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Two decades have been kind to Ghost in the Shell: Innocence, the only animated feature to debut in competition at Cannes and recent recipient of a 20th-anniversary 4K restoration. But Mamoru Oshii isn’t done with his opus, having recently stated, “There is something I want to do for the third film. There is only one thing I have left to do. If I can do it, I would like to do it.” [Mantan Web]

The franchise’s significant cultural imprint across east and west alike implies a lay-up. (We can consider its predecessor’s unique Scarlett Johansson-led live-action remake a brief blip on the map.) Yet at last night’s Niigata International Animation Film Festival, Innocence‘s producer (and Production I.G. chairman) Mitsuhisa Ishikawa revealed that its production costs––2 billion yen, which amounts to more than $13 million Usd––have still not been recouped over two decades. Nevertheless, intention remains:...

The Ghost in the Shell franchise is one of the greatest and unique anime film series. It explores the philosophy behind our consciousness and identity. In a heavily technologically advanced world, Ghost in the Shell asks what it means to be human. Where does the line between the physical body and the soul blur?

Ghost in the Shell. [Credit: Toho]

The franchise includes the original manga series, 2 animated films by Mamoru Oshii, 3 animated television series, and a controversial American live-action adaptation. Science Saru is producing a new Ghost in the Shell anime, and it is set to be released in 2026.

Oshii, the director of the more classic and beloved film franchise, has expressed his interest in directing a third Ghost in the Shell film. However, the mixed reviews of the second film have created doubt if the next one is a necessary addition.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence wasn’t...

Hearts of Glass: Hadžihalilović Casts a Wintry Spell

A chilly scene of winter unfolds in La Tour de Glace (The Ice Tower) at a glacial pace, content with shattering itself into pieces for those desiring to get anywhere near it. The fourth feature from Lucile Hadžihalilović bears all the earmarks of her previous features, all pregnant with an ambiguous menace while its anxious characters use each other for reasons almost too obscure until it’s too late to avoid something terrible. Her latest venture is a reunion with Marion Cotillard, who headlined Hadžihalilović’s first feature, Innocence (2004), about an all girls’ school where the children are being groomed for a sinister purpose.…...

A film set is no place for little girls. In the fairy-tale-adjacent world of Lucile Hadžihalilović’s frigid dark fantasy “The Ice Tower,” an orphan runs away from her foster home and takes refuge in the basement of a movie studio, finding herself drawn to the production — and its star, played by Marion Cotillard — the way a child in a Hans Christian Andersen story might be lured into the clutches of a wicked enchantress. Aptly enough, the script they’re shooting is “The Snow Queen,” aspects of which echo through the ’70s-set movie’s many layers, all the way out to us, whom Hadžihalilović hopes to trap in her crystal prism.

Cotillard and Hadžihalilović collaborated once before, early in both their careers, on 2004’s “Innocence,” where the director first planted the unholy seeds she’s still harvesting all these years later: unsettling yet artful projects in which Hadžihalilović depicts the...

Gorgeous and glacial in equally frosty measure, Lucile Hadžihalilović’s “The Ice Tower” is all art-film-only vibes, a wintry 1970s fairy tale about a screen actress who casts a potentially dangerous spell. It’s anchored by an actress, Marion Cotillard, who has one of the great faces, and a classical sophistication with a glamorous, out-of-reach noirish beauty that pairs wonderfully with a creature cut out of Hans Christian Andersen: amorous, elusive, but wounded.

Shot gorgeously in France and Northern Italy by cinematographer Jonathan Ricquebourg — this is truly the most visually astonishing movie so far to premiere at the 2025 Berlinale — “The Ice Tower” will prove an uneasy catch for commercially minded audiences looking for anything more than a mood in feature form. But those wanting to be hypnotized by cinema, as this film really does put you in a state of trance, will enjoy a unique experience from the director of “Innocence” and “Evolution,...

Ghost in the Shell remains a staple of cyberpunk anime, with the original animated movie adaptation still highly regarded by fans and filmmakers. Now, the director of the first two films is recalling a particularly sick sentiment that went into the second movie.

Speaking about the remastered 4K versions of Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence that are coming to theaters in a new statement via Mantan Web, director Mamoru Oshii noted the development of the second movie. Particularly proud of the film, this feeling came after a traumatic personal event. This all comes as the original film is celebrating its own major milestone, with the sequel having just reached a similar achievement.

RelatedLate Studio Ghibli Founder Gets Debut East Coast Movie Screening After Over 40 Years

Later this month, anime fans will have the chance to see the East Coast premiere of a pre-Ghibli feature...

