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American Film Institute alum Logan Sandler’s feature directorial debut, “Live Cargo,” which premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival to glowing reviews, is based on writer-director’s own experience growing up in and around the Bahamas. A meditation on love, loss… Continue Reading →...

It's almost impossible to perfectly predict the weekend box office grosses, and more often than not, some movies manage to come in either far above, or far below expectations. A few days ago, we predicted that the animated comedy The Boss Baby would have a solid weekend with just over $20 million, but this animated comedy managed to far exceed expectations, dethroning two-time winner Beauty and the Beast and taking the box office crown with $49 million. This came in just above Beauty and the Beast's third weekend tally of $47.5 million, bringing its domestic take to $395.4 million, with $876.2 million worldwide, inching closer and closer to the $1 billion mark.

Box Office Mojo reports that The Boss Baby earned an impressive $12,987 per-screen average from 3,773 theaters while the Ghost in the Shell adaptation debuted in 3,440 theaters, taking third place with $19 million with a decent $5,523 per-screen average. While those are both solid theater count numbers for an opening weekend,...

Welcome back to the Weekend Warrior, your weekly look at the new movies hitting theaters this weekend, as well as other cool events and things to check out.

Two Very Different Movies Look to Divide Up the Weekend Box Office Business

With Disney’s Beauty and the Beast continuing to dominate at the box office with $90 million this past weekend, and Saban’s Power Rangers (Lionsgate) also doing exceedingly well with $40 million in second place, you wouldn’t think anyone would try to release a movie that might get overshadowed by those two blockbusters.

That said, what’s interesting about this weekend is the fact there are two very different movies that are competing very heavily for second place with DreamWorks Animation’s latest animated family film, The Boss Baby (20th Century Fox), taking on the live action English remake of Ghost In The Shell (Paramount), starring Scarlett Johansson. In most cases,...

The only remotely unpredictable thing about “Carrie Pilby,” a bland romantic drama that wastes and waters down the abundant charisma of its young star (“Diary of a Teenage Girl” breakout Bel Powley), is that it suffers from the exact same problem that turned last week’s “Power Rangers” into such a lifeless bore: By trying to provide a little something for everyone, it ultimately offers precious little to anyone. From low-budget stories of sex in the city to blockbuster reboots about teens who overcome their sexting scandals by fighting giant alien monsters made of liquid gold, it seems that even the most outwardly dissimilar of movies are united by their shared compulsion to sacrifice insight at the altar of accessibility (union agreements come and go, but mediocrity is forever).

But even that fatal flaw could be seen coming a mile away, especially by those who were already familiar with the...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.

The Blackcoat’s Daughter (Osgood Perkins)

Osgood Perkins’ debut feature, The Blackcoat’s Daughter – originally known as February at its premiere at Tiff last year – is a stylish exercise in dread, teasing out its slow-drip horrors with precision, and building a deliriously evil presence that hovers along the fringes. However, there’s a thin line between mystery and vagueness in storytelling, and it becomes difficult to decide where a...

Batgirl is coming to the big screen, and Joss Whedon is helping her get there. The “Avengers” helmer will write, direct and produce a standalone film for Warner Bros. about the superheroine, reports Variety. The movie, to which no one else is yet attached, will be part of the DC Extended Universe and follow this summer’s “Wonder Woman” as the second project in that franchise to center around a female lead.

Read More: ‘Gifted’ Review: Chris Evans Delivers, But Marc Webb’s Return to Emotional Indies Doesn’t Add Up

First appearing in 1967, Batgirl has previously been portrayed onscreen by Yvonne Craig in the campy “Batman” series and Alicia Silverstone in 1997’s “Batman & Robin”; more recently, Rosario Dawson voiced her in “The Lego Batman Movie.” Toby Emmerich, who serves as president and chief content officer of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, will be shepherding this new project alongside Jon Berg and Geoff Johns.

Marc Webb managed to make just one character-driven feature, the quirky rom-com “(500) Days of Summer,” before he turned his attentions to the studio world, with “Amazing Spider-Man” and its sequel. Webb’s foray into the superhero world yielded uneven results: While both films cracked over $700 million at the global box office and made an effective case for Andrew Garfield as the web-slinger, overall returns were not nearly as hefty as Sony had hoped (Webb’s “Amazing Spider-Man 2” is the lowest earner of the franchise) and critical reception was decidedly mixed.

Now Webb is back to his roots with “Gifted,” a good-hearted family drama that’s a bit like “Good Will Hunting” for the elementary school set — which is to say, solid and familiar, but not exactly a triumphant return to form.

Read More: ‘Gifted’ Trailer: Marc Webb Looks To Rebound From ‘Spider-Man’ With An Emotional Return To Indie Filmmaking...

There is nothing on the surface of “Live Cargo” that would suggest anything more than a cookie-cutter relationship drama: A young couple struggles with the trauma of their stillborn child, escaping to an exotic island to work through their problems; in the process, they’re swept up in island life, and given a second chance to appreciate their shared existence. Fortunately, the black-and-white debut of writer-director Logan Sandler is just sharp enough to complicate its clichés with strong performances and a mesmerizing tone that pushes the mopey proceedings into psychological thriller territory. Despite some clunkier moments, it’s a notable effort to avoid some familiar traps.

“Live Cargo” mainly follows Nadine (Dree Hemingway) and Lewis (Lakeith Stanfield) as they arrive at the unspecified Bahamian island that Nadine’s family visited in her youth. It’s there that she introduces Lewis to Roy (Robert Wisdom), the island’s mayor and stern patriarch,...

