News

London – Abbey Road, the last album recorded by The Beatles, is one of the most groundbreaking albums of all time. Named after the now world-famous road on which the recording studios are situated in London, the album’s distinctive sound is indebted to the studios’ Emi TG12345 Mk I console that it was produced on. Developed specifically by Emi, the console was installed at the studio in 1968, and was used by The Beatles to record and mix their legendary album, Abbey Road in 1969, resulting in a smoother more polished sound. The first solid-state transistorised desk built by Emi, known as The Beatles Abbey Road console, is to be offered for the first time at auction in Bonhams’ dedicated sale, Sound of The Beatles: The ‘Abbey Road’ Console, on Thursday 14 December at Bonhams Knightsbridge, London.

Claire Tole-Moir, Head of Bonhams Popular Culture department, commented: “Abbey Road was unlike any of the Beatles’ previous albums.

Exclusive: The BBC has defended plans to film an American Idol-style acting competition series after performers compared the format to The Hunger Games.

The show, working titled Bring the Drama, was announced last month and promises to give untapped acting talent a shot at the big time with the winner securing agency representation and a role in a BBC drama.

Wall to Wall, the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned production company behind Netflix’s Glow Up, has begun casting for the six-part series and applicants are being told that they must not have attended drama school or had an agent for acting work.

The BBC said Bring the Drama aims to provide a break for those who have been unable to access professional training or representation.

But the show has angered some in the acting community, who raised concerns about the format and called on the BBC to give better...

Sky1 has commissioned a new documentary series following parents as they teach their children how to drive.

Eight-part series Braking Badly will challenge parents to teach their son or daughter to pass their driving test in just one week, with cameras following their every move.

The series will give many parents the chance to reconnect with their children as they spend an "intense" week together.

It will be produced by Chocolate Media for transmission in the channel's 8pm slot.

Siobhan Mulholland, Commissioning Editor at Sky1, said: "This will be a fun, warm and endearing insight into family dynamics.

"Into the just what makes those parent/teenager relationships tick - the moments of laughter, tears and frustration. It's an integral part of Sky1's 8pm strategy that celebrates the joy of the family."

Alan Brown, Executive Producer at Chocolate Media, added: "Learning to drive must be the best way to explore...

ITV Orders Quiz Show ‘The 21st Question’ ITV has ordered The 21st Question, a new tactical quiz show from Chocolate Media. In the game, one power player faces 10 challengers through a series of tense “winner stays on” rounds designed to test strategy and wits of all players. Only one of the players will successfully fend off all the competition, and whoever is left standing faces a chance to win big — provided they can answer the 21st Question. The 10-episode hourlong show will be executive produced by David Mortimer and Alan Brown and air on ITV1 later this year. Eyeworks’ ‘Beat The Blondes’ Format Adapted For China Eyeworks’ Beat The Blondes format is headed to China. 3C Media will adapt the show for the market and produce 13 episodes in the spring for a selection of regional free TV channels in Jiangxi, Henan, Chongqing, Shanxi, Qingdao TV and Hubei. The adapted local...

The first day of Polari (formerly aGLIFF) happened to coincide with the birthday of the Paramount theater last night.

Opening night found a nearly full house at Stateside Theatre for Alan Brown's award-winning Five Dances. First, however, creative director Curran Nault took the stage to open the fest and along with interim executive director Aaron Yeats and board Vice President Paul Soileau (aka Rebecca Havemayer, aka Christeene), reminisced on the contributions aGLIFF founder Scott Dinger. They announced that henceforth the festival's audience award will be officially known as the Scott Dinger Audience Award.

Five Dances is a sultry, sexy meditation on familiar themes of a rural boy coming to terms with his sexuality after leaving home for the city. Set to a soundtrack rich with cello by Private Romeo composer Nicholas Wright, and interspersed with crooning jazz tunes by Scott Matthew, Gem Club and Perfume Genius, five young attractive...

If only verisimilitude equaled quality. But unfortunately, schmaltzy music and drab melodrama drag down the otherwise graceful moves of Five Dances. Writer-director Alan Brown uses the classic elements of a backstage drama: Chip (Ryan Steele) has landed a solo with a high-profile choreographer only a few months after coming to New York. His dedication and late nights rehearsing at the studio belie larger personal problems. Chip doesn't have anywhere to live, and crashes on the loft floor in a sleeping bag; his redneck, alcoholic, homophobic mom has lost her house and wants him to come back to Kansas (why having a second person to take care of would help this situation is never explained); he's internalized his homophobia, remains sullen and withdrawn, and lashes out at a fellow ...