There are currently two Ghost in the Shell anniversaries to celebrate: the 30th anniversary of the original Ghost in the Shell film, which was released in 1995 in Japan, and the 20th anniversary of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence , which premiered in 2004. The 4K remastered version of both anime films will get a special two-week run in Japanese theaters to commemorate both anniversaries. Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence 4K Remaster Posters The 4K versions of both films were initially made for the Blu-ray release, but this will be the first time this remastered version of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence will be getting a semi-wide theatrical release after the first film got a 4K screening in 2021 in both Japan and the U.S. Related: New Ghost in the Shell TV Anime Announced for 2026 The director of both films, Mamoru Oshii, released a comment...

The 75th Berlin International Film Festival (February 13-23) has unveiled the 19 titles set to play in its official Competition and films selected for its new competitive Perspectives strand.

Scroll down for full list

New films from Richard Linklater, Hong Sangsoo, Michel Franco and Radu Jude are among those selected for the main competition, with stars including Margaret Qualley, Ethan Hawke, Jessica Chastain, Claes Bang and Marion Cotillard.

It marks the first Competition lineup from new festival director Tricia Tuttle, who announced the titles alongside co-directors of film programming Jacqueline Lyanga and Michael Stütz in Berlin today (January 21).

All Competition titles...

The 75th Berlin International Film Festival (February 13-23) has unveiled the 19 titles set to play in its official Competition and films selected for its new competitive Perspectives strand.

Scroll down for full list

New films from Richard Linklater, Hong Sangsoo, Michel Franco and Radu Jude are among those selected for the main competition, with stars including Margaret Qualley, Ethan Hawke, Jessica Chastain, Claes Bang and Marion Cotillard.

It marks the first Competition lineup from new festival director Tricia Tuttle, who announced the titles alongside co-directors of film programming Jacqueline Lyanga and Michael Stütz in Berlin today (January 21).

All Competition titles...

Before the Kevin Spacey scandal shook Hollywood and the mass media at large, the Oscar-winning actor had at least a few projects filmed and in the can. The most infamous of these is simple titled Gore, a Netflix film that may never see the light of day and cost the streamer roughly $40 million dollars after they decided to shelve the movie when allegations were levied against Spacey. The actor plays the eponymous Gore Vidal, a renowned American writer who died in 2012, and the film is said to chronicle a particular summer in Italy where Vidal takes a young man under his wing and teaches him lessons about life, love, and more.

The young man is played by Douglas Booth, who has kept busy with a number of other projects since Gore. MovieWeb spoke to Booth during his press blitz for his new film Young Werther, in which he plays the...

Veteran soap actor Thom Christopher has died. The One Life to Live alum, who portrayed mob boss Carlo Hesser and his twin Mortimer Bern on the soap, was 84 when he passed. His former television son, Anthony Crivello, who portrayed Johnny, confirmed his death on social media.

Goodbye To A Legend

Crivello shared the news on Facebook. He wrote, “My dear friend of many years, actor Thom Christopher passed today. He was always a gentleman, always supportive, and he and his wife Judith who proceeded him in death, where [sic] always gracious to me and welcoming. Thom and I worked together on the ABC daytime series One Life to Live in the 1990s…. It was a wonderful time, difficult hours and long days, but joyful each minute. May Thom fly on Wings of Angels to be beside his beloved Judith, and may they enjoy each other’s company once again, beside the ‘Pearly Gates’ of heaven.

The NCIS franchise is a massive institution, so its no wonder some actors have played multiple characters within its expansive storyline. It would throw off the narrative in most television shows to have the same person appear as different characters, with many only running for a few years. However, NCIS rich tapestry of more than two decades on television allows actors to weave in and out of the narrative as different NCIS characters seamlessly. Moreover, the fact that NCIS has so many spinoffs means some actors can always show up on a different show as a new character.

The franchise has tackled over a thousand cases between NCIS and its many spinoff shows, meaning there have been thousands of opportunities to play a character attached to a weekly case. The television institution continues to grow, expanding opportunities for its favorite actors to return without compromising the integrity of its complex web of narratives.

Jane Schoenbrun didn’t invent movies exploring teenage malaise and identity through the lens of pop culture, but in the opening moments of Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel’s Eat the Night, echoes of their two acclaimed features immediately rise to the surface. Much like the protagonist of We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, 17-year-old Apolline (Lila Gueneau) is entirely immersed in an online gaming community, her only contact with an emotionally distant father coming when he tries to dissuade her from spending so much time on it. And, in an unintentional similarity with I Saw the TV Glow––which premiered while this movie was in post-production––Apolline begins interrogating how the fantasy game Darknoon has shaped her identity as she discovers it will soon be terminated without warning.

