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Exclusive: Three decades on from her Oscar-winning movie, Emma Thompson is returning to the world of Sense and Sensibility with an Audible Original telling the story of the youngest Dashwood sister and adding a dash of “sexuality and liberation.”

Thompson is producing and leading sequel Becoming Meg Dashwood with an ensemble including Emmy-nominee Erin Doherty (Adolescence), BAFTA-winner Naomi Ackie (Mickey 17), Baby Reindeer star Jessica Gunning, acting legend Imelda Staunton, Liz Carr, Paterson Joseph, Greg Wise and Golda Rosheuvel.

The drama picks up where Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility left off, with Thompson playing Margaret Dashwood in what is described as a “riotous, rebellious period drama about female friendship, sexuality and liberation.” Fresh off her astonishing turn in Netflix’s Adolescence, Doherty plays Margaret’s younger self Meg and Ackie is her lover Nelly. Carr plays Mrs Dashwood, Gunning is Hester and Staunton is Mrs Jennings.

Penned by Rebecca Humphries...

This summer, Dinosaurs rule the Earth.

With the global press tour getting underway today, Universal Pictures have debuted a brand new 90-second trailer that offers an extended look at two key sequences from the upcoming Gareth Edwards-directed dino sequel, specifically a terrifying sequence with the Mutadons and another look at that Spinosaurus encounter, which looks like it won't be going so well for one member of the cast...

Over the next two weeks, the global press tour will take the principal cast, including our new lead trio of Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey to London, Berlin, New York, Shanghai, and Seoul.

The London premiere is today, June 17, so be wary of spoilers as it's very possible they will start to surface online as early as tonight.

Universal has also debuted a new 16-bit game for the film, where you can also join the hunt for Dinosaur DNA!

Ahead of tomorrow's eagerly awaited new theatrical trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth, Universal has released another action-packed new TV spot, this time spotlighting some of the dinos that'll be at the center of the blockbuster sequel: the Titanosaurus, Quetzalcoatlus, and Mosasaurus.

As far as why Scarlett Johansson and her team will be seeking out these three monumental beasts, the synopsis revealed that she'll be tasked with retreiving DNA samples from the three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air, who in their DNA, hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.

It's expected that the new trailer will be attached to screenings of Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning and Disney's live-action Lilo & Stitch this weekend, meaning it'll get maximum eyeballs as it kickstarts its full-fledged marketing blitz in June.

Despite stiff competition from superhero entries Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps,...

This summer, get ready for a whole new dino-filled adventure with Jurassic World Rebirth, a film that promises to take the franchise in a bold and terrifying new direction as new dinos and monsters descend on humanity, causing unprecedented mayhem.

During their CinemaCon presentation, Universal Pictures brought out director Gareth Edwards and stars Scarlett Johansson ("Zora Bennett") and Mahershala Ali ("Duncan Kincaid") to introduce their never-before-seen new footage from the upcoming blockbuster.

With all three of the previous entries topping $1 billion, it's a pretty safe bet that Rebirth will likely also reach those heights, especially with fans eager to see this bold and scary new direction as well as box office superstar Scarlett Johansson leading the charge.

Johansson is a longtime Jurassic superfan, telling the CinemaCon audience, “It has been a lifelong dream to be in a Jurassic movie.," before adding how she did everything in her power to be cast in this film,...

Editor’s note: As a member of The Serpent Players repertory theater group in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, John Kani partnered with fellow Black actor Winston Ntshona and white playwright Athol Fugard in 1972 to write Sizwe Banzi Is Dead. The drama revolves around apartheid’s oppressive pass laws, which governed where Blacks could and could not work, live and not live, etc.

A year later, they wrote The Island, which is based on a true story and set in a prison not unlike the Robben Island institution where Nelson Mandela was held for 27 years. Kani and Ntshona were the lone actors in both Fugard-directed plays.

Below, Kani pays tribute to Fugard, who died recently at 92 — Mike Barnes

“It was in 1965 when everything looked so very bleak in my life living in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth. The Eastern Cape was a wasteland of pain and suffering. All the people we knew...

Set in a city marred by conflict during the early 1980s, this film offers a scenario in which a French actor unexpectedly steps into the role of a director, determined to stage Antigone amid a beleaguered Beirut.

The city—scarred by incessant clashes and political unrest—becomes both a physical and symbolic stage, where the ancient narrative is reimagined against a modern backdrop of strife. One might wonder if our protagonist sought an escape from mundane existence or simply fancied a dash of melodrama in a setting where chaos is the norm (picture a theatrical dare in the midst of an unruly brawl with history).