While predicting box office grosses week in and week out is certainly not an exact science, some movies' blockbuster potential is much easier to identify than others. Hardly anyone was surprised that Beauty and the Beast debuted far above industry expectations, earning a record-breaking $174.7 million in its opening weekend, while dropping just 48.3% last weekend, to again easily win with $90.4 million. This weekend, the live-action fairy tale adaptation faces its biggest challenge yet, going up against DreamWorks Animation's The Boss Baby and Paramount's live-action manga adaptation Ghost in the Shell. Unless either of these two new releases overperforms in a big way, they shouldn't stop Beauty and the Beast from winning for a third weekend in a row, with a predicted $43.1 million.

Box Office Mojo reports that The Boss Baby is expected to debut in roughly 3,700 theaters, while the Ghost in the Shell adaptation is slated to debut in roughly 3,200 theaters.

After shattering box office records last weekend with an amazing debut of $174.4 million, nothing was expected to stand in the way of a second straight weekend win for Beauty and the Beast. The live action fairy tale adaptation squared off against three newcomers this weekend, Lionsgate's Power Rangers, Sony's Life and Warner Bros.' CHiPs, although, as expected, none of these new releases managed to come close to Beauty and the Beast. The Disney blockbuster easily won its second weekend in a row with an estimated $88.3 million.

Last weekend, this long-awaited live-action adaptation broke Batman v Superman's record for largest March opening ever, and it also broke records for the largest debut for a PG movie, and had the biggest IMAX debut ever for a PG film as well. While it only opened against one other movie last weekend, the R-rated thriller The Belko Experiment, which debuted in roughly 1/4th...

Disney's Beauty and the Beast somehow managed to exceed the expectations of most box office analysts, with a record-breaking opening weekend of $174.7 million, beating the Sunday estimates by over $4 million. This long-awaited live-action adaptation broke Batman v Superman's record for largest March opening ever, and it also broke records for the largest debut for a PG movie, and had the biggest IMAX debut ever for a PG film as well. While it only opened against one other movie last weekend, the R-rated thriller The Belko Experiment, which debuted in roughly 1/4th of the theaters Beauty and the Beast was in, this live-action fairy tale will have much more competition heading into its second weekend, facing Lionsgate's Power Rangers, Sony's Life, Warner Bros.' CHiPs and River Rain's sports drama Slamma Jamma, although Beauty and the Beast should still easily reign supreme.

Box Office Mojo reports that Power Rangers, Life, CHiPs...

Paging Dr. Lahiri: Xosha Roquemore is pregnant!

The Mindy Project star, 32, and Get Out‘s Lakeith Stanfield, 25, are expecting a baby, she announced Wednesday on Instagram, sharing a trio of bump shots.

“I am Wombman. #internationalwomensday,” she captioned the photos.

Stanfield — who plays Darius on Atlanta and has a memorable turn in current box office smash Get Out — and Roquemore previously revealed their happy news in January, posing at the Sundance Film Festival.

The actress also attended the Essence 10th Annual Black Women in Hollywood awards gala in late February, showing off her belly in a fitted star-printed minidress.

Roquemore...

American Film Institute alum Logan Sandler’s feature directorial debut, “Live Cargo,” which premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival to glowing reviews, and has screened around the world, is based on writer-director’s own experience growing up in and around the… Continue Reading →...

"We've been calling these islands the 'Wild Wild West' with all things been going on around here." FilmBuff has debuted a new official trailer for the film Live Cargo, from director Logan Sandler. Live Cargo stars Keith Stanfield and Dree Hemingway as a grieving couple who escape to an island in the Bahamas for some recuperation. However, they end up caught in a turf war between Roy, the island's aging patriarch, and "Doughboy", a dangerous human trafficker. The full cast includes Robert Wisdom, Sam Dillon, and Leonard Earl Howze. This looks like yet another intriguing tropical-island thriller, along with Isolation. I'm a fan of Keith Stanfield, and I like seeing B&W films, just not so sure this is worth watching. Take a look. Here's the new official trailer (+ poster) for Logan Sandler's Live Cargo, direct from YouTube (via Tfs): A grieving couple (Dree Hemingway & Keith Stanfield) retreats...

While he first made an impression in his debut feature film, Short Term 12, it’s been thrilling to see the star of Lakeith Stanfield rise. Since his 2013 break-out, we’ve seen him in Atlanta, Selma, Dope, Straight Outta Compton, Snowden, Miles Ahead, and most recently, Get Out. For his next role, he’s heading to the Bahamas in the black-and-white, grounded crime drama Live Cargo.

Premiering back at Tribeca Film Festival last year, Gunpowder & Sky Distribution picked it up for a release a the end of the month and have now released the first trailer. Coming from writer-director Logan Sandler, it stars Stanfield and Dree Hemingway as a couple who are reeling from a personal loss and head to the tropical location, only to be caught up in its criminal underbelly. Judging from the preview it looks to be a powerfully atmospheric drama with strong performances.

Also starring Robert Wisdom and Leonard Earl Howze,...

On March 10, New York’s Film Forum will premiere a new 4K digital print of Woody Allen’s iconic 1979’s romantic comedy “Manhattan.” The director’s black-and-white masterpiece is the first of his films to be made available digitally by Park Circus and MGM, and we have the exclusive new trailer and one-sheet for the film.