But this examination of a lonely, disaffected teen––and how she uses a video game to bond with both her...

On Monday 14 October 2024, U&Drama broadcasts Classic Casualty!

Innocence Season 17 Episode 9 Episode Summary

In the upcoming episode titled “Innocence” of *Classic Casualty*, viewers will once again step into the fast-paced environment of Holby City Hospital, where the dedicated staff face the challenges and triumphs of their demanding roles in the A&e department. This episode promises to explore the theme of innocence as the young doctors and nurses encounter a variety of patients and situations that test their skills and emotions.

As they attend to the diverse needs of their patients, the staff will navigate their own personal challenges. The episode will highlight the delicate balance between professional responsibilities and personal feelings, shedding light on the emotional toll that comes with working in a high-pressure medical setting. Through a series of touching and sometimes heart-wrenching stories, viewers will see how innocence can be both lost and found in the world of healthcare.

In Marcellus Williams’ clemency package, his mother describes him as the only mistake she’s ever made. His father left him, too, unwanted. Now, on the brink of execution for a murder he says he did not commit, 55-year-old Williams has a legion in his corner. No one wants him to die — not the jurors who decided his fate years back, not the prosecutor’s office, not even the victim’s family. The only entity pushing for his execution, it seems, is the state of Missouri.

“The prosecutor’s office,...

The following contains spoilers for It Ends With Us, hitting theaters August 9th.

In 2016, novelist Colleen Hoover published "It Ends With Us," a romance story about the destructive cycle of abusive relationships. In 2021, her book reached cult status, garnering a massive following on social media. A tragic tale of lost love, tough choices and redemption, Hooper's novel seemed tailor-made for the big screen. It comes as no surprise that Sony Pictures also realized this and brought it to life in theaters in 2024. Starring Blake Lively, Brandon Sklenar, Alex Neustaedter, Isabela Ferrer, Jenny Slate and Justin Baldoni, the live-action adaptation of It Ends With Us deals with some very tough material. For the most part, it succeeds.

Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) didn't have a happy childhood. Her father abused her mother, and her mother covered it up. The only bright spot was her friendship with Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar), an...

Scott Peterson, who was convicted two decades ago in the murder of his wife Laci Peterson and their unborn son Conner, is talking. Peacock next month will air the three-part true crime docuseries “Face to Face With Scott Peterson,” which includes his first on-camera interview since 2003.

“Face to Face,” which premieres August 20, will include details about new developments in the case, which is now being re-examined by the Los Angeles Innocence Project (which announced earlier this year that they were taking on the case).

The docuseries is timed to the 20th anniversary of Peterson’s conviction, and will include what’s described as “an exclusive series of intimate conversations” between director Shareen Anderson (who was executive producer of “The Murder of Laci Peterson”) and Peterson. Anderson also talks to Peterson’s sister-in-law, Janey Peterson; former Modesto Police Department lead detective Al Brocchini and detective Jon Buehler; Peterson’s former defense...

After the L.A. Innocence Project took up his case, convicted murderer Scott Peterson has broken a long silence in a three-part Peacock true crime docuseries.

Face to Face with Scott Peterson, a Universal Television Alternative Studios series set to bow Aug. 20, will see Peterson give his first on-camera interview since 2003 as he discusses the notorious murders of his wife Laci Peterson and unborn son Conner.

Face to Face With Scott Peterson

The official teaser trailer, which dropped on Monday, includes jailhouse footage of Peterson being interviewed, but he does not speak on camera. That, according to Peacock, will come with the docuseries where Peterson will give his side of the story to series director Shareen Anderson, who has been investigating the murder case for over a decade.

The docuseries also premieres in the wake of the Los Angeles Innocence Project announcing it will investigate Peterson’s case as the...

"Why are humans so obsessed with recreating themselves?" GKids Films has revealed a new official trailer for the 4K re-release of the sci-fi anime classic Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, a highly regarded sequel to the seminal anime Ghost in the Shell (1995). This is one of the only animated movies to ever premiere in the Main Competition at the Cannes Film Festival, screening there in 2004 after first opening in Japan. In the year 2032, Batô, a cyborg detective for the anti-terrorist unit Public Security Section 9, investigates the case of a female robot – created solely for sexual pleasure – who slaughtered her owner. Acclaimed director Mamoru Oshii pushes further into the world and concepts first developed in his groundbreaking Gits. With its thought-provoking speculations on artificial intelligence, which have only become more relevant in our present world, Innocence celebrates its 20th anniversary returning to cinemas in a lustrous 4K restoration. With the voices of Akio Ōtsuka,...

