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Una feel good movie sobre la aceptación de uno mismo y de los demás. © Caramel Films

Arranca el rodaje en Sevilla y Canarias de la película 9 lunas, dirigida por Patricia Ortega (Mamacruz) con un guion que ha coescrito junto a José Ortuño (Normas para una página de sucesos) y Olmo Figueredo González-Quevedo (productor de Los últimos románticos y Fin de fiesta).

9 lunas sigue a Ángel, un joven y atractivo entrenador personal al que la vida le sonríe. Tras un año sabático, acaba de ser contratado por el mejor gimnasio de la ciudad, y todo parece ir sobre ruedas. Pero su mundo da un vuelco cuando empieza a encontrarse mal, acude al hospital y recibe una noticia inesperada: está embarazado. Y es que, en realidad, Ángel es un hombre trans al que solo le faltaba un último paso para completar su transición y ahora deberá enfrentarse a una decisión que pondrá a prueba su identidad,...

Borja Cobeaga firma y dirige la película. © BTeamPictures

BTeamPictures ha compartido el primer tráiler de Los Aitas, una película escrita y dirigida por Borja Cobeaga.

Los Aitas está ambientada en los suburbios obreros de Bilbao a finales de los años ochenta. Un equipo infantil de gimnasia rítmica se prepara para participar en un campeonato que se celebrará en Berlín. Ante la imposibilidad de que las madres acompañen a sus hijas, la tarea recaerá en los padres, que no parecen muy interesados en el viaje, ni en ese deporte, ni incluso en sus propias hijas. Será un largo viaje donde descubrirán, mientras cae el muro de Berlín, una nueva manera de ser padres.

La road movie está protagonizada por Quim Gutiérrez (Al otro barrio), Juan Diego Botto (La habitación de al lado), Ramón Barea (Todos lo saben), Mikel Losada (El guardián invisible), Iñaki Ardanaz (Paraíso) y Laura Weissmahr (Salve María).

Los...

Over the last six years, thanks in the main to the SVOD revolution, Spain, once known for select auteurs – Pedro Almodóvar, J.A. Bayona, Fernando Trueba – has stepped fully onto the world stage as a European film and TV power.

Appropriately then, Spain is the Country in Focus 2025 at Berlin Festival’s European Film Market. Its movie strand says much about Spanish cinema, while Berlin, at large, points up Spain’s larger film industry challenges, shared by much of Europe.

The Focus’ biggest takeaway is Spain’s dramatic explosion of new talent, both producers and directors. In a Spain at the Forefront showcase, 10 Spanish producers making up a Producers Program will talk up their companies and current projects. Another 10 producers form part of Visitors Program at the Berlinale Co-Production Market.

Launched in 1995, Morena Films will unveil “8,” the latest from “Sex and Lucía” helmer Julio Medem. Avalon, producer of Berlin Golden Bear winner “Alcarràs,...

Un grupo de cocineros republicanos debe preparar la cena de Franco mientras planean huir. © A Contracorriente Films

Arranca el rodaje de La cena, una comedia dirigida por Manuel Gómez Pereira (Entre las piernas) y con guion de Joaquín Oristrell (El campeón), Yolanda García Serrano (Hit) y el mismo Gómez Pereira, que se desarrollará en Valencia, Madrid y Gran Canaria.

La cena nos sitúa en el 15 de abril de 1939, apenas dos semanas después del fin de la Guerra Civil Española. Con la victoria franquista consumada, el dictador decide celebrar el triunfo con una cena en el Hotel Palace, acompañado de sus generales. Lo que no saben, es que la cena la prepararán unos cocineros republicanos que están ante su última oportunidad de huir del país.

La película está protagonizada por Mario Casas (Escape) y Alberto San Juan (Casa en llamas) acompañados de un reparto coral con Asier Etxeandia (Citas Barcelona), Nora Hernández...

Ever wanted to own a lock of Leonard Cohen’s hair? Now’s your chance, thanks to an upcoming auction featuring dozens of items once belonging to the iconic singer-songwriter.

Julien’s Auction House has announced an upcoming sale of 164 items culled from the collections of the late musician’s romantic partner Anjani Thomas and longtime friend Aviva Layton, among others.

Along with such mementos as lyric sheets, photos, personal letters, artwork, a couple of hats, and more, perhaps the most interesting artifact is a lock of Cohen’s hair, housed in a locket.

Thomas told Rolling Stone of the lock of hair, “We were cutting his hair one day, and he had just given me a locket for my birthday. And I thought it was a traditional thing to put a snippet of hair in a locket. It’s a very olden-times custom.”

Another standout item is Cohen’s...

Zendaya and Tom Holland might have become Hollywood’s favorite duo both on and off-screen, with fans swooning over every movie they do together. And now, they’re apparently setting their sights on a five-film record, even making some waves with rumors about joining forces in a Christopher Nolan flick. Pretty impressive, right?

Tom Holland and Zendaya in Spiderman: Homecoming | Credits: Marvel Studios

But here’s the twist: the lovebirds still have a few miles to go before they can dethrone the ultimate power couple of cinema. There’s a Hollywood pair who’s taken co-starring to a whole new level, already clocking in more than five films together. Sorry, Holland and Zendaya, but the reigning champs aren’t ready to pass the baton just yet!