The Wolfe Releasing company has acquired the U.S. digital and DVD rights to the film "Five Dances." The director Alan Brown ("Private Romeo", "Book of Love") teamed up once again with cinematographer Derek McKane to capture the story of Chip (Ryan Steele's first film role) as he joins a small dance company in and around Soho. There Chip is initiated into the rites of passage of a New York dancer's life, where discipline and endless hard work, the fear of not being good enough, and his first-ever love affair unfolds. "Five Dances" will debut on VOD and DVD in 2014, following a limited theatrical release beginning October 4th. "Alan Brown is an enormously talented writer-director and we’re thrilled to release his wonderful new film," said Wolfe President Maria Lynn. "As emotionally nuanced as his innovative gay romance, "Private Romeo," we're confident that audiences will adore Five Dances as much as we do.

Exclusive: Freestyle Digital Media (Fdm) has come on to handle all digital rights to Rocky Powell’s rom-com Language Of A Broken Heart and will release on VOD and DVD on October 1.

Juddy Talt wrote and stars in the story of a romance author who is unlucky in love and returns to his hometown to reconnect with the things that matter most.

Julie White, Kate French, Ethan Cohen, Oscar Nunez and Lara Pulver round out the key cast.

Powell produced Language Of A Broken Heart with Luke Coffee and Jennifer Beasley while Kerry McCluggage served as executive producer.

House Lights Media staged a theatrical release last March in 10 Us and Canadian markets.

Freestyle Digital Media CEO Susan Jackson brokered the deal with House Lights Media president Steve Roberts and svp of acquisitions, operations and marketing Sandy Moore.

“Language Of A Broken Heart is a great addition to Fdm’s repertoire of releases,” said Jackson...

Bryce Dallas Howard in ‘Jurassic World’? Howard possibly the next female star in ‘Jurassic Park’ franchise Bryce Dallas Howard, Rush director Ron Howard’s daughter perhaps best known for playing the Vengeful Vampire Victoria in David Slade’s The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, is "in talks" to star in Jurassic World aka Jurassic Park 4, to be directed by Safety Not Guaranteed‘s Colin Trevorrow. At this stage, it’s unclear what exactly Howard would be doing in Jurassic World — well, except that her (potential) character will somehow become entangled with dinosaurs and that there’ll be lots of green screens on the set. (See also: “‘Jurassic World’ director Colin Trevorrow. Why Him?“) (Photo: Bryce Dallas Howard.) According to various online reports, Universal had sets its sights on Bryce Dallas Howard a while back, but production was halted after Trevorrow took a pass on Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver’s Jurassic World draft.

Polari Film Festival (which used to be known as the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival) recently announced the theme for their 26th year: "Don’t Just Sit There: Indulge. Engage. Create."

Artistic Director Curran Nault says about this year's slate, "Our theme and focus is on work that is uncommonly galvanizing, vibrant and sensuous." Among the nearly 100 films selected for the schedule will be a number of dance-themed movies.

The five films announced early for the fest, which runs October 16-20 at the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz and Stateside at Paramount, are:

Five Dances (2013) -- This opening-night selection is directed by Alan Brown, who will be at the screening with star Ryan Steele. Chip (played by newcomer Steele) is an 18-year-old dancer from Kansas bursting into the world of modern dance in NYC. [trailer on Vimeo]

read more...

Like any young person who comes to New York City to make their dreams come alive, those who strive to become dancers set themselves up for a life of heartache, hard work, competition, and tears. But at the end of the day, there’s joy and worth in what they do, as shown in the trailer for Alan Brown‘s Five Dances, the story of one such young man who does just that: makes his way to the big city on a dance scholarship to work his way up in the contemporary dance world. Black Swan this is not; the dancers make no allegations that they are perfect specimens, nor does the trailer show them undergoing any rigid standards that you usually see in dance movies. In fact, our dance hero’s main stressors come from the outside world, in the form of family troubles back home and sexual tension with co-workers. Maybe...

Taking the path of being a dancer doesn't just require physical fortitude, but mental strength as well. It's an arena that's fiercely competitive, where only the very top performers have even a shot at making a career and opportunities for longevity are few and far between. And outside forces—a new relationship, a troubled family life—can shake the foundation of the pillar of resolve needed to succeed. And that's where "Five Dances" comes in. Starring Ryan Steele, Reed Luplau, Catherine Miller, Kimiye Corwin and Luke Murphy and directed by Alan Brown, the film chronicles the coming of age tale of a gifted young dancer, recently arrived in New York City, and his first love and work in the downtown contemporary dance world. Casting actual dancers and shooting in a Soho dance studio, the films aims to capture the real vibrancy and creative spirit of that world, and judging by the trailer of the film,...

Rural Russian film takes top prize at Poland’s New Horizons International Film Festival.

Russian director Alexander Fedorchenko’s Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari received the Grand Prix and a €20,000 ($27,000) cash prize at the 13th New Horizons International Film Festival (July 18-28) in Wroclaw.

