Dreams play a pivotal role in “The Village Next to Paradise.” One of the three main characters in writer-director Mo Harawe’s poignant debut, a pre-teen boy named Cigaal (Ahmed Mohamud Saleban), has a compulsion to share his dreams with anyone who’s willing to listen. Cigaal longs for a land full of sweets, a place he sees in his sleep. The central threesome each have modest dreams: a small shop, a steady job and schooling. Life is hard in their part of Somalia, and they just want it to become a little easier.
It’s not much to ask for, and the humble ambition of the story’s characters reflects the filmmaker’s steady hand and patient vision. Harawe’s assured and confident debut, the first Somali feature ever selected for Cannes, draws on a small canvas but manages to wring authentic emotions and tell a complete narrative. A...
It’s not much to ask for, and the humble ambition of the story’s characters reflects the filmmaker’s steady hand and patient vision. Harawe’s assured and confident debut, the first Somali feature ever selected for Cannes, draws on a small canvas but manages to wring authentic emotions and tell a complete narrative. A...
- 5/30/2024
- by Murtada Elfadl
- Variety Film + TV
The inaugural Prix Luciole Awards ceremony, celebrating artistic achievements in the field of film poster design, took place Friday at Le Gray d’Albion hotel in Cannes.
Co-sponsored by China’s leading movie ticketing platform, Taopiaopiao, and the Paris-based Alliance Cinéaste Chine-Europe, the Prix Luciole aims to raise awareness of the importance of graphic design in the promotion of movies, and to honor work that demonstrates exceptional design concepts, strong emotional resonance and visual impact in film posters.
The Prix Luciole award for best poster, which carries an award of 1,000 euros, went to Belgian filmmaker Leonardo Van Dijl’s Julie Keeps Quiet. The jury praised the modern approach of the poster, photographed by Max Pinckers and designed by Sophie Keij, as well as its perfect balance of typography and photography, clever use of empty spaces and a powerful photo choice that delves into the character’s psychology.
The jury for...
Co-sponsored by China’s leading movie ticketing platform, Taopiaopiao, and the Paris-based Alliance Cinéaste Chine-Europe, the Prix Luciole aims to raise awareness of the importance of graphic design in the promotion of movies, and to honor work that demonstrates exceptional design concepts, strong emotional resonance and visual impact in film posters.
The Prix Luciole award for best poster, which carries an award of 1,000 euros, went to Belgian filmmaker Leonardo Van Dijl’s Julie Keeps Quiet. The jury praised the modern approach of the poster, photographed by Max Pinckers and designed by Sophie Keij, as well as its perfect balance of typography and photography, clever use of empty spaces and a powerful photo choice that delves into the character’s psychology.
The jury for...
- 5/26/2024
- by THR Staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The stars are out on the Croisette for the 77th Cannes Film Festival, sporting their best looks on the red carpet. Already donning her resort wear best at the first Jury Call photo shoot was Hollywood icon Meryl Streep, who will receive the honorary Palme d’Or on the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival.
This year’s President, Greta Gerwig, will be joined by an illustrious jury that includes Lily Gladstone Eva Green Omar Sy Ebru Ceylan (who co-wrote the 2014 Palme d’Or winner “Winter Sleep”), “Capernaum” director Nadine Labaki, “Society of the Snow” director Juan Antonio Bayona, Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino and “Shoplifters” director Kore-eda Hirokazu.
The list of star-studded premieres includes George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” which stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth. Oscar-winner Yorgos Lanthimos will debut his next film, “Kinds of Kindness,” starring Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley on the Croisette.
This year’s President, Greta Gerwig, will be joined by an illustrious jury that includes Lily Gladstone Eva Green Omar Sy Ebru Ceylan (who co-wrote the 2014 Palme d’Or winner “Winter Sleep”), “Capernaum” director Nadine Labaki, “Society of the Snow” director Juan Antonio Bayona, Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino and “Shoplifters” director Kore-eda Hirokazu.
The list of star-studded premieres includes George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” which stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth. Oscar-winner Yorgos Lanthimos will debut his next film, “Kinds of Kindness,” starring Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley on the Croisette.
- 5/14/2024
- by Meredith Woerner
- Variety Film + TV
The 2024 Cannes Film Festival competition jury, led by president Greta Gerwig, met the international press Tuesday — and it didn’t take long before the assembled stars were urged to address the various fraught political issues swirling around this year’s edition of the world’s most glamorous film fest.
On the eve of the 77th festival, Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux had set the tone by attempting to distance the event from hot-button topics, saying at his own press conference on Monday, “We are trying to have a festival without these polemics. In Cannes, the politics should be on the screen.”
The French festival head, who has served in his role since 2001, noted how coverage of Cannes has changed over his tenure, as the international media’s interest has shifted from the films on exhibition to an expectation that the festival be responsive to surrounding social issues. That was certainly the case Tuesday,...
On the eve of the 77th festival, Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux had set the tone by attempting to distance the event from hot-button topics, saying at his own press conference on Monday, “We are trying to have a festival without these polemics. In Cannes, the politics should be on the screen.”
The French festival head, who has served in his role since 2001, noted how coverage of Cannes has changed over his tenure, as the international media’s interest has shifted from the films on exhibition to an expectation that the festival be responsive to surrounding social issues. That was certainly the case Tuesday,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kii Muneyuki, a former head of production at Japan’s Toei, is launching K2 Pictures, a company that aims to upend Japanese filmmaking practices. Its debut slate, with films by Kore-eda Hirokazu, Iwai Shunji and Nishikawa Miwa, will be unveiled in Cannes next week.
A key part of the new company’s strategy is the establishment of a film fund, K2P Film Fund I, that will invest in live action and animations productions. It aims to attract investors from Japan, other parts of Asia and the U.S.
The company explains that “most Japanese films today are made under a system found only in this country of ‘production committees’ formed by such organizations as film companies, TV stations, and publishers. Funding under this system comes only from sources with film-related know-how, making entry difficult and limiting returns to both producers and creators.”
Production committees are notorious for their risk-averse...
A key part of the new company’s strategy is the establishment of a film fund, K2P Film Fund I, that will invest in live action and animations productions. It aims to attract investors from Japan, other parts of Asia and the U.S.
The company explains that “most Japanese films today are made under a system found only in this country of ‘production committees’ formed by such organizations as film companies, TV stations, and publishers. Funding under this system comes only from sources with film-related know-how, making entry difficult and limiting returns to both producers and creators.”
Production committees are notorious for their risk-averse...
- 5/10/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Veteran Japanese film producer Muneyuki Kii has assembled a bold new venture to shake up Japan’s traditionally sclerotic and risk-averse approach to movie financing. The executive, formerly a lead producer at Tokyo-based studio Toei, revealed the launch Thursday of K2 Pictures, a mini-studio that aims to bring a more direct, Hollywood-style model of film funding to Japan’s industry.
The new company will launch a content fund — dubbed the “K2P Film Fund I” — to finance both live-action and animated Japanese features. K2P also has lined up an impressive roster of Japanese directors to collaborate with on its first slate, including Palme d’Or winner Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters), local industry mainstay Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, 13 Assassins), Shunji Iwai (Love Letter), Miwa Nishikawa (Sway), Kazuya Shiraishi (The Devil’s Path) and leading anime studio Mappa, known for mega-hits like Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and Attack on Titan.
Kii...
The new company will launch a content fund — dubbed the “K2P Film Fund I” — to finance both live-action and animated Japanese features. K2P also has lined up an impressive roster of Japanese directors to collaborate with on its first slate, including Palme d’Or winner Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters), local industry mainstay Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, 13 Assassins), Shunji Iwai (Love Letter), Miwa Nishikawa (Sway), Kazuya Shiraishi (The Devil’s Path) and leading anime studio Mappa, known for mega-hits like Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and Attack on Titan.
Kii...
- 5/10/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Former Toei producer Muneyuki Kim has launched K2 Pictures, which will work with major directors such as Hirokazu Kore-eda and aim to create a new funding ecosystem for Japanese animated and live-action features.
The plan is to return profits that would traditionally go to film companies to investors and creators, which its founder says closely follows approaches used in Hollywood and elsewhere. Creators who team with K2 will be able to participate on projects as shareholders.