Hollywood’s Power Duos: Zendaya & Tom Holland Near Record, But Kurt Russell & Goldie Hawn Hold the Crown Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem in Loving Pablo...

Buenos Aires-based FilmSharks has closed new distribution deals for “I Can’t Live Without You” (“No puedo vivir sin ti”), the latest comedy from Argentina’s most bankable star, Adrián Suar.

Warner Bros. Discovery clinched rights for Eastern Europe, while New People Film Company secured rights to Cis, which includes Russia, and the Baltic states, Tanweer for Greece and Av Jet for Taiwan. Distribution rights for France, Germany, Korea, Australia and China are under discussion.

FilmSharks subsidiary The Remake Company has also sealed remake deals for the social satire with Italy’s Federation and Mexico’s BH5 with French, German, Chinese and Korean adaptation talks underway.

“This modern and realistic high concept comedy about cell phone addiction has translated globally very well, raising its distribution and remake potential,” said FilmSharks CEO-founder Guido Rud.

The latest from the producers of Spain’s reigning #1 Comedy “Ocho Apellidos Vascos” (“Spanish Affair”), the Spanish-Argentine co-production...

Last week Directors Notes had the privilege of being invited back to sit on the jury of the second edition of Conero Film + Adv – taking place from the 6th – 8th of September, organised by Local Bizarro and MontanariPR. This year’s edition welcomed and hosted agencies, production companies, brands and directors into the heart of the Conero Natural Park in Italy, harnessing a unique and refreshing blend of forward thinking film festival curation and the spirit and collaboration of a creative retreat. Conero Film + Adv saw an impressive second year growth with 800 films submitted from 34 countries, screening 60 projects and featuring a host of engaging and educational industry panels, along with a filmmaker Q&a hosted by Dn’s own MarBelle.

Amongst the winners and attendees, Dn was delighted to re-connect with Cfa’s Nico Montanari and Mattia Fiumani – who we spoke to last year about the festival’s unique sustainability ethos across its curation and operations,...

Madrid-based Paz Lázaro of Amore Cine, at the Venice Film Festival for “Kill the Jockey” by Luis Ortega and “Quiet Life” by Alexandros Avranas, has boarded Sergio Castro San Martín’s “A Thousand Pieces” (“Mil pedazos”), which is currently shooting in Chile.

Amore Cine joins Argentina’s Bikini Films and Pan Contenidos, Spain’s Maluta Films and Castro San Martín’s Chile-based company Latente Films, co-founded with Eduardo Pizarro, in the co-production that wraps early October.

Road movie follows Isabel (43) and Miguel (53) who are getting ready for a vacation with their only daughter, Emilia (9). Miguel is the most excited, hoping this trip will be an opportunity to heal the rift with his wife. But for Isabel, there’s no way out of the crisis they’re facing. Emilia, excited about the adventure, captures the desert scenery with her Cybershot camera, but everything comes to a halt when a tragic accident occurs midway.

Una película que habla de las relaciones y los prejuicios con los barrios más humildes y sus gentes. © Disney

Ya está aquí el primer tráiler de “Al Otro Barrio”, una comedia social basada en la historia original y en la película “Jusqu’ici tout va bien”, escrita por Khaled Amara, Mohamed Hamidi y Michaël Souhaité y dirigida por Mohamed Hamidi.

En “Al Otro Barrio”, intentar engañar a Hacienda ha sido una opción demasiado tentadora para Andrés (Quim Gutiérrez), pero no contaba con que le pillaran. Y eso es exactamente lo que le ha ocurrido. Además de la multa millonaria que le ha caído encima, ahora debe trasladar sus oficinas al barrio de Los Caños, en las afueras más marginales de la capital, o eso le parece a él. Pero lo cierto es que Andrés se estaba aprovechando de una jugosa subvención por tener allí su sede, sin haber pisado nunca el barrio.

Una de las grandes apuestas en ficción de la plataforma de streaming. © Atresplayer

La nueva serie original de Atresplayer, “La Sombra de la Tierra”, un drama rural ambientado en 1896, basado en la novela homónima de la actriz Elvira Mínguez, que también se pone por primera vez tras las cámaras como directora del proyecto, se proyectará en el Festival de San Sebastián en septiembre.

“La Sombra de la Tierra”, compuesta por cuatro episodios de 50 minutos, narra el enfrentamiento de dos mujeres marcadas por el odio. Garibalda (Adelfa Calvo) es una mujer enferma que gobierna a los aldeanos con puño de hierro. Desde la infancia odia a Atilana (María Morales), a quien culpa de todos sus males. La posición de poder que hereda de su marido la utiliza para abusar de todos los que la rodean. Atilana es una viuda de mediana edad que sostiene como puede una finca que en otros tiempos fue grande.

Javier Bardem first met Penélope Cruz on the set of the movie Jamón, Jamón in 1992, but their beautiful relationship didn’t start until years later. They would work together again on the Woody Allen film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and started dating. Bardem and Cruz have been married since 2010 but Bardem thinks that their marriage doesn’t make any sense.

Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem in a still from Jamón jamón | Lola Films

As they celebrate their 14th year of marriage this coming Saturday, fans can think of a few reasons why their relationship does make sense. The couple have two children—Leo Encinas Cruz born in 2011 and Luna Encinas Cruz born in 2013.

Javier Bardem Shares A Humble Thought On His Marriage To Penélope Cruz Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem in a still from Vicky Cristina Barcelona | Mediapro/Wild Bunch

Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz are one of the power couples of Hollywood,...

Javier Bardem is easily one of the finest actors of his generation and has given some of the greatest performances in films from his home country Spain as well as Hollywood. Films like Before Night Falls, Biutiful, No Country for Old Men, and Skyfall have shown his incredible range as an actor. His wife, Penélope Cruz, is also a stunning woman who has also appeared in several hit films.

Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz in Loving Pablo | Universal Pictures

Bardem and Cruz have been married since 2010 and have worked together in 9 films. They have successfully managed to balance their work life and their personal life over the years and their bond continues to grow stronger. However, amidst the media’s obsession with Hollywood couples and their dynamic, a rather sexist question was posed to Bardem, to which he had the perfect response.

Unlike Will Smith, Javier Bardem Superbly Handled A...

The international endurance of Spanish film adaptations was front and center this year at the Malaga Festival Industry Zone’s (Mafiz) Remake Day event on Thursday, with a presentation of Shanghai-based Aim Media’s “Lose to Win,” the Chinese adaptation of the Latido Films-sold 2018 hit “Campeones” (“Champions”), directed by Javier Fesser.

“Champions” is produced by Luis Manso at Fesser’s Madrid-based Películas Pendleton (“Historias Lamentables”) alongside Alvaro Longoria at Spain’s Morena Films (“Everybody Knows”).

Global remakes of “Champions,” about a basketball coach who coaches a team of people with disabilities as community service, have so far included Arabic, German, U.S. (starring Woody Harrelson and directed by Bobby Farrelly) and Indian versions, not to mention a hugely successful Spanish sequel.

Discussing “Lose to Win,” directed by Gao Hu, ahead of a special screening of the film, Aim Media’s Emily Ruan detailed the benefits and challenges presented by the production.

If there’s one thing Marvel is very good at, it’s casting. From Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man to Chris Hemsworth as Thor, the studio has a knack for finding the ideal actors to bring their favorite comic book characters to life. And it appears that they might have their sights set on another prominent face in the industry for their next big bad: Javier Bardem.

Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds, could be portrayed by none other than the Spanish Oscar-winning actor in the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot. This follows on the heels of the announcement that Pedro Pascal is slated to star as Mr. Fantastic, providing yet another reason to look forward to the eagerly awaited superhero flick.

Galactus (via Marvel comics)

Bardem, known for his outstanding portrayal in No Country for Old Men and Everybody Knows, is reportedly Marvel’s first choice for the cosmic antagonist,...

Exclusive: Industry training platform Stage 32 has revealed the 11 finalists selected for its inaugural Empowering Women Script Competition, running in collaboration with production company Catalyst Studios.

Beyond offering a competition platform, the initiative will also provide ongoing development support and mentorship to the female and non-binary finalists.

“It’s not just about finding the next great script. This program fosters the talents of promising artists and empowers their voices to change the world,” said Stage 32 Managing Director Amanda Toney.

The winning writer will receive a guaranteed $5,000 option for their script and is eligible for up to $3,000,000 in financing from Catalyst for production.

In addition to financial support, the Catalyst team will collaborate with the winning writer on development, while Stage 32 will provide educational support for script development.

The partners also announced that outgoing Berlinale Managing Director Mariette Rissenbeek has joined the program as a mentor for the winner.

Catalyst Studios...

Amazon’s Prime Video has ordered a series adaptation of the Ed Brubaker graphic novel “Criminal,” Variety has confirmed.

Brubaker created the graphic novel along with Sean Phillips. Both serve as executive producers. Brubaker also wrote the pilot script and will serve as co-showrunner alongside executive producer Jordan Harper.

“’Criminal’ is a beloved graphic novel created by the most iconic team in the history of comics,” said Nick Pepper, head of U.S. SVOD wholly owned development at Amazon MGM Studios. “I know our global Prime Video customers will immediately embrace this story, and I look forward to working with Ed, Jordan, and the team to bring it to the screen.”

The series is executive produced by Brubaker, Harper, and Sean Phillips, Sarah Carbiener, and Phillip Barnett. Legendary Television will also serve as an executive producer. The series is produced by Amazon MGM Studios.

“Sean and I have been building...

Prime Video has given a series order to Criminal, a drama based on the multi-Eisner Award-winning graphic novel series created by Ed Brubaker, who writes the comic, and Sean Phillips, who illustrates it. Brubaker, who penned the pilot script, will co-showrun the TV series with crime fiction author Jordan Harper (Hightown).

The project, produced by Amazon MGM Studios, has been on fast track development at Amazon, which opened a writers room in early 2023. The process was interrupted by the WGA strike.

