White Bird, a follow-up to 2017's Wonder, has set a digital release date. Directed by Marc Forster, the film expands the Wonder universe, which grossed $315 million globally. While Wonder focused on Auggie Pullman's challenges with Treacher Collins syndrome in a middle school setting, White Bird shifts to a historical narrative centered on Auggie's bully, Julian (played by Bryce Gheisar), who visits his grandmother (Helen Mirren) in France following his expulsion from school and learns of her survival story during the Nazi occupation of France in World War II.
After a limited theatrical run earlier this month, the digital release on VOD offers White Bird a renewed opportunity to connect with home audiences. According to Collider, the movie will be available at home starting on November 1. Viewers will be able to either rent or buy the movie, which is based on the novel by Wonder author R.J. Palacio.
Did you know?...
After a limited theatrical run earlier this month, the digital release on VOD offers White Bird a renewed opportunity to connect with home audiences. According to Collider, the movie will be available at home starting on November 1. Viewers will be able to either rent or buy the movie, which is based on the novel by Wonder author R.J. Palacio.
Did you know?...
- 10/31/2024
- by Alexis Zaccaria
- ScreenRant
White Bird has earned a solid Rotten Tomatoes score. The movie is both a sequel and prequel to 2017's Wonder, which starred Julia Roberts and was adapted from the R. J. Palacio novel of the same name and grossed $315 million against its $20 million budget. The new movie follows expelled bully Julian learning about his grandmother's (Helen Mirren) youth in France during World War II. The White Bird cast also includes Ariella Glaser, Orlando Schwerdt, Gillian Anderson, Patsy Ferran, Ishai Golan, Jem Matthews, Stuart McQuarrie, Olivia Ross, and Jo Stone-Fewings.
Rotten Tomatoes has now calculated an official Tomatometer score for White Bird. Compiled from 37 different critics' reviews, the movie has earned a solidly Fresh score of 73%. This is just 13 points shy of the original movie, which is Certified Fresh at 86%. This score could fluctuate as more reviews are added, but at the time of writing it is the best score for...
Rotten Tomatoes has now calculated an official Tomatometer score for White Bird. Compiled from 37 different critics' reviews, the movie has earned a solidly Fresh score of 73%. This is just 13 points shy of the original movie, which is Certified Fresh at 86%. This score could fluctuate as more reviews are added, but at the time of writing it is the best score for...
- 10/6/2024
- by Brennan Klein
- ScreenRant
Some of the most compelling moments in White Bird, Marc Forster’s mostly slushy adaptation of R.J. Palacio’s graphic novel of the same name, take place during flashbacks to the 1940s. These are the recollections of an aging grandmother trying to teach her grandson lessons about kindness. They’re also stories of survival, and Forster, with Dp Matthias Königswieser, films them in a way that avoids the trappings of sentimentality.
In them, the German-Swiss helmer behind Monster’s Ball, Quantum of Solace and more recently A Man Called Otto reaches for a specificity and a clear-eyed honesty that liberates parts of this young adult film from narrative contrivance. Unfortunately, too much of the rest of Mark Bomback’s screenplay tends toward saccharine manipulation.
White Bird functions as both a prequel and a sequel to Wonder, another Palacio work adapted for the big screen. That story followed Auggie Pullman, a 10-year-old...
In them, the German-Swiss helmer behind Monster’s Ball, Quantum of Solace and more recently A Man Called Otto reaches for a specificity and a clear-eyed honesty that liberates parts of this young adult film from narrative contrivance. Unfortunately, too much of the rest of Mark Bomback’s screenplay tends toward saccharine manipulation.
White Bird functions as both a prequel and a sequel to Wonder, another Palacio work adapted for the big screen. That story followed Auggie Pullman, a 10-year-old...
- 10/4/2024
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
White Bird, the Marc Forster-directed film adaptation of author R. J. Palacio’s sequel/prequel to her worldwide hit book and 2017 movie Wonder, has taken a long and circuitous route to finally getting a North American release. Frustrating as it has been, this is a film that is well worth the wait and perhaps more timely now than ever.
Shot in the Czech Republic in February 2021, White Bird was initially set as a wide release in September 2022, delayed a month to October then taken off Lionsgate’s release schedule entirely before either of those dates came around. It was then scheduled for an August 2023 opening, but last year’s SAG strike meant another delay until it was finally set several months ago for its October 4 release this Friday.
In that time, one of its production companies, Participant, has gone out of business, and another, Mandeville Films, has seen the...
Shot in the Czech Republic in February 2021, White Bird was initially set as a wide release in September 2022, delayed a month to October then taken off Lionsgate’s release schedule entirely before either of those dates came around. It was then scheduled for an August 2023 opening, but last year’s SAG strike meant another delay until it was finally set several months ago for its October 4 release this Friday.
In that time, one of its production companies, Participant, has gone out of business, and another, Mandeville Films, has seen the...
- 10/1/2024
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Marc Forster has frequently demonstrated an ability to tastefully moderate the more manipulative or saccharine aspects of popular but somewhat blunt-edged source material, in bestseller screen translations like “The Kite Runner” and “A Man Called Otto.” That knack comes in handy once more with “White Bird,” a graceful adaptation of a YA graphic novel by R.J. Palacio. A “Wonder story” tangentially related to 2012’s “Wonder,” it may get some boost from the connection to that book’s successful 2017 film version with Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson.
This less-starry affair (with brightest luminary Helen Mirren relegated to a glorified cameo) is a period piece mixing the Holocaust and teen romance, likely to appeal to a somewhat narrower audience — albeit one that will broaden in home formats. Though one can quibble over some of the more simplistic story elements here, the director’s astute craftsmanship delivers a handsome result that hits the...