Kii, who will be K2’s CEO, says most Japanese films are produced through a system of ‘production committees’ with industry know-how formed through film companies, TV networks and publishers, which it believes makes entry into the market difficult and limits returns to producers and creators.
To this end, company has launched the K2P Film Fund I, which will provide support for animated and live-action features and enable to “investors, creators and crew...
The plan is to return profits that would traditionally go to film companies to investors and creators, which its founder says closely follows approaches used in Hollywood and elsewhere. Creators who team with K2 will be able to participate on projects as shareholders.
Kii, who will be K2’s CEO, says most Japanese films are produced through a system of ‘production committees’ with industry know-how formed through film companies, TV networks and publishers, which it believes makes entry into the market difficult and limits returns to producers and creators.
To this end, company has launched the K2P Film Fund I, which will provide support for animated and live-action features and enable to “investors, creators and crew...
- 5/9/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
One of the year’s most anticipated films will be on sale for independent buyers at the upcoming Cannes market. We can bring you news that French sales company Goodfellas has boarded Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis ahead of the movie’s world premiere in Competition at the festival.
Also confirmed today is the film’s French deal with Le Pacte and the involvement of longtime Coppola collaborator Paul Rassam.
Speculation has been rife around rollout plans for the $120M self-financed epic ever since Coppola showed it for the first time to buyers at L.A.’s Universal CityWalk Imax Theater at the end of March, with the screening followed shortly after by news of its Cannes selection.
Adam Driver stars as an idealistic architect attempting to rebuild New York as an American Utopia, with the ensemble cast also featuring Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia Labeouf, Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voigt,...
Also confirmed today is the film’s French deal with Le Pacte and the involvement of longtime Coppola collaborator Paul Rassam.
Speculation has been rife around rollout plans for the $120M self-financed epic ever since Coppola showed it for the first time to buyers at L.A.’s Universal CityWalk Imax Theater at the end of March, with the screening followed shortly after by news of its Cannes selection.
Adam Driver stars as an idealistic architect attempting to rebuild New York as an American Utopia, with the ensemble cast also featuring Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia Labeouf, Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voigt,...
- 4/30/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
We’re just two weeks away from the 77th Cannes Film Festival, and this morning the august French institution revealed who will determine the winners of this year’s awards. A cross-section of international talent will join “Barbie” and “Lady Bird” director Greta Gerwig, who will lead the panel, in an effort to undoubtedly compare apples to oranges and try to make sense of a diverse slate of films from directors like David Cronenberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Sean Baker, Ali Abbasi, and many others.
Lily Gladstone, who won several Best Actress awards last year (but not the Oscar!) for her revolutionary turn in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” is the other American joining Gerwig. The actress, currently seen on FX/Hulu’s “Under the Bridge,” is returning to Cannes one year after Martin Scorsese and Apple Original Films brought “Flower Moon” to the French Riviera festival for its out-of-competition debut.
Lily Gladstone, who won several Best Actress awards last year (but not the Oscar!) for her revolutionary turn in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” is the other American joining Gerwig. The actress, currently seen on FX/Hulu’s “Under the Bridge,” is returning to Cannes one year after Martin Scorsese and Apple Original Films brought “Flower Moon” to the French Riviera festival for its out-of-competition debut.
- 4/29/2024
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
The full Cannes Film Festival competition jury has been revealed.
Joining president Greta Gerwig to award this year’s Palme d’Or will be “Killers of the Flower Moon” Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone; “The Three Musketeers” star Eva Green; “Lupin” lead Omar Sy; Ebru Ceylan, who co-wrote the 2014 Palme d’Or winner “Winter Sleep”; director Nadine Labaki, whose “Capernaum” won the Cannes jury prize in 2018; director Juan Antonio Bayona, whose latest film “Society of the Snow” was Oscar-nominated for best international feature; Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino, who will next appear in Pablo Larraìn’s “Maria” alongside Angelina Jolie; and director Kore-eda Hirokazu, director of the 2018 Palme d’Or winner “Shoplifters.”
The competition lineup for the upcoming festival includes “All We Imagine as Light” by Payal Kapadia; Sean Baker’s “Anora”; Donald Trump biopic “The Apprentice” from Ali Abbasi; Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” starring Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski; “Caught by the Tides...
Joining president Greta Gerwig to award this year’s Palme d’Or will be “Killers of the Flower Moon” Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone; “The Three Musketeers” star Eva Green; “Lupin” lead Omar Sy; Ebru Ceylan, who co-wrote the 2014 Palme d’Or winner “Winter Sleep”; director Nadine Labaki, whose “Capernaum” won the Cannes jury prize in 2018; director Juan Antonio Bayona, whose latest film “Society of the Snow” was Oscar-nominated for best international feature; Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino, who will next appear in Pablo Larraìn’s “Maria” alongside Angelina Jolie; and director Kore-eda Hirokazu, director of the 2018 Palme d’Or winner “Shoplifters.”
The competition lineup for the upcoming festival includes “All We Imagine as Light” by Payal Kapadia; Sean Baker’s “Anora”; Donald Trump biopic “The Apprentice” from Ali Abbasi; Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” starring Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski; “Caught by the Tides...
- 4/29/2024
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
The Cannes Film Festival has picked its full jury.
Oscar-nominated The Killers of the Flower Moon lead Lily Gladstone, French stars Eva Green and Omar Sy, and Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino are among the A-listers who will join Barbie director Greta Gerwig, this year’s jury president for the 77th Cannes Film Festival, in selecting the winners, including the best film Palme d’Or, from the 2024 competition lineup.
A trio of international Oscar-nominated directors: Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki (Capernaum), Spain’s Juan Antonio Bayona (Society of the Snow) and Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters), as well as Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, co-writer of 2014 Palme d’Or winner Winter Sleep (with director husband Nuri Bilge Ceylan), complete the five-woman, four-man jury.
Among the films in the running for this year’s Palme d’Or are Francis Ford Coppola’s long-anticipated Megalopolis, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things follow-up Kinds of Kindness,...
Oscar-nominated The Killers of the Flower Moon lead Lily Gladstone, French stars Eva Green and Omar Sy, and Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino are among the A-listers who will join Barbie director Greta Gerwig, this year’s jury president for the 77th Cannes Film Festival, in selecting the winners, including the best film Palme d’Or, from the 2024 competition lineup.
A trio of international Oscar-nominated directors: Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki (Capernaum), Spain’s Juan Antonio Bayona (Society of the Snow) and Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters), as well as Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, co-writer of 2014 Palme d’Or winner Winter Sleep (with director husband Nuri Bilge Ceylan), complete the five-woman, four-man jury.
Among the films in the running for this year’s Palme d’Or are Francis Ford Coppola’s long-anticipated Megalopolis, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things follow-up Kinds of Kindness,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Cannes Film Festival has named the eight members of its main Competition jury who will join previously announced president Greta Gerwig in deciding the Palme d’Or and other key prizes at 77th edition running from May 14 to 25.
They are Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, U.S. actress Lily Gladstone, French actress Eva Green, Lebanese director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki, Spanish director and screenwriter J.A. Bayona, Italian actor Pierfrancisco Favino, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda and French actor and producer Omar Sy.
The wife and long-time collaborator of Nuri Bilge Ceylan, screenwriter and photographer Ceylan co-wrote 2014 Palme d’Or winner Winter Sleep and also took co-writing credits on Cannes selected films Three Monkeys (Best Director Prize 2008), Once upon a time in Anatolia (Grand Prix 2011), The Wild Pear Tree (2018) and About Dry Grasses (2023).
Ceylan also appeared as an actress and took art director credits on her husband’s early films...
They are Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, U.S. actress Lily Gladstone, French actress Eva Green, Lebanese director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki, Spanish director and screenwriter J.A. Bayona, Italian actor Pierfrancisco Favino, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda and French actor and producer Omar Sy.
The wife and long-time collaborator of Nuri Bilge Ceylan, screenwriter and photographer Ceylan co-wrote 2014 Palme d’Or winner Winter Sleep and also took co-writing credits on Cannes selected films Three Monkeys (Best Director Prize 2008), Once upon a time in Anatolia (Grand Prix 2011), The Wild Pear Tree (2018) and About Dry Grasses (2023).