Read More: ‘Shadow of Truth’ Exclusive Trailer: Netflix’s Israeli True Crime Docuseries Could Be the Next ‘Making a Murderer’ — Watch

The director’s magnum opus follows the story of Isaac (Allen), a television writer who’s had two failed marriages. Things get complicated for the 42-year-old when he starts dating a teenage girl named Tracy (Mariel Hemingway) and then falls in love with his friend’s lover (played by Diane Keaton).

The all-star main cast also includes Meryl Streep, Michael Murphy and Anne Byrne. The screenplay was written by Allen and Marshall Brickman.

For his feature-length debut, “Live Cargo,” filmmaker Logan Sandler went back to the Bahamas, the setting of some of his earliest childhood memories. But instead of focusing on the beautiful and colorful scenery of the tropical island, Sandler chose black-and-white cinematography to convey the emotion and darkness of the story at hand.

Read More: Dree Hemingway and Keith Stanfield Star in Logan Sandler’s Moody Drama ‘Live Cargo’ — Exclusive Clip

“Live Cargo” stars indie standouts Lakeith Stanfield and Dree Hemingway as Lewis and Nadine, a couple who retreat to her family’s home in the Bahamas after experiencing a devastating loss.

But once there, things get complicated for the couple when they meet and develop a relationship with a local homeless boy named Myron (Sam Dillon), who is involved in a human-trafficking operation led by local criminal Doughboy (Leonard Earl Howze).

The main cast also includes Robert Wisdom in the role of Roy,...

Sunday’s Critics Choice Awards took a strange turn when “Atlanta” star Keith Stanfield gave a short acceptance speech for an award his show didn’t win. After “Silicon Valley” nabbed the Best Comedy Series award — for which “Atlanta” was also nominated — Stanfield appeared on stage before “Silicon Valley” executive producer Tom Lassally could get to the mic.

Read More: ‘La La Land’ Leads Critics Choice Awards With 12 Nominations, Other Big Nominees Include ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Arrival’

“I want to thank everybody for honoring us in this way,” Stanfield said. “We worked very hard on ‘Silicon Valley’ and here we are. Thank you.” Many in the audience then applauded, no doubt relieved that Stanfield wasn’t actually confused about which show won, and especially releived he wasn’t taking a page from Kanye West’s 2009 MTV Music Video Awards book.

“No idea who that was,” Lassally said, before giving his own acceptance speech.

American Film Institute alum Logan Sandler returns to his old stomping grounds in the Bahamas for Live Cargo, a tense relationship drama shot in distinctive black-and-white hi-def. Although visually observant, the film’s narrative remains frustratingly vague, disclosing little about its central characters and often burying the principal plot points. Nevertheless, a pronounced sense of style and place suffuses the entire film, boding well for Sandler’s future projects.

Following the death of their infant child shortly after birth, Americans Lewis (Keith Stanfield) and Nadine (Dree Hemingway) make an extended visit to her family’s island home in the Bahamas so that Nadine...

Patricia Highsmith’s novels have produced numerous successful film adaptations over the past six decades. There’s Alfred Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train,” Anthony Minghella’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” and just last year, Todd Haynes’ “Carol,” based off Highsmith’s “The Price of Salt.” Now, a film adaptation of Highsmith’s 1954 novel “The Blunderer” will soon hit theaters entitled “A Kind of Murder.”

Read More: Tribeca Review: ‘A Kind Of Murder’ Starring Patrick Wilson, Jessica Biel, Eddie Marsan And Vincent Kartheiser

Directed by Andy Goddard, the film stars Patrick Wilson (“Fargo”) as an architect who becomes obsessed with an unsolved murder of the wife of a rare bookstore owner (Eddie Marsan) to distract himself from his unhappy marriage. But when his wife (Jessica Biel) mysterious disappears after discovering his affair with a younger woman (Haley Bennett), he raises the suspicions of a Detective Lawrence Corby (Vincent Kartheiser) who believes he’s responsible.

There are many paradoxes to being an indie filmmaker in 2016. Never has it been easier to make a quality movie, while at the same time it’s never been harder to maintain a stable career as a movie director. Equipment, viewing habit and the world are all rapidly changing, resulting in both opening and narrowing the opportunities for creative expression.

IndieWire checked in with the indie directors behind the “New Auteurs” and “American Independent” feature films at this year’s AFI Fest and asked: What is the most exciting and discouraging thing happening in filmmaking today?

Read More: 13 Lessons From Making a Film Festival Breakout: AFI Fest Directors Share Their Tips

Asaph Polonsky, “One Week and a Day”

Encouraging: That the miniseries “Olive Kitteridge” exists.

Discouraging: In Israel, where I made “One Week and a Day,” the Prime Minster, Bibi Netanyahu is now trying to shut down (before it even...

For many people, filmmaking is a process of ongoing education. The filmmakers who succeed are often the ones willing to learn from their mistakes and taking advice. IndieWire recently checked in with the up-and-coming indie directors behind the exciting films playing in the “New Auteurs” and “American Independent” categories at this year’s AFI Fest to find out what they learned while making their festival breakout.

Read More: AFI Fest 2016 – What Cameras Were Used to Shoot This Year’s Films

Kris Avedisian, “Donald Cried”: There was a time while shooting that I got lost in the process. I started to see the movie take shape but it was in a very deformed state. There are times when you have to make decisions, changes and adjust because of what you’re seeing. But it could be hard to know sometimes if I was only reacting to seeing scenes out of order,...