This less-starry affair (with brightest luminary Helen Mirren relegated to a glorified cameo) is a period piece mixing the Holocaust and teen romance, likely to appeal to a somewhat narrower audience — albeit one that will broaden in home formats. Though one can quibble over some of the more simplistic story elements here, the director’s astute craftsmanship delivers a handsome result that hits the...
- 8/4/2023
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Apple is developing an English-language version of Israeli thriller False Flag.
Deadline understands that the company’s forthcoming streaming service is working up an adaptation of Keshet International’s Hebrew-language TV series, which was created by Amit Cohen and Maria Feldman.
The first season of the drama, which first aired on Israel’s Channel 2 in 2015, tells the story of five people, who wake up one morning to find themselves implicated in a ruthless kidnapping operation following the disappearance of the Iranian Defence Minister. As news bulletins repeatedly broadcast their names and photos, their attempts at denial are all in vain – the coverage sweeps them up in a maelstrom of publicity. At first, everyone is convinced that Mossad was behind the operation – but then the five civilians are stunned to discover that the government, which is supposed to protect them, as well as Mossad itself, denies all involvement and accuses them as suspects.
Deadline understands that the company’s forthcoming streaming service is working up an adaptation of Keshet International’s Hebrew-language TV series, which was created by Amit Cohen and Maria Feldman.
The first season of the drama, which first aired on Israel’s Channel 2 in 2015, tells the story of five people, who wake up one morning to find themselves implicated in a ruthless kidnapping operation following the disappearance of the Iranian Defence Minister. As news bulletins repeatedly broadcast their names and photos, their attempts at denial are all in vain – the coverage sweeps them up in a maelstrom of publicity. At first, everyone is convinced that Mossad was behind the operation – but then the five civilians are stunned to discover that the government, which is supposed to protect them, as well as Mossad itself, denies all involvement and accuses them as suspects.
- 7/30/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Directors: Doron Paz, Yoav Paz. Writer: Ariel Cohen. Cast: Hani Furstenberg, Ishai Golan, Brynie Furstenberg and Adi Kvetner. The Golem is the latest original film from Dread Central Presents. Distributed by Epic Pictures earlier this month, this film was developed by Israeli filmmakers: Doron Paz and Yoav Paz. These are the same filmmakers behind the earlier horror film Jeruzalem (2015). Both film have been influenced by Jewish mythology and even the Frankenstein myth. Though, this creature is created through supernatural forces and not science. And, this Golem has a purpose, to save a small Jewish village from Christian raiders. Very much a creepy kid film, in the vein of The Omen (1976) or Children of the Corn (1984), this child terror shows a penchant for murder. The finale brings out his specialty in one of the better climaxes in indie horror. The Golem should be put on most indie horror fans to-buy list.
- 2/24/2019
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
When you’ve seen as many horror movies as many of us obsessive fans have, it can be difficult to be shown anything new. We know the monsters. We know the archetypes. We know the clichés and we know the form. By branching out to the horror movies of other countries, though, it is possible to make discoveries that feel fresh and original, because even if the stories being told aren’t anything new, the films have their own unique cultural identity that helps change the lens through which we view even those horror archetypes which might otherwise seem familiar. After absorbing decades of American folklore on screen, it’s nice to see what’s scary around the world.
Doran and Yoav Paz’s latest effort, The Golem, is such a film. The first original production from Dread Central Presents (now rebranded as simply “Dread”), The Golem is a movie...
Doran and Yoav Paz’s latest effort, The Golem, is such a film. The first original production from Dread Central Presents (now rebranded as simply “Dread”), The Golem is a movie...
- 1/29/2019
- by Patrick Bromley
- DailyDead
Exclusive: When the Paz Brothers’ new horror film The Golem hits theaters next week, it will do so via Dread, the official new name for Dread Central Presents. The genre label is continuing to ramp up its slate after the brand was acquired in 2017 by Epic Pictures.
The next in-house production in the Dread pipeline is Lucky, a feminist horror film that begins preproduction soon in Los Angeles, Natasha Kermani (Imitation Girl) directs from a script by
Brea Grant.
Grant also stars as May, a suburban mother stalked night after night by a threatening but elusive figure. With few clues as evidence and no witnesses, she finds her story and her sanity questioned by authorities. As each attack intensifies, and with no one to turn to for help, May finds herself alone and locked in an increasingly vicious battle with someone or something that may be unstoppable.
The next in-house production in the Dread pipeline is Lucky, a feminist horror film that begins preproduction soon in Los Angeles, Natasha Kermani (Imitation Girl) directs from a script by
Brea Grant.
Grant also stars as May, a suburban mother stalked night after night by a threatening but elusive figure. With few clues as evidence and no witnesses, she finds her story and her sanity questioned by authorities. As each attack intensifies, and with no one to turn to for help, May finds herself alone and locked in an increasingly vicious battle with someone or something that may be unstoppable.
- 1/29/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Tagline: "An Ancient Legend Reborn." The Golem is a horror film based on an ancient Jewish legend. In the legend, a demonic child figure can be summoned, in the face of invasion. The Golem was developed by the Paz Brothers: Doron and Yoav Paz. They were the central filmmakers behind the undead feature Jeruzalem (2015). Their latest goes back into a medieval past. As well, The Golem stars: Hani Furstenberg (Mississippi Murder), Ishai Golan, Lenny Ravish, Brynie Furstenberg and Alexey Tritenko. A trailer has been launched recently for this exciting thriller and the clip, plus release details, can be found here. The trailer develops the story more. However, Hanna (Furstenberg) is part of a remote Jewish community. Practicing mysticism, she turns against her husband and conjures a dangerous entity, tasked with protecting her and her community. Yet, a demon this strong has a will all of its own. This title has...