Ceylan also appeared as an actress and took art director credits on her husband’s early films...
- 4/29/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The Cannes Film Festival has unveiled the eight jurors who will be joining jury president Greta Gerwig for the event’s 2024 edition (May 14-25).
They are American actress Lily Gladstone, French actress Eva Green, French actor and producer Omar Sy, Lebanese director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki, Spanish director and screenwriter Juan Antonio Bayona, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, and Italian actor Pierfrancisco Favino.
The jury will award the Palme d’Or to one of the 22 films in competition at the closing ceremony on May 25. Anatomy Of A Fall picked up the top prize last year.
They are American actress Lily Gladstone, French actress Eva Green, French actor and producer Omar Sy, Lebanese director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki, Spanish director and screenwriter Juan Antonio Bayona, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, and Italian actor Pierfrancisco Favino.
The jury will award the Palme d’Or to one of the 22 films in competition at the closing ceremony on May 25. Anatomy Of A Fall picked up the top prize last year.
- 4/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
Passed over by France’s Oscar-nominating committee, but finding Academy favor nevertheless, Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or-winning “Anatomy of a Fall” has also become an indie champion in mainland China. Its success may hold lessons in a market that has become increasingly impenetrable to content from outside the mainstream.
It is increasingly rare for Western arthouse films to play in Chinese commercial theaters. These are increasingly dominated by local “main melody” titles, with a little room remaining for Hollywood franchise titles and Japanese animation. Nevertheless, “Anatomy of a Fall” released in China on March 29 and has garnered $3 million (RMB22 million) to date. The film’s director, Justine Triet, even made a visit to the country to participate in Q&As at several screenings.
Below, Julien Favre, head of film at Chinese distributor Road Pictures, speaks with Variety about the long process of getting it to screen.
Where did the journey begin?...
It is increasingly rare for Western arthouse films to play in Chinese commercial theaters. These are increasingly dominated by local “main melody” titles, with a little room remaining for Hollywood franchise titles and Japanese animation. Nevertheless, “Anatomy of a Fall” released in China on March 29 and has garnered $3 million (RMB22 million) to date. The film’s director, Justine Triet, even made a visit to the country to participate in Q&As at several screenings.
Below, Julien Favre, head of film at Chinese distributor Road Pictures, speaks with Variety about the long process of getting it to screen.
Where did the journey begin?...
- 4/11/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The inaugural Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival (Hiff) in Vietnam has unveiled its line-up of about 100 films, including 12 each for the Southeast Asia competition and for the first or second film competition, with directors Anne Fontaine and Hirokazu Kore-eda among its guests.
Scroll down for line-up
The Asian premiere of French biopic Bolero will open the festival on April 6. Director Fontaine and leading actor Raphaël Personnaz will be present for the film’s Asian premiere, which will take place at the city’s historic Opera House.
Further notable festival guests include acclaimed Japanese director Kore-eda who will receive...
Scroll down for line-up
The Asian premiere of French biopic Bolero will open the festival on April 6. Director Fontaine and leading actor Raphaël Personnaz will be present for the film’s Asian premiere, which will take place at the city’s historic Opera House.
Further notable festival guests include acclaimed Japanese director Kore-eda who will receive...
- 3/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
The Japanese director of Shoplifters uses different takes on a single story to tell the fraught tale of two troubled boys
A frazzled widowed mother, Saori (Sakura Andô), suspects that all is not well with her preteen son, Minato (Soya Kurokawa). The boy seems subdued and withdrawn; she catches him hacking inches from his mop of hair. He asks odd, troubling questions: if the brain of a pig was transplanted into a human, what would the resulting creature be, human or pig? Or some kind of monster? And then there are the injuries – an ear yanked so brutally that it bleeds; a livid facial bruise. Saori soon deduces that her son’s new teacher, Michitoshi Hori (Eita Nagayama), at his provincial Japanese elementary school, is responsible for her son’s brooding disquiet. She confronts the school principal (a confounding reflecting prism of a performance from veteran actor Yūko Tanaka), but...
A frazzled widowed mother, Saori (Sakura Andô), suspects that all is not well with her preteen son, Minato (Soya Kurokawa). The boy seems subdued and withdrawn; she catches him hacking inches from his mop of hair. He asks odd, troubling questions: if the brain of a pig was transplanted into a human, what would the resulting creature be, human or pig? Or some kind of monster? And then there are the injuries – an ear yanked so brutally that it bleeds; a livid facial bruise. Saori soon deduces that her son’s new teacher, Michitoshi Hori (Eita Nagayama), at his provincial Japanese elementary school, is responsible for her son’s brooding disquiet. She confronts the school principal (a confounding reflecting prism of a performance from veteran actor Yūko Tanaka), but...
- 3/17/2024
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
With four TV and film projects in as many years, few filmmakers right now are more prolific than Hirokazu Kore-eda.
The veteran Japanese filmmaker behind titles like the Palme d’Or-winning Shoplifters and Still Walking continued his hot streak after landing his third directing honor from the Asian Academy Sunday night for his last feature, Monster. Last night’s win was Kore-eda’s second consecutive Best Director win at the Asian Film Awards after nabbing the gong with the Korean-language Broker in 2023.
“I’m in a really good spot right now,” Kore-eda told Deadline shortly before picking up the award on Sunday. “I’m not forcing myself at all. I’m constantly working. I have good stamina.” The filmmaker told us that he has no intentions of slowing down.
“I’m currently working on a streaming drama I shot last autumn. I’m in the editing phase for that now,...
The veteran Japanese filmmaker behind titles like the Palme d’Or-winning Shoplifters and Still Walking continued his hot streak after landing his third directing honor from the Asian Academy Sunday night for his last feature, Monster. Last night’s win was Kore-eda’s second consecutive Best Director win at the Asian Film Awards after nabbing the gong with the Korean-language Broker in 2023.
“I’m in a really good spot right now,” Kore-eda told Deadline shortly before picking up the award on Sunday. “I’m not forcing myself at all. I’m constantly working. I have good stamina.” The filmmaker told us that he has no intentions of slowing down.
“I’m currently working on a streaming drama I shot last autumn. I’m in the editing phase for that now,...
- 3/11/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
The maker of Shoplifters and I Wish talks about Monster, his dark new film about our dangerously fragmented world – and the movie he’s planning about his dad, who endured horrors as a PoW in Russia
Film sets are like families, says Hirokazu Kore-eda. They are loose social structures, nominally hierarchical and ideally geared towards a common goal. While the Japanese director accepts that this puts him in the role of the father, he disputes the suggestion that this automatically makes him the boss. He supposes the cast are the children – often literally so. “The time we all spend together,” he says, “is very intense. The cast and crew become very important to me.” But at the end of each shoot, the unit collapses, the family members disperse and all that’s left are memories, mementoes and of course the actual movie itself.
This idea of the makeshift, sometimes impermanent...
Film sets are like families, says Hirokazu Kore-eda. They are loose social structures, nominally hierarchical and ideally geared towards a common goal. While the Japanese director accepts that this puts him in the role of the father, he disputes the suggestion that this automatically makes him the boss. He supposes the cast are the children – often literally so. “The time we all spend together,” he says, “is very intense. The cast and crew become very important to me.” But at the end of each shoot, the unit collapses, the family members disperse and all that’s left are memories, mementoes and of course the actual movie itself.
This idea of the makeshift, sometimes impermanent...
- 3/11/2024
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
“Anatomy of a Fall,” Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or-winning and Oscar-nominated film, is getting a theatrical release in mainland China.
The film will open in China on March 29, some two weeks after the Oscars ceremony, where it is in the running for five Academy Awards including best picture, director, actress (for Sandra Hüller), screenplay and editing. “Anatomy of a Fall” also just won a pair of Golden Globes for foreign-language film and screenplay (for Triet and Arthur Harari); and is vying for seven BAFTAs and 11 Cesar Awards (France’s top film honors).