The decision by the International jury, headed by Hungary’s Bela Tarr and including Polish film-maker Joanna Kos-Krauze and Berlinale Forum director Christoph Terhechte, was announced ahead of the Polish premiere of Malgorzata Szumowska’s In The Name Of on Saturday evening.

Fedorchenko’s film had its world premiere at last year’s Rome Film Festival.

Review: Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari

In June, it won three awards - best script, best cinematography and the Prize of the Russian Guild of Film Scholars and Film Critics - at the Kinotavr “Open Russian” Film Festival in Sochi.

The $2m production by Fedorchenko’s 29 February Film Company explores the myths of the Russian...

David here, with an interview from Private Romeo director Alan Brown on his latest film Five Dances, which opened this year's Fringe! Film Festival in London, a celebration of multiple queer films and artists.

Chip (Ryan Steele) and Theo (Reed Luplau)

‘I purposely wanted to test myself – I wanted to work in a freer environment. And it was terrifying - purposely so!’ Alan Brown laughs as he describes the genesis of his latest feature. Five Dances received its European premiere as the opening night of the third London Fringe! Film Festival, a volunteer-run festival that has quickly grown in stature since 2011.

Five Dances is Brown’s fourth feature, following the great success of his homo-Shakespeare adaptation Private Romeo, currently available to watch instantly on Netflix. Brown slides together dance and drama as he tells the story of Chip (Ryan Steele), a young dancer who’s moved from smalltown Kansas to...

Tla Releasing has acquired the Us, UK, and French speaking European rights to Alan Brown's contemporary dance drama "Five Dances".  The film will see a theatrical release this spring and will be followed by a DVD and VOD release. Derek Curl, Tla Releasing President, said, "Alan Brown has made an original, moving and modern film which we are sure will speak to our core audience and far beyond." The film captures the experience of Chip, a dancer who begins his journey with a New York dance company after having left behind his family and former life for the city.  'Five Dances' follows his emotional transition from fear of the unknown to the exhilaration of a perfectly executed performance. 'Five Dances' made its debut as the opening night film at the 2013 Dance on Camera Film Festival at Lincoln Center.

With Season 3 of Downton Abbey about to wrap up in the UK, creator Julian Fellowes will be spending time at some of England’s other great estates. NBCUniversal International Television’s Chocolate Media will produce Julian Fellowes’ Historical Houses, a two-part factual series about England’s manses. The show will air on ITV, home to Downton Abbey which itself is partly filmed at Highclere Castle, one of England’s storied abodes. Lord Fellowes will dig into the history of the houses, both upstairs and down, and says that where the homes have remained in the hands of the original families, “the archives are rich in their stories and I have been on the trail of just a few of these.” Louise Wardle is producing, Alan Brown is executive producing and Wardle and Jenny Dames are directing.

Here's your daily dose of an indie film in progress; at the end of the week, you'll have the chance to vote for your favorite. In the meantime: Is this a movie you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments. "Five Dances" Tweetable Logline: A coming-of-age portrait of a talented young dancer who leaves behind a troubled family life to join a small dance troupe in New York City. Elevator Pitch: A coming-of-age portrait of a talented young dancer who leaves behind a troubled family life to join a small dance troupe in New York City, Five Dances is a creatively adventurous feature film by award-winning writer-director Alan Brown. The film features five of New York's most gifted dancers acting on film for the very first time, and performing the choreography of internationally acclaimed choreographer Jonah Bokaer. Production Team: Alan Brown - Director Agathe David-Weill -Producer Derek McKane - Cinematographer Jarrah.

Wolfe Video’s “Private Romeo,” a new take on William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” is coming to DVD June 5! To celebrate the impending release, ShockYa is giving away a copy of the film! The film, directed by Alan Brown (“Book of Love,” “Superheroes”) and starring Seth Numrich (“Gravity”), Matt Doyle (“Gossip Girl”, “War Horse”), Hale Appleman (“Beautiful Ohio”), Chris Bresky (“Going the Distance”), Sean Hudock (“Powerless”), Adam Barrie, Bobby Moreno, and Charlie Barnett, retells the story of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy by placing it in an all-male military school: Set in a modern day military school, this smash hit gay adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet features hot Broadway “War Horse” [ Read More ]...

The U.K. government has apologized to British Equity actor Michael Sheldon, who was told that he could not provide a reference on a passport application because "acting is not a proper job," The Stage reported on Wednesday.Alan Brown, deputy director of policy for the Home Office's Identity and Passport Service, has written to Equity President Malcolm Sinclair to apologize after Sinclair complained on behalf of Sheldon, a West End actor who had provided a reference on a passport application for his daughter’s boyfriend. The application was rejected at interview by the passport office, because it said it did not regard an actor as an acceptable reference."I share fully concern about the remark made on the status of acting as a suitable occupation for passport purposes," Brown wrote in his letter to Sinclair. "That is both inappropriate and inaccurate. Please accept my apologies for the offence this has caused.