- 1/14/2019
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
When Gideon Raff first created the Israeli drama “Prisoners of War” seven years ago, he was sure that someone had already come up with the idea.
“Israel is such a small country, and the issue of prisoners of war is such a raw subject that I was sure somebody did it,” he said. “But the more I researched, the more I realized there was a world of drama that hadn’t been tapped into.”
“Prisoners of War” quickly became a TV phenomenon in that country, and was soon adapted in the United States as Showtime’s “Homeland.”
Read More: ‘Homeland’ Inspiration ‘Prisoners of War’ Invades U.S. Television
The original series was shown in more than 40 territories, and the format was sold to broadcasters in several more countries. Besides the United States, localized versions of “Prisoners of War” have now been created in India, Russia, South Korea, Turkey and Argentina.
“Israel is such a small country, and the issue of prisoners of war is such a raw subject that I was sure somebody did it,” he said. “But the more I researched, the more I realized there was a world of drama that hadn’t been tapped into.”
“Prisoners of War” quickly became a TV phenomenon in that country, and was soon adapted in the United States as Showtime’s “Homeland.”
Read More: ‘Homeland’ Inspiration ‘Prisoners of War’ Invades U.S. Television
The original series was shown in more than 40 territories, and the format was sold to broadcasters in several more countries. Besides the United States, localized versions of “Prisoners of War” have now been created in India, Russia, South Korea, Turkey and Argentina.
- 10/24/2016
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
“Prisoners of War,” the inspiration for the hit series “Homeland” and winner of nine Israeli Academy Awards in 2010 (including Best Drama and Best Director), is coming to the U.S. The captivating war-drama is set to start airing Monday Oct. 24 at 10pm. You can catch the premiere on Link TV, available to all Dish Network and DirecTV subscribers, or Kcet in Southern California. All 24 of the one-hour episodes will air in Hebrew with English subtitles.
Read More: What Does Israel Think of ‘Homeland’? ‘Prisoners of War’ Creator Gideon Raff Explains
The series focuses on three Israeli soldiers who were captured and held prisoner for 17 years while on a secret mission in Lebanon. After years of negotiations for their freedom, the series begins when two of the soldiers return to Israel alive — the third isn’t so lucky. The series explores the soldiers’ reintegration into society and the secret investigation into the truth surrounding their capture,...
Read More: What Does Israel Think of ‘Homeland’? ‘Prisoners of War’ Creator Gideon Raff Explains
The series focuses on three Israeli soldiers who were captured and held prisoner for 17 years while on a secret mission in Lebanon. After years of negotiations for their freedom, the series begins when two of the soldiers return to Israel alive — the third isn’t so lucky. The series explores the soldiers’ reintegration into society and the secret investigation into the truth surrounding their capture,...
- 9/9/2016
- by Alec McPike
- Indiewire
Netflix has announced the cast for its upcoming, live-action Greenhouse Academy TV show (formerly known as The Greenhouse). The Greenhouse Academy series regulars are: Jessica Amlee, Cinthya Carmona, Nadine Ellis, Reina Hardesty, Dallas Hart, Bj Mitchell, Ariel Mortman, Chris O’Neal, Benjamin Papac, Finn Roberts, Parker Stevenson, and Grace Van Dien. Ishai Golan is set to recur.Per Netflix, "Paula Yoo (West Wing, Defiance, Eureka) is adapting with showrunner Giora Chamizer, who wrote and created the original series. Nutz Productions, a subsidiary company of Ananey Communications, will produce the series for Netflix."Read More…...
- 8/4/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
This is a "go to" festival for international filmmakers with Jewish films who want to have their films premiere in Hollywood. The 11th L.A. Jewish Film Festival May 18th through May 25.
Opening night on May 18 will be a grand, red carpet, star-studded gala at the Steve Tisch Cinema Center at the Saban Theatre, Beverly Hills. Lajff will recognize the Laemmle Theater family with a special honor for their ongoing commitment to film and filmmakers. This family, headed by legendary Universal studio owner, Carl Laemmle and continuously run by subsequent three generations of Laemmles, is truly a force of nature. The Laemmle Theaters is a 75+ year old family run business which has established a sense of community through film in every neighborhood of Los Angeles they touch. The Laemmle family also supports many local organizations.
Watch this wonderful history of the Laemmle theaters in which Gregory Laemmle, the President of Laemmle Theaters, gives the Beverly Hills Historical Society a summary of the Laemmle family movie theater's history and his programming of the Fine Arts and Music Hall theaters in Beverly Hills.
Opening night film is the North American premiere of “False Flag” /”Kfulim”, a gripping espionage thriller TV series (now known as “filmed entertainment”) which premiered at the Berlinale’s inaugural Special Series section and won the Grand Prize at Series Mania. It comes from the makers of “Homeland” as it first appeared in Israel in 2015 before being remade for U.S. audiences.
Created by Amit Cohen and Maria Feldman, Amit will be present after the screening for a Q&A with actor Angel Bonanni.
Variety, October 2015 called it a “Thrill Ride. Keshet’s hot strike may continue with False Flag”
C21 Hot Picks for Mipcom 2015 said, “’False Flag’ has a touch of ‘Homeland’ about it and could be the next big Israeli drama”.
Directed by Oded Ruskin, it stars Ishai Golan, Ania Bukstein, Angel Bonanni, Roy Assaf and Orna Salinger who play five Israeli citizens who find themselves plunged into a gripping international espionage affair overnight. These ordinary people, going about their daily business, wake up one morning to discover that they are implicated in a ruthless kidnapping operation following the disappearance of the Iranian Defense Minister while on a secret visit to Moscow. News bulletins repeatedly flash their names and passport photos on screen, linking them to video footage from the kidnapping.