Criminal is described as an interlocking universe of crime stories. As Brubaker explained to Deadline in a 2019 interview, “Criminal tells the interweaving saga of several generations of families tied together by the crimes and murders of the past.”

Brubaker and Harper executive produce alongside Phillips, Sarah Carbiener, Phillip Barnett and Legendary Television.

“Criminal is a beloved graphic novel created by the most iconic team in the history of comics,...

Ed Brubaker’s Criminal is moving forward at Amazon.

Nearly a year since it was first put in development, the retail giant and streamer has handed out a formal series order for the drama series based on the interlocking world of crime stories from the comic book powerhouse.

Brubaker, whose TV credits include Westworld and Batman: Caped Crusader, will serve as showrunner alongside crime fiction author Jordan Harper (Hightown, Gotham). Sean Phillips, who co-created Criminal alongside Brubaker, will also exec produce alongside Brubaker and Harper as well as Sarah Carbiener and Phillip Barnett. Legendary Television will also be credited as an exec producer. Amazon MGM Studios is the studio.

“Criminal is a beloved graphic novel created by the most iconic team in the history of comics,” said Nick Pepper, head of U.S. SVOD wholly owned development, Amazon MGM Studios. “I know our global Prime Video customers will immediately embrace this story,...

Actress Penelope Cruz’s children would love to see her star in a superhero movie. “If it’s something interesting, why not? It’s fun. As you could imagine, that’s what my kids ask me sometimes, ‘Are you ever going to do that, mom?’ Because I’ve done so much drama and so many films I can’t show to them yet,” the actress, who has Leo, 12, and Luna, ten with her husband Javier Bardem, told Variety.

Cruz is also keen to make a musical movie, and she’s already looking forward to the challenge. The actress shared: “I’m going to do one soon, I think. I was very fortunate to do ‘Nine’ with Rob Marshall. I had an incredible time. It forced me to go back to dancing to five hours a day. We’re planning something that makes me very happy.”

Cruz has worked with her...

It’s that time of year again. While some directors annually share their favorite films of the year, Steven Soderbergh lists everything he consumed, media-wise. For 2023––another year in which he not only Magic Mike’s Last Dance Review: Steven Soderbergh and Channing Tatum Take a Familiar, Gentle Bow”>released a new film, but dropped two TV series (Full Circle and Command Z“>Command Z) and shot another film (the Sundance-bound Presence)––he still got plenty of watching in.

Along with catching up on 2023’s new releases, Ferrari, Anatomy of a Fall, How to Blow Up a Pipeline, Air, Reality, Dead Reckoning, among others), he took in plenty of classics, including Eyes Wide Shut, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Casablanca, Out of the Past, The Shining, the epic War and Peace, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and, following Tom Wilkinson’s passing, Michael Clayton. He also got an early look at Pussy Island,...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (Rob Reiner)

One of the most brilliant comedic minds to ever live finally gets his due in Rob Reiner’s loving documentary. Framed around a conversation between the two, Brooks dives into all of his creative output while still proving he’s as witty as ever––and indeed, if you’ve never seen some of his early late-night bits, you’ll be howling along. And since you’ll be looking for more from Brooks to watch after watching, Lost in America and Defending Your Life are on Max, Modern Romance is on Tubi, and Real Life is on Kanopy.

Where to Stream: Max

Before, Now & Then (Kamila Andini)

In Before, Now & Then the social...

The list features 10 rising actors and filmmakers with the potential for breakout international careers.

The third edition of Spain Stars of Tomorrow, part of Screen International’s talent-spotting series, has been unveiled.

The list features 10 rising actors and filmmakers with the potential for breakout international careers.

Scroll down for profiles of the stars

The 2023 line-up will be presented on September 26 at a special launch event at the San Sebastian film festival.

The list of talents, featuring six actors and four filmmakers, was once again curated by Screen’s Spain correspondent Elisabet Cabeza.

The actors selected are Nourdin Batan, who made...

Bass Reeves is a significant historical figure who became one of the first black U.S. Marshals after the Civil War, capturing dangerous outlaws during the 19th century. The upcoming series Lawmen: Bass Reeves will premiere on Paramount+ and chronicle Reeves' life and law enforcement career in the late 1800s. This portrayal of Bass Reeves will be the tenth notable one in film and TV, with previous actors including Gary Beadle, Colman Domingo, and Adrien Holmes. David Oyelowo's performance in the upcoming series has the potential to be a defining role in his career.

The upcoming Lawmen: Bass Reeves won't be the first time that historical figure Bass Reeves has been portrayed in Western films and television. Reeves is one of the most significant figures in American history following the Civil War and the Thirteenth Amendment which freed all slaves in 1865. Reeves was born into slavery in Arkansas under...

Penélope Cruz Depositphotos

Penélope Cruz Sánchez, born on April 28, 1974, is a renowned Spanish actress. She has made a name for herself in various film genres, particularly in Spanish-language films, and has received numerous awards and nominations for her exceptional performances. These accolades include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, four Golden Globe Award nominations, and five Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.