Originally released in 2004, director Mamoru Oshii's followup to the groundbreaking Ghost in the Shell anime film adaptation is getting ready to return to cinemas in North America. Gkids announced the acquisition of theatrical distribution rights for Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence , which it plans to release nationwide in celebration of the film's 20th anniversary this summer. Ahead of that, Gkids will premiere the all-new 4K restoration of Innocence at the Chicago Critics Film Festival at the Music Box Theatre this May. Related: Interview: Mamoru Oshii on Why Humans Keep Telling Stories to Each Other Synopsis: iIn the year 2032, the line between humans and machines has been blurred almost beyond distinction. A string of murders perpetrated by a prototype android model has drawn the attention of Public Security Section 9, a unit specializing in counter cyber-terrorism. With none of the victims’ families pressing charges, suspicions arise regarding the nature of...

Originally released in 2004, director Mamoru Oshii's followup to the groundbreaking Ghost in the Shell anime film adaptation is getting ready to return to cinemas in North America. Gkids announced the acquisition of theatrical distribution rights for Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence , which it plans to release nationwide in celebration of the film's 20th anniversary this summer. Ahead of that, Gkids will premiere the all-new 4K restoration of Innocence at the Chicago Critics Film Festival at the Music Box Theatre this May. Related: Interview: Mamoru Oshii on Why Humans Keep Telling Stories to Each Other Synopsis: iIn the year 2032, the line between humans and machines has been blurred almost beyond distinction. A string of murders perpetrated by a prototype android model has drawn the attention of Public Security Section 9, a unit specializing in counter cyber-terrorism. With none of the victims’ families pressing charges, suspicions arise regarding the nature of...

Succession star Sarah Snook and singer-actress Nicole Scherzinger were among the big winners at the 2024 Olivier Awards, which were revealed this evening at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Scroll down for the full list of winners.

Snook picked up the Best Actress gong for her multi-character performance in the Sydney Theatre Company’s version of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. The play also picked up Best Costume Design for Marg Horwell. Scherzinger landed Best Actress in a Musical for her turn as Norma Desmond in the recent revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway-bound Sunset Boulevard.

Elsewhere, the Best Director award went to Jamie Lloyd for the Savoy Theatre production of Sunset Boulevard while Vanya starring Andrew Scott landed Best Revival. Mark Gatiss won Best Actor for The Motive and the Cue. Will Close nabbed Best Supporting Actor for his role in the National Theatre’s...

Law & Order: Organized Crime fans, we’ve got a fresh off the press preview for the new Season 4 Episode 3 episode titled End of Innocence!

Find out everything you need to know about the End of Innocence episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime, including a full preview, videos, release date, cast information and how to watch!

Law & Order: Organized Crime End of Innocence Season 4 Episode 3 Preview

In the upcoming episode of “Law & Order: Organized Crime” titled “End of Innocence,” scheduled to air on NBC at 10:00 Pm on February 1, 2024, viewers can expect a gripping narrative as Detective Elliot Stabler, portrayed by the seasoned Christopher Meloni, re-enters the fold of the NYPD. After a devastating personal loss, Stabler is determined to take on the city’s most powerful crime syndicates, showcasing the resilience of a character navigating the complexities of rebuilding his life, family, and career.

Christopher Meloni...

Welcome to Cozy Anime Corner , your go-to place for finding the perfect anime to brighten your day! Every month I’ll highlight a comfy series with low stakes, calm vibes and characters I wish I knew in real life. Are you tired of winter’s cold, gray skies? This month’s pick takes us out to the Japanese countryside for summertime fun complete with lazy days, buzzing locusts and… calligraphy?! That’s right, it’s Barakamon ! “Barakamon” in the dialect of the Goto Islands means “cheerful and energetic person.” Tokyo native and master calligrapher Seishuu Handa finds himself on Fukue Island, which is populated by such happy-go-lucky people – but none more so than the six-year-old Naru. Will this fish out of water sink or swim on the Goto Islands? Opening Number “Rashisa” by Super Beaver kicks off the summer vibes. Energetic electric guitars and upbeat vocals bring up the tempo immediately.

French-Iranian director Emily Atef’s Mercy received €450,000, the biggest slice of funding

Six projects by women filmmakers including Emily Atef, Hafsia Herzi and Lucile Hadzhihalović have received support from the German-French Funding Commission’s Minitraité co-production fund.

The largest single amount of production funding - €450,000 - was awarded to French-Iranian director Emily Atef’s English-language Mercy, an adaptation of Lara Santoro’s eponymous novel. Set in 1997, it is the story of a friendship between a US correspondent in Kenya and a local woman from the slums joining forces to combat the AIDS crisis in the country.

Earlier this year, Atef...