“Anatomy of a Fall” was passed over by France’s Oscar selection committee in favor of “The Taste of Things,” but embraced by Oscar voters. Its stateside awards campaign has been championed by North American distributor Neon.
The upcoming release in China is supported by indie distribution firm Road Pictures, which was founded in 2014 by Cai Gongming,...
The film will open in China on March 29, some two weeks after the Oscars ceremony, where it is in the running for five Academy Awards including best picture, director, actress (for Sandra Hüller), screenplay and editing. “Anatomy of a Fall” also just won a pair of Golden Globes for foreign-language film and screenplay (for Triet and Arthur Harari); and is vying for seven BAFTAs and 11 Cesar Awards (France’s top film honors).
“Anatomy of a Fall” was passed over by France’s Oscar selection committee in favor of “The Taste of Things,” but embraced by Oscar voters. Its stateside awards campaign has been championed by North American distributor Neon.
The upcoming release in China is supported by indie distribution firm Road Pictures, which was founded in 2014 by Cai Gongming,...
- 2/5/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Following what happened in the US during the last decade or so, the quality of Asian dramas has skyrocketed during the last few years, with a significant surge of talent from cinema towards streaming platforms, with Korea definitely paving the way in the regard, and Japan following. The result is quite impressive to watch, since, frequently, the level of these titles is equal to the one of movies.
Without further ado, here are 20 Asian dramas in random order proving the fact in the most eloquent fashion.
1. Cigarette Girl by Kamila Andini
“Cigarette Girl” is not a typical story of two broken hearts crushed by unfortunate circumstances, a trope over-used in the soap opera format. It also has a bit of history to offer alongside a basic insight into the women's hardships in Indonesia not such long time ago. “Your duty is to clean the house and find yourself a husband...
Without further ado, here are 20 Asian dramas in random order proving the fact in the most eloquent fashion.
1. Cigarette Girl by Kamila Andini
“Cigarette Girl” is not a typical story of two broken hearts crushed by unfortunate circumstances, a trope over-used in the soap opera format. It also has a bit of history to offer alongside a basic insight into the women's hardships in Indonesia not such long time ago. “Your duty is to clean the house and find yourself a husband...
- 1/18/2024
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
January is here and Hulu is rolling out the red carpet all month long! The streamer is heading into the new month (and the new year) with several specials, including the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Special, and “The Golden Bachelor” wedding special, “The Golden Wedding.”
But Hulu will also debut several major new series and films, including its all-new murder mystery series “Death and Other Details” and the new Marvel series “Echo,” which will be available to watch on both Hulu and Disney+.
See The Streamable’s top picks for what’s new this month, and find out everything coming to Hulu in January!
30-Day Free Trial $7.99+ / month hulu.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Hulu in January 2024? 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Special | Tuesday, Jan. 2
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrates its new class...
But Hulu will also debut several major new series and films, including its all-new murder mystery series “Death and Other Details” and the new Marvel series “Echo,” which will be available to watch on both Hulu and Disney+.
See The Streamable’s top picks for what’s new this month, and find out everything coming to Hulu in January!
30-Day Free Trial $7.99+ / month hulu.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Hulu in January 2024? 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Special | Tuesday, Jan. 2
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrates its new class...
- 1/4/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
As the aftereffects of the writers’ and actors’ strikes hit streaming in a big way, there’s not a lot of new content to offer subscribers early in 2024. Hulu still has some interesting things to offer in January, though.
The biggest new Hulu Original series in the new year is Death and Other Details, a locked room murder mystery starring Mandy Patinkin as Rufus Cotesworth, who is said to be the world’s greatest detective – at least in this universe. In the new series, Cotesworth comes to the rescue when an unfortunate soul is killed on lavish Mediterranean ocean liner, and he has to team up with the prime suspect (Violett Beane) to solve the crime.
The big Original movie premiere in January is Self Reliance, which follows a middle-aged dude (Jake Johnson) who gets randomly invited into a limo by Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Andy Samberg, and is soon offered...
The biggest new Hulu Original series in the new year is Death and Other Details, a locked room murder mystery starring Mandy Patinkin as Rufus Cotesworth, who is said to be the world’s greatest detective – at least in this universe. In the new series, Cotesworth comes to the rescue when an unfortunate soul is killed on lavish Mediterranean ocean liner, and he has to team up with the prime suspect (Violett Beane) to solve the crime.
The big Original movie premiere in January is Self Reliance, which follows a middle-aged dude (Jake Johnson) who gets randomly invited into a limo by Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Andy Samberg, and is soon offered...
- 1/1/2024
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
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"Monster", directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, is one of the most acclaimed movies of 2023 that you probably haven't heard of yet.
Set in Japan, the film follows three people: the single mother Saori Mugino (Sakura Andō), her young son Minato (Sōya Kurokawa), and Minato's teacher Michitoshi Hori (Eita Nagayama). Saori begins to suspect that Hori is abusing her son, while Hori suspects that there's something sinister in the boy's head. The truth, which I'll leave unspoiled, is a lot sadder. The film is told from their three perspectives. Seeing the same sequence of events three times highlights how hard it is to truly understand someone by looking at them from the outside.
"Monster" enjoyed a film festival run, taking home the Queer Palm (bestowed to Kore-eda) and Best Screenplay (to Yuji Sakamoto) awards at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in May...
"Monster", directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, is one of the most acclaimed movies of 2023 that you probably haven't heard of yet.
Set in Japan, the film follows three people: the single mother Saori Mugino (Sakura Andō), her young son Minato (Sōya Kurokawa), and Minato's teacher Michitoshi Hori (Eita Nagayama). Saori begins to suspect that Hori is abusing her son, while Hori suspects that there's something sinister in the boy's head. The truth, which I'll leave unspoiled, is a lot sadder. The film is told from their three perspectives. Seeing the same sequence of events three times highlights how hard it is to truly understand someone by looking at them from the outside.
"Monster" enjoyed a film festival run, taking home the Queer Palm (bestowed to Kore-eda) and Best Screenplay (to Yuji Sakamoto) awards at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in May...
- 1/1/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
It's not the first time that internationally acclaimed maestro Hirokazu Koreeda put his effort on a serial drama. In 2019 he directed the first episode and coordinated the collective show “A Day-Off of Kasumi Arimura” and before that, in 2012, he directed the lovely (a personal favourite) “Going My Home”, starring Hiroshi Abe as a clumsy father struggling with his roles as son and as father too. However, his recent “The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House” has been propelled to global audience by the intervention of giant platform Netflix. The show is co-written, co-produced and co-directed by Koreeda, alongside a handful of Japanese filmmakers and is based on a famous manga of the same title that has sold more than 1.8 million copies in Japan.
Click the image below to follow our Tribute to Netflix
After seeing maiko (apprentice geishas) walking the street of Kyoto on a school trip, 16-year-old inseparable best...
Click the image below to follow our Tribute to Netflix
After seeing maiko (apprentice geishas) walking the street of Kyoto on a school trip, 16-year-old inseparable best...
- 12/31/2023
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Having run for over twenty years, the UK’s largest festival of Japanese cinema, the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme (JFTFP24), returns with its biggest showcase ever for 2024.
Memories play a powerful role in the mind. Shaped fluidly by individuals or time, they have been a source of inspiration for many filmmakers, fuelling their creativity to craft colourful stories. Under the theme ‘Unforgettable: Memories, Times and Reflections in Japanese Cinema’ the JFTFP24 delves into Japanese cinema to explore how memories are employed in the cinematic voices of Japanese filmmakers, from films where memories are a focal point to works where they play a subliminal role in driving or affecting people’s minds and behaviour. With an incredibly diverse range of films all based on memories, time, and reflections, this year’s programme is set to provide UK audiences with memorable stories and unforgettable moments.
Under this theme the packed programme...
Memories play a powerful role in the mind. Shaped fluidly by individuals or time, they have been a source of inspiration for many filmmakers, fuelling their creativity to craft colourful stories. Under the theme ‘Unforgettable: Memories, Times and Reflections in Japanese Cinema’ the JFTFP24 delves into Japanese cinema to explore how memories are employed in the cinematic voices of Japanese filmmakers, from films where memories are a focal point to works where they play a subliminal role in driving or affecting people’s minds and behaviour. With an incredibly diverse range of films all based on memories, time, and reflections, this year’s programme is set to provide UK audiences with memorable stories and unforgettable moments.
