The jury for the main competition includes president Damien Chazelle, whose La La Land opened the 2016 Venice Film Festival; Jane Campion, who has three Golden Lion nominations to her credit; and Martin McDonagh,...

The Venice Film Festival celebration is getting closer, and despite the current strikes at Hollywood, some really anticipated titles will be shown to attendees. With many productions halted, both for cinema and television, many studios are considering pushing some of their next releases back, since actors won't be able to promote their upcoming projects.

But the acclaimed Italian festival is just around the corner, and the situation across the ocean won't stop the organization to include some amazing movies within its lineup, with a long list of celebrated filmmakers set to appear to present their art.

Luca Guadagnino's upcoming sport comedy Challengers, which was recently pushed back, is one of the big loses that the 80th celebration of the Venice Film Festival had this year, but since the lineup was already closed when the SAG-AFTRA strike began, most of the titles expected to be featured will be present.

Lido red carpets may be star-deprived this year, but that didn’t stop the Venice Film Festival from arranging a gorgeous constellation of new movies from supernova directors. (The full lineup is here.)

The SAG-AFTRA strike work stoppage means, of course, that competition directors like Yorgos Lanthimos (“Poor Things”), David Fincher (“The Killer”), Sofia Coppola (“Priscilla”), Ava DuVernay, Saverio Costanzo (“Finalmente L’Alba”), and Michel Franco (“Memory”) will have to do the talking at press conferences and attend step-and-repeats without their actors, if they’re willing. It’s tricky for multihyphenates like Bradley Cooper, who directs and stars as Leonard Bernstein in Netflix’s “Maestro;” IndieWire hears he will sit this festival out.

Among the Venice film stars who will not be waving to the paparazzi from water taxis are Emma Stone, Margaret Qualley, Carey Mulligan, Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton, Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, Jacob Elordi, Aunjanue Ellis, Lily James, Joe Keery,...

The Venice Film Festival revealed the lineup for its 80th edition Tuesday morning, and its Official Competition featured works by five women filmmakers, including Ava DuVernay, who makes history as the first African American woman in selection.

The selected films and filmmakers are Priscilla (Sofia Coppola), Origin (Ava DuVernay), The Green Border (Agnieszka Holland), Woman Of, and Holly (Fien Troch).

There are 23 films in Competition overall, meaning the fest falls far below any sort of gender parity mark. The festival said 32% of submissions this year were from women filmmakers against 66% from male filmmakers. 60 movies did not declare a gender. Nonetheless, DuVernay’s Origin will mark a significant landmark for Venice as the first film by an African American woman to play in Competition.

Related: Venice Lineup Will Generate Debate, Not Least For Inclusion Of Roman Polanski & Woody Allen; Latter Set To Attend Festival

The pic is...

The red carpet may not have as many stars as in previous years, but the 2023 edition of the Venice Film Festival will feature a slew of highly anticipated films. And, likely, their directors taking center stage. Today La Biennale di Venezia announced 82 selections including highly anticipated world premieres Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things,” Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” David Fincher’s “The Killer,” Michael Mann’s “Ferrari” and, in a surprise, Ava DuVernay’s “Origin.”

Read More: TIFF 2023: New Films From Taika Waititi, Craig Gillespie, Anna Kendrick, Viggo Mortensen

Other films selected to screen on the Lido include Luc Besson’s “Dogman” with Caleb Landry Jones; Richard Linkletter’s “The Hit Man” with Glen Powell; Michael Franco’s “Memory” with Jessica Chastain and Peter Skarsgard; Bertrand Bonello’s “The Beast” with Lea Seydoux and George MacKay; Pablo Larrain’s “El Conde”; Ryusuke Hamaguchi follow up to “Drive My Car,...

The Venice Film Festival sails on in Italy — even with much of Hollywood at a standstill.

The annual cinema celebration hosted by La Biennale di Venezia and directed by Alberto Barbera runs from August 30 through September 9. Despite already having lost Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers” from its opening night slot due to its SAG-AFTRA talent including star Zendaya being unable to accompany the world premiere due to strike work stoppage orders, Venice has plenty of movie goodness in store for its 80th edition.

Competition highlights include Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro,” Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” David Fincher’s “The Killer,” Michael Mann’s “Ferrari,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things,” Ava DuVernay’s “Origin,” Luc Besson’s “Dogman,” Michel Franco’s “Memory,” Pablo Larrain’s “El Conde,” and many more. Out of competition, Venice will screen new films from Harmony Korine, Richard Linklater, Woody Allen, Wes Anderson, Roman Polanski, and William Friedkin.