Director David Oelhoffen, with a well-documented history of reworking literary texts into visual experiences, applies a calculated eccentricity to the project. His method of interweaving live performance traditions with filmic construction invites viewers to question art’s capacity to capture the tempest of human conflict...

Here’s a question: You have a Hollywood star making their West End debut in London, with very little theatrical experience. What do you do to allay any misgivings — in the actor herself, or her audience? You give her a handheld microphone, of course, for the entire play.

Well, no, you don’t.

Alongside the practical rebuttals (many actors these days have concealed mics), there are stronger conceptual justifications for Daniel Fish’s move. With her buzz cut and Bikini Kill T-shirt, Brie Larson’s Elektra is presented as a rebel, a provocateur, and the kind of obsessively angry soul who might well carry her microphone around town in order to besmirch her mother and berate the world. She even has some Laurie Anderson-like amp effects for good measure, especially when mocking mom, and it’s true that her spitting into the mike at the mention of anyone she loathes is strangely satisfying.

French actress Juliette Binoche has been named President of the Jury for the 2025 edition of the Cannes Film Festival in May.

The honor, which was announced on Tuesday morning Paris time, will fall exactly 40 years after the Oscar-winning The English Patient star first touched down at the festival with André Téchiné’s Palme d’Or contender Rendez-vous in 1985.

Binoche follows in the footsteps of U.S. director Greta Gerwig whose jury feted Sean Baker’s Anora with the Palme d’Or last year.

“I’m looking forward to sharing these life experiences with the members of the Jury and the public. In 1985, I walked up the steps for the first time with the enthusiasm and uncertainty of a young actress; I never imagined I’d return 40 years later in the honorary role of President of the Jury. I appreciate the privilege, the responsibility and the absolute need for humility,” said Binoche.

Mike Flanagan’s The Life Of Chuck picked up the top People’s Choice honor Sunday at the Toronto Film Festival as its 2024 edition wrapped with renewed celebrity heat but still in the shadow of Venice and Cannes.

The Stephen King novella adaptation stars Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Karen Gillan and Chiwetel Ejiofor in a genre-tripping film about embracing hope in the face of tragedy and had a world premiere in Toronto. Flanagan in a statement thanked TIFF for the top audience award prize: “I’m absolutely overwhelmed. We’re so grateful that The Life of Chuck connected with audiences in such a powerful way, but never expected this.”

The second runner up for the People’s Choice Award was Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez, a queer crime musical headed to Netflix that earned the jury prize in Cannes for the director, while the titular lead Karla Sofía Gascón became...

Veronica Roth's catalog includes adult fantasy and dystopian narratives, with recent releases garnering positive attention. When Among Crows, inspired by Slavic folklore, is a gripping novella that's nearly as strong as Divergent. Roth's evolution as a writer is evident in her varied releases, from novellas like Four to controversial novels like Allegiant.

Veronica Roth is best known for writing the Divergent series, but the author has penned numerous books since the young adult dystopian trilogy concluded and some of the releases in her catalog are more gripping than others. Divergent was Roth's first novel, and it hit shelves when she was just 22 years old. Since then, her writing has evolved significantly, and Roth has branched out into adult fantasy and dystopian narratives. This includes one of May 2024's most exciting releases: a fantasy novella inspired by Slavic folklore.

When Among Crows was one of the most anticipated fantasy...

More than 800 Black women — including Lashana Lynch and Sheila Atim — and non-binary actors signed an open letter in support of Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, who has been the target of online racial abuse following the announcement of her casting as Juliet in a London West End production of Romeo & Juliet. She is set to star alongside Tom Holland’s Romeo in the play.

The letter, which The Guardian published on Wednesday, was spearheaded by Enola Holmes actor Susan Wokoma and Crowning Glory playwright Somalia Nonyé Seaton. It begins: “When news of...

Dominic Sessa's debut in The Holdovers was a knockout, earning him a spot at the Oscars. He shared the screen with acting powerhouses Giamatti and Randolph, feeling comfortable with them. Sessa's next project, Tow, stars Rose Byrne and Demi Lovato, promising another great performance.

Alexander Payne's The Holdovers featured one of the most memorable trios in recent years, and one of the best debut performances of all time thanks to an incredible turn from Dominic Sessa alongside the experienced (and Oscar-winning) Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Paul Giamatti. The three play lonely 'holdovers' at a Massachusetts boarding school who don't have anyone to go home to during Christmas break. Sessa is a young and troubled student, Randolph is a cook grieving the loss of her son, and Giamatti is the teacher who drew the short straw for the year and is tasked with looking after the place and students.