Though Logan Sandler’s film “Live Cargo” is set in the Bahamas, it doesn’t reflect the archetypal tropical paradise, but instead a sharp look at the daily machinations of the island community. Filmed in black-and-white, the film stars Dree Hemingway (“Starlet”) and Keith Stanfield (“Atlanta”) as Nadine and Lewis, a couple who has recently experienced a devastating loss and travels to the island in order to restore their relationship. But when they arrive, they find that the island community is unraveling, with the island’s mayor squaring off against a human trafficker who manipulates an impressionable homeless teenager into assisting with his smuggling operation. Watch an exclusive clip from the film below.

Read More: Moody First Look at Logan Sandler’s Tribeca Premiere ‘Live Cargo’

The film is Sandler’s feature-length debut. It was co-written and produced by Thymaya Payne, who previously produced and directed the award-winning documentary “Stolen Seas.

Indiewire reached out to the filmmakers with films in the “New Auteurs” and “American Independent” sections of this year’s AFI Fest to find out what cameras they used and why they chose them.

Read More: AFI Fest 2016: 14 Movies We Can’t Wait to See at the Festival

“One Week and a Day”

Arri Alexa Xt

Dir. Asaph Polonsky: “It allowed scenes in long takes and the use of zoom lenses, sticks, dolly, Steadicam and handheld, were the tools that served the D.P., Moshe Mishali, and I the most as we tried to be subtle about reflecting the characters journeys visually.”

“Dark Night”

Arri Amira with Cooke lenses

Dir. Tim Sutton: “Good combination.”

“Divine”

Red Dragon

Dir. Houda Benyamin: “We wanted to work on the idea of focus — getting to details from the big picture, getting to things from a distance, which in a way symbolizes...

The 5th Annual Key West Film Festival has announced its official 2016 lineup, including the opening night film, “20th Century Women,” directed by Mike Mills and starring Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig and Billy Crudup. As part of the festival’s signature Critics Focus program, MTV’s Chief Film Critic Amy Nicholson will present and lead a conversation around the film, alongside David Fear, Senior Film/TV Editor of Rolling Stone.

Director of Programming Michael Tuckman said of Nicholson’s pick, “I could not be more thrilled with Amy Nicholson’s choice of ’20th Century Women’ to kick off our 5th Anniversary edition of festival. Annette Bening’s performance is Oscar-deserving and the rich depth of the balance of the leading cast is Altman-esque in its quality. Amy’s discussion after the film will bring a cunning critic’s eye to this fabulous film for audiences.”

Read More: ’20th Century...

AFI Fest has announced the selections for its New Auteurs, American Independents, Midnights and Shorts sections. Already announced as part of the weeklong festival, which runs in Hollywood from November 10 – 17, are “Elle,” “20th Century Women” and the world premieres of both “The Comedian” and “Rules Don’t Apply.” Read the full announcement here, and see the New Auteurs, American Independents and Midnight selections below.

Read More: Warren Beatty’s ‘Rules Don’t Apply’ Will Open AFI Fest 2016

New Auteurs

“Always Shine” (dir. Sophia Takal)

“Buster’s Mal Heart” (dir. Sarah Adina Smith)

“Divines” (dir. Houda Benyamina)

“The Future Perfect” (dir. Nele Wohlatz)

“Godless” (dir. Ralitza Petrova)

“Kati Kati” (dir. Mbithi Masya)

“Kill Me Please” (dir. Anita Rocha da Silveira)

“One Week and a Day” (dir. Asaph Polonsky)

“Oscuro Animal” (dir. Felipe Guerrero)

“Still Life” (dir. Maud Alpi)

Read More: Watch: Lola Kirke Takes Us Inside the Mind of an Epileptic...

Us in Progress Wrocław 2016 submissions are now open. This little-known event in Poland offers American indie filmmakers one of the biggest opportunities in the world to meet the international trade in an intimate and fun setting. Every year one of the films here seems to make it into Sundance. The filmmakers get to know European buyers, sellers and programmers. The great thing about European film festivals is that they do not take your money and then refuse your film. They cost nothing to apply and can make your reputation abroad.

Submissions are now open for the sixth edition of the Us in Progress (October 26-29), a co-production forum held in Wroclaw, during 7. American Film Festival. Applications for projects will be open until August 15, 2016. No entry fee is required.

Please go to www.americanfilmfestival.pl/usinprogress or click here for detailed regulations and entry form.

Us in Progress is a unique event presenting independent American projects in final production stages to top European buyers (sales agents, distributors and festival programmers), post-production houses and festivals in order to help them achieve completion and to foster the circulation and general exposure of American independent work in Europe. The forum is composed of invitees-only screenings of the American feature narratives in rough-cut stage with a filmmaker-producer teams in attendance. Formal one-to-one talks and informal meetings further facilitate networking and exchange.

Applications are open for Us-produced narrative feature projects in post-production stage:

• looking for completion money, services and sales agent or European distribution

• projects in post-production when applying, with at least 30 min of the film edited and to reach feature format by the presentation date. If selected, the feature length version of the rough/fine cut will be presented. No excerpts or trailers will be accepted.

• projects with no Us or international premiere nor European sales representation prior to October 2016 are eligible.

To the selected 4-6 projects the organizers will offer:

a flight to Poland for 1 team member and accommodation during 3 day Us in Progress (October 26-29) in Wrocław, Poland

• networking opportunities during the American Film Festival parties and events

• post-production and promotion packages worth of $40,000 total

• exposure to the European buyers in a friendly professional environment.