Under this theme the packed programme...
- 12/21/2023
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
A two-time winner at Cannes, the Jury Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival for “Like Father, Like Son,” and winning the coveted Palme d’Or prize at the 2018 festival for “Shoplifters,” Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda is one of the most beloved and acclaimed international filmmakers we have. He’s been working extremely fast of late, a film a year since 2016, only interrupted in 2020 by the global pandemic.
Continue reading ‘Monster’ Exclusive Clip: Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Acclaimed & Compassionate Mystery Melodrama Is In Select Theaters Now at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Monster’ Exclusive Clip: Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Acclaimed & Compassionate Mystery Melodrama Is In Select Theaters Now at The Playlist.
- 12/19/2023
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Magnolia Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to “Arctic Convoy,” a Norwegian naval thriller that is set in the middle of World War II. The film is from the producers of “The Wave” trilogy, so it’s a homecoming of sorts given that Magnolia released all three installments of that series.
“Arctic Convoy” is directed by Henrik M. Dahlsbakken and written by Christian Sibenherz, Harald Rosenløw Eeg and Lars Gudmestad. Magnolia is planning a 2024 release for the picture.
The film unfolds in 1942, as the leader of a convoy carrying vital military supplies to a Norwegian outpost decides to proceed through treacherous, enemy-infested waters despite the recall of their military escort. Fighting for their lives against German air and naval forces, the 35 civilian merchant ships brave brutal Arctic seas to bring much-needed support to soldiers on the front lines.
The film is produced by Martin Sundland, Catrin Gundersen and Thea Benedikte Karlsen for FanteFilm.
“Arctic Convoy” is directed by Henrik M. Dahlsbakken and written by Christian Sibenherz, Harald Rosenløw Eeg and Lars Gudmestad. Magnolia is planning a 2024 release for the picture.
The film unfolds in 1942, as the leader of a convoy carrying vital military supplies to a Norwegian outpost decides to proceed through treacherous, enemy-infested waters despite the recall of their military escort. Fighting for their lives against German air and naval forces, the 35 civilian merchant ships brave brutal Arctic seas to bring much-needed support to soldiers on the front lines.
The film is produced by Martin Sundland, Catrin Gundersen and Thea Benedikte Karlsen for FanteFilm.
- 12/18/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Returning to Japan for the first time since his Palme d’Or-winning Shoplifters – after venturing to France and South Korea – Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Monster was initially veiled in secrecy upon its announcement. As scripted by Yuji Sakamoto, the film was revealed upon its Cannes premiere––where it picked up Best Screenplay and the Queer Palm––to be a tale of three perspectives as it relates to a boy’s struggle at his school and with a friend, seen through his eyes and those of his mother and teacher.
While at the Toronto International Film Festival, I had the opportunity to catch up with the Japanese director to discuss his latest work (which begins its theatrical release in NYC this week) collaborating with Ryuichi Sakamoto on one of his final works, why his film differs from Rashomon, and the queer themes in the story.
The Film Stage: The previous two films you made,...
While at the Toronto International Film Festival, I had the opportunity to catch up with the Japanese director to discuss his latest work (which begins its theatrical release in NYC this week) collaborating with Ryuichi Sakamoto on one of his final works, why his film differs from Rashomon, and the queer themes in the story.
The Film Stage: The previous two films you made,...
- 11/21/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Gaga’s Tom Yoda will retain a stake in the company.
Japanese distributor and producer Gaga Corporation has sold a majority stake to Genda Inc, an entertainment business known for operating amusement arcades.
Genda will acquire a 78.05% stake in Gaga from T.Y. Limited, the firm owned by Gaga president and CEO Tom Yoda, on November 30. Yoda will retain the remaining 21.95% and will be the representative director and chairman of the board. Financial terms have not been revealed.
A new management structure will see Genda director and Cco Yuzo Sato appointed representative director and president/CEO. Nao Kataoka, founder and...
Japanese distributor and producer Gaga Corporation has sold a majority stake to Genda Inc, an entertainment business known for operating amusement arcades.
Genda will acquire a 78.05% stake in Gaga from T.Y. Limited, the firm owned by Gaga president and CEO Tom Yoda, on November 30. Yoda will retain the remaining 21.95% and will be the representative director and chairman of the board. Financial terms have not been revealed.
A new management structure will see Genda director and Cco Yuzo Sato appointed representative director and president/CEO. Nao Kataoka, founder and...
- 11/20/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Japanese gaming firm Genda Inc is acquiring a 78.05% stake in leading Tokyo-based buyer and producer Gaga Corp.
Genda is acquiring the shares from Gaga president and CEO Tom Yoda’s own company T.Y. Limited, with the deal scheduled to go through on November 30, 2023.
Yoda will retain the remaining 21.95% stake as well as the position of Gaga chairman. All other Gaga executive appointments remain unchanged.
Genda chairman Nao Kataoka and Cco Yuzo Sato will have seats on the Gaga board, with the latter executive serving as Gaga president and CEO.
Gaga was founded in 1986 and Yoda’s T.Y. Limited took a majority stake in 2009. Under his management, the company has emerged as one of the world’s leading indie film distributors, handling a wide range of international titles, and has also expanded its local production slate.
The company has distributed seven Oscar Best Picture winners, including Coda and Everything Everywhere All At Once,...
Genda is acquiring the shares from Gaga president and CEO Tom Yoda’s own company T.Y. Limited, with the deal scheduled to go through on November 30, 2023.
Yoda will retain the remaining 21.95% stake as well as the position of Gaga chairman. All other Gaga executive appointments remain unchanged.
Genda chairman Nao Kataoka and Cco Yuzo Sato will have seats on the Gaga board, with the latter executive serving as Gaga president and CEO.
Gaga was founded in 1986 and Yoda’s T.Y. Limited took a majority stake in 2009. Under his management, the company has emerged as one of the world’s leading indie film distributors, handling a wide range of international titles, and has also expanded its local production slate.
The company has distributed seven Oscar Best Picture winners, including Coda and Everything Everywhere All At Once,...
- 11/20/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Leading Japanese indie film company Gaga Corporation has seen a controlling share stake sold to Genda Inc., a fast-moving entertainment conglomerate with its roots in arcade gaming.
Genda is buying the 78% share holding owned by Gaga chairman Tom Yoda’s T.Y. Limited company. Yoda will retain the outstanding 22% in his own name and stay on as Gaga’s chairman and representative director. The value of the transaction was not disclosed.
While a new management structure will see Sato Yuzo, director, Cco of Genda, become the representative director and president/CEO, and Kataoka Nao, founder and representative director and chairman of the board at Genda, will become director of the board at Gaga, Gaga’s other senior management remain unchanged in their posts.
Gaga was founded in 1986, with T.Y. Limited coming on board in 2009 as majority owner. Today it operates as producer, distributor and sales agent.
In the 15 years...
Genda is buying the 78% share holding owned by Gaga chairman Tom Yoda’s T.Y. Limited company. Yoda will retain the outstanding 22% in his own name and stay on as Gaga’s chairman and representative director. The value of the transaction was not disclosed.
While a new management structure will see Sato Yuzo, director, Cco of Genda, become the representative director and president/CEO, and Kataoka Nao, founder and representative director and chairman of the board at Genda, will become director of the board at Gaga, Gaga’s other senior management remain unchanged in their posts.
Gaga was founded in 1986, with T.Y. Limited coming on board in 2009 as majority owner. Today it operates as producer, distributor and sales agent.
In the 15 years...
- 11/20/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Early in director Kore-eda Hirokazu’s Monster, single mother Saori (Andô Sakura) and her son, Minato (Kurokawa Sôya), watch from their apartment’s balcony as a fire engulfs a building across the way, the plumes of smoke rising up and up and up. Minato balances his arms on the ledge, his feet stuck in the gaps between the vertical rods of the balcony. From behind, we see him lean out, trying to get nearer to the flames from so far away, but his mother grabs him from behind and tells him to be careful to not go over the edge.