French pay TV channel Canal Plus acquired exclusive rights to “False Flag” for France from Keshet International. Will it be remade for U.S.??? We shall see.
In addition to the opening night ceremony, this year will be the first year for a new award. Lajff will establish the Marvin Paige Hollywood Legacy Award. Marvin Paige who died in 2014 was a classic Hollywood casting director, the go-to Hollywood star wrangler of anybody and everybody needing to get a hold of a celebrity. He worked with Lajff for its entire 11 years and his work continues with his former protégé.
Read Leonard Maltin on Marvin Paige
The Marvin Paige Hollywood Legacy Award will be presented on closing night, Wednesday, May 25th, at the iconic Beverly Hills theater, The Fine Arts, to legendary actress Marsha Hunt, formerly blacklisted and still known as a free speech and humanitarian activist today at age 98!).
Closing night film Wednesday, May 25th is the classic, 72 year old movie ”None Shall Escape” starring Marsha Hunt and directed by André De Toth, starring Marsha Hunt, Alexander Knox, Henry Travers, and written by Alfred Neumann and Joseph Than (Alfred Neumann and Joseph Than were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Story.)
"None Shall Escape" is a 1944 war film. Even though the film was made during World War II, the setting is a post-war Nuremberg-style war crimes trial. Production began August 31, 1943 and finished October 26, more than eighteen months before the war in Europe ended. About the career of a Nazi officer as shown as flashbacks from his trial as a war criminal, the film will be discussed by film historian, Professor Jan Christopher Horak with Marsha Hunt in person.
There will also be a very special screening of Israel’s beloved, 1966 film musical, “Sheni Kuni Lemel”/ “The Flying Matchmaker” featuring an appearance from L.A. local celebrity and star of the film, Mike Burstyn who starred in the film when he was just 19 years old. This is the first screening of the newly restored print from Israel - the first to be shown in the U.S. Lajff will honor this classic Israeli star with an award on the first night of the screening for “Sheni Kuni Lemel”. (Learn more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Matchmaker)
Another film definitely to be seen is the first film made by Oscar-winning director of “Son of Saul”, László Nemes. The 2008,14 minute short, “ With a Little Patience” will be playing before “Fever at Dawn” on May 23. Director László Nemes fixes the camera on the evocatively stoic face of a young female office clerk, capturing her every nuance as she methodically goes about her daily routine, which leads to a solemn revelation just outside the window, where a man is waiting. The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival
and was the winner at the 14th Drama International Short Film Festival.
Monday, May 23, 7:30 pm Laemmle’s Music Hall, Beverly Hills program introduction by Consul General of Hungary, Laszlo Kalman
Another top film here is “The People Vs. Fritz Bauer”. If you saw the German submission for the Academy Award this year, “Labyrinth of Lies” you will know the story, but will find this film much,much more authentic and engrossing. It is the real story of the boss of the young man “Labyrinth” who is the true life hero.
Audience Award Winner at the Locarno International Film Festival, World Premiere Toronto International Film Festival 2015. Cohen Media has U.S. rights.
Its L.A. premiere will be Tuesday, May 24, 7:30 pm Laemmle’s Music Hall. Drama, Germany, 2015, 105 minutes, Director: Lars Kraume, in German with English subtitles
Top German actors Burghart Klaussner (“The White Ribbon”) and Ronald Zehrfeld (“Barbara”, “Phoenix”) star in this riveting historical thriller, which chronicles the staggering efforts of German district attorney Fritz Bauer to bring Nazi war criminal Adolph Eichmann to justice.
Few figures encapsulate the conflicted character of postwar Germany better than Fritz Bauer, the Attorney General who was instrumental in bringing the elusive Adolf Eichmann to trial in Israel. This film is both a portrait of this complex man and a riveting historical thriller that chronicles the Herculean efforts and tremendous risks undertaken en route to apprehending the chief engineer of the Nazis' Final Solution.
In the late 1950s, Germany flourishes under the economic miracle, and grows increasingly apathetic about confronting the horrors of its recent past. Nevertheless, Fritz Bauer (Burghart Klaussner) relentlessly devotes his energies to bringing the Third Reich to justice. One day Bauer receives a letter from Argentina, with information about Adolf Eichmann. He is excited by the promising lead, but obstructed at every turn by authorities with Nazi ties, many of them former higher-ups under Hitler, now in top government positions. Bauer journeys to Jerusalem to seek alliance with Mossad, the Israeli secret service. This is an act of treason — yet committing treason is the only way Bauer can serve his country.
Fritz Bauer was the Attorney General portrayed in “Labyrinth of Lies.” This is the story that led up to the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials.
Introduction: Deputy Consul General Stefan Biedermann of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany. Sponsored by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany
“A La Vie” / “To Life”
Drama, France, 2014, 104 minutes
Director: Jean-Jacques Zilbermann
Starring: Julie Depardieu, Johanna ter Steege, Suzanne Clément
Audience Award Winner at Warsaw Jewish Ff 2015
Breaking Glass has U.S. rights.
Veteran French writer/director Jean-Jacques Zilbermann (“He’s My Girl” - Lajff 2011) sets his engaging new drama in postwar Paris where Hélène (Julie Depardieu), a young Auschwitz survivor rebuilds her life while searching for her friends from the camp, Lily and Rose (Johanna ter Steege, Suzanne Clément). When the women are finally reunited, they share a watershed vacation in 1962 in a seaside resort, enjoying the intimacies of life, love and faith. This emotionally complex film about the sustaining power of women’s friendship was inspired by the director’s mother and her annual vacation with the friends she made in the camps. Don’t miss this masterful film starring a trio of award-winning actresses.
