News

Rule Breakers, a powerful, uplifting new film based on an inspirational true story about the Afghan Dreamers, a Muslim girls’ robotics team entering the world of international competitions, will be released on March 7th to coincide with International Women’s Day.

Directed by Bill Guttentag, the film stars Nikohl Boosheri and features Ali Fazal in an extended special appearance. The cast is elevated by the brilliant and talented young team that includes Amber Afzali, Nina Hosseinzadeh, Sara Malal Rowe, and Mariam Saraj. Also featured are Waj Ali, Naseer Memarzia, Nada El Belkasmi, and Noorin Gulamgaus.

Rule Breakers is based on the true story of Roya Mahboob, who longed to learn about and use computers as a young girl in Afghanistan. The film follows her as she strives to learn and eventually succeeds in teaching herself to use a computer at a cafe. This visionary woman spearheaded the creation of a...

The faith-based movie industry has become more sophisticated in recent years. During the home video era, it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a Christian-themed film to feature a script that wasn’t formulaic comfort food for a hungry demographic happy to gobble up any corny helping of low-budget uplift. That’s starting to change, mostly due to the efforts of Angel Studios.The Provo, Utah-based company launched in 2021 from the ashes of the blatantly illegal VidAngel, a service that would circumvent the encryption on studio DVDs and Blu-rays, re-cut the films to remove whatever content a particular customer found objectionable, and then charge that customer to view the edited version.

Since its inception, Angel Studios has positioned itself as a production company whose films and television series “amplify light,” which is careful, if vague, wording to suggest that their product...

Exclusive: Sound Of Freedom outfit Angel Studios has picked up domestic rights to Rule Breakers (formerly known as Afghan Dreamers), starring Nikohl Boosheri (The Bold Type) and Ali Fazal (Death on the Nile).

A theatrical release is planned for March 2025 of the true story about the first all-girls robotics team from Afghanistan. Angel is also handling international sales on the completed film and will be selling it at AFM in markets that remain open.

Set between 2017 and 2019, Rule Breakers charts the story of a brave Afghan college girl who recruited high school girls to learn robotics – defying fathers, uncles, and tradition to form a highly skilled traveling team. Despite the dangerous backdrop of Afghani politics, the team went on to participate in competitions around the world.

An under-the-radar cast addition is Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag), while talent also includes Fahim Fazli (Superman: Legacy), Waj Ali (Carnival Row), Christian Contreras (Halo: Nightfall...

Saudi’s Joy Awards Honors Anthony Hopkins, Kevin Costner & More

The likes of Anthony Hopkins, Kevin Costner and Mark Wahlberg were honored at Saudi Arabia’s Joy Awards 2024 on Saturday. Jean Reno, Eva Longoria, Salman Khan, Martin Lawrence, Quincy Jones, Alia Bhatt, Georgina Rodriguez, Anthony Anderson, Sam Worthington and Paul Anderson were also either celebrated or in attendance in Riyadh, along with the likes directors Zach Schneider and Doug Liman, and global sports stars Tyson Fury, John Cena and Francis Ngannou. The awards are part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program and recognize major names in music, cinema, television, sports, and more from the Arab world. Hopkins, Costner and Jones were among several recipients of Lifetime Achievement honors, while industry awards went to Bollywood star Bhatt, Schneider and Bad Boys actor Martin Lawrence among others. Mbc Group, the Middle East’s largest broadcast and media firm, co-hosts the awards, which...

Hot Hosts Head For Hota

Australian actor Rebel Wilson has been named as the emcee of the 2024 edition of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) awards. Wilson will take to the stage on Saturday, Feb. 10.

Two days earlier, on Feb. 8, singer and actor Harry Connick Jr. will be the host of the Aacta Industry Awards. Both hosts will be joined by some of the industry’s most dynamic stars presenting at the ceremonies. And both ceremonies, presented by Foxtel Group, will be held at the Home of the Arts (Hota) on the Gold Coast in Queensland.

Shorts To Features

Writer-director-actor Alice Englert, producer Jodi Matterson, director David Michôd, and producer Jamie Hilton, will be among the speakers at Flickerlab 2024 on Thursday. Pitched as a one-day journey from shorts to features, the Bondi, New South Wales-located event is backed by the Australian Film Television and Radio School (Aftrs...

Network: Amazon.

Episodes: Two (hour).

Seasons: 18.

TV show dates: August 30, 2019 — March 17, 2023.

Series status: Ended.

Performers include: Orlando Bloom, Cara Delevingne, David Gyasi, Karla Crome, Indira Varma, Tamzin Merchant, Arty Froushan, Waj Ali, Maeve Dermody, Andrew Gower, Jamie Harris, Jared Harris, Anna Rust, Tracey Wilkinson, Alice Krige, James Beaumont, Caroline Ford, Jim High, Mark Lewis Jones, Simon McBurney, and Scott Reid.

TV show description:

From creators René Echevarria and Travis Beacham, the Carnival Row TV show is a fantasy drama set in a Victorian world. There the Fae and humans live side by side, but not so peacefully.

Once upon a time, Tirnanoc was home to the Fae -- faeries, fauns,...