Dublin International Film Festival has unveiled its full programme for the upcoming edition, opening with the world premiere of Irish filmmaker Marian Quinn’s anti-war epic Twig.

This re-telling of Greek tragedy Antigone stars Sade Malone in the titular role and Brían F. O’Byrne, and is set in Dublin’s inner city, where an ancient city wall cordons off a neighbourhood which is rife with drugs. It is produced by Ireland’s Ruth Carter of Blue Ink Films and Tommy Weir for Janey Pictures.

Further Irish filmmaking talent showcased includes the previously announced closing night film, Pat Collins’ adaptation of...

Co-presidents Anick Poirier and Lorne Price led highly regarded business.

Montreal-based sales agent Sphere Films International is to close down on June 16 as parent company Sphere said it was refocusing its distribution activities.

The highly regarded sales business led by co-presidents Anick Poirier and Lorne Price was noted throughout the global independent community for championing arthouse film, often by first-time directors.

The company has been handling sales on Fantasia opener Red Rooms and its credits include award-winners such as Canada’s 2020 Oscar submission Antigone by Sophie Deraspe and more recently Anthony Shim’s Riceboy Sleeps, Stéphane Lafleur’s Viking, and Job Clerc’s Sweet As.

Oscar nominees Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris) and Ciarán Hinds (Belfast, Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy) are teaming up for Midwinter Break, the debut feature of Olivier-winning British theater director Polly Findlay.

The prestige project is heading to the Marche du Film in Cannes, with Protagonist Pictures handling worldwide sales.

Adapted from the novel by BAFTA nominee Bernard MacLaverty (Lamb) and written by Nick Payne (The Last Letter from Your Lover, We Live in Time) Midwinter Break follows Stella and Gerry, a long-time married couple who reach a crossroads in their relationship when they take a trip to Amsterdam.

The film is produced by BAFTA Award-winner Guy Heeley, whose previous credits include the Steven Knight’s Tom Hardy-starring Locke; Joe Wright’s Cyrano, starring Peter Dinklage; and Stephen Daldry’s lockdown comedy-drama Together, starring James McAvoy and Sharon Horgan. The project was developed with Film4, who will executive produce and co-finance.

"Don't trust anyone." Get a look at this interesting indie film project from a writer named Jacob Michael King making his first film. Caviar is the title – described as a "satirical conspiracy theory indie thriller," about deepfakes, social media, and misinformation. Antigone Corday is an aspiring social media influencer. She is mourning the recent death of her brother, Jeremiah, a well-known pundit and voice for progressive causes. Soon, however, she uncovers a conspiracy that throws her worldview, and the fate of the planet, into question. Betsey Brown stars as Antigone, with Al Warren, James Healy Jr., and Aaron Pruner. The director adds: "Caviar uses the language of conspiracy theory and misinformation to highlight the abuses performed by those in authority. Its outlandish story is an amalgam of historical fact, wild speculation, and outright fiction—it exaggerates the 'lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia' that make up our politics, and exposes them to sunlight.

David Birney, an actor who found early success on Broadway before landing the co-starring role on a 1972 sitcom, Bridget Loves Bernie, that would be one of the most controversial TV shows of its era, died of Alzheimer’s disease Friday, April 29, at his home in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 83.

His death was reported to The New York Times by his life partner, Michele Roberge.

Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery

Born in Washington D.C. and raised in Cleveland, Birney had studied theater at the University of California, Los Angeles, when in 1965 he began acting in regional theaters across the country, including the Barter Theater in Abingdon, Virginia, and the Hartford Stage Company in Connecticut.

In 1967, he performed in a New York Shakespeare Festival production of A Comedy of Errors, and in 1969 he made his Broadway debut as Cleante in Molière’s The Miser. In all, he appeared...

The 11th edition of the festival, held in Mallorca from July 26 to August 1, will premiere Leos Carax ‘Annette’ in Spain

Judi Dench and Stephen Frears will be the guests of honour at this year’s Atlantida Mallorca Film Fest (Amff), run by Spanish SVoD platform Filmin with the Mallorca Film Commission. It is running as a physical, mainly outdoor, event from July 26 to August 1.

The UK’s Dench and Frears, who worked together on Victoria & Abdul and Philomena, are both set to attend and will participate in a live masterclass on July 31. They will each receive the festival’s Masters Of Cinema award.