“Children Of Giant”
Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqBYPp8IfQw
La Premiere
Documentary, United States 2015, 85 minutes
Director: Hector Galan
Thursday, May 19 at the Laemmle's Town Center, Encino at 7:30 pm
Marilyn Moss, George Stevens biographer, M.G. Lord, Elizabeth Taylor biographer Plus Earl Holliman (actor from the film) and Jim Silke join the panel discussion, moderated by Nick Redman.
Sixty years after the Hollywood blockbuster that dared tackle the issue of prejudice against Mexican-Americans, “Children Of Giant” explores the cultural and social legacy of the landmark 1956 drama. Starring a legendary trio—Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean—Giant is the epic story of a powerful West Texas ranching dynasty, and the Anglo-Latino tensions their characters encounter. Edna Ferber, the daughter of a Hungarian-born Jewish storekeeper, whose own encounters with discrimination informed her work, bases the film on the novel. Similarly stirred to address human rights issues after his WWII military service, Oscar-winning director George Stevens embraced the book’s controversial themes of feminism, class division and racism in the post-war American Southwest. The lavish production had an enormous impact on the dusty little town of Marfa, Texas, and the Mexican-Americans who saw it as a first exposure to their second-class status.
Rare behind-the-scenes footage and clips from the movie complement interviews with surviving cast and crew, film historians, as well as residents whose lives mirrored the social issues explored onscreen.
“Golan: A Farewell To Mr. Cinema”
Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evRsJy8GxrU&spfreload=10
La Premiere
Documentary, UK/Israel, 74 minutes
Directed by Christopher Sykes
Sunday, May 22, 7:00 pm, Laemmle’s Music Hall, Beverly Hills
Speakers for Golan: Farewell to Mr. Cinema. Sam Firstenberg and Sybil Danning.
This film is the final chapter in the extraordinary life and career of Menahem Golan, Israeli movie director, producer, mogul and 'madman'. Golan and his cousin Yoram Globus, pursued the American Dream and turned the Hollywood power structure upside down, producing over 300 films and becoming the most powerful independent film company in the world; Cannon Films. Golan produced movies featuring such stars as Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Charles Bronson.
In his eighties and living in Jaffa, Golan looks back to his great days in Hollywood, forward to a new blockbuster, and dreams of the Oscar he has always wanted...
“In Search Of Israeli Cuisine”
La Premiere
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOd6cyFvBr8
Documentary, United States 2015, 97 minutes
Thursday, May 19, 7:30 pm Laemmle’s Music Hall, Beverly Hill
Q&A with Amelia Saltsman, cookbook author and personality and Rob Eshman, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Journal.
Sunday, May 22, 4:30 pm, Laemmle’s Town Center, Encino
Q&A with Elana Horwich, owner of Meal with a Spiel
Director: Roger Sherman
Starring: Michael Solomonov
Michael Solomonov, the James Beard award-winning celebrity chef-restaurateur travels across Israel to savor a food revolution rooted in centuries-old tradition. Developed in only the last 30 years and using both ancient farming techniques and high-tech innovations, Israel’s food scene is among the most dynamic in the world. From Tel Aviv’s most exclusive eateries to street bazaars, Israeli-American Solomonov interviews chefs, home cooks, farmers, vintners, and cheese makers drawn from the more than 100 cultures that make up Israel today — Jewish, Arab, Muslim, Christian, and Druze. This journey to his homeland reaffirms that Israeli cuisine is a beautiful and delectable reflection of the country’s unique diversity.
In a gastronomical expedition, celebrity chef-restaurateur Michael Solomonov zigzags Israel to savor a food revolution rooted in centuries-old tradition.
Israel’s food scene is among the most dynamic in the world, extending beyond falafel and hummus to include tasty ethnic and regional specialties. Having won the James Beard award for embracing these authentic flavors, Israeli-American Solomonov returns to his homeland to discover his culinary heritage anew. From Tel Aviv’s most exclusive eateries, to street bazaars, to simmering pots in family kitchens, “In Search Of Israeli Cuisine” excites the taste buds with multi-cultural recipes passed on and elevated. But even food is not immune to sectarian conflict, as Palestinian cooks chafe when their savory secrets are adapted by Jewish chefs. Equally eye-opening is the story behind the ingredients that Israel produces using both ancient farming techniques and high-tech innovations. Combining a procession of mouthwatering dishes and interviews with chefs, home cooks and farmers of all backgrounds, Oscar-nominated documentarian Roger Sherman presents a diverse portrait of the Israeli people told through the very personal language of food.
Rob Eshman, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Journal, Blog “Foodaism” to lead discussion. Additional guests Tbd. Sponsored by the Jewish Journal and the Consulate General of Israel
Food sponsored by Mickey Fine Pharmacy & Grill and Yrf Darca
For the full array of programming go to: http://lajfilmfest.org/...
Opening night on May 18 will be a grand, red carpet, star-studded gala at the Steve Tisch Cinema Center at the Saban Theatre, Beverly Hills. Lajff will recognize the Laemmle Theater family with a special honor for their ongoing commitment to film and filmmakers. This family, headed by legendary Universal studio owner, Carl Laemmle and continuously run by subsequent three generations of Laemmles, is truly a force of nature. The Laemmle Theaters is a 75+ year old family run business which has established a sense of community through film in every neighborhood of Los Angeles they touch. The Laemmle family also supports many local organizations.
Watch this wonderful history of the Laemmle theaters in which Gregory Laemmle, the President of Laemmle Theaters, gives the Beverly Hills Historical Society a summary of the Laemmle family movie theater's history and his programming of the Fine Arts and Music Hall theaters in Beverly Hills.