Cruz embarked on her acting career at a young age, signing with an agent at 15. She made her television debut at 16 and her first appearance in a feature film the following year in Jamón Jamón (1992). Her notable roles include Belle Époque (1992), Open Your Eyes (1997), Don Juan (1998), The Hi-Lo Country (1999), The Girl of Your Dreams (2000), and Woman on Top (2000). She is particularly recognized for her collaborations with acclaimed Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar in films such as Live Flesh (1997), All About My Mother (1999), Volver...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Asteroid City (Wes Anderson)

Wes Anderson has done it all: India by train, Rhode Island by foot, the Mediterranean by sub, France by bike, faux-Germany by hotel, apple-orchard America by fox, animated Japan by dog, motel Texas by friends, New York City by family. But––despite the feeling that this couldn’t possibly be true––he’s never told a story in western America. In setting he hasn’t gone further west than Houston. Until Asteroid City: Arizona desert by quarantine. – Luke H. (full review)

Where to Stream: VOD

Chile ’76 (Manuela Martelli)

Manuela Martelli’s debut film opens with a sequence that perfectly captures the tone and themes Chile ‘76 will explore. Carmen (played by Aline Kuppenheim) is at a paint shop,...

In times of crisis, it can be easy to stand still and do nothing. This has been the choice of many Russians in light of the invasion of Ukraine, avoiding uncomfortable conversations and wanting it to simply blow over. Nonetheless, if anything is going to change at home, resistance to the regime might be crucial. With Everybody Knows, Russian Director Daria Geller – last seen on Dn with fractious relationship short Him & Her – counts the tragic cost of complacency, reducing everyone to a victim eventually. Shooting in a disused, brutalist-looking care home in Tel Aviv, her group scenes thrum with tension, warm 16mm images showing the mixture of emotions playing off idle, unspeaking rubberneckers. Featuring a new cover of Leonard Cohen’s classic song, it shows how the horrors are known by everyone, and how it can easily get worse if people refuse to speak up and make a difference, despite...

A selection at Venice Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival, Emanuele Crialese’s 1970s-set, Penélope Cruz-starring drama L’immensità opened in theaters earlier this summer from Music Box Films. Now, with the film arriving digitally today, we’re pleased to exclusively debut an alternate poster inspired by Federico Fellini classic. Along with the poster debut, we’re delighted to give away 10 digital codes to watch the film on AppleTV. To enter, sign up for The Film Stage’s free newsletter by July 16 (available to U.S. readers only).

Designed by Greenlight Creative, here’s their statement about the new poster: “The La Dolce Vita-inspired poster for L’immensità evolved out of the original design explorations for the film’s theatrical poster. We were looking to find a design style that would place the film in a vibrant mid-century or ’70s period setting, communicate a bittersweet, nostalgic tone, and provide a star platform for Penélope Cruz.

The loose, lolling chapters of “The Girls Are Alright” are marked and separated by a simple visual motif: for each one, a different close-up panel of ornately illustrated Toile de Jouy fabric, rendered in various pastel shades against a calico background. The material’s distinctive period pastoral scenes, depicting gussied-up women in various states of passive repose and their corresponding noblemen, contrast pleasingly with the more modern, less dependent portrait of 21st-century femininity presented in Spanish writer-director-star Itsaso Arana’s short, sweet, winsome freshman feature. When its female characters don Toile-appropriate corsets and hoop skirts, it’s with a postmodern, literally performative sense of irony.

For the five women descending on a sleepy, tucked-away villa at the outset of Arana’s film are all in the theater — four of them actors, one a playwright — with the reflective, hyper-examined ways of being that come with that environment, where even real life...

Tucker Carlson — who was booted from Fox News in April — has made a serious pile of cash practicing what I like to call the conventional wisdom of the counterintuitive take. His worldview can be whittled down to this: everything you ever heard is wrong. And I mean everything. (He still believes the English alphabet has 26 letters but give him time.)

Last night, he began the Twitter phase of his lucrative career. Carlson was broadcasting from an undisclosed man cave of a studio — complete with unfinished wood and fishing rods that clashed with his preppy tie and blue blazer attire. It made him look like the country club money man wandering into a meeting of the Secret Society of Maladjusted Lunkheads who all loom right off-camera.

He then provided his rote 10-minute grocery list of Greenwald-meets-Greene grievances. It’s not clear if the speech was preplanned or tied to the news...

Dr. Stacy Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, in collaboration with the Adobe Foundation, have launched The Inclusion List, a first-of-its-kind data website that ranks the most inclusive theatrically-released films, distributors and producers from 2019 to 2022.

The Inclusion List is a data-driven ranking system that analyzes theatrically-released films based on their levels of representation, with Gina Prince-Bythewood’s “The Woman King” and Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell” leading the list of the top 100 films.

Dr. Smith, founder and director of USC Annenberg’s Inclusion Initiative, and Amy White, director of corporate social responsibility at Adobe and the executive director of the Adobe Foundation, spearheaded the project, with the initiative’s Samuel Wheeler, Brooke Kong, Dr. Katherine Pieper and Smith authoring the report.