Us in Progress alumni that premiered at Tribeca Film Festival 2016 included:

• "The Loner" directed by Daniel Y Grove

• Mike Ott and Nathan Silver's "Actor Martinez"

• "Live Cargo' by Logan Sandler

• Deb Shoval's "Awol"

Us in Progress take place twice yearly, in Paris, France (June, 7-14) during Champs-Elysées Film Festival and in Wroclaw hosted by the American Film Festival in fall (October 25-30, 2016). Paris edition submissions have just closed and we are looking forward to receiving your work for Wroclaw edition.

Us in Progress is a joint initiative of the Polish New Horizons Association and the French Champs-Elysées Film Festival (in collaboration with New York-based Black Rabbit Film).

After being called one of '25 Coolest Film Festivals of the World', American Film Festival has been recently placed on the MovieMaker's list of "Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee, 2016". The magazine assures that American Film Festival plays a tight collection of the year's best American indie films, as well as the two-day U.S. in Progress event for works-in-progress (winners receive handy post-production packages). And if shooting in Poland appeals to you, Aff should be your favorite resource: Participants enjoy presentations from the Polish Film Institute, Polish production and post-production houses, and a field trip of Poland and Lower Silesia shooting locations.

In “Live Cargo,” Nadine (Dree Hemingway) and Lewis (Keith Stanfield) have suffered a horrible loss — the worst thing that a young couple could experience; a loss too large to comprehend. The film doesn’t make an attempt to comprehend it — the loss is seen only in the eyes of Nadine and Lewis, staring at the fluorescent lights of a hospital corridor, in flashes of hands and small feet. It’s not spoken because it can’t be. They escape to the Bahamas, a place where Nadine grew up vacationing. She finds comfort in the the steadfast company of Roy (Robert Wisdom), the man who tends to her father’s property, the man who taught her to swim and dive, deep under clear water with a spear gun. She finds calm below the ocean’s surface, stalking sharks. She drowns her thoughts in rum and beer and music and salt water,...

Daniel Crooke here, salivating over today’s first wave of films from the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival’s line-up. While the Spotlight, Midnight, and Special Sections programs won’t drop until March 8, the Us Narrative, International Narrative, and World Documentary Competitions, and Viewpoints showcase hit the internet today and there’s plenty to buzz about. Scanning the films, you’ll find an embarrassment of riches hiding in the programming, plot details, and cast lists. Here are some personal points of interest:

Us Narrative Competition

Ingrid Jungermann’s webseries F to 7th was an astutely, hysterically observed slice of queer life in New York, giving voice to a uniquely cutting female perspective in the process, so her feature debut Women Who Kill shoots straight to the top of the list. The Fixer sounds intriguing in a small-town-with-secrets kind way, James Franco as an “eccentric local” a little less so. Queens of charting...

Top brass at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival presented by At&T have announced selections in the Us Narrative, International Narrative and Documentary Competition strands.

The films comprise 55 out of 110 features that will play during the 15th edition of the New York festival from April 13-24. The festival will present features films in the Spotlight, Midnight, and Special Sections on March 8.

Also included in Wednesday’s announcement are the out-of-competition Viewpoints titles.

The world premiere of Bill Ross and Turner Ross’ Contemporary Color will open the World Documentary competition on April 14, while the world premiere of Kicks by Justin Tipping will open the Us Narrative competition.

The world premiere of Madly directed by Gael García Bernal, Mia Wasikowska, Sebastian Silva, Anurag Kashyap, Sion Sono, and Natasha Khan will open the International Narrative Competition. Viewpoints will open with the world premiere of Nerdland directed by Chris Prynoski.

One third of the festival’s feature films are directed by women...

A micro indie L’Avventura-esque meets Miss Bala like oddity presented at the U.S in Progress (2015 Paris Champs-Élysées Film Festival edition), Logan Sandler reteams with Short Term 12‘s Keith Stanfield (both collaborated on Sandler’s second short, Tracks) and adds Dree Hemingway (Sean Baker’s Starlet) for what sounds like the mix between an art film and a genre film. Filmed in B&W, the American Film Institute grad saw Live Cargo get selected as one of ten feature films selected by Ifp for the annual Independent Filmmaker Lab of 2015.

Gist: A young couple mourning the death of their baby retreat to a tiny Bahamian island where they become entangled in a turf war between a dangerous human trafficker, an aging island patriarch and an obsessive homeless youth.

Production Co./Producers: Thymaya Payne (King Cobra), Mortimer Canepa.

Prediction: Narrow possibility for the Next, might trickle into SXSW and/or Locarno.

Steve Karmen’s 70s radio jingle certainly comes to mind when considering the body of work from the likes of Scorsese, Spike Lee, Woody Allen. We can certainly add the name of Ira Sachs to this aural signifier/list. After Keep the Lights On (’12) and Love is Strange (’14) the future third volume in Sachs’ proposed trilogy of films also takes place in New York City and once again includes the notions of family and a certain displacement. Recently reading just how attached Sachs is to Sundance as both a patron and filmmaker, we’d think the natural route is for another Park City premiere but don’t be surprised if we receive the “silent treatment”. One of the most anticipated American indie films of ’16, Little Men (formerly known as Thank You for Being Honest) is a children’s family drama starring newcomers Michael Barbieri and Theo Taplitz alongside Greg Kinnear,...