That’s not unlike what watching Monster feels like, as it constantly veers precariously between the realms of gentle humanism and contrived sentimentality. Monster is Kore-eda’s third film after his 2018 Palme d’Or-winning Shoplifters, which found a perfect calibration between his humane and tender sensibility and a kind of crowd-pleasing earnestness.
That’s not unlike what watching Monster feels like, as it constantly veers precariously between the realms of gentle humanism and contrived sentimentality. Monster is Kore-eda’s third film after his 2018 Palme d’Or-winning Shoplifters, which found a perfect calibration between his humane and tender sensibility and a kind of crowd-pleasing earnestness.
- 11/17/2023
- by Kyle Turner
- Slant Magazine
Edward Fletcher has been named CEO of Brit specialty cinema chain and distributor Curzon, replacing Philip Knatchbull who is stepping down on Nov. 15 following 17 years at the company.
The appointment was announced by Charles S. Cohen, whose Cohen Media Group acquired Curzon in 2019.
“Ed Fletcher’s knowledge of the U.K. film market will be invaluable to Curzon as it continues to expand its business and present the world’s finest films to discerning filmgoers,” said Cohen, “Ed’s production experience will allow Curzon to undertake a more active film production role going forward. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Curzon family.”
After managing cinemas across the U.K., Fletcher moved into distribution at Ica Projects before co-founding distributor Soda Pictures in 2002, growing its catalogue to more than 300 titles including acclaimed British, international cinema and documentary films. In 2014, Soda Pictures was acquired by Canadian media group Thunderbird Entertainment,...
The appointment was announced by Charles S. Cohen, whose Cohen Media Group acquired Curzon in 2019.
“Ed Fletcher’s knowledge of the U.K. film market will be invaluable to Curzon as it continues to expand its business and present the world’s finest films to discerning filmgoers,” said Cohen, “Ed’s production experience will allow Curzon to undertake a more active film production role going forward. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Curzon family.”
After managing cinemas across the U.K., Fletcher moved into distribution at Ica Projects before co-founding distributor Soda Pictures in 2002, growing its catalogue to more than 300 titles including acclaimed British, international cinema and documentary films. In 2014, Soda Pictures was acquired by Canadian media group Thunderbird Entertainment,...
- 11/8/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Industry veteran Edward Fletcher has been hired as the new CEO at Curzon. He will oversee exhibition and distribution.
Fletcher joins following the departure of Philip Knatchbull. He has experience in British film exhibition, distribution, and production. After managing cinemas in Croydon, Cambridge, and London’s Ica, Fletcher moved into distribution at Ica Projects before co-founding distributor Soda Pictures in 2002, growing its catalog to more than 300 titles, including acclaimed British, international, and documentary films. In 2014, Soda Pictures was acquired by Canadian media group Thunderbird Entertainment, relaunching as Thunderbird Releasing. The Palme d’Or-winning Shoplifters delivered the company’s biggest hit to date before they pivoted to television production.
Fletcher went on to develop a new film and TV division for games and publishing company Rebellion before co-founding with producer Emma Biggins the independent production label Beef, which has a slate of projects from emerging British directors currently being packaged. A...
Fletcher joins following the departure of Philip Knatchbull. He has experience in British film exhibition, distribution, and production. After managing cinemas in Croydon, Cambridge, and London’s Ica, Fletcher moved into distribution at Ica Projects before co-founding distributor Soda Pictures in 2002, growing its catalog to more than 300 titles, including acclaimed British, international, and documentary films. In 2014, Soda Pictures was acquired by Canadian media group Thunderbird Entertainment, relaunching as Thunderbird Releasing. The Palme d’Or-winning Shoplifters delivered the company’s biggest hit to date before they pivoted to television production.
Fletcher went on to develop a new film and TV division for games and publishing company Rebellion before co-founding with producer Emma Biggins the independent production label Beef, which has a slate of projects from emerging British directors currently being packaged. A...
- 11/8/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: UTA has signed Hirokazu Kore-eda, the internationally celebrated Japanese filmmaker known for titles like Monster and Shoplifters, for representation in all areas.
The deal is particularly significant, Deadline hears, as the agency continues to expand its presence in Japan, and throughout Asia more broadly. Kore-eda will work closely going forward with UTA’s Asia Business Development division, which looks to amplify Asian and Asian-American voices by creating and curating a diverse array of opportunities, between Hollywood and Asia, for clients, partner companies, and brands.
Kore-eda’s most recent feature, Monster, had its North American premiere at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival after world premiering in Cannes, where it was awarded the Queer Palm and the prize for Best Screenplay. The film penned by Yuji Sakamoto watches as a mother confronts her young son’s teacher after she notices him acting strangely. Sakura Andō, Eita Nagayama, and Sōya Kurokawa star.
Kore-eda...
The deal is particularly significant, Deadline hears, as the agency continues to expand its presence in Japan, and throughout Asia more broadly. Kore-eda will work closely going forward with UTA’s Asia Business Development division, which looks to amplify Asian and Asian-American voices by creating and curating a diverse array of opportunities, between Hollywood and Asia, for clients, partner companies, and brands.
Kore-eda’s most recent feature, Monster, had its North American premiere at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival after world premiering in Cannes, where it was awarded the Queer Palm and the prize for Best Screenplay. The film penned by Yuji Sakamoto watches as a mother confronts her young son’s teacher after she notices him acting strangely. Sakura Andō, Eita Nagayama, and Sōya Kurokawa star.
Kore-eda...
- 10/24/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
"What really happened doesn't matter. You will defend our school." Well Go USA has revealed the official US trailer for an acclaimed Japanese film titled Monster, the latest film from prolific Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda. Set to open in art house theaters this Nov/Dec. Koreeda already won Palme d'Or a few years ago for Shoplifters, and debuted his Korean film Broker in Cannes last year, returning to Cannes this year for this premiere. A mother demands answers from teacher when her son begins acting strangely. The film has a score by the late Ryuichi Sakamoto. The cast includes the talented Sakura Ando, Eita Nagayama, and Yuko Tanaka, who overwhelm the audience with their transformative performances, and rising stars Souya Kurokawa and Yota Hiiragi, who play the two boys with freshness and emotion, as well as Mitsuki Takahata, Akihiro Tsunoda, Shidou Nakamura. The Rashomon-esque story follows a boy at school,...
- 10/5/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Nearly 70 years ago, monster movies changed forever with the introduction of Godzilla. The Japanese prehistoric monster awoke from its slumber in 1954 to terrorize villagers from Odo Island, announcing its presence with loud, lumbering footsteps and a bone-chilling roar. Since the original "Godzilla," kaiju movies have become a subgenre all their own, populated by epic monsters like Mothra and Ghidorah, with regular installments that range from corny to incredible.
In recent years, Hollywood has gotten in on the Godzilla game with Legendary Pictures' own spin on the world of giant monsters. But as exciting as it is to watch Kyle Chandler, Brian Tyree Henry, and Millie Bobby Brown face off against Godzilla, Japanese studio Toho (home to the vast majority of Godzilla flicks ever made) has something even more thrilling up its sleeve: a movie that looks poised to recapture the post-war terror of the beloved original. "Godzilla Minus One" is still a few months away,...
In recent years, Hollywood has gotten in on the Godzilla game with Legendary Pictures' own spin on the world of giant monsters. But as exciting as it is to watch Kyle Chandler, Brian Tyree Henry, and Millie Bobby Brown face off against Godzilla, Japanese studio Toho (home to the vast majority of Godzilla flicks ever made) has something even more thrilling up its sleeve: a movie that looks poised to recapture the post-war terror of the beloved original. "Godzilla Minus One" is still a few months away,...
- 10/5/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Who is the real monster when the truth comes out?
Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Monster” marks the director’s return to films set in Japan for the first time since winning the Palme d’Or for 2018 film “Shoplifters.” Kore-eda went on to helm “The Truth” and “Broker,” set in France and South Korea, respectively. “Monster” is also the first film Kore-eda has directed from another script since 1995’s “Maboroshi.” The “Monster” screenplay, written by Yuji Sakamoto, went on to win the Best Screenplay prize at Cannes 2023.