Telefilm Canada has launched Canada Now, a new portal devoted to highlighting Canadian content in the U.S. The site will add new titles each month to its portfolio, which ranges from recent films such as “My Salinger Year” and “Antigone” to Oscar nominees like “Barbarian Invasions” and “Monsieur Lazhar,” as well as some series.

The site, developed in collaboration with Telescope, features close to 5,000 productions available across more than 150 VOD platforms.

Canada Now’s monthly boutique curation will spotlight six different programming sections in addition to the searchable database of productions accessible within the U.S. Every month the site will feature a section on New Arrivals, Classic Films and a spotlight called Indigenous Voices.

For the month of May, it will focus on a celebration of Asian Canadians with films including Sandra Oh starring as a struggling single mother whose daughter decides that Taoist magic will make everything better,...

The move is a reaction to the government blocking already-approved production funding; awarded films include Don't Forget to Breathe, Antigone - How Dare We! and Paradise – A Second Life. The national Festival of Slovenian Film, which traditionally takes place in Portorose, was held live in Ljubljana this year, from 6-11 October. However, the awards ceremony on Saturday night was overshadowed by the jury's decision not to give out the grand prix, the Vesna Award for Best Feature-length Film, or the gongs for Best Director, Screenplay, Lead Actress, Make-up or Animated Film. The jury, consisting of directors Katja Colja and Siniša Gačić, film critic Matic Majcen, film theorist and lecturer Polona Petek, and actress Maja Sever, said in a statement: “If the purpose of the jury is usually to choose the best from among good, if not excellent, works, this year we were faced with a very limited selection of...

Despite the health restrictions, the 42nd edition of the Cinemed Festival will unspool from 16 to 24 October, notably screening nine fiction feature films competing for the Antigone d'Or. Tomorrow will see the fascinating and Venice-approved film The Man Who Sold His Skin, by Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, open the 42nd Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival, an edition which is set to unspool between 16 and 24 October in physical form and in full compliance with the health recommendations set out by the public authorities, notably the 9pm – 6am curfew (decided upon last night for eight French cities and the Ile-de-France region) which will come into force on Saturday evening and which has forced the team behind the event to carry out an acrobatic, last-minute re-jig of the festival programme.In all, nine fiction feature films will battle it out for the 2020 Antigone d'Or, which will be awarded by...

Several titles looking to follow in the wake of ‘Tenet’.

France, opening Wednesday September 2

The biggest opener in France this week is Anne Fontaine’s Police, first seen at the Berlinale in February. Released by Studiocanal, the drama (also known as Night Shift) centres on three Parisian police officers – played by Omar Sy, Virginie Efira and Grégory Gadebois – who debate whether to deport an illegal immigrant (Payman Maadi) while transporting him to the airport.

Sophie Letourneur’s Enormous will also receive a wide release through Memento Films Distribution. First screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) in January, the...

Roster of participants includes 44 female producers out of 73 in total.

The latest projects from producers of French Exit and The Babadook are among the roster at the virtual 15th Ontario Creates International Financing Forum (iff) set to run from September 13-14.

The co-financing and co-production market takes place in association with Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and serves international and Canadian producers developing mostly English-language projects.

The two-day schedule includes networking opportunities for producers with international sales agents, financiers, distributors, agents, and executive producers, as well as an exclusive state-of-the-industry panel discussion, producer drop-in sessions, and access to a TIFF case study on co-productions.

Roster of participants includes 44 female producers out of 73 in total.

The latest projects from producers of French Exit and The Babadook are among the roster at the virtual 15th Ontario Creates International Financing Forum (iff) set to run from September 13-14.

The co-financing and co-production market takes place in association with Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and serves international and Canadian producers developing mostly English-language projects.

The two-day schedule includes networking opportunities for producers with international sales agents, financiers, distributors, agents, and executive producers, as well as an exclusive state-of-the-industry panel discussion, producer drop-in sessions, and access to a TIFF case study on co-productions.

Roster of participants includes 44 female producers out of 73 in total.

The latest projects from producers of French Exit and The Babadook are among the roster at the virtual 15th Ontario Creates International Financing Forum (iff) set to run from September 13-14.

The co-financing and co-production market takes place in association with Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and serves international and Canadian producers developing mostly English-language projects.

The two-day schedule includes networking opportunities for producers with international sales agents, financiers, distributors, agents, and executive producers, as well as an exclusive state-of-the-industry panel discussion, producer drop-in sessions, and access to a TIFF case study on co-productions.