The premiere post-tiff destination (September 20-25th) in the film community and a major leg up for narrative and non-fiction films in development, the Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) announced a whopping 140 projects selected for the Project Forum at the upcoming Ifp Independent Film Week. Made up of several sections (Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers program, No Borders International Co-Production Market and Spotlight on Documentaries), we find latest updates from the likes of docu-helmers Doug Block (112 Weddings) and Lana Wilson (After Tiller), and among the narrative items we find headliners in Andrew Haigh (coming off the well received 45 Years), Sophie Barthes (Cold Souls and Madame Bovary), Terence Nance (An Oversimplification of Her Beauty), Lawrence Michael Levine (Wild Canaries), Jorge Michel Grau (We Are What We Are), Eleanor Burke and Ron Eyal (Stranger Things) and new faces in Sundance’s large family in Charles Poekel (Christmas, Again) and Olivia Newman (First Match). Here...

Jan Miller is a connector – and she loves doing it! Supporting producers around the world is in her DNA. After she invited us to speak at the second Strategic Partners in Halifax, (which she created and directed for 15 years), we would then meet Jan regularly in Cuba, Berlin and Cannes where she is a regular moderator at the Producers’ Network Breakfasts. Cartegena was also on her regular beat. She is in demand everywhere as a trainer for directors, writers and producers of pitching and content development as well as an international consultant, from regular events like Poland’s ScriptEast, to Guangzhou, Manaus, Capetown, Glasgow, Yellowknife and most recently, Tehran to name just a few of the more exotic locales.

After bringing the stars in alignment to launch Canada’s first national film school, the National Screen Institute and its highly regarded Features First and Drama Prize programs almost three decades ago, Jan moved from Canada’s west to the east coast where she launched Strategic Partners, Canada’s premiere international co-production market.

In Sp’s 10th year, Jan was approached by Nadja Radojevic of the The Erich Pommer Institut – Epi to partner on a brand new training concept Trans Atlantic Partners (Tap) where Jan Miller serves as its Head of Studies. Together they have developed the program in to one-of-a-kind training that brings together experienced producers from Europe, Canada and the U.S. with a team of Experts, to develop projects for international co-production and co-venturing. Tap is co-presented by the Erich Pommer Institut and the Canadian Media Production Association – Cmpa. Industry partners are Telefilm Canada and Canada Media Fund.

Always responding to the industry, Tap began with only European and Canadian involvement but both Nadja and Jan realized bringing U.S. indie producers into the mix would take the program to a whole other level. Each year, three additional producers from beyond these three ‘regions’ are also selected to participate in this two-module program.

The Tap 2015 line-up includes producers from India, Australia and Mexico. And now in its 7th year, Tap, responding to the industry needs, has opened its program to independent producers with international television series projects in development as well.

This year’s expert line-up of award winning producers include Belladonna’s René Bastian of Belladonna Productions whose film “ Cold in July” is directed by Jim Mickie, and whose newest film “Live Cargo” was presented at Ifp’s No Borders and Us in Progress this past month, K5’s Oliver Simon, Dynamic Television’s Klaus Zimmermann (“100 Code”, “Borgia”, “Death In Paradise”, “The Transporter”), international television consultant Lorri Faughan (“Pillars Of The Earth”), and Buffalo Gal’s Phyllis Laing, (“Aloft”, “Keyhole”, Heaven is for Real”) of Buffalo Gal Pictures, Canada, who was herself a Tap’er in its very first year.

Jan says that they often draw on previous Tap producer talent to come back as resources as so many have remarkable track records.

The Erich Pommer Institut of Germany is a leading training provider in the European media industry dealing with cutting-edge legal and economic topics. Nadja Radojevic, has recently moved into the CEO and Director of Training.

Epi was founded in 1998. Erich Pommer himself was the producer of “Metropolis” and “The Blue Angel”. He left Germany in the war and his grandson, Erich Pommer is a Los Angeles entertainment attorney. The Institute’s core business is advanced professional training in film and media. Aside from Trans Atlantic Partners which is held in Berlin in June and in Halifax in September post Tiff, Epi hosts a European TV Drama Series Lab following the American model with top showrunners and Scandinavian trainers. Now in its fourth edition - former editions featured Showrunners James Manos (“Sopranos”), Carol Flint (“West Wing”, “Emergency Room”), Frank Spotnitz (“The X-Files”), Simon Mirren (“Criminal Minds”) and Glen Mazzara of “Walking Dead” – David Semel, Executive Producer “Madam Secretary”, Co-Executive Producer “House MD” and Director of “The Man in the High Castle”, “Hannibal”, Hemlock Grove”, “Homeland”, “Heroes”will be trainer amongst others.

Epi also hosts Essential Legal Framework, a program consisting of three independent workshops for European professionals on negotiating, European coproduction and digital strategies. A national section for German speakers only, runs four hours a day with 20-30 seminars per year. Its focus is on media law and deals with television, film production, labor and tax revisions which ­– one of their best-selling seminars as there have recently been quite a lot of changes in tax law in Germany. Classes in film financing and film funding are also popular.

There is also a Copyright Policy Congress, Writers Room Simulation and other conventions featuring various current topics relevant to the media industry. In fall Epi is pioneering with Epi e:training starting with a course on European Co-Production. Epi e:training is offering crucial knowledge and business insights by top-level experts online – at your own pace and wherever and whenever you want. “We developed the online training program according to the demands of today’s media industry. It offers more flexibility and adapts to individual preferences," comments Nadja Radojevic. Epi is located at the historic Babelsberg Studios and can be found at www.epi-medieninstitut.de

Trans Atlantic Partners (Tap) is designed for experienced film and television producers from Europe, Canada and the U.S. including 3 additional seats for International producers. The 24 Tap 2015 producers below were selected by the Erich Pommer Institut (Epi) (Germany) and the Canadian Media Production Association (Cmpa) (Canada).