The official synopsis reads: When her young son Minato (Soya Kurokawa) starts to behave strangely, his mother (Sakura Ando) feels that there is something wrong. Discovering that a teacher (Eita Nagayama) is responsible, she storms into the school demanding to know what’s going on. But as the story unfolds though the eyes of the mother, teacher, and child, the truth gradually emerges.
“Monster” also...
Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Monster” marks the director’s return to films set in Japan for the first time since winning the Palme d’Or for 2018 film “Shoplifters.” Kore-eda went on to helm “The Truth” and “Broker,” set in France and South Korea, respectively. “Monster” is also the first film Kore-eda has directed from another script since 1995’s “Maboroshi.” The “Monster” screenplay, written by Yuji Sakamoto, went on to win the Best Screenplay prize at Cannes 2023.
The official synopsis reads: When her young son Minato (Soya Kurokawa) starts to behave strangely, his mother (Sakura Ando) feels that there is something wrong. Discovering that a teacher (Eita Nagayama) is responsible, she storms into the school demanding to know what’s going on. But as the story unfolds though the eyes of the mother, teacher, and child, the truth gradually emerges.
“Monster” also...
- 10/4/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Heralded Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda did not win the top Palme d’Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year—that was in 2018 for “Shoplifters.” But for one, Kore-edais a Palme d’Or winner, not something most filmmakers in the world can say; for two, any time he delivers a film at Cannes, it’s in competition, and this year, with his follow-up “Monster,” the film was honored with the Queer Palm as well as the Best Screenplay award; nothing to sneeze at.
Continue reading ‘Monster’ Trailer: Hirokazu Kore-eda Heralded Cannes Drama Arrives In November at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Monster’ Trailer: Hirokazu Kore-eda Heralded Cannes Drama Arrives In November at The Playlist.
- 10/4/2023
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Exclusive: In a world where the space for specialist and non English-language cinema is shrinking in cinemas, it’s encouraging to see that Tokyo-based Gaga Corporation is committed to bringing a diverse range of theatrical releases to Japanese audiences.
Launched in 1986, the company is one of Japan’s longest established buyers, releasing between 20-25 films a year, with its president and CEO Tom Yoda a familiar face on the international festival and markets circuit. The company is also an active producer of Japanese films, with recent titles including Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Monster, which is screening as a Special Presentation in Toronto, following its Best Screenplay award in Cannes.
As Japan was moving out of the pandemic, the company says it was pleased with the box office results for acquisitions such as Todd Field’s Tar, French filmmaker Claude Zidi Jr’s opera-themed Tenor and multiple Oscar winner Everything Everywhere All At Once,...
Launched in 1986, the company is one of Japan’s longest established buyers, releasing between 20-25 films a year, with its president and CEO Tom Yoda a familiar face on the international festival and markets circuit. The company is also an active producer of Japanese films, with recent titles including Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Monster, which is screening as a Special Presentation in Toronto, following its Best Screenplay award in Cannes.
As Japan was moving out of the pandemic, the company says it was pleased with the box office results for acquisitions such as Todd Field’s Tar, French filmmaker Claude Zidi Jr’s opera-themed Tenor and multiple Oscar winner Everything Everywhere All At Once,...
- 9/6/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
by Paweł Mizgalewicz
If we assume that films, like people, can be called „half-Asian”, then „Perfect Days” could be placed in such category. Of course, it takes place in Japan. It seems to be based on Japanese stories, the characters are Japanese, all the actors are Japanese, and they speak in Japanese (not that there is a lot of talking at all). But you can probably also feel at various points that the film's director, cinematographer and the post-production crew were European. It is quite obviously a Tokyo Story, influenced by Yasujiro Ozu strongly. It triumphs as a love letter to Ozu, and generally to what is often described as a wonder of Japanese culture. They're so humble! It's also a must-see for anyone fascinated with Tokyo, maintaining the “man, I love this city” vibe basically throughout the whole thing. But there is a reason why a love letter is...
If we assume that films, like people, can be called „half-Asian”, then „Perfect Days” could be placed in such category. Of course, it takes place in Japan. It seems to be based on Japanese stories, the characters are Japanese, all the actors are Japanese, and they speak in Japanese (not that there is a lot of talking at all). But you can probably also feel at various points that the film's director, cinematographer and the post-production crew were European. It is quite obviously a Tokyo Story, influenced by Yasujiro Ozu strongly. It triumphs as a love letter to Ozu, and generally to what is often described as a wonder of Japanese culture. They're so humble! It's also a must-see for anyone fascinated with Tokyo, maintaining the “man, I love this city” vibe basically throughout the whole thing. But there is a reason why a love letter is...
- 7/28/2023
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights to “Immediate Family,” director Denny Tedesco’s follow-up to his acclaimed documentary “The Wrecking Crew.”
That earlier film, which Magnolia also released, followed the first wave of studio musicians in the ’60s. “Immediate Family” takes up the story where “The Wrecking Crew” ended, taking a deep dive through some of the most famous and influential session musicians from the 1970s.
To that end, the new documentary includes commentary from the likes of Carole King, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Lyle Lovett, Keith Richards, Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, and Phil Collins. Magnolia will release the film theatrically in December.
In addition to talking to those music legends, “Immediate Family” tracks the rise and collaborations of session musicians Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, and Waddy Wachtel as they help craft some of the decade’s most enduring hits.
The filmmakers say...
That earlier film, which Magnolia also released, followed the first wave of studio musicians in the ’60s. “Immediate Family” takes up the story where “The Wrecking Crew” ended, taking a deep dive through some of the most famous and influential session musicians from the 1970s.
To that end, the new documentary includes commentary from the likes of Carole King, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Lyle Lovett, Keith Richards, Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, and Phil Collins. Magnolia will release the film theatrically in December.
In addition to talking to those music legends, “Immediate Family” tracks the rise and collaborations of session musicians Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, and Waddy Wachtel as they help craft some of the decade’s most enduring hits.
The filmmakers say...
- 7/27/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
by Paweł Mizgalewicz
At this point in Hirokazu Koreeda's career, it's only expected to hear that his newest work, “Monster”, is easy to recommend – but it's quite tricky to describe. The reason for that is the amount of surprises awaiting us during the film's two hour course, not at all limited to usual within-genre plot twists. Truth be told, basically everything in “Monster” is not what it initially seems – the characters, the conflicts, the events, and even the overall focus of the tale and what the movie's broad subject is. Yes, if you are a bone fide spoilerophobe, I would even advise not to check out which awards was the movie called up for at the 2023 Cannes Festival, as it might be really exciting to discover some of the themes at the time when the movie had still been swaying in so many other directions. Thankfully, the main award...
At this point in Hirokazu Koreeda's career, it's only expected to hear that his newest work, “Monster”, is easy to recommend – but it's quite tricky to describe. The reason for that is the amount of surprises awaiting us during the film's two hour course, not at all limited to usual within-genre plot twists. Truth be told, basically everything in “Monster” is not what it initially seems – the characters, the conflicts, the events, and even the overall focus of the tale and what the movie's broad subject is. Yes, if you are a bone fide spoilerophobe, I would even advise not to check out which awards was the movie called up for at the 2023 Cannes Festival, as it might be really exciting to discover some of the themes at the time when the movie had still been swaying in so many other directions. Thankfully, the main award...
- 7/24/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Summer is heating up on Max.
Back in May, Max added programming from TLC, HGTV and Food Network. That means Discovery’s popular Shark Week will be available to stream when it kicks off on July 23, with programming to be announced soon.
For fans of unscripted series, Season 3 or “90 Day Fiancé: Love in Paradise: Pillow Talk” (July 4) and Season 5 of “90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way” (July 10) are both streaming, as well as the series premiere of “90 Day Fiancé: UK.”
Home renovation fans will want to catch Season 16 of “Barnwood Builders” (July 6) and the special “Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge” (July 16), hosted by Ashley Graham, just in time for the feature film.
Also Read:
Here’s What’s New on Amazon Prime Video in July 2023
“Project Greenlight” (July 13) returns, with executive producer Issa Rae along with Kumail Nanjiani and Gina Prince-Bythewood serve as mentors throughout the season.