Dateline NBC is set to air an episode titled “Unspeakable” on Saturday, December 16, 2023, at 9:00 Pm Eastern Time/8:00 Pm Central Time, re-examining the intriguing case of Sandra Melgar.

The episode of Dateline NBC’s “Unspeakable” will delve deep into the details of the case, scrutinize the evidence, and shed light on the ongoing efforts to uncover the truth surrounding the murder of Jaime Melgar and the conviction of his wife, Sandra Melgar.

What Happened to Jaime Melgar & Sandra Melgar?

In August 2017, Sandra Melgar, aged 57, was convicted of the murder of her husband, Jaime Melgar, a crime that occurred on December 22, 2012, just one day before their 32nd wedding anniversary in their Houston home. Despite being sentenced to 27 years in prison for first-degree murder, Sandra has steadfastly maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings.

As of now, Sandra Melgar is serving her sentence at the Carol Young Complex in Dickinson, Texas. Her...

With the 2023 Truth Seekers Summit presented by Showtime taking place a day after former President Donald Trump was indicted for a third time, this time in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow set the tone of the event after receiving the Variety and Rolling Stone Truth Seekers Award, “The crisis we have right now in this work that we do is not a crisis about the truth,” she said in a sitdown with Variety’s Co-Editor-In-Chief Ramin Setoodeh. “The truth is the truth; the truth just exists.

The massively successful Overwatch video game series and multimedia franchise recently premiered the first of three special anime episodes associated with the game's universe, entitled Genesis. The first part, Dawn, we released one week ago and has already accrued more than 640,000 views on YouTube. Now, the second episode, Innocence, has just debuted.

If you need to catch up, you can watch the first episode here. Then, check out the new episode, Genesis - Part Two: Innocence, below.

The Overwatch franchise is set in a future dystopia on Earth in which artificial intelligence has been turned against humanity, leading to something called the Omnic Crisis. The U.S. launched a secret super-soldier program, somewhat similar to the whole Captain America mythos, to combat the sentient AI threat (which feels more and more relevant with each passing day).

This is hardly the only animated series or special related to the Overwatch franchise,...

Hollywood actress Marion Cotillard is to play the role of the Snow Queen in French female auteur Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s next film ‘La tour de glace’.

‘La Tour de glace’ is expected to be the French director’s most ambitious film to date and will reteam Hadzihalilovic with ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and ‘Inception’ star Cotillard.

Cotillard had starred in Hadzihalilovic’s 2004 film ‘Innocence’, as per ‘Variety’.

Co-written by Geoff Cox, ‘La tour de glace’ is set in the 1970s and follows Jeanne, a teenage girl who runs away from her orphanage located in a mountain village.

She flees to Paris with big dreams to fulfill and finds shelter in a warehouse which turns out to be used as a studio where ‘The Snow Queen’ is being filmed. The film’s star, Cristina, a beautiful woman in her 40s, takes Jeanne under her wing, exerting a dangerous and overpowering influence...

Arte France Cinéma have thrown their support behind a quintet of projects and among them we find Lucile Hadzihalilovic re-teaming with Marion Cotillard for La Tour de glace La Tour de glace. Set to shoot in January and February next year in both France and Germany, this fourth feature film is set in the 1970s. Cotillard was cast in Hadzihalilovic’s debut back in 2004 (Innocence). By the sounds of the synopsis it looks like the central character will be a young actress. Co-written along with Geoff Cox (who helped with Évolution (2015) and Earwig (2021)), from her high mountain village, 15-year-old Jeanne dreams of leaving her childhood orphanage and discovering the world.…...

The most exciting upcoming K-dramas streaming in 2023 and beyond include brand-new series, long-awaited sequels, and the continuation of hit shows that dominated pop culture in the last couple of years. 2022 saw dozens of hit Korean dramas streaming globally across different platforms, including but not limited to All of Us Are Dead, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, The Glory Part 1, Pachinko, Little Women, and Alchemy of Souls. The first quarter of 2023 also saw some incredible K-dramas, including but not limited to The Glory Part 2, Payback, and Black Knight.

The most anticipated 2023 Korean dramas are mainly new releases, although a few of those are K-dramas based on webtoons. Some hit Korean shows from the past three years are also set to receive a second season in late 2023 and 2024. From new stories to highly anticipated sequels, here are the 10 most exciting upcoming K-dramas premiering in 2023 and beyond.

Bloodhounds

Described as an action-packed drama, Bloodhounds will...

13 titles in Israeli Competition including eight world premieres.

Docaviv, the Israeli film festival for non-fiction cinema, has set the Israeli films for its 25th anniversary edition including a 13-strong main competition.