Among the final national award ceremonies celebrating 2019 cinema, the Iris Awards (aka Quebec Oscars) follows in the footsteps of the Canadian Screen Awards. Tiff entry and Canada’s Oscar nom Antigone by Sophie Deraspe won the Best Canadian Film award and her she continued her winning streak claiming the Prix Iris for Best Film, Director, Screenplay and Best Newcomer (Nahéma Ricci). Matthew Rankin’s The 20th Century claimed a handful of prizes, while actress Andrée Lachapelle won posthumously for her role in Louise Archambault’s Il pleuvait des oiseaux (the picture won the Public Prize for Best Film). Xavier Dolan not nominated in the Best Film category walked away with a trio of prizes for Matthias & Maxime – including Best Score by Jean-Michel Blais.…...

Members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television voted to crown Sophie Deraspe’s “Antigone” as best film at the Canadian Screen Awards Thursday, presented virtually by broadcasters CBC and CTV.

The film, a contemporary spin on the Greek tragedy, also won awards for lead female actor for Nahéma Ricci, female actor in a supporting role for Nour Belkhiria, adapted screenplay for Deraspe, and editing for Geoffrey Boulangé and Deraspe.

Variety’s review of the film, which was named best Canadian feature at the Toronto Film Festival, said it “feels refreshingly liberated by the spirit of Sophocles’ original material.” The “impassioned” film was “electrified by a performance of immense self-possession and dignity from revelatory new star Nahéma Ricci,” the critic wrote.

Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn won the prizes for directing and original screenplay for “The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open.” The film also took the cinematography award for Norm Li.

Antigone, Sophie Deraspe’s haunting French-language drama that set its adaptation of the Greek tragedy as a tale of a modern-day refugee family in Montreal, won Best Picture and tied François Girard’s The Song of Names with five wins overall Thursday at the Canadian Screen Awards, Canada’s equivalent to the Oscars.

Winners in the Cinematic Arts categories came tonight in a virtual ceremony held by The Canadian Academy, culminating three days of award handouts spanning film, TV, news, sports and documentaries.

Antigone won the Best Canadian Feature Film at last year’s Toronto Film Festival on its way to becoming Canada’s official submission in the 2020 International Feature Film race. Tonight, it also took best actress for star Nahéma Ricci, supporting actress for Nour Belkhiria, adapted screenplay for Deraspe, and Geoffrey Boulangé and Deraspe won for editing.

Song of Names, about an Englishman who searches for his childhood friend,...

The memory of humanity for sufferings borne is astonishingly short. Its gift of imagination for coming sufferings is almost even less. It is this callousness that we must combat. For humanity is threatened by wars compared to which those past are like poor attempts and they will come, without any doubt, if the hands of those who prepare them in all openness are not broken. —Bertolt Brecht, 19521There is a story of violence hiding behind every player that leaves the frame. The stories around Antigone, Othon, and Empedokles are part of the same History of Violence as those around Karl Rossmann, Machorka-Muff, and Valino.Here, violence is confronted by leaving; quitting the frame, which does not mean giving up. Whether by anger, boredom, or disappointment, the players confidently depart. Like partisans they actively set out, taking up exile from the frame, leaving it devoid of their presence. Following the call...

A Straub-Huillet Companion is a series of short essays on the films of Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet, subject of a Mubi retrospective. Danièle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub's Antigone (1992) is showing on Mubi from May 5– June 4, 2020."What seems interesting to me is that the Lumière approach, though it seeks to simply reproduce reality, nevertheless leaves the door open to the wildest imagination. I find that there is more fantasy in certain images [of theirs] than in certain paintings that claim to be works of fantasy. I find that Lumière's images somehow remind me of what Le Douanier Rousseau represents in painting. That is, each man shares a sincere desire to copy reality, without adding or removing anything, but in fact the end result is the creation of a world. It is a world that exists in reality, but which also exists, with perhaps even greater power, in the imagination of Le Douanier...

“Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” — the story about a young displaced teacher who travels to Bhutan and is taught his own life lessons from the happy and kind locals (including a yak) — won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at The Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff), it was announced Sunday.

“Gay Chorus Deep South” — a documentary following the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus as the group embarks upon a high-risk tour of the Deep South to spread a message of tolerance — won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature.

“Parasite” screenwriters Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won won the Fipresci Prize for International Screenplay for their tale about two Korean families — one wealthy and one poor — whose live intersect in the most unexpected way.

Among the acting awards, Bartosz Bielenia from “Corpus Christi” and Helena Zengel from “System Crasher” took top honors.