Opening night film is the North American premiere of “False Flag” /”Kfulim”, a gripping espionage thriller TV series (now known as “filmed entertainment”) which premiered at the Berlinale’s inaugural Special Series section and won the Grand Prize at Series Mania. It comes from the makers of “Homeland” as it first appeared in Israel in 2015 before being remade for U.S. audiences.
Created by Amit Cohen and Maria Feldman, Amit will be present after the screening for a Q&A with actor Angel Bonanni.
Variety, October 2015 called it a “Thrill Ride. Keshet’s hot strike may continue with False Flag”
C21 Hot Picks for Mipcom 2015 said, “’False Flag’ has a touch of ‘Homeland’ about it and could be the next big Israeli drama”.
Directed by Oded Ruskin, it stars Ishai Golan, Ania Bukstein, Angel Bonanni, Roy Assaf and Orna Salinger who play five Israeli citizens who find themselves plunged into a gripping international espionage affair overnight. These ordinary people, going about their daily business, wake up one morning to discover that they are implicated in a ruthless kidnapping operation following the disappearance of the Iranian Defense Minister while on a secret visit to Moscow. News bulletins repeatedly flash their names and passport photos on screen, linking them to video footage from the kidnapping.
French pay TV channel Canal Plus acquired exclusive rights to “False Flag” for France from Keshet International. Will it be remade for U.S.??? We shall see.
In addition to the opening night ceremony, this year will be the first year for a new award. Lajff will establish the Marvin Paige Hollywood Legacy Award. Marvin Paige who died in 2014 was a classic Hollywood casting director, the go-to Hollywood star wrangler of anybody and everybody needing to get a hold of a celebrity. He worked with Lajff for its entire 11 years and his work continues with his former protégé.
Read Leonard Maltin on Marvin Paige
The Marvin Paige Hollywood Legacy Award will be presented on closing night, Wednesday, May 25th, at the iconic Beverly Hills theater, The Fine Arts, to legendary actress Marsha Hunt, formerly blacklisted and still known as a free speech and humanitarian activist today at age 98!).
Closing night film Wednesday, May 25th is the classic, 72 year old movie ”None Shall Escape” starring Marsha Hunt and directed by André De Toth, starring Marsha Hunt, Alexander Knox, Henry Travers, and written by Alfred Neumann and Joseph Than (Alfred Neumann and Joseph Than were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Story.)
"None Shall Escape" is a 1944 war film. Even though the film was made during World War II, the setting is a post-war Nuremberg-style war crimes trial. Production began August 31, 1943 and finished October 26, more than eighteen months before the war in Europe ended. About the career of a Nazi officer as shown as flashbacks from his trial as a war criminal, the film will be discussed by film historian, Professor Jan Christopher Horak with Marsha Hunt in person.
There will also be a very special screening of Israel’s beloved, 1966 film musical, “Sheni Kuni Lemel”/ “The Flying Matchmaker” featuring an appearance from L.A. local celebrity and star of the film, Mike Burstyn who starred in the film when he was just 19 years old. This is the first screening of the newly restored print from Israel - the first to be shown in the U.S. Lajff will honor this classic Israeli star with an award on the first night of the screening for “Sheni Kuni Lemel”. (Learn more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Matchmaker)
Another film definitely to be seen is the first film made by Oscar-winning director of “Son of Saul”, László Nemes. The 2008,14 minute short, “ With a Little Patience” will be playing before “Fever at Dawn” on May 23. Director László Nemes fixes the camera on the evocatively stoic face of a young female office clerk, capturing her every nuance as she methodically goes about her daily routine, which leads to a solemn revelation just outside the window, where a man is waiting. The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival
and was the winner at the 14th Drama International Short Film Festival.
Monday, May 23, 7:30 pm Laemmle’s Music Hall, Beverly Hills program introduction by Consul General of Hungary, Laszlo Kalman
Another top film here is “The People Vs. Fritz Bauer”. If you saw the German submission for the Academy Award this year, “Labyrinth of Lies” you will know the story, but will find this film much,much more authentic and engrossing. It is the real story of the boss of the young man “Labyrinth” who is the true life hero.
Audience Award Winner at the Locarno International Film Festival, World Premiere Toronto International Film Festival 2015. Cohen Media has U.S. rights.
Its L.A. premiere will be Tuesday, May 24, 7:30 pm Laemmle’s Music Hall. Drama, Germany, 2015, 105 minutes, Director: Lars Kraume, in German with English subtitles
Top German actors Burghart Klaussner (“The White Ribbon”) and Ronald Zehrfeld (“Barbara”, “Phoenix”) star in this riveting historical thriller, which chronicles the staggering efforts of German district attorney Fritz Bauer to bring Nazi war criminal Adolph Eichmann to justice.
Few figures encapsulate the conflicted character of postwar Germany better than Fritz Bauer, the Attorney General who was instrumental in bringing the elusive Adolf Eichmann to trial in Israel. This film is both a portrait of this complex man and a riveting historical thriller that chronicles the Herculean efforts and tremendous risks undertaken en route to apprehending the chief engineer of the Nazis' Final Solution.
In the late 1950s, Germany flourishes under the economic miracle, and grows increasingly apathetic about confronting the horrors of its recent past. Nevertheless, Fritz Bauer (Burghart Klaussner) relentlessly devotes his energies to bringing the Third Reich to justice. One day Bauer receives a letter from Argentina, with information about Adolf Eichmann. He is excited by the promising lead, but obstructed at every turn by authorities with Nazi ties, many of them former higher-ups under Hitler, now in top government positions. Bauer journeys to Jerusalem to seek alliance with Mossad, the Israeli secret service. This is an act of treason — yet committing treason is the only way Bauer can serve his country.
Fritz Bauer was the Attorney General portrayed in “Labyrinth of Lies.” This is the story that led up to the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials.