The 13 films – eight of which are world premieres – will compete for the best Israeli documentary award.

Scroll down for the full list of Israeli competition films

Docaviv will run from May 11 to 20 this year in Tel Aviv, screening 120 titles across the festival. 350,000 Nis in prize money will be available across the festival, including the 70,000 Nis award for best Israeli film.

World premieres in the Israeli competition include Inbal Perlmutter – If It’s Over,...

Two titles from leading lights of the New Catalan Cinema, Elena Trapé’s “The Enchanted,” starring Goya winning actress Laila Costa, and Lucia Alemany’s “Co-Husbands,” with “House of Flowers’” Paco León, figure as Market Premiers at the Málaga Film Festivals Spanning Screenings Content, a massive 195 Spanish title spread continuing Spain’s muscular outreach to overseas buyers and markets.

84 features will screen in Málaga, as well as 10 works in progress and 81 library titles. Part of Mafiz, the industry area of the Málaga Film Festival, the Spanish Screenings Content unspool March 13-16 in the Andalusian coastal city.

The Market Premieres also feature “The Good Manners,” by the Barcelona-based Marta Díaz de Lope Díaz. Key sections – such as Perspectives and Spanish Screamings – largely pick up on titles introduced at Ventana Sur. The Spanish CoProForum features four projects selected in October 2022 for a Málaga Festival development program.

First details of productions at the...

Linking two top players on the Spanish TV scene, Barcelona studio Filmax has acquired international sales rights to Spanish comedy “Co-Husbands,” whose backers include Telecinco Cinema, producer of Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” and J.A. Bayona’s The Impossible.”

Filmax will unveil a trailer to clients at this week’s Berlin European Film Market, before the film’s release in Spain on March 10.

The second feature from Lucia Alemany (“Innocence”), ”Co-Husbands” toplines “House of Flowers” star Paco León. In a gender flip set-up, it turns on Emilio and Tono who both receive phone calls that their wives are in comas after a ski-resort avalanche. At the hospital admissions desk, they make a startling discovery: their wives are, in fact, the same person … Laura. Forced to wait together until Laura regains consciousness, Emilio and Toni engage in a battle to prove who is her one and only true husband.

Ernesto Alterio...

Festival runs October 12-23.

Jafar Panahi’s No Bears, Alice Diop’s Saint Omer, and Sergei Loznitsa’s The Natural History Of Destruction are among the international competitions line-up at the 58th Chicago International Film Festival next month.

This year’s competitions include 10 films receiving their North American premiere and 17 getting their US premiere as the entries vie for the festival’s Gold Hugo award in the categories of international feature, international documentary, and new directors.

The festival runs October 12-23. The full international competition line-ups are below.

Playing in International Feature Competition are: The Beasts (Sp-Fr), Rodrigo Sorogoyen, US premiere; Before,...

In Israel, military service is mandatory. Director Guy Davidi, whose documentary “Innocence” premiered at the Venice Film Festival in the Horizons section, served as well. “I didn’t want to be a combatant, to hold a gun. I felt used, abused, like an instrument for the country. I already knew I was going to make films, did not have hopes to become a politician or a lawyer, so their threats did not have big weight. But for others getting a psychological evaluation and be released on psycho-mental grounds like I did is not an option,” he says.

“The other thing is that at this age if you’re not in the military, there’s nothing for you to do,” he adds. “Israel is not a place that values innocence. Our history as persecuted Jews, our enlightened democracy are both in use in our solid PR kit,” Davidi says. “If you...

Danish documentary production company’s slate include Sundance-selected ‘The Territory’ and Eva Weber’s ‘Merkel’.

European production group Newen Studios and Oscar-nominated Danish producer Sigrid Dyekjaer have launched a new Denmark-based documentary production company, Real Lava.

Real Lava is owned by France-based Newen Studios (part of the TF1 group) and Dyekjaer, and will work on both documentary films and series for an international audience, “with a cinematic execution and high artistic value”.

The company’s first production, The Territory, has been confirmed for the world cinema documentary competition at Sundance. Alex Pritz’s film explores the Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau community as...

European production group Newen Studios is teaming with Oscar-nominated Danish producer Sigrid Dyekjaer to launch production company Real Lava.

Based in Denmark, Real Lava will aim to produce cinematic documentary films and series for international audiences. Kicking off Real Lava’s documentary slate is Alex Pritz’s “The Territory” which will be premiering at Sundance. “The Territory” follows the indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau community as they defend their land against a network of Brazilian farmers who are colonizing their protected territory.

A leading figure in the film industry, Dyekjaer has produced some 30 documentary features in the past 23 years. She most recently produced Feras Fayyad’s Oscar-nominated documentary “The Cave” which won Emmy and Peabody and Cinema Eye awards.