Two movies whose directors are likely to draw protests, Woody Allen’s French-language “Coup de Chance” and Roman Polanski’s “The Palace,” will make their world premieres at the 2023 Venice International Film Festival, Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera and La Biennale di Venezia president Roberto Cicutto announced at a Tuesday morning press conference.

Both films will screen out of competition, though they’ll likely draw an inordinate amount of attention at a festival that has assembled a robust lineup of major filmmakers even as it struggles with the effects of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.

Films booked for the Venice main competition include Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic “Maestro”; Yorgos Lanthimos’ sci-fi drama “Poor Things”; Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla Presley film “Priscilla”; Michael Mann’s auto-racing film “Ferrari”; Ava DuVernay’s “Origin,” with Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Niecy Nash-Betts and Vera Farmiga; and David Fincher’s “The Killer,” with Michael Fassbender.

New films by top U.S. directors including David Fincher, Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay, Michael Mann, Bradley Cooper and Wes Anderson will be launching from the Venice Film Festival alongside a robust roster of European, Latin American and Asian auteurs, in a clear sign that disruption caused by two ongoing labor strikes in Hollywood is less than some expected.

Though Venice was forced a few days ago to pull its originally planned opener, Zendaya-starrer “Challengers,” due to promotional complications from the SAG-AFTRA strike, the fest’s complete lineup, announced on Tuesday, has certainly not suffered a mass exodus of Hollywood titles. On the contrary, the Lido’s firepower as an awards season pistol seems to have outgunned the probable scarcity of stars that will be on the red carpet for U.S. films, though even this aspect remains to be seen.

“This past week has been a bit turbulent...

Includes films from David Fincher, Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay, Yorgos Lanthimos, Bradley Cooper and Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

Venice Film Festival announced the programme for its 80th edition, including a 23-strong Competition with new films from David Fincher, Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay, Yorgos Lanthimos, Bradley Cooper and Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

Scroll down for full line-up

The selection was announced by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera. The SAG-AFTRA strike in the US has had a “quite modest” impact on the selection according to Barbera, who was forced to pull Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers as the opening film over the weekend due to the strike.

A remake of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag could end up being more trouble than it's worth. Released in 2013 for the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii U, AC: Black Flag was the sixth mainline title in the historically-set stealth series. Following the crew of Welsh privateer Edward Kenway, Black Flag takes place in the Golden Age of Piracy, among the Spanish and British-occupied waters of the Caribbean Sea. A direct prequel to the colonial America-set game that preceded it (Assassin's Creed 3), Black Flag was a critical and commercial success. It introduced a number of new ideas to the series, including the sailing mechanic that's recurred in many AC installments since.

In the years since AC: Black Flag, however, the Assassin's Creed franchise has fumbled its way into dire straits. Although the latest title, Valhalla, was an improvement and AC Mirage is on the way, the changing structure of the Assassin's Creed...

There are at least ten great next James Bond actors that have yet to enter the conversation to star in the upcoming Bond 26. Many of the popular candidates for the coveted Agent 007 role have been rumored and discussed extensively since it was revealed that 2021's No Time To Die would be Daniel Craig's last appearance as the iconic character. Some of the top contenders for the massive role include Aaron Taylor Johnson, Henry Cavill, James Norton, Tom Hardy, Richard Madden, and Rege-Jean Page.

Several actors who were previously in consideration to be the next James Bond have either turned down the opportunity or have stated publicly that they were not interested. Once rumored to be a top contender for 007, Idris Elba announced recently that he was nowhere near landing the part. Taron Egerton and Dev Patel have also spoken out against speculation that they would each make an excellent Bond.

Ava DuVernay’s arts and social collective Array has announced its slate of summer programming, including an actor’s masterclass taught by Emmy winner Niecy Nash-Betts, a cinematic celebration of Jean-Michel Basquiat and the debut of two new commissioned projects from Array’s Law Enforcement Accountability Project (Leap).

The summer lineup is curated by Array’s SVP of public programming, Mercedes Cooper, and in keeping with the Array’s mission of “igniting social change through the cinematic arts,” all events are free to the public.

“Array’s focus on instigating narrative change through our non-profit Array Alliance allows us to gather audiences around issues aligned with our core mission and everyday work,” said Cooper in a statement announcing the lineup.

“With film and art as the doorway, this summer’s programs invite conversations around otherness, authority and privilege, love and loss, as well as Black masculinity,” she continued. “Our ongoing...

San Francisco, May 23 (Ians) Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez are now engaged, according to a media report. However, there was no additional details on the proposal, the CNN report said citing sources.