European Producers

-Simon Amberger, Germany (Producer, "Eastalgia", Molodist Int. Ff 2012, Tallinn Int. Ff 2013 | Producer, Blockbustaz, 2014, Winner ZDFneo TV Lab 2014 | Producer, Ada, 2014)

-Sebastien Aubert, France ("Patardzlebi" (Brides), 2014, Berlinale 2014, 3rd Audience Award)

-Rudolf Biermann, Czech Republic (Producer, "Kawasaki's Rose," 2009, Berlinale 2010, Ecumenical Award Panorama Section, Czech Lion 2010 | Executive Producer, "I Served the King of England," 2006, Berlinale 2006, Fipresci Critics Award | Producer, "Garden," 1995, Karlovy Vary Iff 1995, Jury Award)

-Jacqueline de Goeij, Belgium (Producer, "Allez, Eddy!," 2012, Chemnitz Ff, Main Prize & Diamant Award For Most Convincing Acting Performance Of A Child, Palm Springs Best of the Fest Selection | Producer, "Zus & Zo," 2002, Academy Awards, Nominee Best Foreign Language Film, Dutch Ff, Golden Calf Best Actor)

-Sylvia Günthner, Germany (Producer, "Bela Kiss: Prologue," 2013, Twisted Celluloid Ff Ireland 2013, Audi Festival of German Films Australia 2014)

-Martin Heisler, Germany (Producer, "Houston," 2013, Sundance Ff 2013, Independent Ff Boston 2013, Special Prize of the Jury | Producer "Forget Me Not," 2012, Ff Locarno, Settima Della Critica 2012, Best film | Producer "David Wants to Fly," 2010, Berlinale 2010)

-Rachel Lysaght, Ireland (Producer, "Patrick's Day," 2015, Ifta 2014, Best Script, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Sound | Producer, "One Million Dubliners," 2014, TV Award Sandford Saint Martin Trust, UK, Irish Ff Boston 2015, Director's Choice, Galway Film Fleadh Ireland 2014, Best Feature Documentary)

-Christof Neracher, Switzerland (Producer, "War" (Chrieg), 2014, San Sebastian Ff 2014, Max Ophüls 2014, Max Ophüls Prize | Producer Vitus, 2006, Shortlist Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film 2006, Berlinale 2006, AFI Fest 2006, Audience Award)

-Diarmid Scrimshaw, UK (Producer / Production Co., "Tyrannosaur," 2012, Sundance 2011, Best Director, Satellite Awards 2011, Best First Feature)

Canadian Producers

-Coral Aiken, Canada (Producer, Big Muddy, 2014, Toronto Iff 2014, Arizona Iff 2015 | Producer, "The People Garden")

-Patrick Banister, Canada (Executive Producer, "Bitten," 2014 | Executive Producer, "Whistler," 2006)

-John Barbisan, Canada (Executive Producer, "Bitten," 2014 | Executive Producer, "Whistler," 2006)

-Amy Belling, Canada (Producer / DoP / Cam Op / Post Supervisor, Songs She Wrote About People She Knows, 2014, Toronto Iff 2014, Santa Barbara Iff 2015 | Producer / DoP / Cam Op / Post Super, Stress Position, 2013, Sci Fi London 2013, Las Vegas Ff 2013, Best Cinematography / Best Supporting Actor)

-Isaac Clements, Canada (Senior Production Executive, "The Pinkertons," 2014-15 | Production Executive, "Sunnyside,"2014-15 | Associate Producer, "Silent Night," 2012)

-Jeff Kopas, Canada (Producer / Director / Writer, "An Insignificant Harvey," 2011, Busan Iff 2012, Audience Award)

-Linda Ludwick, Canada (Exec. Producer/Producer: "Mohawk Girls Season 2," 2014, Yorkton Ff 2015, Banff Media Festival 2015 | Exec. Producer/Producer, "Smoke Traders," 2012, Yorkton Ff 2013 | Exec. Producer/Producer, "Reel Injun," 2009, 3 Gemini awards 2010 | Exec. Producer/Producer, "Moose TV," 2006, "Cfpta" 2008)

-Robyn Wiener, Canada (Producer, "Numb," 2015 | Producer, "Black Fly," 2014, Viff 2014 , Marché du Film Telefilm Perspective Canada Cannes 2015| Co-Producer / Line Producer, "Lawrence & Holoman," 2013, "Viff" 2013, Best Director | Co-Producer / Line Producer, "American Mary," 2012, London Fright Ff 2012)

American Producers

-Mollye Asher, USA (Producer, "Fort Tilden," 2015, SXSW 2014 Grand Jury Prize | Producer, "She's Lost Control," Independent Spirit Award Nominee 2015, Berlinale 2014 | Producer, "Songs My Brother Taught Me," 2015, Sundance 2015, Cannes 2015)

-Diane Houslin, USA (Producer, "Yelling to the Sky," 2011)

-Tommy Oliver, USA (Producer, 1982, 2015, Toronto Ff 2013, Austin Ff 2013, Marquee Audience Award | Producer, "The Perfect Guy," 2015 | Producer, "Kinyarwanda," 2011, Sundance Ff 2011, World Audience Award, AFI Fest 2011, Audience Award)

-Riel Roch Decter, USA (Producer, "The Wait," 2014, South by Southwest 2013, Deauville 2013 | Producer, "Bottled Up," 2014, Tribeca Film Festival 2013 | Producer, "Life After Death from Above 1979," 2014.