The Paris-headquartered Newen Studios has scaled up its international presence in recent years, investing in production companies in the U.K., Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada and Denmark. The group is already well established in the documentary field.

Byun Sung-hyun’s trajectory as a director has been an interesting one. Starting off with the low-key drama “The Beat Goes On”, he moved on with the sex comedy “Whatcha Wearin’?” Changing gears yet again, he directed the crime thriller “The Merciless”, which of course had its premiere and Cannes and was generally well-received by the audience. Cue four years later and his next project, the long-awaited “Kingmaker” is finally gearing up for a release in December, 2021, once again starring his “The Merciless” star Sol Kyung-gu, alongside Lee Sun-kyun.

Synopsis

A politician dreams of changing the world with an excellent campaign strategist behind.

Dreaming of changing the world, Seo Chang-dae takes part in Kim Woon-bum’s political campaign. To resist the current dictatorial ruling party, Seo adopts very aggressive propaganda campaign and it makes Kim become the strongest candidate in the opposition party. When ambitious Seo believes that unjustified means is necessary in politics,...

Needtobreathe have recruited Carrie Underwood as their featured guest on the new song “I Wanna Remember,” which will appear on the group’s upcoming album Into the Mystery. The follow-up to 2020’s Out of Body, Into the Mystery will be released July 30th.

“I Wanna Remember” is an uplifting folk-rock production that swells to massive pounding drums and soaring harmonies in its choruses. Frontman Bear Rineheart gets nostalgic about a powerful encounter, trying to memorize every detail of “the moonlight on fire and the clothes we’re in.” Underwood handles the second verse,...

Over 100 films, stories of women, of precarious work, portraits of contemporary Korean society, between bourgeoisie and working classes; this is the 19th edition of the Florence Korea Film Fest, the most important Italian festival dedicated to the best of cinematography of contemporary South Korea, from 21 to 28 May in Florence, live (pending the provisions regarding the health emergency) at the La Compagnia cinema and online on the Più Compagnia and Mymovies.it platforms. The event, conceived and directed by Riccardo Gelli of the Taegukgi – Toscana Korea Association, is organized with the support of the Tuscany System Foundation, the Tuscany Region, the Metropolitan City of Florence, the Municipality of Florence, Kofic – Korean Film Council.

As every year, the Programme features a rich lineup of over 100 films, including short films and documentaries. Spotlights are on the homage to Kim Ki-Duk, one of the most important filmmakers in world cinema – who recently passed away, at...

Maury is best known for his role in hit French show Call My Agent!

Los Angeles-based Altered Innocence has acquired US rights to comedy-drama My Best Part, the directorial debut of actor Nicolas Maury, best known internationally for his role as the highly-strung agent Hervé in hit French show Call My Agent!

Maury directs and stars as an actor who returns home to his difficult mother, played by Nathalie Baye, in the French countryside to lick his wounds after a series of career setbacks and falling out with his dentist boyfriend.

Paris-based sales company Les Films du Losange has also...

The sci-fi genre gets a comedic twist in Choi Eun-jong’s film “There is an Alien Here”.

Synopsis

A science-fiction film about the discovery of the existence of a yellow alien who invaded the Earth in a bunker

“There is an Alien Here” is the sophomore feature by Choi Eun-jong, who has previously served as Assistant Director on thrillers like “The Villainess” and “Confession of Murder”. It stars Jo Byeong-gyu (“Idol”), Bae Noo-ri (“Unstoppable”), Lee Hyun-woong (“Collectors”), Tae Hang-ho (“Innocence”), Yoon Jin-young (“Black Money”) and Jeon Jae-hyung (“Unalterable”). It will be releasing in South Korea on February 3rd, 2021.

Cast and crew are shooting in isolation in a large house in central Brussels.

Lucile Hadzihalilovic has unveiled the first image from the set of her English-language debut Earwig starring UK actor Paul Hilton which began shooting in Belgium last Wednesday (November 4), against the backdrop of the country’s strict lockdown aimed at slowing the spread of Covid-19.

Set in the Belgian city of Liege some time in the mid-twentieth century, Hilton plays a 50-year-old man employed to care for a strange 10-year-old girl who lives a solitary existence in a large, darkened apartment. His main duty is to attend...

Park Jung-bae has been an assistant director on a couple pretty big productions for Cj Entertainment, namely “Miss Granny” and “Silenced”. Now, he is all set to make his director debut with the production giants with the upcoming “Collectors”.

Synopsis

Kang Dong-goo is an elite grave robber. He works with ancient tomb mural expert Dr Johns and legendary shoveler Sabdari.