Introduction: Deputy Consul General Stefan Biedermann of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany. Sponsored by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany
“A La Vie” / “To Life”
Drama, France, 2014, 104 minutes
Director: Jean-Jacques Zilbermann
Starring: Julie Depardieu, Johanna ter Steege, Suzanne Clément
Audience Award Winner at Warsaw Jewish Ff 2015
Breaking Glass has U.S. rights.
Veteran French writer/director Jean-Jacques Zilbermann (“He’s My Girl” - Lajff 2011) sets his engaging new drama in postwar Paris where Hélène (Julie Depardieu), a young Auschwitz survivor rebuilds her life while searching for her friends from the camp, Lily and Rose (Johanna ter Steege, Suzanne Clément). When the women are finally reunited, they share a watershed vacation in 1962 in a seaside resort, enjoying the intimacies of life, love and faith. This emotionally complex film about the sustaining power of women’s friendship was inspired by the director’s mother and her annual vacation with the friends she made in the camps. Don’t miss this masterful film starring a trio of award-winning actresses.
“Children Of Giant”
Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqBYPp8IfQw
La Premiere
Documentary, United States 2015, 85 minutes
Director: Hector Galan
Thursday, May 19 at the Laemmle's Town Center, Encino at 7:30 pm
Marilyn Moss, George Stevens biographer, M.G. Lord, Elizabeth Taylor biographer Plus Earl Holliman (actor from the film) and Jim Silke join the panel discussion, moderated by Nick Redman.
Sixty years after the Hollywood blockbuster that dared tackle the issue of prejudice against Mexican-Americans, “Children Of Giant” explores the cultural and social legacy of the landmark 1956 drama. Starring a legendary trio—Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean—Giant is the epic story of a powerful West Texas ranching dynasty, and the Anglo-Latino tensions their characters encounter. Edna Ferber, the daughter of a Hungarian-born Jewish storekeeper, whose own encounters with discrimination informed her work, bases the film on the novel. Similarly stirred to address human rights issues after his WWII military service, Oscar-winning director George Stevens embraced the book’s controversial themes of feminism, class division and racism in the post-war American Southwest. The lavish production had an enormous impact on the dusty little town of Marfa, Texas, and the Mexican-Americans who saw it as a first exposure to their second-class status.
Rare behind-the-scenes footage and clips from the movie complement interviews with surviving cast and crew, film historians, as well as residents whose lives mirrored the social issues explored onscreen.
“Golan: A Farewell To Mr. Cinema”
Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evRsJy8GxrU&spfreload=10
La Premiere
Documentary, UK/Israel, 74 minutes
Directed by Christopher Sykes
Sunday, May 22, 7:00 pm, Laemmle’s Music Hall, Beverly Hills
Speakers for Golan: Farewell to Mr. Cinema. Sam Firstenberg and Sybil Danning.
This film is the final chapter in the extraordinary life and career of Menahem Golan, Israeli movie director, producer, mogul and 'madman'. Golan and his cousin Yoram Globus, pursued the American Dream and turned the Hollywood power structure upside down, producing over 300 films and becoming the most powerful independent film company in the world; Cannon Films. Golan produced movies featuring such stars as Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Charles Bronson.
In his eighties and living in Jaffa, Golan looks back to his great days in Hollywood, forward to a new blockbuster, and dreams of the Oscar he has always wanted...
“In Search Of Israeli Cuisine”
La Premiere
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOd6cyFvBr8
Documentary, United States 2015, 97 minutes
Thursday, May 19, 7:30 pm Laemmle’s Music Hall, Beverly Hill
Q&A with Amelia Saltsman, cookbook author and personality and Rob Eshman, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Journal.
Sunday, May 22, 4:30 pm, Laemmle’s Town Center, Encino
Q&A with Elana Horwich, owner of Meal with a Spiel
Director: Roger Sherman
Starring: Michael Solomonov
Michael Solomonov, the James Beard award-winning celebrity chef-restaurateur travels across Israel to savor a food revolution rooted in centuries-old tradition. Developed in only the last 30 years and using both ancient farming techniques and high-tech innovations, Israel’s food scene is among the most dynamic in the world. From Tel Aviv’s most exclusive eateries to street bazaars, Israeli-American Solomonov interviews chefs, home cooks, farmers, vintners, and cheese makers drawn from the more than 100 cultures that make up Israel today — Jewish, Arab, Muslim, Christian, and Druze. This journey to his homeland reaffirms that Israeli cuisine is a beautiful and delectable reflection of the country’s unique diversity.
In a gastronomical expedition, celebrity chef-restaurateur Michael Solomonov zigzags Israel to savor a food revolution rooted in centuries-old tradition.
Israel’s food scene is among the most dynamic in the world, extending beyond falafel and hummus to include tasty ethnic and regional specialties. Having won the James Beard award for embracing these authentic flavors, Israeli-American Solomonov returns to his homeland to discover his culinary heritage anew. From Tel Aviv’s most exclusive eateries, to street bazaars, to simmering pots in family kitchens, “In Search Of Israeli Cuisine” excites the taste buds with multi-cultural recipes passed on and elevated. But even food is not immune to sectarian conflict, as Palestinian cooks chafe when their savory secrets are adapted by Jewish chefs. Equally eye-opening is the story behind the ingredients that Israel produces using both ancient farming techniques and high-tech innovations. Combining a procession of mouthwatering dishes and interviews with chefs, home cooks and farmers of all backgrounds, Oscar-nominated documentarian Roger Sherman presents a diverse portrait of the Israeli people told through the very personal language of food.
Rob Eshman, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Journal, Blog “Foodaism” to lead discussion. Additional guests Tbd. Sponsored by the Jewish Journal and the Consulate General of Israel
Food sponsored by Mickey Fine Pharmacy & Grill and Yrf Darca
For the full array of programming go to: http://lajfilmfest.org/...