International Producers

-Vivek Kajaria, India (Producer, "Fandry," 2014, Indian Ff of La 2014, Grand Jury Prize Best Film, Fipresci India 2014, Film Critic Award Best Indian Film 2013 | Presenter, "Anumati," 2013, National Film Award for Best Actor 2013, New York Indian Ff 2013, Best Film Award | Producer, "Siddhant," 2015, Mumbai 2014)

-Ozcar Ramirez Gonzalez, Mexico (Producer, "Ciclo," 2013, DocsDF 2012, Vancouver Latino Iff 2013, Audience Award | Producer, "The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man," 2013, Tokyo Iff 2011, La Iff 2012 | Producer, "Days of Grace," 2012, Cannes Iff 2011, Guadalajara Iff 2012, Best Director, Best Score, Press Award)

-Lisa Shaunessy, Australia (Executive Producer, "Killing Ground," 2016 | Co-Producer, "Black & White & Sex," 2012, Iff Rotterdam 2012, Sydney Ff 2011, Best Experimental Film | Producer, "Hipsters," Sbs Australia, 2015)

Who is Jan Miller and how did she arrange such an organization?

It’s in Jan’s nature to look for opportunities to support the individual filmmaker, her local industry and work internationally as well. Most recently Jan served as an international consultant for the Canadian Media Production Association helping to develop their international strategy and contributing to Cmpa led delegations to Berlin and Rio de Janeiro. In March she led a delegation of 18 production companies to the Hk Filmart for Creative BC and Cmpa BC.

Jan divides her time on Tap, on international contracts, on teaching and on Wift-at.

How do you see the place of women in the film industry?

Recognizing that there was a real need in Atlantic Canada for women to come together and support, celebrate and learn from each other in the industry, I started Women in Film and Television - Atlantic which I headed up as Founding Chair and architect for six years. During this time I was working with a remarkable team to launch Women Making Waves an annual Conference that brings in the best female talent to offer master classes, panels, conversations and networking opportunities to men and women in the industry. I continue as one of the organization’s primary resources and mentors. And most recently, strongly believing that women in the industry need to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills and business strategies, I worked with Mount Saint Vincent University’s Centre for Women in Business, to launch Wift-at’s first six month Advanced Management and Mentoring Program.

Can you explain your connection to the music business?

Close to a decade ago, I was approached by Canada’s vibrant east coast music industry to adapt my pitching workshop into a program that has become “export readiness for the music industry”... During this intensive workshop I work with artists, bands and managers to develop their communication and pitch skills to present their work to international music supervisors, festival programrs and tour managers in 1-2-1 meetings. It was a very steep learning curve, but I loved the challenge of redesigning her training to fit a new market.

Can you explain your connection to romance writers?

When the Music Export Readiness workshops took off, other disciplines began approaching me to ask if I could adapt her teaching for a workshop for Romance Writers wanting to pitch to potential film and TV producers and then theatre practitioners wanting to pitch their properties internationally. My un-designed career path came full circle!

How did you come into the film world?

I first came into the entertainment industry through my theatre troupe that performed clown and mask shows internationally for 10 years as one of Canada’s cultural calling cards. During this period I successfully auditioned for a short film and the seed was planted …

What do you do in Nova Scotia? (or What did you do?)

Amazingly I call home Nova Scotia. Living 40 feet from the ocean, I connect daily to the world and travel the world almost as often. I am an international resource for the local industry and mentor talent both for the short term and long term as the demand requires. My husband and I also breed standard poodles!

How would you sum up your “portfolio”?

I am an initiator, a passionate connector devoted to helping people do what they want to do well.

Sci-fi thriller wins fourth edition of Us indie showcase in Paris.

James Morrison’s debut sci-fi thriller Diverge has won the fourth edition of indie showcase Us in Progress in Paris.

The time-warp drama revolves around the survivor of a global catastrophe who is given a chance to reclaim his lost former life by stopping the man who caused the cataclysmic event - himself.

It is debut feature for Morrison after shorts Stay True and Little Brother, which travelled the North American festival circuit.

The Paris Us in Progress showcase – a joint initiative between the American Film Festival in Wroclaw, Champs-Élysées Film Festival in Paris and Black Rabbit Film – aims to connect upcoming Us independent films with distributors and sales agents in Europe.

Last year’s winner, Benjamin Dickinson’s Creative Control premiered at SXSW, where it took the Special Jury Recognition for Visual Excellence award, before being picked up for international sales by Paris-based The Coproduction...

Dree Hemingway has grabbed the lead role in the Canadian indie The People Garden, by writer/director Nadia Litz. The great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway and daughter of actress Mariel Hemingway, the model/actress will play Sweetpea, an actress in Japan searching for her missing rock star boyfriend. The drama has started shooting on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Hemingway's star turn in Sean Baker’s Starlet earned her the 2012 Robert Altman Indie Spirit Award, and she starred opposite Keith Stanfield in director Logan Sandler's indie Happy People. She also appeared in Alex Ross Perry's dark comedy Listen Up Philip opposite Jason Schwartzman and

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