In the process of compiling the list, the research team sorted through 376 theatrically-released films across a span of 20 inclusion indicators, assessing gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ, disability and age...

Spain’s The Mediapro Studio is teaming with writer-director Marcel Barrena and Spanish star Eduard Fernández on real-life inspired social film “The 47.”

Scheduled to shoot in Catalan and Spanish June-July in Barcelona, “The 47” is based on the true story of Manolo Vital, a bus driver who, during the city’s expansion in the 1970s, help shape the Barcelona of today.

Produced by Jaume Roures and executive produced by Laura Fernández Espeso, Javier Méndez and Eva Garrido, the film is one of the projects The Mediapro Studio Distribution is presenting for international sales at the current Cannes’ Marché du Film.

Award-winning screenwriter-producer Alberto Marini co-wrote the script alongside Barrena.

Winner of three Goya Awards and a San Sebastian Silver Shell, Fernández plays the central character in the film.

The cast also takes in Clara Segura (“The Sea Inside”), Zoe Bonafonte, Salva Reina (“Con quién viajas”), Aimar Vega (“Prison 77”), Carlos Cuevas...

If you’ve perused our summer movie preview you may already have a sense of what films to keep on your radar this month, but it’s time to dig deeper into May. While much of our attention will be on the Cannes Film Festival, plenty of worthwhile offerings arrive stateside.

15. The Starling Girl (Laurel Parmet; May 12)

After breaking out in Babyteeth and Little Women, Eliza Scanlen finds an impressive new starring role with The Starling Girl. Michael Frank said in his review, “Scanlen shines as Starling, playing someone much younger than herself. She brings an assurance to the role. We belive in Jem. She’s naive-yet-overconfident, isolated-yet-connected, carefree-yet-shackled by a system designed to believe the word of men much older than her. Scanlen shows all of that and more. Her performance grounds a film that risks blending together with preceding pictures, raising it above any average trappings.”

14. L’immensita (Emanuele Crialese...

The summer season is upon us and, per each year, we’ve dug beyond studio offerings (though a few potential highlights remain) to present an in-depth look at what should be on your radar. From festival winners of the past year to selections coming straight from Cannes to genre delights to, yes, a few blockbuster spectacles, there’s more than enough to anticipate.

Check out our picks below and return for monthly updates as more is sure to be added to the calendar.

Riceboy Sleeps (Anthony Shim; May 2)

So-Young (Choi Seung-yoon) didn’t want to leave South Korea. She had no choice. The father of her newborn son committed suicide and, as an orphan who was never adopted, she had no other family. So, with nowhere to turn and a boy who couldn’t legally become a citizen due to being born out of wedlock, she immigrated to Canada to start anew.

A selection at Venice Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival, Emanuele Crialese’s 1970s-set drama L’immensità follows Clara (Penélope Cruz) and her emotionally distant husband Felice (Vincenzo Amato) as they relocate to Rome to raise a family. Their eldest child, Andrew, isn’t fully able to discuss his transgender identity in a traditional society, and the film captures a coming-of-age tale as he blossoms under the guidance of his mother. Ahead of a release this May from Music Box Films, the new U.S. trailer has arrived.

Jose Solis said in his review, “In films like Volver, Parallel Mothers, Everybody Knows, and now L’immensità, Penélope Cruz has cornered the market on playing mother figures that are both larger than life and movingly earthy. As Clara, the loving Spaniard expatriate trying to raise her children while staying married to an unfaithful man in 1970s Rome, Cruz does some of the best work of her already incredible,...

Two-time Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi, Iran’s best-known director, was at the Zurich Film Festival last September when protests following the death of Mahsa Amini erupted in his home country.

Since then, the auteur of “A Separation,” “The Salesman” and “A Hero” has not returned to Iran. He’s been working on a new film in Los Angeles and Europe. Interestingly, he says he plans to go back to his country before he shoots this film, even though he is not 100% sure they will let him out again. It’s clearly a risk that the enigmatic Farhadi is willing to take.

Farhadi was in Turin on Monday to give a masterclass at Italy’s National Museum of Cinema, where he also received a lifetime achievement award. In a rare interview, he took questions via e-mail from Variety.

Where are you living these days? I read that you are working on...

Johnny Depp's first big comeback movie, Jeanne du Barry, has yet to hit theaters. The upcoming French film will be the first Johnny Depp project to follow his defamation lawsuit win over Amber Heard. Jeanne du Barry, originally titled La Favorite, is a biographical period drama that follows Johnny Depp's King Louis Xv, who falls in love with Jeanne, a working-class courtesan played by Maïwenn.

While speculation about his return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise continues, the actor will appear next in Jeanne du Barry, where he'll play the 2023 film's male lead. Though it's obviously not a project on the same level as his Pirates of the Caribbean movies, it being his comeback film makes it a highly anticipated movie. The film's French release date has just been announced, and between its release and the location of its world premiere, there's enough reason to be excited. And...