- 5/5/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Before Homeland started winning Emmy Awards for Best Drama series during its first two seasons, the Israeli series Prisoners of War served as its inspiration. The series was created by Gideon Raff, who now serves as an executive producer on Homeland and the new FX series Tyrant, centering on three Israeli soldiers who finally return home after being held as prisoners of war for the past 17 years. Shout! Factory is bringing this critically-acclaimed series home on DVD for the first time with Prisoners of War: Season One, debuting July 9. To celebrate this release, we have a contest lined up where fans can bring home this new DVD set, to see the gripping drama that inspired the creation of Homeland. These prizes will be gone before you know it, so take a look at how you can win.
Winners Receive:
Prisoners of War: Season One
Here's How To Win!
Just "Like...
Winners Receive:
Prisoners of War: Season One
Here's How To Win!
Just "Like...
- 7/8/2014
- by MovieWeb
- MovieWeb
Before there was Homeland, there was Prisoners of War, an Israeli TV drama about three soldiers, two of whom — Uri (Ishai Golan) and Nimrode (Yoram Toledano) — return home after 17 years in an enemy prison. Gideon Raff created the show and went on to help American producers Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa adapt it for Showtime as Homeland. Seasons 1 (10 episodes) and 2 (14 episodes) of Prisoners of War are now available on Hulu's streaming service. Raff filled out our showrunner survey to explain why viewers may want to hunt for Prisoners of War.
Read More >...
Read More >...
- 8/28/2013
- by Michael Schneider
- TVGuide - Breaking News
"We've got an incredibly diverse audience. It's big and getting bigger. That gives us a lot of latitude," Hulu's Svp of content Andy Forssell told the Television Critics Association during the fall previews on Tuesday.
Hulu's new summer programming slate reflects that diversity. After launching its first original scripted series Battleground in February, Hulu is continuing its commitment to creating new programs and distributing curated content from around the web, networks and globe. Check out its summer lineup:
Prisoners of War
The nine-time Israeli Emmy Award-winning series starring Mili Avital and Ishai Golan inspired Showtime's critically acclaimed Homeland.
Read More >...
Hulu's new summer programming slate reflects that diversity. After launching its first original scripted series Battleground in February, Hulu is continuing its commitment to creating new programs and distributing curated content from around the web, networks and globe. Check out its summer lineup:
Prisoners of War
The nine-time Israeli Emmy Award-winning series starring Mili Avital and Ishai Golan inspired Showtime's critically acclaimed Homeland.
Read More >...
- 8/1/2012
- by Hanh Nguyen
- TVGuide - Breaking News
The distinction goes to Keshet Broadcasting’s Prisoners Of War (Hatufim), which was written and directed by Gideon Raff and became the country’s highest-rated TV drama. The story line will be familiar to fans of Showtime’s Homeland– it was based on the Israeli series. It’s about two soldiers trying to reintegrate with society, and reconnect with their families, after 17 years in an enemy prison. A military psychologist becomes suspicious when it turns out that their accounts of their captivity don’t match. Secret service agents launch an investigation to determine who they really are and what they’re hiding. The 10-part series stars Yael Abecassis, Mili Avital, Yoram Tolledano, Assi Cohen and Ishai Golan. It premieres on Hulu and Hulu Plus this Saturday, July 14.
- 7/13/2012
- by DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor
- Deadline TV
Hulu is set to premiere the critically acclaimed Israeli drama series ‘Prisoners of War’ tomorrow, marking the on-demand streaming website’s first foreign-language exclusive series. The show was written and directed by Gideon Ratt, and was the highest-rated Israeli TV Drama, winning nine Israeli Emmy Awards. ‘Prisoners of War’ stars Yael Abecassis, Mili Avital, Yoram Tolledano, Assi Cohen and Ishai Golan. The ten-part drama series follows two soldiers as they struggle to reintegrate into society after spending 17 years in an enemy prison. As the two struggle to reacquaint themselves with their families, the two are also thrust into the national spotlight as heroes. After the two soldiers return home, they’re [ Read More ]...
- 7/13/2012
- by Karen Benardello
- ShockYa
Updated through 5/21 — with awards announcements.
As noted last week, with support from the 4+1 Film Festival, we're celebrating the 50th anniversary of Critics' Week with a free retrospective of some of the greatest films screened over the past 50 editions. What follows is a roundup of what the critics are saying about the films screening this year.
"Jonathan Caouette's film Tarnation — created for $300 (£185) on his iMac out of old Super 8 videos and family photos — created a stir at Cannes in 2004 for its original visual language," begins Charlotte Higgins in the Guardian. "In his latest he returns to Tarnation's material: his rich but intensely difficult family life. At the heart of Walk Away Renée is a road trip he takes with his mother, Renée, from Houston to New York State, as he helps her transfer from one assisted-living facility to another. Renée, who received electric shock therapy from the age...
As noted last week, with support from the 4+1 Film Festival, we're celebrating the 50th anniversary of Critics' Week with a free retrospective of some of the greatest films screened over the past 50 editions. What follows is a roundup of what the critics are saying about the films screening this year.
"Jonathan Caouette's film Tarnation — created for $300 (£185) on his iMac out of old Super 8 videos and family photos — created a stir at Cannes in 2004 for its original visual language," begins Charlotte Higgins in the Guardian. "In his latest he returns to Tarnation's material: his rich but intensely difficult family life. At the heart of Walk Away Renée is a road trip he takes with his mother, Renée, from Houston to New York State, as he helps her transfer from one assisted-living facility to another. Renée, who received electric shock therapy from the age...
- 5/21/2011
- MUBI
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