Finally, the six-episode Max Original limited series “Full Circle,...
Back in May, Max added programming from TLC, HGTV and Food Network. That means Discovery’s popular Shark Week will be available to stream when it kicks off on July 23, with programming to be announced soon.
For fans of unscripted series, Season 3 or “90 Day Fiancé: Love in Paradise: Pillow Talk” (July 4) and Season 5 of “90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way” (July 10) are both streaming, as well as the series premiere of “90 Day Fiancé: UK.”
Home renovation fans will want to catch Season 16 of “Barnwood Builders” (July 6) and the special “Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge” (July 16), hosted by Ashley Graham, just in time for the feature film.
Also Read:
Here’s What’s New on Amazon Prime Video in July 2023
“Project Greenlight” (July 13) returns, with executive producer Issa Rae along with Kumail Nanjiani and Gina Prince-Bythewood serve as mentors throughout the season.
Finally, the six-episode Max Original limited series “Full Circle,...
- 7/2/2023
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
Max is following DC’s lead with its list of new releases for July 2023.
The two big ticket items this month are of the superhero variety. My Adventures with Superman arrives to Max on July 7 after making its Adult Swim premiere the night before. The end of the month sees Harley Quinn season 4 making its long-awaited debut on July 27. Other original TV titles of note are the Steven Soderbergh-directed Full Circle (July 13) and the third and final season of How To With John Wilson on July 28.
On the movie side of things, documentary Glitch: The Rise and Fall of HQ Trivia premieres on July 20. Before that on July 13 is both a fresh reboot of filmmaking competition Project Greenlight and the movie that came of it, Gray Matter. Library movies in July include Pulp Fiction, V for Vendetta, Lethal Weapon, and more on July 1.
Here is everything else coming to HBO and Max this month.
The two big ticket items this month are of the superhero variety. My Adventures with Superman arrives to Max on July 7 after making its Adult Swim premiere the night before. The end of the month sees Harley Quinn season 4 making its long-awaited debut on July 27. Other original TV titles of note are the Steven Soderbergh-directed Full Circle (July 13) and the third and final season of How To With John Wilson on July 28.
On the movie side of things, documentary Glitch: The Rise and Fall of HQ Trivia premieres on July 20. Before that on July 13 is both a fresh reboot of filmmaking competition Project Greenlight and the movie that came of it, Gray Matter. Library movies in July include Pulp Fiction, V for Vendetta, Lethal Weapon, and more on July 1.
Here is everything else coming to HBO and Max this month.
- 7/1/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
The original Max series “Full Circle” debuts on July 13. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, the new drama investigates a kidnapping gone wrong in New York, revealing the secrets and lies of multiple characters. Or as the trailer warns: “Everything is connected.” The six-episode limited series stars Zazie Beetz, Claire Danes, Jim Gaffigan, Jharrel Jerome, Timothy Olyphant, and Dennis Quaid.
Watch the “Full Circle” trailer:
The four-part documentary “Last Call: When A Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” is set in the early 1990s as the AIDS crisis worsens. The media’s distorted coverage of the gay victims, coupled with the homophobic biases of the criminal justice system, undermine the investigation. The docuseries — which premieres on Max on July 9 — illustrates how the LGBTQ+ community fought to solve the murders and demand attention for those murdered.
Preview “Last Call: When A Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York”:
Arriving on the platform on...
Watch the “Full Circle” trailer:
The four-part documentary “Last Call: When A Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” is set in the early 1990s as the AIDS crisis worsens. The media’s distorted coverage of the gay victims, coupled with the homophobic biases of the criminal justice system, undermine the investigation. The docuseries — which premieres on Max on July 9 — illustrates how the LGBTQ+ community fought to solve the murders and demand attention for those murdered.
Preview “Last Call: When A Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York”:
Arriving on the platform on...
- 6/29/2023
- by Fern Siegel
- The Streamable
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is expanding its membership.
According to a press release, the organization that hands out Oscars each year at the Academy Awards has extended invitations to join the Academy to 398 artists and executives who have made notable contributions to the motion picture industry.
“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in a joint statement.
Read More: The Academy Announces 2024 Oscars Date As Well As Submission Deadline
There are some big names and familiar faces among the invitees, including musicians Taylor Swift and David Byrne, and numerous actors, ranging from Selma Blair to Keke Palmer to “Elvis” Oscar nominee Austin Butler.
According to a press release, the organization that hands out Oscars each year at the Academy Awards has extended invitations to join the Academy to 398 artists and executives who have made notable contributions to the motion picture industry.
“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in a joint statement.
Read More: The Academy Announces 2024 Oscars Date As Well As Submission Deadline
There are some big names and familiar faces among the invitees, including musicians Taylor Swift and David Byrne, and numerous actors, ranging from Selma Blair to Keke Palmer to “Elvis” Oscar nominee Austin Butler.
- 6/28/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
Those who accept will be only additions to Academy’s membership in 2023.
Vicky Krieps, Paul Mescal, Warner Bros Discovery head David Zaslav, Aftersun writer-director Charlotte Wells, She Said director Maria Schrader, and Kerry Condon are among 398 who have been invited to join the Academy.
Some 40% of the 2023 class identify as women, 34% belong to underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 52% are from 50 countries and territories outside the United States. There are 76 Oscar nominees including 22 winners among the invitees.
Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership. Should they all accept, the total number of members...
Vicky Krieps, Paul Mescal, Warner Bros Discovery head David Zaslav, Aftersun writer-director Charlotte Wells, She Said director Maria Schrader, and Kerry Condon are among 398 who have been invited to join the Academy.
Some 40% of the 2023 class identify as women, 34% belong to underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 52% are from 50 countries and territories outside the United States. There are 76 Oscar nominees including 22 winners among the invitees.
Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership. Should they all accept, the total number of members...
- 6/28/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
“Everything Everywhere All At Once” Oscar winners Ke Huy Quan, Daniel Kwan, and Daniel Scheinert, recent acting nominees Austin Butler, Paul Mescal, and Stephanie Hsu, and bold-face names for the extremely online like Taylor Swift, Abel Tesfaye (a.k.a. The Weeknd), and Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav were among the 398 people announced as new members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday.
“The academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said academy CEO Bill Kramer and academy president Janet Yang in a joint statement.
This year’s class of new members is heavy on 2022 breakouts, like the aforementioned Kwan and Scheinert – invitees in both the directors’ brand and the producers’ branch. In keeping with academy practice,...
“The academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said academy CEO Bill Kramer and academy president Janet Yang in a joint statement.
This year’s class of new members is heavy on 2022 breakouts, like the aforementioned Kwan and Scheinert – invitees in both the directors’ brand and the producers’ branch. In keeping with academy practice,...
- 6/28/2023
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
The Academy has invited 398 artists across cinematic disciplines to join its membership, including Taylor Swift, Keke Palmer and this year’s Best Supporting Actor winner Ke Huy Quan.
“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang.
Also scoring invitations are actors Selma Blair, Austin Butler, Ram Charan, Kerry Condon, Bill Hader, Nicholas Hoult, Stephanie Hsu, Noémie Merlant, Paul Mescal, Nt Rama Rao Jr. and Paul Reiser, directors Joseph Kosinski, Maria Schrader and Michael Showalter, writers Josh Friedman, Kazuo Ishiguro and Charlotte Wells.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” duo The Daniels (Credit: Getty Images)
Eight people were invited to join the Academy by multiple branches and must choose which...
“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang.
Also scoring invitations are actors Selma Blair, Austin Butler, Ram Charan, Kerry Condon, Bill Hader, Nicholas Hoult, Stephanie Hsu, Noémie Merlant, Paul Mescal, Nt Rama Rao Jr. and Paul Reiser, directors Joseph Kosinski, Maria Schrader and Michael Showalter, writers Josh Friedman, Kazuo Ishiguro and Charlotte Wells.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” duo The Daniels (Credit: Getty Images)
Eight people were invited to join the Academy by multiple branches and must choose which...
- 6/28/2023
- by Benjamin Lindsay and Libby Hill
- The Wrap
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