Also Read: Palm Springs: Renée Zellweger,...

Updated with Audience Award winners: The 31st annual Palm Springs Film Festival has named the Bhutan drama Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom the winner of its Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature, and Gay Chorus Deep South its Audience Award for Best Documentary.

The news Sunday comes after the fest yesterday revealed its juried award winners at a luncheon at the Hilton Palm Springs. There, Russian pic Beanpole took the Fipresci prize, while Bong Joon-Ho’s Oscar favorite Parasite copped the Fipresci Screenplay prize.

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, from director Pawo Choyning Dorji, was filmed on location at more than 16,000 feet in one of the most remote villages in Bhutan. The pic centers on a young displaced teacher who is taught his own life lessons from the happy and kind locals.

David Charles Rodrigues’ U.S. docu Gay Chorus Deep South follows the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus...

The Palm Springs International Film Festival, which began just after the New Year and wraps January 13, screened 188 films; 51 of them were submitted for the Best International Feature Film Academy Award. The Palm Springs Film Festival prize winners announced Saturday over brunch at the Hilton included a handful of these films. See the full list of winners below. Audience awards will be announced on Sunday.

Fipresci Prize for Best International Feature Film: “Beanpole” (Russia), Director Kantemir Balagov.

Fipresci Prize for Best Actor in a International Feature Film: Bartosz Bielenia from “Corpus Christi” (Poland).

Fipresci Prize for the Best Actress in a International Feature Film: Helena Zengel from “System Crasher” (Germany).

Fipresci Prize for International Screenplay: “Parasite” (South Korea), Screenwriters Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin-Won.

Fipresci Prize for International Screenplay Special Mention: “Antigone” (Canada), Screenwrier Sophie Deraspe.

The Fipresci jury members were film critics Pamela Biénzobas, Alferov Gavrylyshyn, and Tina Hassannia.

The Palm Springs Film Festival has announced its juried winners, with “Beanpole” taking the Fipresci prize for films in the international feature film Oscar submissions program. The documentary award went to “Talking About Trees.”

Acting prizes went to Bartosz Bielenia from “Corpus Christi” for actor and Helena Zengel from “System Crasher” for actress. “Parasite” won the screenplay prize from the Fipresci jury of international film critics.

The festival, held from January 2-13, screened 192 films from 81 countries.

The New Voices New Visions award for first and second time filmmakers went to “Song Without a Name,” while “Monos” received the Ibero-American Award for films from Latin America, Spain or Portugal.

Other prizes included the local jury award to “Adam,” the Young Cineastes Award to “Corpus Christi,” and the Bridging the Borders award to “Advocate.”

The audience prizes will be announced Sunday.

A complete list of winners follows:

Fipresci Prize for Best International...

Kantemir Balagov's war drama Beanpole on Saturday was awarded the Fipresci prize for best international feature film at the 31st annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, which revealed this year's juried award winners during a luncheon at the Hilton Palm Springs.

Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin-Won received the Fipresci prize for best international screenplay for the dark family farce Parasite, while a special mention was given to Sophie Deraspe's Canadian crime drama Antigone. 

Peruvian director Melina León was presented the New Voices/New Visions Award, which recognizes unique viewpoints from first- or second-time filmmakers, for her investigative drama ...

Kantemir Balagov's war drama Beanpole on Saturday was awarded the Fipresci prize for best international feature film at the 31st annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, which revealed this year's juried award winners during a luncheon at the Hilton Palm Springs.

Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin-Won received the Fipresci prize for best international screenplay for the dark family farce Parasite, while a special mention was given to Sophie Deraspe's Canadian crime drama Antigone. 

Peruvian director Melina León was presented the New Voices/New Visions Award, which recognizes unique viewpoints from first- or second-time filmmakers, for her investigative drama ...

Canada contends this year with “Antigone” for its eighth Oscar nomination in the Best International Feature category, which has been renamed from Best Foreign Language Film. Canada was a staple of the race until recently, making the shortlist seven out of 10 times from 2003 to 2012. This included the country’s first and only win, for 2003’s “The Barbarian Invasions” by Denys Arcand, as well as three consecutive nominations from 2010 to 2012. Canada has been snubbed the last six years, only making the shortlist for 2016’s “It’s Only the End of the World,” which had won the Grand Prix runner-up award at the Cannes Film Festival for director Xavier Dolan.

“Antigone” is shaping up to be Canada’s most-acclaimed submission in years. Its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival yielded the People’s Choice Award for Best Canadian Film and the film has 91% approval from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, the best rating...