Private Romeo

Nearly all truly great cinematic romances showcase at least one great kiss that will send shivers down the spinal cords of enthused would-be-lovers. If you fall into this category and are currently seeking such a torso tremor, look no further than Alan Brown's all-male adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, a celluloid treat supplying a whole handful of these quality smooches. 

Like Matthew Bourne's splendid take on Swan Lake, and unlike the recent Broadway fiasco On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Hall has rejiggered the genders of Shakespeare's classic with almost nary a misstep.

The scenario now takes place in modern times within the McKinley Military Academy. Eight male cadets -- the only students on the grounds due to their peers going on a supervised land navigation exercise -- are being put through their paces with marching ("Right! Left! Right!"), classwork, homework, and physical exercises.

No buyers for 1940s film purporting to show young Marilyn Monroe after her estate brands it fake

The woman in the 1940s "stag" film being sold in Argentina last night bore an uncanny resemblance to the young Marilyn Monroe, but not enough to attract potential buyers. An auction aimed at raising more than 2m pesos (£290,000) for a six-minute 8mm film purporting to show the star of Some Like It Hot and The Seven Year Itch finished without a buyer after the legendary actor's estate categorically denied the woman in the movie was Monroe.

Auctioneer Mikel Barsa, a Spanish events promoter, said he was still hoping to sell the tape to a buyer from Denver for about half the asking price, though he appeared to accept that his chances of doing so had diminished following the verdict from Monroe's estate. He also said his lawyers were reviewing the matter given the...

Wolfe Video has acquired U.S. rights to Alan Brown's gay spin on "Romeo and Juliet," "Private Romeo," out of this year's Outfest in Los Angeles. The film will hit theaters this Fall in partnership with The Film Collaborative and debut on DVD/VOD next year. Here's what it's about according to Wolfe Video: When eight cadets are left behind at an isolated military high school, the greatest romantic drama ever written ...

Filmmaker Alan Brown (Book of Love) recently completed post-production on Private Romeo a contemporary take on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. You can expect the film to hit the festival circuit this spring, but Brown is already hard at work on his next film, Audrey Hepburn's Neck. Brown will adapt the script from his 1996 novel about "a young Japanese man (Toshi) who is obsessed with slender American women, and his gay American friend, who has affairs with a series of Japanese men." So far, Brown has rounded up an affable cast in Krysten Ritter (Breaking Bad), Ari Graynor (Fringe), Brian Geraghty (The Hurt Locker). I can't vouch for its accuracy, but IMDb suggests Geraghty will play Paul, the gay American friend. Ritter is linked to the role of Lucy (a composer), and Graynor is listed as Jane, Toshi's English teacher/affair partner who turns out to be insane. Sounds like an interesting project,...

Strand Releasing

NEW YORK -- Style takes precedence over content in this fourth installment of Strand Releasing's popular series of gay-themed short-film compilations. Perhaps the weakest edition of the series, "Boys Life 4: Four Play" features a quartet of efforts more reflective of the filmmakers' career aspirations than of a desire for meaningful expression. The film is playing an exclusive theatrical engagement at New York's Quad Cinema.

The opener, "L.T.R.", from writer-director Phillip J. Bartell, at least displays a timeliness in its satirical look at reality TV, which this summer has been on a particularly gay-oriented bent. It depicts the unraveling of the so-called "long-term relationship" between pot-smoking, stay-at-home Riley (Weston Mueller) and the younger, party-animal Michael (Cole Williams), a relationship not at all helped by the sexual fling between Michael and the filmmaker documenting their story.

Another rocky relationship is examined in Brian Sloan's "Bumping Heads", depicting the developing friendship between thirtysomething Craig (Craig Chester) and much younger Gary (Anderson Gabrych), who meet when their noggins collide at a party. Craig wants the relationship to progress into something more romantic but is unable to act on his desire until yet another incident of head bumping lands him in the hospital.

The most serious entry, Alan Brown's "O Beautiful", uses the Matthew Shepard incident for inspiration in its depiction of the aftermath of a gay-bashing incident in which a young man (Jay Gillespie) has been left for dead in a Midwestern cornfield. One of his attackers (David Rogers) returns to help him, with his true motivations only gradually becoming clear. Its extensive use of split screen is more distracting than illuminating.

But not as distracting as it is in "This Car Up", Eric Mueller's trivial depiction of the "meet cute" between a yuppie exec (Michael Booth) and a sinewy bike messenger (Brent Doyle), in which the relentless use of split screen is as annoying gimmicky as it's been in Mike Figgis' feature-length experiments.