Meanwhile, curator Yoon is an expert in ancient art. She offers an attractive, but dangerous deal to Kang Dong-goo, involving a grave robbery in the heart of a city.

The eclectic star-cast includes Lee Je-hoon as Kang Dong-goo, Jo Woo-jin as Dr Johns, Im Won-hee (“Forbidden Dream“) as Sabdari and Shin Hye-sun as curator Yoon. The caper film is scheduled for a November, 2020 release.

Leading Spanish sales, production and distribution company Filmax has secured sales rights for first-time director Carol Rodriguez Colas’ “Girlfriends,” currently in post-production. The company has already started sharing a promo reel with distributors.

Filmax has anchored itself as one of the premier sales companies for independent films from new, female filmmakers in Spain such as Lucía Alemany’s San Sebastian New Directors player “Innocence” and Paula Cons’s “Island of Lies,” a main competition player at this year’s Shanghai Festival.

“Girlfriends” is produced by Madrid-based Balance Media and stars four of Spain’s most exciting young film and TV stars in Vicky Luengo (“Barcelona Summer Night”), Elisabet Casanovas (“Merli”), Carolina Yuste (“Carmen & Lola”) and Angela Cervantes (“Perfect Life”).

In the film, young Marta (Luengo) finds herself jobless after losing her dream job as a photographer at a trendy fashion magazine. With few options, she is forced to leave behind her modern,...

Out hthis week from Lionsgate is the 4K edition of the celebrated anime classic Ghost in the Shell. Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of one of the most critically acclaimed anime films of all time when Ghost in the Shell arrives on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital 4K Ultra HD) and Digital 4K Ultra HD on September 8th from Lionsgate. Based on the beloved manga from Japanese writer and illustrator Shirow Masamune, the film’s voice cast includes Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Ôtsuka, and Kôichi Yamadera. Remastered in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and featuring fan-favorite commemorative artwork from pop illustrator Martin Ansin – along with brand new bonus material – this will be the most definitive Ghost in the Shell package to date.

2029: A female cybernetic government agent, Major Motoko Kusanagi, and the Internal Bureau of Investigations are hot on the trail of “The Puppet Master,” a mysterious...

The international box office this weekend was again led by Korea, with major local release #Alive taking a 70% share of the market. The zombie horror thriller from Spackman Entertainment’s Zip Cinema sold 1.06M tickets in its first five days for a gross of $7.4M through Sunday, again demonstrating the strength of new offerings, particularly in Korea which has been at the forefront of comebacks. The movie, directed by Cho Il-hyeong, instantly becomes one of the most successful releases amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and is the first title in Korea to break the 1M admissions threshold since February.

#Alive, co-produced by Perspective Pictures, is based on an original screenplay by Hollywood writer Matt Taylor. It tells the timely story of two isolated survivors in a city under lockdown that gets out of control as a consequence of a sudden spread of an unknown infection. Yoo Ah-in and Park Shin-hye star.

Hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, the Korean film industry, which celebrated its centenary with Bong Joon-ho’s history-making Academy awards for “Parasite” earlier this year, has been in an unprecedented crisis since February.

Since the South Korean government adopted tough social-distancing measures in late February, when the coronavirus was at its peak, cinema business has been largely affected due to local audiences’ growing fear of physical contact with strangers, including theater staff and other audience members.

Major Korean films that were set for theatrical release in March and April had to push their schedules. Cinemas tried to fill up their screening slots with reruns, which have lower marketing costs. Films that delayed their release include “Time to Hunt,” which premiered in Berlinale right before the coronavirus crisis; Lee Chung-hyun’s feature debut “Call”; novelist-turned-director Son Won-pyung’s thriller “Intruder”; and mother-daughter drama “Innocence.”

Not being able to release films in physical cinemas,...

Hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, the Korean film industry, which celebrated its centenary with Bong Joon-ho’s history-making Academy awards for “Parasite” earlier this year, has been in an unprecedented crisis since February.

Since the South Korean government adopted tough social distancing measures in late February, when the coronavirus was at its peak, cinema business has been largely affected due to local audiences’ growing fear of physical contact with strangers, including cinema staff and other audience members.

Major Korean films that were set for theatrical release in March and April had to push their schedules. Cinemas tried to fill up their screening slots with re-runs, which have lower marketing costs. Films that delayed their release include “Time to Hunt,” which premiered in Berlinale right before the coronavirus crisis; Lee Chung-hyun’s feature debut “Call”; novelist-turned-director Son Won-pyung’s thriller “Intruder”; and mother-daughter drama “Innocence.”

Not being able to release films in physical cinemas,...