There’s a moment in French-Canadian director Sophie Deraspe's vividly shot Antigone — a contemporary, Montreal-set update of the Greek myth — in which the titular protagonist is forced to have a sit-down with a psychiatrist. The elderly female analyst dons huge black sunglasses even though the conversation takes place indoors. Until she finally takes them off and it becomes clear that she is, in fact, blind. Up until that point, the story, which follows the 17-year-old granddaughter of an immigrant from Kabylia, could have been a fairly realistic drama, except for the weird fact that so many characters ...

There’s a moment in French-Canadian director Sophie Deraspe's vividly shot Antigone — a contemporary, Montreal-set update of the Greek myth — in which the titular protagonist is forced to have a sit-down with a psychiatrist. The elderly female analyst dons huge black sunglasses even though the conversation takes place indoors. Until she finally takes them off and it becomes clear that she is, in fact, blind. Up until that point, the story, which follows the 17-year-old granddaughter of an immigrant from Kabylia, could have been a fairly realistic drama, except for the weird fact that so many characters ...

“I was inspired by this story written more than 2000 years ago, but still is so relevant,” Sophie Deraspe says about adapting the Sophocles play ‘Antigone’ for her film of the same name, which is Canada’s entry for the Best International Feature Oscar. The writer-director elaborates in her interview with Gold Derby at the 19th Whistler Film Festival (watch above), “It was in my early 20s when I read the play and I felt like I had to bring it back into a contemporary setting because it feels still so relevant.” Deraspe’s film transposes Antigone from classical Greece to present-day Montreal as an Algerian immigrant.

Deraspe calls it “a very universal story about family, about love, about dignity and resistance,” so she wants audiences to know that “you don’t have to know the play in order to appreciate the film.” Deraspe explains that the main change from the...

The annual Palm Springs International Film Festival in California is always an opportunity to catch up on many of the contenders for the Best International Feature — née Best Foreign-Language — Film Academy Award. Now in its 31st edition, the festival this year has 51 of them, from favorite-to-beat “Parasite” from South Korea and Senegal’s “Atlantics,” to other films quietly making strides in the race: Czech Republic’s “The Painted Bird,” Sweden’s “And Then We Danced,” Russia’s “Beanpole,” Romania’s “The Whistlers,” North Macedonia’s documentary contender “Honeyland,” Norway’s “Out Stealing Horses,” and many more.

The festival will screen 188 films from 81 countries, including 51 premieres, from January 2-13, 2020. The Awards Buzz section includes a special jury of international film critics, who will review these films to present the Fipresci Award for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, as well as Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay in this category.

One hundred eighty-eight films films from 81 countries including 51 premieres highlight the lineup for the 31st annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, which kicks off January 2 with a star-studded gala that has become a must-stop during awards season for Oscar hopefuls. The festival, which runs through January 13, also is known for showcasing a large number of submissions in the Motion Picture Academy’s International Film (formerly Foreign Language) competition and will feature 51 of those entries.

The opening-night film on January 3 is the Italian farce An Almost Ordinary Summer, while the closer is director Peter Cattaneo’s heartwarming dramedy Military Wives in which Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan and Jason Flemyng lead a superb ensemble cast. The film had its world premiere at September’s Toronto International Film Festival and became an instant crowd-pleaser. Bleecker Street releases it in 2020.

Among the previously announced honorees at the January 2 gala are Antonio Banderas, Renee Zellweger,...

WaZabi Films also closes deals with Italy, France, Mexico, South Korea.

Sophie Deraspe’s Canadian Oscar submission Antigone has secured Us distribution with Los Angeles-based Cinema Libre Studios as WaZabi Films reported a raft of international sales.

Rights have gone to Lucky Red in Italy, Ligne 7 in France and Belgium, Nachson Films in Israel, Cinemas Nueva Era in Mexico, and Green Narae Media in South Korea. WaZabi Films and the producer Acpav Corporation announced the deals on Monday evening (9).

Antigone premiered in Toronto where it won the Best Canadian Film award before going on to play at Rome International Film Festival,...

Canada's everyone-is-welcome immigration policy got worldwide attention in 2015 when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau personally greeted Syrian refugees at a Toronto airport.

But Antigone, Canadian director Sophie Deraspe's modern take on Sophocles' classic Greek tragedy, effectively indicts Quebec's refugee policies as unjust and heartless. "My Antigone is for our times and the problems we have and a young woman who feels her family bonds are stronger than laws written by men, and so she follows her heart and her own values," Deraspe tells THR.