Bezos, 59, and the 53-year-old Sanchez, a former broadcast journalist, started dating in 2018.

However, they reportedly went public with their relationship after the Amazon billionaire divorced his first wife MacKenzie Scott in 2019.

Bezos made a $38 billion divorce settlement with Scott. He shares four children with her.

Last week, Bezos was spotted shirtless, sunbathing with Sanchez on his $500 million luxurious yacht in Spain.

Earlier in May, the couple was spotted at the F1 Miami Grand Prix and were also spotted together while attending Coachella in April.

Moreover, Sanchez can soon be known as the first person to lead an all-woman space mission on Blue Origin.

Blue Origin last year successfully launched its fifth tourist flight to space.

Warning: This post contains Major spoilers for Fast XFast X changed up the Fast and Furious timeline again, and here's a complete breakdown of the franchise's events, including F9's flashbacks and retcons. Universal launched the Fast & Furious franchise in 2001 with Vin Diesel and Paul Walker starring a not-so-subtle Point Break homage but with street racing. No one expected that the small movie would pave the way for one of the world's biggest movie franchises, but that is exactly what happened.

While F9 slots easily into the Fast & Furious timeline, the movie does include events and flashbacks that provide new insights into this world. This includes the long-awaited origin of Dom - which also explains the retcon that he had a brother named Jakob Toretto (John Cena) - and the explanation for how Han survived Deckard Shaw's (Jason Statham) attempt to kill him. With these new major pieces of information,...

Bleecker Street has nabbed North American rights to first-time feature director Andrew Cumming’s Stone Age-set horror thriller The Origin.

The film from Sony Pictures’ Stage 6 had its world premiere at the 2022 BFI London Film Festival and was nominated for five British Independent Film Awards, winning one in the best breakthrough performance category for Safia Oakley-Green (Sherwood, Extraordinary). The script was written by Ruth Greenberg (Run), with Escape Plan Productions’ Oliver Kassman (Saint Maud) producing.

Bleecker Street is planning a fall/winter theatrical release, it unveiled on Tuesday as the Cannes Film Festival market was set to open.

Set more than 45,000 years in the past, the movie tells the story of a gang of early humans who band together in search of a new land. “When they suspect a malevolent, mystical, being is hunting them down, the clan is forced to confront a horrifying danger they never imagined,” according to a plot description.

Ready to step into the world of Walt Disney Animation Studios like never before? Well, soon you’ll get your chance.

Lighthouse Immersive Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios have announced that Los Angeles will be the next city to premiere Immersive Disney Animation on June 23. The Los Angeles version of Immersive Disney Animation will be housed in Lighthouse ArtSpace Los Angeles – the same venue that was home to the popular Original Immersive Van Gogh – in the iconic former Amoeba Music Building at 6400 Sunset Blvd.

Immersive Disney Animation lets you live your favorite Disney animated movies in a new and unique way. You step into the space and experience sequences from Disney classics, both older and more recent. It’s supposed to be utterly spellbinding and it’s great that the experience will finally be coming to Los Angeles, where the magic actually gets made.

After premiering in Toronto last...

A Nightmare on Elm Street’s villain Freddy Krueger is one of the most popular and iconic slasher killers in the horror genre, but his inconsistent and sometimes ridiculous powers have hurt the character – however, there’s a theory that gives them a terrifying origin. Wes Craven is known as one of the masters of horror, and one of his biggest contributions to the genre is the slasher movie A Nightmare on Elm Street and its villain Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), which made way for a franchise that went on to become one of the most popular ones in the world of horror, even if its quality wasn’t consistent.

A Nightmare on Elm Street saw Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) and her friends doing their best to survive their encounters with Freddy Krueger in their dreams, as that’s where they are most vulnerable, allowing Krueger to torture his victims...

The Battlefield franchise has expanded continuously from its humble roots as a PC-exclusive series, but the best Battlefield games can be found from across all the years of the franchise. Originally debuting in 2002, the EA and Dice-developed Fps franchise has seen quite a few changes, taken place in multiple different historical eras, and attracted a major following on consoles as well. Battlefield games have never been afraid to change up elements of style and setting, but some risks have paid off more than others.

Frequently compared to Call of Duty by fans and critics alike, Battlefield takes a slightly more realistic and grittier approach to the world of first-person shooters. An emphasis on team and vehicle play and a focus on large-scale maps help Battlefield avoid copying Call of Duty, which ensures its viability as a franchise of its own. Not all the Battlefield games are created equal, however,...