The song "Everybody Knows," by Leonard Cohen plays at the end of Ted Lasso season 3, episode 3 for a specific and fitting reason. Ted Lasso has been one of Apple's main attractions since its initial release in 2020, and though Ted Lasso season 3 will be the end, it seems to have already solidified its place as a show that can and will be watched over and over by millions of fans. Ted Lasso season 3 has continued to follow Ted's difficult family life, with season 3, episode 3 adding another cruel twist to Ted's already painful separation from ex-wife Michelle.

Everything seems to be going well for Ted in Ted Lasso season 3 - Richmond has landed iconic soccer player Zava, the team is on a winning streak, and his new friendships have blossomed. Unfortunately, Ted's marital problems have kept him from achieving complete happiness. Moreover, his physical separation from his son, Henry, has caused...

Barcelona-based sales shingle Filmax has acquired international rights to Spanish thriller “Ellipsis,” directed and co-written by Goya-nominated David Marqués.

“Ellipsis” toplines a slew of Spanish-language world stars, including Diego Peretti, José Coronado (“No Rest for the Wicked”), and iconic Mexican thesp Cecilia Suárez (“The House of Flowers”) and rising star Georgina Amorós (“Elite”).

Peretti plays protagonist Leo, a well-known author of mystery novels. He is paid a visit by a man claiming to be a journalist in a secret location where Leo is penning his next novel. But only his agent knows where he is. Could it be that a dark secret from Adriana ( Amorós), his lover, is behind the surprise visit?

The script was co-written by Rafael Calatayud Cano (“Tales of the Lockdown”) and Marqués, who is best-known for writing Spanish comedy-drama “Champions,” a box office and format smash hit directed by Javier Fesser.

Marqués said: “‘Ellipsis’ is an...

In films like Volver, Parallel Mothers, Everybody Knows, and now L’immensità, Penélope Cruz has cornered the market on playing mother figures that are both larger than life and movingly earthy. As Clara, the loving Spaniard expatriate trying to raise her children while staying married to an unfaithful man in 1970s Rome, Cruz does some of the best work of her already incredible, multilingual career.

To say director Emanuele Crialese’s camera falls in love with Cruz would be an understatement. She is lovingly shot and framed (even her Sophia Loren bob brings attention to her expressive eyes) and we don’t even need to hear her speak to know whoever’s gaze she’s under has completely fallen under her spell.

This adoration takes on a heartbreaking twist when we realize the camera is acting as a surrogate for Clara’s eldest, Adriana (Luana Giuliani) who was assigned female at birth,...

Atresplayer Premium, the burgeoning Ott service behind HBO Max hit “Veneno,” has renewed “The Gypsy Bride” (“La novia gitana”), whose Season 1, from “Penny Dreadful” director Paco Cabezas, world premieres at the San Sebastian Film Festival.

Atresmedia Television will produce with Banijay Iberia’s Diagonal TV, producer of Netflix hit “Heirs to the Land.”Produced by Vis with the participation of Atresmedia Television and the collaboration of the Diagonal TV, the first season of “The Gypsy Bride” will bow on Atresplayer Premium on Sept. 25.

Directed in its totality by Cabezas, whose credits also include “American Gods,” Season 1 is set in a gypsy community on Madrid’s humble outskirts as homicide inspector Elena Blanco, is called in to investigate the torture and assassination of a young woman just before her wedding.

Channelling echoes of a Lorca tragedy, the series, shot with large visual ambition by Cabezas – mixing bold panoramics and hand-held camerawork...

“Tequila, Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll,” from Goya Award-winning producer-helmer Alvaro Longoria, has been acquired for international sales by Latido Films.

Set up at Madrid’s Morena Films, which Longoria co-founded, doc marks a return to directing for Longoria, whose 2012 debut, “Sons of the Clouds,” produced by Javier Bardem, scored a Spanish Academy Goya while 2015’s “The Propaganda Game” nabbed a nomination. Meanwhile, just in the last few years, Longoria has produced Asghar Farhadi’s Cannes opener “Everybody Knows” and Spanish box office juggernaut “Champions.”

“I produce, that is how I make a living, but I direct documentaries as a passion.’ said Longoria.

Set to world premiere at this month’s San Sebastian Festival as part of its Made in Spain showcase, “Tequila” charts the rise of the Argentine-Spanish rock band fronted by Ariel Rot and Alejo Stivel.

The two are set to perform again in a series of post-film screening concerts.

Quad Cinema has announced that “Boundless Bardem,” a retrospective on Javier Bardem’s acting career tied to the release of his upcoming film “The Good Boss,” will run at The Quad in New York City from August 19th – 25th.

The films in the retrospective are Julian Schnabel’s “Before Night Falls“ (35mm); Bigas Luna’s “Golden Balls” (35mm) and “Jamón Jamón” (35mm); Pedro Almodóvar’s “Live Flesh” (35mm); Bond film “Skyfall” (4K); Asghar Farhadi’s “Everybody Knows”; Ethan and Joel Coen’s “No Country for Old Men,” Fernando León de Aranoa’s “Loving Pablo” and “Mondays in the Sun”; Álex de la Iglesia’s “Perdita Durango”, Darren Aronofsky’s “Mother!”; and Alejandro Amenábar’s “The Sea Inside.”

The screening series will be co-produced with the Consulate General of Spain in New York.