Her refugee family drama has been tapped as Canada's official submission for ...

Simon Pegg may have done some snowboarding in Whistler, but he’s yet to attend a film fest there. Lucky for him, Katharine O’Brien’s “Lost Transmissions,” in which he stars alongside Juno Temple, is making its Canadian debut to open the Whistler Film Festival, which runs Dec 4-8. Pegg is thinking of bringing his snowboard, just in case, but mainly he’s there for the fest. Anything else is a bonus.

“It’s such a beautiful part of British Columbia,” he says by phone from his home in the U.K. “And it’s lovely for us to be the opening film there for a little film like this, which is very much a low-budget affair. It’s such an auspicious festival and it’s all you can hope for when you make these smaller films.”

Although Pegg is known more for comedies, this film, which tackles the subject of mental health,...

“Antigone” writer, director and cinematographer Sophie Deraspe discussed the inspiration for her film which was drawn from Sophocles’ tragedy at The Wrap screening series which took place on Monday at The Landmark in Los Angeles.

“I read ‘Antigone’ when I was in my early 20s and at that time I didn’t know I would make films but it really struck me,” Deraspe told TheWrap’s Steve Pond. “I was a student in literature and as a young woman it really felt like there is a character that I can totally relate to that is strong, intelligent and she stands up against what she feels is either unfair or unright. That spoke a lot to me at that time.”

Deraspe said the “Antigone” stayed in the corner of her heart and my head until many years later, when a tragedy that happened in Montreal that made her question what Antigone...

Exclusive: Entertainment publicists Angie Power and Ally La Mere are officially joining forces under the Route 504 PR banner after co-repping a slate of movies at Tiff this year.

The duo oversaw nine features in Toronto including two award winners: Antigone (Canada Goose Award for Best Feature Film) and The Twentieth Century (Best First Feature).

They also worked on publicity for Ordinary Love, Military Wives, Hope Gap, Black Conflux, It Must Be Heaven, The Body Remembers When The World Broke Open and Les Miserables at the festival.

The Toronto-based team has more than 30 years’ experience in entertainment and brand PR and will be combining forces to expand into new sectors including international festival representation.

They are currently the agency for Canadian indie distributor levelFILM and also handle English publicity in Canada for Montreal’s Maison 4:3.

Among the record 92 submissions this year, 27 titles are directed or co-directed by women. There are six documentaries in the mix, as well as two animated features. Moreover, for the first time, Ghana and Uzbekistan are each fielding an entry. However, Nigeria’s submission was disqualified by the Academy as being mostly in the English language. Here’s a guide to the films, including logline and sales or production contact.

Albania

“The Delegation”

Director: Bujar Alimani

Logline: In autumn 1990,

a political prisoner is secretly taken out of jail to meet the head of the European delegation investigating human-rights violations. But nothing goes according to plan.

Key Cast: Viktor Zhusti, Ndriçim Xhepa, Xhevdet Feri

Sales: Art Film

Algeria

“Papicha”

Director: Mounia Meddour

Logline: A female student rebels against the bans set by radicals during the civil war and plans a fashion show.

Key Cast: Lyna Khoudri, Shirine Boutella, Amira Hilda Douaouda

Sales:...

Sales slate includes Patrick Stewart pianist drama Coda.

WaZabi Films co-founders Anick Poirier and Lorne Price have added the latest hot title to their slate and will launch pre-sales at Afm next week on Frankel to star Jeremy Irons as the legendary racehorse trainer Sir Henry Cecil.

Irons, currently starring in the HBO hit Watchmen, will also produce the drama about the late postwar trainer who battled years of setbacks and illness and discovered a new lease on life when he worked with the titular British thoroughbred.

Cecil turned Frankel into a legend in the sport, undefeated in a 14-race...

Festival to run November 14-21; full line-up due later this month.

International feature film Oscar submissions The Traitor from Italy’s Marco Bellocchio and Antigone from Canada’s Sophie Deraspe will join Alice Winocour’s Proxima and Alex Gibney’s Citizen K at AFI Fest in the world cinema and documentary selections, announced on Tuesday (15).

World cinema entries include Academy Award submissions Corpus Christi from Poland, Sweden’s And Then We Danced, and Romania’s The Whistlers, playing alongside the Los Angeles premiere of Terrence Malik’s A Hidden Life.

Documentary entries include Alex Gibney’s Citizen K, Barbara Kopple’s Desert One,...