“One of the most exciting moments of my work as a Cultural Consul are the times when we...

The last French acting star to preside over the jury was Isabelle Huppert in 2009.

French actor Vincent Lindon has been named president of the jury for the 75th Cannes Film Festival, running May 17-28.

He will be joined by eight other jury members comprising UK actress and director Rebecca Hall, Indian actress Deepika Padukone, Swedish actress Noomi Rapace, Italian actress and director Jasmine Trinca, Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, French director Ladj Ly, US director Jeff Nichols and Norwegian director Joachim Trier.

In the same release, Cannes also announced that Trinca’s debut feature Marcel! will world premiere as a Special Screening.

Update: An Iranian court has determined that film director Asghar Farhadi violated the copyright of a former student, Azadeh Masihzadeh, for Farhadi’s latest film, “A Hero.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, which first broke the news early on Tuesday, “The case will now pass to a second judge, whose ruling can then be challenged in an appellate court. The judge can also order the case to be re-examined.” It was previously reported that Farhadi had been convicted of plagiarism, but that has not yet occurred according to a new report from Entertainment Weekly.

Earlier, Deadline noted that Farhadi’s lawyer, Kaveh Rad, said on social media that the reports are premature, and that “the decision is not the final verdict of the court and is considered part of the trial process.” In a statement to EW, French producer Alexandre Mallet-Guy said, “We firmly believe that the court will dismiss Ms.

Exclusive: Film Movement Classics has acquired North American rights to 2K digital restorations of Asghar Farhadi’s first two features Dancing in the Dust and Beautiful City, which have been signed off on by the two-time Oscar winner himself. Both restored dramas will be released theatrically this year, with a release on all heading home entertainment and digital platforms to follow.

In Farhadi’s 2003 feature directorial debut Dancing in the Dust, Nazar (Yousef Khodaparast) is pressured into divorcing his wife (Baran Kosari) because of her family’s bad reputation. This leads to money problems, and before long, he’s on the run due to debts that he can’t pay. Hiding out in the desert, he meets an eccentric elderly man (Faramarz Gharibian) who makes a living by collecting venom from poisonous snakes. Nazar becomes his unlikely partner and gets an unexpected chance at redemption. The film won Best Director,...

As other European TV giants such as the Rtl Group, Spain’s Atresmedia, owner of the Ott service Atresplayer Premium, is finding the sweet spot between auteur and broad audience shows.

Launched two years ago, Atresplayer Premium boasts fast growth in terms of subscriptions – reaching 400,000 users in Spain alone – and content production volume, readying some 20 new TV projects for this year.

Promoting original voices, the platform is winning international visibility. Iconic original series “Veneno,” created by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, “Los Javis,” successfully launched on HBO Max in the U.S. and Latin America, with a strong impact on the international media, which contributed to strengthening the Atresplayer brand.

Now, “Cardo,” from creators and writers Claudia Costafreda and Ana Rujas, executive produced by Los Javis after becoming one of the hottest indie series of last year for TV critics and audiences, is close to an important international distribution deal.

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

A Hero (Asghar Farhadi)

In A Hero, the discovery of a bag of gold coins sets the scene for a knotted Bressonian morality tale. The director is Asghar Farhadi, a filmmaker who has spent his career examining those blurred lines between right and wrong; decency and hubris; righteousness and folly. Taking place in the city of Shiraz, it proves a return to familiar ground for him: both the first he has made in his native Iran after the awful misstep that was Everybody Knows, as well as a return to the moral complexities of A Separation, still his finest film to date. – Rory O. (full review)

Where to Stream: Amazon Prime

Attica (Stanley Nelson and Traci Curry)

There’s a moment towards...

Asghar Farhadi and Luca Guadagnino had never met before Amazon Studios brought the two directors together for an online conversation. The topic was Farhadi’s drama “A Hero,” which is Iran’s candidate at the upcoming Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category.

Yet they seem so symbiotic — and also, uncannily, look physically similar — as they chat about “A Hero,” which is about an earnest-looking man named Rahim who while on furlough after being imprisoned for debt returns a lost handbag full of gold coins. An act which appears to make him a Good Samaritan. But the story is more complicated.

“We cannot doubt that our Rahim is a hero, but at the same time his fate is not that of a hero. Ambiguity plays a very large significant role – in your movies, and in this one specifically,” says Guadagnino.

Farhadi points out that he tried “in this...

This review of “A Hero” was first published after the film’s July 2021 premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

Twice an Oscar winner, for “A Separation” and “The Salesman,” Iranian director Asghar Farhadi may be a contender again for his latest film, “A Hero,” which premiered last July in the Cannes competition.

Indeed, the film’s plot and premise turning on that filmic staple of a bag of treasure — in this case, 17 gold coins found in a handbag at a bus stop in the city of Shiraz.

The coins come into the possession of a man, Rahim Soltani (Amir Jadidi), who is out on a few days release from debtor’s prison. He sees the money as a sure-fire way of paying off his debts, getting out of jail and beginning a new life with his girlfriend Farkondeh, in whose custody to coins appear to be.

However, when the pair excitedly visit a gold dealer,...